Author's Note: I'm so excited with the flow of this story that I can hardly stand it! XD
First off, I would like to give a big shout out to my beloved friend and awesome beta, MagicalTear. I absolutely adore her for having taken the time to review my story and giving me some really great feedback. After I've applied the corrections she's given / suggested me, I can proudly state that this story is finally ready~!
Your journey begins now. Are you ready to take your first step towards your destiny? Arm yourself with your courage and wit, choose your friends wisely, and always look to the skies. These are dark times - will you be able to survive or will you descend into the dark abyss? Your fate rests within your hands. Choose wisely~
I hope you all enjoy this~!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners.
"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be..."
Your vision was swimming wildly, figures blurred together to create nonsensical images that only further overwhelmed your weary brain. A small hiss escaped your mouth, causing two of the blurs to straighten upon hearing your pained breath. Narrowing your eyes in an attempt to try and gain some focus back into your bleary vision, you found your eyes trailing towards the left. A man...clad in leather armor sat in the front, his hands whipping the reins in his hold and immediately capturing the attention of the horse trudging along the dirt path at a leisure pace. The action caused the animal's steps to quicken, the sudden movement jerking the wooden cart you were in. This caused your weary gaze to cast a fleeting glance at the men occupying this little 'joy ride' with you. One...two...three...four...five. Well, this wasn't awkward in the least - being the only female here. Yay for you! A quick sweep to the right and your eyes caught sight of a man clad in armor riding on horseback, trailing after the carriage.
...Well this is just fucking fantastic!
An imperial guard, you were being escorted somewhere by imperial guards! Just what the hell did you do to land yourself into this 'fabulous' position?! Racking your brain wildly for an answer, you found yourself wincing at the brash action. Okay, taking into account that your head felt like someone took a motherfucking mace to it - and by eyeing that guard trailing after your group and the iron mace attached by his belt (not to mention it was caked with dry blood), you had a pretty good hunch about what went down before you blacked out.
"Fucking bastard," you snarled quietly underneath your breath, your hazel eyes narrowing maliciously on the guard located in the far back.
Your insult had apparently not gone unheard if the poorly muffled chuckles from the brunette male seated next to you on your right was any indication to go by. Locking eyes with the male, you silently began to take in his appearance. He had wild shaggy brown locks of hair, and his skin color was darker than the normal Nord, it was almost like a caramel glaze. His eyes were a vibrant green, and if you looked closely, you could easily tell that his emotions were no secret to anyone. Evidently he had a terrible poker face, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. Must've been easy for the guards to determine whether this man was innocent or guilty - then again when were the Imperials ever fair enough to grant a person their rights, anyway? Silently scanning the young male once more, you came to the conclusion that he was around the same age as you, perhaps even a year or so older, at most. Catching your wondering gaze, the male allowed a small grin to cross his features, causing your eyes to widen slightly in surprise. What in the Nines did this guy have to be so happy about!?
The sound of flapping wings snapped you out of your daze. Peering upwards, two birds quickly flew overhead, their forms barely visible in the thick mass of fog that was surrounding the forest. An eerie premonition, you noted warily to yourself, your lips tugging down to form a frown. This did not bode well. Your luck had already been running thin to begin with, and you had made damn well sure that you did not tip the balance any more than it already had - so what in Nocturnal's name is going on here?
Your body suddenly jerked towards the left, the jarring motion caused your body to slam into the backside of the driver's seat as the cart suddenly dipped down due to the horrifically worn road that it trailed. You were met with a harsh stare from the driver, his beady little eyes scrunched up to reflect his irritation to having bumped shoulders with you. Casting you a sneer, the man didn't expect you to retaliate as you lifted your right leg and allowed your lips to form a devious little grin the moment your foot collided against the back of his skull, the wondrous sound of the bones in his neck popping due to your assault gave you a little comfort to know that he got what he deserved.
"Oi!" Lazily turning your head to glance back at the guard holding up the rear, your arched a brow in silent question. Having already detached his weapon from his belt, the imperial soldier had his arm out-stretched, his iron mace pointed in your direction. "Don't make me smack you upside the head again!" the man snarled, tilting his head back in order to have a look of superiority, "Try something stupid like that again and I'll make sure you're out properly this time and cut your legs off while I'm at for good measure!"
