Chapter 3: Escape
The next thing the guard felt was his body flare up in pain as fire engulfed his body. He immediately dropped the hammer and attempted to pat down the flames but to no avail. His large body hit the floor with a loud thud and the flames soon died down.
Karin panted heavily as the flames retracted back into her hand and the fire died down. Sweat drenched her forehead while her shoulder throbbed painfully in her arm. She was certainly grateful for the fact her father had decided to teach her some magic by using the language of the elves but the only ones she could actually use was fire or healing. Even then, she used the magic sparingly. She was no mage nor had any natural talent for spells. She was more surprised at the fact she was able to cast the magic while in intense pain. Her spare arm dropped to the side and smiled weakly when one of the Stormcloaks came over to help her.
"Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" Ralof asked the other Stormcloak.
He shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up."
Karin looked at them for a moment and noted that they were all Nords. It wasn't surprising seeing as Skyrim was home of the Nords. She looked up to the woman who decided to help her.
"It's nothing serious, it's just dislocated." She reassured and dug out a small splint from her pocket. "Here, take this, it's going to hurt."
Karin looked at the splint and nodded, taking it with her free hand and placing it in between her teeth and preparing herself for the worst. She took a few deep breaths through the stick and nodded once more when she was ready.
The woman nodded and gently placed her hands around Karin's shoulder, working out what the best way was to solve the problem. It felt like a minor dislocation so it wouldn't need any major medical procedure. "Okay, this is going to hurt…a lot…but it'll fix the problem." She waited for a few moments. "Ready? 1…2…3!" On three, she forcefully shoved the joint back into position.
A sickening click echoed around the chamber. Karin let out an audible pained whimper through the stick; she rested on the floor for a moment then decided to stand up. As she stood up, her shoulder flared up in pain, another quiet whimper escaping her lips. She removed one of the red potions from her bag and poured half of it down her throat, the familiar taste of strawberry filling her mouth. She knew that only half a potion would only act as a sort of painkiller. She couldn't afford to use the entire thing when they still had a long journey ahead of them.
"T-Thanks" Karin muttered and rotated her shoulder a little. It still hurt a little but until they escaped from Helgen, it was all that she could do until she could get some better supplies.
Ralof and his companion waited for a moment when something caught his eye inside a cage. "Looks like there's something inside…the gate's locked."
Karin walked over to the locked and looked at it for a moment. It looked like a normal lock but somehow it looked different.
"Here take these lockpicks and see if you can get it open" Ralof handed her a handful of picks "We're going on ahead to scout out the area, come join us when your ready"
Karin held up a hand to stop Ralof from leaving. "Hang on a second. These locks are different from the ones in Cyrodil." She pushed one of the picks in and frowned when she confirmed her suspicions. The locks in Cyrodill were often deep and had a number of pins that needed to be lifted to unlock the door. These felt different however. She had picked plenty of locks before…mostly to sneak into (her now ex) boyfriends house and to sneak back home.
Ralof looked at her for a moment and nodded. He took out the small knife he used to cut her bindings and smiled. "Here, use this and see if you can unlock it."
Karin took the knife for a moment and was about to ask what she was meant to do when she noted that Ralof had left her to figure it out. She sighed and looked at the lock and placed the pick inside along with the knife. She rattled the pick around for a moment and found that the lock was more of a delicate lock system. The lock wouldn't turn if the pick wasn't in that sweet spot to let it unlock. With the knife, she carefully moved the lock around until an audible click sounded and the door swung open. Overjoyed with her success she quickly looked inside and scooped up a number of gold coins and a book, which looked like it detailed a type of spell. She would have to read that later. She stuffed it in her pack, and quickly followed Ralof and his companions.
Unlike the previous passageways, which were all wide and brightly lit, these felt tiny and cramped. Small torches lined the wall near an iron gate that lead to a small cell area. Inside the various stone walled cells, she would see a small patch of hay or a skeleton. She shivered and the image of starving to death crept into her mind. She shook her head and forced it out. She could not afford any more distractions. Turning the corner from the cramped hallway, she caught up with Ralof and his companions and nodded that she was ready.
Ralof smiled and led her down some dark, damp stairs, ignoring the sounds of water that dripped from the stones above them and run ahead into a large room.
Karin walked into the room and took a quick look around, gasping a little when her eyes settled on a large, iron cage. The iron had rusted horribly and inside of it was a pure white skeleton, many bones missing from its leg as it sat awkwardly in the cage. Next to the cage was another with a dead Nord inside. Karin poked the skin and shuddered when she felt bone press into her finger. This Nord had been denied food and water for a very long time. She forced herself to tear her gaze away from the cage and continued following Ralof through a large hole in a stonewall.
She was slightly surprised when she saw the cave behind the wall. She hadn't expected that to be there. She assumed that the dragon attack might have shook the wall loose and revealed the hidden passageway. Maybe fate broke down the wall. Karin had often wondered if the gods actually had a hand in the events that happened around her but she doubt it. Why have the gods not intervened in the war that has gripped Skyrim? A group of voices echoed nearby, the sound of running water partially drowning out their voices.
"Sir! We should leave while we still can!"
"No, we need to find the General and then get the hell out of here."
"Sir, the dragon is still out there, we'd be slaughtered."
Karin and Ralof nodded to each other and the group drew their weapons. Karin's left hand engulfed in a fiery, mini inferno and she led the charge into the large chamber.
