The Keep was entirely dominated, built and carved with stone. All four walls enclosed them with wooden banisters propped along the vaulted ceilings. Two four-pronged candelabrums stood near the middle aisle of the room as though on guard. Six torches are resting in black iron brackets against the stark white columns. The air felt smoky and closed off. There were beds lined up along one wall, the other had a table with two chairs, a chest, weapon racks, and a bookshelf.
"Looks like we're the only ones who made it." Hadvar says. He helps the girls to their feet. "Was that really a dragon? The bringer of the End Times?"
Libby only takes deep breaths while Diamond shakes her head slightly.
"We should keep moving. I see that you managed to snatch a bow," Hadvar points to Libby's Imperial bow. "but what about you?"
Dia looks around. Usually she handles two-hand based weapons, and Libby had only taught her the basics of one-handed, let alone duel wielding. And since neither of them anticipated an attack by a dragon, she had left her weapons back at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. A place that's information was strictly confidential for obvious reasons.
"Um, maybe . . ."
"Why don't you take a look around. I'm going to see if I can find something for these burns." Hadvar says.
While Dia examines the weapon racks, she only finds steel swords; one on each of the two available in the room. She picks up the sword and secures her fingers. As she gives it a few swings, she notices how Hadvar hasn't arrested either of them since they still are convicted criminals. Arguably, both of their groups are highly respected, but would that really stop him from attempting an arrest? Or is it the fear that if he arrests one, the other will attack? No matter what the reason, she and Libby are both are still free and out of harm's way, and they both need to focus if they want to stay that way.
Dia turns and finds Libby rubbing some salve on her wounds and wrapping it in gauze. Without a word, she helps Libby secure and knot it; then Libby hands her the salve. Diamond repeats the process, and notices shattered bits in a small pile next to Libby. The horn.
"I'm sorry, Libs." Dia says quietly.
Libby shakes her head.
"We should get moving. That thing is still out there." Hadvar says.
The girls look and find Hadvar near a closed gate. He pulls on a chain built into the wall and the gates slides down; stone scraping against wood. Beyond a small hallway, an Imperial flag drapes from the wall. Another torch brightening the intersection. The girls let Hadvar take the lead and follow in after. Another gate comes up mere seconds later, and a voice echoes from behind it.
"We need to keep moving! That dragon is tearing up the whole keep!" a male voice speaks.
"Just give me a minute . . . I'm out of breath . . ." a female's voice breathes.
Hadvar leans close. "Stormcloaks."
Libby readies her bow.
"Hold on. Perhaps we can reason with them." He suggests.
He pulls on the chain and the gate slides down. Libby looks to Diamond who only shakes her head in disapproval.
Hadvar walks in raising his hands. "Hold on now, we only want to . . ."
The male Stormcloak pulls out a warhammer before he can even finish. "You won't take us alive!"
He swings his Warhammer, but Libby moves fast and blocks it with her bow. She snarls and pushes off, then whacking the man with the upper limb. He staggers back, a cut claiming the upper part of his cheek. The female Stormcloak pulls out her battleaxe.
"Dia!" Libby calls. Diamond pulls out her sword and takes on the male soldier while Hadvar handles the female.
Diamond swings her sword, but the soldier blocks by holding his weapon sideways. While Diamond swipes back and forth, managing to slice the man's upper thigh and bicep, Libby shoots her arrows from her sheath, first the other thigh, his side, and finally nailing him in the head. As he slumps to the ground, Hadvar managed to stagger the female soldier to her knees, then Libby finishes her with an arrow to the throat.
Libby looks around and sheaths her bow. "We're clear."
"Let me see if I can get that door open." Hadvar says.
Dia eagerly exchanges her sword for the iron Warhammer. Seemingly lighter than the one she uses, this one feels like a child's toy. While Libby extracts her arrows from the bodies, Dia leans down. "What do we do when we get out of here?"
"Go home." Libby answers bluntly, then mumbles. "I'll never hear the end of this from Vex. She'll never believe me."
"Libby," Dia hisses in a whisper. "we're just going to let him live?"
"Yeah, so?" Libby stands and puts the arrows back in her quiver.
"So?! Why not just kill him? I can guarantee he could arrest us at any moment. Even if we escape, he could put out a wanted poster of us after he leaves, or even report us to the authorities, cutting us out of the nine holds."
