Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the iconic gaming franchise The Elder Scrolls by Bethesda Game Studios nor am in any way associated with them or their affiliates other than through the purchasing of their various products.

Author's Note: Decent length chapter coming up. This will take Gio about as far as Whiterun before the End Chapter probably, and there won't be a whole lot of action going on, save a few short skirmishes. Interesting plot twist that I'll be including that isn't in the original game, but I'll leave you all to read now.

Chapter 4: Bloodshed

I blinked my eyes open. I tried sitting up, but my limbs felt as though they were full of lead and my body felt as though it were ablaze. Whatever had happened when I blacked out, it was exhaustive, and my thoughts were all fuzzy.

At last the burning sensation subsided and I could move again, and I only felt a little numb as I crawled slowly to my feet. Remembering the draugr overlord, I looked around frantically for it, but found nothing more than a pile of ash crackling with blue electricity, the draugr's sword and an odd-looking stone lying near the pile.

"What's this thing?" I thought aloud, picking up the stone. It was relatively large but not very heavy. It felt old, maybe older than the undead monster that'd been carrying it. I slid it into my satchel, deciding that maybe I could sell it later. I took the great sword as well, merely out of curiosity of the magic imbued within its steel. I'd have to examine it later.

I looked around the cavern. It was in ruins, as though some gargantuan beast had gone on a rampage. Almost as though a dragon had been here.

"As if," I told myself.

There was a new opening that had been blasted through the monolith. I examined the gaping hole, finding it to have opened up a secret corridor. Knowing that this might be a way out, I entered the crude tunnel.

It wasn't much more than a few meters long, and I came into some sort of a cave after only a minute of walking. Set into one wall was a little shrine of some sort with a skull on top of it and a ring of flowers. There was an assortment of other flowers as well, and I realized that it must have been some sort of a grave.

What really caught my interest was the opening at the opposite end of the small cave, and I could see light shining dully through. It was an exit; it had to be.

I walked through the opening and into crisp, night air. I found myself partially up the side of a mountain, and the stars and a crescent moon were shining brilliantly in the night sky, providing plenty enough luminescence to see by.

There was no clear path down from the outcropping I stood on, but I managed to get down after only a few minutes of jumping from ledge to ledge and sliding down gravely slopes. At the base of the mountain stone gave immediately way to soil, with flowers, shrubs, and tall trees growing thickly all around.

I raised my hand into the air, casting the clairvoyance spell that Camilla had taught me on the way up. My vision faded slightly, but a path of light appeared in front of me, leading me to my desired destination. I broke off the spell, as it drained my magicka quickly than most spells did. It wouldn't be hard to find my way just by casting and recasting the spell a few moments at a time.

Under this method, I eventually came across a little cabin set in a clearing. As I approached, I saw a frail-looking old woman sitting on a rocker, napping lightly in it. When I got closer, she looked up curiously at me.

"Oh, hello," she greeted me. "A little lost, are you?"

"I'm fine," I told her, "but I could use a place to rest."

"I have room in my cabin, dear," she said. "My name is Anise."

I looked at the cabin. It didn't even look big enough for one.

"Do you live alone out here?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "Yes. I rather like my privacy. I can do what I like out here without causing any trouble."

"There she is!" I heard a deep voice call out suddenly. "Kill the witch!"

A trio of heavily armored bandits burst from the trees, drawing heavy weapons.

"You should never have come here!" the old woman shouted, jumping up from her chair, her elderly gentleness suddenly replaced by a great ferocity. She raised her hands, and two columns of red flames leapt from them, engulfing the bandits.

"You'll need to do better than that!" the lead bandit said, breaking from the inferno and moving to take a jumping slash at the defenseless old woman.

"Not on my watch," I said, moving in the way and crossing my dual swords to block his great sword.

I kicked him away, casting sparks at him. The low-level spell didn't seem to do much harm to him, but it had clearly drained his stamina as it was intended to do. While he was left exposed as he struggled for breath, I executed him with a dual slash. The old woman had already fried the other two.

"You're pretty good," I complimented, sheathing my blades as I turned to face Anise. "Maybe you could teach me in magic some time."

But as I turned, I barely managed to throw up a ward as she dual casted her magic at me.

"Now you know my secret!" she shrieked. "Now you must die!"

