And now I can cross this off my "Stories in Desperate Need of an Update" list... Sorry for the total lack of action in this chapter, to those of you who prefer a little bit of excitement. The story wil reallt be taking off soon, kinda like how it would in game, you can really start exploring once you finish the tutorial and the story really branches out. I'm having a lot of fun writing this, lot's of inspiration, so please don't be surprised if I pay this story a bit more attention that my others. I write when I get ideas, and it's as simple as that. Also, as I believe I said before, I'm changing a few things around, mostly to make the world more realistic. Take for instance the price of horses versus the price of the carriage. 1000 gold for a horse and only 20-40 for a ride? That doesn't really work outside the confines of the game, and neither does the travel time, hence why it takes weeks to cross Skyrim in this story and only half and hour in game.

Skyrim and all it's awesomeness (C) Bethesda

The blinding rush of late afternoon sunlight and cold mountain air over her skin was euphoric.

Though she was blinded by the light for a few moments, Elanin adjusted quickly, her vision returning and the view before her becoming clear. Snowy pine trees bordered her on all sides, and a winding path stretched down the mountain. She could only gasp in awe as her eyes wandered further, taking in the incredible and vast landscape before her. Mountains acted as the natural horizon line of her view, stretching high into the heavens with their cloud kissed peaks. A glistening lake lay in the shadow of the nearest mountain, bordered on all sides by lush green pine trees. It was enough to leave her at a loss for words. What she had been expecting was craggy peaks and gnarled plant life eternally encrusted with ice. Instead, here before her was a land that had embraced it's chilly climate and it's hard way of life, turning itself into a thing of beauty. She almost had to admit that maybe some of her preconceptions about the land had been wrong.

"Get down!"

That is until Ralof tackled her roughly to the earth, pinning her to the ground beside a massive boulder. Her face hit the damp earth with a painful thud, and she had to wrestle her head up to attempt a rightfully angry tirade.

Until a an ear splitting roar stopped her cold. From her vantage point, she could watch with horror filled eyes as the dragon passed overhead, leathery wings cracking the air as it flew. It did not notice them, going over at a speed unrivaled by any man or beast and angling upward. She and Ralof sat up, keeping cover behind the stone as they watched the creature turn towards a nearby mountain, flapping quickly and rising out of sight.

"Looks like he's gone for good this time." Ralof concluded as soon as the beast had vanished. Standing, he took a few steps down the path, letting Elanin pick her now muddied self up and keep pace. Dusting herself off as best she could, the elven maiden hurried after the Nord, keeping pace down the rather steep mountain trail. "No way to know whether anyone else made it out alive. But this place will be swarming with Imperials soon. We'd better clear out of here."

"Why? Are you wanted?" Elanin questioned, though she immediately went red faced at the obvious response to the question.

"I wasn't in line for the block by choice, elf." He responded with sarcasm, though he grew serious immediately afterwards. "You're just as much a criminal as me in the Empire's eyes now, just for wearing that armor. If they saw us now, they'd arrest us both again." Her eyes dropped down the the blood spattered armor, and a pulse of unnatural fear went through her blood. A criminal? Her? By the Eight, the very thought! Hunted by her own, no less, what would her father say?

"My sister Gerdur runs the mill in Riverwood, just an hour up the road. I'm sure she'd help us out." Ralof commented, not noticing her rather distraught state as he marched ahead. "You'd best stick with me, el-" He halted mid-sentence, catching himself and asking with as much politeness as he could. "I never did get your name, nor were we properly introduced. I am Ralof of Riverwood, as you seem to already know. Might I know your name?" He halted on the path, offering a hand to shake. Elanin only stared for a moment, them took his meaty palm into her rather dainty hand.

"Elanin, second born of house Tiani."

By the time the mill came into sight, Elanin was more exhausted than she had ever been or ever thought she could be. The knowledge that the journey was over did only a little to lift her spirits, as the stone and timber homes looked far from comfortable. Falling into step behind Ralof, she allowed the unfailing Nord to take the lead, as his pace had only quickened as they had gotten closer. A large, elevated guard post ran over the main road into town, though only two unwary guards watched from the protected position. Clearly not a town that sees many travelers...

