Don't look back. I am forcing myself not to look back at the house that I have just left. I fear that if I look back I'll just run back. I walk along the cobblestone path through Riverwood, looking at the houses as I pass. I have to come back to this place, it is so welcoming. I reach the bridge that I am supposed to cross. I hesitate. I walk down towards the water and look at my reflection for the first time since I have escaped. Wow. I look rough. I notice the cuts on my cheeks, those are going to leave scars. I kind of like my new appearance. It reminds me that I survived.

I stop staring at myself and continue over the bridge. I turn right and start walking. I feel so free. The land is so beautiful. Whiterun isn't too far from Riverwood so it shouldn't take me too long to get there. I take my time walking the path. I glance at the tall trees and the tall mountains. I inhale the air deeply. I see an elk in the distance and watch it for a while. So beautiful, so majestic. It just looks so perfect, like nothing could ever harm it. I then look down at my cut up arms. Wounded and scarred is all I am now. Now that Ralof is gone, I am on my own.

I start coming down a hill and I can see the city walls in the distance. Even from this far away without seeing the inside I can already tell that it is beautiful. I see a man outside his farm. I stop to talk to him. He seems pretty happy to have a visitor; he must not get very many.

"You, you're a traveller," he says towards me.

I laugh a little, "Yeah, something like that. How did you know?"

"I don't get very many visitors out this way. Skyrim is a dangerous place, people prefer to stay within the city walls." he explains to me.

I stay and chat with him for a little bit before continuing on. I tell him about the dragon attack and he can barely believe it. "I've heard stories of the dragons, but always thought they were just legends."

"I have to talk to the Jarl, the people in Riverwood need help," I tell him.

"It was nice to meet you, come back and visit me sometime, it was nice to have a visitor."

"I will, I promise."

"Be careful out there, watch your back," he says before I leave his property.

I nod my head at him and head towards the city. I pass by the stables and see beautiful horses. Maybe I'll have to get one, one day. I continue on and go across the drawbridge. I notice two guards outside the city walls waiting. I start walking towards them and one of them meets me halfway. He tells me the city is closed because of the dragons. So they do know. I tell the guard that I need to speak to the Jarl, that Riverwood needs help. He seems to think about this and lets me enter the city.

It takes my breath away. The city is so wonderful. I notice a few children running around playing and I am reminded of my siblings. I wonder how they're doing. Are they doing okay without me? I try not to think about them. I don't want to cry again. I walk straight ahead looking at the stalls in the market that isn't too far ahead. I look to my right and see a man chopping wood. He smiles at me and greets me. I walk over and start a conversation with him. He tells me that he works at the general goods store for a man named Belethor. I keep that in mind, I may need some food soon. I keep walking and notice the people in the market. They all seem to be helping each other out. I will come back to chat with them later, right now I have to talk to the Jarl.

One of the guards told me the castle is called Dragonsreach. I climb the steps to get to the castle door. I take a deep breath and open the door to walk in. I am speechless immediately. This place is massive. I see the Jarl sitting on his throne and walk towards it. As I start getting nearer a woman approaches me. I notice she is a Dunmer and not a Nord like everyone else seems to be. This comforts me until she opens her mouth. She is almost yelling at me. I explain to her that I was at Helgen and experienced the dragon attack. She seems to accept this and I step towards the Jarl.

"So, you were at Helgen," the Jarl says to me.

I give him a witty answer about having a great view while I was about to be beheaded. He doesn't seem to care about my "criminal past" as he calls it. He wants to know exactly what happened and I tell him every. I talk about how I was about to be executed and a dragon swooped in and completely destroyed Helgen. I tell him that Riverwood needs help and he agrees to it. He tells the Dunmer woman, Irileth, to send a detachment to Riverwood. He is glad that I found him and let him know and he rewards me. He tells me there is something else I could do for him and that we should go and speak to the court wizard.

I venture into the next room and the first thing I notice is how stunningly good looking the court wizard is. Am I blushing? I sure hope not. Wow I'm pathetic, I need to get it together. I tell him the Jarl told me that that he had a project that he needed help with. The court wizard seems surprised and angry at first, but then he eventually lets me in on it. He really does need my help. He tells me he needs a stone tablet that may or may not even exist. Oh and did I mention it is in a dangerous ruin? Great, everyone thinks I'm some kind of tough person just because I escaped a dragon attack. I decide I am going to help him, but I am going to take my time doing it, I have to get over my fear first.

I leave the castle and venture back to the market stalls. It is now the evening and they seem to be closing up for the day. I ask one of the guards if there is somewhere that I can stay the night. He points to an inn called "The Bannered Mare".

I walk in and notice that it is quite a lively place. I walk towards the bar and ask if I can rent a room. The innkeeper nods, takes my money and shows me to my room. It's a fairly big room and has all the essentials. Maybe I'll stay here for a while. I close the door and take off my weapons. I lay them in the chest that is in the room. I then strip off my armour and put it in the wardrobe. I go over to the bed and lay down naked. It feels good to let my skin breathe. After about fifteen minutes I walk over to the basin and wash myself down. I find the clothes that Gerdur gave to me and I put them on. I close the door to my room and walk back downstairs.

I go towards the bar and order myself some food and some mead. I haven't eaten very much today and I'm starving. I notice that there aren't any open tables and I see a chair open in one of the corner tables. There is a woman sitting there and I ask if she minds if I sit down. She motions for me to take a seat and I do.

"I'm Estella," I say as I introduce myself.

"Ysolda," she says with a smile, "you're not from around here, are you?"

"No. Is it really that obvious?" I raise my eyebrows and ask.

She laughs, "No, I know pretty much everyone and haven't seen you around before. That's why I asked. What are you doing in Whiterun?"

I explain the dragon attack to her and tell her about my meeting with the Jarl. When she asks why I was going to be executed I tell her that I don't even know. I tell her about the archer I was going to meet and that is how I became captured.

"Wrong place at the wrong time?" she questions.

"I guess so," I say with a slight smile.

I eat and I drink. Then I start drinking some more. Before I know it I'm joining in singing songs and dancing with everyone else. I feel so welcomed here. Someone hands me another drink and I take it without question. I finish it rather quickly. I'm just trying to drown out everything that has happened and this seems to really be helping. I order another drink and keep singing. I chat with Ysolda some more and with other people. I don't take time to get to know any of them, not in this state anyway. It must be getting late, people begin leaving. I get up from the stool I'm sitting on and venture up to bed.

Once I'm in my room I strip off my clothes and get into bed. I quickly get under the covers. Everything is spinning. I should not have drank that much. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but it doesn't come. After about two hours I decide to get up, I still haven't slept and am beginning to sober up. I put on the clothes that I left on the floor and venture out of my room.

I head outside and sit on the steps of the inn. I take in the fresh air and it makes me feel a little better. I notice a guard staring at me and he comes over to chat. He tells me stories that don't make very much sense and even makes me laugh a few times. He then talks about the dragon and I nod along with him. I smile at him as he gets up to go back to his post. I decide to head back inside as well. As I reach my room I take my clothes off one more time and get into bed. I fall asleep almost instantly.