A dragon attacked a city and killed two of the merchants I normally barter with so is there anyway they're coming back? If not that should be fixed.

Sometimes other npcs come in and do thier job for them.

Tavern girl got killed during my game and then the chief there took her job.

Ah, the save/load function is broken for you too. Seems to be for a lot of people.

Two things. Hope an NPC comes along to take the job they had, though that won't always be the case.

Or

Load an earlier save and stop Fast Traveling directly to a city as that can spawn a dragon. Instead Fast Travel to a point near a city, like a Farm or Meadery or Mill or Mine. Then the collateral damage won't affect your commerce.

Wait... am I hearing that a Dragon can spawn INSIDE a city? Like Whiterun or one of those open world towns?

Yep. Saw them spawning inside Riften many times. They don't last long due to the many guards and mages shooting at them, though.

yes.. i never met one in whiterun or solitude, and i am mostly in this towns, but had 2 in rifton.