Adventures of Lyrra Shadowscale

by Fallenwolfe

The daughter of an argonian merchant is captured, escapes, and begins to claim her own way of life in the unforgiving land of Skyrim. (contains the story of my own character Lyrra, as well as meetings with characters of close friends later on. WARNING: Contains spoilers, nudity, and graphic violence, as well as alcohol, and probably drug reference later on.

For a shift of inspiration I'll be taking a temporary break from Atonement as my attention has spontaneously shifted to Skyrim. I will get back to it eventually though.

Disclaimer: Please note that I don't own the elder scroll series (no shit right?)

I hope you enjoy my work, comments and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Groaning, I held my head as my vision slowly came into focus, but what I saw took a while to understand. Trees passed me by as if I were flying, a horse's hooves could be heard to my left, my vision bounced and my head pounded as I finally understood, I was in a cart. I tried to move but my hands were bound.

"So, you've finally come to, have you?" furrowing my brow, I looked at him confusedly. He was not an ugly man; in fact he was better looking than the average peasant farmers and pot-bellied bartenders that populated this gods-forsaken ice-waste. He had blond hair and was well built, crouched over in the wagon as we were I couldn't tell his height, but at a glance he seemed slightly above average. He wore a blue, leather padded tunic reinforced with chain-mail, clearly he was a soldier.

To his right sat a smaller man, also a Nord, but this one was thin. He wore dirty rags that could barely be called clothing and his stench wafted into my nostrils and made me want to gag. His hair was brown and matted and he just stared at the floorboards of the cart, mumbling incoherently to himself.

I looked back to the soldier, "What happened?" My throat was dry and gravelly from disuse; my normally smooth reptilian hiss had been worn down by dehydration.

"I saw them take you when you tried to cross the border to the south, it wasn't a pretty sight." He leaned back and stayed silent for a while as my memory came back to me, albeit pieces at a time.

Yes, now I remember. All I wanted to do was go home, now I'm stuck in a prison cart with a ragtag soldier and a stinking peasant, probably a thief. I remembered climbing down a mountain, freezing to death as I lost my footing. Another image came back, a group of Imperials wearing red and steel armor had camped for the night. I tried to sneak in and steal some food and a blanket. They caught me, the rest I would rather not remember.

Sighing, I leaned my head back and thought about what might happen to me. Probably some rotting dungeon, where I'll get raped. With the country in the state of war that it's in the imperial army won't take kindly to border jumpers. These thoughts ran through my head over and over again and I tried to enjoy the scenery while I could, and then I noticed him.

To my right sat another man, this one was clearly someone of importance. He wore a long wolf skinned coat over a finely knitted black shirt. His hair was brown and braided into long strands, he looked at me and I saw his eyes were dark and troubled. I nodded at him, "and who're you?"

Slowly he turned away and I noticed there was a thick cloth tied around his mouth, gagging him. The soldier answered for him, "My name is Raylof of Riverwood, and this is Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Whiterun, leader of the Stormcloak army and true king of Skyrim."

I just smirked and shook my head as the driver of the wagon turned and glared at us, "That's enough chatter out of you, now be quiet before I gag the rest of you as well!" yawning, I went back to enjoying the scenery, trying not to let the escort of armed guards and wagon full of captured soldiers following behind, worry me.

Ulfric Stormcloak, if they've got him with us then there's no way this will turn out good. Damn, I've got to get out of here quick. But it was no use, by the time I had loosened my bonds we were already rolling through the entrance of a large stone wall, heavy oak doors held open on either side. Our cart rolled down a winding street, peasants and merchants came out to watch the procession and mothers sent their children inside and shut the doors.

"Ah, Helgen, a nice town, I had a sweetheart here once, I'm pretty sure she's still carrying my bastard!" he burst out laughing and I looked at him, Raylof seemed in good spirits for a man who was about to be imprisoned.

Suddenly the cart jerked to a stop and the guard called out, "All right, end of the line scum everybody out!" One by one we half jumped and were half dragged off the cart by more Imperial guards waiting in the open courtyard. They forced at sword-point into neat columns and rows and began reading off names.

"Ulfric Stormcloak!" the commanding voice belonged to an older man in officer's armor standing next to a similarly garbed woman half his age, but she projected a bearing of military discipline and natural authority. Ulfric silently stepped forward and they herded him to the side, next to a chopping block. Shit! "Raylof of Riverwood!" He stepped forward as well and nodded to me.

"It's a nice day to meet the gods, I am proud to have served you, Jarl Ulfric."

