Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim or any of the Elder Scrolls Games.

Author's Note: This chapter centers around Gareth, A Paladin and Knight of the Nine. After this Chapter the point of view will switch back and forth between Mahrig and Gareth within the same Chapter.

Chapter 2: A Paladin's Journey

Gareth, Paladin Knight of the Nine

4E 201, Greywater Grotto, SouthWest of Helgen

I pulled my bloody sword from the troll that lay sprawled at my feet. That was the third and final troll that had made this bandit hideout it's home. Greywater Grotto, the place I had been sent to rid of bandits that had been slaughtering merchants and Citizens of Falkreath Hold. The Jarl of Falkreath, Siddgeir, sent me there to clean up a mess he had made. It would seem the Divine Kynareth had already sent her form of justice into the bandit's lair. The Bandits had been long dead before I even arrived. A group of trolls had already dispatched them to oblivion and been feasting on their flesh and bones. If the Divine's Justice spread forward, the corrupt Jarl of Falkreath would be next on their list.

I could tell he was a wicked individual from the moment he first spoke. He told me of the deal that had gone awry with the bandits and that they would need to be dealt with. He was completely open about his dealings and did not even care to hide anything. I only agreed to do his bidding because of the innocence that these bandits had slaughtered already throughout the hold. Being the Jarl of Falkreath gave him a pedestal on which I could not touch him without going through several channels. Since High King Torygg's death, all of those channels had been frozen. Everyone had spent all of their resources and concentration on Ulfric's uprising. No one would have time to deal with a crooked Jarl, especially when loyalties hung in the balance.

Being a Paladin, Knight of the Nine, used to hold untold amounts of honor and merit. After the supposed Dissolution after the War of the Red Diamond, the Knights of the Nine became lone wanderers rather than groups of heroes. The order, thought to be gone by most, still existed. After the Oblivion Crisis ended at the end of the Third Era, the city of Kvatch lay in Ruin. What the Empire had abandoned, the Knights of the Nine sought to rebuild. Though the city never regained its former glory due to the amount of unspoken horrors said to have happened during the opening of the Oblivion gate, The Knights of the Nine created a small settlement and Priory where they could train and hold true to the Divines.

I had been in Skyrim for over 3 years. People merely thought of me as a simple Mercenary, and hired me as such. Every once in a while I would come across a den of vampires, or cult of Necromancer's and purge their darkness from the world. As a Paladin I'm supposed to lead a pure and honest life dedicated to the service of the Nine Divines. My steps I take in life lead me to places near and far. My feet led me to Skyrim, whether it be the will of the Gods or the cry of Skyrim's people, I don't know. After leaving the Priory in Cyrodiil 6 years previous to coming to Skyrim, I made a Pilgrimage across Tamriel. I had been to many places, seen many evil's and had tasted Temptation. The God's kept me on my rightful path. I found myself at times questioning my walk in life, Skyrim being my biggest challenge yet.

Whatever thoughts that had been passing through my mind were halted by a feeling of dread that instantly overtook my body. I figured that this dread was due to the amount of death that surrounded me, and had begun to register on my conscience. I made my way to the entrance and peered outside. The cold wind brushed across my senses awakening me from my brooding nature. That's when I noticed the wildlife. Elk, deer, fox, rabbits and wolves all scattered across my vision running from an invisible threat. Their instincts were on high alert, and something was making them very uneasy. I thought back to my feelings of dread that had surprised me in the Cavern. I sent a silent prayer to the divines to give me clarity, then searched the area with my heightened senses. I could not find a threat locally, but a foreboding energy was building in the distance to the North.

I made my way past the frozen tree line, and knelt on the cliff side trying to hone my senses in on the direction of the disturbance. In the distance I could see smoke rising from a small mountain range. Not being able to see anymore then that I referred to my map, so that I could gain a sense of the location. My map was weathered and in some locations it was hardly decipherable. The small mountain range to the North of my location sheltered a small town called Helgen. I had passed through that town overnight heading to my destination at Greywater Grotto. Everything in the town had seemed calm and nothing had been out of the ordinary at the time. Still my mind raced with the possibility that Bandits had staged a raid, or worse, vampires or some other dark cult.

