A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for checking out my story! This is my first story on here in a few years, so I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or any characters found in the game. I do own Raesa and her blossoming character!
Chapter 1: Rags
Mountains are rough and cold, giving nothing but the harsh terrain born of time and weather, and taking everything from anyone who dares to traverse the narrow passages between their mighty peaks. They seem so peaceful from a distance; their snow capped tops disappearing among peaceful and harmless clouds as the dark earth rises to brush the sky. But the mountains deceive and hide their treacherous paths from view.
The harshness of the mountains was the first lesson Raesa Atrius learned from life. All the young woman had left on her person was a compass, a map, and a few berries she had picked the day before. All other provisions had been exhausted. Her fur lined robes were in tatters, her dark brown hair greasy and tangled in a messy braid, and her face was covered in dirt or splashed with mud. Gray eyes scanned the beginning of a forest before her, eager to find life and regain her former hygienic standard. She was the daughter of a prominent family and used to pleasures such as daily bathing, pampering, and warm meals with leftovers for servants to eat. Why had she left such comforts behind for the uncivil, unsafe environment of the mountains?
Until her impulsive journey to Skyrim, Raesa was a nobleman's daughter, educated in the ways of magic, politics, and human culture. But out in the wild, with no fur lined covers or warm hearth, she became the student of life. After weeks of climbing, of scrounging for food and sleeping in whatever shelter was not already taken by something stronger or more vicious than herself, she managed to cross the highest point of the mountain pass, and began her descent into the land of Skyrim.
As the young Imperial woman made her way through the forest, she stumbled upon a bricked road and assumed it would lead her somewhere close to a human or mer settlement. It had to. Beasts did not lay down brick to travel upon, did they? Raesa shook her head and consulted her map, figuring she had to be closer to Falkreath than Riften. She was still too close to the mountains and the ground had fresh snow. She had to be close to Falkreath. Where then would she go? Looking at her map and compass, she decided to follow the road East.
The sun was passing its midday point when Raesa heard the sound of horses approaching at a slow, steady pace. Panic gripped the young woman for a moment and she took cover behind thick berry bushes, watching the road for the appearance of its travelers. As she waited, weary from her time in the mountains with little food and even less rest, she missed the telltale signs of someone sneaking up on her until it was too late. A strong, hard object slammed into the back of her head and she groaned as she fell to the ground, a dark figure looming over her. "Could be a spy." Before she could make out another word, the young Imperial was tugged into unconsciousness by the blow she had suffered.
The sound of wood creeking and shifting against stone was the first sensory detail Raesa notice. The scent of animal waste and hay was the next. Bright sunlight dimmed her sense of sight and the nerves in her body registered the jolts as movement. There was pain in the back of her head and she groaned softly, drawing the attention of someone close by.
"Hey. You. Finally awake." Once her eyes adjusted, Raesa looked around and found herself in a horse drawn cart with four men. A blond man, a Nord by the shade of his skin, was looking at her with concern. She slowly nodded and winced, the motion causing more pain than she liked. With another glance around the cart, she noticed another blond and a brunette. The blond man wore furs and was gagged, his eyes piercing and angry as they glanced at her, then away. She shivered, feeling ice in her veins.
"You were trying to cross the border, right?" Raesa's eyes came back to the Nord who had shown concern to her, and slowly nodded again, the pain beginning to ebb. "Walked right into that Imperial ambush." Imperial ambush? Why would the Imperials need an ambush? "The same as us, and that thief over there." Raesa turned her eyes to the brunette and wondered if he really was a thief or just as unfortunate as she was.
"Damn Stormcloaks." She frowned at the thief and looked at the two Nords again and noticed one was wearing blue armor. She had never seen a Stormcloak or even a representation of them in the Imperial City. The Imperials she knew and associated with were not concerned with the petty civil war happening in the northern province. Raesa wondered if she shouldn't have paid better attention when her father spoke of the Stormcloaks and their leader. "Empire used to be nice and lazy." The Empire? Lazy? Raesa snorted and shook her head. "You there! You and me. We shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." Raesa couldn't agree more. She didn't belong on a wagon with treasonous people! She was a daughter of the Imperial City! Not some common rabble.
The Nord spoke again and she quickly learned she was not in the company of common criminals, but the traitor himself, Ulfric Stormcloak. He was the reason for the war, for the heavy Imperial presence in Skyrim, and ultimately for this mess she was in. She narrowed her eyes, and wanted to say something witty to the damned Jarl, but the wagons were entering a walled town.
