Chapter 5: Riverwood

[17th of Last Seed 4E 201]

At this time, we all looked battered, dirty and exhausted. Well, except for Freya, that is – she looked like she had just stepped out of a dressing room, and I had no clue how she managed to pull that off. Maybe there was some magic involved? We had just come out of the extensive underground area below Helgen, after fighting our way through Imperials, spiders and other obstacles. We emerged north of the town, and once the dragon had left the area, Ralof had suggested that we go to Riverwood with him.

Thus, the four of us – Ralof the Nord Stormcloak, Fiona the young Bosmer, Freya the Nord shield-maiden and I – started to walk along the narrow path in northern direction. We were following Ralof towards the town where his sister lived, and I had my first chance to really look at the environment and nature around us. The air was crisp and clear, the sun was shining brightly, and the nature was quite beautiful, with many healthy looking trees, flowers, butterflies, bees, and birds. I could clearly smell the scent of the fir and spruce like trees around us, with a faint aroma of mushrooms in between and some other traces I could not identify; I sensed some smaller animals moving around, probably some squirrels, rabbits, or foxes, and I liked it a lot. This was even better than any of the many nature hikes I had done on Earth, and it was clearly so much more immersive than playing. Not only did I have a 360 degree view when I turned around, but all of my senses were involved, not just seeing and hearing, but also smelling and feeling, like the movement of my bare feet on the soft ground and the faint vibrations triggered by my comrades' boots when they hit the ground.

While we walked, I got some apples out from my backpack and started to chew on one, and I also offered to the others. The young petite Bosmer, Fiona, had been awfully quiet on our way through the underground, and she still only talked to Freya. I tried to get close to her a few times, but she always stepped back, so that I eventually gave up on that. If she had never met a Khajiit before, I could not even blame her; most likely I appeared like a barely tamed big predator to her. She accepted an apple, though, and started to bite into it. Fortunately, apples here in Skyrim tasted a lot like apples on Earth, and they had always been some of my favorite fruits. Thinking about it for a moment, I realized that getting apples here in Skyrim made sense. Apple trees grew fine in moderate climate zones and easily withstood freezing temperatures in winter, whereas I could not expect citrus fruits, bananas, pineapple or so here; maybe further south, like around Anvil or Leyawiin in Cyrodiil? The 'Oblivion' game had oranges at least, right?

When the small path we were on met a wider road, there were a couple of weathered wooden road signs, barely readable any longer, and one of them actually pointed out the direction to 'Riverwood'. No, wait, the signs indicated this town's name for both directions, and 'Helgen' was added on the right side. Both directions? But of course, one could also enter Riverwood from the southeast, but the road to our left was likely the more convenient one. Ralof did indeed lead us to the left, and about half an hour later we passed what I assumed to be the Guardian Stones. I expected a comment or two, but neither Ralof nor one of the others offered one, and we were probably all too exhausted to bother. The stones would sure not run away, and I expected to have an opportunity to visit them at a later time.

From the partially overgrown platform with the stones we followed the road down to the river which originated from the lake behind us, and suddenly a pack of wolves tried to intercept us. Fiona did not even yell much when she saw the wolves; after the Imperials trying to behead her, a dragon attacking, and the spiders down below the Helgen keep, this was probably almost normal. I was not sure about her, but maybe she was in some kind of trance, like her mind had big trouble coping with the situation. But anyway, Freya, Ralof and I managed to stop the wolves before they could hurt us, except for one of them which managed to bypass my sloppy defense and slow reaction and bit into my arm. Almost yelping from pain I shook the beast off, but it tried to leap at me again; clumsily fending it off I eventually recalled my magic and blasted flames for a couple of seconds, before Ralof ran his sword through its body. The thin and torn rags I wore had done little to stop the bite, and although it was not very deep, it hurt a lot, and I had a hard time to prevent myself from whimpering in an unmanly way; fortunately, I could partially heal the wound with my healing spell, and I was amazed to see magic working like this, eventually making the skin look like it had had never been pierced, at least to the extent I could actually see it through my fur. Magic was amazing, and I started to love it. I definitely would want to practice to hopefully increase my pitiful magicka pool; at this time, it was barely good enough to fix a small bite.

I very much hoped that practicing magic a lot actually contributed to expanding one's magicka reserves, but I'd have to find out if that was going to happen more continuously or in steps when leveling, if there was any such leveling mechanism at all. I could not expect the leveling interface projected into the sky or onto some virtual holographic display, asking me to select health, magicka or stamina, right? Or, like in the 'Oblivion' game, select three skills to increase with different weights after leveling in my sleep. That would be quite odd, and I very much hoped that this concept was implemented in a more sensible and 'realistic' way, but I would have to wait and see about it.

