Consciousness slowly returned to me. I opened my eyes and was met with a surprise. A beautiful woman was staring tenderly down at me. Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the firelight, and her rounded red lips were pursed in worry.
"Isn't every day I wake up to a gorgeous woman leaning over me." I joked not knowing what to make of the situation I was in.
Her blue eyes widened and she looked up, "Ralof, Hod, he's awake!" She looked back at me, "You took a mean blow, I'm impressed you are still alive. Poor Ralof here says he dragged your body all the way from Helgen."
I looked over to see Ralof, and Hod, sitting next to a fireplace. Ralof stood up and made his way over to me, "Huh so your alive, that imperial skewered you back in Helgen. I barely made it out, what with lugging your corpse around." He had clearly risked a lot getting me out of Helgen. He now sported black and blue bruises on his face, and his arm was sprinted in bloodstained bandages.
"You drug me out of Helgen all by yourself? Ralof I am in your debt."
I didn't know how to react. He risked his own life to drag a random prisoner out of a burning keep. Ralof just smirked and gave a small chuckle, "Nonsense, I would never let a fellow Nord bleed out because of an imperial dog."
The woman who I knew as Gerdur cleared her throat and spoke up, "I know you've just awoken, but I need your help." She paused to look up at Ralof and hod, "WE need your help. If there are truly dragons about Riverwood is defenseless. The Jarl over at Whiterun needs to hear about this. We may be a hardy people, but we are no match for a living dragon." She said pleadingly.
Usually, this is where I would fuck off and wander the map, but something about the desperation and uncertainty in her eyes pulled at my heartstrings.
"Okay, okay I can do that." I reassured her "But I need supplies, I don't really care for getting mauled by wolves, or bandits in the wilderness.
Hod then chimed in, "Don't worry about supplies, I've already packed you a bag. It's got a Small tent and bedroll, some fried fruits, and salted meats, and a few bottles of my best ale." He finished with a wink.
I sat up in the bed and looked down to my stomach to see an old bloodied bandage wrapped around my abdomen. Moving my body only left my stomach with a slight soreness.
At least I regenerate like in the game.
I slowly stood up and stretched. The sound of my muscles and joints popping into place was very satisfying. "Well unless you have any objections I'll be off then? Better to get to Whiterun sooner rather than later.
I saw Ralof's face crinkle from the corner of my vision. I'll have to talk to him eventually, might as well get it out of the way.
I gave my thanks and said my goodbyes to Hod and Gerdur, and grabbed the bag Hod had prepared me. I locked eyes with Ralof as I started towards the door. He nodded, appearing to get my intention, and followed me out the door.
"Alright, let's make this quick. I'll answer any question that I can realistically answer." I said to Ralof as he closed the door behind us.
Ralof crossed his arm, "How do you know Ulfric made it out of Helgen, I haven't gotten any word from my comrades. Also, how did you know that that dragon show up and destroy Helgen? One more thing, since you know events that haven't come to pass, do we win the war? The storm cloaks I mean." Ralof unleashed all of his questions at once.
I grimaced internally, I didn't know how to answer any of these. Hell He'd probably Zero Sum and immediately vanish from this world the second I told him the truth.
"Well there's no easy way to explain this, but I'm from the future." I left a dramatic pause, if only to see the incredulous look on Ralof's face, "Well sorta, I am but I'm also not at the same time. There certain laws in place that forbid me from going any deeper than that." This was tough. In the real world, I was a great bullshitter, but this was pushing my bullshittery to new dimensions.
Ralof looked somewhat queasy, "So the future eh? I guess I can live with that, but what of Ulfric and the war?" He looked me in the eyes.
I smiled nervously, "Uh well about that, I don't know EXACTLY how he escaped. Rest assured, however; he is alive and well and probably at Windhelm as we speak. As for the war..." I trailed, there was no right answer to this question.
I saw a flash of panic in Ralof's eyes, probably thinking they had lost the war, "Don't worry; you don't lose, but you also don't necessarily win." I explain vamping up the bullshit. I had personally always sided with the empire, because everyone with a brain knows that they are the ones who should win the war.
Ralof now wore an expression I couldn't read, "What do you mean by that? Don't play tricks on me, if we lose just say that." He ground out through gritted teeth.
"Ah well, in the near future there's a ceasefire called at the height of the war. This is not the only dragon that's come back, hundreds more will rise before the war ends. Ulfric and Tullius come to terms for a temporary alliance against the dragons, but after that, I do not know what happens.
That seemed to sate Ralof's curiosity, "A ceasefire eh? And dragons? This troubles me greatly, I will need to take this information to Jarl Ulfric." Ralof extended his hand out to me and grasped my hand in a handshake. "Don't die out there friend, maybe one day we'll meet in the tides of battle once more."
I shook his hand back and gave a smirk, "I owe you a lot Ralof. You saved my life once already, I won't dishonor you by dying."
Ralof threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh, "Well best be on your way now. It's getting dark, and the wolves get active at night."
I nodded and gave my friend a smile, before turning and making my way out of the quaint village. I was now on the way to the great Whiterun Hold.