"Looks like nobody here knows what's happened yet." Ralof noted, breaking their rather lengthy silence. "Come on, Gerdur's probably working in her lumber mill." He pushed on ahead, walking with the smoothness of familiarity. Elanin only wished she could feel such ease, as the eyes of the few townspeople weighed heavily upon her. High elves, and the elven people in general, were far from welcome in these lands, as she knew. The armor she was wearing didn't seem to help either, but at least none acted upon their apparent suspicions, letting them pass in peace. An old woman's bickering quickly caught her attention at the mention of a dragon, though a young man she assumed to be the son tried only to silence his "crazy" mother. They turned away from the main road, passing a smoking forge and turning on to a short, rickety bridge to the mill just off the river banks. The mill, a fairly large structure built of solid stone and thick timbers, was clearly in active operation. The wheel turned smooth and quick on the rapid current, and Elanin could see movement by the blades at the top. They moved on past a pile of trees ready for chopping, and Ralof cast his eyes about in searching. Elanin could only stare in fascination as the man in the mill lifted a hulking trunk onto his shoulders, muscles bulging as he shifted the load into the saw with ease.

They rounded the mill, and, looking up the path, Elanin saw a woman chopping wood. So absorbed was she in her work that she didn't even notice their approach, not until Ralof called in a cheerful tone.

"Gerdur!"

The woman halted mid swing, looking up from her task and dropping her axe with surprise. A beaming smile lit up her features, and she rushed forward without pause. Arms thrown wide, she enveloped Ralof in an embrace, responding with joy.

"Brother! Mara's mercy, it's good to see you!" She pulled back, and Elanin could only marvel at their similarities. Same fair skin, same blue eyes and blond, braided hair, even their hardy build was identical. She spoke with an equally Nordic accent, her tone tinged with worry as she ignored Elanin completely. "But is it safe for you to be here? We heard that Ulfric had been captured..."

"Gerdur..." Ralof soothed, long having grown used to such worry from his sibling. Gerdur ceased her questioning, but listened intently as he continued. "Gerdur, I'm fine. At least now I am." The last bit drew a look of alarm from the Nordic woman, and she began to question once more. Elanin, for one, was getting a little tired of being ignored so completely, but she allowed the conversation to continue for the time.

"Are you hurt? What's happened?" For the first time she noticed Elanin, turning to the elf with a look of confusion and surprise. "And who's this? One of your comrades?"

"This is Elanin." Ralof introduced for her, continuing on with a smile. "She's not a comrade yet, but she is a friend. I owe her my life, in fact." Elanin frowned strongly at the "yet", but no one seemed to notice as Ralof continued. "Is there somewhere we can talk? There's no telling when the news from Helgen will reach the Imperials..."

"Helgen?" Gerdur repeated, her voice laden with surprise. "Has something happened?" She caught herself, taking on a serious expression. "You're right. Follow me." Cupping one hand beside her mouth, she called up to the mill, struggling to be heard over the din of the saw. "Hod! Come here a minute! I need your help with something."

"What is it woman? A gruff voice called out as the gears went silent. A sweaty and wood chip coated man appeared on the edge, his face disgruntled as he continued. "Is Sven drunk on the job again?" Gerdur let out a sound of frustration, guiding them over to a broad tree stump as she called back once more.

"Hod. Just come here." There was a grumble from the man, but he quickly changed his tone once he caught sight of the new arrivals.

"Ralof! What are you doing here!" He shook his head, disappearing from view as he called out to them. "Ah, I'll be right down..." Elanin followed as Ralof settled on a huge stump beside the river, letting out a sigh of weariness as he did do. She was momentarily reminded of her own weariness, but didn't have time to dwell on it as a newcomer ran up to greet them. A little boy, likely having seen no more than his thirteenth winter, ran beside the largest, furriest dog Elanin had ever seen. The boys familiar blond hair and blue eyes left her little doubt of his family bonds even before he reached them.