I sent another prayer up to the divines, hoping that they could grant me the Stamina and speed to reach my destination of Helgen in time to be of some assistance. My horse, Arlow, was starting to climb in age. He was not nearly as fast as he had been in his youth when I had purchased him in Cyrodiil as a young lad of 17. Skyrim had been hardest on him with the cold weather, and harsh environments. I had used what little earnings I had made helping in the Priory stables to purchase him after my initiation. I had been acknowledged by the Nine, and Blessed by the Priests to become a Holy warrior, and sent off into the lands to do the Divine's bidding. Spending most of my time training, studying, and praying had given me little time to find a more suitable employment. The stables were the only option for me at the time. That had been almost 9 years ago.

The sky began to darken the closer I came to rounding the mountain. The snow that had been falling turned to rain and then later became something else entirely. Ash, began coating my armor and horse. The thick air began to warm, and the smell of burning wood was becoming stronger. I was no doubt getting closer to the town. I recognized the intersection ahead of me. The weathered wooden markers came into view. I took a swift left heading towards Helgen, and the view that came into my sight would have stopped me dead in my tracks if I had not been riding Arlow.

The town of Helgen was in Ruins. Smoke still wafted from the smoldering buildings and the town walls had crumbled in places. I pushed Arlow to his limit once I regained my train of thought. What could have done this? Where is everyone? Why have I not seen anyone fleeing? My thoughts were on the verge of hysterics, but I had been trained to keep a calm demeanor. The closer I came to the town the harder I pushed Arlow forward. We came to the East City gate. It was closed and more than likely blocked by debris considering half of the wall beside it had collapsed. I dismounted from Arlow and grabbed a bag from my saddle. If there were any survivors they would need potions. I wanted to be prepared for whatever lay behind the city walls. I could heal them, but if there were many I would need to rely on the potions to help them more quickly.

I made my way over the stone blocks that had once been a strong wall to protect Helgen. The air was hot, and sweat began to bead on my brow. Wiping my face I continued into the smoke. I didn't know what to expect, so silence was my friend. The perpetrators of this disaster could still be skulking around somewhere. The smoke was so thick in some areas I had to force myself to hold my breath so that I could continue walking. I could barely make out shapes, my eyes were blurry from irritation the haze of smoke had caused. My armored boot came into contact with something. I looked down, half expecting to see some debris from one of the buildings. My Journey thus far could not prepare me for what I gazed down at.

A burned corpse sat at my feet. A small bundle of singed fabric lay barely visible underneath. Upon closer examination I identified the corpse as female, and the bundle of fabric that lay beneath her, a small babe. She had tried to shield the small babe from whatever force had attacked this town. Every man has a breaking point, whether he be a Godly man, or a wicked man. The sight of such innocence ripped from this world made my stomach spin out of control. My earlier instinct to be quiet was now trampled by the will to find someone alive. I begged the God's for someone to be left. Surely this whole town of people could not have just perished in the flames that took their homes and town. Surely someone could have made it out.

"Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? I've come to help!"

I walked into a clearing that was littered with debris...and more corpses. Bits and pieces of Imperial armor could be seen burned into the flesh of the individuals who wore it. My mind raced at the sight. Was this an act of war? Who was the attacking side, the Imperials or Stormcloaks?

I thought I had heard something. A small amount of movement. This gave me hope, and I continued to yell out for any survivors. I shortly brushed it off as kindling from a buildings finally collapsing. That is until I heard a small whimper that began to grow in volume. It became an all out cry, a woman's cry for help and the sound of gasping. I followed the choking sound to a large area that for the most part was clear except for the outlying areas that was riddled with debris where buildings had collapsed.

