BEFORE THE STORM

As I ran out of the cave into the open air, I heard the sound of wings above.

"Wait!" Ralof hissed as he pulled me behind cover by the cave entrance.

Alduin flew just above, letting out a wild roar. The ground shook as he passed, and his scales were as dark as the abyss. Ralof and I watched in horror and awe as he cut through the air at an astounding speed. The further away he got, his roars became more and more muffled by the distance, and the horror of the moment passed.

Ralof sighed, "There he goes, looks like he's gone for good this time." He looked at me to double-check. "That is correct, yes?"

"Yeah," I also sighed. Fuck Alduin was a scary motherfucker. I'm supposed to get strong enough to beat THAT?

"You say Ulfric got out?" Ralof stretched, "This place will no doubt be swarming with Imperials soon enough. Let's clear out of here and discuss everything properly in a safe place." He gestured for me to follow him and set off down the trail heading down the hill.

I stood, grimaced, and looked out in the direction Alduin flew. I wasn't sure what to do. Part of me wanted to get away from him. No, there was the risk of getting caught in the Stormcloak attire by some Imperials. We would be much better against a patrol together. I also didn't want to tell him shit and risk him going crazy and zero-summing like I read the Dwemer did. I should lie.

"What are you waiting for, Guy? The dragon doesn't seem to be coming back...at least I hope."

I snapped out of my train of thought and saw Ralof waiting for me. No getting away easily, it would seem.

"Right behind you," I called back as I caught up.

"My sister, Gurdur, owns the mill in Riverwood, just up the road. I'm sure we can lie low there for a while." Ralof said, starting up a light jog. I began to follow, keeping up as well as I could. Ralof turned his head as he jogged forward and chuckled. "Still not sure who you are, but I'm glad you decided to come with me and not stick with Hadvar. Probably wouldn't have made it out of there without your help today."

"Why would I...have stuck...with him?" I replied, already running out of steam. "I'm sure he would have just...taken me to Tullius or something. They'd have used me for information...or something...I don't know." I was regretting spending little to no time on a treadmill in my lifetime.

"Ha, you're probably right," Ralof chuckled, seemingly having the fucking time of his life jogging ahead of me. "You know, you should head up to Windhelm and joining the fight to free Skyrim; you've seen the true face of the Empire, although maybe you already knew. Ulfric and Galmar would likely promote you quickly!"

That's right, I thought to myself. I would eventually have to pick a side in the end. It was always just a playstyle choice in the past, but now...there was much at real stake. I would need more information, weigh options.

I stopped, breathing heavily, with my hands on my knees. "M-maybe...I don't know yet," I got out between breaths.

Ralof realized I stopped and turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Too..fast," I stood up. "I don't...run a lot."

Ralof looked at me and groaned. "Of course," he muttered. "We have to keep moving to Riverwood. Let's at least walk at a decent pace; we haven't even made it to the road." He slowed down.

We made our way to the road and were about to follow the Northwest road when we found ourselves looking at something I wasn't expecting. A small tower was on the path to Riverwood. Ralof and I stopped and observed. Two Falkreath Guards in purple cuirasses were yelling at each other. One pointed in the direction Alduin flew and shouted, and the other grabbed some gear and set off up the hill, then headed west at the crossroads.

"I don't remember that tower," I accidentally said aloud.

"Lake Ilinalta Tower, Falkreath's North watch on the road to Riverwood," Ralof muttered. "It is good that there is only one guard left."

"Why? We have no bounty, do we?" I asked Ralof.

Ralof laughed. "Look down, Guy, look at the armor you're wearing. Falkreath hold is Imperial territory." Ralof sighed, "At least Whiterun hold is still neutral, for the most part."

We continued up the road to the tower, and the guard was still looking out in the direction Alduin flew. Ralof passed me a Long Bow and a few Iron Arrows.

"Say Ralof," I whispered. "I know this is a bad time, but I've never shot a bow in my life."

"Just follow my lead," he hissed as he drew his own bow. "Shoot on my mark."

I gulped and pulled back the arrow on the string. It was tough to pull it back and hold it. My arm was shaking a little, and I didn't know if I was even aiming right.