"Jeez you're pessimistic." Libby rubs her temples. "He could lay grounds for the Guild in Solitude, opening up new doors for us. But look, if you want to kill him, go ahead. It won't affect the Guild. But be sure to beat me too so it looks like I'm not associated with you."
"Yeesh, I thought we were friends here Libby." Diamond smirks.
"We're also in a business, Dia. Look, if you beat us both then run, it works out for both of us." Libby explains. "The Dark Brotherhood looks merciless, the Guild could get a possible new client, and this way we both walk away with success. That'll make up for the loss I got on the valuable."
Dia hates this part of Libby who always seems to associate everything with her business with the Guild. Sometimes Dia would just wish Libby would look to her more a friend than a business partner. Still, she was raised that way; but at points it seems like she has no regards for Diamond's feelings. That thing inside her, the thing that drives her to sacrifice everything for the sake of her assignment, she can't seem to disobey it. As if to disregard it would be disregarding the Guild itself. And Diamond can't shake that feeling of fear, the feeling that if it were to come to that point - the gods forbid - Libby would just leave her if it meant the success of her mission. Being in the Dark Brotherhood, Dia assumed it would be her in that position, but lately she's been questioning if she and Libby were somehow misplaced in the wrong factions.
"Gah, nothing." Libby grunts.
"What?"
"No money, what a waste." Libby tosses aside a pair of fur gauntlets and stands.
A muffled roar vibrates through the compound.
"Girls, let's go!" Hadvar calls.
Dia scans the room one last time before following after Libby through the iron doorway, shutting the gates behind her to ensure no one follows.
"Come on, this way." Hadvar leads.
They follow him down a flight of stairs and around a corner before the entire place shakes and the ceiling collapses in.
"Look out!" Libby screams. And she grabs Dia's shoulder and they jump back as the first boulder of the ceiling crashes to the floor and they're blown backwards.
The impact of the hard-packed stone nearly knocks the wind out of Dia. Libby's quiver of arrows has caught in the crook of her elbow, sparing both itself and her shoulder, and her bow is locked in her grasp. The ground vibrates beneath them and the girls both shield their faces with their arms as shattered bits of matter rain down near them. Dia feels Libby's body hovering over hers, her chest heaving from the sudden collapse.
"You okay?" Libby asks, and Dia nods. Libby helps her to her feet. They look and find their original path cut off by a wall of boulder and debris.
"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easy." Hadvar says.
"Wait, what is that?" Libby says. She leans near the door that survived and hears voices. She motions Hadvar and Diamond closer.
"What are you doing?!" One male voice says. "We need to get out of Helgen! Now!"
"These Imperials have potions in here! We're going to need them." Another male voice replies.
Hadvar opens the door and walks in first. The girls follow behind. They enter a room with a pillar as the epicenter. Bordering around it, a fireplace is on one side, over in the corner a set of tables and bookshelves, and further in a storage of barrels and two Stormcloak soldiers.
"Hey!" Hadvar yells. Instantly drawing his sword and charging forward.
Libby readies her bow and takes down the two men with arrows to the skull seconds before Hadvar can swipe his sword to one of the soldier's necks. He looks to Libby wide-eyed.
Libby shrugs and smirks.
"Where are we?" Dia asks.
"An old storeroom. See if you girls can find any potions. Might come in handy."
The girls spread out and examine any odd colored bottles they find on the shelves. Libby finds a potion of minor magicka, Dia finds a potion of minor healing.
"Anything else?" Libby asks.
Dia pries open a barrel and finds three more minor healing potions, and one minor magicka and stamina. "Got some."
She hands one minor healing to Libby. "Keep it," Libby denies.
"Are you saying I'll need it more than you?" Dia teases.
"No, it's just my pockets are getting heavy from all this gold I'm carrying." Libby retorts.
They giggle and meet Hadvar by the door. "Done then? Let's move."
He opens the door and the girls follow him down a damp stone corridor. Some of the torches were knocked out by the debris, so they walk through stretches of darkness, like patches of bruises. The dank passageway smelt of kerosene and must. Orange flames set into the wall, cast their glow over making everything glisten a ripple with a line of light. They jog down a ramp-like hallway and hear a clang of metal along with disembodied voices.
"The torture room. Gods, I wish we didn't need these . . ." Hadvar says, his voice low as if he's ashamed to admit the Imperial army even has them.