Our magicka ran out at the same time, and she drew a dagger while I produced my enchanted great sword. She lunged at me, but didn't get anywhere near me before the bite of my blade killed her.

"Too bad," I said uncompassionately, giving her a kick to confirm that she was dead. She was wearing expensive mage robes, but I wasn't in the mood for looting. I was tired and needed rest. So I infiltrated her home, curling up on her bed and falling asleep, dreaming through the remainder of the night.

six hours later

I finished readjusting my armor, standing up and preparing to make the last leg of my journey back to Riverwood. I'd shot an elk for breakfast, and had looted the bandits and Anise for a purse-full of coins and a tome on magic mastery.

Following the clairvoyance spell, I walked around the mountain and along a river. I spotted Riverwood across the wide river, and before long I was positioned right so that I could see Bleak Falls Barrow atop the snowcapped mountain. By the time the sun was high in the sky, I was making my way across the bridge and into Riverwood, but something seemed wrong.

Hadvar and Ralof were arguing at the gate, Ralof saying something about "this being proof that the Imperial Legion is made up of filthy dogs."

"What's happened?" I asked them, interrupting their argument.

"Imperials attacked Camilla on her way down the mountain," Ralof answered first. "She said that they were trying to take advantage of her. If it weren't for Faendal and Sven, they probably would have—"

"Is she alright?" I asked, interrupting the Nord man.

"She's resting in her home right now," Hadvar said. "You can visit her if you like, but Lucan has been put in a bad mood."

"Okay, I'll go see her. I have something to return to them anyway."

I jogged over to the Riverwood Trader, walking in through the door and ringing the bell. There was nobody on the first floor, but when I climbed the stairs to the second floor I found Camilla sitting up in her bed with Lucan cooking over the stovetop.

"Welcome back, Gio," Camilla greeted me, causing Lucan to look up at me.

"Forgive me, Lucan Valerius," I begged, bowing to him. "You entrusted me with your sister's safety, and I let her get hurt."

Lucan sighed. "Stand up, Gio. It's not your fault. It's mine. If I hadn't burdened you with my own problems—nay—if I had just let the whole thing go from the start like Camilla told me, nothing like this would have happened in the first place. The fault is mine."

"I'm really fine," Camilla insisted, the proof in her voice. "It's the two who saved me we should be worried about. That wood elf got hurt, and those Imperials arrested the bard for interfering with 'Imperial business.'"

"Wood elf and bard?" I asked, straightening.

"Faendal and Sven," Lucan said. "They work for Gerdur at the mill, but they're both always too busy trying to woo Camilla with honeyed words and feats of hunting. Faendal was severely injured, but Sven was taken away in binds."

"I'm sorry," I said. I pulled the dragon's claw from my bag. "I retrieved the claw from the Barrow. It's fine if you don't pay me; I know what kind of trouble that I caused in retrieving this."

"I told you it's not your fault," Lucan said. "You'll be paid in full; five hundred gold pieces."

Lucan walked over to a chest, unlocking it and producing a large purse of coins from it. He walked over to me, handing it over.

"There's your payment," he said. "If you'd like, you can stay for lunch."

I declined his offer; now that this job was done, I needed to get to Whiterun as soon as possible. Before I left, I traded some of my excess with him before leaving the shop. Outside I found Gerdur, Hod, and Ralof waiting for me, as well as an odd-looking young man with white hair.

"Gerdur, Hod, Ralof," I greeted them. "Do you need something? And who is this?"

"This is Faendal," Gerdur said, "the Bosmer wood elf who helped Camilla. He wishes to accompany you to Whiterun."

"Greetings, Gio Dragonsbane," the elf said. "I am Faendal, a huntsman. I have business to be taken care of in Whiterun, and when I overheard Gerdur and Hod saying that you were also heading that way, I thought that we might be travel companions."

"Faendal is an excellent archer," Ralof said. "You'd be wise to take him with you in these dark times. There is strength in numbers."

I looked the Bosmer down. He seemed a bit lean, but that was by human standards and I was unsure how a healthy elf would look. He had a bow slung over his shoulder and a sword belted at his hip.

"As far as Whiterun, I don't see why not," I said. "You seem capable, wood elf."

