A Tale of Two Sisters

Author's Note: Here is the story of the Dovahkiin (though my character is male in Skyrim) and through the perspective of her perils she must face. Also, she is also carrying the burden of a sibling who is somewhat less fortunate that she is. You will see and find out. This will be my first (lengthy) Skyrim fic I will write.

"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."

- George S. Patton

"When the legends die, the dreams end; there is no more greatness."

- Tecumseh

By: VampireQueenAkasha

~O~

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!

Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

Unbound

17th of Last Seed, 4E 201

There was a pain in her head when she awoke.

Anja Bjansen opened her eyes, her ears tuning into the sound of a horse and the sight of an Imperial Soldier behind the reigns. She focused her eyes around her in the cart, noticing the familiar face of Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak beside her, unconcious with his mouth gagged and his hands bound. There were two other men in the cart with her. One was a haggard, greasy man dressed in old rags while the other was a muscular, blonde-haired soldier in a Stormcloak uniform. Behind them, an Imperial soldier tailed on a horse.

The cold, crisp air was refreshing after that little heated skirmish with the Imperials.

"Hey, you!" the Stormcloak soldier said. "Finally awake."

Anja looked at him and squirmed against the bonds holding her wrists. "Yes." she said.

"You were trying to cross the border, right?" the Stormcloak asked. "Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us. And that thief over there."

Anja grunted sharply, attempting to pull her wrists free, but to no avail. "I was searching for my sister," she snapped. "Your war has nothing to do with me."

The Stormcloak laughed and shook his head. "The war has to do with all of Skyrim."

The other man glared at the soldier. "Damn you, Stormcloaks." he said spitefully, "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If it wasn't for you, I'd have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell by now."

Anja turned to Ulfric and raised her bound hands, lifting his head a bit to study a wound that he had suffered on the side of his cheek. From that ambush, no doubt. It was bleeding, but the wound wasn't quite as serious as it appeared so.

"You there," the horse-thief addressed Anja. "You agree that we shouldn't be here. It's the Stormcloaks the empire wants."

Anja glanced at the Stormcloak soldier, reading his almost defeated look. It was true that she believed in a free Skyrim, but she had no interest in engaging in the war while her sister was missing. It wasn't her fault that she had run into an Imperial ambush. It was just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she'd been a little more careful attempting to cross that border, she would never have been caught. But right now, the "what if's" did not matter now that they were stuck together.

"We're all brothers and sisters in bonds now, friend." the Stormcloak told the thief.

"Shut up back there!" the Imperial soldier snapped.

The two men and woman glared at him.

"Perhaps you'd like to make me?" Anja snapped.

The soldier merely snorted. "I won't have to soon."

Beside them, Ulfric stirred with a grunt and they looked over at him.

"What's with him?" the horse-thief queried.

The Stormcloak glared at him. "Mind your tongue!" he ordered. "You are speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak! The true High King!"

"Ulfric?" The horse-thief's eyes widened in horror when he began to understand the true severity of their capture. "The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion! If they captured you... Oh Gods! Where are they taking us?"

The Stormcloak soldier sighed. "I don't know where. But Sovngarde awaits..."

Anja squirmed with an aggravated hiss. "It can keep waiting. I'm not going to die."

The Stormcloak laughed a little. "Save your strength."

"This can't be happening!" the horse-thief cried. "It can't be happening!"

The Stormcloak looked at him. "Hey, what village are you from, horse-thief?"

"Why do you care?"

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."

"Rorikstead... I'm from Rorikstead. My name's Lokir."

The Stormcloak looked at Anja. "And you?"

She leaned back a bit with a sigh, her mind going to home. The cold winters of Winterhold that she had spent with her sibling, Ellie Bjansen. After her parents had died, the siblings had stayed with Dagur and his wife Haran at the Frozen Hearth. She remembered her sister would always want to practice magic at the College of Winterhold, but the innkeepers had forbidden it in their home. So she would practice countless hours a day outside the battered little town.