"Ready?" Ralof hissed. The guard started turning back to us, so it didn't matter. "Fire!"

The Falkreath guard looked up as our arrows flew and jumped to the side. My shot severely missed far to the left, while Ralof managed to snag him with his, but not a severe hit. The guard pulled up his shield and drew his blade.

"Just my lucky day, Stormcloaks!" the guard charged us. I tried to fire another arrow and fumbled it while Ralof got his axes ready.

The guard swung his sword down at Ralof, and Ralof parried with one axe while swinging with the other, which the guard blocked with his shield. They were too close for another shot, so I dropped the bow in frustration, drew my sword, and ignited Flames. The guard followed up with a bash to Ralof, knocking him back. The distance gave me a chance to let out a torrent of Flames. He raised his shield toward me, and the flames licked against and around his shield. Ralof took advantage of the opportunity and took some swipes that were either parried or didn't land well enough to do any real damage. The guard finally had to block Ralof, got a taste of Flames, and then jumped back down the slope with his shield in front of him and sword on his shoulder.

Ralof dashed forward and hooked the shield out of the way with his axe heads, and followed up with a savage strike the guard dodged. I moved forward and let Flames burn his side and back. He brought up his shield again on my side to block Flames and swung at Ralof. Ralof parried with his left and swung down at the guard's head right as I ran out of Magica; the guard once again blocked but staggered from the hit. I ran forward and swung my sword with both hands at him. He didn't move fast enough, and I got past his shield and hit him in the side. It didn't pierce, but he winced from the force. Ralof quickly followed up with an axe to the torso and the head.

As he fell, Ralof beckoned, "Hurry, in case there are more in the tower!" I hurried to grab the bow I dropped and sprinted down the hill with him.

We ran until I couldn't anymore and continued on the path to Riverwood. "We're almost to Riverwood," Ralof called back to me. "If we run into any Imperials there, just let me do the talking, alright?"

We reached Riverwood as the sun was setting behind us. "Looks like word hasn't reached here yet. Gurdur's likely working at her mill, keep close to me, and don't do or say anything stupid."

I followed him as we looked for Gurdur, who was looking out at the river. She had her blonde hair tied up, and she wore a green dress. A duck and its chicks waddled past her.

"Gurdur!" Ralof called out to her. She turned, surprised, then a smile filled her face as she turned to us.

"Brother!" She walked to meet us and hugged Ralof. "Mara's mercy, it's good to see you!" She quickly left the embrace with a worried look, "But...is it safe for you to be here? We heard Ulfric had been captured!"

Ralof chuckled. "Gurdur, I'm fine. At least now I am."

"Are you hurt at all? What's happened? And who is this?" Gurdur turned her attention to me, "One of your comrades?"

"Not exactly…" I started before Ralof answered for me. "Not a comrade yet, but a friend. His name is Guy. I owe him my life, in fact."

"Well, nice to meet you," I offered a handshake. Gurdur shook it with a curious look and nodded.

"Is there somewhere we can talk or stay? No telling when the news from Helgen will reach the Imperials." Ralof asked.

"Helgen? What happened at Helgen?" Gurdur began. She thought for a second, then got her composure. "You're right. This conversation isn't something for others to hear. Follow me."

She called her husband, Hod, and we all headed to their house on the other side of town where they lived. On the way, a child with a million questions and his dog came up to us. "Uncle Ralof! Can I see your axe? How many Imperials have you killed? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?"

Gurdur turned to make sure no one heard then hissed, "Hush, Frodnar! This is no time for your games! Go now and watch the south road. Come quick and find us if you see any Imperial Soldiers coming."

Frodnar pouted, "Aww, mama, I want to stay to talk with Uncle Ralof!"

Ralof chuckled and patted Frodnar's head and stopped. "Look at you, Frodnar, almost a grown man! Won't be long before you'll be joining the fight yourself!"

Frodnar's face lit up. "That's right, Uncle Ralof! Don't worry, Stump and I won't let those soldiers sneak up on you!" His dog barked in agreement, and they ran towards the entrance we came through.

