Roar of a Wolfborn
Chapter 1
Unbound
A/N: Hopefully I have some previous fans from Howls of Whiterun. This is going to be partial main plot of Skyrim, with some twists. The main focus will be on Companions quests as well. This chapter will be similar to the quest that starts out the game, so it may be rather boring. I'll be making changes. Loads of changes. I have no intention of my OC choosing a side.
A female nord stumbled across the vast Skyrim landscape. Her only light were the twin moons and stars above. She had no guide that night. She just instinctively ran. Her long auburn hair whipped around. She couldn't stop running. Not just yet. She needed to get further away from the Pale. The farther away the better.
The woman soon came across a small house near the river she'd just crossed. She came to a slight halt and decided to go ask for shelter. Before she even reached the house, outside the mines, her world went black.
When she awoke, she reached up with her hands to rub her pounding head. She'd realized her hands were bound. She looked up to see 3 other nords in the back of a carriage. Two were wearing Stormcloak armor and the other in rags.
"You're awake now?" One of them asked her. He had medium length blond hair with a single braid on the left side. Strong, rugged face, typical of nord men.
She nodded slightly. "How long was I out?"
The blond shrugged, "I have no idea. But, it looked like you were attempting to cross the border and got caught up in that skirmish."
She frowned. Crossing the border, huh? "I don't even know where I was last night." She looked around. The area was surrounded by a forest. Ahead of the carriages, she could see a fort. By the warmer weather, she at least knew they were nowhere near the Pale.
"Darkwater Crossings. It looked as though you were running from something?" He'd asked.
The female nord turned her head away. "Aye. I was."
"What had you spooked so bad? Had you seen a ghost?" The man chuckled lightly, attempting to make light of the current situation about to unfold.
"Werewolves." She tilted her head. It was a lie. The truth would reveal her secret to them.
"Eh, werewolves were after you?" The nord in rags gasped. "And now you're stuck here with us. I would've been halfway to Hammerfell if it weren't for you damned Stormcloaks."
"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, horse thief." The blond scoffed. "Werewolves you say. I had heard news of the silver hand gathering recently. Rumors I thought."
"As did I." She frowned. As they talked, the horse-drawn carriage trotted into the gates of Helgen. She turned her head to watch an imperial talk with a high elf: a Thalmor. She scrunched her nose up. Soon the carriage, came to a halt. The horse stamped at the ground and whinnied.
The nord woman hopped out of the carriage. They started to call out the names of the soldiers. The horsethief named Lokir made a run for it. He of course never made it far. After witnessing the death of the previous man. She had to find a way out of this execution. She didn't want to die. If she needed to go werewolf, to escape she'd have no choice. But there were so many soldiers around. Not just Imperials, but Stormcloaks as well. The Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak, leader of the rebellion was here. She had no care for the politics, but the fact that someone with the way of the Voice was here. She would have no chance to make it out alive.
"Your name?" An Imperial soldier looked at her and then at the paper.
She nervously looked around. Do I give my real name? She thought. "It's Sifkni."
"Captain. She's not on the list."
"To the block."
The nord's heart pounded in her ears. She felt her skin crawl. She needed to control the urge to let the beast blood out. She took a deep breath to even her thinking. She heard a low rumbling in the sky and looked up. Whatever it was it was far away. These normal people wouldn't be able to hear it.
-Crunch-
She tasted the metallic iron on her tongue from the freshly executed Stormcloak. She swallowed. Another deep breath. Her heart pounded in her ears. No. She looked up. It wasn't her heart but the flapping beat of wings. Another loud rumble broke the air in the distant. She saw the massive dragon. Darker than night. A living, breathing Dragon. Not a legend. The ground shook as it landed on the tower and bellowed. She held her balance, locking eyes with the magnificent beast before them. She took the moment to break the bindings. Everyone was escaping or trying to fight the massive living legend before them.
She needed to leave. Her eyes glinted silver when she saw a break in the fortress wall. It was still tall for a normal non-beast blood person. It would be an easy feat for her. After clearing the wall, she looked back. She could taste the burned bodies on her tongue. The heavy ash covered her lungs. She rubbed her raw wrists. She turned away from the fort and walked down the road. She took a deep breath and looked towards the sky. She felt her throat tighten and tears well in her eyes. Her home. Those damned Silver hand. Her father. Her mate. Her pack. Gone. Just like her mother from 10 years ago. A shuddered sigh escaped her mouth. She rubbed her eyes. She needed to be strong. There was no time for tears at this moment. She needed safety and shelter. Skyrim was a harsh land. Whether or not she had beast blood running through her veins meant nothing to this land.