While we walked on and got closer to the river bank, I enjoyed the silence and the nature around, but Ralof felt a need to talk about something before we got into town:

"You know, B'lushona, you really should go to Windhelm and join the fight to free Skyrim. You've seen the true face of the Empire here today. If anyone will know what the coming of the dragon means, it's Jarl Ulfric."

"You may have a point there, Ralof. But tell me, how did you end up as Imperial prisoners?"

"I was assigned to Ulfric՚s guard. We were on our way to Darkwater Crossing, in the south of Eastmarch. The Imperials were waiting for us. As pretty an ambush as I ever saw. We were outnumbered five to one, at least. Ulfric ordered us to stop fighting. Didn't want us all to die for nothing, I guess, and there really was no way to escape. I first thought they were taking us south to Cyrodiil; parade us in front of the Emperor or so. But we moved towards Helgen, they dropped Fiona and you onto the carriage, both of you being unconscious, and you know the rest."

"How would I join the Stormcloaks, if I decided to do so?"

"Ulfric՚s capital is Windhelm, northeast of here, close to the sea. You'll want to talk to Galmar Stone-Fist, Ulfric՚s right-hand man; he handles the new recruits. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you, too."

"You make a good case. Maybe I will go to Windhelm. But, do you accept Khajiit in your ranks?"

"Well, we do not have any Khajiit fighting for us right now, I believe. There are not so many of your race here in this province, and the few who are around are mostly in the caravans. Also, Khajiit normally prefer to not get involved in the Civil War. But you have been with us in Helgen, and Jarl Ulfric will remember you when you come to Windhelm, I am sure of that."

I nodded, but that was going to be a decision for the future. I did not want to offend Ralof and question him about phrases like 'Skyrim for the Nords', but I would certainly have to keep that in mind for later. For the time being, at least before I had learned more about the situation in general, I'd better not get involved in the civil war directly.

While we followed the path close to the river, I marveled at the clear water. In some water areas with more moderate current, between the rapids, I could see fish, maybe salmon, and there was no trace of garbage or pollution anywhere; I almost felt tempted to go for a swim. In addition, countless birds sang from various bushes and trees around us, and many flowers, mostly the mountain flowers I assumed, competed for attention from bees, butterflies and admirers. Once I thought that I saw a dragonfly passing close by, in the air around the grass and reed on the river bank, and it was significantly larger than any dragonfly I had ever seen on Earth. This was indeed beautiful, and while I had been somewhat antsy and uneasy so far, for the first time since I had arrived in this new world I now started to relax and feel at least a tiny little bit at home. Yes, life was harsh and one had to kill people just to stay alive, as I had seen and experienced earlier today, but my companions were friendly, and I felt like I had known Ralof for weeks or months rather than for hours. Living here in Skyrim might indeed be something I could get used to and grow to enjoy, but I was still only in my first day, and any assessment would be really premature.

I could have enjoyed the scenery for hours, looking at new plants and flowers and chasing some butterflies, listening to the splashing of water down the small rapids and to the wind blowing through the forest and making leaves and branches rustle. I also could have spent hours trying to find out which flowers matched those in the game and which were 'extra', but Ralof pushed on. A lone fisherman stood on the riverbank, holding a fishing rod and not moving much, but he barely paid attention to our passing, and except for a quick nod there was no time and opportunity for communication between us. Somehow I regretted that; when I had played the game, I had almost always taken my time to talk to people and look around carefully rather than pushing ahead quickly. After all, one never knew what you might learn, and sometimes a treasure chest or a bird's nest with eggs was hidden in some corner or behind a tree. Ralof, though, wanted to get into down before it was getting dark, and this was understandable.

Dusk was close and the sun was low above the horizon behind us when we finally saw the first houses of a village in the distance. There were fewer trees around us now, and on our right there were even two large cultivated fields, one with crop, probably wheat or something very similar, and the other with vegetables of some kind. Three people at least were working on the fields, and the one closest to us, a sturdy male human – I really could not tell if Nord or Imperial or Breton from the distance – shouted:

"Hey, Ralof, is that you?"

"Phintis, my friend, yes, it's me. Why are you working so late?"

"It's summer, and my wife insists that we use all of the daylight we get. She wants to make sure that we get the main wheat harvest in before more rain falls, and she's got a point. But it's okay, it's good work, and it helps to keep everybody fed. I also like it that we don't have to get all of the wheat and vegetables from the farms around Whiterun."

"I guess you are right about that. Hey, talk to you later, need to find my sister."

"Sure."

While we walked along the fields, Ralof explained:

"He's an Imperial and married to a Nord woman, and they own the farm and run it together with two or three hands. Hadvar and he and I grew up together in Riverwood, and we are still friends. Thanks to him and the farm, we are mostly independent in our food supply."

