The autumn colored leaves slightly crunched beneath her hide boots. She treads lightly through the thick of trees covering the area, crouched low to the ground. Her hunting bow was firmly gripped in her left hand, an arrow ready in the other. Her braided amber hair rested on her right shoulder, stray strands lightly kissing her cheeks as the wind blew softly against her. She closed her eyes as she listened to the breeze and all the sounds it carried. It was quiet. Her slightly pointed ears hardly twitched as she heard the sound of hooves grazing over the dead leaves that littered the ground. She slowly moved towards the sound, still in a crouching position. She had been tracking the elk for some time now, her lower back began to ache from the strain she was putting on it, though she knew it would not be long before she found him.
She noticed the patch of wet leaves in front of her. She lightly touched her fingers to the pressed leaves, moving a few around on the ground. She brought a small handful of leaves to her nose and ground the leaves between her fingers. She breathed in just enough to smell the scent the elk left. He had marked this spot, and it was fresh. She traveled to her left touching where the earth was disturbed from the grass being torn from its roots. She looked around the area for more traces left by the animal. She was close, she could almost smell it. She continued forward slowly, her fur cloak skimming the backs of her boots as she stalked about. Moments later she spotted the large brown elk once again feeding on a small patch of green grass.
She slowed her breathing, not wanting to startle the creature. She finally had him. She moved closer, her feet making no sound as they touched the ground softly. As the elk's head dipped again, she found her footing. Still crouched she placed her left foot forward, placing her weight on the ball of her foot, balancing herself with her right underneath her. She nocked the arrow in her hunting bow, bringing the fingers wrapped around the string and the arrow feathers close to her mouth. Her fur bracers brushed against her cheek as her lips slightly parted and she steadied her breathing, taking aim at the oblivious animal as she closed her left eye. The arrow lined up at the elk's skull, it would be the killing blow she needed. She took a deep breath in and just as she was about to blow the air out and take her shot, a commotion in the distance startled her and the elk.
Her head quickly turned clockwise to look behind her towards the hollering men upsetting her hunt, hidden from her view in the stretch of forest. She quickly turned her head back to the elk as it began running away from the loud sounds they created. She grunted through ground teeth as she quickly fired her arrow, it flew, sticking in the tree the elk ducked behind with a thud. She lowered her arms, her bow in hand with a frustrated sigh. She had been tracking the elk for a couple hours and now she would need to start all over. She angrily walked towards the tree with her arrow as the tumult of noises continued behind her. As she yanked the arrow from the tree it snapped and with a near growl she threw the broken piece to the ground.
As the yelling continued beyond her line of vision she began to hear more as sounds of clanking metal rang and echoed through the forest. As curiosity got the best of her, her feet began leading herself towards the uproar taking place. The sounds grew louder when she came close, realizing she was near the mine she had gone past earlier in the day while tracking the animal. She had never passed through the small area, always making sure to keep her distance from other people, always fearing the worst.
It had been years since she last held a conversation with anyone from the towns or farms in Eastmarch. She did not have real contact with the citizens of Skyrim, but she did not entirely wish it. She was fearless when facing the bears and sabre cats, even the occasional frostbite spider. But it was in the face of man and mer she cowered, feeling their judgmental eyes upon her, seeing the grimaces on their faces as she passed, the anger in some and the fear in others. No, she did not enjoy the company of man, she preferred her quiet life alone traveling and hunting her way through Eastmarch and the Rift, living off what the land provided for her. At times she would lay at night, watching the auras in the sky dance with color, and she would wish for companionship. She would sometimes wish for the loving embrace of someone like herself, so she would not feel so empty. Though those were not the things she was provided with when she encountered the farmers and other hunters. The occasional guard would greet her in passing but it was not the contact and emotion she craved.
As she neared the mine she remained hidden in the tree line. She could hear the voices still screaming and yelling but the clank of metal had ceased. She could not see much of what was happening from the ground so she found a tree close to the mine and ascended to a higher point of view. She found the right spot in the tree, only a few meters off the ground and she crouched on the branch that hovered slightly over the clearing, the thick veil of last seed's leaves covering her form. She bounced lightly, testing the strength of the limb. Satisfied, she pulled her attention to the commotion below.
