Thank you to all those who have read this story already!

Chapter 2: Gifts and Curses

To say I was caught off guard was the understatement of the era. Did I hear him correctly?

"Did you hear what I said?" He demanded, sitting up straighter in his gilded seat.

"Yes, I was just surprised by it. How am I to complete this task? Helgen is abandoned, with most of her villagers dead."

He was a fool. I was a fool.

"The Empire has given me a sum of money for the repairs. I have also instructed my lumber mills to assist you with whatever you need. Getting the citizens to return is your job. Or can you not handle it?"

I hated his tone—how dare he question my abilities?! My inner voice rebelled against my pride. You don't even think you can do this.

"Of course I can." Inner voice be damned.

"Excellent! Here's the gold, as well as the letter from the Tulius. Oh, and you'll want these. I believe they are drawings of the original layout of the town. If you have any other issues, Nenya will assist you."

Pocketing the items, I wearily left the longhouse. It was far too warm for my liking. Divines have mercy on me… How was I to do this? And why had he chosen me to do this? Surely anyone else was more experienced in town rebuilding. I knew nothing! You didn't know anything about dragon slaying either, yet here we are. So now it was encouraging me? Whose side are you on anyway?

One thing was clear to me: I needed some help. Siddgeir had mentioned that his lumber mills were at my disposal, perhaps I should start there. Resolving myself, I ventured over to the Deadwood Lumber Mill. The surly Bolund was busy at work, sawing a log thicker than my waist. He was my least favorite miller by far, though I cannot say that I interacted with millers on a regular basis. Still, he was most unpleasant at the best of times.

"What do you want." The man hadn't even turned around. Never changes, I mused.

"I was told that you could help. As you may already know, I was tasked with rebuilding Helgen."

At this he snorted. "Didn't think a little thing like you could lift a bow, let alone rebuild an entire city."

My eyes narrowed at his words "Don't forget, Bolund, that I know where your allegiances lie. Perhaps you'd like to join Ulfric after all. I hear his soldiers are in great shape these days, from all the 'running for their lives'."

Brief alarm flashed across his face. "You'll need lumber then, huh? How much?"

I handed him the layout of the town. "Is there any way you can estimate based off this?"

This time, his eyes narrowed, though in speculation rather than irritation. "I would have to know how much still stands. I haven't been to Helgen since it was attacked. Tell you what. Make a note of each building's condition and I'll get you the lumber you need."

Knowing this was the best I was likely to get from the man, I thanked him and took my leave.

With my lumber issue resolved, I felt much more confident that this mission could actually be accomplished. However, I knew my greatest challenge lay with getting people back into the city. As far as I knew, only Haming was still living. A few months ago, I had found him and his grandfather in their cabin in the woods. I wonder if they would both move back to Helgen. Perhaps I could post fliers in every major towns, asking if any citizens would be willing to relocate, even creating affordable housing for some of the beggars. They could pay their way by rebuilding the town…

A thousand thoughts milled in my head, an excitement arose in me that had not existed in some time. And why not get excited; for once, I was building something rather than destroying it.

The sun had begun to set as I left Falkreath, my boots eager to reach Riverwood before dark. I had thought about staying the night in town, but then remembered Alvor. I had made a promise to him a few weeks ago that I would visit his family, and I was determined to keep that promise. Alvor had always been good to me, ever since that fateful afternoon. Not only had he started me off on my journey, but kept me safe as well.

One year ago…

The sounds of padding footsteps in the above dragged me back to the land of the living. I raised my bruised hand to clear my eyes of the black residue of Helgen, but my arm only made it half-way. I clenched my teeth as lowered it again. If I wasn't in such bad shape, I would have told you that yesterday was only a nightmare, yet here I was muscles strained, head pounding, and a gash on my forearm that probably needed tending to. I fell, rather than slid out of bed. Though I wasn't a large girl, falling bodies make a lot of noise.

The little girl, Dorthe, came running down the stairs and immediately rushed to my side. Normally, the thought of a girl half my size having to help me would have mortified me, but seeing as I could barely move… I was in no position to have any pride left. Dorthe was strong for her size and helped me to my feet. I gasped at the pain rippling through my thighs, but I remained upright, by the grace of the gods. Breathing a thanks to the girl, together we made our way up the stairs, where the rest of the family waited.

I was blushing so furiously that my name should have been Scarlet. Peeking a glance at Hadvar, he looked as if he was unsure whether he should be amused, concerned, or something in between. Either way, I didn't much care. I was indebted to him.

"Glad to see you're still in one piece. I take it you aren't accustomed to combat?"

At Hadvar's musings, I briefly remembered myself blindly hacking away at a Stormcloak soldier with a shortsword that I had picked up earlier.

Somehow, despite the sheer desperation and terror that tinged my memory, I could laugh at myself.

"I must have looked ridiculous"

"Better ridiculous than dead" He amended, tossing an apple. My arms instinctively moved to catch it, yet my brain recognized the pain before my limbs, and the apple hit me squarely in the forehead.

Amazingly, I did not fall over. Even if I my legs would have given out, Hadvar was at my side in the moments after. A laugh rose, unbidden, from my chest. The sheer ridiculousness of myself and the predicament was too much in that moment. My laughter triggered the rest of the family's, as they saw that I was unharmed.

In the days that followed, Hadvar showed me how to release the tension in my muscles, through stretching and other exercised. When I was able to fully move again, I found myself gazing into the smoldering embers of Alvor's forge.

"Have you any skill in smithing?", Came a voice from the grindstone, where Alvor was hard at work sharpening a small handaxe.

"A little, only the basic principles. My father had a book of smithing techniques in his library."

My father. Nope, not today.

"Well then, let's see what you can do"

With that, he handed me an ingot and some leather strips.

"How about you make me a dagger?"

Present day…

As I neared the gates, I thought back my beginnings in Riverwood. I was filled with fondness of those days, even if they were rather rough. Unlike many of the men and women I encountered in my travels, Alvor and Sigrid never seemed to want anything from me. Well, except my help in securing men from Jarl Balgruuf. It was nice to be wanted for me, Darian the girl, instead of Darian the Dragonborn. The smell of a fire brought me out of my reverie—A clan of Khajiit traders camped out near the stone walls. Unlike some of the other races, the Khajiit was amongst the least liked in Skyrim, choosing to camp outside the walls of the cities. I had no qualms with them, and found the stories of Elswyr fascinating. I would investigate their wares in the morning. I nodded to them and completed my journey to Alvor's door.

Before I had time to close the door, I heard:

"Think fast!" As an apple shot from the corner. This time, instead of my forehead, the apple hit my blades. Twin apple slices thudded to the ground, the smell of fresh apples filling my nose.

Hadvar.

"HADVAR." An irritated Sigrid rose from her seat and embraced me.

"Don't you mind him, Darian."

I only laughed; It was good to see him again.

Thank you all again for reading my story! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a review!

ANH