Chapter 3.

Exploring The Unknown

I was tired and hungry but had no safe place to rest, not even a bedroll. I sighed as I trudged downhill. Several burns and bruises dotted my body and slowed my progress. I looked down, following the path with my eyes until I could see the outline of a village in the distance, and grimaced. Apparently, a "short distance" to Ralof meant at least a half-day walk downhill. In between the village and my current position, something caught my eye. A trio of stones on a cliff ledge was just to the left of the path. Ralof, who was ahead of me by at least a few dozen meters, stopped at the stones, kneeling and gently touching the one in the middle with a hand.

Jogging to keep up, I was at Ralof's side before he left the stones. Each stone had a large hole through its tip and each was unique in the carving that adorned its side. The one on the left had a carving of a man wielding two daggers. The one in the center had a warrior, holding a massive axe in his hands. The final stone had a robed man carved into its mossy surface. Ralof, who was getting up after his short rest, noticed me and smiled.

"Ah, Link. Glad to see that you caught up. These," he pointed, ", are called the guardian stones. These, and others scattered across Skyrim, were carved by ancient Nords, thousands of years ago. It's said that touching one shall give you good luck. Rumors tell, however, that they once granted fantastic power to those deemed worthy. Nobody has ever managed to unlock their secrets, though. Go ahead, pick which one will be your lucky stone!"

It didn't take long for me to decide. The Stone in the center, the "Warrior" stone, seemed the most familiar. I brushed its smooth surface, worn down by hundreds of hands rubbing against it. To my surprise, I felt a small jolt of energy shoot through me and into my center. I placed a hand on my chest, feeling the warmth fade. I had no clue what had just happened, but I guessed that it was common to all travelers who touched the stone. It took me only another hour to get there, but I made my way to Riverwood before night fell. The people who I passed looked at me curiously, but it was clear that travelers were common enough to the small town. At Ralof's suggestion, I made my way to the Sleeping Giant Inn, and I opened its door to the sound of a man singing in the corner, strumming some sort of stringed instrument. Hearing the cheerful tune eased my weariness a little, and I smiled. Walking towards the bar, I saw who I assumed to be the owner of the inn, polishing a glass. I stepped up, then asked

"Hello. How much for a room tonight?" I inquired. The barkeeper looked up from his glass and nodded.

"A room is 20 gold. We only have one room available tonight. Oh, also, Food isn't included in the price, so you will have to an additional 10 gold for dinner. Is there anything else you need?" I shook my head slowly. I took my knapsack off, and I hesitantly held out thirty of the gold disks that I had retrieved. The man accepted them without complaint, then went to the hearth to collect a bowl of soup. The meal I had was simple, a bowl of potato soup, a chunk of bread, and an apple for my dinner, but I ate like a famished man. I didn't even bother to peel off my armor when I went to sleep soon afterward. "I'll take care of it tomorrow", I thought, then I drifted off to sleep.

I slept late the next day, and the sun was well on its way to the middle of the sky, but I didn't mind. I was normally a late sleeper, which was something that Malon hated. I often stayed with my friend during my recovery and healing period after my adventures. Lon Lon Ranch was a very soothing place to stay. However, Malon often got up early to do chores, and she had always grumped that I slept like her father. I almost snorted out a laugh at remembering her lazy father. Malon had inherited the ranch by now, and Talon was in quiet retirement in Kakariko village, but I still saw them both frequently. Breaking myself from my thoughts, I looked around the small town. There was a general store and a blacksmith, along with a lumber mill and normal houses. It was nothing special, and it was almost a logging camp, to be frank. Yet it held a charm to it that I connected to as soon as I saw it in the morning rays of the sun. I stretched and walked over to the blacksmith, hoping to use the forge to re-fit my armor. After a quick talk with the working smith, I began to add more coal to the glowing forge. The man was cheerful enough, and let me use his forge to help improve my armor. I had some small experience forging horseshoes at Lon Lon Ranch, and I did my best to improve my armor. I took it apart, piece by piece until I had separated all the leather straps from the steel armor. From there, I took the pieces that were too tight on me and placed them into the forge. The smith looked on in great interest as I hammered each piece to be just a little larger to fit my frame. I resized several pieces over a few hours, and once I was done, I looked down at the result. Now I had a set of armor that, although looked rather beat up, actually fit me. I looked down at my sword and shield and grimaced at them as well. I would need to improve them too if I wanted to continue. Before I could start to sharpen the iron sword on a nearby grindstone, the smith called out my name

"Link, wait!" I stopped and looked up at him. His name was… Alvor. That's right, I remembered then. Alvor cleared his throat and beckoned me over to a shelf covered in weapons, armor, and bars of many different types of metal.

