Checked the 8th chapter finally! I'll try to end this part of Lio's life as soon as I can and maybe start something new soon. I believe I've improved my writing skill and made my style less bulky. Finishing Lio's story is going to be a summer project.

8.

Their tempo had slowed down considerably. They had started their run from the cave and then running had changed into walking. Or, in Lio's case, limping. Her legs ached and every step felt as if she was stepping on needles.

"Hadvar! Wait a bit," Lio said and hopped down to the river bank by the road. He stood and kept watch. She fixed her hair and face with water, erasing as much of the remnants of the battle as she could. What stayed firmly were the three lines under her left eye. She felt a bit more human again, but a hot bath still seemed like the best thing she could hope for. A healing potion wasn't a bad idea either.

The road turned and they followed. They were at the gates of Riverwood. It was getting quite late already and not many were walking around. A guard was patrolling not far away, but he didn't seem to mind them entering and nodded at Hadvar. An old lady was leaning against a rail on the porch of the first house to the right. A young man walked up to her, carrying firewood. On the left was a blacksmith's house. An older man was working there, hammering a scorched piece of metal.

"Things look quiet enough here. Come on. There's my uncle," Hadvar said and turned towards the smithy. He looked almost as relieved as Lio, and there was something to his smile, something that Lio thought must have been the happiness of returning home. Something she had never felt.

Lio followed Hadvar in his shadow and kept looking down to let her dark and dirty hair hide her bloodied face.

"Uncle Alvor! Hello!" Hadvar shouted. Alvor turned around, wiping the sweat from his brow. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

"Hadvar? What are you doing here? Are you on leave from..." Alvor stopped, seeing the dried blood in the crevices of Hadvar's armor. Hadvar looked better than Lio, but the fight with the bear had left him with some scratches, too.

"Shor's bones, what happened to you, boy?"

Hadvar shushed him and stepped under the roof of the smithy, Lio following suit.

"Uncle, please. Keep your voice down. I'm fine. But we should go inside to talk."

Alvor nodded to him, turning towards the house, but stopped. He noticed the shadow behind Hadvar. Alvor's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What's going on? And who's this?" he asked. Lio cowered as Alvor's eyes looked her over. She didn't dare look him in the eyes.

"She's a friend. Saved my life, in fact. Come on, I'll explain everything, but we need to go inside," Hadvar said and his uncle agreed after a moment of thought. He turned his stare from Lio's weapons, but suspicion stayed in his eyes.

"Okay, okay. Come inside, then. Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell me all about it."

The old lady from the other house suddenly screeched, "A dragon! I saw a dragon!" and Lio jolted a bit. The young man from before started conversing with the lady, but their chat disappeared behind the closed door of Alvor's house.

Warm air hugged Lio. It was a cozy place. A fire was burning in the fireplace and gave the room a soft red glow. A stew was in a pot above it. A girl half Lio's age was sleeping on a single bed covered with skins. The steps of three people were enough to wake her up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around in a sleepy haze, but all of her tiredness disappeared once she saw Hadvar. A bright grin appeared on her face.

"Sigrid! We have company!" Alvor hollered and sat down to a table covered with different kinds of meals, but Hadvar stayed at the door, shielding Lio from the young girl's eyes. The girl however didn't even notice the Breton and ran to Hadvar to give him a big hug before moving to peek into the stew pot.

A middle-aged woman ascended the basement stairs and an amiable smile appeared on her face as she saw Hadvar.

"Hadvar! We've been so worried about you! Come, you two must be hungry. Sit down and I'll get you something to eat," Sigrid said and smiled at the cowering Lio. Lio's eyebrows shot up. Sigrid didn't even bat an eye at their appearances. She must have been used to it.

Hadvar complied and sat down at the table. . The little girl sat back on her bed, licking a finger she had stuck into the stew, and looked at Hadvar with wide, excited eyes. Lio stood at the door and stared around nervously, but Hadvar's encouraging smile made her step to the closest chair. She flopped down on it, rubbing her aching feet and cringing because of the tiredness and pain.

"Now, then, boy. What's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?" Hadvar chuckled at that, but Lio frowned. He took the situation so lightly and she just couldn't. Sigrid came to Lio and pushed a mug of ale and a bowl of stew to her. Lio nodded at her thankfully.

