//------------------------------//
// 3: Journey to Whiterun 
// Story: Sunset's Adventure in Skyrim 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
//------------------------------//

	Sunset and Bjorn stopped not ten minutes away from the burning town of Helgen, stopping to catch their breath in time to see the massive black dragon fly over head. Sunset was surprised that the dragon had finished everyone in the town off so quickly, which only told her that it was leaving to find more people to terrorize. In her heart she felt bad for both the Imperials and the Stormcloaks, as it appeared that both sides weren't prepared to fight something as fast and as strong as a dragon. One could very well argue that she shouldn't care for either side, as it was by their conflict that she had been captured, but Sunset guessed that Fluttershy's kindness had rubbed off on her at long last.

"So, you said that your name was Sunset Shimmer?" Bjorn finally asked, once he was sure that the dragon was far enough away so they couldn't be overheard, "And that you're from someplace called 'Equus'?"

"Yes on both accounts," Sunset replied, not surprised to find that her companion had no idea where she was talking about, "I was born in Equestria, on the planet known as Equus. It is sort of similar to Nirn from what I can tell, but we don't have gigantic dragons flying around and burning people's homes down for the fun of it. Our dragons, from the last reports I read about three to five years ago, are mostly jerks that like to soak in volcanoes and test how much heat everyone can take. Anyway, the native species of Equestria are Earth Pony's, Pegasi, and Unicorns, while our neighbors are made up of Zebras, Griffins, Dragons, and the Changelings, though they're more of a rumor last I checked.

The ponies of Equestria are led by an alicorn by the name of Princess Celestia, whose little sister, Princess Luna, has finally returned to her side after being freed from her prison. The two of them rule Canterlot, which serves as the capital of Equestria, and make sure that all of their subjects are free from the threat of invasions and live normal lives. Then there's Princess Cadence and her husband Shining Armor, who run the Crystal Empire to the north of Canterlot after saving it from its former ruler, who came back to shroud it in darkness once again. And then there's Princess Twilight Sparkle, the newest Princess, who actually fought and defeated Tirek... or so she told me the last time I saw her."

"And what does all of this have to do with that horn on your forehead?" Bjorn asked, pointing at the amber colored horn she had.

"Oh, I was born a unicorn," Sunset admitted, not even bothering to hide the fact at all, "Yeah, I know, I was born as a 'pretty pony that could do magic', as some of my classmates teased me when they discovered the truth about where I was from."

"So your a mage then..." Bjorn commented, getting off his feet and looking down the path they had rested near, "I'd love to hear more about this other world your from, and I seriously mean that, but right now we have to warn someone about the threat that the black dragon poses to the land. Dragons have long been known to be the Harbingers of the End Times, as our history has labeled them. What that also means is that a hero is supposed to fight them back, though I don't know the entire story myself anymore. I'd have to find a book called The Book of the Dragonborn to tell you more, but I don't really know where to find one."

"Its okay," Sunset said, dusting off her ragged clothes, noting that she seriously needed to replace them, before standing beside Bjorn, "I'm new to this world, so if you are willing to lead the way then I'm willing to follow you and provide you with whatever aid I can."

Bjorn nodded his understanding and immediately took off, heading down the left path that the fork in the road they had been resting near gave them. From there they simply followed the path that connected with another road, one that eventually came to another fork, but this one had a sign post for them to read. Bjorn looked at it for a moment, as if deciding the best route for them to take, before heading down the path that Sunset noted would lead them to a 'Whiterun'. As they walked down the path she also noticed that a massive stone structure had been built into the mountain in front of them, like a barrow of some kind.

"That there is Bleak Falls Barrow," Bjorn commented, noticing that Sunset was staring at the structure, "the people of Riverwood occasionally get adventures that go into the barrow, seeking unclaimed treasure or hidden knowledge. The ancient nords that built it are long dead by now, but these days the draugr that call the barrows across Skyrim their home have been waking from their slumber for some reason. No one knows why, so if you find yourself in one of the barrows I'd say be careful and watch for the walking dead."

