this is meant as a short story, so I have no clue how far I will go with it. Enjoy, nonetheless.
Her eyes screamed that she was blind to the world, but yet her body language suggested that she could still very well see. Her torn and battered clothing just barely hung to her by a thread, leaving a lot more of her body viewable then some might like. However, this particular soldier was not complaining.
"Ah, you're finally awake," He stated, watching as he pure white eyes flitted around nervously. Her braided black hair fell in front of her face, her tear-inspired war paint long since smudged down to her chin.
"Where am I?" She asked, struggling against her binds before finally giving up. She stared ahead then, looking as though she had no idea he was right in front of her.
"On the last carriage ride you will ever get," Some other poor prisoner responded, his dirt-encrusted lips moving to the snide comment. She smirked, her ears quirking in the way of the voice.
"To where?" She continued with the conversation as if nothing had happened, her silky-smooth voice not the least bit irritated. This time, the first soldier replied with a bit more courtesy to the fairer sex.
"Helgen. We've been sentence to death," He muttered, his own voice showing a bit of fear that a Stormcloak should, being dragged head first into the Imperial headquarters. With his King in bounds beside him, he hardly had room to complain, though. "My name's Relof, by the way," He offered, watching as she returned with a slight nod.
"Al'skander. Most people just call me Al, though," She smiled, her blind eyes flitting to his for a brief second. Then they were away, as if nothing had ever changed in her sight. He wanted to ask her if there was a chance she could see, but he knew better then to be that straightforward and impolite. He was still raised a gentleman.
"Shut up back there, prisoners," Some Imperial shouted from the head of the carriage, turning his head back slightly to direct the comment with more authority. Relof snorted, rolling his eyes. In front of him, Al'skander chuckled at his snort, choking on her laugh as the Imperial threw her a nasty glance.
"So you can see?" The other prisoner sneered, casting her an almost disapproving look. She sighed, looking to him with irritated eyes.
"Yes, I can. So I suggest you watch your back if we ever make it out of here," She grumbled, her perfectly painted lips forming a scowl. The other prisoner cringed, fearing the threat that was in her voice. Relof sighed, leaning back against the wooden carriage and shooting a hopeful look to his king. Was there hope they would get out of here alive?
"How are you not shaking with fear?" Relof asked, ignoring the Imperials' half-hearted attempts to keep them silent. Al'skander shrugged, her perfectly put-together features giving him a small smile.
"Because, contrary to men's popular belief, some women do know how to stand up for themselves," She replied, her voice short and clipped. Relof made note to never ask her that question again.
"All right, out of the wagon you lot," Someone called over the attempted conversation some had hoped to begin. Relof stood, watching as his king jumped from the wagon before him. Behind him, he saw Al'skander begin to feel around as she stood. He remembered then that she had been the prisoner he had watched be hit on the head, and soon remembered the worry and concern he had felt before he even knew her. He stayed back, allowing her to lean against his shoulder as a guide.
"Thank you," She muttered, barely allowing him to hear let alone anyone else. They both carefully made their way from the wagon, stopping in a line before some Imperials and a list.
"Imperial bastards and their damned lists," Relof cursed, getting a small smirk out of the woman. She looked ahead, showing no fear in her colorless eyes, as if she was ready to face her death. It was then that Relof wondered if he was ready to face his own. Was he ready to be sent to the block, even if it was in the name of Skyrim? This woman he had barely known for more then maybe a few hours seemed ready to lay her life on the line for whatever her next goal was. He now began to wonder if he could do that.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm," A blonde imperial began to recite his list, checking off the names as the body they belonged to stepped forward to their death.
"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric," Relof stated with pride evident in his eyes, heart, and words. He knew then that if Ulfric could walk to the block with his head held high, so could he.
"Relof of Riverwood," The same blonde imperial recited, watching as Relof walked away. Al'skander sighed, shifting her weight to adjust to the absence of him to lean on.
"Lokir of Rorikstead," He declared, watching as the rude prisoner stepped forward.
"I'm not a rebel! You can't kill me!" He shouted, suddenly taking off with all the speed he could muster. Everyone tensed, waiting to see what would become of this poor soul who had thought it smart to run from the inescapable death.
"Sentries!" The captain shouted, watching as ten arrows were suddenly let loose and as all hit their mark. There were some gasps heard, watching as a man fell to his knees and his last breath hitched in his chest.
