A Fool's Blade

Chapter 22 - Hadvar

      Jade walked through the remains of the town and found one of the corpses holding a leather journal. She scanned it for any idea of what happened. Apparent, the poor person had been caught in the Imperial ambush and had come in carts with the Stormcloak prisoners. It confirmed what she had feared about the large black creature. It was a dragon that had done this to the town. Only the last chapter seemed to have any relevance to what she needed to know.

        17th of Last Seed, 4E 201

        Shor's bones, if only I had known sooner! The ambush, the captives in the cart with me. Stormcloak rebels! Led by none other than Ulfric Stormcloak himself

        There's no time to explain properly. I scarcely believe it myself. If it hadn't been for the dragon, I'd not even be here this write this down. Yes, a dragon! Big, black, as large as the towers of the keep itself. It swooped in out of nowhere and laid waste to the village and the keep.

        General Tullius didn't take my head today, or the heads of several Stormcloak rebels, but that doesn't matter now. Hadvar and Ralof set aside their differences long enough to help me and a few others escape alive. Only the three of us made it this far. They've gone back into the keep to help the other surviv

        It ended with a streak on charcoal running off the page. Jade ran into the keep searching for any sign of Ralof or Hadvar. One of the walls of the keep had a large hole in it, leading to a cave she continued through until she spied a mop of messy brown hair on the ground.

        "What...What are you doing here..." Hadvar spoke in between fits of coughing, he was badly wounded.

        "I came to help."

        "Are you mad?!? I told you to warn Riverwood. Quit messing around and get down there!"

        "Hadvar, I don't think you underst-"

        "I don't think you understand...oh to Oblivion with it. You're here... and I need help. Do you have... a healing potion... on you?"

        "N-no, but I know a spell. It's not that powerful, but it should help a little." She knelt to the ground and let magic gather to her finger tips. Trying hard to focus as the ball of light grew in her hands, releasing the engery she watched as Hadvar's injury stitched it's self back together.

        He groaned as he pulled himself to his feet, swaying. "Thank you..." He stummbled forwards and almost falling.

        Jade rushed forward to stop him. "Hold it, you can't go anywhere in that shape."

        "I need to warn Riverwood...about the dragon...and..." Hadvar clentched his teeth, trying to bear the pain. "Ralof...find Ralof...if I can't go, maybe he can..."

        "Where is he?"