Civilization at last! It was small compared to her home, but there were people and houses, even the strong scent of food. Her stomach growled and she couldn't help smiling, believing her struggle to be over. The dream, however, was short lived and crushed as the wagons stopped and the prisoners unloaded. Names were read off by a strong soldier in Imperial red, the auburn strands of his hair brightened by the color of his uniform. The horse thief tried to escape, but he was quickly dealt with, making Reasa quickly dismiss any thoughts of running. The soldier turned to her now, a frown on his face. "Who are you?"
Raesa stepped forward, sweat beading on her temples and the back of her neck. She would go to the block if she failed to convince the Imperial soldiers she was no criminal. "I'm Raesa Atrius, from the Imper-"
"You're a long way from the Imperial City. What are you doing in Skyrim?" Before Raesa could answer him, the Nord had turned to his superior, a woman with more impressive gear. "Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list."
"Forget the list." The woman's voice was a harsh bark and Raesa flinched at the icy disregard for her life. "She goes to the block."
"No! I'm not with the Stormcloaks! I'm not a thief!" Reasa's heart was pounding, fear and adrenaline coursing through her. She could not die, not while she had so much left to do in her life.
"I'm sorry." The soldier with the list turned mournful eyes on her and she could see her head rolling from the block into the rickety crate they had set up below the block. "We'll make sure your remains-"
"I have a ring!"
"Bribes won't work, prisoner. Follow the Captain."
"No! My father's signet ring. I'm from the Atrius family of the Imperial City. My father is an advisor to the Emperor-"
"Enough!" The Captain was approaching and Raesa was desperate, looking to the young man, eyes pleading for help.
"Wait, Captain. What if she is?" The two shared a long look before the Captain released her, slightly shoving her towards the man. He caught her and gave her an apologetic smile. "Where is the ring?"
"Around my neck." He slowly reached for the edge of her collar and pulled a leather cord from beneath her clothing, revealing an antique ring with the crest of the Atrius family. He looked into her eyes and she smiled shyly, unsure how to explain what she was doing without an escort in a foreign land.
"She's not lying, Captain." The Captain glared and gestured with her chin to two soldiers who quickly approached and relieved the young soldier of Raesa. The two men, bows slung over their shoulders, escorted the young Imperial to the porch of a nearby house. One cut her bindings while the other returned to his post as sentry. Neither apologized to her nor did they offer any assistance, their attention wrapped up in the executions taking place. Raesa was sickened by the scene and turned away, a dull roar shaking the earth. Were the winds so strong in Skyrim they made the earth tremble?
The earth settled and the swing of an axe, followed closely by the sound of splitting flesh, filled the air. A shiver ran down the young woman's spine as the next prisoner was called forward. Another roar sounded, this time closer and louder than the last, sending a chill along Raesa's body as she turned toward the execution.
A giant lizard-like creature with wings and a horned skull descended from the clouds, turning them into a swirling purple haze, and landed atop the roof of the keep as people were knocked to the ground. Raesa manage to grab onto one of the poles supporting the roof, watching with rapt fascination and horror as fire spewed from the creature's mouth and engulfed men. A wild instinct moved her body, shifting her legs and forcing her to run, to find shelter within the house, away from the horrid beast.
The sound of beating wings filled the air and screams of victims or frightened men soon followed. She heard a crash, then the whoosh of air before more screams and the light of fire showed through the cracks in the roof. Raesa recognized the sound of falling brick and threw herself out of the house, the world outside plunged into flame and chaos. The soldier with the list appeared, the one face she could recognize, and spoke to her, but she couldn't make out the words for the crashing of the world around them. "Stay with me!" She nodded and followed, jumping around fire and down stairs, through doorways and past panicking soldiers.
She was rattled, but something in her drove her forward, demanded she live to spite the terror. The soldier was her guide, her light through the darkness erupting around her. He pulled her into the keep and slammed the door, the beast screeching its fury at those left outside or unguarded.
"Th-thank you." Raesa looked up into grey eyes of her savior and noticed they were both panting for breath.
He gave her a soft smile and she prayed to each of the eight divines, thanking them for this man. "Let's see if there's some armor around here. And a sword." He slowly released her and began his search while she collected herself, knowing she would need her wit to complete the strange journey she had been thrown into.
"What is your name, soldier?" He was returning with a uniform slung over his shoulder, boots in one hand, and a sword in the other.
"Hadvar. Hadvar of Riverwood."
A/N: Comments and questions are appreciated!