Sunset was amazed that the ancients that had built the barrows could still be walking inside of them, keeping their ancient secrets to themselves for as long as they could. It also made her wonder if there was a group of necromancers that was going around, waking the dead so they could launch an invasion against the living. She sighed and followed Bjorn down the path, winding around a turn until they came to a trio of large stones, each with their own symbol, that were pointed towards the sky. She had never seen anything like the stones before, though she hoped that her companion knew exactly what they were.

"Standing Stones," Bjorn told her, stepping onto the platform and beckoning for her to join him, "and this trio is the famous Guardian Stones, three of the thirteen stones that dot Skyrim's land. On the left we have the Thief Stone, useful to those who prefer to sneak up on their enemies, steal everything of value from them, and then finish them off before moving on. In the middle we have the Mage Stone, perfect for anyone that is practicing one or more of the schools of magic, be it Destruction, Alteration, Illusion...and I forget the others at the moment. And lastly, on our right we have the Warrior Stone, a solid pillar for everyone that prefers to get up close and personal with their opponents.

I've never cared to use of of the thirteen Stones before, but if we're going up against dragons then I think its time for me to quit stalling and pick a path."

Bjorn touched the Warrior Stone and Sunset watched as the Stone lit up under his palm, as if gifting him the ability that he had just described to her. Once the deed was done he backed up onto the path and beckoned for her to make her choice, though she glanced between the Thief and Mage Stones for a moment. Then, as she came to a decision, she touched the Mage Stone and watched the area beneath her palm light up, granting her an edge of sorts for when she attempted to learn the magic of this world. Once the deed was done Sunset turned to face Bjorn, who nodded in return and beckoned for her to follow him, as he led them down the path that would take them to Whiterun.

As they walked along the path they encountered a man dressed in what appeared to be an almost complete set of iron armor, minus the helmet Sunset noticed, and carried a steel sword. Bjorn ran at the bandit, who was pulling his sword out of its sheath, and smashed his fist into the face, cracking his nose and causing him to back in due to the pain, while dropping his weapon. Bjorn seized the opportunity by snatching the blade and turning it around before he drove it straight into the bandit's chest, cutting into his heart with ease. Once the bandit was dead Bjorn collected the gear to replace his ragged clothes, tightening the gauntlets, boots, and armor on while attaching the sword to his belt.

"Here," Bjorn finally said, holding a black robe for Sunset to take, "I'd prefer to find you some actual mage robes, like the ones the students of the College of Winterhold have, but this is better than the rags the Imperials gave us."

Sunset sighed and took the robe from him, moving to an area where she suspected that no one would be able to spot her right away before she changed outfits. She held onto the rags for a moment, wondering if they could get some of this world's currency for them, before sighing once more and discarding them altogether. When she returned to Bjorn he handed her a pair of black boots, apologizing that he hadn't noticed them right away, and presented her with a steel dagger, claiming that it was for self defense if an enemy got close when she used her magic. It felt weird for her to carry a weapon, but Bjorn made it feel like it was the right thing for her to do and even aided her in attaching it to her belt.

Once the duo was outfitted in proper armor they continued along the path, though they were stopped not a few moments later by a pack of wolves. Sunset, determined to be of some aid, willed her magic to appear and was surprised when a fireball appeared in her left hand, but then she recovered and threw it into the face of the wolf closest to her. The fireball hit the wolf in the back and exploded, sending the wolf back down the road with its body on fire, though Sunset determined that it had to be dead at this point. She turned to help Bjorn, but as she turned around she watched him slice the first wolf's head clean off before piercing the second's skull with his sword. The moment the three wolves were done Bjorn pulled out his own dagger, an iron one by the looks of it, and collected their pelts, which Sunset assumed he was likely going to trade for essentials when they reached Riverwood.

They continued down the path, watching for more enemies, but they eventually reached the outskirts of the town that Bjorn had mentioned to Sunset. As they walked in an elderly lady proclaimed, to anyone that would listen to her, that she saw a dragon that was as black as night, that happened to fly over Bleak Falls Barrow. A few people acknowledged their presence, with one person asking if they could deal with their complex love triangle, but Bjorn told the nord that they had important business and that they couldn't help. Sunset, on the other hand, offered some advice that, if he and someone else truly cared for the women, they should just get together and talk about the situation. It would resolve the issue, which is all Sunset could really offer them in her position.

