I'll have y'all know that this isnt my first rodeo...but it is for a story based off of a video game.

i really enjoy The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim even though I really am not a big gamer...yeah. I prefer sports. But this is definitely an exception.

i really hope you guys like this story...but idk. You might hate it, lol. Just please read it and I can hope for the best. My brother kinda helps write this (when I say kinda...I mean kinda.)

check out my other fanfics as well if you are a Divergent fan!

DISCLAIMER: haha...obviously I don't own and of the Elder Scrolls because idk even how to create a game much less even have those kind of ideas. The original content and characters of Skyrim all belong to Bethesda.

please enjoy ;)

My world is a faded place. Or at least that's how I like to see it. The people in it like to judge my family and I. They somehow can live with being judgmental. The people I live with, the people I refer to as my family, are known to most of Skyrim as 'bandits'. The word is so cruel to me. Okay. So we are 'bandits'. We raid things, but we don't kill anyone who crosses our path.

I should know. I've lived here with my mother, Marion, and other bandits for all my life in Broken Helm Hallow. It's really a beautiful cave. Moss covered rocks and a high ceiling. Our warm campfire set up in the middle, causing elegant light to dance across the walls of our cave. Tall ledges and a beautiful waterfall that flows into a small stream. It may not be a castle such as the Blue Palace up in the Imperial city, Solitude, but it is home and you know what they say 'home is where the heart is'.

In fact, I'm sitting next to our warm fire right now. Right in between my mother who is Nord like me and completely native to Skyrim and Nita who is a Redguard woman. Nita is tall and slender with tanner skin compared to my mother and I's quite pale skin. She has long midnight black hair that is swept into a braid across her shoulder. Very beautiful, if you ask me. I find myself increasingly jealous being that she is only four years older than me at twenty years of age.

My mother is also a natural beauty with snowy pale skin and very light blonde hair that contrasts beautifully with her faded blue eyes. I look a lot like her. Same skin and same eyes, but my hair is more brown. But out of all the possible things that I could admire about my mother, I always find myself admiring her undeniable strength the most.

I feel so safe in between my mother and Nita with her curved swords. Protected, really. Though I think that I'd be perfectly fine in protecting myself considering I'm quite handy with a bow, it's very settling knowing that I do have back-up.

I finger my bow now, marveling the handiwork of our bandit chief, Sigvald the Grey. He's like a grandfather to me, even older than my mother. His hair is gray and he has a matching beard. Sigvald is a 'straight-up Nord' as my mother always refers to him as. He's as much of a Nord as you can possibly get right down to the bright blue eyes.

But, as I was saying earlier, he handcrafted my bow for me for my twelfth birthday. Quite a few years ago considering that I'm now sixteen. This bow is my pride and joy, as crazy as it sounds. I wish my mother would let me take it out hunting, but apparently I'm 'too young'. Yes. To her, sixteen is too young.

"When will they be back?" Nita asks my mother. Sigvald, Erik, Kiti, Sentine, and Mordor were out on some sort of raid and we were waiting for their return.

"Soon," my mother answers, subtly.

Nita sighs, "It's been an awfully long time. Are you positive that they are alright, Marion?" By 'they', I'm pretty sure Nita meant Erik. There is no mistaking the romantic relationship that they have.

Erik is attractive in his own way. Much older than me, I could never think of him in that way. But, he does have a sweet heart and good looks. He is a Nord with pale skin, light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. And as I said before, he is truly a kind person.

So, it's no doubt that Nita is worried over Erik more so than the others. I'm just about to call her out on it, when the wooden doors on the front of our cave burst open and Sigvald bursts in. His expression is panicked, and the look is so unfamiliar on his face that I immediately know something is wrong. "Brace yourselves for attack." His voice is strong but yet grave.

But that's not what worries the most, because I notice who walk in behind him. Kiti, a Khagit, and Mordor, an Orc behind him. My breath hitches in my throat because in Mordor's arms is Sentine.