"That makes sense" I nodded. I did not remember a farm being in Riverwood, or rather just outside the town; in the game, there was just a small patch behind one of the houses. However, as I had noticed a few times already, this was real Skyrim, and a few details were different. I'd better stay open-minded and should not expect everything to work out as expected.

We finally passed the wooden gate which designated the town border, and a guard who was posted on the wooden walkway above the gate greeted Ralof and welcomed him back. After the first couple of houses we saw a strong athletic woman who just came out of a building to our right. She noticed us as well, approached and called out:

"Ralof! Brother! What are you doing here in Riverwood? Are you hurt? Are you okay? I heard some rumors about Ulfric and some Stormcloaks being captured, and I was getting worried about you!"

"I'm fine, sister, but a lot of others are not, Imperials, Stormcloaks, and civilians."

"Tell me, what happened, and who are those with you?"

Before Ralof even got a chance to respond, Gerdur continued her questions:

"Now, Ralof, what's going on? Mara's Mercy, you look pretty well done in, and so does the Khajiit, but where did you manage to pick up a Bosmer mage and such a shining lady?"

Ralof and I at least did not look very good, indeed, and the efforts of the last hours clearly showed; parts of his armor and my rags were torn, and we had dirt and some bruises and scratches on us, with the latter more obvious on his skin than beneath my fur, though. Fiona had her mostly intact mage robes at least, and Freya still looked like she had just stepped out of a spa with her shining armor; there wasn't a single speck of dust or dirt on her. I suspected her armor to be either coated with modern nano particles to repel dust and dirt or have a special enchantment for that purpose; this being a magical and less technical land, as far as I knew, I naturally assumed the latter.

"Where do I start?" Ralof asked. "But first let me do the introductions. All, this is Gerdur, my older sister. She runs the local sawmill with her husband, Hod, and they have a son, Frodnar. Gerdur, those are my companions from Helgen – the wood elf in mage robes is Fiona, the lady in shining armor is Freya, and the big Khajiit՚s name is B'lushona."

"All right, but again, what happened? Is it safe for you to be here? Won't the Imperials be looking for you?"

Ralof snorted: "This hold is neutral territory, as you know, and the Imperials have other worries right now, with the dragon over there in Helgen, believe me. Have you by chance seen it from a distance?"

Gerdur nodded: "Hilde claimed that she saw a dragon, and most of us didn't believe her; I guess that she was right after all. But... how is that possible? Dragons don't exist... they're just stories from long ago…"

"Maybe we can discuss that later?" Ralof suggested. "If you don't mind, we would love to find a place to sit and eat something and then find some beds; it has been a long and exhausting day for us."

Gerdur: "You're right, of course. Follow me."

Ralof՚s sister lead us across the wooden walkway to the small isle which had the sawmill on it. Behind the mill there was a nice large grass area with a table and some chairs, like a picnic table, and she asked us to have a seat. Gerdur brought some food and drinks to us and also called her husband to join us, and when he arrived, he said:

"Now Ralof, again, what's going on? We had some rumors about Ulfric being captured, and you said there was indeed a dragon."

"I can't remember when I last slept... Where to start? Well, the Imperials ambushed us, including Jarl Ulfric, outside Darkwater Crossing. Like they knew exactly where we'd be. That was... two days ago, now, Hod. We stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping. Of course 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. But then... out of nowhere... a dragon attacked…"

"So, you were actually close to it?"

"I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there. As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away. Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?"

"Nobody else has come up the south road today, as far as I know. But tell, what about your comrades? I did not know that you have Khajiit and Bosmer in your ranks."

"They are not Stormcloaks and they got captured by accident. As far as I know, they have done nothing wrong, but those foul Imperials wanted to kill them anyway, including the petite Bosmer lady Fiona, who clearly is not a warrior at all."

"The cowards!"

"The young Nord lady, Freya the shield-maiden, was kept in a prison cells and we found her later. Actually, I would not have survived without B'lushona, and I owe him my life."

"Nonsense, Ralof" I replied. "It is quite the other way round – I owe you my life."

"Now, maybe we can lay up for a while, at least for one night. I hate to put your family in danger, Gerdur, Hod, but…"

"Not a problem. You and your friends are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. Let me worry about the Imperials. Any friend of Ralof՚s is a friend of mine."

"Thanks, sister. I knew we could count on you."

"Just one more question, brother: Did anyone else escape? Ulfric?"

"Don't worry; I'm sure he made it out. As he has not passed through Riverwood, he most likely moved on towards Windhelm right away, via Ivarstead or so. It takes more than a dragon to stop Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak!"

Ralof was unwilling to talk more at this point and focused on eating and drinking, as did the rest of us. Fiona, the petite Bosmer, was very quiet and barely said a word; I had a feeling that she was still not fully aware of the situation and in shock, or maybe her mind was unable to cope with all the day's events and was running in emergency mode or so.

