Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Elder Scroll series. That is Bethesda's honor.
Chapter 3: Living Legends
Mahrig
"Dragon!"
The scream was out in the open, and there was no taking back the word that had escaped from my pain filled chest. I had seen a beast that was said to have only existed in legend. The memory of the dragon's Crimson eyes filled my vision as if it were haunting me. The huge gaping jaw that released thunderous power that could tear a man to shreds or burn him alive, shook my body with terror. My limbs were shaking uncontrollably. I felt as if all my fear and dread suddenly crashed down around me. I felt sedated for the most part, but the images kept flashing in my mind. It was all too much, and all I could do was scream.
I hadn't even taken in my surroundings. The last moment of consciousness I remember was laying under a pile of debris that I couldn't move. The pain, I could still feel the pain in my ankle, but it had began to go numb as my scream of exertion had caused me to faint. The pain in my body was apparent now. My body was immersed in water. There were two people in a small room with me. My vision was still blurry, but I could make out their shapes. Who were they? How did I end up here? One appeared to be dressed in heavy armor, the other wore normal clothing, a woman. She was gently whispering to me, trying to calm me. My mind wouldn't settle, and all I could do was flinch from her touch. I didn't get the feeling they were trying to hurt me, afterall the last memories I had of anything were of Helgen. Nothing could be as horrible as that.
I began trying to calm myself, taking in a few deep breaths and exhaling. On the exhale I felt a slight tinge in my lower abdomen. I looked down, placing my hand on my stomach. There was an up raised wound, it had already began to heal, but was still quiet sore to the touch. I kept breathing and focused on my hands. They were pruned. My body must have been immersed in the water for quite some time. I was still in a frantic frenzy, though I started to realize for now I was safe. The pain in my ankle was the only thing keeping my thoughts from slipping away into the horrible memories that stalked around the darker parts of my mind. I lifted my leg slowly. The pain began to pulse up the center of my leg, I had no doubt broken my ankle. I stopped the attempt and placed it slowly back down into the water.
I noticed movement out of the corner of my left eye. I turned slightly and edged away. It was a man. His face came into view of the candle light. The flickering flame of the candles reflected in the deep green pools of Emerald that held my own eyes in place. His eyes, seemed so calm, and warm. He kneeled beside the tub so that he was eye level with me. His eyes never once left mine thankfully, because I became uncomfortably aware of how little I had to hide my virtue. The woman walked around him and made her way to the other side of the tub. She was gathering a thick cloth in her arms off of the table on my right side. My attention turned back towards the man. I could tell his eyes held questions. No doubt he was afraid to ask though, even I could tell my frame still trembled. He probably feared to send me back into my previous hysterics.
"My lady..." He paused, searching my eyes for something, maybe acknowledgment. Was he looking for the earlier terror that had stricken me, or trying to soothe me? I broke eye contact and stared down at my wrists. Raw skin encircled my wrist. I remember the feel of the coarse rope that had bound my hands together. Someone had removed the binds. Someone had saved me from Helgen... Could it have been him? I looked back up, trying to find my voice. I found that my throat was very dry, and my mouth had followed suit. I tried to clear my throat, but all that accomplished was to irritate it, making me cough. The woman brought a cup of liquid. When I put it to my mouth all I could taste was ash. I slightly gagged, but kept drinking. The soothing feeling it gave to my throat kept my mind away from the taste. The more I drank, I realized it was only water. The ash taste must have been from inhaling so much smoke and ash.
Images of a burning town flashed across my mind. It was involuntary and caused me to choke a little. I brought the cup away from my lips and handed it back to the smiling woman. I sighed, realizing how sore my chest was still. The man on my right had centered his attention on the flickering candle. His eyes seemed contemplative. We all sat in silence for a few moments more before I shifted my weight causing the water in the tub to slosh around. The woman knelt down beside the tub and introduced herself.
"My name is Camilla Valerius, welcome to Riverwood." She smiled gently at me, no doubt hoping to get a response from me. I looked down hoping that she would notice my concerns.