"Oh no!" My mother cries, rushing towards Sentine, who is wearing blood splattered blue Mage robes with her frost enchanted Elven dagger at her side. Her short black hair is matted with dirt to her soft, tan face. And her body is limp. Her chest doesn't rise and fall. She's gone.

Nita starts to cry, "Where's Erik?!" She yells, her voice filled with panic.

Erik suddenly appears behind Mordor and Sentine, "I'm right here, Nita. I'm alright." His voice is soothing and calm but his face is tear stained. "They aren't that far behind. We need to get ready."

Sigvald speaks next, like a true leader, he says, "Everyone grab weapons. Mordor, put-" he hesitates a moment, seeming choked up, "Sentine over by the chest." Mordor carries Sentine's body over by the chest, laying her down carefully.

I glance around and see Erik holding Nita in his arms and my mother hugging Kiti and sobbing into his shoulder. I can tell that Sigvald is doing all he can go hold himself together, but Sentine was like a daughter to him. He lost something very dear to his heart, and my heart aches for them both.

I realize that I haven't shed a tear yet. I'm too frozen with shock to even move, much less say something or break down and cry. I just stand there until Sigvald grabs my shoulder and brings me back to reality. He's yelling now, "Thaina!" He shoves my bow into my hands, "Get into the back! Now!"

My mother grabs my arm and pulls me behind her and Nita. She looks urgently into my eyes, "Don't fight unless you absolutely have to! Do you you hear me?" I nod, slowly, still unable to comprehend completely what's going on.

Everyone gets positioned in front of me. Sigvald and Mordor, strongest by far, stand in the front with Erik and Kiti behind them and my mother and Nita directly in front of me. "Who's attacking?" My mother asks, tears filling her eyes.

"Stormcloaks." Sigvald answers gravely. My stomach knots together. Stormcloaks did this to Sentine? And now possibly to the rest of us? I'd read all about the war between Imperials and Stormcloaks in certain books. Before, it really didn't matter to me who won. Though Ulfric Stormcloak killed the High King of Skyrim using his voice, it was still their native land whereas the Imperials belonged in Cyrodill.

Now I was most certainly rooting for the Imperials.

I can hear shouting voices and running footsteps from outside and know that they have found us. The doors to our cave swing open and a Stormcloaks file in swinging swords and shooting arrows. It happens to fast that I don't realize that everyone is fighting until well after the fact.

My mother is using an iron dagger to fend off a Stormcloak with a long sword. Before I realize what I'm doing, I have an iron arrow notched on my bow and I'm drawing it. I aim directly at the Stormcloaks chest and release and watch as it embeds itself deeply in the chest of the Stormcloak. He falls to the ground, giving my mother enough time to attack another.

I notice that three Stormcloaks are fighting Mordor and he's taking it in stride, swinging his Orcish war mace with force and speed. I watch as one by one they fall to the ground. But, more Stormcloaks keep coming and he's surrounded again.

Nita and Erik fight back to back, taking down the Stormcloaks as a team. Kiti is fighting a Stormcloak, but seems to be struggling. His fur already is matted with blood. I quickly load my bow, determined to help in some way.

I glance around to also see Sigvald fighting two Stormcloaks. His skills are to the point of expert and I don't really worry much about him, though I sense he is getting tired. I realize that it is Kiti who needs my help the most and I shoot an arrow at the Stormcloak fighting him, hitting him in the knee. He falls to the ground screaming as Kiti finishes him off. Kiti gives me a subtle glance of relief and thanks.

I nod at him and then turn toward the ledge at the side of the cave. I begin to climb the rocks to reach the ledge, knowing that if I perch at the top I will be of much more help. A steel arrow hits the rock of the ledge only inches from me. I climb faster, pulling myself up and trying to block out the sound of metal clashing and screams.