I found her pinned under a huge wooden beam and rubble that looked like it had belonged to the chimney of the house she lay beside. Her face was covered in black soot, and smears of blood. Her Ash Blonde hair was wet with sweat and blood and her breathing was becoming coarse. This woman was near death, but she was the only survivor I had come across, and I would not lose her. By the Nine I would ensure her survival. I had no clue what injuries lay beneath the rubble that pinned her body. I threw my bag down beside her and kneeled rummaging through until I found a small health potion. Her eyes were flickering, but her consciousness was slipping.

"Stay with me lass, keep your eyes open."

I gently worked my hand underneath her head to raise it forward, tipping the small vial to her lips. At first she did not respond and her eyes began rolling till all I could see was white. I became a little more forceful with the potion, shoving the tip of the vial past her lips. When I was sure that she had consumed all of it I focused all of my energy on my hand that rested underneath her head. I could feel the warmth pouring from my palm and the slight golden glow began to sweep across her hair, and move across her cheeks. The light slowly moved down her neck, and into her chest. Her eyes began to flutter again and she inhaled a deep breath sending her into a fit of coughs. Her lungs were gaining their strength back.

By that point she was stable enough for me to focus my efforts on removing the debris. Her eyes opened, and in that moment all I could focus on was the light blue seas of life that stared back at me. She was recovering quickly which meant I needed to hurry and remove the debris. Her awareness was kicking in and I could tell she was in pain. The more awake she became, the more her features twisted into an expression of pain. The heavy beam that lay across the pile of rubble was heavier than it appeared. I tried to get a good grip on it, but every time the weight of the beam shifted, the woman whimpered. I stood up, knowing I would have to move it in one quick movement. I sent a silent prayer to the God's to lend me strength in this moment. I bent my knees and grabbed the beam. I could feel the Divines answering my prayers as a rush of energy filled my body.

I pushed from the ground exerting all of my strength, and the strength that had been borrowed by the grace of the Divines. From a spectators view the beam would have been seemingly effortless to remove. However, even with my borrowed strength, I still fought to hold my grip so that it would not fall back down and crush the poor woman below me. Once the beam was moved I began to gently remove the stones that covered her body. The stones ranged in size, and I had to pick and choose which ones to remove first as to not cause any more pain for the trapped woman. Upon removing a stone that was easily as wide as my torso, and as thick as the Chimney itself had been, I located the source of the woman's pained face. Her right ankle lay twisted and mangled. This would take more than a mere healing potion to fix. I needed to get her out of this smoke filled place.

The woman had made enough disgruntled noises that should have alerted anyone else that might still be alive. I feared that she may have been the only survivor that remained. I cleared the rest of the debris off of her. I noticed her bound hands and the rags that she wore. She also appeared to have a wound to her lower abdomen, nothing life threatening at the moment, but if not treated could become dangerous. I gently picked her up, despite her screams of pain. I had already caused her so much more pain trying to help her. I cast a small spell of calm and watched as her eyes glazed over. This wouldn't help her injuries, but it would help her forget the pain for a while. I carried her back the way I had came in. It was more difficult climbing back over the huge stones that I had trafficked over coming in to the town because now I carried the weight of another in my arms.

Arlow was where I had left him, just outside the gates. He spooked slightly at my approach through the dim lit smoke. The sun was starting to set in the west, and the lighting had begun to recede behind the trees. I pushed the girl up onto my saddle trying not to disturb the mangled foot, or the wound to her abdomen. She only slightly grunted still being under the calming aura I had cast around her. When I was sure she was in little pain by the movement I slowly let her body lean forward toward Arlow's head. I held her in position with one hand and grabbed onto the saddle with the other. I hoisted myself up behind her and settled into the saddle, pulling her body back slightly so that she could rest against my chest plate.

I pulled my map from one of the pouches on my saddle, and searched for the nearest village. I had thought about returning to Falkreath, but I remembered Riverwood might have been closer. Confirming that notion with my map we set off towards Riverwood. The farther away from Helgen we got, the colder the air became. I could see the goose bumps begin to rise on her skin. I stopped Arlow long enough to loosen my own cloak and drape it around her body. When I was sure it was secure we continued.

