As the Sun set and Riverwood was enveloped in darkness, Ralof and I left Gerdur's house. Ralof, wearing a set of Nord-style Leather Armor, Fur Boots and Gauntlets, and a brown Fur Cloak, led the way down the alley behind the inn. We turned the corner, passing by some tiny houses and a campfire a few poor villagers were huddled at.

We waited and looked for any guards nearby before quickly passing through the fence gate to Riverwood and crossing the bridge. At the beginning of the path to Bleak Falls, we found a small campfire being tended by a cloaked figure who had a hunting bow lying nearby, a quiver at his back, and an Iron Dagger at his side.

"Faendal!," I called. "You came, and even prepared a campfire. Glad to see you." I sat next to him, and Ralof approached the fire behind me.

Faendal nodded and looked past me. As Ralof's face became illuminated by the flame, his eyes widened. "Ralof?"

"Aye," Ralof sat next to me.

"What are you doing here…when did you get back?" Faendal kept staring at him.

"Recently," Ralof muttered.

"I heard Ulfric had been captured," Faendal paused. "Are you back for good or…will there be a trial?"

Ralof began to stand, "I knew this was a bad idea."

"Ralof, wait," I beckoned. He paused and rolled his eyes.

I turned to Faendal, "Ralof is my friend, and he's here to help us succeed. You'll have him, as well as me, to invite as 'Guests of Honor' to your wedding with Camilla."

"I didn't mean anything by it Ralof." Faendal sighed and poked at the fire. "I work for your sister's family. They're not exactly shy about their support of the Stormcloaks."

Ralof finally sat back down. "So, you're still courting Camilla?" he asked. "I thought one of you'd already married that lass. Sven has been good competition?"

"Not anymore," Faendal smiled and nodded to me. "And now I'm…how did you put it… 'sealing the deal' to win Camilla's heart with this quest."

Ralof looked at me. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Of course not, Ralof. What do you take me for?" I stood up, dejected. "What do you say we get this show on the road?"

Faendal doused the flames, and Ralof stood. "So, what are we up against?"

"First, there might be a few wolves at the bend there, unless they aren't hungry or fucked off somewhere else." I turned and pointed up the path as I spoke, then turned to my companions. "Then a few Bandit scouts in the old watchtower, a few guarding outside the actual Barrow, and then a few inside." I turned and began leading the group. "Shouldn't be too hard."

I started leading them up the path. The wolves weren't there, which I was just fine with. The air began to chill, and snow peppered the ground as we continued.

"So how are we splitting the loot?" Faendal said gleefully.

"I'm not touching anything from the Barrow," Ralof muttered. "Bad luck, that."

"More for us," I chuckled. "How about one-third all around for the bandits and I get Ralof's third from the Barrow?"

"Fine by me," Ralof said, and Faendal nodded.

As we turned the path, the watchtower came into view. As we approached, I motioned for my companions to get down with my hand. We moved from boulder to boulder, keeping low and moving closer.

"Faendal!" I hissed as I stopped behind an outcropping. "How far can you shoot usually?"

Faendal peeked over the boulder he was at. "For the tower? Next boulder." he hissed back.

I nodded, unhooked my Imperial Bow, and moved to the next bit of cover. Ralof noticed and prepared his Longbow while Faendal moved up.

I noticed one Bandit leaning against a tree near a small flame as we got closer, seemingly nodding off. Another sat just inside the tower's doorway, facing away and drinking from a tankard. The third one is probably upstairs.

I looked back to my allies and pointed at the Bandits. They nodded and prepared their bows.

I drew back my bow, aiming for the one leaning against the tree. She appeared to be wearing some Hide armor, so I aimed center mass. I fired, landing directly in her chest, penetrating her armor. She coughed awake, looked down, then fell forward onto the snow. I looked to the door and saw the Bandit there had an arrow in her head and her back. I gave a thumbs up to my allies and motioned for them to follow me into the tower.

I grabbed what appeared to be a coin pouch on the table, opening it as we went up the stairs, Ralof leading Iron Axes drawn. It was only Copper Septims but was more than I had.