"If you're searching for an upgrade, I can sell you a decent blade, That rusty old iron sword won't do much for you, so I suggest you try some hardy Nord steel." Alvor took a sheathed blade off the shelf and offered it to me. It was a smoky gray blade, with runic designs carded into its crossguard. I tested its point on a finger, and it immediately drew blood. It was very sharp. I looked to the smith, who nodded at me.

"It's a fine piece of metal if I do say so myself. It's superior to other steel swords and is extra sharp. I'll give it to you for 60 Septims." Already reaching for my pocket, I froze. That was almost all of the rest of the disks that I'd taken. The weight of the bag on my back registered a moment later, and I had an idea. I managed to sell off a good amount of the goods that I had stolen from Helgen. I managed to get around 300 gold for the lot, though I didn't know if I was being fleeced or not. It didn't matter- I needed to get the stuff off my hands anyway. With my new influx of money, I bought the steel sword and a steel shield, leaving me with about 200 of the gold disks left. I asked Alvor what the disks were called. He laughed for a bit, but then told me they were called septims, gold "coins" used as currency. Afterward, equipped with better gear, I left the forge with a wave and a smile, going back to the main road.

I closed my eyes for only a moment to drink in the golden sunlight raining down on me, then sighed in contentment. It was then that my stomach rumbled, very loudly. I had forgotten to eat breakfast, and my body was not happy about it. I made my way back to the Sleeping Giant Inn and purchased another meal that I quickly ate. I wanted to search for Ralof and his sister, and I didn't want to waste time. After asking a passing man if he knew where to find Gerdur, which was the name of Ralof's sister, I was directed toward the lumber mill. As I approached, the noise of a saw blade whined in my ears, along with the grunting and shouting of several very sweaty men who carried logs to stack them into piles and into the mill itself. I eventually came to a woman who was overseeing the entire project.

"Hello, are you Gerdur?" I asked. Gerdur nodded slowly and looked me up and down.

"You must be the escaped prisoner that Ralof was talking about. He came to me yesterday, you know. Said that a dragon attacked Helgen! I saw it fly overhead for only a moment, but oh how it gave everyone in Riverwood a fright. How in Talos's name did you survive?" I felt uncomfortable under Gerdur's scrutiny, but I cleared my throat to answer her question.

"Ahem… Well, I was actually saved by the dragon, if that makes any sense. I was on the chopping block when it landed on a nearby tower and began to torch Helgen. If not for its intervention, I would no longer have my head." The conversation went on for long minutes, with Gerdur and I discussing Ralofs and my escape. Eventually, we came to the subject of warning other people about the dragon attack.

"The dragon attack was very unexpected. Up until now, I never thought that they existed. Someone needs to warn Whiterun, the city that technically owns this place. Who knows if there are more dragons somewhere else.", Gerdur said. I pondered my options for a moment. I had no clue where to go next, but I did want to help Gerdur. Seeing firsthand the destruction a single dragon could bring, I knew I had to warn the rest of… wherever I was. I realized that I hadn't asked the name of the place I was in, so I asked Gerdur before I left.

"One more thing, Gerdur, what is the name of this place? I'm… new, and don't know much about the area's geography." Gerdur seemed amused by my question but answered simply enough.

"This is Skyrim, the land of the nords!" Gerdur chuckled, then said, "If you also can't remember what continent you're on, you're on Tamriel." I didn't appreciate the wit, but I thanked her anyway.

I was left with more questions to ponder as I walked away from Gerdur. They spun like the forest spirits of Kokiri forest, going around and around. I found myself approaching a building with two floors, one of the tallest buildings in Riverwood. A sign on its front said The Riverwood Trader. I supposed I should buy some new clothes, maybe some rope? I wore ragged clothes underneath my armor, which were rather coarse and uncomfortable. I opened the door to the sight of a fire merrily crackling in a small hearth. The feeling of the room was rather serene, with shelves full of items of every shape and size, and a wonderful cooking smell coming from a pot on the hearth. The sound of two people arguing ruined the experience in only a moment.

"Well one of us has to do something, Lucan!", a woman argued. Lucan, a man with black hair and a neatly trimmed beard angrily talked back at her.