She had even made friends with an Ice Wraith at one point. Anja had found her sister's ability to commune so well with beasts somewhat baffling. After all, she had difficulty doing so with human beings and sentient beings. She was just - for lack of a better word - "people shy".

"Anja Bjansen. I am from Winterhold."

The Stormcloak smiled. "Ah. Ralof. Riverwood."

Anja smiled a little. "Prefer the river life, eh?"

"I could say the same for you and snow."

Anja couldn't help her laugh. Ralof laughed with her and even the horse-thief had attempted such. Ulfric simply regarded them all with an impassive stare.

They arrived at the gates of Helgen and could hear a conversation going on between an Imperial and General Tullius. Anja regarded them coldly.

"General Tullius, sir! the Headsman is ready!"

"Good. Let's get this over with." Tullius replied.

He met Anja's gaze and simply smiled. Ulfric bristled where he sat and Anja could swear she heard a horrible barrage of insults come from behind the gag in his mouth.

Lokir was praying to the Divines for help. Anja placed a hand over his in an attempt to calm him.

Ralof snorted when they passed through the gates and into Helgen. "Look at him. General Tullius, the military governor." he sneered. "And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this!"

They passed several houses and Anja could see a young boy being ushered away by his father.

"Who are they, daddy? Where are they going?" he asked.

"You need to go inside, little cub." his father ordered.

"Why? I want to watch the soldiers."

"Inside the house. Now."

"Yes, papa."

Anja smiled sadly.

"Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl here..." Ralof murmured. "I wonder if they're still making that mead with Juniper Berries... Funny. When I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." His features fell and filled with great sadness.

Anja nodded her head in agreement. "Things have changed since we were children."

"Aye..."

The cart ushered them toward a tower and finally came to a stop. Lokir panicked.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked.

"Why do you think?" Ralof said. "End of the line." He looked at Anja. "Let's go. Can't keep the Gods waiting for us."

They were ushered out of the cart. Anja watched as Imperials lined up along with Thalmor. She gave them a cold snort when one of them attempted to force her out of the cart with one tight grip to her arm. "I can walk, you damned Thalmor ass."

"But you clearly can't run, can you?" the Thalmor sneered. "Nor can you fight with such an inferior weapon."

He held out a worn axe that had belonged to her.

"Just so you know, Thalmor..." Anja warned, with a cold smile. "I'll be getting that back sooner or later."

The Thalmor glared at her. "Are you telling me what I'm going to be doing here, dog?" he spat.

Anja continued to smirk. "You heard me."

"We're not criminals!" Lokir suddenly cried, interrupting the two.

Ralof sighed. "Face your death with some courage, thief."

An Imperial Captain stepped forward. She was flanked by First Emissary Elenwen and several other Thalmor.

"When you hear your name, step over to the execution block!" the captain commanded.

An Imperial soldier began to read off the names.

"Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak."

Ralof watched as the Jarl moved forward. "It has been an honor serving you, Ulfric."

"Ralof of Riverwood."

He stepped away to join the others doomed to death.

"Lokir of Rorikstead."

Lokir stepped forward, pleading desperately. "No! I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" he begged.

He took off and the captain yelled after him. "HALT!"

Anja looked up at the sight of Imperial archers aiming at the fleeing man. She simply closed her eyes when a shower of arrows rained down on the fleeing man, dropping him where he ran. The captain scowled and turned her attention to the rest.

"Anyone else feel like running?" she snapped.

"Wait, you there." the Imperial soldier beside her said. "Step forward."

Anja was pushed by a Thalmor and she glared at him.

"Keep pushing and you'll lose that arm." she threatened.

The Thalmor laughed cruelly. "I suppose you'll try and bite it off like the dog you are?"

"Enough." the Imperial soldier snapped. He looked at Anja. "Who are you?"

"I am Anja Bjansen," the woman said, with pride in her voice.

"Bjansen." the soldier frowned thoughtfully. "In relative to Valund Bjansen?"

"Yes. The Wolf of Winterhold."

The Imperial soldier studied the list in his hands and turned to the captain. "What do we do?" he asked, in a low voice. "She's not on our list."

