And they say that a hero can save us

I'm not gonna stand here and wait.

I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles

Watch as we all fly away.

Now that the world isn't ending, it's love that I'm sending to you

It isn't the love of a hero and that's why I fear it won't do.

"Hero" by Nickelback

Chapter 1: A Mother's Love

It was a long, cold ride to Whiterun. The fog was thick and obscured everything not within twenty feet of me. This was good, for it would provide me with an easy escape. Dusk had just settled and with the fog and Shadowmere's speed, we should have no trouble. I pulled out a piece of folded parchment. On it was a drawing of a house and a woman. The woman was my objective.

"Make her suffer, but don't kill her." Astrid had said. "That's your goal."

"But what about the blood price? Sithis demands blood." I had replied.

She smiled. "You are to kill her child. As long as you do it while she watches, you may do what you wish. Take the blood for yourself. It does not matter." She leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Go, my child, and bring honor to the Dark Brotherhood."

The monster inside thirsted for pure blood. I considered this for a while, thinking it would be good to try blood that had not been tainted by drink. My cold heart livened at the thought. My gums began to tingle as I thought of my fangs sinking into tender flesh. Eagerly, I flew from Shadowmere and entered the city. It took me but a few moments to find the house. I knocked on the door.

"I'll be just a moment!" Came a voice from within.

A woman opened the door and peered at me suspiciously. "Who are you and what do you want?"

I shoved the door into her, sending her flying. While she was still recovering, I moved inside, shut the door and bolted it. She scrambled to her feet. "What are you doing?"

I smiled at her. "Sithis sends His regards."

"Sithis… no!" She tried to run, but I grabbed her by the arm and followed the scent of pure blood, dragging her along. She was screaming protests the entire way but she was helpless.

When I found the child, he was crying, almost as if he knew what was about to happen. I threw her against the wall and stooped to take the toddler in my arms. The beast within was licking its chops, ready for the pleasant meal to come. The woman threw herself at me, catching me unawares and making me stumble for a couple steps. When I looked back at the crib, she was standing between the child and me.

"Take me! Let him live!" She cried. Tears streamed down her face. She was shaking so badly she could barely stand, yet she was defying me.

"It is in your best interest to move out of the way." I growled.

Her bright blue eyes bored into mine. For but a moment, I was lost in those eyes. There was something unfamiliar and foreign in them. Something I had never seen before.

She would fight me with every fiber of her being. She'd fight me even if she knew she had no chance of surviving. A small part of me wondered what would possess her to do such a thing.

"You let me bleed you dry before you'd let me kill him. Why?" I asked purely from curiosity.

"He is my son." No trace of fear was in her voice.

That was her only explanation? He was her son? It hit me like a punch in the stomach.

What I saw was a mother's love. And for all Astrid's words and promises, I'd never seen her look at me with such love in her eyes. I had made myself a stone cold killer for her. I forced my humanity away to please her so she'd love me. She used me. My whole life had been a lie. The beast within faded away as my blood ran cold.

I swallowed. "Take him and get as far away from Skyrim as you can." I said. I put my coin purse on a nearby table. "This should be more than enough gold to see you to safety."

She wouldn't budge. "I don't believe you!"

"I know my word means nothing to you, but I will not harm you or your son, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that the Dark Brotherhood doesn't pursue you."

She seemed to finally believe me. The child stood in his crib behind her, staring at me.

"If I may ask, what are your names?" I said.

"I'm Sierra and my son is Derron."

I nodded. "Farewell, Sierra." I turned to walk out.

"Wait!" I turned around. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because he doesn't deserve to die."

She started to smile, but her eyes widened in horror and she shrieked. A searing pain split across my lower back as I felt a blade slice into my flesh. I fell to my knees as Astrid walked in front of me, a bloody dagger in her hand. Sierra backed away from her.

"You're too weak Vikki. This little witch has you under her thumb. Did she mention to you that the bastard is Arnbjorn's son? She seduced my husband into sharing her bed and continues to spite him by caring for this little thing."

I fought against the pain and shoved myself to my feet.

"It was Arnbjorn who forced himself on me!" Sierra protested.

"DO NOT talk about MY husband like that." She slapped Sierra.

The beast started creeping upon me as Astrid reached for Derron. "So your solution is to slaughter an innocent child?" I said. "If anyone is at fault it is Arnbjorn. The contract should be for him, not Derron. But there isn't one, is there? No one prayed for this."

Astrid spun around. "You ungrateful little bitch!" She strode to me and punched me in the stomach. I fell to the floor gasping for breath. "I took you in. I raised you. I trained you! I gave you everything a mother could give!"

"You don't give a damn about me." I coughed. "I'm just a tool to you!"

She kicked me. "I'll deal with you later." She returned to Derron. Sierra had picked up a candlestick and charged Astrid, who shoved her effortlessly out of the way.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright. "You. Will. Not. Hurt. Them." With every bit of strength I had left, I threw myself at Astrid, tackling her. I did my best to hold her still. "GO!" I yelled to Sierra. Astrid head-butted me, making my vision go blurry. She kicked me off of her. In a blinding flash, she stabbed me again. I punched her, knocking her back. I scrambled on my hands and knees, yanking the dagger out and started swinging wildly, unable to see where Astrid was, but my strength was failing me. I collapsed on the floor. I could do no more. I had nothing left.

"I'll enjoy killing you." Astrid whispered in my ear. Then there was a huge crash and all of the sudden I was swaying. I could hear someone's heart beating its lullaby in my ear. This sensation was soothing to me. Then the swaying and hear beat were gone and all that was left was the darkness.