I don't think much after that and I tick off Stormcloaks one by one and dodge the arrows that keep flying my way. But I tire quickly, just like everyone. The Stormcloaks just keep coming though. And they are double teaming everyone.

There is now way I'll live to see another day now. There's too many.

I feel my hope slide away from me and I start to cry. Even though I'm crying and there is no possible hope, I don't give up completely. I continue to fire my arrows at any of the Stormcloaks. Mainly, I try to help my mother. She is the one person that would kill me to see her dead.

Death.

That is what will happen to us now. I have no say of stopping it either. My mother will die just like Sentine had. So will everyone else, including me. No one will ever know my passion for drawing or writing in my journal. No one will remember my skills at archery. No one will remember me.

I'm so lost in thought that I don't realize that more people have flooded into our cave. Only, they are not Stormcloaks, they are Imperials. And the Imperials have numbers that take out the Stormcloaks with ease. I've never been more grateful to see them.

Soon, all Stormcloaks have fallen, but the Imperials don't stop. They start to charge at everyone. We are bandits. What did I expect? That they would spare us? I draw another arrow, determined to fight for my family but then a loud yell stops me.

The leader, a man with gray hair and dressed in full Imperial armor, yells, "Stop!"

An Argonian repeats the command, bellowing, "Lower your weapons!" But it's too late because Mordor falls to the ground. Lifeless.

It's then I realize that Erik lies fatally injured on the ground. Nita rushes over to him, crying. Kiti is gone, as in he's not even in the cave. Not even one of the people lying dead on the ground, Mordor being one of them.

Everything is still but laced heavily with tension. All I hear is the sounds of Nita's heavy sobs and Erik's terrible groans. Sigvald looks between my mother and the leader of the Imperials, who are having a stare down.

"Marion?" The leader says, though is voice is meek.

"Tullius," my mother gasps.

The Argonian clears his throat, "That's General Tullius to you."

"It's alright Legate Sajovic." General Tullius says, holding his hand up to the Argonian in a halt position.

My mother looks at General Tullius speechless and then slowly glances up at me, and then back at him. General Tullius shakes his head in surprise, "Why? Why are you here?"

My mother is teary eyed, "I had no choice." Was all she said. I see Sigvald glance up at me knowingly. Does he know what they are talking about? He must, because he then motions for me to come down.

I begin climbing down the ledge as I hear General Tullius say, "No choice? I gave you a choice."

"No you didn't!" My mother says, sounding hurt, "Otherwise I wouldn't be here. You left me." Left her? What did my mother mean?

I jump to the ground and stand by Sigvald who looks down at me tenderly, "Thaina, go to your mother." He says, in a whispery voice,

"Why?" I ask, quietly. I'm still so confused at what's going on. Sigvald just shakes his head and pushes me toward her.

"I never left you intentionally, Marion. You must know that." Tullius bows his head.

I walk over to my mother, and grab her hand, "Mama? What's this about?"

My mother looks at me teary eyed and then back at Tullius. He stares at me, and then stutters, "Marion? Who is this? Why did she call you mama?"

"This- this is your daughter." She answers before she breaks down.

I think that I did a pretty good job at a pretty long chapter, ya think? Y'all should know that chapters for me are usually at least 1000 words.

Anywaaaaay...if you want...you could...maybe...REVIEW! Or...possibly...FOLLOW AND FAVORITE! Please, please, and please. It's honestly one of the only things that will keel me writing!

and remember you awesome Divergent fans to check out my other fanfics ;)

you have ideas to make this story better? That's awesome! Do you have some constructive criticism? Awesome again! Let me know via PM or much more importantly...reviews. Yes ;) I went there again.

and about my pen name...I would change it cuz yes...I agree that it's dumb. But, considering people who aren't following my other stories wouldn't know...I'm gonna have to keep it. But don't let it fool you ;) my name is just a cover for who I am and you NEVER judge a book by it's cover