"Oh, how silly of us. Gareth, can you help me lift her from the tub? We need to help her into some dry clothes." Gareth, the man who had been deep in thought, rose from his kneeling position. He eyed me cautiously before moving closer. I nodded slightly in his direction, a silent form of permission. I raised my arms and grabbed his Pauldrons. The Steel was quiet cold compared to the temperature of the room we were in. The sudden chill kind of shocked me. Gareth effortlessly lifted me from the water as Camilla came over with the bundle of thick cloth. She began to wipe my skin dry, careful to avoid my injuries.
"Alright Gareth, let's sit her down in the chair. Turn your back though, I'll need to help her dress." Camilla smiled patting the chair in the right side of the room. Gareth did as he was told. He sat me down gently and then turned away heading toward the ladder.
"I'll return in a few minutes, there are some things I need to gather." He left. As soon as the cellar door shut Camilla started unwrapping the fabric she had used to cover my chest. I leaned forward in the chair to make things easier for her. I felt rude not introducing myself. These people were obviously concerned for me and had gone out of their way to help take care of me while I had been injured. All that I had witnessed and been through seemed like a dream, but it had been all too real. No one had even asked me about Helgen. Maybe I had injured myself coming through the Pale Pass and this had all just been a dream. Wishful thinking that would be.
"My name..." My voice sounded hoarse. It was almost unrecognizable. I continued anyways.
"My name is Mahrig, it's nice to meet you Camilla." Camilla's face lit up as I finally spoke. I lifted my arms so that she could pull the dress down over my body. It was a pretty dress, definitely a change from my old rags. It was a white cotton dress with a lace up back. Nothing too fancy. The sleeves were slightly ruffled at the ends where my fingers stuck out into view. The fabric was very soft on my skin. The rags I had worn before were itchy. This felt nice and almost instantly helped me to relax.
"How did I end up here in Riverwood?" My question made Camilla's happy demeanor slightly dim. I could tell she was thinking of a way to explain things. Her smile returned though.
"Gareth, the man that was here, brought you here to help you. He approached me in the inn and asked for my assistance." Her smile dimmed once more.
"He said he had found you amongst debris," She paused before her next words. "and that Helgen had been destroyed." Her words didn't surprise me, and it took all of my strength not to cringe at having my fears confirmed. It hadn't been a dream. I had been at Helgen awaiting my death when the beast, no the dragon, had attacked. I sighed in submission, realizing that trying to fight the thought of what had happened was futile. It was time to accept the facts. Still, all the death I had witnessed would haunt me for a while.
"I remember everything..." I started to confide in Camilla as the Cellar door opened. Gareth descended the ladder with a bag slung over his shoulder. I guess he had waited long enough to give us time to finish dressing. He turned around and walked toward me. He sat the bag on the table beside my chair. He began taking out a number of things. Poultices, potions and a bottle of clear liquid that I could not identify. When his attention turned to me he spoke.
"My lady, I wish to help with your injuries. Do I have your permission?" He glanced down at my ankle. He would have to be a miracle worker to be able to do anything for my ankle. He seemed a bit surprised when I voiced my reply.
"Yes, thank you."
He sent a warm smile in my direction as he turned his attention back to the the table where he had laid out his supplies. He first grabbed a small vial with a dark green liquid and quickly handed it to me.
"Drink all of this, it will help with the pain you may feel while I sterilize the area to ward off any infection." I sniffed the contents of the vial. It didn't smell terrible. I swished it around a little with a flick of my wrist. The liquid was rather thick. I placed the vial to my lips to taste. The thick sweet liquid hit my taste buds and instantly invigorated my senses. I tipped the vial up so that I could consume it all. The after taste was rather bitter, the previous sweetness had already begun to disappear. I didn't notice any real difference in how I felt, so I just lightly shrugged and sat the vial down.
Gareth turned around holding a clear bottle of liquid. Camilla grabbed the nearby bucket that had occupied an otherwise empty corner. She placed the bucket under my foot. Gareth had already placed his hand under the calf of my leg and slightly pulled my leg over the bucket. I eyed the liquid in the bottle. Gareth noticed where my attention had been.
"This is a sterilizing agent known as alcohol. It's simple to make, all you need is a retort and a flame." He began talking, telling me the process of how to separate alcohol from wine and other beverages using a process called distillation. The sting on my ankle as he poured the solution over my wounds was made easier to bare by his constant chatter. I listened intently trying to focus on his deep voice. My leg had become very sensitive to the new sensation around my ankle and began to slightly shake. His hand, resting under my calf, gripped slightly tighter to make sure the leg did not lurch away.