"I don't know where to start. You know I was assigned to General Tullius' guard. We were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked... by a dragon." All movements in the room stopped except for Lio's satisfied chewing. Sigrid and Alvor gaped at Hadvar with mouths open and eyes wide. Even the child stopped dangling her legs back and forth and now stared at Hadvar with large, blue eyes.

"A dragon? That's... ridiculous. You aren't drunk, are you boy?" Alvor's incredulous voice inquired. A scornful look appeared on Sigrid's face and she said, "Husband. Let him tell his story."

"Not much more to tell. This dragon flew over and just wrecked the whole place. Mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else got out alive. I doubt I'd have made it out myself if not for my friend here." The stares in the room turned to Lio. Another amiable and surprised smile appeared on Sigrid's face.

"I need to get back to Solitude and let them know what's happened. I thought you could help us out. Food, supplies, a place to stay," Hadvar said hopefully and turned to his uncle. The fear and surprise disappeared from Alvor's features and he smiled worriedly.

"Of course! Any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine. I'm glad to help however I can."

After a short, uncomfortable cough, Alvor stood. He took out a bag and dropped the contents of it on the table and motioned to them with a smile. He was offering Lio a reward, she realized.

After another encouraging smile from Hadvar, Lio took the healing potions, cheese wedges, mead, lock picks and rings, guilt pinching at her stomach.

"I need your help. We need your help," Alvor said once everyone had settled down again.

"The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenseless… We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever soldiers he can. You've seen the situation there. You saw what happened. If you'll do that for me, I'll be in your debt," Alvor said. His ashy face wore a hopeful smile and Lio couldn't help but nod.

"I'll do it," Lio finally mumbled, her words more like a short croak than a decent sentence. She didn't have much of a choice.

Lio was sent to talk to the ruler of the hold. Of course it wasn't her first meeting with an aristocrat, as her father had been one, but through the years she had spent mingling she had learnt to ask before acting. All people were different and if Lio was going to speak with such a prominent person, then it was better if she was ready for it.

Lio cleared her throat. She weakly and quietly asked about the Jarl.

"Jarl Balgruuf? He rules Whiterun Hold. A good man, perhaps a bit over-cautious, but these are dangerous times. So far he's managed to stay out of the war. I'm afraid it can't last, though," Alvor answered.

Lio did remember seeing a city called Whiterun, not far from Helgen and Riverwood on the map.

"The civil war between the Imperials and Stormcloaks? Which side does he favor?"

"I don't think he likes either Ulfric or Elisif much. Who can blame him? But I've no doubt he'll prove loyal to the Empire in the end. He's no traitor."

"Who is this Elisif?"

"Ah, you must be new to Skyrim. Jarl Elisif, I should say, although only because she was married to Jarl Torygg when he was murdered. Ulfric murdered Torygg, you know. Walked right into his palace in Solitude and killed him. Shouted him to death, if you believe the stories. That's what started this whole war. The Empire couldn't ignore that. Once the Jarls start killing each other, we're back to the bad old days."

Lio's tired mind was trying hard to memorize all these interesting facts about Skyrim. If she really wanted to get out of this province and gather some treasure, knowing the current state of the land really could come in handy. Maybe she could make a fake identity for herself here. Maybe then she could even get into politics or banking and make a fortune fast.

"Solitude?"

"Yes, the largest and most grand city in Skyrim. It's the home to general Tullius."

"And... shouted?"

"It's an old language – the dragon language. Only the monks in High Hrothgar can speak it. And well... the Dragonborn can too, but there hasn't been one since the time of the great Tiber Septim."

Lio nodded, her mouth slightly open. A memory was prodding her in the back of her mind. She had seen this name Dragonborn before. Then she remembered. Her hand reached into her satchel and she uncovered a grey book. She threw it on the table for Alvor to see. Sigrid and Hadvar also stepped closer to inspect.

""The Book of the Dragonborn", eh? That's exactly what I'm talking about. Have you read it? If not, then do."

Lio nodded and took the book back. She sighed and rested back on the chair.

"You should get your armor fixed. You can use my forge whenever you want to," Alvor added and smiled amicably. Lio gave a look at her armor and frowned at the sight of the beautiful materials torn apart.

