The two walked out of the village together, Dedrik leading with Nanali following close behind. Nanali had changed into some light leather armor and bore her mother's war axe at her side once again.
After they crossed the bridge, Nanali grabbed Dedrik's hand and looked at him.
"Follow me, there's something I wanna show you!" She started running up the mountain that covered Riverwood from sight, going off of the path and up steeper edges to reach the top. It got to a point where she had to let go of his hand so they could climb. Nanali climbed unhindered while Dedrik struggled under the weight of both of their packs, regretting his decision to be chivalrous and carry hers.
When they got to the top, Dedrik fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Nanali offered him her hand and helped him up. When he could see clearly again, his breath was taken away. Before him lay masses of farmlands and rolling plains. The clouds floated just above their heads, and the ground seemed to be far beneath their feet.
Nanali blushed and grabbed his hand. Dedrik looked back at her and smiled. Everything was perfect for a few seconds, until he remembered the events of the battle. He remembered her brutally slaughtering those bandits, and the expression on her face. He took his hand away and put it on the hilt of his sheathed sword nervously. Had it really been a good decision to allow her to tag along? Nanali looked at her hand and frowned slightly.
"Are you afraid of me?" Nanali asked nervously. The question took Dedrik by surprise.
"O-of course not!" But to be truthful, he was. Only a madman would kill like that without remorse.
"That's good." Nanali smiled again. "I couldn't bear it if you were afraid of me."
"Right..."
From their view, they could see the city of Whiterun. Semi-large houses covered the inner walls, and the entire city was overlooked by Dragonsreach Keep, a large castle-like structure that was built at the head of the city. The large city had even larger walls that surrounded the entire perimeter, keeping most enemies out, excluding dragons, of course.
As they began their climb down the mountain, which seemed to be more difficult than the climb up, Dedrik began to think about what lay ahead for him on his path. Currently, he had no idea where to go or what to do. They just had to hope the Jarl was a smart enough man to help him with that.
They passed the stables on their way up the path.
"Hey, kinsman! If you're going to be doing a lot of traveling, you should buy a horse. A good horse will take you into Oblivion and bring you back out alive!" the stable master shouted in their direction.
"I appreciate the offer, but as we are now, we can't afford one. And how did you know I would be travelling?"
He shrugged, "Good guessing."
Nanali looked at Dedrik, "Do you want a horse?"
"Yeah, kinda, but a hunter's pay is low, and an average traveler's is even lower. Maybe if I come across some gold we can come back here."
Nanali grinned and looked at the stable master, "We'll take two, then." She pulled her bag off of Dedrik's shoulder and dug out a large sack of gold that took up the majority of her pack.
Nanali laughed when she saw Dedrik staring at the gold, "My mother's parents used to own a successful meadery until they died in a bandit raid. We got the entire inheritance."
"But why did you stay in Riverwood? You could probably be living in a large manor outside of this hell of a country with money like that!"
Nanali blushed,"I-I had my reasons, what about the Jarl! We're supposed to go see him, right?!" Nanali picked up her pace and briskly walked towards the gates. Dedrik paid the stable master the appropriate amount, then picked up the sack and followed her.
"Halt! Who goes there?" One of the two gate guards questioned as Dedrik tried to pass.
"I am Dedrik of Riverwood, a messenger should have sent word of my arrival two days prior to now," Dedrik said confidently, hoping that the message had been given to the guards.
"I don't remember hearing about a Dedrik, away with you!"
Damn it! He thought to himself. Just as he was about to argue, the other guard stepped forward.
"Hold on a minute. Look me in the eyes," he commanded. Dedrik looked at Nanali and she nodded at him. He looked at the guard. Though it was hard to tell with the guard's helmet on, he could see that the guard was looking for something on him.
"Draw your sword and strike me. Don't worry, I'll block."
Dedrik grabbed the sword with his left hand, drew it from its scabbard and readied it to strike the guard's side. The guard, as he said he would, blocked the strike, but stumbled to the right a bit from the force.
"A left-handed swordsman with red eyes. Is it true that you're Dragonborn?" the guard asked. Dedrik smirked.
"Yeah, I found out when I slayed a dragon on the third of Hearthfire," Dedrik boasted. Nanali smiled and nodded in agreement.