"Uncle Ralof!" He cried, stopping just before his uncle and proceeding to babble faster than most could understand. "Can I see your axe? How many Imperials have you killed? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?" A chastising hush from Gerdur silenced any further questioning from the boy.

"Hush, Frodnar. This is no time for your games." She pointed back the way the boy had come. "Go and watch the south road. Come find us if you see any Imperials coming." The little boy deflated, speaking with childish pleading.

"Aw, mama, I want to stay and talk with Uncle Ralof!" Ralof, for his part, seemed amused by the boys antics.

"Look at you, almost a grown man! Won't be long before you'll be joining the fight yourself." Frodnar puffed out his chest at the praise, quickly changing his tone about his previous assignment.

"That's right! Don't worry, Uncle Ralof, I won't let those soldiers sneak up on you!" At that, he turned heel and ran back to the road with his dog at his heels, passing Hod on the way. The exchange left Elanin thoroughly gobsmacked. Sending children to keep watch? Was life here really so short that you were grown as soon as you could walk? Clearly some of her preconceptions hadn't been so wrong after all... Having approached, Hod spoke directly to them, dusting off his palms as he did.

"Now Ralof, what's going on? You look pretty well done in." As if a switch had been flipped, Ralof let out a weary sigh, losing the vigor he had previously shown so strongly.

"I can't remember when I last slept..." Elanin narrowed her eyes, thinking back to everything that had taken place in the recent scope of her memory. She had been captured unaware with Ralof, so perhaps this explanation could be as enlightening for her as it was for the others. "Where to start? Well, the news you heard about Ulfric was true. The Imperials ambushed us at Darkwater crossing. Like they knew exactly where we'd be. That was... two days ago, now." The revelation made Elanin jump with surprise. Two days? That was how long she'd been out? Surely it had been no more than a few hours? On a subconscious whim, she touched the scar on the side of her temple, wincing at the memory. Any harder, and she likely would have died... "We stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Imperials had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping."

"The cowards!" Gerdur spat in rage, clenching her fists. The very memory made Elanin tense. The image of that simple stone block, stained red with the blood of countless individuals, would never leave her mind.

"They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial. Treason, for fighting for your own people! All of Skyrim would have seen the truth then." Ralof snarled, going off on a mild tangent. He continued after a moments pause, his tone growing rather hushed. "But then... out of nowhere... a dragon attacked..." His sisters eyes grew wide with terror, and there was not even a hint of doubt in her voice as she spoke.

"You don't mean a real, live..."

"I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there." Ralof continued, nodding. "As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away." His voice became grieved, and he asked with reluctance. "Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?" Gerdur nodded gravely.

"Nobody else has come up the south road today, as far as I know." Ralof sighed, but continued on, his head hanging in weariness.

"Good... Maybe we can lay up for a while. I hate to put your family in danger Gerdur, but..."

"Nonsense. You and your friend are welcome to stay here as long as you need to." She offered a hand to her brother, lifting him to his legs. "For now, let me show you to the house. It's getting late anyway, and you both look like you could use food and rest."

"If it isn't too much to ask." Ralof said, his tone grateful and weary. Gerdur only smiled at him, sending her husband off to gather their son and leading them back through the village.

"I told you my sister would help us out." Ralof proudly declared as they went, though Elanin was too eager herself for food to offer anything but a numb nod. Much had happened over the past few hours, and the thought of even a moments rest to absorb it all was welcome to her.

Even if it meant dining with barbarians.

The meal had consisted of a thick stew, vegetables, and a Nordic drink known only as mead. The food was tough, tasteless, unpleasant, and thoroughly underclass.

Yet she had inhaled it all.

Never before had Elanin been so hungry, and even the bloated ache in her stomach was well worth the relief. Gerdur cleared away the wooden dishes, setting them aside in a tub of water for scrubbing as she spoke with amusement.

"You two were certainly starved! Good thing Lucan got in a fresh shipment, I'll have to restock tomorrow." She turned back to them, addressing her son first. "But for now, Frodnar, clean up these dishes." The young Nord, who had been playing with the family dog on some furs by the hearth, immediately began to complain,

"But mamma-" Gerdur narrowed her icy blue eyes, and no further complaint issued from the boy, who immediately set to work. Elanin couldn't help but be impressed. She had little experience with children, but even she knew that they were not easy to tame.