"But I don't know how to..."

"Don't worry. I'll teach you."

Hadvar's uncle's family's hospitality was heartwarming. Lio smiled.

"Hadvar, did you really see a dragon? What did it look like? Did it have big teeth?" the girl asked as she hopped to Hadvar. He chuckled a bit, although it seemed forced and tired. Sigrid, mercifully, hushed her and gently pushed her back to her bed.

"Well, I'd better get back to work. You two make yourselves at home," Alvor said, stood up and left the house. The little girl sighed heavily and let her mother tuck her in. Lio hadn't noticed Hadvar's eyes on her.

"It's nice to be back in a friendly spot, huh?" he said with a tired smile. Lio nodded and uncorked a mead bottle that she had taken from Alvor.

"Honningbrew mead?" she read and took a sip. She almost spit the brew out and Hadvar chuckled at her reaction.

"This tastes really bad," she coughed and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. The mead was sweet and tasted of honey and apples, but it was all too watery. Wine had burned her throat and made her sick, but Honningbrew, on the other hand, tasted too little of alcohol to have any effect on her or to even be really drinkable.

"It's not that bad. Actually, it's the best in Skyrim. It sounds as if you're tasting mead for the first time."

"Well... I am."

"Really?" Hadvar's eyebrows shot up and an amused grin appeared on his face. Lio could now notice his tiredness even clearer, how his eyes drooped ever so slightly, even though he had been doing a good job at hiding it in front of the little girl.

"I wasn't allowed to drink back at home," Lio said and thought of the parties she had ignored this rule at with an inward smile. All of the exotic wines had always made her sick. "My father didn't like drunken women."

Lio closed her mouth before she could say anything else. There was no need to bore Hadvar with her stories. And she really didn't need to give her identity away to another person. Veralene's scornful face popped into her mind and Lio knew she would have to talk to her eventually to make sure she wouldn't turn to Moricyan. But that was a worry for another day.

The little girl had run downstairs. Hadvar didn't seem to mind.

"I'm going to lay up here for a while. You can make your own way to Solitude from here. Well, of course after you're done talking to Jarl Balgruuf. You can take a carriage from Whiterun," he said and took a sip of his mead. Lio's finger was absentmindedly trailing the mead bottle's mouth.

"To become a legionnaire? You really think I should become one?"

Hadvar smiled at her. "Of course! Today wasn't probably the best introduction to the Legion, but give us another chance. The Legion could really use someone like you, especially now. And if the rebels have themselves a dragon, General Tullius is the only one who could stop them."

"Do you think the General knows where the dragon came from?"

"No. Not yet. After all, a dragon... something out of the old tales and legends... No one could have expected that. But you can bet he'll be trying to figure it out. This could shift the whole balance of the war. If you want to help stop that dragon, your best is to go to Solitude and join up with the Legion."

Lio mulled over what he had offered.

"Sorry, but this isn't my fight. I'm just a simple citizen, I'm no dragon slayer," she said, frowning. Hadvar was about to argue, but Lio interrupted him, "This even isn't the land I wanted to stay in. I've never even had a reason to fight before coming to Skyrim. I don't have a reason now either."

"But you helped me. You have the will and strength in you to help others. Even one soldier can make a difference in a war this big. Help us out. The Legion is Skyrim's only hope right now." Hadvar seemed certain of what he had said and a strong willfulness appeared in his eyes. Lio nodded slowly, unsure what to say. She drained the bottle of honey and apple mead. She was done with this conversation and soon enough, Hadvar's hopeful expression faded. He nodded then at nothing and stood up.

"I think you should get some rest if you're going to Whiterun soon. I think we have some spare furs somewhere on which we could sleep," he said.

"Uh... Thank you," she mumbled. Sleeping in a bed definitely seemed more appealing than on the cold stone floor, especially so when her muscles were sore and her skin bruised, but she didn't seem to have an option. The two beds were meant for the family and not the two of them.

Lio descended the stairs to the cellar and left Hadvar alone. The air downstairs was a bit cooler.

Sigrid and her daughter were sitting and talking quietly. When Lio approached they straightened and turned to look at her.