We arrived in Riverwood well past midnight. Most of the town was likely already in their beds save the few drunkards that carried on in song outside of the inn. The smell of alcohol was strong in the air. I hopped down off of Arlow making sure the woman was still secure. She had drifted into a calm slumber that I tried not to disturb her from. Anything that would keep her mind off of the pain was a blessing. I tied Arlow to a post in front of the inn when I caught the attention of the drunks. Most men lose their sense of morality when they become intoxicated, and these men were no exception.

One of the men stumbled in my direction causing the others to burst into laughter. I didn't have time to humor these men. I needed to get this woman into a safe warm shelter and address her injuries. That was my top priority, but the man who had made his way over to me put a delay on things.

"Watcha got there boy, ahhh the *hickup* boys got'em selfss a toy..."

He tried to make a motion of patting my shoulder but completely missed, causing himself to fall forward and startle Arlow. Arlow's quick reaction to pull back slightly shifted the woman's weight causing her to topple toward the other side. I quickly grabbed her waist and pulled her back toward me. Arlow was still tied to the post so he wasn't able to move far away. The motion had slightly stirred the woman and I could hear small mumbles coming from her but I couldn't understand what she was trying to say. I grabbed my bag from my saddle and slung it over my right arm, with the left I still held onto the woman who kept swaying with Arlow's movements.

The drunk kept trying to regain his footing, but just kept failing and falling back to the ground. The other drunks kept laughing at the man's misfortune. I was rather irritated at the drunks earlier observation. This was clearly a man who had no respect. I gently pulled the woman off of Arlow, trying not to startle her or cause any more injury to her ankle. My left arm supported her neck and my right arm rested under her legs. I turned to walk to the inn, but the drunkard on the ground latched onto my leg.

"Help a mann shtand up sonnn...you have er all night to play"

I stared down at the man, too helpless to even form proper words. He tilted his head back and looked at me through a drunken daze. His eyes searched the body of the woman I held, I instantly turned to walk away, but my patience was wearing thin with the lecher of a man and his foul comments.

"Look, you don ready broke yer toy, let a man show er how to play."

He reached up before I could maneuver her body away and grabbed her mangled ankle. Her eyes shot open and a scream that could have crumbled walls erupted from her. I quickly knelt setting her onto my knee. I grabbed the man's wrist and began to squeeze until his dirt smeared fingers released her.

"Ey, whatr' you doin-" I cut his words off, "I would advise you to take your buddies and walk away from here."

I kept my voice low and calm, trying with everything in me to put off an aura that would intimidate the mightiest of men. To a drunkard though, there is no reasoning. The woman began whimpering in my ear and clinging to me with knuckles of white. She kept trying to form words, but her pain was clouding her mind. The words wouldn't come. The men started laughing once again, and started to make their way toward us. The man on the ground finally made his way to a semi standing position.

"Calm down ther' lad, just funnin' wit ya, tho... we could take the dirty lassy off yer hands, plenty O' wenches in tha ther tavern..."

I stood up, anger is not one of my traits that easily surfaces due to my discipline, but the events that had unfolded prior to the lengthy journey to Riverwood had me on edge. A whole town had been slaughtered, the only person who could tell me what happened was in a delirious state because of pain, and these drunken fools were standing in my way. I stood up, hugging the woman securely to my chest, and started making my way toward the inn. The laughter of the group of men ceased and they made their best efforts to block my way.

A scrawny dark headed man who stood to about my shoulders put his hands up to halt me.

"50 Septims, that's more than you'd get at the slaver's for a bum legged wench..."

The smell of alcohol on his breath wasn't as strong as the previous mans. No, this man was in his right mind, and still propositioned such despicable things. I could feel the heat rush to my face the hand that clenched the woman to my chest began to twitch. They were trying my patience, and wasting valuable time. I sidestepped the man and pushed passed him, only to be grabbed by a brutish looking Nord who displayed a toothy grin.