We continued to the house, and Gurdur unlocked the door, and we all flooded in. Ralof and I sat down at the table, and Gurdur stood. Hod came in a bit later and headed to the bar to get some drinks for us. My stomach grumbled as soon as I saw all the food.

"Now, what's going on?" Hod said with some filled wooden tankards in his arms for himself and us. "You two do pretty well done in."

I stared into the frothy drink he placed before me in wonder. I had certainly never had any mead, let alone much alcohol in general. The smell was sweet, and the taste was even sweeter. The warmth of the drink filled me completely and put a smile on my face.

Ralof took a swig and stared into his cup. "I don't remember when I last slept well..." He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Well, the news you heard about Ulfric was true. The Imperials ambushed us outside Darkwater Crossing two days ago." He took another sip and narrowed his eyes into the froth, thinking, "Like they knew exactly where we'd be."

"They did," I blurted out. Everyone turned to me, waiting for an explanation. "The Thalmor told them; they knew the plan. They wanted to keep the war going, didn't want you to succeed."

Hod and Gurdur gave me a weird look Ralof chuckled and took a bigger swig. Fuck, I need to keep from revealing too much to more people.

Ralof continued, "Well, anyway, we stopped in Helgen this morning; Guy here was with us on the cart. They found him sleeping out there, didn't want witnesses, I guess."

I thought about my bed and considered interjecting, but instead took another sip of the delicious drink in my hands.

Ralof continued, "We thought it was all over. They had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping."

"The cowards!" Gurdur gasped.

Ralof put down his tankard. "They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial! Treason, for fighting for your own people! All of Skyrim would have known the truth about the Empire then."

I drank more to keep my mouth shut. I thought of the heated conversation Tullius, and the Thalmor were having as we reached Helgen. The Thalmor probably didn't want Ulfric to die there.

"But then, thanks to Guy…" I spit out my drink because I knew where it was going. "Are you okay?" asked Gurdur.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that as I was at the headsman's block, a dragon attacked, and literally a second too late, I wouldn't have made it." I glared at Ralof. Don't you DARE fucking tell them.

Hod and Gurdur looked at each other. Gurdur broke the silence, "You don't mean...a real...live...?"

Ralof finished his drink. "I could hardly believe it myself, and I was there." He took a piece of bread and bit into it, and I immediately grabbed one too. This bread was much softer and tasted much better than the one in Helgen.

"We would be dead if not for that dragon," Ralof continued. "In the confusion, we slipped away and were able to fight our way out." He turned to his sister, "Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?"

"Nobody else has come up the south road today, as far as I know." She replied after thinking for a second.

"Good, good," Ralof stood and stretched. "Maybe we can safely lay up for a while." Ralof turned to Hod and Gurdur, "I don't want to put your family in danger, but-"

Gurdur shook her head with a smile. "Nonsense, you and your friend are welcome to stay as long as you need." Hod gave us a smile under his mustache, and Gurdur pulled out two keys from the dresser and gave Ralof and me one each. "Any friend of Ralof's is a friend of mine."

"Thank you!" I said after swallowing another big bite of bread.

Ralof hugged his sister again, "Thanks, sister. I knew we could count on you."

Gurdur nodded and headed to the door. "I need to go and check on the workers before the day ends, but...did anyone else escape?" She stopped and looked back, worried. "Did Ulfric..?"

Ralof looked at me and nodded. "I'm sure he made it out, don't worry. It'll take more than a dragon to stop Ulfric Stormcloak!" They laughed while I drank more of my mead. They really idolize him. I wonder if they think he's some kind of pseudo-Dragonborn, given he practices the Voice.

"Well, I get some bedrolls out for them and, you know, show them where everything is." Hod headed back with his and Ralof's empty tankards.

"Hmph" Gurdur gave him a knowing look. "Help them drink up our mead, you mean." She headed out the door and said, "See you later, brother."

Hod rolled out some bedrolls for us by the fireplace. Ralof went over and kicked off his boots and placed his axes off to the side. I finished my drink and kicked off my boots as well, tossed my helmet off, and placed my gauntlets and sword to the side. I lay on the bedroll, and even with the scratchy armor on, it was a blessing to my tired limbs. I lay spread out and let my eyes shut and drifted nearly instantly to sleep.