"I will not let you down," he assured me. He produced a coin purse and handed it to me. "Take this as a token of our companionship."

I accepted the purse, though it only had a few coins in it.

"Do you know if Alvor has restocked on supplies?" I asked the Nords. "This armor is strong, but I'd prefer something lighter so I can move faster without so much hindrance."

"I'm afraid not, foreigner," Gerdur said. "Alvor's next shipment isn't due until tomorrow."

"I see," I said in distaste. "I'll be going then. Can you point me in the right way to Whiterun?"

"Faendal knows the way," Gerdur said, "but take this. It's a map of Skyrim. All of the major cities of the realm are labeled on it, as well as Riverwood. Feel free to mark any other locations of your interest on it."

I nodded my head, scanning over the map. As well as Riverwood, Whiterun, and various other cities, I saw Bleak Falls Barrow, the Guardian Stones, and a mine called Embershard Mine labeled on the map. I rolled it up and placed it in my bag.

"Shall we be going then, Gio?" Faendal asked. "We have a lot of ground to cover."

"Aye," I said to him, then to the others, "Farewell, Gerdur, Hod, Ralof. You have all been good friends to me, and I hope that we might meet again one day."

"One day soon, I hope," Ralof agreed.

"Farewell, friend," Gerdur said. "May you die with a sword in your hand."

"Be sure to stop by for a mug of mead some time," Hod said cheerily. Gerdur seemed less cheery about the remark, but she said nothing.

"You lead the way, Faendal," I said to the wood elf. He nodded his head, starting down the dirt road.

I followed after him, hardly looking back. But when I did, I saw Camilla and Lucan outside as well, and when they saw me, they waved, and I couldn't help but wave back. Only a day since I was born anew without a past, without a future, and yet already I had so many friends in the present. I felt blessed, despite my accursed beginning.

Faendal and I walked in silence. We had nothing to say to each other, so why bother trying to make conversation where there was none? We continued like that for several tens of minutes before Faendal hushed me (which really wasn't necessary) and gestured for me to take cover behind a boulder.

The Bosmer peeked around the side of the rock.

"Those are the men from the Legion who tried to rape Camilla," he said.

I peeked over the top of the rock. Not far down the road I saw a team of five Imperials. In the middle of their group was a Nord man wearing plain clothes and bound with ropes. They were talking with a pair of Imperial guardsmen.

"Is that Sven?" I asked.

Faendal nodded his head. "Sven and I have been feuding for Camilla's affection for years now, and I couldn't be happier if Sven was out of the picture and I could have her for myself, but subjecting him to the Imperial Legion is unthinkable. And with what those men did to my Camilla, I can't just let them go."

"Slow down, pointy ears," I said. "They outnumber us, three to one, and Sven is defenseless with his hands tied like that. I'll go down there, and once I'm close, I want you to distract them by shooting at one of them. I'll untie Sven, but I'll need a weapon to lend to him."

"Take this," Faendal said, handing me a hatchet. "It's not much, but Nord's love their axes."

I accepted the hatchet. It wasn't much, but it was keen and would have to do.

"Okay, let's do this."

I stood up from the boulder and continued down the dirt road casually. I went as far as the soldiers before stopping, looking curiously at them.

"Do you need something?" their captain asked me.

I shook my head, not saying anything.

"Well, move along then," he said. "You'll not find anyone to hire you here, sellsword."

An arrow suddenly sprouted from the Captain's shoulder, and the soldiers were thrown into instant chaos in search of their stealthy attacker. Seizing the opportunity, I produced my dagger, cutting Sven's bindings and handing him the hatchet.

"Fight for your life, singer," I told him as he looked at the axe in confusion. I produced my rusted steel blades, going into a frenzy as I hacked through the disorganized soldiers.

Before long, with my finesse, Faendal's marksmanship, and Sven's surprising skill with an axe, we'd fallen all seven of the Imperial soldiers.

"Faendal," Sven greeted the wood elf distastefully. "Here to show me up for Camilla?"

"Another time," I said before they could start arguing. "Faendal and I head for Whiterun. I'm sure you can find your own way back to Riverwood, bard."

"Actually, I was headed for Whiterun before these Redguard Imperials arrested me," Sven said.

"Then perhaps you might consider coming with us? It would seem as though we all have a common destination in mind."

