"Hey! She's waking up!" exclaimed a Nord voice, "So you're finally awake. You were caught trying to cross the border, huh? Same as us and that thief over there."
"If it wasn't for you guys I would have stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell," pouted Lokir. "What happened to him?"
"Watch your tongue! You are speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak the true High King! What village are you from horse thief?"
"Why?"
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."
"Rorikstead. I'm from Rorikstead."
"This is Helgen," the nord said as they approached the town. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny, as a boy, the Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe."
"Stop the carriages and let our the prisoners!" barked an Imperial man.
"Yes, General Tullius!" replied a female Imperial captain. "When Hadvar calls your name step to the block! One at a time!"
"Empire loves their damn list," complained the blond Nord.
One by one a soldier named Hadvar called their names and there was complete silence until he called, "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm."
"It has been an honour Jarl Ulfric!" The blond Nord exclaimed.
"Ralof of Riverwood," continued Hadvar as the blond Nord left for the block following Jarl Stormcloak.
"Lokir of Rorikstead."
"You'll never kill me!" Lokir yelled as he ran away from the block and towards the exit.
"Archers!" the captain called and they shot him right in the back of the head.
"Wait, who are you?" Hadvar asked the young girl in rags.
"Uhh…" she hesitated. Damn. What should I say? That I am a runaway named Isabelle from a village northeast of Winterhold and I ran away because I didn't want to marry this guy? No. This is my chance to make a new beginning. I have a feeling that I might be safe.
"I am Symphony of the rare Lunari race of elves," she said confidently.
Hadvar examined the Lunari very carefully. Her body was curvy in all the right places, it was strong, yet delicate, men would die for a woman with that kind of body. Average breast size, but that didn't matter to him for he was in love with being in the Imperial Legion. Most of her white blond hair was in a ponytail. Some of the left side of her hair fell in front of her face that didn't look like it fell out it looked more like a fashion choice.
"What should we do captain? She's not on the list."
"Forget the list! She goes to the block!"
"What?!" sputtered Symphony in shock.
"Follow the captain prisoner. Nice and easy," Hadvar said to her as he let her to the block behind the captain, a look of sorrow on his face.
"Ahh… Ulfric Stormcloak," General Tullius said smoothly, "You started this war! Plunged Skyrim into chaos! And now… The Empire is going to put you down!"
"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwr!" something yelled in the distance.
"What was that?" asked Hadvar.
"It's nothing. Read the prisoners their last rights."
"As we commend your souls to Atherious, blessing of the Eight Divines.."
"Let's get this over with! I haven't got all morning!" spat a brunette stormcloak soldier stepping up to the block. "My ancestors are smiling upon me Imperials. Can you say the same?"
Whoosh went the axe as the headsman chopped off his head.
"Next the elf!" The Captain ordered.
"To the block prisoner. Nice and easy." Hadvar said sorrowfully.
Symphony sighed to herself. Her luck had run out in the end. She went 240 years without marrying anyone and when the elders chose her to marry him she was lucky enough to have a window of time to slip out unnoticed from the village. Now she was going to die a week into her newfound freedom. She slowly moved forward and kicked the body of the man before her away. Even slower she dropped down to her knees and placed her head on the block. "May I have an epitaph?" she asked pleadingly.
"General… Can she?" The captain asked with a shocked expression on her face.
"What is it?" General Tullius asked the girl.
"She died knowing her spirit is free," she replied with tears in her eyes.
"Of course," answered the General softly so only she could hear it.
The headsman readied his axe and held it up. Symphony closed her eyes and braced herself for her beheading.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!"
"WHAT IN OBLIVION IS THAT?!" yelled the General.
"DRAGON!" yelled the female stormcloak soldier.
Just then with a shout of the dragon's voice fireballs began to rain from the sky. Symphony rolled away just seconds before one of them hit her.
"GET THE TOWNSPEOPLE TO SAFETY!" barked Tullius.
"Hey Symphony this way! The gods won't give us another chance." Ralof's voice rang in her ears.
Symphony ran towards his voice and into a tower. The door was shut behind her.
"Jarl Ulfric, what do we do? Could the legends be true?"
"Legends don't kill people. Everyone up the tower"
As the Lunari climbed the tower the dragon broke through the wall and shouted, "YOL TOOR SHUL!"
"Jump, Girl!" exclaimed the Jarl when the serpent past.
Symphony did as she was told and jumped landing on the second floor of a burning building. She ran a little build and jumped to the first floor and out the burning hole in the wall.
Running all the way to the door of what looked like a keep she stopped to take a breath when she heard, "Ralof, you traitor! Get out of the way!"
"You are not stopping us from escaping, Hadvar!"
Hesitating Symphony wondered who she should follow to get out. Ralof had saved her life, but Hadvar's worry about her when he first saw her gave her the impression that he thought she was a childhood friend to him and she took off after the Imperial soldier.
"Come here. Let's see if I can get those bindings off." Hadvar struggled a little bit with the bindings but after a couple of seconds he got them off.
"Thanks."
"Let's find you some armour. We can't have you running around in rags."
After a few moments of searching they found a chest with armour in it. Hadvar turned around while she was changing and three minutes later he felt a tap on the shoulder.
"Does it look like it fits alright?" said the lunari.
Hadvar inspected her and with a smile he told her it fit perfectly.
They made their way through the keep only stopping to catch their breaths. When they made it out they both breathed in the smell of fresh air deeply.
"The nearest town from here is Riverwood. Let's go, my uncle lives there and he can help us."