Dia crouches and peeks in. the mention of a torture chamber reminds her of the chamber they had back home. The screams of them to beg for mercy always gave her a rush. She loved that explosion of power and energy, and the feeling that she is untouchable because she can hurt people. It was one of the few things that made her feel like she belonged in the Dark Brotherhood.
"Stormcloaks!" Hadvar yells. "Get them!"
The torturer's assistant barely misses the swing of a Warhammer as a female strikes. "Close."
Libby stays aback and shoots from the slope that leads down into the chamber while Dia and Hadvar take on the soldiers up close. Diamond would get in a few swings, then Libby would shoot an arrow in the spots that Dia missed. Then they would continue on until the opponent was defeated.
Diamond blocks an attack from the male soldier then swings left and right, nailing him in the jaw and stomach. Then an arrow whizzes by Dia's head and nails him in the throat. She turns to Libby and gives her a thumbs up. Libby nods then sheathes her bow as Hadvar finishes the other soldier.
The chamber consist of three main cages on the one side, on the far side of the room is another cage, bigger and holds a small bar area for the workers. Next to it, smaller and rounded dome-shaped cages. There's a small platform smattered and spluttered with blood. Of the three square cages, two of them are occupied by a skeleton, and the body of a Nord.
"We need to find a way out of here." The torturer's assistant says.
"You fellows happened along just in time. These boys seemed a bit upset at how I've been entertaining their comrades." The torturer says.
"Don't you even know what's going on? A dragon is attacking Helgen!" Hadvar says.
"A dragon? Don't make nonsense." The torturer replies. "Although I was wondering what those noises were."
Meanwhile, Libby sneaks over and picks the lock of the one cage with the bones. There's nothing but an old book. Nevertheless, Libby takes it anyway.
"Come with us. We need to get out of here." Hadvar invites. And Libby looks to him and sneers, not wanting him to come along. Hadvar answers with an inconspicuous shake of his head.
"You have no authority over me, boy." The torturer snipes.
Dia snarls and draws a dagger she got from one of the soldiers. After picking the lock of the second cage, Libby manages to collect six gold, and a Tome of Sparks in magicka. Searching the mage, she finds more gold. She moves on to the knapsack on a small table next to another dagger and a book titled "The Book of the Dragonborn."
"Didn't you hear me? I said the keep is under attack!" Hadvar informs.
The torturer's assistant interjects. "Forget the old man. I'll, come with you."
Hadvar nods and the man trudges forward. Libby trifles through the knapsack and finds more gold and lockpicks.
"Sure, take all my things." The torture replies. And Libby only looks to him, smiles and continues as if nothing is wrong.
Hadvar looks down the hall where the assistant ran. "There's no way out that way, you know . . ." says the torturer.
When Hadvar leaves, Libby waits by the doorway. The torturer had his back to them, and Dia still had a grip on her dagger. She looks to Libby, who smiles and nods. Dia smiles back and walks up plainly to the torturer. She quickly cups her hand over his mouth and slices at his throat with the blade. He releases a muffled sob, choked by blood and collapse to the ground. Dia immediately turns and jogs toward Libby smiling.
"Happy?" she asks.
"Yeah." Dia nods.
They delve down deeper into the chamber, and enter anther room where right when you walk in, three of the dome cages are suspended. On with a Nord body clothed in rags, another holding a skeleton. Over one the far side is another platform with one cage with a skeleton. Libby doesn't hesitate to search the Nord and finds some gold, then the skeletons with the same result.
The torturer's assistant stands on guard while Hadvar inspects a whole that appeared to be blasted through the stone brick. It seems to lead down into a cave that wasn't originally part of the chamber itself. They follow through the tunnel and around a short corner when more voices emerge. Libby snatches Diamond, about to go and holds her back. They kneel down and wait. Hadvar watches them closely and listens.
"Where in the name of Talos are we supposed to go?" one man asks, his voice laced with fear. "Where's the way out?"
"Let me think!" Another male voice replies.
The room was an underground cavern with tunnels that lead to different sections of the Keep. A river divides the room in half and stairs lead up to both platforms on either side of the room. Hadvar and the assistant were about to go, when Libby grabs Hadvar's wrist and holds him back. She shakes her head and signals him to wait. He nods and steps back, the assistant follows. Libby looks to Dia and Dia nods.
