"Gods, I forgot how hot it was out here," Hadvar said as the trio exited the cave. "Maybe we should go back in, it's much cooler in there..."
"Are you kidding me?" the assistant said as he helped Hadvar sit Sonmia down against a nearby rock. "We barely made it out of there alive. I'm not going to risk running into that bear or even more Stormcloaks. Let's just rest here for a minute, and try to figure out where we're going from here."
"All right, fine. The girl's hurt anyways. Let's let her rest for a while." They all sat down, trying to get their bearings and process everything that's happened. In the distance, a faint cry could be heard from Helgen. About a minute later, a black figure could be seen flying through the sky.
"Shit, that thing is still around? Shouldn't someone have killed it by now?" Sonmia asked.
"No one truly knows the kind of strength a dragon has. But it looks like it's gone," Hadvar said as the dragon disappeared behind a mountain. "I think we're safe. But we need to get going. What are we all doing?"
"I need to go back...my family is in there," the assistant said. "I don't expect either of you to come with me. But now that the dragon is gone, I'm sure things have died down. I need to see if my family survived."
"We understand," Sonmia said. "I'm sure both of us would do the same thing."
"Go, man. You don't have time to waste," Hadvar said.
"Thank you, both of you, for letting me come with you. May you arrive to your destination safely, wherever it may be." The assistant shook hands with both Hadvar and Sonmia before running East back to Helgen.
"So, where are you headed, girl?" Hadvar asked has he situated himself more comfortably next to Sonmia.
"I...I don't know. I have no idea where I'm going from here."
"Do you have any family you can go look for?"
Damien's face flashed in Sonmia's mind. His sweet, innocent face at first made her want to go look for him. But she remembered how he betrayed her, left her alone to deal with her father's abuse, and then remembered how he most likely ratted her out for killing their father. "No," Sonmia finally answered. "I have no one."
"Well come with me to Whiterun then. We have to tell the jarl what happened."
"How long will it take us to get there?"
"About a day, if we don't stop. But we'll have to make a stop in Riverwood to rest-"
"No!" Sonmia blurted. Hadvar gave her a look of complete confusion. "I can't...I can't go back to Riverwood..." Memories of her mother's death started flooding her mind. Hadvar put a hand on Sonmia's shoulder in a gesture of comfort, for he could see the pain in Sonmia's eyes.
"...I won't ask you why you can't go back. But I will try to persuade you to come with me. You're hurt, you need proper care. You can't survive out here by yourself. I have relatives in Riverwood who will take care of you. And then in the morning, we can head out for Whiterun."
"Why do you care so much if I survive or not? Don't you remember I was a prisoner?"
"Yeah, of course I remember that. But I'd like to think I have some sort of responsibility for you now. I brought you out of that mess and now I feel it's my job to make sure you're okay. And, well...I care. Genuinely. You saved my life in there. It's only fair that I keep you safe in return. At least until we get to Whiterun." Hadvar looked at Sonmia with the most sincere, caring smile upon his face. Sonmia could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She had never known anyone who had cared about her basic well-being, let alone just her at all. "So, what do you say, prisoner? You coming with me or not?" Hadvar stood up, brushed himself off, and held a hand out to Sonmia. She looked at his hand, which looked calloused and rough, and stained with dirt. Then for some reason, she looked at her own hand. Small, pale, also stained in dirt, with a few small cuts here and there. Sonmia then placed her hand in his, and allowed him to help her up.
"Let's get going, then. The sun's going to set soon."
"Let me carry you. You can't walk with your ankle in the shape it is. Here, climb onto my back." Hadvar bent down so Sonmia could climb up, and the two continued onto Riverwood.