I glanced at the block; it was dripping blood, stained fresh from prior executions. I nearly cut my bonds in panic, but there were too many guards. I would shot down by those archers before I could make ten paces, dammit! There has to be some way out. "Lokir of Rorikstead!"

"No! You can't do this! I'm not a rebel, you'll never take me!" I scowled as the dirty peasant sprinted down the street, weaving to no avail as an arrow punched effortlessly through his shoulder blades and he fell lifeless into the stone. I knew it…

"Would anyone else like to run?" the woman's voice was harsh and brisk, I assumed the years of winter she spent out here had affected her lungs. She nodded back to the older man and he looked back at his list.

He looked at me, confusion running through his brow. He looked down at his list, then back at me, then to the woman, "Excuse me sir, this one isn't on the list, there must have been a mistake." My heart leapt; maybe there was a way out after all.

Coolly the woman looked down at him, "So, you have a quill don't you?" Shit! "You, prisoner what's your name!?"

Sighing I bit my lip and shifted nervously, I knew this woman's type, pleas for mercy would only make her laugh. All I could hope for was to die with some respect, "Lyrra Shadowscale of Blackmarsh." Squaring my shoulders I met her cold gaze with my own frosty stare.

Impassively she looked back to the man, "Let it be noted that at least one lizard has the decency to die quietly," she looked back to me, "I'll see that your remains are sent to your homeland."

Of my own accord I walked to stand in the line waiting to be beheaded. One after the other the soldiers' heads rolled to the ground and painted the stone and wood with sprays of arterial blood that would forever stain this site. My mind was blank as I was pulled forward; there were only three of us left, the ragtag Raylof, Ulfric, and myself. I was pushed to my knees. I winced as the cold stone smashed into my knees, I laid my head into the crescent cut of the chopping block, and it was sticky and smelled of copper from the others. In the distance I heard a roar, the spectators and soldiers all stopped and looked into the sky. The massive headsman turned also and I made to break for it, but the woman officer was ahead of me, "What are you all gawking at?! We have a schedule to keep, make it quick!"

Behind me I heard a priest begin to pray to the divines for my soul and I snorted, "Save your breath priest, your gods gave me no comfort in life, why should they in death?"

"As you wish, heathen." A book snapped shut and I looked to the headsman, a giant of a man. His muscles rippled in thick cords along his arms and he wore a black leather apron that covered his hairy chest, his face was obscured by a black hood, I nodded and took one last breath as I saw him raise his crimson axe, permanently stained red from the blood of its victims.

The ground began to quake and stone crumbled and crashed around me as I winced from the massive roar that split through my skull. I fell from the chopping block and rolled, dazed as I looked up and saw a massive beast perched atop the watchtower next to us. My vision swam as fire fell from the sky and pieces of wall and stone shattered around me. A dragon!?

I rose to my feet as the screams of dying and panicked soldiers and peasants dominated the town. Raylof was shouting and waving at me, I couldn't hear his words but the message was clear enough, I followed him as we sprinted into the tower on which the dragon was perched.

Once inside we met up with the man named Ulfric and another Stormcloak soldier that had managed to survive somehow, Raylof bent over and caught his breath, "What was that, Jarl Ulfric? I thought dragons only lived in fairy tales!"

The Jarl simply shrugged as the building shook, "Fairy tales don't burn down cities, do they?" The walls shook and cracks began to split through the stone as the tower threatened to come down on top of us.

Raylof cracked his neck and motioned toward the stairs, "Hurry we've got to get out of here, we can jump to the houses from the top, there's no way we can go back out that door!" I shrugged and awkwardly followed him up with my hands bound in front of me. Halfway up the stone exploded and crushed the leading Stormcloak into a pile of bone and mush as a torrential inferno of flames shot through the opening. We crouched against the wall and I winced as the searing heat threatened to roast me alive, I had never felt anything so destructive. The dragon flew away as Imperial mages began to assault him with blasts of fire and archers attempted to pierce him with their arrows. "Now's our chance, jump!"

I saw a thatched building below and didn't hesitate, the dragon was coming back. Falling through the air I crashed through the roof into a burning house about to collapse from the heat. I twisted my ankle and cried out as I inhaled a lungful of smoke. Coughing, barely able to see, I stumbled and tripped as I searched for the stairs. Suddenly I stepped into empty space and crashed into the floor below, a scream of pain tore its way from my throat as I felt a sharp searing pain tear through the ragged tunic that barely covered me and ripped into my side.