"After we finish sterilizing the wound, I will need to move your bones back into place. Your ankle has been dislocated and can cause you to heal improperly if I use my restoration without first setting it." Gareth spoke in a matter of fact way. He still had a look of concern on his face. I knew the drill. I had done something similar to a girl at Helgen... Svella. My mind wandered back to the brown hair gray eyed girl. Had she made it safely out of Helgen, or was she among the countless other casualties that littered the streets and buildings?
I nodded towards him, letting him know that I understood what to expect. This was going to hurt, but hopefully the potion he had given me earlier would take some of the edge off of the pain. Camilla came to my side and began a conversation with me.
"So Mahrig, where do you hail from, before...before helgen I mean?" She probably assumed by the rags I had been brought in that I did not have a residence in Helgen. I didn't know how to answer really. After gaining my freedom I had been secretive, never getting close enough to anyone to ever let slip anything about my past. I had no friends, only acquaintances. This was no different really, but I guessed under the circumstance it wouldn't hurt to at least give her something.
"Cyrodiil was my home..." No, Cyrodiil had been my prison. I was constantly on the run, fearing for my life. I knew the people pursuing me would not kill me, but they wouldn't hesitate to hurt me and drag me back to the hell they called home.
"What a coincidence!" Camilla chimed. "My brother Lucan and I also came from Cyrodiil many years ago and set up here in Riverwood. We run the Riverwood trader." Camilla's face turned inquisitive and her hand swayed in a suggestive manner.
"You don't really look like an Imperial though, what is your ancestry?" I didn't know how to answer, I had never really considered my appearance. My Ash blonde hair, and blue eyes that changed shades could have originated from a variety of men's races. I wasn't tall like the Nord's, nor was I battle hardy like the imperials. My magic was severely lacking unlike the Breton race, and my skin was too pale to be of Redguard origin. Gareth's eyes had looked up, the curiosity was apparent. He too wanted to know.
"I'm not sure, I never knew my parents. I've sort of been alone. I guess I don't fit in anywhere." I sighed, hoping they would be content with my answer. Camilla seemed a little confused. I could see her big green eyes inspecting my features. She shrugged. Gareth went back to focusing on my ankle. He had finished sterilizing the wound. He grabbed another vial from his bag. This one was slightly larger than the last, but held the same thick green liquid.
"This could be painful, go ahead and drink all of this too." I did as he asked. I braced myself for the pain that I knew would come. Gareth and Camilla both braced themselves as well. Camilla offered her hand to me. At first I was skeptic, afraid I would hurt her, but she kept her hand in my view not backing down on her offer. I took her right hand in my left. Camilla handed me a thick piece of cloth to place between my teeth so that I could bite down. When Gareth was satisfied and sure that I was ready he began. He didn't make quick movements like Ralof and I had done with Svella. He was as gentle as he could possibly be while trying to make sure my bones were correctly in place.
The process was painful, I could only imagine the amount of pain that I would have endured if Gareth had not offered some potions to help my endurance. I could feel the grind of my bones trying to find the correct location to lodge back into. I was simply lucky nothing had been crushed. My ankle must have been badly twisted when the chimney that had been beside me toppled down. I let out a few gasps and whimpers, the pain was dull for the most part, but every so often I would feel the sharp jabbing pain that would cause me to clench down on Camilla's hand and scream into the fabric that I gripped between my teeth.
Gareth's focus was completely on my ankle. His fingers worked meticulously over, and under my flesh. Fresh blood was now pouring from the wound above my twisted ankle bone. He didn't seem to mind getting my blood on his hands. I heard a crunching sound that sent sparks up my leg, and I almost instantly tried to pull away and climb out of the chair. I had let Camilla's hand go and she started to try and calm me, refraining me from moving. Gareth kept a tight hold on my leg. Camilla kept shushing me and trying to gain my attention. The pain had gone as quickly as it had surprised me. My body however was weak and fatigued. Camilla looked as if an idea had just occurred to her.
"I'm sure I might have a paralysis potion back at the shop. It might keep her from moving." Gareth looked up towards Camilla and shook his head.
"There is no need, I've relocated the bones. A paralysis potion would cause her joints to be stiff and would make it much harder to work with anyways." Camilla nodded realizing his observation made sense. The confirmation that my ankle was back in semi working order made me sigh in relief. I never wanted to experience that again.