"So you're to save Skyrim, like Ryuji was supposed to. I hope you don't give up halfway like he did," the guard retorted.
"I sure as hell am not as weak as he was," Dedrik continued. Nanali nodded in agreement.
"You'll have to be tougher. Rumor is the Thalmor is trying to take over again, and the dragons are under their command."
"I'll be sure to watch out for them," Dedrik assured, "if the old Stormcloaks can beat them, surely they can do it again with a little help from a Dragonborn."
The two guards laughed and sent him on his way.
The town was even bigger on the inside than it had appeared on the outside. People hurried around the town, doing whatever tasks that a city life required. To the right, stairs led up to a different section of the town, while the path in front of them led between a few houses to the plaza. In the plaza a few kids ran up to Dedrik.
"I haven't seen you before. Are you a traveler, mister?" one asked. Dedrik nodded in response.
"Why are you wearing your sword on the wrong side?" another asked.
"Because I use my other hand," he answered simply.
"Why?"
"Because I'm used to it. This is what I grew up using."
"Why are your eyes red, mister? They look weird!" the one in front shouted. That question always irked him. Traveler's who wandered through Riverwood were always sure to ask about his "blood-filled" glare.
"My mom was sick when I was born, so I came with red eyes."
"They look funny!" another kid chimed in. Dedrik gritted his teeth in frustration
"But if you look closely, aren't they also deeply amazing as well?" Nanali interrupted. She smiled at Dedrik, who slightly blushed at her comment.
The kid stared at his face for a bit and exclaimed, "Yeah, you're right!"
"Do you wanna play with us, miss?" one of the younger ones asked. Nanali looked at Dedrik, almost as if she was asking for permission, then he realized that she was.
"Meet me up by Dragonsreach in half an hour," Dedrik chuckled. The kids cheered and dragged her away.
Dedrik climbed to the upper district and walked passed an area to his right that was completely burned to the ground. He'd been told the stories of Jorvaskr and the Companions, and had been disappointed when he heard that it was burned down. Now that he saw it in person, he saw just how empty the district seemed without it.
Continuing up the stairs to Dragonsreach, people seemed to avoid his gaze as he walked. As he approached, they would look the opposite direction. One does not simply stare into the eyes of a beast, he silently joked. People had always found it hard to look into his eyes unless they knew him.
Inside the keep was just as impressive as the outside. Just the entry to the main room was something to look at, as the windows allowed a beautiful amount of light to shine on the room. The room itself was large, enough to contain probably more than ten inn rooms.
A small man that only measured up to about three fourths of Dedrik's size walked up to him with a large grin on his face.
"Dragonborn! You have arrived!" He exclaimed, looking up at him to see his eyes. "I am Jarl Odmund Smallblade of Whiterun."
Dedrik introduced himself, "I am Dedrik of Riverwood. It is an honor, sir."
"The honor is mine, Dragonborn. You who has slain a dragon without aid from another deserves a good amount of respect."
Dedrik grinned, satisfied with the flattery. "You flatter me, Jarl Odmund. Until two days ago, I was just a simple hunter from Riverwood.
"Nonsense. But only Dedrik of Riverwood?"
"What might you mean by only?" Dedrik, asked, slightly angered by the use of the term.
"Do you have no title?" The Jarl questioned. Dedrik shook his head in response.
"I see... You will have to earn one before long, will you not?"
"I suppose I should. I never thought it important."
"For a hero, having a title is all but completely essential."
"A...hero?"
"Of course! The second Dragonborn of Skyrim. The one to free us from the clutches of the Great Beasts. I can hear the bards now! Oooh-"
"Sir! I do believe we don't need to treat our guests to your... singing," a man from behind him interrupted.
"Hroar, must you be so boring at times?" Odmund objected.
Hroar cleared his throat. "Sir, must I remind you why he has traveled as far as he has? I can assure you that it was not to write songs and create small talk."
"Alright, alright. Dedrik, follow my housecarl. He has a task to request of you to prove your worth to us."
The housecarl beckoned for him to follow and left for the back of the room, towards the stairs on the right. At the top of the stairs, there was a table with a map and red miniature flags on it.
"The marked areas are where dragons have been sighted," Hroar informed Dedrik.
"There are so many!" Dedrik counted at least twenty.
"And these are the only known ones."
"Looks like Ryuji left me a lot..." Dedrik muttered, slightly angry at the former Dragonborn.