The two rivals glared at each other, but they mumbled their consent. After the show we'd just put on, it was obvious that we made for an excellent team.

After searching the soldiers, we came up with proper weapons for Sven and a fair amount of gold that we all split equally. Faendal also recommended that we all take torches from them, since our trip to Whiterun may last into the night depending on what the roads were like. I let them each take their own, but I'd discovered in the Barrow that I seemed to have adequate low-light vision.

We continued for several hours in the direction of Whiterun. I read various spell tomes that I'd bought from Lucan as we walked, receiving pointers from Faendal as I needed them.

"You must be quite the user of destruction magic," Faendal noted as I turned through my third tome.

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"There are five variations or more properly schools of magic," he said. "They are alteration, conjuration, destruction, illusion, and restoration. Sometimes enchantment and alchemy are included, but enchantment is more related to smithing and alchemy is more of a science."

"Interesting. What do the different schools do?"

"The names are self-explanatory. Alteration alters the world, usually to form magical barriers or to poison targets; conjuration is a form of necromancy as well as a school that can be used to summon beings from Oblivion; destruction is purely offensive magic that uses the elements of fire, lightning, and ice or frost; illusion is used to manipulate the minds of those around you to make them afraid, aggressive, or even calm; and lastly restoration magic is used for healing and its own forms of magical barriers."

"There sure are a lot of different spells out there," I said thoughtfully. "It's almost intimidating."

"Most people focus on only one particular school," Faendal said. "If you want to know more about magic, you should visit the college in Winterhold. The best mages in Skyrim study there."

We continued forward without many breaks, making idle conversation and fighting off the occasional pack of wolves or bandits. Only an hour after the sun had dipped below the horizon, we'd reached the farmlands on the outskirts of Whiterun.

"We should wait until morning before trying to enter the city," Sven said. "The guards don't always like letting in late-night visitors. We could ask around the farms for beds to sleep in for the night, but if we can't find any then we'll just set up tents and sleep outside."

We didn't spend long searching. Sven and Faendal had found rooms for rent at a farm run by a family of Dunmer dark elves, but I was forced to take refuge in a separate farmhouse. The straw bed wasn't uncomfortable, but it took nearly another hour before I finally fell asleep.

ten hours later

I stepped out the front door of the farmhouse, still stretching the sleep from my limbs. Sven and Faendal would already be in Whiterun; I'd told them to go ahead without me so I could get some extra rest. I still hadn't fully recovered since my delve into the Bleak Falls Barrow and our trip to the central trade city had taken what little strength I had left out of me.

"Please, sir!" I heard a girl cry. "You have to help us!"

I turned to see the daughter of the farmer come running up to me, flailing her arms. She was a pretty, young thing, not even sixteen yet according to her father, and waiting for a husband. It had almost sounded to me like he was trying to engage us.

"What's wrong, child?" I asked her as she reached me.

"A giant," she said, panting. "A giant is attacking our fields. The Whiterun guards aren't any match for it with their flimsy swords. Please, sir, you have to run it off!"

I looked past the girl to the said field. I could see a great behemoth of a man, wielding a club the size of a tree in one hand and using the other to scoop up large handfuls of cabbages and throw them down its throat.

"I've got this," I assured her, loosening my swords in their scabbards as I approached the behemoth.

"Hey!" I called out to it, earning its attention as it was halfway through to tossing another handful of cabbages down its gullet.

"Puny human," it said in a barely audible, thunderous growl. "Run home or die."

"That's how it's going to be, huh?" I said in amusement. The man—if it could be considered such—was nearly five times taller than me and even wider, but through some bravado I thought I could take it on.

I produced my swords, taking the first attack. I moved much faster than the lumbering behemoth, and by the time it'd raised its club I was already hacking and slashing at its legs. However, despite the ferocity of my blows I was only scratching it and was forced to make a desperate dodge to avoid its huge club.

"Me will crush you, human," the giant growled at me.

This time there was no time to dodge the giant's attack and I was forced to raise my blades in a block that was pathetic in comparison to the tremendous blow that rocketed me backwards.

"Well, melee isn't going to get this done," I mumbled, sheathing my swords and readying my sparks.

I dual cast the destruction spell at the giant, but I scarcely fazed it and it just kept coming at me. I tried switching to flames and even trying out my new frostbite spell, but none of them were working.