Gareth
Relocating the ankle was done. All that was left to do was use my restoration powers to mend the ligaments and fractures of bone. I decided that to heal her flesh I would just give her a couple of healing potions. The bones would take up a great amount of magicka to mend. I didn't want to waste my magicka incase the need to use it arose. With Mahrig's earlier outcry of "Dragon," there was no telling what she could have meant. Was there a demon out in the world somewhere waiting to wreak havoc on another unsuspecting town? I didn't want to overwhelm her in this moment with too many questions. That could wait until she was fully healed and had a meal to replenish her strength.
If I was going to interrogate her, I needed her mind to be clear of pain and free of hunger or thirst. She had been passed out for no telling how long when I had found her, and had not regained consciousness until recently. I needed to ask her these questions away from prying ears and make sure I wouldn't send her back into hysterics when doing so. I did not want to cause mass panic within Riverwood. I felt the warm sensation begin to form in my palms. I placed one hand under the heel of her foot, and lay the other over the bone I had relocated.
"My Lady, don't worry. This will not hurt nearly as much as the process before did. I am truly sorry that I caused you such discomfort." Her light blue eyes looked up and held mine. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips.
"No, please do not apologize. Without your help I wouldn't be able to walk." Her cheeks slightly reddened as she glanced down at her ankle. My hands had began to glow with a golden haze. The heat building in my palms was waiting for my permission to release. Camilla spoke.
"Mahrig, I don't think you will need my assistance for this. I would be happy to get you something to eat and have it waiting for you in your room. What do you like?" Mahrig seemed to ponder, but answered quickly.
"Any kind of soup would be fine, thank you." Her eyes widened a bit and she called out, halting Camilla.
"I don't have any gold on me, I won't be able to afford anything." She looked down almost as if she was ashamed. I quickly interjected.
"No worries, Camilla I would be more than happy to pay for it. I'll also pay you extra for the help you have given me." Camilla smiled back at me, and Mahrig's eyes caught mine. I could see the question forming in her clouded gaze. She almost looked grateful but I could tell she was about to oppose. I shook my head.
"You need to eat something and regain your strength. It is my duty to make sure you make a full recovery." She smiled slightly in submission.
"Thank you for your kindness, I will repay this debt." I shook my head slightly at her response. Indicating that there would be no need. Camilla had accepted the terms and climbed the ladder, closing the cellar door behind her. I focused my attention back on her ankle. Once I found the injury with my palm I released the power from my hand that had welled up. I could feel the rush leave my hand and the flow of power embraced her ankle cradling the bone. Mahrig slightly gasped. I could imagine the sensation felt foreign as her bones began to mend back together. We sat in silence for a bit, seeing as how my powers had located the injury, my mind was free to wander. What was I supposed to say though? It wasn't very often that I held a conversation with anyone that didn't involve directions to the nearest thieves den, or rumors of Daedra. I spent all of my time wandering the land and doing the bidding of others. I met many people in my travels, but I had never felt more alone.
I couldn't connect on a personal level with any of these people. They lived lives that I would never have the privilege of having. I did not blame the divines for this. I had never shown interest in doing so. I knew that I would either fall in battle or die old and alone spending the rest of my years in a temple. This life held no room for friends. The Nine Divines were the ones that were to guide me. Their will was to show through me in my everyday actions. The people of Skyrim were in turmoil, even the harsh environments and land of Skyrim seemed to be wounded. Kynareth's presence was strong in this place at one point. I fear the war had misled people and shadowed them in fear of worldly events rather than trusting their faith to the divines.
There was no telling how long I had been lost in my thoughts. The power that had been flowing strong from my hands started to dim. My magicka reserves weren't as drained as I thought they would be, but I still stood. Mahrig had been in thought too it would seem. She jerked her head in my direction as I stood up and turned toward my bag. Her wounded ankle had gone too long without treatment. Some of her torn ligaments and muscles had already shown signs of decay. My powers would not have had an affect on that tissue, and she would more than likely suffer from a slight limp.
We had been in the cellar for longer than I had initially thought. Mahrig's hair had already began to dry. I gave her a medium sized vial.
"Here, drink this. It should finish mending the skin around your ankle." She smiled and took the potion.