Tch! This man thought he could intimidate you into submission, the bastard had another thing coming!
"So, this is what the Imperial army does in their spare time, eh?" you allowed the words to flow carelessly from your lips, far past the point of no return. These men had assaulted you, taken you from your home and were now openly threatening you. Survival of the fittest - that's what this was, and you sure as heck weren't going down without a fight! "Bash little girls upside their heads and then steal them from their homes without any rhyme or reason? You lack honor, and yet you continue to spout nonsense of protecting the people of Skyrim? Such blasphemy!"
Your sharp words had hit their marker. The soldier's face turned red in fury, his grip on his weapon tightening fiercely to further emphasize his roiling emotions. "Keep your mouth shut wench," the man shouted, his voice startling his fellow men and causing heads to turn from the cart just ahead of your group. "You and your sorry lot will get what's coming to you! Filthy scum!"
"Hey, you!"
The deep voice spoke across from you, inquiring your full attention as you turned to face the speaker. It was an older man, probably in his early 30s from the looks of it. He had shoulder length blond hair, his locks pulled together to form a small messy braid on the left side of his face. The facial hair covering the lower half of his face indicated that he was a 'busy' person if he didn't bother himself with proper shaving... ah, there's your answer. Your eyes widened at the sight of his attire, immediately recognizing the cause for which it resembled.
"Stormcloak," you whispered breathlessly. Your soft voice drifted through your companion's ears, causing the young man's body to immediately become rigid with anticipation. His emerald eyes latched onto the man addressing you, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"Finally awake," the Stormcloak mused, shooting you a playful look before his face took on a more serious expression to match the dreadful situation that had befallen your quaint little group. "You were trying to cross the border, weren't you?" he inquired, leaning forward slightly to observe your expressions, "Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there." Nodding his head towards the right, the Stormcloak gestured towards a lanky man clad in nothing but prison garbs. The thief's hands were bound, just as yours and everyone else's were. Greasy black hair was slicked back, an easy indication that this man had seen better days. Apparently everyone's luck was run dry at this point, you noted solemnly to yourself.
"Damn you Stormcloaks," the thief's snarl drew you out of your pessimistic thoughts. A quick glance in his direction, and you could see his beady, onyx eyes glaring darkly in the rebel's direction. "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 be half way to Hammerfell!"
The animosity among these men was fierce. Heck, you could even feel the tension rising in the brunette's demeanor. In fact, those emerald eyes of his were currently narrowed, eyeing the rambling thief with complete and utter disdain. Something had gone down, and you had obviously been knocked out for that portion, seeing as how you had absolutely no idea what was going on right now. A large piece of the puzzle was missing, and without that crucial information, you were unable to properly piece this conundrum together. Your mind was as thick as the heavy fog surrounding this forest - any hopes of escape were quickly diminished.
May Nocturnal have mercy on your soul...
"You there," the thief turned his full attention on you, "You and me - we shouldn't be here. It's the Stormcloaks the Empire wants."
A huff of irritation left the Stormcloak soldier's chapped lips. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."
Fed up with having to listen to your group gossip like little school girls, the driver turned his head to peer over his shoulder, blasting you all with a nasty look before bitterly shouting out his command. "Shut up back there!"
With a small roll of your eyes, you discarded the driver's snarky insult. Locking your eyes on the brunette seated beside you, hazel clashed with emerald. A quick inspection of his apparel and your curiosity was quenched. "Since when did innocent civilians begin to pose a threat to the Imperial soldiers?"
Your light inquiry brought a grin to the male's face. Finally! Someone with some common sense! Eagerly scooting closer to you, the brunette nodded his head to confirm your statement. Despite the dreadful circumstances at hand, the young male couldn't contain the excitement bubbling wildly in his stomach. There was an air of mystery surrounding your small form. He had been immensely curious about your arrival into this misfit group. The rough handling by the Imperial soldiers and your unconscious state had already spoken volumes of your valiant fight to withstand their brutal assault.
