The carriage jolted as Bjorn opened his eyes slowly, dazed and confused. He lifted his hand to rub his eyes but found that his hands were bound together with leather bindings. He looked around and saw where he was. He was in Falkreath Hold, he'd been here many times with his father when he was young. Birds were chirping and going around doing their daily business and the woodland animals were running through the forest floors and climbing up the trees. The sun shone through the leaves and the branches were rattling together in the calm breeze.
"Hey you, you're finally awake" The man opposite of him said in a Nordic accent.
He had long blonde hair, the same colour and Bjorn's, and had a small trimmed beard.
"Mm barely" Bjorn replied in his thick Nordic accent.
"You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there" The man said, flicking his head to his side, signalling who he was talking about.
Bjorn turned to his right and saw who the man was talking about. Seated to the man's left was a scrawny looking Nord. He had medium length brown hair that he combed backwards and his face was covered in dirt.
"Damn you Stormcloaks" The thief said. "Skyrim was fine until you came along, Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfall."
Great, Bjorn thought to himself. He despised thieves, they had no honour and integrity. The thief looked at Bjorn and addressed him.
"You there, you and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." The thief said.
"No, you should be here, you are a thief and deserve to be imprisoned. I, however, am innocent. But it's the will of the gods that I go to Sovngarde today." Bjorn snapped back.
"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." The man opposite him said under his breathe.
"Shut up back there!" The carriage driver yelled.
"What's wrong with him huh?" the thief said, pointing to the man that was sitting next to Bjorn.
The man next to Bjorn had medium length blonde hair and was gagged and bound.
"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the True High King!" The man said
"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion, but if they've captured you… oh gods! Where are they taking us?" The thief said, panic starting to raise inside him.
"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits" The blonde man said.
"What village are you from?" Bjorn asked the blonde man
"I'm from Riverwood, and you?"
"Dragon Bridge." Bjorn replied. "And what of you, thief? Which village are you from?"
"Why do you care?" The thief snapped
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home" The blonde man said calmly.
"Rorickstead, I'm…I'm from Rorickstead."
The cart was approaching the gate of a village that Bjorn had been to before but he couldn't recall the name, his mother was born here.
"What is your name friend?" The blonde man asked.
"Bjorn Ironback, and you?"
"Ralof."
The gates to the village opened at the command of what Bjorn heard to be a General. Bjorn bowed his head and said a pray to Talos in his head but was interrupted.
"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynereth, Akatosh, Divines… please help me." The thief started to almost yell, panic laced through his words.
"Face your death with some courage, thief" Bjorn said, staring at the man.
"Look at him. General Tullius the military governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him too. Damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this." Ralof said.
Bjorn saw the Thalmor and scoffed under his breathe at them. He hated them with a passion, like most Nords. They outlawed the worship of Talos in all of Tamriel, claiming that he was only a man and not a God. How could they even suggest that he isn't a Divine? He ascended into God-hood from a man. He still worships Talos and prays to him every day.
"This is Helgen." Ralof said
Helgen! Bjorn screamed in his head.
"I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder If Vilod is still making that mead with Juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." Ralof continued.
Bjorn looked behind him and saw a young boy, no older than seven, sitting on the porch wanting to watch the execution. He heard the boy's father tell him to go inside, good decision Bjorn thought. A child that age shouldn't see what is about to happen.
An Imperial captain started barking out orders to get the prisoners out of the cart and the cart came to a halt.
"Why are we stopping?" The thief asked
"Why do you think?" Bjorn said
"End of the line." Ralof added. "Let's go, shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."
They all began to stand up and get out of the cart one at a time.
"No wait! We're not rebels! You got to tell them, we weren't with you! This is a mistake!" The thief cried out.
"Step towards the block when we call your name" The Imperial Captain said sternly.
"Empire loves their damned lists." Ralof muttered.
One by one, the prisoners had their names called out and they stepped towards the block, excluding the thief. He thought he could get away and made a run for it. But Bjorn knew Imperial archers were well trained and he wasn't surprised when an arrow caught him in the back, dropping him to the ground dead. All the prisoners had gone except Bjorn.
