The sight was truly a wonder to behold.

Ralof and I watched as the great terror sank, roaring over the horizon.

It was Ralof that broke the silence.

'We can split up from here,' he said, 'I have a sister, Gurdur, in Riverwood. Not too far down this path.'

I looked down at the dirt trail. It didn't seem very much of a great road, but I had just climbed out of a bear cave, I wasn't one to complain.

'What am I to do there, tell her about the dragons, and that I'm now a wanted criminal? I'm sure she'll welcome me with open arms,' I was a tad stressed. It seemed like now I could relax. Now I could return to general safety and breath normally again. But I shouldn't.

I was shaking too. I didn't realize I had been shaking when I was in the cave fighting just to stay alive. The adrenaline must have stopped me from feeling most things.

'I'll be going with you too,' panted Ralof, he was breathing heavily now. I noticed that he too was shaking. So much for the calm composure he had this whole time. 'I just thought you'd like to head there you're own way. We don't need to stick together anymore.'

I sat down with my back to the cave. Bit stupid I realize now, had the bear decided to take a stroll at that moment, he would have ran straight into two unknown meals catching their breath outside his front door.

Still, I let myself relax. Too much had happened that my mind couldn't get a grasp on what had actually happened. First there was imminent death, then there was more imminent death, then fighting to save ourselves from imminent death. Now there was nothing. It seemed like a hazy blur.

Involuntarily I found myself shaking my head. 'No,' I said, short and sweetly, 'there's safety in numbers, I'd rather us stick together for now, could be more spiders, bears, or imperials lurking about and I'd rather have someone by my side I can trust.'

Ralof breathed, this was the response he was hoping for. He took a seat next to me, his back was also facing the stupid direction. 'That's fine and dandy.' he said, 'but you know, Skyrim must know about Ulfric being captured. Any Imperials you run into out here would be blind drunk from celebrating.'

I managed a laugh. 'Really?'

'Well, he'd have to be some kind of blind. If he saw that dragon and didn't immediately run one hundred miles in the other direction.' Ralof also managed a chuckle.

Something about almost dying with someone and then not dying with that person seemed to strangely bring you closer together. Right now, I felt like Ralof was my best friend since childhood.

We watched the sky a bit longer. The evening sun had moved behind the clouds and gave Skyrim an orange glow. We had been fighting all day.

Now that my shaking stopped I felt hungry. Hungry and cold.

'We should be leaving then,' I said while standing to my feet.

'Right you are,' Ralof replied, 'we've still got to warn people that there's a giant flying, fire breathing lizard that wants to kill them.'

We made our way down the dirt trail till we came to the cobblestone road Ralof was mentioning. I looked up the hill to where Helgen lay.

Smoke was rising in the air and the faint dancing glow came from over the walls. But it was hauntingly quiet.

No townspeople talking. No battle school commands sounding from the courtyards. No clang of armour, laughter of children, or bustling footsteps. And also no screaming. Everyone left in that town was well and truly dead.

'Hey,' called Ralof, a few yards down the hill, 'it's this way.' He nodded his head down the road, I must've been lost in thought for those moments. I'm glad his voice broke the silence.

We continued along in silence. We knew that we weren't in safe territory. A guard could be running round the corner, or a platoon, or really anything. We wanted to be the first to hear anything coming to kill us.

'Y'know,' said Ralof. He either didn't understand that we're supposed to remain inconspicuous, or he wanted to break the tension. 'We could use more soldiers to fight for the stormcloaks. Just head to Windhelm and I'm sure Ulfric would be more than willing to take you on. I've seen you fight, I could vouch for you.'

'I'll definitely consider it,' I said, now I was talking, but somehow I knew that nothing was going to kill us just yet.

'It's better than fighting for the Imperials in any case,' said Ralof. I noted down the town name in my mind. Windhelm. Although I was sure I would make it there sometime if I could stay alive.

We continued to chat for a while. We passed an old Relic. Ralof told me it was called the Guardian Stones and that there are many posted around Skyrim. My eyes became drawn to one of the rocks which had a distinct carving of a thief with a dagger.

'Thief stone, that one,' Ralof explained, 'I'll have to watch my purse around you.' I whipped my head back round and stared at Ralof confused. 'Hey now, I was kidding. Don't get any ideas.'

He seemed to think that I was thinking about robbing him blind right then and there.

I must say there was some appeal to being a thief, however.

Most of the rest of the trip continued in silence. A couple of wolves howled from over the hills, and we passed a mine which I was sure was inhabited, and not by very nice people either. Eventually we saw the rising smoke of Riverwood.

The mill was the first thing I noticed. They used the river to power their saws and chop large logs of wood. A lightbulb went off in my head as to why it was called Riverwood, and now I felt stupid for not putting the pieces together sooner.

The village was pleasant. I guess. It was small and working. It seemed like the kind of place where everyone would know everyone else's names and families.

The people of Riverwood did seem strange. It seemed like a village where everyone believed their village was posh and they had to act posh and shun each other when they can. That was my impression I got off the first three people I saw.

One was a long faced elf who wouldn't look in my direction, he held a bow and arrows on his back.