She took in the sight of what was happening before her, slightly confused as to what she was seeing. She craned her neck to get a better view, her fingers just barely holding her balance in the tree. She realized there were two different groups of people. The first group the men dressed in brown leather armor with maroon trimming, some with steal instead of leather, she assumed it showed a higher command. All these men wore helms corresponding with the type of armor they wore, most of them carried swords and had leather boots and bracers to match. In the second group there were about six or seven men who wore chain mail cuirass' with blue cloth wrapped around their necks and both their chest and back. Their light brown fur leggings matched the boots they wore. She could tell they were natives, more acclimated to the cold weather of Skyrim as the other group showed their bare legs under their armor. She had seen that blue armor before closer to Windhelm, but never paid them much attention, the same way they did her.
The men in the leather and maroon armor were binding the hands of the men in blue. They began grouping them all together, each solider on their knees heads down. She was still unsure of what was happening but thought best to stay away. She remained in her spot high in the tree, continuously observing the poor men in blue. She almost felt a pang of sorrow for them; their faces were dirty and gloomy. She had once known what it was like to have your freedom ripped away and she sympathized with the soldiers.
Then she noticed as they shoved another man to his knees along with the soldiers in blue. He was wearing a bear fur cloak and darker clothing. His dark blonde hair was braided on the sides and his mouth gagged unlike the others. She squinted at the peculiarness of it, this man that stood out from the rest. She wondered what he had been doing with the men in blue. Wondered why they had been bound as they had and taken as prisoners by the men in the maroon armor. A few minutes had passed as these thoughts swirled in her head and the free men had been conversing with one another in the meantime. She was dragged from her thoughts when she noticed the horse and carriages arrive. The men in blue were dragged up and roughly thrown into the carts, ready to be taken away.
Only after a few men had been loaded onto the carts her head jerked towards the noise of a horse approaching. A tan skinned man, covered in dirt with dark hair rode into the area on a rather skittish horse. The minute he reached the scene his horse reared, flying the man off its back as it took off. He landed on his back and before he could get up the soldier's grabbed his arms yanking him to stand. Two of the armored soldiers in steel spoke quietly before approaching the man.
"What is your name?" One of the soldiers spoke; it was a dark skinned woman with a commanding tone in her voice.
"Lo…Lokir…" The man stuttered, obvious fear in his voice as he tried to wiggle out of the grip the men had on him. The female soldier regarded him for a moment then turned to another soldier motioning him forward. He had a board in his hand with a parchment on it that he gave her and she looked at it for a moment before returning to the ragged man.
"Lokir of Rorikstead?" The man remained silent. "That horse didn't belong to you did it horse thief?" She spoke sternly.
"No, I mean yes, but this is all a misunderstanding!" He said with panic in his voice.
"Bind him and load him in the carts." The woman stated. Lokir started yelling out in protest as they tried to bind his hands along with the other soldiers. His struggling annoyed the other soldier trying to bind his hands, who then punched him to calm him before firmly tying his hands and loading him on the carriage with the rest of the soldiers.
They saved the gagged man for last and treated him a tad more roughly than the rest. Just after he was thrown into the cart he began looking around, dissipated hope shown on his face. As he turned his head up and away from the cart she froze when his eyes landed on hers. She remained still afraid he saw her, and she blinked a few times as she felt his eyes boring into hers, or at least that is what it seemed. Her heart beat quickened as he continued to stare; she held her breath wondering why he was looking at her. Finally he tore his eyes away as if he never saw her there at all. She heaved a sigh of relief and took that as her cue to leave. She began to step back from the end of the limb but then she heard the slight crack of the branch as it began to give way. Startled she quickly backed towards the trunk of the tree as the branch collapsed from underneath her. She leaped for the nearest branch, but missed as her fingers grazed the branch above her. She came crashing down, landing alongside the snapped branch on her side with a thud. The wind was knocked from her and her entire right side throbbed from the pain of her fall. She wanted to take a moment to compose herself but soon noticed she had no time. The men in the maroon armor stalking towards her. She scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over herself as her legs kicked back and she used her arms to push herself up to gain balance.