"Let go, this is your last warning, walk away." I clenched my jaw, trying to convince myself that my only goal was to reach the inn and give this woman the rest and restorative needs she was in dire need of.

It would seem luck was on my side, or the Divines answered my distress with a reprieve as a Dark headed Nord came out of the Tavern. He looked me over, looked over the woman in my arms, and then directed his words towards the Drunks.

"I told you guys to leave, you are going to scare away paying customers." He threw a rag over his shoulder and crossed his arms. A few of the drunks started to detest, a few others threw their hands up in submission and began to stumble away. The scrawny dark headed man that had offered money in exchange for the life I held in my arms stayed put. His brow furrowed as I turned to glance toward him. He finally shook his head and cracked a smile, turning to follow the others into the darkness of Riverwood's streets.

The man in front of the inn motioned me forward and held the door open so that I could step inside with little effort. He closed the door behind me and spoke.

"If you want a room talk to Delphine."

He pointed toward a Blonde woman who stood over an alchemy table at the other side of the inn.

"If you want something to eat or drink just ask and I'll let you know what we got."

His eyes scanned over the woman in my arms and then pointed to a corner behind the bar.

"Bathing room is in the cellar, it's free to anyone who rents a room for the night. I just changed the water so it will be perfect to clean her wounds."

I nodded in thanks and made my way over to the Blonde woman. She was pressing leaves in her mortar and didn't even look up when I inquired the cost of a room for the night.

"50 Septims and it's yours."

It may have been my long pause that caught her attention, or it may have been the shifting of weight to my other leg. She looked up, and her eyes rested on the woman in my arms. The whimpering mess of a woman that was slowly gaining consciousness again.

"Ah, I'll show you to your room, and then you can pay me." She sat the mortar and pestle down and wiped her hands on her apron.

The room was small, and there was only one bed. I had a bedroll in my pack so that wouldn't be much of an issue. All that mattered at the moment was getting the woman cleaned up and healed so that infection would not set up in her blood. Delphine left us to our room. I gently placed the woman on the bed and sat my bag down in the single chair that sat by the night stand. The walls were thin, and I could hear the bard outside singing a song about someone named Ragnar the Red. I had made it to the inn, rented a room, but the part of my plan that stumped me and I had not thought about was the bathing part.

I needed to bathe this woman, but I couldn't be the one to do it. That would be very improper. I could however pay one of the Barmaid's to assist while I stood nearby turned away. I needed to make sure the wounds were dealt with in a delicate manner though, and I couldn't assure that if someone else was doing it. I would have to be the one to do it. I felt so burdened with such a trivial task. To any other man this would be a privilege, something they would greatly enjoy. However to me the thought of bathing a woman without her knowledge or consent would not be appropriate.

A thought crossed my mind, but I doubted I would be able to put it into motion with it being so late at night. I could bathe her with her current clothes on, only exposing the areas I needed to cleanse which would be her abdomen and her already exposed ankle. The clothes she already had on were as thin as rags, but I would need another pair of clothes for her to change into. For that process I would also need a female's help. I made sure the woman was comfortable and then walked out of the room closing the door behind me. I looked around at all the faces in the tavern. Surely no one that stayed out so late at night would be coherent enough to be able to help me.

I searched around the room looking for some form of sanity. Drunks littered the place, but there were a few sober faces to be found. One was a dark haired Imperial woman who listened intently as the Blonde haired bard began playing a slower more amorous tune. He was in the process of trying to charm the young woman. I decided it would be smart to ask for her assistance for her sake as well as my own. I slowly made my way over to her, glancing back at the room I had rented several times to make sure none of the drunks decided to find a convenient place to stay the night. One of the less dignified female entertainers had spotted me and started to make her way over through the crowd.