"My name's Eren," the young man breathed airily, his emerald eyes sparkling brightly with admiration. "Eren Jaeger. I'm from Falkreath."
"Falkreath?" you repeated the name of his homeland, furrowing your brows together in confusion. What on earth was a civilian from such a quiet little village doing here?
Eren was eager to supply you with information, his bright smile stunned you into silence, allowing the young man to finish his introduction. "My mom and dad run a farm there. We make our money by selling our produce to the keeper of the Inn. I guess you could say I'm the delivery boy..." you tried your best to contain a snigger at the sight of Eren's disgruntled expression of having to state his job. Clearly he wanted more to do with his life, but this was what had been handed to him. "While I was delivering Valga the stock she had ordered, I kind of got caught up in a scuffle..."
Arching a brow, you could read right through Eren's little fib. "Kind of? How do you 'kind of' get caught up in a scuffle?" you mused, watching on in silent delight as Eren's face was tainted with a light flush. "Either you started the scuffle or you ended it - which one was it?"
Despite the brilliant red that was currently staining his cheeks at your playful probing, Eren's eyes spoke wonders of the mischief he had caused. His lips quirked upward to form a devious little smirk, the sight bringing a grin to your features. "Oh, I started it," Eren declared proudly, puffing his chest out after voicing his declaration. "Actually, it went more like they started the whole ordeal by harassing the women, and I merely retaliated by throwing the first punch."
Oh, this was gold! Who would've thought that a simple civilian would have had the balls to actually lay a hand on an Imperial soldier? It was rare to stumble across a man with actual virtue in these lands, quite rare indeed. Not to mention in the form of a farm boy? Absolutely unheard of! Unable to keep the glee you were feeling from interlacing with your voice, you asked the one thing that had been plaguing your mind ever since Eren revealed his virtuous act of decking one of those stuck up pricks. "Did you break any bones?"
Blinking in surprise, Eren stared at the eager expression splayed across your face. It was odd having a woman asking him such a question. He was so used to the meek ladies of Falkreath, those who wished to hear absolutely nothing of violence. Giving his head a small shake to rid himself of the surprise littering his features, Eren felt his heart pumping wildly, the adrenaline rushing through his veins just as it did when he had viciously smashed his fist into that pompous bastard's face. Lips quirked upwards to form an impish smirk, "Oh, I broke his bones alright - completely obliterated that hideous hook nose of his. Doubt he'll be sniffing any women like he was for quite some time, actually~"
That proud tone of his did not go unnoticed. It seeped into your very soul, reminding you of a similar voice that had gently guided you through childhood and still continues to do so to this very day. Those thoughts of reminiscing melted away the moment your eyes caught sight of Eren flexing his bound hands. His knuckles, you noticed, were layered with dried blood. Looks like he certainly gave one hell of a fight before finally being subdued by the Imperial soldiers. Snickering quietly under your breath, you flashed the rambunctious male a small grin. "You've totally earned my respect, Jaeger. Anyone who's got the guts to actually clock one of those fucking bastards in their face is alright in my book."
Eren felt his face flush brightly in delight, his lips spreading to form a wide grin after hearing your compliment. He was so used to being reprimanded for his actions, despite the fact that he fought for a good cause. Labeled with the terms 'troublemaker' and 'idiotic boy', Eren could easily say that he had grown accustomed to being brushed off despite his valiant intentions. It was nice...being acknowledged for standing up to the tainted army of this land. A small spark ignited in his heart, one that wished to delve into your curious origins and secure a stable friendship. Opening his mouth with the intent to ask your name, Eren was cut off by a loud snort sounding across from where you two were seated. Whipping his head towards the source of the sound, emerald eyes clashed with gold.
You peered curiously in the stranger's direction. His face was youthful, a sign that he fell within yours and Eren's age group. Pale was the color of his skin, almost as light as the moon itself. This gave you some insight of the place he came from, one where the sun did not bear down upon the citizens as harshly as it did in other lands. His hair was blonde, it's length about down to his shoulder blades. The silky locks were pulled back into a braid, another little indicator for you to gain the idea that this young man was active in his trade and did not wish to have his hair hinder his progress. He too, had been stripped of his original clothing and clad in nothing more than prison garbs just like you and your companion. However, the most peculiar aspect of this stranger was his hands. Despite the fact that they were bound, you could see the calluses littering his fingers, and the strange tattoos engraved in the palms of his hands.