"I said no, Camilla! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!" Lucan slammed his fist on the counter, rattling several coins, and disturbing a bottle that toppled to its side.

"Well, what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!", Camilla said, crossing her arms. Lucan had enough by this point and shook his head from side to side.

"We are done talking about this!" he snapped. I stepped back, hoping to avoid his gaze, but the floor creaked under my feet. His head snapped towards me, surprised, then he relaxed his expression into a customer-service grin.

"Oh, ahem, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that. What can I do for you?" Lucan queried. I looked at Lucan, then at Camilla.

"Did something happen?" Lucan looked uncomfortable, looking to Camilla before answering in a few moments.

"Yes, we did have a bit of a... break-in. But we still have plenty to sell. The robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold. In the shape of a dragon's claw." This piqued my interest in a way that I couldn't describe. I thought about my arrival and my escape from Helgen. If I was new to this country, I might as well make a good first impression. Zelda would approve of my "diplomatic" approach to my predicament. Besides, how hard could intimidating a few thieves be?

"I could help you get the claw back," I stated. Lucan's eyes widened in surprise, and a more genuine smile appeared on his face.

"You could? I've got some coin coming in from my last shipment. It's yours if you bring my claw back. If you're going after those thieves, you should head to Bleak Falls Barrow, northeast of town." Lucan's words brought a trickle of worry into my more hopeful thoughts.

"You don't mean the ruins on the mountain, do you?" I asked hopefully. Lucan's answer quickly crushed my hopes. The old ruins held the burial grounds of ancient Nords, which nobody had been inside for thousands of years. Rumors had been going around that some thieves and bandits were holed up around there, and Lucan suspected them to be the same bandits who stole his claw.

Before I could leave to complete Lucan's request, I needed to purchase some more supplies. I started by purchasing a new set of clothes- A green tunic with a leather jerkin on top, and some sturdy pants and boots. After that, I bought the standard adventuring gear. Travel rations, rope, a better backpack, and even a health potion were among the items that I purchased. The potion looked different from the ones I saw in Hyrule, but Lucan guaranteed that it would heal most minor wounds. I ended up with exactly 21 gold coins left but had bought everything I would need for the immediate future. It was frightening to think that, aside from everything I had in my bag, I had nothing else in this new country. Tightening the straps of my bags, I began the trek down the well-worn road to go to the Bleak Falls Barrow.

An hour into my hike, I wished I had also purchased a set of warmer clothes. It seemed to be the "First Seed", as the locals called it, which was the beginning of spring. It should have been warming up, but the top of the mountain that I was climbing apparently never got the memo. It was snowing heavily, and small piles were growing on my helmet and pauldrons, weighing me down. By the time I had finally made it to the peak and the ancient ruins, I was grumpy, wet, and cold. Peering around a rocky ledge, I saw steps carved into the mountain that led to a large, carved door, set deep into the stone of the mountain. Massive arches covered sections of the staircase, though most of it was still visible to me. In the swirling snow, I saw a few figures walking to and fro through the ruins, but I stayed put, listening intently for any sounds coming from the unidentified figures. Concentrating hard, I thought I heard some grumbling between two of the figures, but I couldn't make it out. I silently crept through the snow, for once thankful for its sound-dampening properties. I didn't know if the bandits were dangerous or not, but I decided to place a little trust. What were the chances that they would be armed? Turns out, all of them were. As soon as I walked into the open, shouts came from several of the bandits, their gazes focusing on my armor. A woman turned around, grasping an axe and hurling it at me. This sent me into battle mode.

I dove out of the way of the axe, letting it fly to my right. With a quick tug, I pulled my sword from my sheath and began to unclip the shield from my bag. It took a few moments for the bandits to run to me, but that was all the time I needed. I blocked a sword swipe from one, then returned my own, slicing into the man's leg. He fell with a scream, holding onto the wounded limb. Another bandit came, this one wielding a two-handed sword that I'd never seen before. After the first few swipes and misses from the bandit, he began to shout at me.

"Stop moving you fucking elf! Don't you know how to fight like a man?", he snarled. I stepped away from another of his swings, and seeing an opening, I swung my blade into his unarmored chest. A burst of blood spewed from the bandit's mouth, cutting off his tirade. Stepping back once again, I took in the whole situation. There were three other bandits, two with axes, one with another two-handed sword, and two with bows. An arrow whistled towards me as I was distracted, and slammed into my breastplate. Thankfully it held, and I rushed forward in a haze of blood and steel. Soon, I was the only one left standing, with several new cuts on my body, and an arrow sticking out of my right arm.

