Riverwood, also called "Rivertown" or "Riverwatch Village," was a small settlement along the river that flowed through the Lake Ilinalta basin. Built between the mountains and the river, it had beautiful scenery, outstanding people, and simple, honest folk...
Perhaps it was because the terrain was narrow, or perhaps because there was already a lumber mill and sawmill here, with plenty of high-quality, inexpensive timber. Whatever the reason, the villagers of Riverwood had built more than just their homes. They had even used wooden walkways to span the river and build houses on a small island in its middle, effectively blocking two major routes through the area, one by land and one by water.
Still, blocking the waterway had little impact on local trade, since the river wasn't really navigable. At most, the lumber mill used the current to float log rafts and transport timber downstream. Even then, Skyrim's frigid climate meant it could only be used for a few months of the year.
Though Riverwood didn't make much use of its waterway, that didn't stop it from playing an important role in land transport!
Its location was still extremely advantageous. It lay on the main route between Whiterun to the north and Falkreath and Helgen to the south. So, with trade flourishing and plenty of merchants traveling between north and south, it naturally had a blacksmith, an inn, a lumber mill, a tavern, a general store, and bustling streets, all to meet the needs of travelers passing through.
What was surprising, though, was that although Riverwood technically belonged to Whiterun and lay on a major north-south route and an important military thoroughfare, it had no walls at all—not even a palisade. There weren't even any guards stationed here by the Jarl. All it had was a gatehouse built from enormous