Unbound:
Wakeing up to the sound of rumbling, I find my self on the back of a cart with three Nord men, our hands all bound. I looked to the driver of the cart to see an Imperial soldier, ignoring our talk. It was snowing...it never snows back home. This must be Skyrim. The blonde Nord opposite then noticed I was awake. "Hey you, your finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as that thief over there." The darker man next to him glared at the blonde. "Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire, nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I'd have stolen that horse and be half way to Hammersfeld. You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." The blonde Stormcloak opposite me rolled his eyes. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now fool." The Imperial, having grown tired of our talk barked "Shut up back there!" then the horse thief looked at the man next to me. "Whats wrong with him huh?" The blonde Stormcloak seemed to take offense at how horse thief spoke to the other man "Watch your tongue, your speaking to Ulfric, the true High King." The horse thief seemed to pale. "Ulfric...the Jarl of Windhelm? Your the leader of the rebelion...they captured you...oh gods where are they taking us?!" The blonde Stormcloak sighed "I don't know where we're going but Sovengard awaits." The horse thief seemed to panic. "No! This can't be happening...this isn't happening." The blonde Stormcloak looked at him with empathic eyes. "Hey, what village are you from horse thief?" The horse thief snapped back "Why do you care!" The blonde Stormcloak sighed again, as if deep in thought. "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." The horse thief thought this over then said. "Rorik's stead. I'm from Rorik's stead."
We heard an Imperial call. "General Tullios sir! Headsman is waiting!" A gruff reply came "Good let's get this over with." The horse thief muttered the names of the divines then whimpered "Divines please help me..." The blonde Stormcloak laughed dryly. "Look at him. General Tullios, the Govenor. And looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn Elves. I bet they had something to do with this...this is Helgen...I used to be sweet on a girl from here...wonder if Elave is still making that mead with juniper berries...funny...when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." I heard a boy talking to his mother then his father tell him to go inside. I dare not look at the family. I felt the cart slow, the horse thief's eyes darted around as a woman ordered "Get these prisoners out of the carts!" The horse thief seemed confused even though the answer was obvious "Why are we stopping?" The blonde Stormcloak laughed again. "Why do you think? End of the line. Lets go. Shouldn't keep the guards waiting" The Imperial soldier climbed down from the cart and opened the back. The horse thief tried a last minute plead "Wait we're not rebels." Ulfric hopped out first, followed by the horse thief, then myself followed by blonde Stormcloak. "Wait you have to tell them we weren't with you. This is a mistake." The same woman's voice told us "Step towards the block once we call your name from the list. One at a time!"
The blonde Stormcloak muttered next to me "Empire loves their damn lists." The man at the front with the clip board started. "Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm." The blonde Stormcloak said with sincerity. "It has been an honour...Jarl Ulfric." Ulfric walked towards the block. "Ralaf of Riverwood." The blonde Stormcloak stepped forward towards the block. "Lowker of Rorik's stead." The horse thief walked up to the to Imperials pleading "No I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" And with that he started running towards a horse while the Imperial captain called "Halt! Archers!" Then Lowker called over his shoulder, seemingly hysterical "Your not going to kill me!" And those were his last words as he was shot down. "Anyone else feel like running?" The Imperial captain said, as though daring us to try it. The man with the list then looked at me. "Wait. You there. Step forward." I did as I was told, staring at the ground as I did so. "Who are you?" I told him my name and he wrote it down. "You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim kinsman. Captain what should we do? She's not on the list." The captain crossed her arms. "Forget the list. She goes to the block." The list barer seemed saddened. "By your orders...Captain. I'm sorry...at least you'll die here...in your homeland. Follow the Captain prisoner."
Bastard couldn't even say my name now. Begrudgingly I followed the bitch that had sentanced me to death. I was stood between two Stormcloaks from the other cart. "Ulfric. Some people call you a hero. But a true hero doesn't use the way of the voice to usurp his king and take his throne. You started this war. Now the Empire is going to put an end to it and restore the peace." It was that General Tullios guy, pompous prick. We all looked to the sky as we heard a strange cry. "What was that?" General Tullios crossed his arms. "It was nothing. Carry on." Then that Captain bitch was all "Sir yes sir! General Tullios. Give them their last rights."
While a priestess was waffeling about Sovengaurd and all that jazz, a prisoner told her "For the love of Talos shut up and let's get this over with." She seemed a bit peeved. "C'mon I haven't got all morning." He was forced to kneel then the axe came down. I said a silent prayer for the man and a curse for the Empire. I vowed if I ever got out of this by some miracal, I would side with the Stormcloaks. "Next! The Nord in the rags." I glared at the damn woman as another unearthly cry came from the skies. "I said next prisoner!" She used unnecessary force to get me on my knees. My head on the block. Something landed on the tower and my eyes widened. A dragon. The blind fools called for sentries but it was too late. The beast roared a shout and I was momentarily knocked out. Ralaf, the blond Stormcloak, helped me up and ran with me to a tower. Ulfric running with us. I sighed as I thanked Talos for answering my prayers. I ran up the tower, barely stopping before the brickwork was thrown against the other side of the wall, the dragon having seen our fleeing. It shouted flames through the hole, it's angered red eyes glaring, searching for movement. Ralaf, Ulfric and I stayed stock still until the beast flew. Ralaf told me to jump through the inn's roof opposite and run. I stumbled and landed on my knees letting out a groan then took off. The list barer was in front of me, coaxing a boy to run to him as the dragon landed behind, the boy and the Imperial barely made it as it shouted fire. We ran once again it flew, then he bellowed for me to stay close to the wall, its claws gripping it as it once more shouted flames.
On we ran and we eventually got to Helgen's keep. Ralaf was there, both arguing. The Imperial let him run. I was torn on who to go but then my mind cleared so ran with Ralaf. There were bodies everywhere outside, so it was refreshing for a moment as the cold air hit me. Ralaf said a quiet prayer to his fallen comrade Gunir then told me to strip the dead body and take what was useful once he unbound me. I took the uniform and a battle-axe, knowing I'd need it at some point. Skyrim was dangerous if unarmed. We heard Imperials...and that Captain was with them. Perfect. I hacked her to shreds, her head flying against the wall as it was severed clean off. The other soldier I hacked clean in half down the middle. I followed the tunnel they'd come from to see if there was anything I could use. I found a daggar and eleven gold septums, so it was worth it. I then ran back and unlocked the gate. Behind that I picked up two cabbages just incase I needed to use them as a distraction and then found the basic kitchen where two Imperials were hiding out. After killing them, Ralaf and I ransacked the room, taking everything we could that was useful. I salvaged half a loaf of bread, four more cabbages, a sprig of Elves ear, a sprig of Frost Merriam, two cloves of garlic (useful for keeping vampires away) an iron arrow, a pheasant breast, four potatoes, five minor healing potions, two minor magicka potions, a potion of minor stamina, three rabbit legs, four rock warbler eggs (a delicacy if cooked right) and two small pots of salt. All in all, a good savage.
I followed Ralaf further into the keep were we discovered the torture chambers. Inside was a male Stormcloak soldier, dispatched before either of us could do anything, a blonde female Stormcloak who we just managed to save, four caged cells, a dead mage, the torturer himself and his apprentice. After killing the Imperials, I took an iron greatsword from one and then picked the lock with one of four lockpicks I'd found, into the dead mage's cage, taking what he had. It was of no use to him in Sovengaurd. We carried on through the keep until we found a disused tunnel, into a cavern. We killed all Imperials we saw and savaged everything we could. Finally we found our freedom and made it outside, just as the dragon flew over our heads. We then made our way to Ralaf's home village, Riverwood
