Hey all : It's been about time I post something on here rather than just lurk. I've had this idea floating around my head since I first started playing Skyrim so I thought 'why not?' and this is a result of that.

This fanfic is going to revolve around my female imperial Sage. The prologue is mostly to explain the background history of my characters and introduce them, so sorry if it drawls on for longer than you would like.

EDIT: I just posted the second chapter 10 minutes ago and I just realized I had some information that clashed so I just edited it a bit

Prologue

"Hey Sage! Hurry up!"

"Stop running ahead of me then!"

A sister and brother were wandering in the countryside of Cyrodiil, not a worry in sight. The younger girl – Sage - struggled to keep up with her brothers pace. All Sage wanted was to walk at a slow pace, taking in all the sights as they came while the boy wanted to rush everywhere and see everything before it was too late.

Sage and her brother Norlan spent most of their time together, as they were often dragged around to new, strange places by either of their parents and only had each other as a constant source of companionship. Their mother was a well known alchemist with multiple books published, and travelled to and far promoting alchemy and her books. Their father a general in the Imperial army, and often was in other regions of Tamriel or attending important meetings or events. Because of this, one quarter of their time was spent with their father and if they were lucky enough they could join in some of the things he did. Another quarter of their childhood was with their mother when she was at home experimenting with new potions or writing up a new book. Sometimes if the siblings were lucky, both parents would be home with them. When both their parents were away they would be sent to live in the countryside of Cyrodiil with their elderly uncle & aunt, helping out the woodcutting business situated there. Sage and Norlan spent so much time travelling that the only home they really knew of was with each other.

As they got older, and reached their teen years with Sage at 14 and Norvar at 16, the precious time spent with their family got ever smaller with each year. Their father was getting increasingly caught up in military and political issues, and eventually was ordered to help out in other regions, and in the end had little time to be with his children. Time with their mother was increasingly sparse as her sister fell ill, and she was determined to find a cure for her. The two had never met their mother's sister before, and neither did their mother gave much detail about the situation. Sage and Norlan found themselves practically living their lives with their relatives, whose age was starting to show.

They were getting… bored of their surroundings. Life lacked something for the two wild youths, and they weren't going to settle for nothing. The siblings began to steal from anyone and everyone – and they were good at it too. The Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil quickly nabbed them and put the two under their wing. They were gaining a reputation to say at the least. The dodgy life they lead only brought them closer with every heist or burglary they performed together. Sage and Norlan were more than siblings, or partners in crime – they were best friends.

And it all came crashing down on them the day they were caught.

Furious and enraged, their father sent letters of anger and disappointment, shortly ordering them to live in the Imperial city where they could be closely watched, 24/7. Their mother ceased contact with them, which they assumed was because of the utter shame she felt for having such rebellious children. Angry and hurt, they disconnected from everyone – even each other. Norlan wanted a way out of what he considered a prison and to go exploring far far away from everything he grew up with. Sage had accepted the truth that what she had done in her youth was bad, and made a vow to never go back to stealing and running with the bad crowds.

Just when everything seemed to have calmed down, they received news that their mother was dead.

A letter came to them one day, informing of what their mother had really been doing all those years. She was a witch and a follower of a Hagraven that had been terrorizing civilians for years. Shortly after being found out and caught, she was publicly executed. After the shock, their father refused to recognize his own family, for it brought him much grief to know that the person he loved had done terrible things and so did his offspring.

With the final bombshells, Norlan snapped. That night he escaped, leaving a single note for Sage.

I can't handle this anymore. Skyrim and freedom calls for me. Maybe one day we'll meet again, who knows.

Sage immediately burned the note, and spoke nothing of it to anyone. She accepted his choice, but even with that, the young imperial couldn't help but feel hurt, left behind.

Now in her 25th year, Sage grew to be a respectable imperial woman whose past was completely behind them. She abided by the laws, and lived a peaceful and productive life like any other civilian. Her father never tried reconciling with Sage, but she didn't mind it. Even with all of this, she frequently wondered where Norlan was, and how life was for him. A pang of longing and sense of adventure would ache inside of her. As much as she tried ignoring it, nothing could calm the raging emotions and longings stirring within her.

When word of an uprising and the death of the high-king in Skyrim reached the Imperial City, the city was sent into an uproar of surprise. It proved to be popular gossip, but Sage was too caught up in her thoughts to discuss the recent news with fellow imperials. All that she was able to think of was her brother Is he still alive? Had he been caught in the crossfire of the growing civil war? What if he was involved in the rebellion? What if he was going to die because of it all? What if he already died?

Immediately she sold everything that belonged to her, got her hands upon some armor and weapons and left the safety of the Imperial City.

Nothing was going to stop her from crossing into Skyrim and finding her brother

And that's that! I've already started chapter one :) Reviews and constructive criticisms are very welcomed. Thanks for reading!