Chapter 1: Escape
As his eyes slowly opened, Valen tried standing up to see what was going on. Suddenly, the round shook, and he was forced back down onto the hard, wooden bench. Then his eyes adjusted and Valen realized he was on a cart. The first thought going through his head was that he had not escaped the Argonians, that he was on his way back to Mournhold to be executed. But then he was something he had only seen in the high peaks of the Velothi Mountains. Snow. He was in Skyrim.
"Well, that's some comfort" Valen thought. "With any luck, they won't know who I am, and I might just be charged for crossing the border" He was fairly certain whatever the laws of Skyrim required, it was better than ever going back to Morrowind.
"Hey, you. You're finally awake" Valen realized there was another man in the cart with him, and as he turned his head around, he saw that there were three other men in total with him, as well as another cart in front. The occupants of the other cart all wore the same attire, a bluish leather make. The man who had just called him out was wearing that armor too.
"What's your name, Elf" Well, that word said a lot, as well as his delivery of it. Valen decided to play along and said "Valen Azeroth"
"Isn't that one of those big houses over in Morrowind?" Okay, so he cared enough to learn about House Azeroth.
"It is. I was a soldier under the service of Lord Azeroth. Who do you serve, Nord?"
"I serve Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King of Skyrim. But what are you doing in Skyrim?"
Valen sat up and lifted his arms, which exposed the many scars and burns he had "I ran away because I had nothing. The family of Azeroth is no more. I am simply another Dunmer, trying to escape the jaws of the Argonians before they close on me."
"Well, at least the worst they'll make you do is hard labor for a few months, if they punish you at all. Crossing the border is almost impossible to catch these days, and it was probably just dumb luck that they caught you." One of the other two men spoke up. He was wearing rags, but looked well fed, and had the marks of a decent farm life. He also didn't fully look like a Nord.
"What are you here for, farm boy?" Valen asked.
"I tried to steal a horse. I wanted to get to Hammerfell" Redguard. That's what he looked like. Valen had heard of Hammerfell, where the people resisted both the Dominion and the Empire.
"What's wrong with him, huh?" The Redguard was referring to the last person in their cart. He was wearing clothing that was both elegant, and durable in a fight. He was also heavily gagged.
"Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King" So this was Ulfric. The leader of the rebellion.
"Jarl Ulfric. It's a pleasure to meet you" Valen wanted to be a courteous as possible, as this was a potential tool for exacting revenge on the Empire.
"What does an elf care about a true man like Ulfric?" The Stormcloak soldier lashed out.
"I care nothing for the Empire. They left my people to burn when Vvardenfell erupted. And then, when the Argonians invaded, they did nothing. NOTHING. We share very similar goals, Stormcloak. You want Skyrim to be free from the Empire. I wish to see the Empire burn." The Stormcloak seemed almost startled by the Dunmer's apparent rage. In truth, Valen was a bit surprised himself. Perhaps it was years of anger pouring out.
"So that's why you came to Skyrim."
"My intention was to head for Cyrodiil, but it looks like I might fare better in Skyrim, where I seem to have found friends. By the way, what is your name, soldier?" Valen had indeed already planned a campaign of sabotage in the Imperial Province.
"Ralof of Riverwood. I'm glad to have met you, Valen" The Nord was sincere, and Valen knew how to manipulate Nordic sincerity. By that time, their convoy had gotten to a fortified town. Ralof identified it as Helgen. The center of the town was surprisingly empty, consisting only of a small wooden block. Then Valen realized why they were stopping. At this point, the horse thief was praying to every god imaginable. Valen had no need for faith. He had made deals with Daedra on occasion, but he did not blindly follow them.
"This isn't happening. This isn't happening!" At this point, Valen swung around and grabbed the Redguard by the neck, with sparks dancing between his fingertips.
"Either face your death like a man or allow me to end your life now! Either way, shut up!" The Redguard fell silent. The Imperial barked an order, and a soldier began reading off names. When Ralof was called, he whispered "Off to Sovngarde" You had to hand it to the Nords, they even had an afterlife reserved for warriors and heroes. The legionnaires moved on to Valen. They did not recognize him, but that did not matter to their captain.
"Forget the list. He goes to the block" Filthy n'wah. If she were just a bit closer, Valen would have cast Ancestors Wrath. Let's see how arrogant she is when bathed in pure flame. But as it were, Valen decided to wait, relying on some last minute rebel attack to distract the Imperials. They were sure to mount SOME kind of rescue attempt. And even if it failed, Valen could still escape. But as he was led up to the block, his faith began to waver. Perhaps it was time to break out Wrath after all. But then, he saw something he had only seen once before. When Valen had been climbing the Velothi Mountains, he had seen something truly awesome and terrible flying overhead. A dragon. Valen had managed to hide in a crevice until it flew away, but he never forgot the way it looked. This was a dragon. The bastard landed on the tower and let loose two enormous shouts. One blackened the skies and sent balls of fire raining down from the heavens. The other one sent Valen, the executioner, and several legionnaires flying. As Valen leaped to his feet, he saw the executioner had broken his neck upon landing. Valen looked around frantically for shelter, then heard Ralof calling.
"Hey, Valen! Over here! Get into the tower!" Valen quickly raced to the sound of Ralof's voice. However, his vision was still blurred, and he ended up crashing into Ralof and sending them both skidding into the wall. As Ralof pushed Valen aside, Ulfric ran into the tower along with a few Stormcloaks. They slammed the door shut, then laid the wounded down on the floor.
"Jarl Ulfric! What was that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked.
"Legends don't burn down villages" Ulfric responded simply. Then, he shook off the shock and took command. "We need to move. Now!" Valen was meanwhile quickly moving up the tower. He saw that the stairs were blocked, but no sooner had he and another Stormcloak begun moving the debris away when the dragon's head burst through the wall and let loose a wave of fire. The Stormcloak was killed, and Valen was saved only by the Dunmer's natural resistance to flame. The dragon then flew off, allowing Valen to jump through the newly made hole in the tower and race through the town. Valen had almost made it to the gate when he saw a group of Imperial soldiers regrouping there. Not wanting to risk running through them, Valen decided to follow a group of Stormcloaks as they darted into the keep, away from the dragon's fire.