Darkness was already all around us, but the island was dimly illuminated by some torches. One by one, some more citizens had arrived; apparently, our arrival had created quite some stir, and the good people at least wanted to learn who we were. I did not recall all of the people Fiona and I were introduced to, but I recalled Alvor, the local blacksmith, and his wife Sigrid. A male Bosmer made an appearance for a few moments but left before introductions were made, and when I looked out at the river in the darkness, I almost thought that I saw two eyes watching from there, too. Eventually Gerdur pulled a stop to the activity and declared that we needed rest, and I was quite happy about that. I'd probably be here for a few more days, and as my memory for faces and names was not good at all, I needed time to process all of the people around me.

Now, after eating and drinking, my bowels called for a restroom. Thinking about it, I could not recall anything like that in the game, not even something like a primitive outhouse or so. Having some time for myself now, I checked the environment and looked around, and to my surprise there was something like an outhouse in a corner of the small island, and I vaguely recalled that Ralof had gone in that direction before. I asked if that had the purpose I expected it to have and Gerdur confirmed:

"Oh, yes, sure, that's the sawmill outhouse. And of course – you have been more or less on the run for most of the day; please feel free to use it."

I slowly stepped inside, and before I closed the wooden door I looked around, specifically to see what they used for wiping afterwards. Fortunately my Khajiit eyes allowed me to see properly even in the almost darkness around me. Of course there was not really anything resembling toilet paper, but somebody had managed to press some parts of plants together in a way to look like small sheets, and the purpose was quite obvious. I closed the door and found that I could sit down almost like a human, as long as I was careful to not have my tail below me. Curling the tail to the side and on my lap worked, and a few minutes later my bowels were emptied.

Outside again I made a note to myself to find out what I could do with my tail. Was it there just for balance when running and jumping, or could I do more with it? Like, could I even cast a spell with it so my hands/paws were free for other things? In the game that had of course not been an option, but the game did not have outhouses either, unless I had missed them. I'd really have to be careful not to expect all details being like in the game; hopefully I'd be able to identify and exploit some critical differences, and I was looking forward to exploring any options I might have.

When I got back from the outhouse, Gerdur offered beds for us, but it turned out that she only had two guest beds available, and that was not enough for all of us. It was all right for me, though, as the beds were not long enough for me anyway; I was happy to sleep outside in the warm hay in the barn, and Ralof joined me, allowing the two ladies to take the guest beds. Ralof was starting to snore a little quite soon, but my mind was too active and thus prevented me to find sleep quickly.

What a day that had been! Rather than being in a coma in a hospital in Germany after the road accident I had found myself in Skyrim, and not only that, but I had indeed been in the carriage to Helgen, headed for the planned execution of Jarl Ulfric, his Stormcloaks and myself. The huge black dragon had shown up, and not even movies like 'The Hobbit', staring 'Smaug', managed to come close to that. Further, I had had to kill people, in self defense, true, but still. This had not been like a few blood pixels on a screen; this was reality now, and I had to get used to it. I would certainly encounter other dangers, both animals and bandits and such, and raising one of my hands, spreading my fingers for a Vulcan greeting and saying 'Peace, Brother!' or 'Live long and prosper' was certainly not going to work, unless I was able to learn some powerful spell to enforce it. Images like the blood splashing from the captain's neck when I had buried my axe there flashed through my mind, and it took me a few minutes to calm down again. And finally I recalled that a wolf had managed to get me injured. Yes, the bite had not been a deep one and I had been able to heal it with magic, but it had hurt, and I hoped that the wolf had not had something like rabies, or whatever sickness animals might have in Tamriel.

Slowly I felt the adrenaline level, which had probably pushed me throughout the day, subsiding; my nerves got calmer and my heartbeat slowed down. I thought that it would be really nice to have somebody close to talk to, but Fiona refused to talk much, and Freya had mostly kept to Fiona. I sighed and finally managed to whisper a short prayer, and then the exhaustion of the day overcame my inner turmoil and I fell asleep.

[Author's Notes: The end of the first day in Skyrim, and I almost can't believe that I wrote four whole chapters for one single day. Let's see what's going to happen on the next day, and I promise that there will be an increasing amount of non-canon events and dialogues in the next few chapters.

As a non native English speaker and being a well educated person (from his previous life), B'lushona՚s way of speaking is somewhat distinct and sometimes scholar like, and he uses fewer shortcuts like 'isn't' or 'don't'; he also tries to avoid cursing as much as possible.

On a side note, I like the leveling concept in Skyrim much more than the one in TES IV. When playing 'Oblivion', I frequently found myself worrying about increasing the proper skills way too much.]