"Now, let's get you two into some less conspicuous outfits. Hod? Give Ralof some of your work clothes, they should fit." She turned to Elanin, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully and speaking with less certainty. "I may have some clothes for you, Elanin, come with me." Though she doubted the woman's outfits would be anything like what she was accustomed to, Elanin followed, eager to be rid of her bloody and stinking armor. The house was just an L shaped, one room establishment so all they needed to do was round the corner to be out if sight of the men. Elanin looked about at the alien architecture, which appeared to consist of hand carved, well everything. From the fur rugs to the bed, everything appeared as though it was made personally, perhaps even several generations before.

"Here we are, old work dress..." Gerdur announced, pulling a rather wrinkled looking garment from a nearly bare wardrobe. "Should fit you fine, though it may be short." The Nordic woman spoke of their clear height difference. As, while the Altmer were far thinner than nords, they were also far taller, and Elanin had at least five inches on her. It was better than bloody armor, at least...

"If you'll just let me remove the cuirass." She said, used to undressing in the company of other women, though those had been paid servants. Though it took some work, she was able to remove the armor unaided and slip on the dress. Dropping the armor to the side, she took a moment to observe herself. The material was somewhat scratchy, but it fit well enough, though it was short as they had predicted. Her boots showed clearly beneath fabric, and Gerdur was quick to offer assurance.

"I can check in with Lucan tomorrow to see if he has anything more fitting. It should do you for the night, however." Elanin nodded, though she couldn't help but look over herself rather unhappily once more. The dress wasn't tight, but it was far from flattering, and showed her modest figure quite clearly. Perfect breeding without any perfect looks to show for it... Never mind it, Elanin... She scolded, following Gerdur to the warmth of the burning hearth. You can buy a whole new wardrobe once you get to Uncle's...

"Now if everything's settled, I'd like to get some rest. I've got an early morning tomorrow." Ralof announced, now wearing a faded leather work suit. Gerdur seemed surprised, but then concerned, approaching her brother and setting him on a chair beside the fire.

"Brother, are you sure? There will be Imperials everywhere by afternoon tomorrow, you should lay low-"

"I need to get out of here before they swarm the village, Gerdur. They'll search your home for sure, and I will not put you in further danger." Before his sister could interrupt, Ralof continued, not willing to hear any argument. "I'll need to search the surrounding area to see if anyone else escaped, and then I'll be going back to Windhelm. It's going to be a long journey." Gerdur bit her lip, taking a moment to respond as she gathered herself.

"I understand." She said gravely, her eyes going hard as she held back her emotion. Watching the ordeal silently, Elanin couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Was this how most siblings behaved to one another? With love and selflessness? It was a far cry from her relationship with her own brother... They had always fought, always competed, and now he was likely gorging himself on a feast paid for with coin that was rightfully hers...

"And what of you?" Gerdur asked suddenly, bringing attention back to Elanin and shocking her out of her thoughts. "Do you have anywhere else to go?" Brightening a little at the question, Elanin realized she now had a chance to explain her situation. At the very least, they could give her directions. One of them had to know how she could get to Solitude, at least...

"I'm looking for someone, actually." She explained, taking on a diplomatic air as she took a seat of her own by the fire. "My uncle, Telind Seanaami. He's a nobleman who resides in Solitude, the owner of an extensive mining company. Perhaps you've heard of him?" Much to her disappointment, none of them had an answer.

"Afraid I don't know much about the nobility around here or in Solitude." Ralof replied for all of them. "Solitude is quite a distance away regardless, at least a week at best. But you said you came from money, why are you looking for him?" Elanin, feeling quite deflated now despite the warm fire before her, answered with self pitying woe.

"My father died recently. As I am a woman and he died in Cyrodil, I was not allowed to inherit what was left for me in the Will. All of our wealth is with my elder brother now..." Much to her surprise, Ralof, as well as Gerdur, stiffened in anger.