"You there," The blonde shot his words towards Al'skander, watching as she moved forward slowly. He studied her, then asking another question. "Who are you?" His voice rose in pitch, suggesting a bit of fear at her appearance. She smirked, looking him in the eyes as best she could.
"Al'skander," She murmured, watching as his eyes hinted at confusion. She knew he wanted more information, maybe enough to tell him what race she was – or better yet, where she was from.
"She's not on the list, Captain," His eyes fell from hers and back to the list before briefly showing the paper to the Captain. Al'skander smiled widely, some arrogance in the action, at the Captain. She seemed to say 'you'll never get the better of me,' and Relof found that he was watching with interest even from the far point of the block.
"She goes to the block," The Captain sneered, her own eyes returning the statement of 'oh yes, I will,' before she turned on her heel and lead Al'skander to the line of soon-to-be-dead-men. She ended up right next to Relof, shooting him a small smile before their attention was diverted once again.
"Ulfric Stormcloak, the jarl who used a power like the voice to murder his king and usurp the throne," General Tullius eyed the Jarl wearily, as if his very appearance made him sick to his stomach. A small part of Relof knew the feeling well, having to watch as his king was treated like no more then a common peasant. He wanted to break the binds and take the death himself, but knew that it would never work and would only end in his own suicide.
Suddenly, a cry erupted from the clouds above. Almost every head snapped in the direction of the sky, some muttered gossip already starting.
"What is that?"
"Did you hear that?"
"Keep your eye on the game, soldiers!" The Captain shouted, watching as her men obeyed her command and their eyes flitted back to her stiff figure. The prisoners watched as well, afraid that their head would be the first to join the pile. Ulfric gave a few muffled grunts as Tullius continued to criticize him before the General moved away and motioned for the Captain to take command once again.
"Give them their prayers," The Captain delivered her comment to a gold clad monk, watching as said monk raised their hands and started to stare at the sky. Both Al'skander and Relof snorted at her actions, then sharing a mutual look of 'really, what could a god do to save us now'?
"Can we get on with this already? I haven't got all day," Some fellow Stormcloak shouted out, stepping forward as the golden mistress eyed him warily before submitting to his wish. She backed away from the block as the Captain moved closer and shoved the man to his knees. "My ancestors are smiling upon me imperials. Can you say the same?" He declared, his voice not wavering in the slightest before the axe made contact with his neck. Relof heard a small gasp beside him, shocked to see that Al'skander had, after all, shown fear.
"The Nord in the rags, you're next," The Captain declared, watching as Al'skander faltered in her breathing. She shot Relof a glance, as if to say her goodbye before she was roughly pushed from the line. She walked to the Captain, standing in front of the woman for a split second.
"It hurts that you couldn't even remember my name," She smirked as the words left her mouth, a small chuckle escaping her lips as she was pushed to the block. Just as her head hit the stone and her eyesight fell onto the executioner with his blade raised above her, another loud cry erupted from the sky.
"What in oblivion is that!?" Someone shouted, the fear in his voice quite evident enough even without the cries and screams that shook the village around him. Children could be heard crying in fear as a giant, black winged beast landed on a tower. The Executioner fell to his knees, thrown off balance by the overpowering cry that shook Al'skander to her core.
"Al, over here! They won't let us have another chance like this," Relof shouted over the roar of falling rocks and fire in the sky. Al'skander pushed herself to her feet, her eyes scanning wildly for Relof before she found him, beckoning her towards another tower. She ran towards him, watching as he shut the door just as a claw dug its' way into the earth right before the step leading in.
"Come here, let me see if I can get those bindings off of you," Relof offered, pulling the slight woman closer to him. She nodded, outstretching her arms as he started to fumble with the rope.
"Could this really be a dragon of legend, Jarl Ulfric?" Relof stuttered, watching his work and hiding his eyes from his Jarl either out of respect or fear of the disapproval he had just earned himself.
"Legends don't burn down villages," Ulfric responded, his voice low and husky, shocking the ears of the unsuspecting new girl. She rubbed her wrists as Relof finished, allowing her to take a step back and regain some personal boundaries.
"Right, come on. We need to get out of here," Relof nudged Al'skander with his elbow, watching as her dazed white eyes flitted away from the Jarl. She nodded, her braids bouncing with each motion of her head. Relof turned and led her up the stairs, both with adrenaline pumping through their system.
