Chapter 3 - Riverwood

The sun, which had reached its zenith when Hunfen set off with Ralof and Hadvar, had now almost disappeared behind the surrounding mountains. It was undoubtedly the most arduous journey the young boy had ever undertaken, especially as it had been punctuated by a wild beast attack. Hunfen had attempted to use his flame spell again, but his concentration wasn't quick enough, and the two adults had swiftly dealt with the threat before he could release his magic. His legs aching and his stomach growling with hunger, the young Nord was relieved to see Riverwood finally come into view a few hundred meters ahead, promising rest and comfort after this long day.

The village, nestled in a charming clearing by the river and surrounded by majestic pines that grew abundantly in the mountainous region, exuded a peaceful atmosphere. At this hour, the villagers were still busy with their daily tasks, so Hunfen could hear the regular rhythm of the blacksmith's hammer blows and the harmonious creaking of the sawmill blades, accompanied by the splashing of water flowing over the mill's ingeniously constructed wheel. Apparently, the dragon had not flown over these parts, or at least had found no interest in attacking.

As the trio passed through Riverwood's gates, a robust-looking blonde woman rushed towards them from the sawmill. "Ralof!" she exclaimed, embracing him warmly. "What are you doing here, brother? Weren't you with Ulfric? Hod! Come see who's here!" she called towards the sawmill, from which a stocky blonde man emerged. She froze momentarily upon noticing the legionnaire. "Hello, Hadvar," she greeted him more distantly. Hadvar returned her greeting in the same tone.

The blacksmith, an imposing man with a beard and ash-blonde hair streaked with a few burn marks, wearing an apron marked by long days of work, approached them as well. "What a surprise!" he exclaimed after greeting them. "Hadvar, did you take him prisoner?" he asked curiously, pointing at Ralof.

The Stormcloak laughed. "I was, Alvor, but I'm not anymore!"

"It's a long story, Uncle," Hadvar evaded.

Gerdur observed them for a moment. "But what happened to you? By the Nine, you look like you've been through fire! And who is this child?"

Hadvar and Ralof exchanged a glance before turning to Hunfen. "This is Hunfen," Ralof introduced. "We met him at Helgen…"

"Helgen?!" Gerdur exclaimed. "But the town is full of Imperials! What happened there?"

"A dragon, Gerdur," her brother said gravely. "A dragon destroyed Helgen, and we saw it heading this way."

Gerdur and Alvor's eyes widened at the mention of a dragon. "A dragon?" Alvor repeated incredulously. "There haven't been dragons in Skyrim for millennia! And even then, aren't those just legends?"

Gerdur nodded, equally astonished. "Legends can be true, Alvor. And if they're right, then we need to take this threat seriously. But first, you all need to rest and eat something." She crouched to Hunfen's height, her eyes filled with compassion. "You must have been terrified, boy!" she said softly. "Come, we'll offer you a place to rest and recover from all this."

Alvor nodded in agreement. "Yes, come to my house. There's enough room for all of us!"

As they prepared to follow Alvor, an elderly woman appeared a bit further away, her hair disheveled and her expression excited. She was shouting in a trembling voice, "A great black dragon! I saw it, it flew over the village!"

A young man with blonde hair rushed towards her, looking embarrassed and concerned. "Mother, please calm down. You know dragons only exist in legends. Go home and rest."

Hunfen watched the scene with curiosity, feeling a tinge of sadness. He could sense the distress in some of the adults present, without understanding the reason. Gerdur and Alvor exchanged a meaningful look, while Ralof and Hadvar remained silent.

The young man cast an apologetic look towards the group, as if to apologize for his mother's outburst. He gently took her by the arm and led her away, the old woman continuing to mutter about the black dragon.

Alvor finally broke the silence. "Come on, let's not linger here. Come to my place, we can discuss all this by a warm fire and a hot soup."

oOo

As they entered Alvor's house, Hunfen felt the weight of worry that hung over the adults present. They settled around the table, and Alvor spoke, addressing Ralof and Hadvar. "Tell us, what did this dragon at Helgen look like?"

The two soldiers exchanged a glance before answering. "It was an immense creature, with dark, almost black scales, and glowing red eyes," Hadvar said gravely.

Ralof nodded in agreement. "Yes, and it was extremely powerful. It destroyed Helgen in no time."

Alvor frowned, visibly concerned. "What Hilde said earlier… Her 'great black dragon,' it matches your description, and a legend my grandfather used to tell me when I was a child. A prophecy from the Elder Scrolls, talking about the return of Alduin."

Sigrid, Alvor's wife, nodded, her features drawn with worry. "I've heard about it too. The prophecy said something like: 'Black wings in the cold, when brothers wage war. Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound, with a hunger to swallow the world.'"

Hadvar swallowed before continuing. "The prophecies of the Elder Scrolls are always very mysterious, but this time, it's troubling. Really, a harbinger of the end times?"

Hunfen listened attentively, trying to grasp the implications of this prophecy. The adults around the table seemed increasingly nervous. At the mere mention of the name "Alduin," a shiver ran down the young boy's spine. Instinctively, the name evoked images of destruction, devouring, and relentless domination. It gave him a feeling of terror and helplessness. Perhaps, he thought, it was a backlash from all the fear accumulated during the attack on Helgen? But that only partially explained this deep, instinctive sensation, as if the fear of the dragon was ingrained in his bones.

Gerdur spoke, turning to Ralof. "Why were you at Helgen in the first place? You were supposed to be with Ulfric, weren't you?" she asked, worried for her brother.