Gritting my fangs I weakly clawed my way to my feet and felt my side, my hand came away covered in burnt skin and ashen scales. Breathing heavily I pushed on into the street where the old man pulled a child from the blast of dragon fire just in time to save his life. He looked at me, the shock and surprise written clearly on his face, "You're still alive are you? Well stick with me if you want to stay that way!"

Silently I fell in behind him as we ran through the burning town to escape the dragon's wrath. It seemed there was no escape from the terrifying beast as we crouched behind a wall, right under his flame dripping jaws as we waited for him to finish incinerating the soldiers that tried attacking him from the street. Finally he flew away and we sprinted into an open area in front of the main guard's tower, were we met up with Raylof. The Imperial officer drew his sword, "Get out of our way bastard!"

Calmly the Stormcloak drew his axe, and looked at me, "What is it going to be Argonian? Do you want to cast your lot with the men that tried to take your life unjustly? Or will you come with me, together we can overpower him and you will be free to choose your own path once we escape, it's your choice."

My choice huh? It seems like it's time to do a lot of choosing, might as well… I stepped from behind the officer and stood next to Raylof. Angrily the officer snarled, "Fine! Have it your way!" He began to advance towards us and Raylof prepared to swing, until the Imperial disappeared under a massive claw in a spray of blood and bone that spattered my face. Instinctively we both ran for the heavy oak doors as the dragon roared and tore the Imperial apart and swallowed his crumpled corpse.

Once inside I sank against the wall with my head in between my knees, my still-bound hands held out in front of me. I could feel my scales itching from the multiple burns along my body and my side screamed in pain, not to mention my destroyed ankle. I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder and looked up to find Raylof looking at me, "You look like hell; here let me cut you free." He pulled a sturdy iron dagger from a sheath strapped around his boot and sliced through the bindings around my wrists.

Sighing I rubbed the life back into them and leaned wearily against the cold stone wall, "Give me a minute." He nodded and went searching around the room. Breathing evenly I focused my mind inside myself and felt a warmth begin to rise, I let it build until I could feel it begin to flow and I focused it into my hands. My claws became surrounded in a golden light as I used the healing magic that nearly all inhabitants of this world are inherently born with to put my ankle and side back into place. The burns can wait; I don't even have the energy for that right now.

Raylof returned from his search and helped me to my feet, I felt refreshed. "This room has been completely sealed, there are two gates out but both are locked. I followed him to a small table as he explained the situation; he looked down sadly at a dead Stormcloak that lay broken next to the toppled chair. "This is Gunjar, a friend of mine and a good soldier, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you used his gear, he won't need it anymore after all."

Nodding, I bent over and undid the dead soldier's cuirass; I set it to the side as I pulled of his gauntlets, gloves, boots and trousers as well. Raylof stared with a slight blush as I unashamedly threw off the rags I had been wearing and my softly scaled, supple white breasts shone out under the torchlight in contrast to my black scaled skin. I smirked at him as I pulled the rough trousers over my thin, but finely curved hips and cinched the belt as tight as it would hold. Luckily Gunjar had a cotton undershirt and I pulled that on before pulling the lightweight cuirass over my head and belted that down as well. I don't even want to imagine the chafing without this undershirt. Finally I pulled on the furred boots and picked up his axe.

Raylof cleared his throat, "You can give it a few swings if you want, but I'm not sure if it will suit you very well."

Hefting the one-handed axe did not take much effort, but as I swung it experimentally I could tell it would tire me quickly in a fight, I shook my head, "No, this will get in the way." Instead I remembered the knife in Raylof's boot and an idea came to me, "do all of you Stormcloaks carry knives in your boots?"

Raylof nodded and grinned, "You have a keen eye, most of the older more experienced ones do, and the younger lads do it to look tough like us." I went back to Gunjar's body and searched the pile of miscellaneous gear I had left behind; sure enough I pulled a cheaply made dagger from under a worn leather helmet. I wove it into the straps that ran across my chest to hold my armor in place and tucked it upside down under my left side. "That's an interesting way to carrying a weapon, have you seen much combat?"

Nonchalantly I shook my head, "No, I was the daughter of a travelling merchant; it just feels like it should go there, why? Is it wrong?"

Puzzled he scratched at the stubble on his chin, "No, it's just for a fighting style I'm not familiar with, I've seen it used before though." He looked as if he were about to say something else, but voices shouted out from the locked gate to our left and we hid on either side, waiting for them to approach.

