Updated 25.05.15
7.
Empty healing potions were scattered between corpses of spiders. A faint blood trail led from the bottles over a blonde Nord's body and into another tunnel. The blood droplets shrunk on the way until they finally disappeared where Lio stood, wiping her mouth. Another empty healing potion fell to the ground next to her.
The wounds and cuts on her face were weaved together and she felt new energy and strength surrounding her and merging into her. Frail golden waves surrounded her and wrapped her in a blanket of bliss. The holes in her shoulders disappeared as if they hadn't existed and only faint, unnoticeable scars were left. The pain in her muscles wasn't there anymore. Lio smiled faintly.
"Help..." a voice tore her from the ecstasy. She gripped her weapons and crouched readily. Another large area unfolded in front of her eyes once she sneaked through the next corridor. Some blood was splattered on the ground here and there; a wooden cart had been tossed aside and was upside down, some animal's, probably a bear's, corpse lay on ground in a spot of sunlight that gleamed from a hole in the ceiling. A man was on the ground, shuddering heavily.
He was dressed in familiar armor – he was an Imperial legionnaire.
"Please..." the legionnaire groaned and Lio sneaked to him. He was holding on to his stomach, a small pool of blood underneath him. He looked at Lio with hazy eyes, gasping for air.
"Why did you…" he said weakly, but was cut off by a wet cough,"...come back?"
"I came to see what was going on here," she stuttered, unsure what to say. The man's eyes narrowed. He coughed.
"Are you mad? You need to warn Riverwood! Quit messing around and get down there!" he yelled, the sudden strength in his voice surprising Lio.
"What? No, you don't understand..." she started, but the man cut into her sentence with another hard cough.
"No, you don't understand... Ah, to Oblivion with it. You're here, and I need help. I need a healing potion before I can go on. Once I'm back on my feet we can go together and warn them. So long as that dragon isn't still out there."
Lio's eyes widened.
So her eyes hadn't played tricks on her. That terrifying large being was a legend come true – a dragon.
"You... you saw it?" she mumbled, taking out her last potion. She uncorked it with a loud pop, raised the Nord's head gently and poured the liquid down his throat. A faint glow appeared around him and he stopped shivering. He quickly sat up, stretching his limbs for a moment and looking as ready as ever. As if he hadn't been dying seconds ago.
"You saw what happened to Helgen," he said, brushing dust off of his armor. He looked around, his eyes narrowed. "I don't see Ralof anywhere."
He seemed to give up on whatever he was thinking of doing and sighed then.
"We should get out of here," he said, his voice strong and invigorated.
"So the..." Lio started and almost choked on her words, "...dragon was behind the havoc that had been unleashed upon that poor village..." Hadvar nodded grimly, his eyes fixated on the hairy mass of the dead animal further away. The idea of dragons seemed bizarre still. Since when were they living in a fairy tale?
"Who is this Ralof?"
He looked around, his sword now ready in his hands.
"A long-haired blonde male, has braids in his hair and a short beard, wears a Stormcloak cuirass," he answered.
Realization hit her.
"Is a Stormcloak cuirass dark blue?" He nodded. Most of the dead men in the keep had been Stormcloaks.
"I'm sorry... Your friend, I think I saw him. He's..." Lio started, but no more words came out. She couldn't tell the man that his friend was dead.
"Dead, huh?" He frowned. He turned to leave and Lio followed his lead. Lio realized with shocking sadness that soldiers must be used to losing important people. It was just a part of everyday life for them.
"What happened?" she asked as she caught up to him. He looked at Lio with mournful eyes.
"We caught Ulfric and his men in an ambush at Darkwater Crossing," he said.
"We were supposed to move Ulfric to Cyrodiil, but there was a change of plans. We took them to Helgen for public execution. Before we could behead him, the... dragon appeared." His already grim face became even darker now. His eyes were narrowed and brows furrowed.
"We fought our way here. I almost died killing this bear here," he said and pointed at the massive body curled on the ground. Its fur was bloody, Lio noticed.