I sat down heavily against the nearest chunk of stone, and I looked upon the carnage that I had reaped. Bodies were scattered everywhere, along with several limbs and a severed head. My front was covered in blood, and my sword practically dripped with the stuff. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, a scene flashed in my mind, but I was too weak to push it down.

I was camping out in Hyrule Field with Epona laying down near my side, contentedly chewing on a clump of grass. I looked into the small campfire that I made and thought about my quest. The impossible task ahead of me to defeat the Ganondorf seemed almost impossible with Hyrule plunged into darkness and the sages locked in their temples. I was going to the Forest Temple first to free Saria, but with my current age, I was worried that she wouldn't recognize me. Thoughts filled my head, and I sat for a little longer, before lying down on a small mat that I'd bought in Kakariko, settling into disturbing dreams filled with shadows just outside my field of vision.

I awoke sometime later, but I could sense that it was still dark. Being tired still, I kept my eyes closed, which almost cost me my life. Only a quiet "shink" of a blade being drawn was my warning, and I dove to the side, barely avoiding a blade that was aimed at my heart. I drew the Master Sword from its blue and gold sheath, and wildly slashed it around, hoping to hit my attacker, but I hit nothing. Sitting up, I looked around in the darkness, with only the last glowing coals of my fire illuminating my surroundings. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving in the shadows, and ducked once more, avoiding another fatal strike from a black, glinting blade. The shadowy body slipped back into the darkness, leaving me once more alone, and I wildly looked around for where it went. I saw nothing, but I sensed that whoever attacked me was still there. Suddenly, a blinding flash of pain entered my body, and I looked down to see the tip of a blade sticking out of my abdomen. I fell to one knee, gasping with the pain, but managed to swing my blade one more time, finally making contact with the body of my assailant. I only heard a cry of pain and then a thwump to indicate that my attacker was dead. Miraculously, I had managed to slice my assassin's throat with a wild swing. I sat down heavily, with the knife still in my abdomen, but I knew better than to pull it out. Painfully, I reached down, and pulled the hood off my attacker's head, expecting a monster like a Lizalfos or maybe a stalfos, but what I saw made my blood freeze in my veins. A woman's face looked up at me with glazed eyes. Her eyes were golden, and her skin was the bronze of the Gerudo. She must have been sent by Ganondorf. Despite that, when I saw her slit throat, her blood still gushing out of it, I couldn't hold in my bile. I leaned to the side, pain rippling through my body, and threw up over the remains of the fire, leaving me only with the light of the stars overhead. Guilt and horror rippled through my body as I convulsed and heaved again. I had killed someone. I was a murderer.

Back in the present, I looked apathetically at the bodies around me. The death I caused now was only a drop in the lake, the sea of blood that I had been through. Though I had almost exclusively killed monsters, creatures deserving of death, I had killed people as well. Those deaths were rare and far between, only for the people who most deserved it, or in self-defense. I knew that these bandits had stolen from Lucan, but was that worth their deaths? Bile rose in my throat, threatening to come out at the scene of my creation. Yet, I managed to hold it down. A long conversation with Impa, Zelda's mentor, and protector came to the forefront of my memory then.

"Often, the worst monsters you face aren't demons or monsters; they are the ones who walk and talk just like me or you. Don't feel anything for the deaths of the wicked- they do not deserve it.", Impa had said. That is why, despite my conscience screaming at me, I did my best to feel nothing for these thieves. They stole from others, and their greed made people suffer. I felt guilty for their deaths, but Impa's words echoed in my mind, reinforcing my resolve.

I shifted on the ground, my wounds once again being known. I grimaced at the pain and reached into my backpack. I pulled out the health potion that I had received and considered it. It was my only healing potion, and I didn't know how many more bandits there were. Most of my injuries weren't deep, small slices at most. Ultimately, I decided to carry on. I could manage the pain. I did, however, apply a bandage to one of my deeper cuts, which bled more profusely than the rest. After patching myself up as best as I could, I looked at the bodies of the bandits again. Trying to stay disconnected, I examined their gear. I took several coin pouches off their waists, stuffing them into my backpack to examine later. The rest of their gear, and their bodies, I left behind. All that was left, was to enter the barrow. Seeing the dull iron doors stand before me, I couldn't help but feel intimidated. Despite that, I took a deep breath, then entered the ruins of the ancient burial ground to retrieve the stolen claw.