"Wait, you there, step forward" The Nord next to the Imperial Captain said.
Bjorn did as he was told and stepped up to the Nord. He was the same height as Bjorn and looked about the same weight. He had medium length brown hair combed back and was clean shaven. He moved his quill up and down the page, searching for Bjorn's name.
"Who are you?" He said
"I am Bjorn Ironback." He replied
The Imperial soldier looked up and down his list one more time but still couldn't find his name.
"Captain, what should we do? He's not on the list." He said
"Forget the list, he goes to the block." She said sternly.
A look of sadness swept over the Nords face. Bjorn could tell that he Nord didn't like sending his kinsman to death for no reason, but it was his job and Bjorn couldn't hold that against him.
"By your orders, Captain." He said, then turned to Bjorn "I'm sorry, at least you'll die here, in your homeland."
"I understand, you're just doing your job" Bjorn said, a smile managed to make its way onto his face and he nodded his head at the Nord as a sign of respect.
"Follow the Captain, prisoner" The Nord said.
Bjorn turned to face the Captain, who had spun on her heel and was now walking towards where all the Stormcloaks where gathered. When Bjorn got there, he saw Ulfric standing in front of who Bjorn thought was the General that Ralof was talking about.
"Ulfric Stormcloak" The General said, in an accent that Bjorn was unfamiliar with "Some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne"
Bjorn had heard about that. Ulfric walked in and challenged High King Torryg to a duel in the tradition of the Nords. The High King accepted but was ultimately defeated, shouted apart if you believe the rumours. Bjorn didn't consider it murder, but he didn't consider it fair. The High King couldn't use the Voice and he hadn't been trained in its use like Ulfric was. And the King could never hope to defeat someone who could use the Voice.
Ulfric grunted at the General through his gag.
"You started this war! Plunged Skyrim into chaos! And now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace!"
A terrible roar echoed loudly through Helgen, startling everyone there. There's no way that could've been a bear, Bjorn thought. He had heard bears roar and growl before. He looked in the skies to see if anything was there, but the sky was clear and blue.
"What was that?" The Imperial Nord asked
"It was nothing, carry on" The General said.
"Yes, General Tullius, give them their last rites" The Captain said to a priestess.
The priestess took place in front of everyone and raised her hands and started saying something. Bjorn wasn't listening, he was saying his own prayer to Talos.
"For the love of Talos, Shut up and let's get this over with!" a Stormcloak interrupted, walking up to the executioners block.
"As you wish" The priestess snapped back in a snarky tone.
"Come on! I haven't got all morning!" The Stormcloak yelled.
The Imperial Captain put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him to his knees, then using her foot, she pushed him onto the executioners block.
""My ancestors are smiling at me Imperials, can you say the same?" He said
The executioner raised his axe far above his head and then brought it down on the Stormcloaks next with the force of a bear. There was a large snapping sound and the Stormcloaks head fell into the basket and his body slowly slumped to the ground, lifeless.
"You Imperial Bastards!" A woman yelled
"Justice!" A man behind Bjorn yelled
"Death to the Stormcloaks!" A woman yelled
"As fearless in death, as he was in life" Ralof said quietly.
"Next! The Nord in the rags!" The captain yelled, pointing at Bjorn.
The roar echoed again, this time louder. Bjorn knew it wasn't a bear but what else could it be?
"There it is again, did you hear that?" The Nord next to the Captain said.
"I said next prisoner" The captain snapped
"To the block prisoner, nice and easy."
Bjorn took a deep breath and started to walk towards the block. He turned to face the block and saw the Nords face looking at him with sadness. Bjorn smiled at him before a hand on his shoulder forced him to his knees and a boot in his back pushed him onto the block. He started to breathe heavily and felt his heart racing. He closed his eyes and then heard the blood chilling roar again. When he opened his eyes he saw a big black shadow flying in the sky. The executioner was raising his axe when the creature thumped down onto the tower behind the executioner, driving him to the floor. Bjorn looked at the creature for a moment before he knew what it was. A dragon. As big as a house and as black as midnight. The dragon shouted and a storm brewed instantly, balls of fire dropping from the sky. Then it shouted again and sent Bjorn flying. Then his vision went black.