"Die!" it roared, raising its club for a final, fatal blow.

I braced myself, knowing that there was nothing I could do. Just before the giant was about to drop its bludgeon, an arrow penetrated the side of its head. The quill was the equivalent of a mosquito bite, but it definitely got the behemoth's attention as it stopped mid-swing.

Riding in from the gates of Whiterun's exterior wall was a team of four horsemen, all of them whooping and shouting and raising bows above their heads and firing off arrows at the giant. Running their mounts hard, they reached the giant fast, dismounting their horses as they ran and drawing weapons better suited for melee. One of the men produced a war hammer, another a great sword, and the third kept at a distance as he fired off steel arrows at the giant's face. The only woman in the group, who seemed to be their leader, wielded a sword and shield. Despite her light weaponry, her furious blows seemed to be having the most effect on the giant.

I charged back into the fray, sensing the turning of the tides as I hacked into the giant with my dual blades. Together with the other warriors, we cut the giant down little by little before it ultimately fell, defeated once and for all.

The three men gave out hearty cheers and laughed, congratulating each other with hard pats on the back as they climbed atop the giant's back, throwing their fists in the air and stamping their feet on its back. The woman, who had long, brown hair hanging loose down her back and bluish-black war paint on her face, seemed much more composed as she gazed in deep satisfaction at the kill. When she noticed me, she walked over to me.

"You're either very brave," she said, "or very stupid to have thought you could take on a giant by yourself. Which one was it?"

I didn't respond.

"What?" she asked, chuckling slightly. "Saber cat got your tongue?"

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"I am Aela the Huntress of The Companions," she said. "And you are?"

"You may call me Gio Dragonsbane."

"Dragonsbane? I hope you earned that surname and didn't simply inherit it. We could use some dragon killers right about now."

"So you know about the sudden appearance of dragons?"

"Evidently you don't know about The Companions. We know things, although I can't say we know you." She smiled. "Despite that foolish display back there, I like your style. The Companions could use someone like you. What do you say?"

"I've got things that need be taken care of right now," I told her. "Maybe another time."

"Maybe," she said, examining me carefully. "If you ever change your mind, you can find us in Jorrvaskr in Whiterun. Talk to Kodlak about joining."

"I will, when the time is right. Farewell, Aela the Huntress."

"Farewell, Gio the Brave Fool."

I furrowed my brows at the comment, unsure of what to make of it as Aela and her companions retrieved their horses, walking them back to the gates of Whiterun. The farmer and his family tried to reward me for saving their farm, but I insisted that it was nothing and departed with only their thanks and wishes that I would return again.

I started for Whiterun, but not before noticing the black wolf-hound from Helgen. It was sitting at the edge of a cluster of trees, watching intently. When it noticed me looking, it turned and walked into the trees, disappearing from sight.

Without giving it anymore regard, I continued through the exterior wall, receiving no attention from the guards on duty. It wasn't until I'd reached the gate that lead inside the city that I was halted by a guard clad in ruddy yellow.

"State your business, traveler," he told me.

"I bring urgent news from Helgen for the Jarl of Whiterun," I said, rather formally.

"Helgen? Jarl Balgruuf will want to speak to you personally. Head for Dragonsreach, quickly."

That didn't take much persuasion, I thought as I passed through the gates into the city. Almost makes you worried.

But, it'd have to do, like everything else in this world.

End Chapter

Author's Note: Ugh, sorry for the crappy closing. But, I guess not all of my endings to chapters can be met with cliffhangers that leave Gio in positions that could inevitably lead to his demise. I had actually intended to leave off with after they killed the giant, but I kinda went into a trance and couldn't stop writing and didn't want to lose all of this precious material, so… *shrugs* Guess that I could've just copy-and-pasted it into the next chapter or whatever, but, you know. Anyways, 4.2 thousand words and ten pages made up this chapter. Impressive enough, I'll say. Now, be sure to leave a Review, Favorite, Follow, and remember that the waifu/hubby fluff is still up for grabs. Now, enjoy the Fun Fact.

Fun Fact: I spent a good eight straight hours working on this chapter and am still raring to go. I might just wind up posting two chapters back-to-back, which would be a feat for this Fic.