"And what about the survivors?" Lio inquired. The man suddenly stopped and raised his arms before him, palms upwards and a sad smile on his face.
"You're looking at the one."
Lio frowned. Hadvar started to walk away and Lio followed him.
"I'm sorry, where are my manners? The name's Hadvar. I'm a legionnaire, as you probably already could tell," he said amiably, giving her a sad sideways smile.
"Lio. Just a traveler," she said and nodded, unable to form a smile to meet his.
"I think I see the exit over there. Let's go," he said, snapping Lio out of the moment of struggle. A gentle breeze rustled the strands of hair around her face. She inhaled the fresh air.
Slowly they stepped out of the cave. Hadvar had crouched down into a sneaking position. He looked around nervously, checking the skies.
"Looks like the dragon's gone for good this time. I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back," Hadvar said, tension leaving him. He stood and gave Lio a hard, but willful and encouraging look.
"Closest town from here is Riverwood. My uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you out. It's probably best if we split up. Good luck. I wouldn't have made it without your help today." Hadvar looked at the road going down the hill. He started walking.
Lio blinked.
"W-wait. Slow down. What's going on?" Lio stuttered and moved to sheathe her weapons, but Hadvar had turned back to look at her, his hand on her wrist and stopping her movements.
"Keep your weapons close. The woods are dangerous here. Like I said before, we need to warn Riverwood of the dragon. They are defenseless against a creature like that." Lio nodded and readied her swords. His brows furrowed.
"You saved my life in that cave. I'm very grateful," Hadvar said, serious and honest. Technically, it had been a healing potion that had done the work, but Lio kept the thought to herself.
"I don't think splitting up is a good idea. I... don't really know the area here," she said and Hadvar's eyebrow rose.
"I thought you said you're a traveler. Shouldn't you know your way around? And what was a traveler doing down in that cave anyway?"
Lio looked at her mucus-covered weapons. She couldn't tell the whole truth, but she didn't want to lie either. The only option was not to mention what he didn't need to hear.
"I'm new to the province. I never planned on going to Skyrim. I've come from Dawnstar and arrived here in a carriage and found Helgen in that state. A man called... what was his name again... Vilod! Yes, Vilod told us that the survivors went to the keep and I wanted to help. But… there weren't any, except for you."
Hadvar nodded slowly, his brows furrowed.
"Well, the Stormcloaks and Imperials took each other down without thinking. Nothing we can do now," Hadvar said flatly. Lio frowned at his easy mention of murder. Together they turned as the road twisted in uncomfortable silence and started their walk down the hill. A cold wind whipped at Lio's cheeks and made her wounds ache again.
"Looking at your armor I'm guessing you ran into trouble somewhere?" Hadvar asked, his eyes shamelessly looking at her body from head to toe. A faint blush appeared on her face as she could almost physically feel his gaze. This type of staring was unheard of in the upper classes. She had only been stared at like that by older men on the streets. It felt dirty, invasive. He didn't seem to notice her discomfort, however. Soon enough he turned away and Lio sighed a sigh of relief.
"I ran into some spiders," Lio mumbled between small gasps for air. Their tempo had quickened and Lio's venom-numbed legs didn't work as well as a soldier's like Hadvar.
"I thought we killed those wretched beings," Hadvar spat. Lio jerked back a little, surprised.
"It was my first fight," Lio said absently after a while, now gaping at the lush nature around them. The view to their left was marvelous. The trees were beautifully lush and the nice color of moss, the blue, red and purple mountain flowers were swaying slowly in the breeze on the mountainside. The hills and highlands far away almost seemed to touch the sky with their snowy peaks.
"First? With frostbite spiders? How many?" Hadvar asked, surprised. His wide, interested eyes looked at Lio, but she didn't turn her attention towards him at all. The nature had engulfed her.
"One big, three smaller ones," she responded after a while, inattentive.