"Typical Imperials, they think the only place for a woman is below a man." Gerdur spat, her eyes blazing. Taking a quick breath to stifle her anger, Gerdur redirected the conversation, her tone becoming thoughtful. "I'm afraid we can't help you get to Solitude. Hod and I are needed here, and Ralof would be arrested on sight." Her eyes brightened with inspiration, and Elanin hung on every word. "But, there is a carriage service in Whiterun. You could be there by nightfall tomorrow if you left in the morning."

"They're not cheap though, over three hundred Septims to make a journey to the Capitol." Hod interjected, earning a glare from Gerdur. He quickly caught himself and added in a far more positive tone. "But of course, we'd be happy to offer whatever we can." Elanin crinkled her brow as she processed the information, weighing her scant options. Beggars could not be choosers, after all, and she truly had no option but to trust these nords.

"If you believe it would work. I do not have any gold of my own to pay you back though..." Elanin said, rather woefully recalling the bag of coins that was no longer in her possession. Confiscated by the Imperials, most likely.

"Think nothing of it." Gerdur assured. "I owe you my brothers life. We may not have enough gold to pay the carriage, but we can get you started to Whiterun, and I'm sure you can find the money there." More work? Marvelous... "We've got some gold and supplies stored away, they're yours. You can leave in the morning with Ralof."

"If that's the case, we'd best be off to bed. Got to wake up early if we want to beat the Imperials." Ralof said, standing from his chair.

"You can have our bed, Ralof. Elanin, feel free to take Frodnars." Gerdur offered, halting any kind of objection from Ralof. "We've got plenty of furs to make something for ourselves. It's only for the night, after all." She took hold of her husbands arm, leading him toward the door. "Hod and I need to finish tending the livestock anyway. Go ahead and get settled while we're gone." The two then departed, letting in a quick blast of chilly air as they did so. Elanin shivered, her sensitive skin erupting in goosebumps at the breeze. Turning to the small bed that was to be hers, she approached tentatively, wrinkling her nose at what she saw. The "bed" was little more than a wooden base heaped with straw and assorted furs, none of which appeared the slightest bit clean. Still, she decided to test it, sitting down on the edge and finding it to be intensely lumpy. Better than the floor, at least...

She felt the prickling of watchful eyes on her side, and turned to see the Nord child staring at her with wide blue eyes. The moment she caught his gaze, the child didn't hesitate to babble out a question.

"Are you really a high elf?" He said, his tone one of awe. Elanin couldn't help but be taken aback. One of her hands went to brush her pointed ears, and she responded with a bit of biting sarcasm.

"Did the ears give me away?" The tone was lost on the boy, who only continued his prodding without pause.

"Papa says the high elves aren't very nice, that they use magic to make people do what they want. Can you use magic?"

"Well yes, but I-"

"Have you ever used it to order people around?"

"No, and I-"

"Is there a spell to make people invisible?"

"Yes. Now-"

"Can you make me invisible?"

"I'm not sure that-"

"Oh! Could you make the house invisible?"

"Frodnar! Leave the poor woman alone." Ralof cut in, saving Elanin from any more of the child's relentless prodding. "Elanin saved my life today, she deserves a rest." The somewhat teasing reminder shushed the boy, who then went back to playing with the half asleep dog by the hearth. Too tired to even bother with a thank you, Elanin flopped back on the lumpy excuse for a mattress. Struggling somewhat, she smoothed out the straw, working beneath the furs to find some semblance of comfort. Sleeping in such accommodations had become a fairly regular occurrence since she had left Cyrodil, but she couldn't recall one that had been this bad. Still, it was better than nothing, and she quickly felt the heaviness of deep sleep settling over her. It would only be a little longer, and then she would be back where she belonged. Wearing the finest clothes amongst the finest company, not surrounded by... by...

The sensation of something scurrying over her hand left little need to finish the thought.

Looking forward to the next few chapters, as I'll actually be able to develop Elanin more as a character once she's off on her own and not just being tugged around everywhere...