She didn't look back, she just ran. It was something she knew she was good at, running. She knew how to track and with that she knew how to stay hidden and keep to her surroundings. Men were no different than animal and she knew she'd use this to her advantage. She picked up speed, her bow hitting the back of her legs as she sprinted into the forest. She could hear the men yelling after her, their armor clinking as they gained on her. She was fast but she was smaller than them. Her short steps wouldn't match the length and power of the strides the men took behind her. She started ducking behind and around trees as she ran hoping to catch them off guard. She felt no hope as the sounds of their armor and panting grew louder. She began to think of a better way to escape, running was no longer an option.
She quickly hid behind a tree and caught her breath waiting for the right time to strike. She had not needed to fight men often before, it was only the fierce animals of the wild that were her opponents over the years. Though in her mind, these men were no different. She closed her eyes as she removed and readied her bow to strike. She could hear them getting closer. Her breathing slowed, focusing on her sense of hearing.
"There is no point in running. We have this whole area under guard! We will find you!" One of the men shouted. "Just come out from where ever you are hiding and this will all be far easier." She contemplated it for a moment…but it was only a moment. She heard a twig snap near her and she rounded the tree bow and arrow in hand. The moment her target was in site she fired, her arrow flying true into the soldier's left shoulder. She nocked another arrow as he stumbled back and shot behind him. The arrow whipped past his head hitting the second man in the chest, falling as the first did. She took notice of a little less than a dozen more in the area all running towards her.
She nocked another arrow and it took off towards the next target landing in his leg then he collapsed to the ground hands pressed to his thigh. She didn't want to kill anyone, she never had the intention to and she tried to just incapacitate them before they reached her. Before she could pull another arrow a soldier finally found her. She shifted her bow in her hands twirling it so the end knocked the soldier in the nose. He covered his face with his hands, now pouring blood as she punched him with her other hand sending him to the ground. Two more men approached and she kicked one in the gut before she ducked from the swing of a sword to her side. She angled her bow up as she stood and the tip of the bow drove into the man's crotch. The man she had kicked reeled on her tackling her to the ground holding her arms together. She dropped her bow as they fell on their sides. She struggled as his grip tightened on her but she threw her head back and bashed his teeth with her skull. His grip loosened enough for her to squirm free. She crawled towards her bow before another man came at her, kicking her in the ribs. She cried out in pain as she fell flat on her stomach to the ground again. The man brought his leg back for another kick but she twisted to her back caught his foot near her chest and twisted. He fell back sending shocks into the ground beneath her and she clambered to her feet once again grabbing her bow as she started running. She only gained a small distance before she felt a sharp pain in the back of her thigh and she dropped to one knee. She reached for the stabbing pain in her leg to find an arrow lodged there. She screamed as she yanked it out, having done so before, growing slightly dizzy from the pain but told herself to push on. She stumbled to her feet once more as an arrow whizzed past her, her hair flowing forward from the wind of it. She turned quickly as she drew an arrow searching for the other archer. Favoring her uninjured leg she aimed and shot, but missed. She grunted as she drew another arrow, ducking from the one flying towards her. She found her assailant one more time and this time the arrow flew true striking the man in the arm. She smiled and limply turned around but ran into the hard chest of another soldier causing her to fall back. She fell on her tailbone, pain shot like lightning up her spine as she groaned from the shock. She looked up and the last thing she saw was a man in the steel armor hitting her against the head with the blunt of his sword. She fell over limply as the darkness took her.
Ulfric sat in the carriage waiting for the Imperial soldiers to return with the young woman who he caught staring in the tree. He had seen her before her branch collapsed, even made eye contact with those fiery citrine eyes. She looked like an animal stalking in the shadows of the orange leaves around her, perfectly blended with her surroundings. He thought curiously, as he bore into those animalistic eyes, what she was doing there. She was as still as a sabre cat before it found its prey. Had she been following them? He could not think of many logical reasons as to why this woodland girl was glued there but he finally looked away hoping for her sake that she would not be captured as well. He knew this was going to end poorly. That Imperial Bastard Tullius was here and he gritted his teeth against the cloth in his mouth at the thought of him as he turned and stared daggers at the man's back.
