Afternoon had faded into dusk, and we still hadn't moved from the place we'd stopped at earlier that day. I was perched on a relatively small boulder, thinking about the strange chain of events that had happened during the past two days while Helgír had wandered a ways from the spot I was in, clearly deep in thought himself.

Ealdwine... He has to be... He's got to be dead. There's no logical way he'd still be alive, if the only other thing I can come up with is that he's got some sort of high position in the Forsworn ranks, high enough to have his own men. If he does, he's going against everything the House of Abgrall stands for. And the brother I knew would die before betraying his family or dishonoring his name. He was almost like a Nord in those respects... A fleeting smile crosses my face for a moment as I relive a few childhood memories, but those quickly die away as I resume my thoughts, And what is the issue with my companion? Being the Dragonborn isn't anything to be ashamed of... He has to have done something... Maybe he killed someone he shouldn't have, or at one point became part of a shady or unjust company, or... I don't know. Nothing's ever been this complicated before. I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated, and sighed. As if it's not enough trying to fulfill a personal dream that seems near impossible.

I got up, stretching slightly, and found myself walking over towards Helgír. What am I doing? I don't know what to say, much less how he'll react, the more sensible side of me cautioned, but the rest of me ignored it as I went to sit down beside him. He glanced at me, briefly surprised, but then looked away, and I sat there awkwardly for a few moments before he looked at me again, asking quietly, "Why are you just sitting here so comfortably? Aren't you... afraid of me, after what happened?"

His expression was unreadable as he spoke, and I didn't like how stoic he'd become since breakfast this morning. I responded cautiously, "I guess I should be, but I... honestly, I don't know what to make of anyone or anything anymore."

"Believe me, you get used to it," Helgír laughed bitterly, but his face regained its neutral look after his statement.

"Uh... You don't actually think I'm involved in anything with the Forsworn, do you?" I asked awkwardly, hoping he would respond reasonably.

"I don't know. Judging by your reactions to those men and to my accusation, I'd say no, but you can't really trust anyone out here. Trust is usually what gets you killed."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said. Trusting someone blindly is a bad idea. Even if you'd trust someone with your life, sleep with one eye open, because you never know if they'll turn against you and try to kill you when you're at your most vulnerable."

I thought about his words for a moment, and how they had been spoken as if he'd had an experience like that. I winced at the thought.

There was another long, somewhat tense pause, and I was weighing the risks of asking him about the whole "Dragonborn" business when I suddenly heard shouts coming from not too far away, and sounds of people fighting.

I turned to the Nord, and it was clear he had heard it and his curiosity had been sparked as well. "Let's go find out what that's all about, shall we?"

"I think that's an idea," I agreed as I ran to the edge of the outcropping we'd stopped on and looked down.

A distance away, near the bottom of the craggy slope we'd traversed, was a group of people -who I assumed must be bandits- surrounding one person, who looked considerably younger than his assailants. However, he seemed to be holding his own fairly well, and, as I watched, he took down one of his opponents quite showily, arrogantly twirling his weapon -which I noticed with some discomfort was a war-hammer- as he turned to fight the next man who dared approach him. It was almost as if he knew we were watching, and I heard Helgír let out an amused snort as he watched the boy alongside me.

"Should we go down and aid the fellow?" I asked Helgír, an amused smile on my face.

"I think he's doing fine on his own," my companion laughed, somewhat back to his old self by this spectacle.

Proving my companion's statement true, the boy took down the others without a problem, getting even more and more dramatic with each brigand he took down. When he'd taken down all those that didn't flee, he looked up casually, spotting us instantly, taking me completely by surprise. He grinned up at us, calling out loudly, "Enjoy the show, travelers? Why don't you come down and introduce yourselves, then?"

Helgír and I exchanged a look before we headed down the slope, Snjall trotting close behind us. As we neared the young man, it became clearer that he, like Helgír, was also a Nord, though, unlike my companion, he had short, flaming-red hair and clear hazel eyes, and was about a median height for his age -which I estimated was probably somewhere in the late teenage years. His skin was the typical pale color of those who live in this land, but was dotted with pale freckles. He was dressed in an interesting set of armor which seemed to be made of green glass, as well as a metal I'd never seen before. He carried himself with an air of importance, giving the impression that he was either from a wealthy or respected family or just really full of himself.