Libby's the first to go and she crouches down and waits for the Stormcloak to turn his back. He does and Libby instantly nails him with an arrow. He grunts and slumps to the ground. Another soldier from down the steps hears this and readies her weapon as she goes to investigate. Libby immediately retracts into the shadows as the soldier comes up, vanishing. Then Dia emerges and grabs the soldier by the hair and slits her throat. She slumps to the ground with a thud. Then another soldier catches them, but Hadvar rams her with his sword and two more pile into the room.
"Die rebel!" Hadvar shouts.
Libby and Dia spot archers across the way and Libby instantly pulls out her bow while Dia handles the men up front with Hadvar. The soldiers get a couple arrows in before Libby takes them down with one shot.
"Die damn you!" Someone shouts.
Two more come in and Dia runs across the riverway. "I'll see you I pieces!" "You're kind has no place here!" the Stormcloaks shout. They get in a few good swings, and so does Dia. Then as she drives one soldier to his knees, she finds them stepping in a strange colored liquid. Kerosene. She looks to Libby.
"Libby!" She calls.
Libby looks and sees the liquid and nods. She draws and arrow and dips it in a puddle of the liquid on her side. She strikes it on the ricks and the thing pops into a flame. Dia runs and jumps off the steps as she fires and instantly when the arrow hits, the entire puddle erupts in flames, clinging to the soldiers and licking along their limbs. Dia pats a small flame that nicked her elbow and watches the soldiers fall to the ground charred and burned. The smell of burning flesh permeates her nose and immediately flashes Dia back to the villagers and the dragon's fire. She feels slightly sick only for a moment before Libby comes and helps her to her feet.
"Alright, let's see if we can find a way out." Hadvar instructs.
Libby quickly gather the iron arrows that the Stormcloak archers had and combines them with her steel arrows.
"Wait, what happened . . ." Dia was about to ask when she finds the body of the torturer's assistant lying on the ground, lifeless. "Oh."
"Come on." Libby says, nudging Dia's elbow.
They follow Hadvar through a tunnel way and come shortly to a drawbridge upright. A lever off to the left.
"Let's see where this leads." Libby suggests.
Hadvar activates the lever and the bridge drops down on creaking hinges and slamming into the ground. They cross the bridge to another platform leading down into the following chamber. Just as Libby had stepped off, there's another muffled roar and an avalanche rumbles down.
"Libby!" Dia shouts and pulls Libby off the steps as the rocks crumble down. They build up and block off the path instantly.
Hadvar rushes up the steps and just looks for a moment. "Dammit. No going back that way. I guess we're lucky that didn't come down on top of us."
Libby and Dia only nod and turn to look at the room.
"We'd better push on. I'm sure the others will find another way out." Libby ensures.
Hadvar nods. This time Diamond and Libby take the lead and Hadvar follows. They trudge down the steps and down the stream that leads into a narrow tunnel-like passageway. Their feet sloshing in the water, Libby chuckles as she hears Diamond. "Ew, ew, ew. . ." They soon reach the end and the water drops down a few hundred feet.
Hadvar grunts in aggravation. "Ugh, that doesn't go anywhere."
Dia takes notice of a lantern lit by a skeleton and a coin purse. Libby takes the coin purse automatically, and Dia puts her fingertips on the wall with a feather-like touch. She peers down through the optical illusion rocks and finds another passageway.
"This might go somewhere." She calls.
Libby and Hadvar follow Dia down the passageway, Libby keeping her hand along the wall. Dia soon stops in her tracks as the tunnel opens up into a large room covered in webs and pods. They decorated every nook and cranny of the chamber and Dia could see human-shaped pods wrapped in webs. She swallows thickly and steps back. Hadvar takes the lead. There's one spider on the ground and two more descend from the ceiling. Dia yelps and steps back. Libby crawls up forward and loads her bow. Hadvar steps back to give her room.
Libby loads an arrow and nails one spider on the ground. The other two raise their front legs and hiss, poison oozing from their fangs. Libby loads another arrow and takes out the first spider closest, then the one in the back. There's the disgusting sound of the arrows piercing their fangs and sloshing of their poison before the collapse to the ground.
"What next, giant snakes?" Hadvar amuses.
Dia helps Libby extract some of the venom from the fangs of the spiders and Libby stores them away in one of her many pockets of her Guild uniform. Following Hadvar through another short passageway, they come to a more open chamber, the immediate scent of fresh air catches their senses.