A decent amount of time had passed and he thought that maybe the girl had escaped somehow. Just as these thoughts entered his mind he looked towards the rustling bushes on the tree line to see two Imperial guards dragging the poor woman by the arms, dropping her in front of the carts, her body lifeless. Had they killed her? He noticed the lack of soldiers who had returned at first and realized she must have put up one hell of a fight if only a few came back uninjured. A few men were carried by their comrades a short while later, arrows sticking from their bodies, others with bloodied faces. He chuckled to himself at the thought of a smaller woman taking down half a dozen Imperial soldiers.
They dragged her onto the cart not caring how they treated the smaller woman as she fell to the floor of the cart at his feet unconscious. He noticed she was not wearing the furs she had been before when she fell, he couldn't help but wonder why they would throw her in those dirty rags when it was middle of Last Seed and the temperatures in Eastmarch were dropping. Maybe a way to make her pay for giving them a beating. She looked to be a nord, but as her head was turned he noticed the slight point of her ears showing through the caramel colored hair. Maybe she was a Breton? They did after all have mer ancestors. She was small enough, that was for sure, but he never knew a Breton with that kind of fire.
The cart began moving as the rest of the Imperials settled themselves on horseback. Through the bumps and turns in their travels the girl would stir every so often but only fall back in an unconscious state. The gash on her head was still bleeding and he worried she would not make it to their destination. Not that it would matter; he felt that they were all heading to Sovngarde anyways. They rode for hours it seemed and as the sky grew dark they stopped and readied a camp. They left him and his soldiers on the carts, not caring for their comfort through the night. Imperial guards took turns keeping watch over their prisoners as the night progressed. Some of his Stormcloaks found rest but no sleep came to him. He sat there awake, pondering the faults they had made. He led his men to their deaths, and the guilt was weighing heavy on him.
Hours after the sky turned dark the woman started coughing slightly as she tried to roll over but instead she found his feet. Her eyes hazily looking at him and once again they made eye contact but only for a second before her head rolled back and small groan escaped her lips. He leaned down and grabbed her arm but she squirmed a bit before rolling away into Ralof and the horse thief across from him. Ralof startled at her movement and looked down at the woman whose eyes were closed again. Ulfric grunted at Ralof through the cloth covering his mouth to get his attention and nodded towards the woman on the floor of the cart.
"Aye." Ralof nodded in understanding as they both worked together to grab her and lift her into a sitting position next to Ulfric, her head hanging forward on her shoulders. Ralof looked towards Ulfric once she was steadied and asked, "Do you think she will be alright?" Ulfric slightly shrugged his shoulders as he sighed just barely shaking his head. After this was all said and done, he did not think any of them would be alright.
Her head throbbed in pain; that was the first thing she noticed. She then felt the blood trickling down her leg from the gash in her thigh; that was the second thing she noticed. The next thing was the sounds of horses huffing and wooden wheels over a cobblestone path. Her head hung on her shoulders, like it was just too heavy to hold up. At the time her head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and it rolled back and forth from the movement and bumps of the cart. Her fuzzy eyes began to open, but her vision was blurred. The light stung her eyes and she just wanted to close them again. She blinked a few times as she came to, before taking in her surroundings. Her hands were bound in leather and she shivered noticing she was no longer in her comfy warm furs. As her vision began to slowly clear up she took in her surroundings. She was in one of the carriages she had seen before. Two men sat across from her, one of the soldiers in blue and the other, the horse thief. Behind them was the scenery of luscious pine trees and she could tell the mountain that shadowed them was throat of the world, the tallest, most recognizable mountain in all of Skyrim. She did not often venture too close but it could be seen in nearly all parts of the country.
She looked to her left to see one of the soldiers in the maroon and leather driving the cart. Another cart was in front of them carrying more soldiers. She felt despair sink into her gut and she was fearful of where they were leading them. When she turned to her right she saw the gagged man in the bear furs, the one who she thought had noticed her before. His elbows were on his knees and he solemnly stared at the floor of the cart. She too then looked down and stared at the bound hands, trying to come to grips with the events that would take place once they reached their destination. She feared the worst.