"Forget the list." the captain said, with a wave of her hand. "She goes to the block."

The soldier seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. "By your orders, captain..." He looked at Anja with sympathy. It was difficult to tell if it was genuine or not. "I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are sent back to Winterhold. Go to the block."

Anja had to be pushed again by the Thalmor behind her. She was forced to stand beside Ulfric while the Jarl faced Tullius.

"Ulfric Stormcloak..." Tullius said, staring at him as if he was simply regarding a petulant child. "Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero does not use a power like the Voice to murder his High King and usurp his throne."

Ulfric simply grunted beneath his gag.

"You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos!" Tullius continued, much harsher this time, "And now, the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace!"

In the distance, a low sound was heard. For some reason, it made Anja's very bones shiver. She closed her eyes, feeling it resonating within...

"What was that?" an Imperial soldier asked.

Tullius regarded him calmly. "It's nothing. Carry on."

Anja could barely keep her wits about her; the sensation of roaring seemed to pulse within and she barely heard the order to march forward. The roar came again, this time in greater volume than the first. She was forced onto the chopping block, staring up at the headsman wielding an enormous axe in his hands. Just as he raised it up, something flew passed him and Tullius let out a shout of disbelief.

"What in the name of Oblivion is that?" he cried.

"Archers! What do you see?" the captain demanded.

Anja looked up and saw an enormous black shape land on the tower behind the headsman. Anja's eyes widened in disbelief.

It was a dragon.

O

A mighty shout brought a storm of fire to Helgen.

The dragon's shout also gave a horrible ringing in Anja's ears and she felt herself pulled forward. Her bonds were also cut.

It was Ralof.

"Hey! On your feet, woman!" he shouted, over the roar of chaos around them. "Get up! The Gods won't give us another chance!"

Anja watched as the fortress was burning before her eyes. Soldiers scattered everywhere to try and combat the enemy, but it seemed useless. The great dragon reveled in the massacre, scorching enemies down and snatching soldiers up in its claws.

"Hurry! This way!" Ralof cried.

Anja ran through fire and smoke toward a tower where she saw Ralof beckoning. Once she was inside, he slammed the door shut. Ulfric was inside the tower as well as a few Stormcloak soldiers. Some were wounded, being tended to by those who could. Another soldier wielded a bow, looking around frantically.

"Jarl Ulfric!" Ralof gasped. "Could the legends actually be true?"

Ulfric rubbed his wrists a little. "Legends don't burn down villages."

Anja gave a weary laugh. "Legends or not. We need to go."

"The woman is right. Move!" Ulfric commanded.

They raced up the stairs, but Anja stopped them, holding up a hand. "Wait a moment."

"What?" Ralof hissed. "We can't wait!"

A Stormcloak was standing at the top of the stairs and staggered to his feet. Something seemed particularly unnerving about the sudden silence before the dragon's head burst through the tower. Its horrid, red eyes flashed before it opened its mouth.

"TOOR...SHUL!" it bellowed, in a deep, frightening voice.

Anja and the others ducked from the searing flames of the dragon's breath, watching as the Stormcloak was completely scorched into nothing. It retreated and its bellowing call echoed in the distance. Anja watched as it disappeared through the sky.

It would definitely return.

Ralof peered through the flaming hole the dragon had made. "See that inn? Jump through the roof! We'll meet up again later!"

Anja winced against the heat of the flames. "Talos watch over you." she told him.

Ralof smiled. "And you, my friend."

Anja backed up a bit before leaping to the inn. She almost lost her footing on one of the beams, but managed to grasp it tightly before sliding onto the floor. She quickly scrambled to avoid a falling beam and rushed outside. Just as she started for the Keep, she stopped when she noticed a Thalmor buried beneath some rubble.

Anja smiled and walked over to him. His mouth gushed blood and his chest was impaled by a piece of wood. She reached into his robes and removed the worn axe.

"Told you I'd get that back." she told him, kissing the top of it triumphantly.

The Thalmor snarled weakly at her. "Damn you to Oblivion, Nord mutt!"

