“Should I have come back here so soon?” The adventurer stood at the gates of what was left of Helgen. Helgen, the “Gateway to the North” he thought. “How do I remember that and so many other things are missing?”
He stood there looking at what remained of the town after the dragon had attacked. There was nothing left but burned-out buildings, broken walls, and towers.
He thought back a moment trying to recollect something, “I remember coming from Cyrodiil as so many did before this happened. We, a gathering of travelers, often seen passing through the Pale pass between Skyrim and Cyrodiil, had been waiting in the cold snow for half a day?” He paused, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand trying to encourage the memories to return. He thought, “when the gates opened to let us pass there was a sudden rush of soldiers, Stormcloaks maybe?”
He paused trying to remember something, “I remember a scuffle, there were so many waiting to pass through the gates on both sides. Those traveling to Skyrim and those into Cyrodiil. I remember my head being hit on something as I was pushed hard by someone.” He pauses a moment, then he remembers, “I woke up in a wagon, tied up, along with others, including some of the soldiers, Stormcloaks as they called themselves, true sons and daughters of Skyrim they liked to say.”
He chuckled to himself, “Wasn’t everyone born here in this province true sons and daughters of Skyrim? No, he considered, that is not what they believe. Only those of Nordic blood, descendants of the Atmorans who came to this land and called themselves Nords thereafter, were fitting to hold the honor of being true sons or daughters. “ He looked towards the sky and cried out a loud scream, “Why does that even matter, why can’t I remember who I was? There was a sudden darkening of the sky after his outburst, and thunder rolled across the heavens briefly.
He thought to himself, “it’s getting late, and I am wasting my time here.” He turned towards the road heading south towards the crossroads. It was here you could come into Riverwood from the road leading right or go directly down past three of the thirteen standing stones that stood there waiting to give their blessing to those who sought them out.