Dragon Blood

Chapter 2

They say that it always starts as an ordinary day. No, I knew that day was significant. I was ready to change my life, but fate changed it for me. Here, in these words. This was the first step. This is what happened. This is what woke the sleeping dragon…

As I walked down the path, my heart raced and my extremities tingled. Today was the day; I would walk right up to Asha and tell her how I felt. As I walked towards the farm, I paused to consider how much my life had changed in a few short months. I had been an apprentice Greybeard, but I was fast turning into a farm hand. I spent more time on the farm than in High Hrothgar. I was at a fork in the road. My life would take one path or another. With this in mind, I made a decision. I took off my amulet with the symbol for The Voice, and hurled it as far as I could into the woods. Now, smeared with dirt and dressed in the garb of a common man, I was free from my past.

Asha was alone in the garden. The sunlight bathed her in warmth. Not for the first time, the thought occurred to me that she might be a goddess among mortals. I inhaled deeply and-in a display of supreme courage-walked up to her. "Asha?" She looked up. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." I began. She looked at me uneasily, as if she expected bad news. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "I've been thinking for a while, about us, and…" Pure shock lit up her face and she recoiled away from me. "No!" she yelped. Confused, I reached out to touch her, but she turned and ran as fast as she could. An old riddle asks: "What breaks without a sound?" The answer: A man's heart. The riddle got it wrong. A broken heart does make a sound. It sounds like the one you love running away from you.

I don't know what happened in the next hours. I suddenly found myself alone in the forest. The sky was just beginning to turn yellow and birds were calling. Too many birds… Danger! The scent of smoke began to bite at my throat, and I whirled around fearing a forest fire. The forest was not burning. Ivarstead was burning.

All my senses seemed to explode and wrestle for control. I could see, hear, smell, and taste my home burning. Ivarstead was my home now, and it was burning. My first thought was to find Asha. No, she hated me, was afraid of me. A metallic glint caught my eye. My amulet. The one I threw away. I had to go back to High Hrothgar. After all this, I had to go back.

I skirted around the village, watching Stormcloak soldiers loot and burn everything. As I approached the Seven Thousand steps, I heard a noise that stopped me in my tracks. A horse was coming. I heard men shouting. I saw a bush by the side of the road and did not hesitate. The horse shrieked. I pushed a cluster of berries aside so that I could see. The horse was mad. I was barely able to make out an arrow in its flank. The rider was on the ground struggling to get up. I wanted to turn around, this person's plight was not my own, but I got on my belly and snuck closer.

Two Stormcloaks advanced on the fallen rider. The rider tried to get up, but was kicked in the stomach by one of the Stormcloaks. The rider emitted a distinctly feminine sob. Suddenly the realization of what was happening dawned on me, and I felt an anger that burned like dragon's fire. I got to my feet and stalked closer. There were two Stormcloaks, who I labeled Tall One and Fat One. The woman was a Dark Elf, which surprised me. I had never seen one, only read about them. Tall One grabbed her around the waist and she shrieked. Fat One began to unbuckle his belt. I was running by now, fueled by anger and disgust. Without stopping, I bent down and picked up a rock the size of my fist. Everything became a red blur. The last thing I remember was one of the men crying "What in Oblivion?!"