"This looks like the way." says Hadvar.
A river waterfall flows through the chamber leading to a small pond off to the right. Rays of icy daylight pierce through the stone and Libby lets loose a sigh of hope as she sees the clear blue sky of the outside. For someone who spends a majority underground, Libby sure hates exploring caves. They cross the river and pass a stalactite when Hadvar stops.
"Hold up. There's a bear up ahead." He whispers. He points and as if on cue, a huge cave bear rises from her resting position and yawns. "I'd rather not tangle with her right now. We might be able to sneak by."
Dia looks to Libby and smiles, and the two break into giggles. Hadvar looks to them, and smirks.
"Or, if you're feeling lucky, you can use your bow. Might take her by surprise. You go ahead, I'll follow your lead and watch your back." He mutters.
Libby takes the lead and Diamond follows after, then Hadvar. The bear slumps down and yawns before snuggling into herself and shutting her eyes. Dia looks closely as she tries to follow Libby's footsteps. Where she steps, how lightly she steps and sticks close to the shadows. The bear lifts its head. Dia stops dead in her tracks.
"Easy does it now." Hadvar whispers. He guides Dia back to Libby and when they make it to a corner, they rise. Hadvar sighs. "Whew. That was close."
He retakes the lead and shows the girls another way down a slope and turning the next corner there's daylight.
"This looks like the way out!" Hadvar says.
"I was starting to wonder if we'd ever make it." Dia says.
Libby's face lights up with excitement and she breaks into a sprint and heads for the exit. Dia laughs and follows her leaving Hadvar behind. They break through the exit and Libby screams at the top of her lungs, a whoop of absolute joy. She rotates in a circle and collapses on the ground on her back. Dia laughs and sits on a rock to catch her breath. It felt so fresh and the sky was so blue, Dia missed it compared to the sky that was overtaken with smoke and the dampness of the cave. There's a light sprinkling of snow on the ground which signals that they're in the mountains. Pine trees surrounding them all around, freshening their nostrils of the moist walls of the cave and the smell of smoke and blood from the chamber. Hadvar's the last out, smiling.
Then a flap of wings catches their attention.
"Wait!" he hisses and ducks behind a rock.
The dragon flaps over them, roaring as it scans the trees. It roars and then disappears over the treeline, disappearing into the clouds. It's huge ebony body consumed in smears of white and grey. Dia and Libby release a held breath.
"Looks like he's gone for good this time." Says Hadvar. "But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back."
"So what now?" Dia asks.
"The closest town from here is Riverwood." Libby says. Dia looks over and sees she's pulled out her map. Dia walks over and leans over her shoulder.
"My uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you girls out." Hadvar says. He then looks down and turns away. "Thank you both. I wouldn't have made it without your help today."
"Wait! Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait." Libby says, grabbing Hadvar's shoulder. "You're just going to leave us?"
"I need to inform my uncle about this attack." Hadvar says.
"Yeah, and we need a place to crash as well as supplies." Libby argues. "Plus, I've only been to Riverwood through carriage rides, most of which I've fallen asleep on."
Hadvar turns to Diamond. "What about you?"
"Family trips when I was young, but barely remember." Dia says shrugging her shoulders. She knew that Libby was lying and decided to go along with it; she really was exhausted after all, and the time seems to have sped up since they were in the cave. What was once a blue early sky is now nearly twilight as the sun sinks over the horizon. How long were they in there?
"Look, I need to get to Riverwood, and you girls should go home."
"If we knew the way we would." Dia says.
Hadvar starts jogging down the hill and the girls follow. After a few moments of listening to their feet slapping the ground, Hadvar finally speaks up. "Listen you girls should go to Solitude and join up with the Imperial Legion. We could really use some people like you girls. And if the rebels have themselves a dragon, General Tullius is the only one who can stop them."
They follow down the hill and finally come to the main road where a sign post points you to the right direction depending on which city you're going to. The girls continue to walk along Hadvar as they trudge along the road. Then he stops and looks up.
"See that ruin up there? Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares. Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing."
Bleak Falls Barrow is one of many Nord burial mounds all across Skyrim. It's where the ancients buried their dead, and as a result, the place is infested with aggressive draugr. It's the looks like the perfect place for a dragon to perch, but other than that there are usually a number of bandits guarding the outer parameter of the temple. The exterior of the ruin is very impressive with its stone arches, and only a few ruins have such impressive exteriors.