Running his eyes over the other male's form, Eren's lips pulled down into a sneer. His stomach curled in on itself in an uncomfortable manner at the sight of your eyes studying the young man. Not at all fond of the idea that his new friend's attention was no longer solely on him, Eren decided to grill the source of his anger, still peeved by the fact that his previous discussion with you had been interrupted. The words left his lips in an angry snarl. "What the hell is your problem?!"
"You shouldn't be gloating, idiot," was the golden eyed male's biting retort.
"Tch," Eren grit his teeth, his eyes flashing with unbridled anger. "What would you know?"
"If you haven't already noticed, we're being escorted by Imperial soldiers to Helgen," the young man spoke, narrowing his eyes at the hostility Eren was displaying. "Don't you find it strange? Why we were singled out and stuck in the same cart as the Stormcloaks?"
"...What's your theory?" you questioned, leaning forward ever so slightly in order to properly observe the stranger's reactions. He spoke like he understood the gist of what was going on. What did he know that you and Eren didn't? Those hard, calculating eyes clashed with yours for a brief moment before tearing away to lock back into its previous stare down with your hotheaded companion.
"My theory is...that we're being led to our death."
Silence reigned heavily over your group after those harsh words had been uttered by the golden eyed male. Being led to your death? Surely he was jesting! You couldn't possibly be on your way to the slaughter house, right? Your wide eyes locked with those golden ones, searching frantically for any sign of a lie. Your stomach immediately dropped after coming to the horrid conclusion that he was not lying.
Eren spoke the words you were unable to usher. "What do you mean we're being led to our death?! How would you even come to a conclusion as messed up as that?!"
"If you haven't already noticed," the golden eyed male hissed, glaring irritably at the brunette for being so loud, "we've been stuck in the same cart as him!"
All eyes locked onto the large form seated beside Eren. He had dirty blonde hair that reached his shoulders, a small braid accompanying the thick locks. Allowing your eyes to continue their silent observation, you couldn't help but furrow your brows in confusion to his attire. He was dressed in the finest silks, ones that were almost similar to the Jarl in your own town. The major difference was that his clothes shared an eerie resemblance to the color of the Stormcloaks. Upon closer inspection, you felt your brows arching in surprise at the mass of thick fur draped off of his broad shoulders. Was that...the pelt of a bear? Giving a small shake of your head to clear your rampant thoughts, you quickly returned to your previous task of giving this man a once over. The last piece to observe was the cloth wrapped securely around his mouth, preventing the man from uttering a single word.
The thief furrowed his brows together, interest piqued by the Imperial soldiers intent to keep this stranger from speaking. "What's wrong with him?"
"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King," the Stormcloak soldier snapped, his eyes narrowing at the disrespect being shown to his leader.
...Oh shit!
"Ulfric?" the thief repeated the name, eyes widening in disbelief, "The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion," his voice dropped in realization, the golden eyed male's theory repeating loudly in all of your heads. "But if they've captured you...oh gods, where are they taking us?!"
"I don't know where we're going...but..." the Stormcloak soldier's voice drifted through the air, tone heavy and void of emotion. This clearly reflected his optimism of hope regarding this dire situation, and the next words he spoke raised the tension tenfold, "...Sovngarde awaits."
"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!"
The thief's rambles were lost on you. Too far gone were your thoughts, lost in the haze that you were being led to imminent death. Your heart thudded painfully against your ribcage, as though it were screaming in protest for you to do something...anything! So long as you lived to see another day. Raising your bound hands to rest them against your forehead, you took a deep, shaky breath in order to try and clear your panicked state of mind. It would do you no good to lose what little hope you had left. Times like these...where optimism was almost nonexistent and the end loomed over your small form...it was times like this that one must gather their wits and fight to survive.