It wasn't long before she smelled bread. Fresh bread. And soup. She could smell the forge, the smelting iron. The people. She could smell the people. This had to be Riverwood. She was so close to her home. Where she was born. Whiterun Hold. She took in the smells and continued down the road. Soon the small hamlet came into view. Also the realization that she carried no funds on her. She had only the leather tunic on her back. While it was great quality and hand crafted by her, the burns and bloodstains would degrade the value. She grasped at her other item. A small antler with a concealed knife around her neck. It belonged to her mother. She could not part with this item. She couldn't sell it.
"A dragon. I saw a dragon!" Sifkni turned and looked at the old woman she had past. Talking to a young man, her son by the looks of it. "It was as big as the mountain and black as night. It flew right over the barrow!"
She shook her head and walked to the inn. She walked in hoping that she could at least sit by the fire for the night. A middle aged woman saw her enter and stand by the fire. "You look a frightful mess."
Sifkni smiled weakly, slight tears forming in her blue eyes. "I imagine. I apologize I was attacked by some bandits on the hold border. I won't stay long. I just need to rest my feet for an hour or two." She rubbed her eyes and sniffed.
The woman shook her headed and tutted. "Now deary. Here up by the fire with you. I can spare a bowl of soup and bread. You lost everything didn't you? I'm not that cold hearted innkeeper."
Sifkni nodded. "My husband and my father. I just ran. Ran as far as I could." she sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Though the story was partially fake her tears were not. She stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Stay the night. I'll get you that soup and bread." The woman left Sifkni to retrieve a bowl of soup. She handed her the bowl of warm soup upon her return. "If you ever make it back in the area you can pay me back."
"Th-thank you so much. Your kindness means a lot. As soon as I make some money from Whiterun, I'll pay you back double." Sifkni smiled weakly and devoured the soup. Leek and potato soup. While she was never a fan of the vegetables, this was honestly the most delicious soup shes had in a long while. She sniffed and tried to stop the tears from falling. She reached up and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm sorry."
"Shush. Dear, its okay. You are safe here tonight." The woman rubbed Sif's shoulders. "You'll be okay. We skyrim women are tough okay?"
Sifkni nodded. She knew she was going to be okay. She would live. She would live amongst humans. Non beastbloods. In a city. Her dream. But this wasn't how she envisioned her coming into humanity. She missed her mate so deeply. While she knew thonro, her mate, her husband, her alpha, would want her to find a new mate, it tore her up. She couldn't start a new pack on her own. Could she even trust another werewolf?
Despite the horrors she had faced, Sifkni slept well. And long. The sun had been up for hours by the time she stirred. Though the general fatigue from the beast blood still lingered, she felt refreshed. She felt no aches from the prior journey. She stood up and noticed large parcel on the chest next to her bed.
'Best of luck dear
Pay me back when you stop by Riverwood. ~ Delphine'
Leather armor and boots. A nice elven dagger and a small pouch of coins. It wasn't a lot but it meant the world to Sifkni to have a fresh start. She felt the tears forming already. She quickly dressed in the armor and boots. She plaited her long auburn hair and tied it off. She tied the dagger to a belt and same with the coin pouch. She went to look for the woman to thank her but the barkeep said she left at the crack of dawn to check out the smoke towards Helgen. Sifkni thanked him and bade him farewell.
She walked down the road towards the forge. While the elven dagger was nice and would do nice damage, she needed a bow. The blacksmith should have a bow and arrows to trade.
She walked away from the blacksmith with a brand new long bow and enough arrows to last her a week. She felt bad for selling the dagger Delphine had so graciously given her. But she would pay her back. She needed to. The trek to Whiterun would be fairly short at least a few hours. She had enough money to get her a few nights at the Bannered Mare. Enough time to find work. She could always hunt. Good pelts, while they weren't necessarily rare to come by, they weren't too common. there was good money from gathering pelts. But she might have to invest in a horse to help with the load. While it wouldn't be a waste, they require care. Would a horse even accept her with her beast blood. Dogs and wolves easily made friends with Sifkni. wolves were naturally wary but would happily oblige to orders. She missed the wolves.
Wolves.
She smelled wolves.
No.
Not wolves.
Werewolves.
Her eyes glinted silver as she made her way toward the smell of wolf. A giant. So close to town. The wolves would need to wait. She drew back an arrow and took aim.
The giant landed with a loud thud. She smelled its metallic blood. Tasted it in her throat. It was shortly overpowered by the smell of wolf. Not one but two. A third woman. Not a wolf. She looked into the eyes of the other wolves. She noticed the armor the man was wearing. Companions.
Werewolves in the companions.
"You there." the woman called out. "You're pretty good with that bow. Why don't you come to Jorrvaskr and ask to join the companions? Ask for Kodlak."
Sifkni looked at them in shock.
