A soft wind touches John's face. He finally came out of the Helgan. Fresh air is so invigorating. The green forest stretched for several kilometers. The river was visible in the distance. A mountain with large stone structures was visible near the river. And from the looks of it, it was the famous Wind Peak.
"Get down!" Ralof shouted.
Crouching near the stone, they saw Alduin. The world Eater shouted victoriously and flew away to the West.
— Phew. If he had seen us, we would have been in trouble.
John exhaled.
John watched Alduin go. A truly powerful dragon. It is not for nothing that he is the firstborn of Auriel himself. In addition, it has great power compared to Auriel's other creations. Plus, he is immortal. He's rumored to be able to destroy an entire world. In the game, he was reduced in size and did not show the full power of Alduin.
"Well?" Where are you going?
"Me?" I don't know. John pretended.
"Will you come with me?" To Riverwood. It's not that far away. Walking for half a day.
- of course.
So they set off.
* After half a day*
John and Ralof reached this town. It looks the same as in the game. Stone walls surround the town and several guards are sneaking back and forth. The town itself exceeds the size of its counterpart by about 10 times. Well, what can I say? For computers in those days, the load would have been huge.
When entering Rirewood, houses immediately caught the eye. The good old logs and hay on the roof do not allow much cold to seep into the houses. Considering that this is done almost manually, it has earned John's respect for the builders. A little further to the left was Alvor's forge. A bright light came from her, coupled with a scorching heat.
—That's not bad, is it?" Okay, let's go. I need to talk to my sister.
—Uh-huh," John said calmly.
Together they went to the sawmill. Having found Gerdur, Ralof began to hug his sister.
— It's been a long time, Gerdur.
"Of course, brother.
John was surprised. Gerdur looked good. She was wearing a dark green work uniform. But these clothes couldn't hide the curves of her body. Her face is like white jade. The blue eyes were clearly looking ahead. And her blonde golden hair was flowing down to her shoulders. Very impressive.
While John was examining Gerdur, Ralof managed to tell the whole story. From that ambush at the border to the dragon and escape.
"Is that really true?" A dragon? I thought they were just fairy tales.
— Gerdur. I was there myself, and my friend can confirm this.
She looked at me. Her blue eyes stared at me intently.
"So it's true?"
— It's the truth in no other way. They were going to execute us, but a dragon flew in.
- hm. Is all this really true?..
Gerdur thought about our words. After all, the appearance did not bode well. Besides, this civil war in Skyrim is having a bad effect on them.
— Cough, Cough. Ralof cleared his throat. Gerdur immediately came to her senses.
"Yes, Ralof?"
— Gerdur, you can shelter me for a while. I need to regain my strength. My body aches after the battle with that captain.
"Of course, brother.
— And can you please help my friend John. He saved me then, after all.
- of course.
Ralof went to his sister's house. And on the way he met a boy with a dog. Apparently they were talking about something.
Only John and Gerdur remained. She started talking first.
— Thank you for helping my brother back then.
— You're welcome.
— You can get some food and potions. And also some money that I have.
Hmm. She owns a sawmill, but she gives me so few coins. Although, maybe she has problems with her business. She took some coins out of her pocket and handed them to me.
— Thank you Gerdur.
"And John." Please report the dragon attack on Helgen in Whiterun to the jarl there.
"Mmmm." Maybe I'll do it. And how far is it to go?
— About 2-3 weeks. If you're on a horse, it's about 1.5 weeks.
— I'm not sure that the effort will pay off.
A frown appeared on Gerdur's forehead.
— It's just taking too long to go to the center of Skyrim.
— The Jarl will probably reward you for such news.
— That's what a reward it will be... John looked doubtful.
"Ah."..- Gerdur did not expect John to be so stubborn. Although, come to think of it, why would he really do that?
"I can do it." But you'll still owe me.
"Nothing like that. She raised an eyebrow at me with interest.
"It's nothing special. It's just that you'll give me some more gold for me to buy armor and spells. And I'm going to Whiterun.
"Why would I owe you so much?" Only on the armor. John looked at Gerdur with some displeasure.
"Then you can go by yourself." Or ask others, but who will believe you that there was a dragon?
"Damn it." And you're worse than merchants in terms of teeth charm. Okay, I'll give you some money.
— Indeed, your brother's life should be worth more, and besides, Whiterun is not so close.
After such conversations, Gerdur got a headache. She gave John the money and he left the sawmill and headed to the center of the town.
John talked to Ralof on the way and wanted to say goodbye. Ralof understood what John was getting at.
— So a friend. We've been through and wherever you go... Good luck to you. Also think about my offer to join the brothers of the Storm.
"Of course, Ralof. I'll think about it. I hope to see you again. John mentally shook his head " I'm not sure if I'll meet him again. This civil war can take the lives of many soldiers, and Ralof is no exception."
Sighing, John went to the nearest blacksmith shop and bought a light armor for himself. Plus a few throwing daggers. The blacksmith himself was a Nordic, looked muscular and quite tall. He is wearing a maroon shirt and thin trousers. The face itself was puffy and dirty, mixed with sweat. Blonde hair got dirty while working in the forge.
— Alvor, can I learn blacksmithing from you?
— Hmmm. Alvor quickly examined John.- It looks strong. Yes, I just need an assistant.
John put his purchases in a corner and started listening to Alvor. He, in turn, told me what, where, and how to use it. At the same time, he showed it in practice. This speech lasted about 30 minutes.
— I've told you the basics. Now try to make a dagger.
John was a little taken aback. It was easy in the game, of course, but it's not really that easy to forge a dagger. Still, John didn't give up.
First, John prepared the materials for the dagger. He took a small piece of iron and began to heat it in the forge while pressing on the bellows. The heat increased rapidly and the metal began to heat up. After a while, the metal turned bright red. John pulled him out with a pair of pliers and put him on the anvil. With pliers in his left hand and a hammer in his right, John was hitting a piece of iron. Sparks appeared from the impact. John closed his eyes and continued this. Blow after blow. It seemed that this melodious sound calmed John's mind and he was focused on one thing.
*After some time*
John was able to form a dagger. He put it back to heat up and put it in the water a few minutes later. And he did this several times.
And John quickly made a dagger handle and inserted the blade there. Consider the dagger ready, but John has sharpened it.
— Phew. And it's not that simple.
"What did you think?" It looks good for a first job. You can have it for yourself.
"But why?"
— Just like that. You might need a dagger.
- Thanks.
Alvor just nodded at that. John took his things and headed to the nearest store. Looking to the east, he saw that the sun had already gone below the horizon. "Did time really pass so quickly?And this is not surprising. Forging a dagger takes a lot of time.
Opening the wooden door, John saw.