My name is Apronia Bradus, an Imperial of Cyrodiil who has, once again, paved myself a wonderful path into trouble.

My head ached and as I awoke, I found my back aching too. An angry pain radiated from where I had been leaning hard against the wood of the cart, as well as the back of my head. I blinked, brown eyes watery from both the pain in my back and the pain in my head, looking about. A brown horse trotted, it's hooves striking the ground in a rhythm that stuck in my head. Pine trees stuck out of the ground, mist hanging stagnant. Carts ahead clattered.

There were three others with me, all Nords, hands bound. It was then I noticed my hands were bound as well, skin red from the rough rope. One was gagged, next to me. He looked at me with a weary curiosity, eyes slightly squinted.

"Hey. You're awake." I looked back to my left at a blonde Nord. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us. And that thief over there." I looked to the man across from me, assuming he was the thief. He looked panicked.

"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along." He spat. "Empire was nice and lazy." The thief shook his head. "If they haven't been looking for you, I could have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell. Hey, you there!" I had been looking away from him, at the carts in front of us. I looked to him. "You and me, we shouldn't be here! It's the Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

The blonde shook his head. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."

"Shut up back there!" The Imperial, annoyed, called. I looked to the driver.

"Imperial.." I began. "T-this is a misunderstanding." I tossed my head to rid my face of my dirty hair. "Please..is there anything..."

The Imperial driver turned to look at me, eyebrows shooting up as if he had just noticed that I, too, was a native of Cyrodiil. "It will be up to the Captain, what to do with you. I am sorry." He turned away.

The Nord in front of me glared, likely thinking I allied with the Imperials now.

"Hey, what's wrong with him?" Asked the thief, looking to the man beside me.

The Nord, already annoyed, spat, "Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!"

"Ulric...the Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebels..." He suddenly went pale. "But if they captured you...oh gods, where are they taking us?!"

Calmed, the Nord replied, "I don't know where we're going..but Sovngarde awaits..."

At that point, I tuned out. We had entered a town, Helgen. This had been my original destination, for my aunt lived here.

Funny how things work out.

"Who...are you?"

The Imperial Legion Nord looked confused as well. An Imperial in the midst of Stormcloaks?

"A-Apronia Bradus." I looked to my feet, brown hair hanging in my face. "Of the Imperial city, sir."

He scribbled my name in the book. "I'm sorry...you picked a bad time to come to Skyrim. Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list."

"Forget the list." The woman waved him off. "She goes to the block."

Bitch.

I followed the Captain as a priestess began her blessings. My mind drifted, thinking of home. I overheard the blonde Nord saying one's last thoughts should be just of that, home. A head rolled, and I looked down in disgust, finally letting tears rush down my face. I was next.

I stepped forward, looking to the General who had no emotion. He stared at Ulfric with hate, then looking to me. Nothing was different. It didn't matter if I was an Imperial. With one last glance at Ulfric, who actually met my eyes in a way that spoke so many apologies. I took to my knees, still crying, my mane of hair about me as I watched the headsman.

Then suddenly, there was chaos.

I was knocked off the block as some..monster, landed upon the tower behind the headman.

"C'mon!" A Nord from the carts called to me. "Now! The Gods won't give us another chance!" My vision blurred and my head pounding as some...force, from the monster...a dragon, threatened to split my head. I stood shakily and followed into a tower, coughing as the door closed.

"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Said the blonde, the Jarl turning to him. I stood behind the blonde, terrified, and still crying.

Eerily calm, he replied, "Legends...don't burn down villages."

"We need to move, now! Up the stairs!" I followed the Nord up the stairs, screaming as the dragon burst through the wall. As soon as it appeared, it left, continuing to cause wreckage.

"Jump through the roof! We'll follow when we can!"

Oh God.

I'm afraid of heights. I'm gonna die...

I jumped, landing hard on my feet and tumbling to the ground. I stood again, ankle hurting slightly as I walked, hopping down from the second floor and going back outside, looking for the dragon.

"..atta boy, you're doing great!" I saw the Imperial with the book from earlier, rushing to him, for he had a weapon, and I did not. "Look out!" A stream of fire burst forth from the dragon, orange hues baking the ground into a damp slush. The ground had been frozen. "Prisoner!" The Imperial said when he saw me. "Still alive? Follow me if you want to stay that way." He spoke to another man, gesturing for me to follow him as he ran off.

We were met with an alleyway where he told me to hug the walls, the dragon landing nearly on top of us before flying off again. Heart pounding, I fought to keep up with him. My shoes pounded on the floors of a destroyed home.

"Into the keep! Hurry!" Yelled a soldier.

"It's just you and me now Prisoner! Hurry!" The Imperial yelled. The man from my cart earlier ran into view up ahead.

"Ralof, you damn traitor! Out of my way!" The Legionnaire spat.

"We're escaping, Hadvar!" I finally had some names! "You're not stopping us this time!"

Hadvar shook his head. "Fine! I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!" He ran off, and I instinctively followed, not even hearing Ralof call for me to follow him.

I entered the keep.

Inside, we trekked through the keep, finding ourselves in a cave. My bindings had been traded for a sword and some Iron Armor I found when I first entered the keep. I instantly knew this armor was neither my size nor would ever be my choice. It was heavy, noisy. It hurt where it fit too tightly, and certainly would bruise.

We, Hadvar and I, crouched behind a rock as the dragon flew overhead, seemingly finished with it's rampage.

"There he goes, looks like for good this time."

He looked around, confused.

For I had disappeared into the brush.