I woke to a light boot to the butt.

"...What the hell?" I asked, confused and groggy.

"Sorry," Gurdur chuckled. "You were just in the way of the fire. I didn't want to disturb you, but we need to refuel it, keep the house warm." Realizing who it was, I quickly moved out of the way, and she knelt to place in some fresh pieces of firewood she was carrying. Her hair was a bit of a mess still from waking up. She was actually pretty cute and clearly strong, the way she was handling the firewood.

I had been looking for far too long, and she noticed. When our eyes met, I immediately turned to "inspect" my armor and sword, embarrassed. She gave another little laugh, "How did you sleep, Guy?"

"Ah, well enough, I guess," I turned back. "After a hard day, it's hard not to sleep well. I do miss my bed, though."

"I know what you mean, Guy," she stood.

Fuck she's tall, probably taller than me, I thought to myself. Most girls here probably are now that I think of it. Gurdur fixed her hair and started putting together a meal at the cooking pot.

"What do you like for breakfast, Guy?" she asked as she stirred.

I thought to myself of all the food in the game. "Uh, I'll have a grilled cheese sandwich, please."

"Huh?" she turned to me with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"You know? Cheese in a piece of bread?" I looked back, even more puzzled.

"No eggs? No meat?" she replied.

"Well, I didn't want to take anything too costly. Meats are expensive, aren't they?" now that I thought of it, I didn't know how much anything cost.

Gurdur gave me a warm smile, "Nonsense! You saw the animals outside, no? Even if it cost us much, you're a friend. Don't forget that." She put a few eggs about her hand's size into the pot and threw in some meat and other cooking spices.

I stretched, and my stomach grumbled a bit. I could go for some steak and eggs.

"You know," she looked up in thought and then back down to me. "You're not actually a Stormcloak, right? There is something you could do for me and all of us here."

Oh yeah! The quest! "Ah yeah," I stood up. "You need me to go and inform Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon."

"Yes," she replied firmly. "Riverwood is defenseless, and if you could also get the word to him to send whatever troops he can, I would be in your debt." I wasn't going to say no, but she turned her blue eyes to me, and my simp ass couldn't have said no if I even wanted to.

"Ah, of course!" I said giddily.

"Great!" she smiled and got back to prepping breakfast. "Hod will prepare some supplies for you whenever the smell of this food wakes him. Also, a change of clothes, don't want you getting cut off by any Imperials."

I nodded. This armor was a burden. Although I'm not so sure things would be much better in Imperial gear.

The aroma of food wafted through the air. Just as Gurdur said, Hod came around the corner with no shirt and another full tankard. "Ah, good morning!" he called out. I nodded and returned the greeting. The loud greeting led Ralof and Frodnar to start to stir to consciousness.

"Hod, could you prepare some traveling gear for Guy here?" Gurdur asked. "Also, see if there are any extra clothes that will fit him."

"Yes, of course! Over here," Hod beckoned. As I walked over, he grabbed a tankard and poured me more Nord Mead. "Going to Whiterun to send word to the Jarl for us?"

I took the tankard and clinked the wooden cup with his, "Yep, least I can do." And I kinda have to, I thought to myself.

Hod walked to his wardrobe and opened it up. Looking through some clothes for a bit, he pulled out a Belted Tunic and studied it. "Ah, this should fit you!"

He passed it to me, and I took off the Stormcloak cuirass. I was still wearing my polyester Fruit of the Loom boxer briefs, and Hod looked at them very confused. "Say, friend, where did you get such strange undergarments?"

I looked at him confused as fuck, then looked down. He was right; these were definitely a strange undergarment for this world. I hurriedly pulled on the pants. "Ah yes...uh...it's a Daggerfall thing...yeah. Quite comfy." I took a sip of my drink, then pulled on the tunic.

"Ha! I'll have to get some then. Are you from some rich family back there then?" Hod tipped back with his tankard and wiped his mustache.

Ralof came to my rescue, "Headed to Whiterun, are you? What are you packing for him, Hod?"

Hod set down his tankard and headed to the chest across the room, "Ah yes, that's right! Be right back with that."

Now I was alone with Ralof in the corner. I guess it wasn't a rescue, more of one questioner to another. I sipped my mead and started to walk to the other side of the room.

"You didn't forget I had questions for you, did you?" Ralof pulled up a chair and sat, then gestured to the one next to him. Well, here it is, time to come up with a dank as fuck lie. I sat down and held my tankard, "Remind me, what was your question?"

Ralof looked back to his family to make sure we were out of earshot. "So, Guy. How did you know the dragon was coming? Was it Thalmor?"

"No," I replied without thinking. "Well, maybe, could have been."

Ralof chucked. "Don't jerk me around, Guy. Was it or not?"

"Fine, no, it's not," I sighed. Damn, I'm bad at this.

"So was it yours?' Ralof stood and got himself a tankard.

"Ha, no, he belongs to no one." I took a sip.

"Then…" Ralof took a sip, in thought. "How did you know he was coming?"

"Because I've seen it happen several times...ah, it doesn't matter, Ralof, just know that you were right back in the Keep. He is the end times."

Ralof sat back down and looked over his shoulder at his family again. "How...how have you seen it...several times? That doesn't make any sense."

It's because this is a game, I thought, but I can't say that. Oh boi, it's spicy lie time. I took a sip and spoke as I drank. "I'm from the future."

I looked over the lip of the tankard at Ralof's reaction. He was taken aback, looked at his drink, and downed it. "The future!" he said a bit too loud after. Realizing it was too loud, he moved closer and whispered. "So are...you...I don't even know where to start." He got up and poured more mead for himself, then sat back down quickly. He then hit me with more questions than Frodnar did him: "What's it like? What are you doing back here? If this is the end-times, how could you be here? Are you here to stop it?"

Luckily, it was Hod's time to save my ass. Hod approached us with a fur pack and a set of gear attached, and a rolled tent. "I packed some goodies for the road! Some bread, carrots, cheese, apples, bottles of mead - of course," Hod gave me a wink. "Plus a woodcutting axe for deadwood, a leather tent to keep you dry, a waterskin, and a torch!"

I finished my drink and stood, "Thank you so much, Hod! This is perfect!"

"Great!" Hod beamed. "Are you two hungry? Gurdur is putting out the food for everyone, come on!."

Ralof was about to protest, but I immediately followed. I put on my Imperial Bracers and Fur Boots and sat at the table. Frodnar was already wolfing down his food and giving some under the table to Stump. I sat down, and Gurdur placed a wooden bowl of fluffy eggs and steak in front of me. We ate and spoke about town gossip, like Lucan's general store getting robbed, then I thanked Gurdur and began to say goodbye.

Ralof looked as if there was a lot on his mind and was about to say something before I left, but he only looked away. I turned away towards the door, and he finally did speak: "Good luck out there, brother! Come by whenever you're in town."

I know that I just dropped a hell of a bombshell on him, and he would need time to process. I was mostly just glad he didn't zero-sum. That would have been hard to explain.

I nodded and waved as I went out the door and began my journey to Whiterun.