We went on a wooden walkway leading to the upper level on the outside. Inside, we found barrels - likely supplies - and up some steps to the top level, a Bandit in a sleeping roll.

I ignited Flames in my hand above him as my mind flew back to Helgen. Images of my blade piercing Hadvar's neck and blood staining the ground filled my mind and looped. It felt so long ago, back before I had realized this wasn't a game or some kind of dream.

In the end, it has to be this way. I shook my head, and the images of Hadvar disappeared from my mind. I calmed the shake in my arm and unleashed Flames on the sleeping Bandit, who awoke to scream and flail inside the bedroll before going silent as his body finally charred under his Iron Armor. I stepped over the bedroll to the nearby chest.

"Divines…" I heard Faendal say under his breath behind me. "You didn't have to give him such a horrible death."

I didn't respond and opened the chest. It was mostly empty except for a collection of Copper Septims, which I placed into the pouch as I stood.

"I thought you said you were a Companion," Faendal muttered. "But this is the first time I've heard of them using magic."

I turned my head to Ralof, who met my gaze, then looked away. I turned to Faendal, "The Companions do not train in magic, doesn't mean we don't use it." I passed by him and went down the steps. As Ralof and I exited the wooden walkway, I heard him take a breath and follow us out.

My party exited the tower and continued up the mountain. It got progressively colder, and our boots sunk deeper in the snow on the path. Wind flowed up the side of the hill, increasing the chill.

We reached a turn in the path, and Bleak Falls Barrow came into view. The ancient ruin was ominously large and lightly illuminated by an aurora borealis above. I hadn't noticed the waving blue and green lights before, and seeing it for the first time, I paused, admiring it.

The sound of a bowstring behind me made me snap my head. Faendal lowered his bow and turned to me and Ralof, who was also looking at him. "What?" he hissed. "There was a Bandit. Up on the barrow."

I looked at Ralof, then back to Faendal. I nodded and shrugged, then continued on the path.

As the stairs to the barrow approached, my boots sunk less and less, finding the stone stairs beneath. I motioned to my companions to stay low as we ascended with the wind blowing at our backs. Before the top, I peeked over the ledge. I couldn't see where the other two Bandits were from my position. I moved a bit higher and looked over the buildup of snow on the top of the barrow.

"Who's there!" A gruff voice called out from in front of me. My head turned immediately to an Orc Bandit with a Steel Warhammer approaching. I was speechless and stayed there, not knowing how to respond, when an Iron Arrow flew over my head, causing me to finally duck down. FUCK.

Ralof flew up the rest of the steps, axes in hand, while Faendal rushed up as well, taking cover behind a fallen arch. After taking a moment to process what just happened, I took my bow and fired a blind shot over the snow in the direction I thought the arrow came from, then ran to join Faendal. Faendal took a shot as I slid in the snow to our shared cover, which sounded like it hit and was followed by a feminine cry of pain. I peeked over the fallen arch and watched the Bandit swing at Ralof, completely missing him, only to earn his Iron War Axes in the head and side. Faendal moved up on the left with his bow drawn as Ralof entered cover. After a moment, he fired and hit what sounded like flesh, but there was no cry this time.

Ralof returned his axes to his belt as I followed, and Faendal retrieved his arrows. The three of us approached the giant doors of the barrow, all of us admiring it. Ralof turned to me, "There's no opening these giant doors without alerting the whole place is there."

I shrugged and pulled on the giant ring, opening the doors to Bleak Falls Temple with a loud metallic screech. I stopped when it was enough for us to fit through, ushered my allies in, then closed the door behind myself.

"It's not time yet!" a male Nord Bandit called out to us. The three of us looked at each other in the dark of the temple. Ahead of us past a pillar, two Bandits sat by a campfire. They didn't seem to notice that we were not their compatriots yet.

I signaled to Ralof and Faendal, who nodded and prepared their bows. The Bandits continued their conversation, "If that Dark Elf wants to go on ahead, I say let him. He steps on a trap, that's more for us."

We spread out around the room as they continued. "What of the detachment of guards below? What if they decide to retake the watchtower?" The second Bandit poked the fire.