The first section of the Barrow is known as Bleak Falls Temple. It's is an underground-style dungeon. There is also an inner section which is blocked by a Nordic puzzle door that only a certain kind of claw can open. According to what Libby has told Diamond from other explorations.
"Some tell-tale your parents told you to keep you in line?" Libby tease.
"I admit, I still don't much like the look of it." Hadvar admits.
They continue further down the hill along the road and come to a trio of standing stones.
"These are the Guardian Stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape." Hadvar explains.
The Stones are located north-northwest of Helgen close to the river. They consist of the Warrior Stone, the Mage Stone and the Thief Stone. Shaped like ginormous white chess pieces, the monuments stand taller and wider than a person, raised off the ground by a semicircle cut stone base. Embedded in the center of the stones are portraits of a thief wearing a cloak and carrying a bag of gold, a wizard or mage wielding a staff, and a warrior bound in armor and wielding a sword and shield.
"Go ahead. See for yourself." Hadvar encourages.
Libby takes a breath and steps up to the stones. After a moment of silence, the Thief Stone glows; brighter a Libby approaches. Finally as she touches the stone, a beam of light shoots straight from the stone to the sky.
Hadvar is silent. Libby simple nods.
It's Dia's turn, and oddly enough, the Warrior stone glows.
"Warrior, good! You look the type." Hadvar says.
"And I suppose I resemble that of a thief?" Libby sourly asks, brushing past him.
Hadvar turns and reaches out to Libby's elbow. "I'm not degrading you because of what was picked, or even what it claimed you are. Your skills contributed to our escape as much as your fighting did. Both of you. Never let anyone define who you are, or disgrace what you are." Hadvar smiles and leans in. "Everyone is special in their own way."
This draws a smile on Libby's lips, and Dia clears her throat.
"We should get to Riverwood." She informs. "It's getting dark."
"How much farther?" Dia asks.
"We should be there by nightfall." Says Hadvar. As they continue along the main road, a howl off to the right catches their attention. "What was that?"
Libby has already spotted them, wolves. She loads an arrow and takes out one, Hadvar takes on a second, Dia the third. Once the pack is cleared, Dia makes quick haste to skin their carcass for pelts.
"We're almost to Riverwood." Hadvar says.
Finally they come up from a dip in the road and find another wall that's similar to the one that once housed Helgen. Brick mixed with wood and plaited roofs. Quaint houses and shop line up along the sides of the main road. People mingling about and entering and exiting shops. The girls hang back by the entrance until Hadvar enters in and ushers them forward.
"Things look quiet enough here. Come on. There's my uncle." Hadvar points.
He points to a man of Nord gene, with blonde hair whose color extends down into his beard. He wears the general blacksmith's tunic and apron, a Warhammer slung over his back. He seems owns a respectable house in the town. The girls stand back as Hadvar approaches.
"Uncle Alvor! Hello!" he greets.
The man looks up and smiles, his teeth white in the twilight. "Hadvar! What are you doing here? Are you on leave from . . ." his eyes widen. "Shor's bones, what happened to you, boy?" he leans in and whispers. "Are you in some kind of trouble -?"
Libby and Diamond gaze around the town as Hadvar talks with Alvor. It's only when he mentions them do they pay attention. Alvor looks to the girls as they approach behind Hadvar. "What's going on? And who're they?"
"They're friends. Come on, I'll explain everything, but we need to go inside." Hadvar says.
Alvor sighs. "Okay, okay. Come inside. Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell me all about it."
Hadvar steps down from the forge connected to the home and the girls silently follow the men as they enter the home. Outside there are two long benches to rest, and Libby warms her hands by thee forge fire before they both scurry inside.
Inside, the home had a relatively comfortable and warming feel to it. There's a main fireplace on the one wall, then next to it on the right is a bed, a dresser by the corner, and another bed adjacent to it. Chests located at the foot of each, and a child waking up from a nap. The left of the room consisted of a dinner table loaded with food, another bookshelf, and a staircase that leads down to the lower level of the home. Immediately, Libby walks over to the dresser and chests. She finds them locked, and continues on to the cooking spit. Dia does her best to hide Libby's 'inspection' as Alvor calls.
"Sigrid! We have company!"