Hinges creaked as the gate burst open and two Imperial soldiers came rushing through, Raylof let out a war cry as he rushed them both and I waited, concealed in the shadows. They began to fight and the sound of clashing metal filled the room as Raylof was barely able to fend off the two attackers. He fell as he tripped over Gunjar's dead corpse and the two Imperials laughed as they stood over him. Now's my chance, neck, knee, elbow, armpit. I noted all the places in their armor where my knife would slip through as I silently crept up behind them, I didn't know how I was able to find the spots so easily, but I did. My instincts paid off as I grabbed the first one's throat in my claws from behind and held him as I shoved the point of my dagger down into the other's armpit. Stunned he dropped his sword and fell to the ground as his heart pumped his life out through the hole and the one in my claw gasped for air as I drove my bloodied dagger into the back of his neck, He fell limp without a sound and I dropped his weight to the floor.

Grunting he pulled himself to his feet end eyed me suspiciously, "A merchant's daughter my ass, by Ysgramor's beard that's the style I was talking about, you're one of those shifty assassin types aren't you!?" By now he had pinned me against the wall, his arm crushing my throat and his sword-point inches from my skull.

I bit my lip, trying not to squirm or cry out in fear, my voice was quiet and I struggled for air, "No, please I swear, it just came to me, I-I don't know how, I just did…" His sword wavered and a tear of fear escaped my ice blue eye. Please not like this, I don't want to die like this, I was so close. Suddenly I gasped for air and felt my head hit stone as I gasped for air and my vision swam with sparks.

"Fine, I believe you, best you make sure and watch yourself though, 'cause those shifty types aren't trusted in most places, but I can see the truth in your eyes.

Quietly I picked up my dagger and wiped it off on the dead guards before I sheathed it and walked through the open door that led to the winding stairs. We went down and down, winding our way further into the earth until the steps leveled out into a broad passageway filled with barrels and lit with torches, figures emerged around a bend in the other side and waved at us, it was Ulfric and a few stragglers he had rescued.

Raylof ran to meet them but the ceiling collapsed in front of him and he jumped back just in time to avoid being crushed by the pulverized debris. He cursed and walked back to me, "They'll have to find another way around, let's try this door here."

The door he spoke of was slightly ajar and we could hear voices from inside, "…Stock up as much as you can, but hurry, this place is going to fall on us any minute." Again Raylof burst in yelling and swinging his axe in frenzied swings like a madman out for blood. And again he was met by two Imperials that backed him into a corner. He fought furiously, I'm sure he remembers what happened last time. It seemed he did as he managed to hold them off. He managed to plant his axe in one man's chest but it got stuck, and he was left with nothing but to grapple as the other swung for him.

He caught the Imperial's wrist and stopped the sword overhead as they pushed back and forth in a contest of strength. Again my instinct took over and ghost-like, I glided over to the contest and drew my dagger and swiftly brought the blade across the back of the Imperial's knee. With a spurt of blood and an animalistic scream of pain the man fell and Raylof broke the red-armored soldier's wrist as he drove the man's own sword into his neck.

Heaving and sweating he retrieved his axe and stood up, wiping his brow, "At least I know you're on my side, " he laughed and spit out a mouthful of blood, "check these crates, there might be some useful potions in here."

Cleaning my blade I nodded and went to searching, the room was filled with crates and hanging animals ready to be skinned, I opened crate after crate and only found six small vials, filled with a thick red liquid that smelled slightly of blood and strawberries, a strange combination. "This was all I could find."

"They'll be good enough for now, these potions are potent things anyway, here," he held out a small pack, "you can put them in this, along with any other gear you might pick up." I placed the vials carefully in the side pocket and threw it over my back as we exited through another door and down another flight of stairs.

As we neared the bottom we could hear yelling and clashes of steal and the hiss of electrical magic coming from inside a hole in the cave wall. Raylof rushed in and I followed behind as we entered a torture chamber where two Imperials were fighting with two exhausted Stormcloaks. Raylof rushed in swinging with his axe and I easily stabbed the mage in his kidney through his soft armor, it was good enough to deflect slight blows but my thrust punched through easily and he fell wordlessly as his magic rubbed off on me and left my skin tingling uncomfortably. Without the interference of the mage the three Stormcloak easily finished off the remaining Imperial.

They both nodded to me and clapped hands with Raylof, "So who is this skilled young Argonian?" it was the taller of the two that asked.