I picked up the pace a bit, hoping that my engagement in conversation to another would deter her sprouting motives. I stepped in front of the dark haired imperial woman. When her attention was on me, I bowed in greeting.

"Good evening Madam. My name is Gareth, I'm sorry to disturb your entertainment, but I have a pressing issue that I was hoping you could assist me with."

Her curious eyes looked me over, probably taking in the poor state my armor was in due to the soot buildup and environment of Helgen. Whether she deemed me worthy of her attention or not she began to smile.

"Hello Gareth, my name is Camilla. Welcome to Riverwood incase these buffoons have all forgotten their manners. What is it that you need assistance with?"

The bard stopped playing and gave me a cross look. I could tell that he had not taken lightly my attempt at gaining the attention of his audience. Camilla patted his arm lightly and motioned for him to take a seat. I cleared my throat and began filling her in on my situation. Her smile soon turned to an expression of concern and sympathy as she glanced towards the room I had rented.

"Of course I will help you, this is terrible news! Oh my word the poor woman, and Helgen by the Eight. Were there anymore survivors?" She had lowered her voice on the last part and now the bard was even stricken with a look of shock. Camilla clearly didn't want to start a panic among the patrons at the inn. She whispered something to the bard and he rose from his chair nodded in my direction and left the inn with haste. Camilla rose and promised she would return shortly.

I made my way toward the bar. The woman of "entertainment" had already found herself another potential customer and had begun her banter of flirtation. This was a relief to me. Delphine was in conversation with the barkeep that had helped me out of the situation with the drunkards outside of the inn. It would seem his name was Orgnar. His name sternly left Delphine's lips multiple times as she informed him of certain chores he had left untouched. After she was through berating him she entered her room and shut the door. Orgnar turned toward me and huffed.

"I told her it was on my list of things to do, but some women expect results immediately. What'll it be, shall we sate that appetite, or drown your worries?" Orgnar added with a smirk.

"I'll just have a bowl of venison stew, and a mug of water." I answered as I sat on the barstool.

"Suit yourself." Orgnar replied.

Orgnar brought the Water first. I downed it in an instant. The Venison stew was served to me right as Camilla returned to the inn. She held a folded dress and a pair of shoes on top.

"I'm sure the dress will fit her, as for the shoes I can only hope." Camilla looked flushed as if she had been rushing around to collect the items.

"Thank you Camilla, how much will you take for them?" I began to reach for my coin pouch when she waved her hand in dismissal.

"No, no. You don't need to worry about paying me, just make sure to stop by the Riverwood trader to stock up on anything you need before leaving town. My brother will appreciate the business and probably get off of my back about trivial things." She glanced over toward the door.

The bard had returned with a middle aged man who had shaggy blonde hair that was streaked with gray. He introduced himself as Alvor, the Blacksmith of Riverwood. Sven, the bard, had filled him in on all the details I had given them about Helgen. He kept shaking his head in bewilderment, but nevertheless he believed our claims. He had spoken of a strange sight he had seen earlier that evening while he was out fetching water at the River. He said he had taken a break from the forge because his wife had been less than compliant with his requests for water. He assured they were playful banters and that was her way of getting him to take a break away from the heat. He had mentioned a dark Shadow he had seen pass over the town. This left all of us puzzled.

I finished my stew quickly as Camilla, Sven and Alvor delved deeper into conversation. I thanked Orgnar for the meal and stood. Camilla, noticing that I had left the bar, stood as well and followed me into the room where the still resting woman lay on the bed. Her breathing had become weaker again. I dug through my bag to locate another small vial of a minor healing potion. I needed to give her just enough to keep her stable. If I gave her too much her ankle would not heal properly without being tended to first.

Getting her into the cellar where the bath was had been easier than I had anticipated. Camilla and Sven Kindly helped me position her so that I could easily grab her as they lowered her weight down to me. I wouldn't have been able to descend the ladder easily with an injured woman in my arms. Camilla came down as well. I began to set the woman inside the tub when Camilla stopped me.