He grinned at us widely before introducing himself, saying, "Toralf the Fearless, soldier for hire. Who are you two?"

I shot Helgír a look, and he shrugged slightly before replying, "Helgír. That's all you need to know of me. My companion is Helvia Abgrall."

Toralf looked at us for a moment, with almost a bit of recognition in his eyes when my companion mentioned his name. However, before I could confirm this, the look was gone, replaced again with his haughty disposition. "I assume you all came from Markarth, did you not? You at least seem respectable, so I assume you aren't one of those nasty Forsworn or pathetic bandits. This part of the country's crawling with them." He made a face as he finished speaking, showing his disgust quite openly.

You do an awful lot of assuming, don't you, friend? I thought, irritated, but instead answered, "You 'assume' correctly. I've just come from High Rock, and have been doing my best to make my way to Winterhold. Along the way, I ran into Helgír in a very... unexpected way, and, well..." The youth's interest seemed to have sparked when I mentioned Winterhold, and I trailed off, waiting to see if he would say anything.

"Winterhold... Whiterun would be on your way up there, would it not be?" He asked, almost sounding hopeful. The way he'd gone from arrogant to almost decent was a bit disconcerting.

"Somewhat... Why do you ask?" I responded, confusion clear in my voice.

"...Then may I accompany you there? I've been meaning to head up there for quite some time now, but keep on getting... distracted. It's been a goal of mine to head up there and become one of the Companions... You do know who the Companions are, right?"

It was clear that question was addressed to me, and I shook my head slightly. Toralf shook his head in what looked like mock-disbelief before explaining, "They're a group of fearless warriors who... Well, to put it simply, they're almost like a group of mercenaries like myself, but they work together, and there is no designated leader. They are incredibly strong, and loyal, and I think I'd fit in quite well with them. I've trained myself quite a bit in preparation as a lone mercenary -as both of you have clearly seen demonstrated- and have gained some respectable gear, and a decent reputation - down here, at least. If you'd allow me to join your company if you are heading there, I would greatly appreciate it, as I'd be less likely distracted by lesser jobs."

Even as conceited as his little speech was, it was clear that he was serious about wanting to join these people, as serious as I was about wanting to learn more about my abilities as a mage. And I respected that. "You wish to accompany us? I will allow it, but I don't know about Helgír..." I turned to him, looking for his approval or disapproval.

Helgír nodded slightly, and, for a moment, the youth's conceited smile became a little more genuine. "You won't regret having me around, you know. I know this part of the country like the back of my hand, and how to avoid routes that would give us quite a bit of trouble. We may have to go a bit off course, but the safest -and least enemy infested- path would be up that way-" he pointed northward, continuing, "-up past Ragnwald and towards Karthwasten. That'd be my advice, at least."

"It's good enough for me," I said, shrugging. The guy seemed to know what he was doing, and I sure knew I didn't.

Helgír, on the other hand, had stiffened when Ragnwald had been mentioned. Maybe that has something to do with his shame? I wondered to myself, but saw him slowly relax, and a few seconds after I agreed, he also gave his assent. "There's no other way out of this part of the area. Besides, I'd rather avoid Red Eagle's Redoubt entirely." He glanced at me as he spoke, and I did my best to ignore that he had.

"Well then, we'd best get going." Toralf said quickly, heading towards Snjall.

"My horse can't carry three people, you know, and I'm not going to walk," Helgír called after him, causing the youth to stop in his tracks and look back, irritation and a bit of disappointment clear in his features. I had a feeling that he was going to complain the whole way, considering the look on his face.

This might end up being a long journey...

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So, what do you guys think about Toralf? Love him? Hate him? Want him to get high on skooma and fall off a cliff? Please do tell me; I'd love to hear your opinion on him.

As always, please leave me a comment and/or vote for this chapter; it helps me a lot to hear your feedback and votes and comments make me feel like people are enjoying the story.

Until next time, good adventuring, dear readers!

-AA