"Not bad, rookie!" he said, a smile on his lips, and patted her shoulder. His patting was unintentionally heavy and it surprised Lio out of her daze. Lio grinned, embarrassed.
Pushing back some hair from her face, she noticed that her hands were shaking. The adrenaline and venom in her veins were making her shake. Small shudders of cold ran over her back. The pain was almost unnoticeable now, but from time to time the venom still stung. She was glad.
"Listen, you should go to Solitude and join up with the Imperial Legion. We could really use someone like you. And if the rebels have themselves a dragon, General Tullius is the only one who can stop them," Hadvar said suddenly in an amicable tone. Now Lio's attention was all on him.
"Wait," she said and stopped.
"You think I could get into the army?" she inquired, her eyebrows high. She had never expected such an offer in her life.
"Sure. With a little training, of course."
Lio was speechless for a short moment. Then, deciding all this talk was just Hadvar being thankful in his own way, she changed the topic. "I… ah, alright. Do you really think that the dragon was sent by Ulfric?"
Hadvar shrugged.
"It's a chance. Ulfric is known for these... tricks of his," he said.
Lio threw him a confused glance, but he didn't seem to notice. His red armor shined in the sunlight and she closed her eyes as she turned to the sun, relishing its' warmth. The cold shudders almost seemed to disappear. She forgot her questions completely.
They were almost at the bottom of the mountain and were entering a more thickly forested area. Hadvar kept looking behind them warily. Then his eyes caught on to something and Lio looked the same way - a huge Nordic ruin stood not far away on a snowy mountainside. They came to an abrupt stop and took in the sight.
"See that ruin up there? Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares." He pointed at the ruins. "Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing. I admit, I still don't much like the look of it." Hadvar's voice turned from admiring to wary. His narrowed eyes scanned the grand structure. Lio took out her map and charcoal. She placed it down on the rocky path and smiled when she noticed roads and cities already marked on it.
"Here," Hadvar's finger pointed at a drawn-on mountain between two villages, Helgen and Riverwood. Lio nodded thankfully and scribbled the ruin's name on the map. She then put her things back into her bag and they continued their descend.
"What's a draugr?" Lio asked and Hadvar's smiling face cringed ever so slightly.
"The undead that roam the crypts and ruins in Skyrim."
"The... the undead?" Lio stuttered, blinking. It obviously was some sort of joke.
"You're joking, right?" she chuckled nervously. However, Hadvar's face was still grim. Cold shudders ran over her back and a sudden feeling of danger suffocated her. She shifted closer to Hadvar.
Not far on a platform stood three upright engraved and weirdly shaped stones. Hadvar's face lit up in excitement. It was a lot of sudden emotion from him and Lio almost laughed at his reaction.
"These are the Guardian Stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape. Go ahead, see for yourself," Hadvar said, his hands on his hips proudly. She threw a puzzled look at him, but all he did was smile and wave for her to move forward.
She stepped carefully over the roots that covered the stony platform. A strange aura radiated in the space between the stones. She felt a bit slow, as if she was walking in water. A light electric feeling made the hair on her skin stand.
The stones towered over the Breton. She inspected the engravings, her mouth slightly open. She recognized the images of a warrior, a thief and a mage.
Lio understood what she had to do. She had to decide. Who was she going to be? A mage who wields an old staff and all of the elements in the palms of her hands? A thief, who lives by the night and who sticks to the shadows, nocks an arrow on a bow and kills without a single noise? Or a warrior, who faces dangers head-on without fear, a large blade in her hands?
Lio's hand reached out and touched a stone. The engraved warrior looked back at her. She felt a strong and powerful energy flow from the stone into her hand. It was brave and heroic, daring and fearless. It made the pain in her body fade into a distance, the shudders stop and her posture straighten.
A soft glow appeared in a hole at the top of the stone. It gleamed and made a quiet chiming sound. Suddenly a ray of light shone up to the sky from the stone, visible even when the setting sun flashed its rays. Hadvar sighed in amazement, but Lio barely noticed him.