Immediately footsteps echo from below and a young woman emerges between the banisters before she completely come out from below the basement. She has coppery-brown hair and wears a simple tunic with a belt of pockets. Her face brightens when she lays eyes on Hadvar.
"Hadvar!" she squeals. "We've been so worried about you!" she flicks her eyes to Libby and Dia. "Come, you three must be hungry. Sit down and I'll get you something to eat."
Libby nods her head and Dia thanks her quietly. Libby remains by the cooking pot by the fire while Dia sits at the other head of the table. The first occupied by Alvor.
"Now then boy. What's the big mystery? What are you doing here looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?"
"I don't know where to start." Hadvar sighs. "You know I was assigned to General Tullius's guard. We were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked . . . by a dragon."
Libby freezes to look over her shoulder and Dia keeps her eyes on the two men.
"A dragon? That's . . . ridiculous. You aren't drunk, are you boy?" Alvor asks. Over in the corner, Libby snickers.
"Husband, let him tell his story." Sigrid speaks. She folds her arm and eyes him wearily.
"Not much more to tell. This dragon just flew over and wrecked the whole place. Mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else got out alive." He lowers his head as he speaks this, then raises it and smiles at Dia, then Libby as she walks over behind Dia's chair. "I doubt I'd have made it out myself if not for my friends here."
Dia and Libby smile and Libby isn't afraid to snitch a salmon steak as well as an alto wine bottle. She takes a seat next to Dia and devoirs the thing in minutes. She then takes an entire load of bread and divides it with Dia. Dia accepts it and plucks a few snowberries off the branch on the table.
"I need to get back to Solitude and let them know what's happened." Hadvar says. "I thought you could help us out. Food, supplies, a place to stay."
"Of course! Any friend of Hadvar is a friend of mine. I'm glad to help however I can." Alvor gaiety.
"So does this mean we can take this coin purse?" Dia instantly asks.
She springs from her seat and goes over to the coin purse as well as scattered gold on the table near the bed. Libby feels her cheeks warm with embarrassment, and she covers her hand with her face, shaking her head. But Alvor only smiles and shakes his head.
"Like I said, I'm glad to help in any way that I can. But I need your help. We need your help." He says as Libby takes the coin purse.
"What do you need?" Libby asks.
"The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenseless . . ." Alvor explains. "We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever soldiers he can. If you'll do that for me, I'll be in your debt."
"Of course." Libby promises. "Seems only fair. We were just about to head there anyway and catch a carriage ride."
"Wonderful. Thank you." Hadvar rises from his chair. "Well I'd better get back to work. You two make yourselves at home. Take what you need. Within reason, of course." He encourages.
Dia doesn't waste time plopping herself into one of the beds in the corner. She takes down her hair and sighs. Libby takes the other vacant bed and pulls of her shoes and hood. She smiles at Dia sprawled across the bed.
"Tired?" She asks with a smile.
"You have the idea." Dia says.
"Well, after a good night' sleep, we'll return home and be back to our old lives. Hopefully." Libby ensures.
"You girls aren't from here?" Sigrid asks.
"No, we're from Riften actually." Dia answers.
Sigrid raises her eyebrows. "Wow, that's quite the trip. To Helgen and then here, to Whiterun."
"We never rest." Libby amuses.
"Well, let me give you girls some advice. We don't get that many visitors out here in Riverwood, so be weary. You're going to have the men around here wrapped around your fingers in no time." She says.
"Aw thank you." Dis giggles.
"You're saying there aren't that many pretty girls around here? Besides you, of course." Libby sugarcoats her words.
Sigrid laughs. "You're pretty, I'll give you that. Just stay away from my husband Alvor."
Dia holds up her hands, palms up and shakes her head. Libby simply laughs and crosses her finger over her heart.
As Sigrid heads back down into the basement, Dia shifts in her bed – which mainly consists of a stack of hay and an animal pelts - and snuggles into the fur as comfortably as she can. She watches as Libby strips off her uniform and stores it in the trunk, then fetching a blue silk robe from the wardrobe. Shrugging it over her shoulders and securing the strap, she yawns and undoes her hair.
"You never realize how exhausted you are until you crash into bed." She comments.
Dia laughs and yawns. "So, how long will we stay here?"
"Until we're rested, or until morning." Libby slurs through a yawn. "So get some sleep."
"Okay. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Dia."