Back in our room in the inn it was quiet. Hours had passed and the darkness outside had lightened to early morning. Mahrig had eaten her soup and was up walking around trying to get used to her small limp. Camilla had retired to her home, but pleaded that I let her know anything I found out about Helgen. I sipped on a small potion of stamina to help fight off my own fatigue. I sat in the chair by the night stand. I leaned my body against the small table and watched as Mahrig tried to find new ways to maneuver around the limp. A pout had formed on her lips as she stared down flustered at her ankle. I felt a little guilty. I had done all that was in my power to heal her ankle right, but certain damages had already been done that I could not fix.
"I'm sorry I was not able to do more for your ankle." She looked up towards me, the flustered look that had once littered her features disappeared.
"No, please I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I am glad that you were able to help me. It was a most noble thing. I do not blame you for this limp. It doesn't hurt at all." She smiled.
"I just can't seem to fully bend my ankle into my step and it causes me to have to step sooner with my other foot. It will take some time getting used to, but I can live with this." Her face took on a grave expression.
"I want to thank you for saving me. I was expecting to die there, either one of two ways." This confused me. She was beginning to open up a bit, but I didn't catch her meaning on the last part. I could tell she was slightly uncomfortable opening up to a stranger, but she felt indebted to me. She was forcing herself to open up. She continued.
"I was in Helgen as a prisoner of the Imperial legion. I'm not going to argue my innocence. It wouldn't have worked then, and I don't expect it to now." She forced a smile.
"I was crossing the border coming from the Pale Pass into Skyrim when I noticed all the commotion. Imperials and Stormcloaks were battling each other in the distance. A couple of Battle mages were throwing spells at a man who was riding towards me, heading to the pass. I was struck by one of the Paralysis spells, probably due to my bad balance and lack of timing." She giggled, then cleared her throat uncomfortably.
"When everything was said and done I was loaded onto a wagon with the Stormcloaks. The man who had been riding towards me on the horse had also been caught. He had stolen one of the Imperial's stabled horses and been trying to cross over the border going the way I had come from. They didn't care to even let me try and voice my innocence. They had caught Ulfric Stormcloak in the scuffle and cared for nothing more than ending this rebellion. We were simply going to be collateral damage." She stopped, she sat down on the bed presumably letting her ankle rest from the standing position she had been in. I had began to see her balance sway as she talked. She was overcome with an emotion that she was trying to hide.
I wanted to coax her forward. I knew her mind was struggling with words. The look in her eyes was steadily growing wild, it resembled the look of a feral wolf that had been cornered. Her breathing was slightly picking up. She was starting to panic. I decided to say something, anything to take her mind off of whatever she had been remembering.
"You don't have to rush it. Take your time. I can't imagine what you have been through." I really couldn't imagine. All that I had experienced was the destruction that was left of Helgen. I hadn't witnessed what had actually happened. The amount of destruction looked as if the God's had decided to smite the town. Searching back through my own memories of the destruction I found it almost impossible to image that men could have brought such chaos. Falkreath Hold was too crowded with lush forests and partially frozen tundra's. There would be no way that an army could have set up a catapult anywhere near the city of Helgen.
I saw Mahrig's hand clench the fur that sprawled across the bed. Her knuckles began to turn white as her pressure on the bundle of fur increased. She clamped her eyes shut, and a slight shiver passed through her. She took a ragged breath in, sobs threatening her chest. I could tell she was fighting to calm herself down. I would ask the Divine's aid in calming her, but if she were to break through like she had before, all the emotions that were held back would come crashing back. That would do nothing but send her into a spiral of hysteria. No, I would have to let her face this struggle on her own. She let out a choked sound, and continued.
"I was on the headsman's block. I had come to terms with my death. I knew it was unfair, but what was I to do about it? I could have kicked and screamed like a child, but what good would that have done other than to buy me a little extra time to dread my fate?" She took a deep breath and went completely still. I glanced up at her eyes. Her eyelids slightly dropped into a half lidded gaze as she continued to breath in and out slowly.
"Then the beast came." She closed her eyes. I could tell by the way her lip quivered that the images that were flashing through her mind were things of nightmares. My already curious thoughts wanted to push for more, but I needed to let things unfold how she chose them to. She was clearly terrified and making much progress on her own. This was her nightmare to share, her memories she was battling with. I had no other right other than urgency to push her. I knew somewhere deep inside she realized the urgency of the matter to, because her next words surprised me.