She took her weapons in her hands and tested them. Now they felt natural, like they were made for her palms. Not heavy or awkward, but exactly right.
"A warrior, good!" Hadvar cheered, a strong smile on his face. Lio sheathed her weapons with a small grin, and they continued their way down the hill. The air was warmer. All fear had dissipated. She knew she could fight through a battle if it was necessary. She could survive.
A river was on their left, its blue waters reflecting the sun. And then the sun was gone, hidden behind mountains and trees. It was getting late.
Lio didn't want to stay out in the dark. Hadvar's seriousness showed his similar concerns.
He stopped. Lio was about to ask something, but he shushed her. Slowly he pulled out his sword and shield, turning towards the woods on the right. Hadvar nodded towards the forest and she nodded back. She readied her swords as quietly as she could. Soon Lio saw what Hadvar had noticed already: four pairs of glowing eyes. Dark beings were lurking towards them, growling lowly and baring their teeth. The beings stayed in the shadows of the forest, slowly decreasing the distance between them and the two humans. Lio recognized them as they stepped out of the trees' shadows - wolves.
Suddenly, they attacked. Hadvar craftily blocked a jump assault by one of the beasts and pushed it down, hitting its head with his shield repeatedly until it stopped moving. For a moment Lio was in awe, unsure if to feel scared or amazed, and wondered at Hadvar's courage and brutality, but in the next moment she was already down on the ground. A wolf hovered above her, biting with its fangs and tearing with its talons. Lio's already broken armor was ripped apart.
She felt its talons pressing into her flesh. She had blocked its strong jaws with her blade. The wolf tried to pull back to avoid the metal, but Lio pressed the blade into its skull and grabbed the fur on the animal's neck tightly, holding it in place. It whined and tried to shake free, but it was stuck firmly. Every rabid movement it made only sunk the sword deeper between its' jaws. She closed her eyes and turned away as she pushed the wolf's head strongly into her blade. Thick, hot blood rained over her and obscured her sight.
Quickly she pushed the corpse away and got up. She wiped the blood out of her face to see. Hadvar had already killed two of the animals and was unscathed. The third was circling him, saliva dripping from its jaws as it bared its teeth. The wolf jumped at him and Hadvar raised his shield for protection. Nothing happened though and he raised his eyes to see Lio, who had cut the monster down mid-flight. A steel sword was in carved in the side of its body and it whined. The wolf shook violently and tried to get the blade out, but Lio stepped on his neck and took hold of her sword's handle. With all of her little strength she pulled the blade out of the shaking body. Lio turned away, hiding tears that wanted to burst free. She heard Hadvar do the kill himself behind her.
"Not bad! A little shabby, but everything can be fixed with training," Hadvar said in a happy tone. He put away his shield and sword and smiled. Lio didn't return the gesture.
She was covered in heavy blood. It wasn't only animal blood, it was hers too. Many places in her armor were torn and her skin was pierced. She had been scratched and bitten.
She ran her fingers along the three wide claw marks that now were cut into her cheek. Lio wiped away the blood into her gauntlet and blew at the hair in her vision. It was sticking together in thick, dark clumps and she could see that her brown hair had been turned black by blood. Quickly she arranged her hair and stormed past Hadvar. She wanted to move on. Soon, the sound of his steps followed her.
They stayed quiet for some time. The blood on Lio made her sick to her stomach and she swallowed back bile. Shocked tears welled in her eyes and she kept blinking them away. Hadvar seemed oblivious.
Turning a corner, Lio could see wooden walls surrounding a quaint village. Civilization and safety weren't far now. Hadvar lighted up and smiled faintly.
"I'm glad you decided to come with me. We're almost to Riverwood," he said, his rough voice friendly. Lio's anger disappeared.
"As long as I get to bathe and eat..." she mumbled and covered the three bloody lines on her face with her hand. Hadvar grinned and pat her on the back once again. For a moment she winced when he accidentally touched a wound, but then she smiled back weakly.