"Hey you…" She was pulled from her thoughts and looked towards the man in front of her. He had blonde hair with braids down the front. He had a scruffy beard and his arms looked almost too bulky for his armor. He was a definitely larger man, a nord obviously but his voice was friendly. "You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush same as us and that thief over there."
"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I woulda stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell" She looked at the horse thief, he looked even dirtier up close. She thought she could slightly smell him too but she disregarded it. His voice was a little gruff as he spoke to her. "You there, you and me we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."
"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now thief." She frowned at his words feeling they rung true. The guard driving the carriage yelled at them to shut up but they continued conversing regardless.
"What's wrong with him?" The thief asked looking towards the gagged man next to her.
"Watch your tongue!" The blonde man yelled, "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king!"
"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm?" Even she recognized the significance. She may have sheltered herself from society for a few years but she knew that name. She had never met the man, never even seen him. Though she knew her mother had partaken in the events that transpired in Markarth nearly thirty years prior. She knew this man was important and dread filled her as the gravity of the situation sank in. "You're the leader of the rebellion. If they've captured you…oh Gods, where are they taking us?" She couldn't help but ask the same question in her own mind.
"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits." The blonde nord solemnly stated.
"No! This can't be happening. This isn't happening!" The thief said with panic.
"Hey…" The nord man started, "What village are you from horse thief?"
"Why do you care?" The thief spat out.
"A nords last thoughts, should be of home." The blonde stated comfortingly. She tried to think of home, but she realized she never truly knew one. She did not even know where she was born.
"Rorikstead. I'm…I'm from Rorikstead." The thief stated with sorrowful resolve in his voice.
"General Tullius sir! The headsman is waiting!" She startled at the word headsman. So this was it? Of all the ways she could die it was by the hands of men. It only filled her fears of the goals of men and the violence they all shared in their hearts.
"Good, let's get this over with." She thought the same to herself.
The thief began praying as the neared the village gates, "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh, Divines please help me!" He exclaimed. They pulled into the village, one she had never been to before. The houses were all constructed from lumber, with hay or straw for the roofs. Random citizens walked the streets, clearing the way for them.
"Look at him…General Tullius, the military governor." The blonde nord spat as she turned her attention to the small man mounted on a horse to the right of the cart. He was conversing with an Altmer woman, who was also on horseback. She wondered who the woman was but the blonde answered her silent thoughts. "And it looks like the Thalmor are with him." She shivered at the mention of the Thalmor. She had heard stories from her mother when she was younger about the Thalmor and Aldemeri Dominion and their supposed mercy. Her thoughts went to cruel places. "I bet they had something to do with this."
"This is Helgen." The blonde stated in recognition. He continued to reminisce about the village as her thoughts began to drift away again, trying to find the strength to face her death, but only shook from the fear of it. Lokir's voice drew her once again from her despairing thoughts.
"Why are we stopping?" He asked the panic once again rising in his voice.
"Why do you think? End of the line." The blonde stated flatly. When they came to a complete stop he spoke again. "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the Gods waiting for us." She stood with shaky legs and hopped down off the cart after the thief and the gagged man. Lokir continued to protest but he was not heard, so she did not dare to do the same as the blonde scolded him for being cowardly.
The so called Imperials started calling names from their list, Ralof grumbling the entire time. They called for the thief and he took off with protests. She looked at him hopefully as he ran but her hopes dwindled the minute an arrow found his back and he fell down lifeless. She almost cried for him, but pulled back the tears.
"Wait you there." She jerked her head towards the imperial speaking to her with the quill and parchment. "Step forward." She did as she was asked, fearing the same fate as Lokir if she did not obey. "Who are you?" He asked her.
She opened her mouth to speak but she choked on her words, panic shown in her eyes. It was a simple question but the current events were still sinking in. "Your name Prisoner!" She jumped as the female commander yelled at her.
"Aurora." She mumbled then cleared her throat. "My name is Aurora." He scanned his list and then turned to the female commander.
"Captain, what should we do, she's not on the list." A small sliver of hope brightened in Aurora's eyes for a moment, but only a moment as the captain spoke.