"We need to warn people. We have to prepare so that this does not happen again. No one is safe from this beast. Ralof..." Her words trailed off as she became lost in a momentary thought. She blinked a few times and pulled her hands into her lap. She began intertwining her fingers and stared at her hands.
"Ralof, the Nord who pulled me to safety after the beast began its attacks, said that it was a Dragon." She looked up, her once hooded eyes were now gaping pools of blue terror. Dragon? My thoughts pondered the meaning of the word. A legend to most people of Tamriel. The plains and mountains, the tundra's and shores were all littered with graves of these supposed beasts of legend. Wyrms that once ruled the skies and conquered the land dwellers, enslaving all mortals. There were plenty accounts in history that would coincide with these legends, but a return of the Dragons? This almost seemed impossible, like a dream. If what Mahrig had seen was not simply a figment of her traumatized imagination, then it would seem the Legends were living breathing beasts that posed a threat far greater than Skyrim, no Tamriel, had seen in some time.
This new insight into what happened at Helgen left me speechless. I couldn't think of anything to say to Mahrig. She sat on the side of the bed waiting for a response. She probably thought I was thinking her the fool. In all honesty I was not. It would explain why there was so much destruction in Helgen. Things that didn't make sense started to fall into place, like a puzzle with a found missing piece. The severity of the matter started to register in my mind and I stood up.
"If what you are saying is true, then we will need to inform the locals. You stay here and get some rest. I will check on you when I return. " Her eyes dimmed a little at my words. I'm not sure what had caused the sudden change in her persons, but it was clear she was not interested in voicing it. She layed back on the bed and I left the room. Closing the door I looked up to notice Delphine. She was eyeing me curiously from under her blonde lashes where she stood leaning against the far wall beside the door to her own room. I didn't have time to confide in a tavern owner. I needed to find someone with an authoritative personality, someone that the people of Riverwood would trust and respect. I didn't want to cause a panic, but none of these citizens knew me. I was simply the stranger who had rode into town with an injured woman. I needed to part with this information. I decided to ask Camilla. I left the inn to find the Riverwood Trader.
Mahrig
I half expected Gareth to laugh at me when I finally found the strength to part with my experiences. What I witnessed sounded bizarre and I'm glad that he did not shame me and claim me to be influenced by the daedric prince Sheogorath. What did sting my emotions a bit was that he left. I would never admit this to anyone, but I found comfort in his company. Something about him helped me calm myself. I'm not sure if it was his silence and willingness to be patient with me, or something else. Even in my unstable state of mind, I hadn't failed to notice a small hint of attraction towards him. Even though he sported a steel plate of heavy armor over his torso and fur lined steel pauldrons, I could tell he had broad shoulders. His hands had been bare in the cellar while assisting in my recovery. They were scarred and calloused from what I presumed to be from many years of battle and labor. Though with as rough as they appeared they had been so soft and gentle. His Dark Brown hair almost looked black in the dim cellar, and those eyes. His Emerald green eyes looked as if they had been plucked from the the emperor's crown. His skin was darker than mine. He had a warm olive tone that suggested he was no stranger to the sun. My skin looked sickly in comparison. Everything about him screamed warmth, including his Aura that he carried.
I laid on the bed, trying not to focus on the past few days. It all seemed so unreal. I had spurned the Divines in my moments I thought would be my last, and yet they had spared me. So many others had died, and the one person that doubted them had survived. I wondered how many others had survived. Did Ralof make it? He had shown me such kindness and risked his own life to pull me from danger. He didn't have to, but he did. My chest hurt with the dread of thinking he could be one of the scorched bodies that lay in the mess of Helgen. The scared Nord girl Svella, she had cowered into the corner of the tower that I had later noticed crumbling. Did she make it out? I watched people all around me in their final moments of life. Some fought, others cowered, and then there were those people who just froze in terror. They were plucked off one by one or in groups from the raining stones of fire that pelted the town of Helgen. Yet, her I sat. I was in the middle of all the chaos that unraveled around me. I had been pinned under Debris as the sky had been falling and all I had suffered was an injured gut, a mangled ankle and numerous terrible memories.