"I heard the door close. Did my husband go to work in the middle of the night again?" Sigrid asked a bit crossly, but an embarrassed smile appeared on her lips.

"It sounded like that, yep," Lio laughed and Sigrid sighed faintly, the smile still on her face.

"He's going to wake the whole town up." She stood and went up the stairs. Lio heard the front door open and close.

"Hi! My name is Dorthe," the small girl said in her small and squeaky voice.

Lio had never liked children. The girls in Jehenna always touched her hair and dresses when she told them not to. They never listened. They dragged Lio around, showing her pointless things around the town. They shoved their toys to Lio, only reminding her of her bitter, toyless and friendless childhood. Those ventures always ended with Lio getting scolded by his father for leaving his side and so she was scornful towards obnoxious little children.

"Did you really see a dragon?" Dorthe asked without waiting for Lio's introduction. Lio kept herself from sighing and nodded reluctantly. Dorthe's face lit up and she grinned, amazed by the terrifying ancient creature. Only the thought of the black mass made shivers crawl up Lio's spine.

"Wow…" Dorthe mumbled in awe and, yet again, without waiting for an answer, she skipped off upstairs, leaving Lio alone. She heard Dorthe's and Hadvar's voices speaking softly and soon enough she heard them wish each other good night. The front door opened and closed and now Sigrid's and Alvor's voices entered the household. They wished their daughter and Hadvar good night as well. Hadvar slowly stepped down the stairs with a calm smile on his face. Everything went quiet upstairs.

"Let me get our beddings out," Hadvar said quietly. He pulled out folded furs and skins from a chest and laid them out on the floor.

"Take your pick," he said and turned around, unbuckling the leathery straps of his armor. Lio tore her eyes from the undressing man and touched the furs. She pulled a lamb pelt and deer pelt from the pile and settled them on the floor. For a second she threw a sideways glance at Hadvar, who wasn't as naked as she had feared him to be – for a girl like her, seeing naked men was something of an adolescent dream. It was scary, but exciting. She had only seen some workers topless back in Jehenna and that was the akward peak of her experience with men. Her dreams remained dreams. She sighed and hid her blush behind her hair.

His chest was bare and he had long pants on. His muscles were toned finely. She could see the many years of fighting marked in his skin. His skin was covered in many small and large white stripes and marks – scars. He had bruises here and there and his hands were calloused.

Lio coughed a bit awkwardly. Hadvar almost jumped around to look at her, as if he hadn't noticed her presence.

"Oh. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I've been in the army for so long, you see. Haven't been home in a while," he mumbled and scratched the back of his neck. A light blush was on his cheeks. Lio nodded and pointlessly moved her pelts around to avoid the awkwardness between them.

He pulled some pelts from the pile and settled down a bit further from Lio.

"Take the rest, I don't need them," he said, nodding at the furs and skins. Lio grabbed them thankfully and put them down to soften her slumber. When she finally looked at Hadvar, he had already slipped between the pelts and turned his back at her.

Slowly she unbuckled her own armor and let it slide down her body. She stepped out of it and took off her boots. Then, for just a moment, she stood in her undergarments in the cold cellar air, relishing the feeling. It was a new experience for her, something she imagined would resemble the feeling of being released from bounds after a day of being imprisoned. The cool air calmed her hot and painful skin. New black and purple spots were on her body now, the old already gone thanks to the potions she had used up. A few scrapes were there and here, but there weren't any serious wounds on her for her to worry. The three wounds on her cheek were a bother, but she hoped for the potions to do the work. For good measure, she emptied one.

Lio slid under the pelts after putting out the remaining candles. The pelts warded off the coolness of the floor and Lio felt daily stress leaving her body.

"Night," she mumbled and Hadvar answered with the same in an already sleepy voice.

Body tired, but mind lively, Lio thought before falling asleep. A few days ago she had wondered if living would be possible in Skyrim. Just a few days ago she had held a weapon for the first time in her life. She hadn't even dared to look at wounds in the past. A few days ago, she had been afraid of the many ways she could die. Now, she was the one doing the killing. It had been a question of survival most of the time, except for a passing moment when Lio had killed a wolf. She had felt the joy of victory and the strength of having power over another's life. These feelings were bewildering and most unwelcome.

Lio was changing and she wasn't sure, if for the better.