"Ladies first." she sneered, smacking the top of his head with the flat end of the axe, before rushing away for the Keep.

The Thalmor groaned in defeat, at the verge of death.

Anja rushed for the Keep and made her way inside. It appeared to be empty, but she wasn't going to chance it. Just as she backed up, she bumped into someone and let out a soft shriek, whirling. Her swing was stopped by Ralof, who backed his head away to avoid having it cut. Even with such a dull weapon.

"Whoa! Take it easy, Wolf!" he said. "Save it for Imperials!"

Anja let out a relieved sigh. "Ralof... I almost killed you."

"And I'm glad you didn't. But right now, we need to get you into some proper armor."

Anja nodded in agreement.

"You can take Gunjar's gear," Ralof said, gesturing to a fallen Stormcloak corpse. "He won't be needing it anymore..."

Anja stared down at the fallen soldier sadly. "Talos guide you to Sovngarde..." she prayed.

"Talos guide you..." Ralof mirrored.

Anja worked to get the Stormcloak's uniform off. Just as she turned to change, she gave Ralof a look. He seemed confused for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Do you mind?" she laughed.

"Oh! Sorry." Ralof quickly turned his back so that she could change.

Anja busied herself with fitting the armor on. It was large compared to her slender form, but suitable for the moment until she could find appropriate fittings. Ralof still kept his back to her until she was finished. She bent down and picked up Gunjar's iron war axe before tapping Ralof's shoulder with the end of it.

"Okay, let's get out of here." she said.

O

The trip through Helgen had Ralof and Anja dealing with several Imperial soldiers and mages. Most of them had fled after the dragon attack, but there were still a handful of Imperial idiots for them to contend with. Anja was more concerned about getting out alive and finding her sister.

"You." Ralof said, as they ventured through Helgen. "What became of your sister?"

"I don't know." Anja replied, picking up a mace and giving it a few test swings. "She had been teaching me magic a year ago. She thought it would be good to keep an open mind, you know? Three years ago, she disappeared on what she called a 'mage's journey of enlightenment.' I haven't seen her since."

Ralof nodded his head with sympathy. "It's always hard to think of the possibilities."

"Yes. It is..."

Ralof glanced down at the worn axe she had wrapped up in leather strips around her belt. "And that worn axe. It can't possibly be of use to you. It's probably older than my grandfather."

Anja laughed softly. "Well, you'd be half right. It belonged to my father, Valund Bjansen. He was a Nord Warrior who earned the reputation 'The Wolf of Winterhold' from the people there for his ferocity, swiftness and cunning in battle. I keep it with me for luck, strength...whatever you wish to call it. It may be silly to some to carry around a seemingly useless weapon, but I prefer to have it by my side. I think of my father when I hold it close. Sometimes, his memory gives me strength."

Ralof smiled a little. "That is a honorable thing you do, Anja."

"Thank you. Now let's keep moving. This place gives me the chills."

Literally or metaphorically, it didn't matter. The cave they'd ventured into was indeed chilly to the bones. But it was also filled with the skeletons of the unfortunate and departed. There was a bear ahead of them and they crouched down to avoid having it see them.

"A bear!" Ralof whispered. "We should not fight the beast now."

Anja laughed somewhat. "You're afraid of a bear?"

"Not afraid. Just smart not to incur her wrath. We should move silently around her."

Anja sighed and nodded. "Okay then."

They carefully crept around the area the bear slept and made their way to the cave's entrance.

"When we get out of here, I can buy you a drink." Ralof laughed.

Anja chuckled. "Make it a double and you got a deal."

"Deal." the Stormcloak said.

They stepped out of the cave and into the warmth of sunlight. The sound of roaring overhead made them duck down to avoid being seen as the dragon passed them. It seemed to be oblivious of their presence for the time being as it headed north.

"We need to get to Riverwood." Ralof told her. "They will need to know what's happened."

"I need to find my sister. They may know something."

"That they may. Let's go." Ralof said.

The two made their way down the road toward Riverwood.