Raylof roughly slapped my back and I stumbled forward, "This is Lyrra, a merchant's daughter until those damned Imperials caught her up."

"Good to have you with us, I think I'll call you mage-killer if that's alright by you; I've never seen anyone take out one of those bastards so easily." It was the shorter one who complimented me. He had long braided brown hair and an intertwined beard that touched his chest. His arms were thick and he was built like a rock, he could easily have broken me in half.

Blushing I shrugged, "Sure, I don't mind, if you really want to."

They all laughed and went to scavenging the room for any useful supplies, I sat on a table and looked at a small book that had been left there next to a satchel, soon Raylof came back with some oddly shaped metal sticks in his hand. "Does anyone know how to use these, I thought I some gold in that cage with the dead scholar in it, the other two shook their hands and he turned and offered them to me, "Well miss, you're full of surprises lately, why don't you give it a try?"

He held them out to me and I looked at them curiously, "What are they for?"

Raylof shook his head as the other two snickered, "They're lock picks, block head, you stick them in a lock and jiggle 'em around until it unlocks, much harder to use than a key, but well, you don't need the key!"

"Um, okay, I'll try it." I took the picks in my hand and slid off the table and went over to the cage with the robed body in it. As I crouched in front of the lock I could clearly see the gold and a strange book lying close to the dead man's side. Unsure of what to do I took one and stuck it flatways into the lock. My gut kicked in again and I could feel tiny resistances as I moved the lock-pick in and out of the lock. I heard from a carpenter that father once hired to build a chest that locks have tumblers in them, and in order for a key to work it has to align all the tumblers in order for the lock to open. I moved the pick until I felt all the tiny resistances, which must have been the tumblers, line up, but I couldn't turn the lock and hold them even at the same time. Inspiration struck as I drew my knife and held the lock-pick in place.

The soldiers chuckled, impressed that I had opened the door. I scooped up the coins and held them out to Raylof, but he waved them away, "You opened that door, it's yours, besides, I imagine you will need the gold more than we will."

"Thanks!" I smiled at him and went to follow them out, but I remembered the book and rushed back to grab it. I saw the dead man wearing a hood and I stopped and considered taking it. Curiosity won over and I pulled it off his head and stuffed it in my pack, along with the book as I ran to catch up.

We exited into a tunnel lined with cells and turned left at the end, which led to a small flight of stairs that led to another torture chamber, this one more grizzly and blood spattered than the last. It was empty except for deformed skeletons with mangled bones and crushed limbs. We quickly rushed through that chamber and into a tunnel of natural rock lit by flaming braziers. The tunnel wound and twisted without passages until it opened up into a wide room.

The lead man, the short one, halted us and we crouched. Water fell from the ceiling and a river ran through the center. In front of us were a series of stone bridges that connected raised stone platforms that provided even, stable footing throughout the cave. These were guarded by a squad of Imperials. Grunting, the stocky Stormcloak nodded and the rest nodded back. Simultaneously they rushed in and slaughtered them as I glided through the shadows and put my dagger into the spines of two archers that had joined the fight from the far exit.

When the screaming and war-cries faded we regrouped, Raylof was the first to issue commands, "You two stay here and wait for Jarl Ulfric to catch up, Lyrra and I will clear the path ahead."

We all shook hands and parted ways. As we left I decided to pick up one of the archer's bows and quiver of arrows. The weapon had a weight to it, but it was comfortable. I had practiced archery growing up for fun with my father, but I had never thought to use it as a killing tool, I drew an arrow and notched it as I tested the draw of the bow, I felt like it suited me perfectly.

I slung the bow and went ahead with Raylof. We wound our way through a series of twisting tunnels and caves that held no more surprises, except for the skeleton of a dead bear and dried shriveled husks of long dead frostbite spiders. Finally we found the exit and we both breathed a heavy sigh of relief, "Well I can tell you that I'm not cut out to be a cave dweller, that's for damn sure."

I smiled and nodded, "Yea, so what will we do know?"

Raylof stretched and sat down, massaging his arms, "Well, I'm going to see if word has reached town of our little incident, I think it's best if we split up, from what I've seen you'll have no problem taking care of yourself. But if you ever need help come find me or my sister in Riverwood, we'll always have an open bed or a cup of mead should you be inclined." He got up and began walking down the path at a brisk pace.

I waved goodbye and he waved back, then I sat down against a rock, unaware of how exhausted I really was. As the sun set and the glow of the burning city Helgen lit up the night's sky I began to drift into sleep, wondering at the world of possibilities ahead of me.