"What are you doing? She is still clothed, albeit in rags, but nonetheless clothed."

I shifted uneasily. I was not comfortable with the situation, and I think the slight blush that annoyingly announced itself onto my cheeks gave Camilla the answer. She brushed it off as a joke, but her words weren't really all that funny.

"Oh come on now, haven't you ever seen a bare woman before? Just don't focus on her personal assets and there is nothing to worry about, now hurry up. If we are going to do this then we need to do it the right way."

I had seen a woman's bareness before, on multiple occasions in my past before taking my vows as a Paladin. I took no pleasure in most, but there had been one who had awoken temptation in my few years of training to become a Paladin. I never gave into the desire's she stirred in my mind, or the way my body reacted to hers. I had already left my past of transgressions and abuse inflicted by others. I stood fast in my determination and will to reject her. I wanted to become the Holy warrior of light, and I could not have her blinding my way.

Camilla began slowly undressing the woman, trying not to disturb her. The room was heated and started to make me a bit faint in my heavy armor. I faced away from the woman who's torso was now bare. I heard the tearing of fabric. Before I could ask Camilla what she was doing she answered the question that hadn't even had time to form on my lips.

"I'm making a wrap for her chest so that you do not have to see her in such a vulnerable state. I'm sure she would thank me if she were awake." Camilla giggled.

I sighed a bit of relief. Camilla called for me to help once she had finished preparing the young woman for her bath. Thankfully she had been wearing an undergarment on her bottom half. I leaned over her and touched her head. I sent a silent prayer to the Divines for a calming Aura to wash over her. I knew the shock from the water on her wounds might wake her, and if it did we didn't want her scaring the whole inn with her screams. I placed her gently into the water. The water had already began to cool. It was the perfect temperature. Not too hot and not too cold.

I had removed my gauntlets so that I could help with the cleaning of her ankle. She stayed still in the tub, the change in position had not stirred her like I initially thought it would. This made the process of cleaning her wounds much easier. Camilla lightly washed the dried blood from her Blonde hair, revealing Silver strands that gave her hair its Ashen tone. I focused on her ankle, gently wiping the dirt away from the wound. Her ankle was mangled, the bleeding had stopped due to the minor healing potions I gave her in intervals. They had already begun to mend bits of the skin.

The ankle itself was broken, leaving her foot twisted in an unnatural way. I tried my best to clean the dirt that had lodged inside of the wound. Water would not do the trick, I would need a sterile cleaning agent. Doing all that I could for the moment I focused on the woman's lower abdomen. The wound wasn't as severe as her ankle. It looked like a jagged gash below her navel. It had already scabbed over. Not much dirt had entered the wound, her ragged clothes, as thin as they may have been, provided her skin underneath a little shelter from the outside elements.

I looked up towards Camilla who had been washing the woman's soot covered face. The woman's features were coming into view. She had a small scar that stretched the length of her right cheekbone. Her pale skin seemed healthy enough other than the dark circles that rested below her eyes...Her eyes that were now open staring at me in fear. Her body went stiff as she looked back and forth between Camilla and I. Her breathing deepened but I could still see the calming Aura around her. This could have turned out much differently if the Divines hadn't sent their blessings. Her lips slightly parted, and she closed her eyes tightly. She gripped the side of the tub. Her fear was fighting against the air of calm that surrounded her.

Camilla and I both stood up, giving her some room as not to scare her when she started to acknowledge her surroundings. We stood in silence and watched as cries started to shake her frame. Camilla began trying to soothe the woman, walking towards her in a calm manner, shushing her cries and promising she was alright. The woman jerked away from Camilla's hand that had sought the woman's shoulders. The woman went still in that moment, and something I've never seen before in all my years happened. The Aura of calm broke around the woman, an Aura sent by the God's was shattered by one mortal's pure terror. Her voice was like a shriek of a Banshee, but the word that left her lips put my own calm state to the challenge.

"Dragon!"