Location: Helgan
4th of Rain's Hand, 4E 201
1:36pm

The mad drumming in her head forced her to crack open her eyes. When she did, however, she felt herself leaning on something soft. With her half-opened eyes, she brought her head up… and realized she had been resting her head on the shoulder of a blond man, bound and gagged - the same man she helped to protect.

Unable to speak, he grunted at her.

"Gods, I'm so sorry," She apologized, her head still reeling. She attempted to move her hands in hopes of massaging her head, but they were bound with rope. "What in Oblivion-?"

"Hey, you." She glanced up, shielding her eyes from the Sun high above her, though not even knowing if that voice was calling for her or not. "Finally awake?" He too was blonde, wearing that all-too-familiar Stormcloak attire. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial trap, same as us."

"So that's what it was? A trap? Goddamn…" She hung her head in defeat.

"Yep. And that thief over there." He added.

The thief jeered at them, his face covered in dirt. "Damn you, Stormcloaks... Skyrim was fine until you came along! Empire was nice and lazy…" He then looked at her. "You! We shouldn't be here! It's these Stormcloaks those Imperials want!"

She faked a laugh at that. "Why won't they want us as well?"

"Shut up, back there!" The Imperial riding the carriage ordered.

She growled at that. "Don't tell me what to do, Imperial!" She raised her hands, wanting to take a swing at him, though she fell back into her seat as soon as she got up.

"Hey, feisty. Save your strength for when we reach Helgan." The same Stormcloak said.

"No one tells me what to do. Especially a damned Imperial..." She turned her head away, muttering her words. This part of Skyrim didn't look known to her; she probably never got the chance to see this place before she ran off to High Rock.

An Imperial trap - that was got her... They must have assumed that she was part of the Stormcloaks just as she jumped the border into Skyrim. It was so not her lucky day.

"Where are they taking us?" That same thief asked, horrified.

"I don't know… but Sovngarde awaits…" That same Stormcloak solider who had been conversing with her then looked at her again. "What's your name, feisty?"

She managed a small smile, despite the situation. "How about we stick with feisty?"

"Fine by me. The name's Ralof."

"Pleasure."

It wasn't long before they descended upon Helgan. Pretty place, if you minus the chopping block. Helgan... She now knew where this was going and it was not the best of feelings. So much for wanting to join the Stormcloak rebellion and kick the Thalmor out of her home country.

The thief was praying for the Divines to help them. Ulfric Stormcloak, well, he couldn't say much.

The Imperial Captain ordered for the captures prisoners to get down from the carriage and step forward when their names were called. The thief was Lokir, from Rorikstead, who was still crying and pleading for his innocence. She calculated how long it would take before he would try to make the escape. To her surprise, not very long. An Imperial archer got him in the back with an arrow. "Well, at last he died trying..." She mumbled to herself.

"Wait. You," She was taken away from her thoughts. "Step forward."

She did just that. "What?"

"Who… are you?" The Imperial Guard questioned, puzzled by her presence.

"Kayleigh Leanne. Of Skyrim."

He jotted that down on his notebook. "Hmph. You picked a wrong time to come home, kinsman."

"Whatever..." Kayleigh huffered, joining the rest of the Stormcloaks.

A General, Tullius was his name, was speaking to Ulfric, telling him on how some at Helgan called him hero. But to General Tullius? A hero don't 'use the power of the Voice to murder the High King and usurp his throne'. "You started this war and plunged Skyrim in chaos! And now the Empire is going to put you down and restore peace!"

Kayleigh faked another laugh to herself. "Peace? DON'T make me laugh!"

A distant roar rang into the air.

What was that? Kayleigh wondered, as did some others, but the General instantly dismissed it, not wanting to miss the execution of the Stormcloak.

"Next! The Nord in the rags!" The Captain ordered.

Kayleigh was about to step forward when that roar rang in the air again, but the Captain was not into it, and ordered Kayleigh to the block. She got onto her knees and placed her head on the blood-stained block.

It's over now.

The headsman scoffed, and lifted his axe. He was about to bring it down on Kayleigh when that roar echoed again, this time, it was very close. Way to close. Kayleigh got a glimpse of something black flying over her.

"WHAT IN OBLIVION IS THAT?"

"OH GODS, NO!"

"DRAGON!"

"OH MY-" Kayleigh staggered back, her head out of the chopping block. She was about to get up when the dragon roared and that caused the blue skies to turn a dark shade of purple and flaming rocks began to rain upon Helgan. The Dragon opened it's mouth once more and a devastating force pushed everyone back. Kayleigh's vision became blurry and she tried to blink it away.

"Hey, feisty!" She recognized that voice. It was Ralof, wasn't it? Her vision finally cleared and she glanced up. "C'mon! Let's go! The Gods won't give us another chance!"

She managed to get to her feet, despite her bounded hands. "Lead the way!"

Ralof led her past some injured Imperials guards and into a nearby tower. She was about to step in when the dragon's shout cause the ground to shake. Instead of running into the tower, she was thrown into it. Ralof managed to keep his footing and shut the door of the tower with a slam.

Kayleigh had landed face-first onto the ground. "Son of a-!"

"You alright?" She felt someone lifting her up gently onto her knees. She glanced up to see the same gagged man from the carriage – Ulfric Stormcloak.

"Yes, thank you..."

"Jarl Ulfric!" Ralof called out. "What was that thing? Could the legends to true?"

Ulfric looked at him. "Legends don't burn down villages, but we need to move. Now!" He then turned his attention Kayleigh. "Here - Let me cut these loose for you." He took her hands, and took out an iron dagger he had managed to get his hands on from his holster and cut the bindings loose with one swipe.

"Thank you, Jarl Ulfric." She almost whispered as she massaged her wrists.

"Come on! Up the stairs!" Ralof said.

Ulfric and Kayleigh followed him up the stairs, barely keeping their footings. They were about to run up the next flight when the stone wall suddenly broke down, and that same black dragon popped its head in.

"GET DOWN!" Ulfric ordered, pulling the lone woman into his arms.

"Yol… Toor Shul!" It breathed fire, but luckily for the 3 of them, it missed and the dragon flew off.

Ralof looked out the hole on the wall just made by the Dragon. "Hey, feisty, see that inn over there? Jump through the roof and keep going!"

She looked at them. "What about the both of you?"

"Just go! We'll follow when we can!" Ulfric told her.

She did just that. "Talos guide you, gentlemen." And she made the leap of hope.

A/N: REWRITE! Though... not much, but I like this better :)