"Ah, Relof so you made it out –" Another Stormcloak prepared to speak before the wall exploded around him. Al'skander and Relof crouched as they nearly fell, watching in awe as the dragon stuck its' head into the hole. It shouted incomprehensible words, fire shooting from its' mouth and threatening to burn both humans alive.
"Go. Jump down there and run," Relof demanded, pushing Al'skander towards the opening the dragon had left. She gasped, shooting him a confused look. Before she could say much more, she was falling, watching as the ground grew closer and closer until her legs coiled into the action. She stumbled forward before regaining her balance and dropping through a hole in the wooden floor to ground level.
"That a boy, you're doing great," She heard someone call, watching as a small child ran for cover with his father around the corner of an already burning building. The solder caught her eye, beckoning her over. "Still alive prisoner? Keep with me, if you want to stay that way," He demanded, watching as her eyes glinted with defiance. She glanced over her shoulder, knowing then that Relof had not followed her.
She ran to his side, grumbling as he pulled her closer as if she was just another piece of property. Suddenly, he was running and taking her with him. She stumbled over her own two feet before they came to a stop near a still intact building, watching as the dragons' claws nearly split the soldier in half. Before he could move, she was running, determined to get out of his grip and find Relof.
She turned a few more corners, soon coming to the main battlefield where mages and archers were using all the power they had in hopes of bringing the dragon down. Al'skander wanted to shout that there was nothing fire or iron could do to a beast that appeared to be invincible to both. She sighed and ran ahead of them, coming to a split path before she spotted the familiar blonde soldier.
"Relof!" She shouted, running to his side at the same moment the imperial solder came up behind her.
"Hadvar, you traitor," Relof sneered, drawing his axe free as if he intended to fight a man he appeared to have known well.
"I am not the one who is going against the king, Relof," Hadvar retorted, watching as anger flared in the other mans' eyes.
"Hadvar, into the keep! We're leaving, soldier!" General Tullius shouted over the roar of fire and crowds, his own cry soon drowned out by other's dying screams. Hadvar turned on his heel, shouting over his shoulder to Al'skander.
"With me, prisoner," He stated, but he never looked back. She grasped onto Relof's sleeve a bit tighter, walking with him as they slipped unnoticed into the other side of the keep. Once the doors were shut behind him, Al'skander released his arm and looked around the stone surroundings. She watched as Relof moved forward, kneeling next to the body of one of his fellow fallen soldiers.
"We'll meet again in Sovringarde, brother," He muttered under his breath before he stood up again. "You might as well take his clothes. He won't be needing them anymore," Relof instructed, watching as she moved numbly to obey his command. He turned his back to her, stating that she should let him know when she was done. So, she nodded and started to slip from her exposing rags and into the more appropriate Stormcloak tunic. As soon as the garment was over her head, she signaled that Relof could turn back around.
"Suits you well," Relof commented, getting a smile out of her as she noticed the dusting of blush that covered his dirty cheeks. She sat down, slipping on the boots and immediately noticing that they would be too large for her. She sighed, tightening the strings as far as they would go around her skinny legs. As she made to stand up, Relof's eyes questioned her. "Don't you need a weapon?" He muttered, his confusion mostly in his face, rather then his eyes.
"I have all the weapons I need," She replied, outstretching her hand as a small fire started to caress her fingers. He looked to her in shock, then checking his emotions as he heard loud footfall on the other side of a gate. They both tensed, quickly moving to either side of the gate in a stealthy crouch. As the gate opened, Al'skander threw Relof a 'be careful' glance, then jumping out in front of the enemy. They gasped, barely having a second to inhale before she was setting them on fire. As they tried to strike her in a mad, blind rage of pain, she would dodge their blows lithely, then turning around to finish burning them to a cinder.
She turned to Relof when it was all over, her painted lips spreading into a charming smile. He uncoiled, standing straight and realizing that that had been the first fight he had done nothing in.
"A mage… go figure," He muttered, watching as her slight shoulders shook with laughter. He moved to the Captains body, digging around in her pockets and coming out with a dull silver key. He flipped it around in his hand, flashing it to his companion with an accompanying smile. She snatched it from his pale hand, getting him to whirl around and follow her in mock anger.
"Shall we get out of here, then Relof?" She teased, shoving the key into the door and tossing it over her shoulder back to him. He sighed, watching her back as they descended into the darkened corridors of the keep.