I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't see anything. I tried again, this time the darkness began to dissipate. My senses started to recover and I could feel the world around me. I was in a cart, being driven by an imperial soldier. The land around me was rocky and we were driving through a passage between two mountains. Only when someone spoke to me I realized I wasn't alone in the cart. There were three other people, one of them, who was in front of me, had blond hair and was wearing a fur and chainmail armor. I couldn't recognize him, neither could I with the other two.
-Hey you. You're finally awake. -He said while he looked at me-
I nodded with my head, words were too much of problem in this moment. As I nodded, I saw that my hands were bound together by some stripes of leather. I tried to untie them, or even twist my hands but they were firmly attached, there was no use.
Great, how am I supposed to get loose now I thought sarcastically to myself.
-You were trying to cross the border right? -He continued to say- Walked right into that imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.
I didn't answer, I didn't know these people, nothing should they know about me. When he mentioned the thief, I looked to the only person who looked like one. Dressed with some rags he was sitting next to the man who spoke to me. He looked angry. I wondered where we were going, I didn't know where we were, neither could I recognize what part of Tamriel this was. After those thoughts left my mind, for which I didn't have to wait much, the supposed "Thief" spoke to us:
-Damn you Stormcloaks. -Were his words- Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy.
Stormcloaks, I didn't recognize the name in that moment, but it sure was important. But they had to be some kind of trouble if they meant the empire was up and about because of them.
-If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell.
-You there. -He said as he lifted his bound hands and managed to point at me- You and me, we shouldn't be here. Its these Stormcloaks the Empire wants.
I didn't know what to say, but I didn't like the look of him, I preferred not have anything to do with him.
-I don't know you. -Was my only response-
-We're all brothers and sisters in binds now. -Said the Stormcloak prisoner-
I guessed that we were. But I wouldn't help the thief if I didn't have to. After that there was a little pause, in which I looked at the surroundings. There were snowy pine trees growing on the side of the pass and when I just thought about the cold I started to feel it. I was only dressed with some rags and foot wraps, my uncovered arms were getting colder by the time. As I looked at the back I saw a man riding a horse, he also seemed to be a imperial soldier and he closed the group. There was also another cart with four prisoners.
-Shut up back there! -Said the imperial soldier driving the cart-
We didn't listen, either way, we weren't going to be incredibly cooperative if we were prisoners.
-What's wrong with him, huh? -Said the thief as he looked at the man sitting next to me-
Only then I looked at him, he was dressed with a nobleman's clothes, but it was also an armor. His face was the only one in the cart that seemed familiar to me, I had seen is somewhere. I knew he was someone important because he wasn't even allowed to speak, his mouth was covered by a cloth.
-Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King.
Only then it made sense, he was the Jarl of Windhelm. Of course I knew him. My words were later proved right by the thief's words.
-Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. -He said with rising fear- But if they've captured you… Oh gods, were are they taking us?
-I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits.
Sovngarde, the mystical hall of the dead heroes. If that's where we were going I couldn't complain. But I loved life more, I didn't want to die yet. No, I couldn't accept that, I'd fight to survive, but there wasn't anything I could do.
-No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening. -Was what the thief said, his eyes proofed his words-
After he said that I noticed we weren't in snow anymore, I could feel the warmer air now. Gruesomely pleased that I'd at least die in a pleasant place I spaced out and didn't hear were the conversation was going until someone mentioned Rorikstead.
-Rorikstead, I'm… I'm from Rorikstead.
Why did he say that was all I was thinking in that moment, but more important things were going on, we had reached a fort. The doors had opened and someone from the inside had said:
-General Tullius sir, the headsman is waiting.
He was referring to the man at the beginning of the caravan, it was someone who wore golden armor and a red cape. He seemed to be the leader of the group. After he answered something we moved inside.
-Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me. -The thief muffled-
The place looked more like a village now that I was inside it, there was a house in front of the path and two brassieres burned on each side of the door. The path opened up in two, one to each side. We took the path to the left and moved alongside more thatch roofed houses. An imperial banner had been hung on the side of one. The whole village was placed on the side of mountain and it looked down onto a valley, as I later found out.
The leader of the group moved aside and went towards some elves, the Stormcloak soldier mentioned that this was all their fault. I didn't argue, elves were a suspicious race.
-What village is this? -I asked to the others-
The Stormcloak was the one who answered me.
-This is Helgen, I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in.
Helgen, seems familiar, I wonder if it's the fort next to Riverwood I wondered to myself.
The soldier continued to speak:
-Funny, when I was a boy, imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe
I affirmed, I used to be like that when I was young. I felt even more identificated when a little boy asked his father if he could stay and watch the soldiers. His father, who knew what was going to happen, didn't let him. I knew what was going to happen also, but I didn't want to accept it, not now, never.
We were headed towards a wall, I didn't want to think this was our destination, but when I saw the headsman walking out of a tower with his axe, the inevitable became true. We were going to die and nothing could we do to change it.