Riverwood ( Skyrim ) Riverwood is a small village located in the province of Skyrim . The village is built on the eastern bank of the White River , in Whiterun Hold . It is a small Nordic village set in a valley , between the river and the steep mountainside of the Throat of the World . It serves largely as a stopping point and rural community along the road from Helgen to Whiterun . Overview . Riverwood was founded by the ancestors of Gerdur and Hod , current residents and owners of the village ' s lumber mill . The village is small , despite the fact that there is a lumber mill , tavern , blacksmith , general goods store , and three log houses and huts with small vegetable gardens . The village is largely self - sufficient , growing its own vegetables as well as hunting and fishing for meat . Trade is made through the blacksmith and goods store , and what cannot be found locally or bought from travelers passing through may be bought from the Whiterun Marketplace . While the village is walled along its entrances , these walls are not initially patrolled by Hold Guard s , and the rural village is largely defenseless . As such , the road to Whiterun is frequented by bandits during the time of the Civil War , and the residents will stay in the town . Interactions . Riverwood is most likely the first location visited by the Dragonborn following the attack on Helgen and the escape from Alduin . As such , the small and simple community serves as a tutorial village . After the events at Helgen , they are directed to either Alvor , had they followed Hadvar , or Gerdur , if they sided with Ralof . The quest " Before the Storm " has them arriving in Riverwood , receiving supplies from the respective source , and being urged to head to Whiterun to inform the Jarl of the return of the dragons . Riverwood also acts as a significant location and base during the first two acts of the main quest . The Dragonborn can participate in several local economy and community jobs for the residents , such as chopping wood , milling logs at the mill and smithing basic armor and weapons at Alvor ' s forge . These activities will allow the Dragonborn to freely take most items from the buildings associated with the resident who was helped , without it counting as stealing . Additionally , Orgnar at the Sleeping Giant Inn has an Alchemy Lab . Following the quest " Before the Storm , " the village can be bolstered with a trio of Whiterun Guards as well as a small camp with bedrolls and a fire with a Cooking Place at the southwest entrance . Otherwise , the village is defenseless discounting its basic walls . Crime does not go unpunished , however , as the residents will attack the Dragonborn should they commit a crime . The residents will accept a yield , but a bounty will be added to Whiterun Hold regardless , and they may refuse another yield following further crimes . Points of interest . Other . The White River , on which Riverwood is built , is full of salmon and leads to Whiterun after a series of rapids and falls . These fish are sought after by the area ' s hunter s , and can be used for food or sold for gold . With the plug - in , salmon leaping up falls also have salmon roe , a valuable alchemy ingredient . Characters . There are a total of sixteen residents ( and one dog , as well as chickens and cows ) in Riverwood .