I didn't dare drift towards sleep. Not with the way my mind lingered on everything that happened. I would fall into a nightmare and relive it all again. Watching as people around me died and being helpless to do anything. I sat up and leaned my back against the wall. Would Gareth really return for me? I couldn't blame him if he didn't. He seemed like the type of person to try his hand at heroics. Not because he seemed arrogant or foolhardy, but because he would see it as his duty. My mind drifted back towards him. He didn't seem like a normal mercenary, or even someone that lived in these parts. He seemed like he had seen his share of adventure, battle hardened, but he didn't show it. In the short time I was in his company I could tell he took no pride in his doings. He was genuinely concerned about other people's well being, mine was no exception. He had offered his own coin where I could not, for a stranger no less. His powers of Restoration were incredible. If I had been the one trying to heal myself I would have more than just a limp. I would have a bummed leg that I was unable to use, and an infection that would likely kill me. He seemed so skilled in the art, even the knowledge of preparation. He was very thorough. There was no doubt in my mind that Gareth had been trained in the physicalities of Restoration and the knowledge of the Restoration arts. He had been well prepared.
I sighed, letting my mind finally rest. I was in Skyrim now. That is where I had wanted to be. I remember seeing Riverwood etched on my now long lost map. It was North East of Helgen. It truly must have been divine intervention that saved me. It was simply too much of a coincidence for him to be in the area. Riverwood was the closest town to Helgen and yet it would still be a lengthy ride at a fast pace and even longer on foot. I closed my eyes. I'm not sure how much time passed before I opened them again. The door slightly creaked open. I saw Camilla peeking inside. She smiled when I caught her gaze. She opened the door wider and stepped in.
"Hello Mahrig, I'm sorry about the sneaking. I didn't want to disturb you if you were asleep." She shut the door.
"Ah, no worries. I would rather not sleep right now." I motioned her to the chair. She sat down and replied to my statement.
"Well, you might want to consider a little rest. Gareth is currently stocking up on supplies at my shop. It would seem the two of you will be heading to Whiterun soon." My look of confusion urged Camilla to continue.
"I sent Gareth to speak with Alvor. He is the Blacksmith here in Riverwood and a long time citizen. I figured he has seen his share of difficult experiences and we all respect his opinion on things. I overheard some of the conversation. Alvor couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he agreed that something needed to be done." I nodded my head wondering if he had thought it all to be some hogwash story, but my curiosity was oddly enough answered as Camilla took in my expression.
"Alvor was rather easy to convince considering he had seen a large dark figure pass over the village yesterday. His vision isn't what it used to be, but the heat of the forge can weaken a person's vision over the years. Not to mention the farcry of Sven's mother who also claims to have saw a dragon." Camilla smiled a weak smile. Under the circumstances I can see why she would be trying to humor me.
"Ah, how silly, Sven is the town bard, incase you were wondering. He has been shushing his mother all morning, worried that some of the locals will think her insane. If only they knew..." It was Camilla's turn to become shaded. Her eyes were dark and contemplative. I wasn't sure what to say in the moment. So instead I inquired about the journey to Whiterun.
"So, why are Gareth and I supposed to go to Whiterun?" Camilla looked up.
"Alvor wants you and Gareth to warn the Jarl of Whiterun. If anyone can do anything about this predicament, it will be Jarl Balgruuf. He can at least send reinforcements or organize his troops to hunt the beast down." Camilla took a breath and then held her finger up as to point an approach to another statement.
"You are the only witness that we know of at this time. You will need to verify what has happened to Helgen. Helgen may belong to Falkreath Hold, but the Dragon was seen coming towards Whiterun Hold and for now poses a threat to us." I felt horrible after hearing her statement. It wasn't anything that she had directed towards me. It was her suggestion that I had been the only survivor. I'm sure there had to be others that had escaped. Surely someone had made it out alive. Maybe they had all just fled to the capital of Falkreath Hold. The thought put my mind at ease somewhat. Maybe, if there were survivors, they would alert the Jarl of Falkreath and tell what had happened at Helgen. For now though I need to focus on the threat the dragon poses here. Camilla was absolutely correct. I would make this journey to Whiterun with Gareth. I would tell the Jarl what I had experienced and maybe we could put a stop to this beast for good.