We all got our line of sight and began approaching the campfire. "They aren't going to take it. Why would they? That watchtower has been abandoned for some time now." The first Bandit scoffed and took a bite out of his bread. "Get your asses over here if you're going to be in here! Stop sitting around in the dark." He turned and peered past us. We all stopped moving where we were, hoping he didn't see us. I looked around to see how far my allies got. Faendal had gone on the right and was by an altar, and Ralof was to the left. The Bandit turned back to the campfire, "Did they head back out?"

"I didn't hear it, but I wasn't really paying attention," the second Bandit replied. We took that as a signal to move forward. Suddenly I felt a crunch under my boot. I looked down and peered in the dark to see what appeared to be a dead Skeever's skull under my boot, making me gag. Unfortunately, the crunch also made a noise, and, much more importantly, the Bandits heard it.

"What was that?" the first Bandit grabbed a Torch from the fire and held it out in my direction, while the second readied her bow, peering out into the darkness. I let my arrow fly into the chest of the first Bandit, which was followed up by a shot from Ralof. Faendal landed a shot in the head of the female. Both Bandits dropped, and we moved forward.

We warmed ourselves next to the fire, and I noticed a chest nearby. I opened it and peered inside. While the coins inside were still just Copper, I was delighted to see a Flawless Garnet and a Potion of Minor Healing included.

"So…was that all of them?" Faendal asked as I removed the loot from the chest.

"No, unfortunately." I responded. "There are a few more Bandits down in the ruins. Two more if I remember correctly."

"Remember?" Faendal's curiosity was rising. I grimaced as I shut the chest.

"Let's get moving," Ralof rubbed his hands. "I overheard there is already a team ahead of us."

"Keep an eye out for traps," Faendal remarked. "Ruins like these are probably full of them."

I began leading my party down the steps deeper into Bleak Falls Temple. Cobwebs disintegrated quickly from just a spark of Flames. Following what pathways weren't collapsed or closed off by roots, we came upon a shelf with a Potion of Healing sitting on it. I picked it up and placed it in the pouch.

Ralof came up to me as I did, "I know you don't know our customs brother, but while I know there is sure to be plenty of offerings ahead, don't take everything. You don't want to offend the spirits." I rolled my eyes and continued.

"There's gonna be a guy up ahead. Just stay back, wait for him to set off the trap. It'll be funny and a hell of a lot easier than fighting." I said. "Just in case he notices us, though, keep your weapons ready." I unhooked my bow. We turned a few corners and went down a stairs corridor to find said Bandit, torch in hand, walking ahead of us. He continued through the door ahead and pulled a lever, but was pelted by poison bolts and collapsed to the ground. Ralof gave a chuckle and walked forward.

"How could you have possibly known that," Faendal scoffed as we followed him.

"It came to me in a dream," I mused. Faendal narrowed his eyes.

We entered the room, which had two heads with symbols in their mouths, with the third and middle one having had eroded off and fallen in the path to the gate ahead. On the left, three three-sided stone obelisks sat with their own symbols. The heads were symbolled with two snakes and what appeared to be a whale, but, unfortunately for the Bandit, whose body still was twitching and foaming at the mouth, the pillars on the left had the order bird, whale, bird.

I turned them and was surprised at how easily they turned like they were freshly oiled. Before I could pull the lever, Ralof said, "Wait! What if it's the other way around?"

"It's not," I muttered.

"Why would they make it so easy then?" Faendal looked from the symbols on the wall to the obelisks.

"Why don't you go back in time and ask them," I mocked as I flipped the lever and the gate opened.

We found a table with a chest nearby and a wooden stairwell to the left on the other side. I approached the table, placed the book and Potion of Healing that were there in my bag, and opened the chest. Inside were some strange Copper coins I didn't recognize.

"This some kind of Nord coin?" I held it up for Ralof to see.

"I don't know, maybe," Ralof muttered. "I would leave it if I were you."

"Nah fam, It goes in the pouch" I scooped them up and placed them inside.

"At least leave a few," Ralof sighed. "Have some respect for the dead."

I rolled my eyes then approached the wooden staircase. I readied my shield and ignited Flames in my free hand. I led my party down into the darkness.