"Forget the list. She goes to the block." Aurora's head dropped at the words. Sorrow and dread filled her and she never felt so hopeless. What had she done to deserve this?
"I'm sorry, at least you'll die here in your homeland." He stated with a mournful reserve. She followed the female guard as she was commanded to and stood with the other prisoners. She saw the small man who had been talking with the Thalmor approach the gagged man.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use the power of the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." Ulfric grunted at him through his gag, and stared ice shards at the man. "You started this war! Plunged Skyrim into chaos and now the empire is going to put you down and restore the peace!" She couldn't help but want to place blame on the man for putting her in this situation but knew it was unfair. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he had a right to murder the king (who she knew nothing of). Though at the mention of chaos she couldn't help but think that is all she saw in these last few moments of her life. The fight at the mine, the events currently taking place, knowing nothing of chaos before these moments. Was it truly this man that caused this trouble or was it the men in maroon that had greatly contributed to it. She supposed she would never know.
There was a roar that echoed through the mountains, startling her from her thoughts. Everyone looked to the skies but they soon disregarded it as the priestess in the yellow robes in front of her began praying for them. Soon a ginger man in the blue armor angrily interrupted and willingly walked towards the headsman. She stared wide eyed as he was shoved to his knees and his head lay on the block. "My Ancestors are smiling at me Imperials! Can you say the same?" He stated right before the headsman's axe came barreling down on his neck severing his head from his body. Aurora looked away and grimaced at the site, squeezing her eyes shut as she took in deep breaths. People started hollering out comments that she tuned out not wanting to look anywhere but her feet, preparing herself for her death.
"Next, the prisoner in the rags!" Her head jerked up, her eyes welled with tears. She didn't have enough time to prepare herself; her death was already upon her. Another roar echoed in the distance. She heard it but disregarded the sound as her heartbeat rang in her ears and it was all she could focus on. She was about to die, she felt as if she barely lived and now it was ending. "I said next prisoner!" The other imperial coaxed her to walk forward and she slowly moved approaching the headsman. She turned and looked down at what was in front of her. The ginger man's head lay in a box in front of the block, his body still lying there just barely pushed aside. This is what was to come of her? She felt a hand shove her down and push her head onto the block. She finally let the tears fall freely as she stared at the bloody axe in front of her. She closed her eyes not wanting to see her death coming towards her. She heard another roar over the ringing in her ears and a shout.
"What in Oblivion is that!?"
"Sentries what do you see?" The ground rumbled beneath her and she opened her eyes wide at the site before her. A dark figure took place atop the tower, its wings spread out over the span of the tower, its jagged scales blacker than night. Its red eyes she felt stared right at her as it roared and the once blue skies above turned into a swirling purple firestorm, debris falling with fire out of the sky. It shouted again and headsmen along with many other guards were flown back out of her line of site. In the chaos she felt strong hands grab her around her waist and pull her to a standing position and pulled her along with them. Her vision was blurry from her tears and the anarchy around her. She looked to see the blonde nord pulling her towards a nearby tower trying to avoid the falling boulders around them. When they entered the tower she fell to her knees, gasping for air from the panic that had ensued.
"Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing!" The blonde asked panting. "Could the legends be true?"
"Legends don't burn down villages." She looked to the Jarl at his response and the words echoed in her ears. She wasn't sure what was worse, facing the headsman block or having to deal with roaring abomination outside the tower. She collected her thoughts as the realization finally sank in…she was just saved by a dragon.
A/N: Hello everyone this is my first fanfiction, so I hope this all goes well. I am very welcome to feedback and am accepting of any critiques. I know my grammar is not always best so if you catch something let me know, I always try to go through and fix things but I always miss stuff.
Anyways I hope you all enjoy the journey I am about to take you on as I feel this will be very exciting. If you have any story suggestions or input I'm glad to hear it! I also usually listen to music as a write (more like the same song over and over again.) So sometimes I may put a song name at the end in my A/Ns. For this one, I only really listened to this for the first part of the chapter but Farewell from the Hunger Games soundtrack was my inspiration. Feel free to youtube it as I am unsure if I am allowed to post links here! Thanks for reading!