Bjorn led Sunset into the nearby trader, where they found the owner and his wife arguing over a recent theft of something from their store before the wife huffed and walked away. Bjorn asked what was wrong, learning that there had been a golden dragon claw they used as a decoration that had been stolen, before promising that they would retrieve it if they ever traveled to Bleak Falls Barrow, where the wife believed the thief had traveled to. With that promise made Bjorn quickly traded over several useless items of theirs, earning roughly one hundred and twenty gold, before he and Sunset departed.

"Okay, we've got enough light left to make it to Whiterun," Bjorn commented, staring up at the sky for a moment before turning to Sunset, "Let's make our way over there and tell the Jarl about the dragon."

Sunset nodded and followed her companion out of the small town, following the path to the right after they crossed the stone bridge and made their way ever closer to Whiterun. While they walked they passed by an Imperial patrol, one that happened to have a Stormcloak prisoner, but Bjorn wished them well as they passed them by. It was clear to Sunset that Bjorn was trying to make sure they limited their interactions with people so they could get to the Jarl of Whiterun as quickly as possible. Eventually they drew close to the main gates of the city, but before they could reach the stables they both noticed a trio of warriors fighting a giant creature nearby.

Sunset called her magic into her hands and threw a fireball at the giants head, causing the creature to turn her way and stare at her with the intent on beating her into the ground. Bjorn pulled out his sword, moved behind the giant, and swung at his legs, cutting in just as the giant reached for Sunset, who jumped out of the way before firing another fireball at the giants face. The three warriors, sensing the change in the battle, moved forward and continued their assault, two of them cutting into the giant's legs, knocking it to its knees, before the archer moved forward. The archer ran up the giants back and leapt into the air, spinning around while pulling out an arrow and loosing it into the giant's skull, causing the creature to fall to the ground as she landed between the warriors.

"Ah, another glorious battle," the archer said, ripping her arrow out and returning it to her quiver before turning to Sunset and Bjorn, "You handle yourselves well. The two of you could make for a decent Shield-Brother and Shield-Sister."

"Well thank you," Bjorn replied, bowing his head slightly, "We will both consider joining the Companions. May you hunt well Aela."

"Same to you Bjorn Wyrmsblood," the archer, Aela, replied, just as she and her companions turned to return to the city, "We should put together a hunt sometime and catch up."

Sunset had no idea what the connection between Aela and Bjorn was, but she was sure that it was none of her business and she really didn't feel like asking. She was much more interested in speaking to the Jarl of Whiterun and tell him that a dragon was on the loose, before starting her search to figure out how to open a temporary portal home.

"Aela and I have hunted together in the past," Bjorn told her, just as the two of them moved up towards the main gate, "and by that I mean that we tracked a group of trolls across the plains of Whiterun. We tracked them to a den near a giant camp and hit the creatures with a combined arrow barrage, putting them down before calling it a day afterwards. Aela formally extended the offer to me at that time, though I claimed the same I did now while offering my services as another hunter in case she needed help. Aela called upon me a few times, mostly to test my tracking skills and see how well trained I was with a bow... which I should get another of before long now that I think about it."

Sunset nodded and followed Bjorn to the gate, where they were immediately stopped by a pair of guards, who proclaimed that the city was closed due to the dragons.

"We've got information about Helgen," Sunset told the guards, trying to inform them that they had relevant information about the dragon they had seen, "about the dragon that flew over Bleak Falls Barrow."

"Eh, fine, have it your way," one of the guards said, causing the two of them to back up to their original posts, "just know that we'll be watching you and your friend."

Sunset smiled as she and Bjorn entered the city at last, immediately finding two people arguing over an order for weapons that needed to be filled for the Legion. Neither of them actually care for the conversation, so they silently made their way around the duo and walked into the marketplace, where several people called to them to buy some of their goods. Bjorn waved to several of them, but they didn't stop at any of the stalls as they eventually passing into the second district of the city and the large dying tree. Sunset noticed a priest shouting about Talos, but neither of them stopped by as they walked up the stairs, approaching the massive castle that was their destination. Sunset had heard the castle's name at one point, Dragonsreach, though she had to wonder how the building had gotten its name.