The others were an elderly mother and her son.

'It was big and black and vanished over the horizon,' the mother said, with a "you've got to believe me" tone. 'It was a dragon I say.'

'Dragons mother, really?' the son was having none of it, 'If you carry on like this, the town will think you're going crazy.' It sounded like this wasn't the first time her son had had to convince his mother that she was seeing things.

Ralof and I knew better of course, we were perhaps the only people in this village that wouldn't think she was crazy. I caught her eye. I managed a smile. She gave me a piercing, hateful look.

The town had a general goods store. That was good, i thought. I haven't got money to buy, but perhaps I can sell a few things I had on me.

The Blacksmith was across the road from the store. He seemed nice enough, having a laugh with a local as he got on with his job. I couldn't hear what they were saying though.

'I'm glad you decided to come here with me,' said Ralof, 'having another witness helps when you're explaining you're outlandish tales.'

Ralot turned left once we were past the blacksmith's house and walked directly toward the mill.

'Gurder!' called Ralof. A tall blonde nordic woman appeared in our path.

'Ralof? Is that you?' she called back.

'It is sister.'

'Are you well? We heard Ulfric had been captured. Are you safe from the Imperials? Who's this?' she nodded towards me although she never took her eyes off Ralof.

'This is a friend, without her, I never would have made it out of Helgen.'

'Helgen?'

'Relax, Gurder. Call your husband and I'll tell you the whole story.'

'Of course.' She turned toward the mill. 'Hod, come down here a moment,' she yelled.

'I can't. I'm busy.' a voice called back.

'Just come down here.'

The man walked to the end of his mill and looked down at the scene. 'Dammit, Gurder, didn't I say I was- Oh hello Ralof. I'll be down soon.'

'Make sure no one hears us,' said Ralof to his sister, 'if they do it could mean trouble.'

'Of course,' she whipped her head around to a small child who had been observing the scene from a distance. 'Frodnar!'

Frodnar saw Ralof first. Completely ignoring Gurder, he sprinted toward the stormcloak.

'Uncle Ralof, you're back. Where have you been? How many Imperials did you kill? Is it true you know Ulfric Stormcloak?'

'I'll answer all your questions later, nephew. For now I must speak to your mother.'

'Frodnar,' snapped Gunder. 'I need you to keep an eye on the south road for Imperials. If you see any come and tell me immediately.'

'But mum, I want to talk to Uncle Rolaf.'

'Run along child, we can talk later. But first you must do your duty as a stormcloak,' said Ralof.

'Oh, duty. Of course.' Frodnar ran away as quickly as he could towards the south road.

'Hello Ralof. Are you well?' it was the man that was on the mill, Hod. He appeared almost out of nowhere.

'I'm fine, Hod. Thanks. But I need to tell you both something of the utmost importance.'

Both Hod and Gurder gathered closer.

'Gods, where do I begin,' said Ralof. 'It feels like I haven't slept in an eternity.' he took a breath and recounted the story. 'We were ambushed, it's true. Someone tipped off the Imperials. That was two days ago. They took Ulfric. We were going to Helgen, carted off there this morning.

'We were on the chopping block and it felt like we were goners. No fair trial for the true high king of Skyrim just a quick death sentence.' Ralof, Hod, and Gurder all seemed to spit. 'We were as good as dead, when believe it or not, a dragon appeared and saved our hides. We've spent the remainder of the day fighting our way out of Helgen.'

'Gods be good,' said Gurder, taking it all in, 'did Ulfric get out?'

'I'm sure it would take a lot more than a dragon to kill Ulfric Stormcloak.' said Ralof, 'but if it hadn't been for this one here,' Ralof gestured to me, 'I wouldn't have made it.'

'That reminds me, if there's a dragon on the loose, then the Jarl of Whiterun must know as soon as we can.' Gurder looked at me, 'Can you take a message up to the Jarl and let him know what has happened. Riverwood is defenceless against dragons.' I understood the message, it was just crazy to me how quickly she believed it.

'We'll give you food and shelter for the night,' said Hod, 'But you'll be doing all of us a favour if you head up to Whiterun first thing in the morning.'

'Yes,' said Gurder, 'Please, take what you need. We already have some meals prepared.'

'I'll take them up to the house and let them settle in,' said Hod.

'You'll go up and drink with them all night, you mean?' said Gurder, Hod laughed and led the way for Ralof and I.

The walk up to the house was quick even though they lived on the other side of the village, it was a small village after all, just thank Talos they had fortified walls.

The house was rather large, Hod and Gurder had two cows and a dog that patted along happily. Some nests could be seen with eggs, so there were chickens loose around the garden somewhere.

Hod unlocked the door. The smell of fresh food hit my nose.

Hod led me to a bed.

'You can sleep here. Sounds like you'll sleep soundly with the day you've had.' I ate a hot meal and led down in bed, it was getting late.

Does it make me a psychopath to watch everything that I had today, the dragon destroying homes, the heads being lopped off, the murdering of guards so that we may have some freedom and still sleep soundly? Either way, I fell into a deep sleep that night, and I was warm.