Ralof lowered his eyes, hesitating for a moment before answering. "We fell into an ambush set by the Imperials. The battle was brief, and we were captured. They took us straight to Helgen to be executed, without a trial."

"That's right," confirmed Hadvar. "General Tullius himself orchestrated the operation. I took part in the confrontation; my captain led the operations on the ground."

Gerdur nodded, worried for her brother's safety. Hunfen then remembered his encounter with the captain, who had tried to kill him during their escape. A few hours ago, he would never have imagined fearing a creature more than this female officer, until a real dragon appeared. He decided to share his story.

"The captain... she wanted to kill me, even though General Tullius said only to lock me up. She tried to stab me ! When we were fleeing the dragon with Ralof, she swung her sword at me, but Ralof blocked it just in time. I was so scared that... I cast a flame spell on her, accidentally."

The tension was palpable, and the adults' faces hardened as they listened to Hunfen's account. Gerdur and Hod exchanged a worried look, while Alvor and Sigrid couldn't hide their consternation at the actions of Hadvar's superior.

Ralof placed a comforting hand on Hunfen's shoulder and finished the story: "It gave me an opening, and I was able to wound her. Then, the entrance to the fort collapsed. We barely escaped. She didn't survive."

Hadvar seemed uncomfortable discussing the incident. "I took no pride in serving under her command," he admitted. "There was a rumor that her family had been killed by Stormcloaks. I think her thirst for vengeance had overridden her leadership."

He sighed before continuing: "As for General Tullius, I don't know what happened to him. He was leading the defense against Alduin. I sincerely hope he survived."

Ralof nodded in agreement. "I haven't seen Ulfric either. But I'm sure he managed to escape."

Hunfen shared the hope of the two men, thinking that war leaders like them always found a way to survive, even in such perilous situations.

oOo

The next morning, Hunfen woke up very early, too excited to sleep any longer. The events of the previous day still swirled in his head. Stepping out of the house, he saw Alvor busy at his workbench. Approaching to observe the man at work, he noticed that the piece he was working on was his own armor.

"Good morning, young man! Looks like you're up early," Alvor cheered upon seeing the child. He handed the leather garment to Hunfen, adding, "Here, try it on. I've adjusted it to fit you better."

Hunfen put on the armor, which now fit him perfectly. He smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Alvor."

They were soon joined by the others as Alvor made the final adjustments. Gerdur greeted them and said, "Someone needs to inform Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon attack. Whether it's Alduin or not, we'll need reinforcements!"

"Whiterun is still neutral in the war," Hadvar responded, regret evident on his face. "Neither Ralof nor I will be allowed in."

Alvor nodded. "Delphine, the innkeeper at the Sleeping Giant Inn, is going to Whiterun this morning. We could take this opportunity. Hunfen, you witnessed the attack. Would you be willing to go with Delphine and inform the Jarl?"

Hunfen hesitated for a moment, surprised that such a task was entrusted to him. He was eager to help the villagers, but many questions assailed his mind. He finally replied, "Yes, alright! But how do I meet him? Who should I ask for? And what should I say exactly?"

"Don't worry, Hunfen," Gerdur responded in a gentle and reassuring voice. "Delphine will guide you in Whiterun and help you request an audience with the Jarl. Just tell him what you saw at Helgen, and that you saw the dragon heading this way."

Reassured by the explanations, Hunfen nodded, ready to take on the challenge. "I'm sure you'll do great on this mission, Hunfen. We're counting on you," she added in a confident and warm tone.

The group headed to the inn, which was nearby. It was a long wooden building similar to the other structures in the village. Only the sign hanging above the door distinguished it. Next to the entrance was a horse hitched to a cart. They entered and found Delphine preparing her belongings for the journey. This older Breton woman had a stern face and blonde hair tied in a ponytail, giving her a severe look.

"Delphine," said Gerdur, "this is Hunfen. He needs to go to Whiterun to speak with Jarl Balgruuf. We thought he could accompany you."

Delphine looked at Hunfen and nodded. "Of course, I'm ready to leave. We'll travel together."

Hunfen felt a mix of excitement and apprehension at the idea of going to Whiterun almost alone. But he knew it was important and that he had to do it. He clenched his teeth and prepared to leave for the city.

Hadvar and Ralof stood side by side, their serious expressions reflecting the gravity of the situation. The legionnaire spoke first, his eyes resting on Hunfen with a hint of sadness: "I must return to Solitude to report to General Tullius. We need reinforcements to face this threat."

Ralof nodded, adding in a grave tone: "And I will return to Windhelm to report to Ulfric Stormcloak. The situation is more critical than ever."

The two men looked at each other for a moment, their eyes expressing a deep mutual understanding. "I hope we don't meet on the battlefield, my friend," Ralof said with a slight bitter smile.

Hadvar managed a sad smile. "Me too, Ralof. Take care."

The farewells were filled with emotion as each prepared to leave for their respective destinations. Hadvar and Ralof offered Hunfen a few words of encouragement.

"Don't forget to keep practicing your flame spell, Hunfen," Hadvar said with a smile. "But be careful not to burn down the forest!"

"Yes, we have enough problems as it is!" added Ralof, laughing. "Take care, kid!"

Alvor approached Hunfen and handed him a sharp dagger. "Here, take this. You never know what you might encounter on your way. Take good care of this weapon, and it will take care of you!"

Hunfen accepted the dagger with gratitude, his eyes shining. "Thank you, Alvor. I'll be careful."

They all said their goodbyes and parted ways, each heading in different directions. Hunfen, with his dagger and fitted armor, felt ready to face the challenges ahead. Delphine took hold of the horse's lead, and together, they set off towards Whiterun.