"Of course, you won't be working alone. When you get back from your first mission, I have someone who will want to meet you. If you return alive, of course."
"Right..."
"With that, I should probably explain what you will be doing. There's a dragon near Rorikstead. Kill it and return to me, unharmed preferably. You should probably stay the night in Whiterun to prepare for your journey. Fighting a dragon when you're half-equipped doesn't sound like a smart idea, now does it?"
Dedrik nodded in agreement.
"You can buy a room in the Bannered Mare for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll have a guard escort you to Rorikstead."
"With all due, respect, I don't think I require a guard," Dedrik objected.
"Where have you been the last ten years? It's a miracle you got here alive with only a small girl by your side! If you are going to travel more than ten feet outside, you are going to need a guard. You are dismissed."
Dedrik growled slightly as he left the room. The guy had been mocking him! He'd show... Hroar, was it? There was no way that he'd need a guard to protect him from petty thieves and bandits.
Nanali was waiting for him when he left the keep.
"I thought you were with the kids," Dedrik commented.
"They stopped playing when one of them punched another for cheating at hide and seek," Nanali said. Dedrik laughed, remembering when he was like that. Whenever he had hit Nanali, Mildred and Nanali would both beat the hell out of him...
"Where are we going?" Nanali asked curiously. "Off to kill a dragon?"
"That comes tomorrow. Right now, we're getting a room," Dedrik responded, causing Nanali to blush slightly.
"Y-you mean t-together?"
"What else would I mean? It'll be dark soon, so we should rest. We have to take a ride tomorrow. To Rorikstead."
The inn was directly to their left when they entered the lower district again. Inside, the inn was filled with about five people. Nanali went to go rent a room while Dedrik sat down to rest. He noticed a woman staring at him. She approached him, standing up in front of him. Dedrik stood to meet her.
"Rumor has it that there's a new Dragonborn. It's said that he has red eyes and nearly pale white hair. Would that happen to be you?" The woman asked. She was clearly in her later years, about fifty years or so.
"Yes, that would," Dedrik responded, smirking with pride in his role.
"The last one who beat me in a fight was Dragonborn. I've been itching to get another go, if you understand my meaning."
"I understand completely. Ready when you are," Dedrik responded.
The woman threw a jab at him, but Dedrik dodged and countered with his armored elbow. The woman dodged the elbow strike and punched him in the gut. The strike didn't hurt him much, but forced him back more than a bit. The woman was quick to strike again before he could regain his composure. Dedrik fell to the ground defeated.
"An elf would make a better Dragon born than you would," the woman mocked. "I am Uthgerd the Unbroken! I have defeated the Dragonborn in hand to hand combat! I return to my undefeated title!"
Everyone within the inn laughed and pointed at Dedrik on the ground.
"Was that really a victory?" Nanali interrupted, clearly angered by this. "He may be weak now, but would you say otherwise of a whelp? One day he will be stronger than you easily!"
"I'd like to see him try," Uthgerd answered.
"You.." Nanali looked like she wanted to fight, but Dedrik put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Nanali slowly calmed down and followed Dedrik to the room they rented.
The room only had a single bed, and a table in the corner. Dedrik offered Nanali the bed and he sat beside it on the floor, slowly drifting off into sleep.
Nanali watched Dedrik's head as he slowly drifted off into sleep. After she was sure that he was sound asleep, she knew that it was okay to start.
Uthgerd woke up in a nearby forest. It was completely dark, making sight quite difficult. As she reached for her sword, she found nothing there. She realized that her armor was gone as well. She stood bare and unarmed within the forest.
In the distance, Uthgerd saw a light. It seemed so close, but for some reason, she felt like she would never reach it. As she walked, she felt eyes bore into her back.
"Whoever is out there, show yourself!" She heard a noise towards the light in response.
The closer she got to the light, the clearer what was in front of it was. A horribly mutated corpse of some animal was at the base of a tree. On the tree, the words "YOU'RE NEXT" were written. Before she could react, an axe split her spine, killing her instantly.
When Nanali returned to the inn, Dedrik was still asleep on the floor. She grabbed a blanket and sat down next to him, then wrapped the blanket around them. She relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder, drifting into peaceful sleep, knowing that Dedrik wouldn't be humiliated by that woman again.