Eventually they crossed the wooden bridge before entering the actual building, which was much larger in the inside than Sunset was expecting, and found several servants working around them. Then they walked up the steps to the main chamber, finding someone sitting on a wooden throne that happened to rest under what appeared to be a dragon's skull. On his left was a man that was dressed in fine clothes, who Sunset assumed as an adviser of sorts, while on his right was a dark elf, though she appeared to be a warrior of some kind. The warrior noticed them approach the massive fireplace, so she drew her weapon and approached them, causing them to stop before she decided to attack.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" the elf asked, narrowing her eyes at them, "The Jarl is not receiving visitors at this time."

"We have a message for Jarl Balgruuf," Bjorn replied, Sunset nodding her agreement to his statement, "Its about the black dragon that flew over Bleak Falls Barrow. The same dragon that destroyed Helgen earlier today."

The elf stared at them for a moment before the Jarl called to her, wishing to hear what his visitors had to say, which cased the elf to mumble to herself before returning to her Lord's side. Bjorn nodded and the two of them approached Jarl Balgruuf, stopping before the throne as the Jarl turned his full attention on his new guests.

"So the two of you were at Helgen?" the Jarl asked, resting his eyes on them, "So you saw this dragon with your own eyes?"

"Just as they were getting ready to execute Ulfric Stormcloak," Sunset replied, telling the truth while hoping that he believed her, "The dragon burst out of the sky and started wrecking the place, killing Imperials and Stormcloaks without a care in the world."

"By Ysmir Irileth was right," the Jarl exclaimed, looking at both Proventus and Irileth, who in turn glanced back at their Lord, "What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"

"My lord," Irileth spoke up, diverting the Jarl's attention to her for a moment, "we should send some troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon's still lurking in the mountains..."

"No," the other man, Proventus, countered rather suddenly, as if what Irileth said was wrong and would worsen the situation, rather than make it better, "the Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume that we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him."

"Enough, both of you." Bulgruuf commaneded, causing both Proventus and Irileth to stop bickering among themselves, "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once. I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my Hold and slaughters my people."

Irileth nodded before heading towards the door, clearly heading to the barracks to inform a few guards of their new assignment, leaving Proventus to hang his head down as he walked over to a chair, sat down, and pulled out some papers to look over.

"Well done," the Jarl said, turning to face Sunset and Bjorn, before beckoning for a guard to come over, to which he whispered something before sending the guard off, "The two of you sought me out, on your own initiative. You have done Whiterun a service that we won't soon forget, but perhaps there is something more that you can do for us. Come, let us find Farengar, my Court Wizard. He's looking into a matter related to these dragon and... rumors of dragons."

The Jarl then lead them into the eastern section of the castle, where they found a man wearing a blue robe that was preoccupied with his research, as he didn't notice them walk into his work area. The Jarl cleared his throat and the mage jumped at the sound, turning around to see that his Lord was standing there with two people behind him.

"Farengar, I found two people who can help you with your dragon project," the Jarl said, turning around while making sure that Bjorn and Sunset entered the study, "go ahead and fill them in. Maybe they can help you in your research."

"So the Jarl thinks the two of you can be of some use to me?" the wizard asked, staring at the two of them as Jarl Bulgruuf returned to the throne area, "Oh yes, he must be referring to my into the dragons. I could use someone to fetch something for me, which really means that I need someone to delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not be there."

"Well, this should be easy," Sunset commented, causing the mage to turn towards her, "We passed by Bleak Falls Barrow, so it should be easy to retrace our steps, make our way through the barrow, and get the stone tablet. Anything else we need to be aware of?"

Farengar looked at her for a moment before shaking his head, telling them that there really wasn't anything else besides retrieving the stone he required. Sunset had to admit it, but she was sure that the journey through Bleak Falls Barrow would be a piece of cake and they would be back in Whiterun before the end of the next day.