When she ran into the large chamber, she quickly took note of the surroundings. She was on a sort of raised platform that ran the edge of the room, connected to another platform by an arched bridge. A stream of water ran from one end of the room and under the arched bridge. A pair of men stood near the stream, talking to each other.
Running quickly and quietly she ran up to the closest guard. Her sword went up and round, stabbing down through his chest and into his heart. She quickly retracted the blade; blood glistened with the motion and splattered the stone floor.
The guard twitched for a moment in a kneeling position and looked up at the woman with a mixture of shock and anger. He collapsed loudly, face first on the cold floor. His sword clanged loudly on the floor, alerting the other guards.
"For Skyrim!" Ralof shouted and ran after her, brandishing his axes at the commanding officer, his companions offering their support.
Karin ignored the battle cries of Ralof and the Stormcloaks. She had to focus on her own battle. Ducking under an arrow, she charged at the archer. She had to close the distance fast if she didn't want to end up as an Imperial pincushion.
The archer saw the approaching target and pulled back on the bowstring, the nocked arrow aiming for her shin. He took a few steps back and fired the shot, the string letting out an audible twang when he released the arrow.
Karin saw the shot coming from a mile away and quickly stepped to the side. The arrow bounced on the stone tile where her foot was a just second ago. She curled her fist into a ball, the flames becoming more intense and threw her hand forward; opening her hand and a wave of intense flames erupted from her hand.
The Guard looked at the flames and sidestepped to the side. The flames licked at his legs for a moment but then his uniform erupted in flames. He yelled in surprised and attempted to pat out the flames on his uniforms, but only succeeded in fanning the flames, jumping up to his sleeve. Within seconds, his entire body was lit up like a bonfire. His skin fell apart from the heat and blood spreading around the twitching form.
Karin smiled and shook the flames from her hand, extinguishing them and smiled. She had often regretted using a mix between magic and weapons. She remembered that her brother specialised in weapons more than magic and he was unbeatable. A sharp pain in her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. An arrow protruded from the mix of mail and leather. With a growl, she ripped out the arrowhead and glared at the new comers to the fight, coming from the way they needed to go. She moved her head to the side and another arrow shot past her neck. Once more, she brought her hand around and flames shot forward.
One of the guards didn't see the blast of flame and was fully engulfed in them, his screams echoing around the chamber and collapsed to the floor, a small, human bonfire.
The other guard was smarter than his comrade was. Dodging to the side and quickly closing the gap between him and Karin. His sword raised and poised for a quick strike to the arrow wound.
Karin brought her blade around and parried the blow, the clashing of steel on steel echoed loudly as the two were locked in a deadly battle of power. Karin growled, attempting to keep the guard's blade away fron her shoulder that was inching closer and closer to it. She could feel the blade touching her shoulder, her heart beating faster and faster…
The guard shuddered violently and collapsed into her arms, a large arrow sticking out form his back and his neck. Blood spewed from the two arrow wounds violently, splashing her across the face.
Karin bent down slightly from the sudden weight, letting out a small gasp and threw the guard to the side then dusted herself off. She looked over at Ralof, who had picked up a bow and quickly assisted her before something happened. She nodded her head. "Thank her." Her voice was weak and quiet. The day was starting to take its toll on her.
"Let's go on ahead, see if the way is clear." Ralof muttered and walked past her. He patted her shoulder warmly when he passed her and walked on ahead.
A blonde female Stormcloak swiped some blood from her face and turned their backs to them. "I'll stay here and keep watch in-case Ulfric comes through. Talos guide you both." She bowed and disappeared back towards the torture room.
Karin watched her depart for a moment before turning around and joining Ralof in a smaller passageway. More torches lined the edges in the tunnel leading to a lever.
"Let's see where this goes." Ralof spoke to himself quietly, and pulled on the lever. A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Then a loud clanking noise sounded in-font of them, the bridge slowly dropping so they could pass. It hit the other side with a loud bang and the passageway fell silent.
Karin smiled and felt in her gut that the exit was inching ever closer. With haste, she ran over the wooden bridge and stopped. More running water ran through this large chamber in a small stream, the sound intensifying with the echo that it produced. She turned and waved over at Ralof. "Come on! I'm getting bored of these caves already!" Her voice echoed spookily around them, causing her body to shiver.
Ralof smiled and quickly ran over the bridge. He stopped partway when a loud roar sounded above them and the entire cave shook. He glanced up and saw a rock come lose from its formation. He jumped forward, landing with an 'ouf' and quickly turned around just in time to see the rock smash the bridge into pieces. He stood up and dusted off his clothing. "Looks like the others will have to find another way. Let's continue on."
Karin nodded and took a few steps forward. She was aware of the running waters nearby and that would be able to help her move through the cave without a light source. She decided against that course of action. She walked up to one of the torch brackets and ripped it from its holdings. She hissed when some of the hot ash drooped on her bare hand. She shook the ash off, the fire whooshing with the motion and examined her hand.
Ralof extended a hand out with a smile, holding a pair of thick, brown leather gloves. "Here, take these." He smiled warmly.
Karin let out a small smirk when she took the gloves from Ralof. "If you were a man, you'd never let a woman lead the way or to hold a torch, red hot with fire." She placed one of the gloves on, handing Ralof the torch with the other hand. She quickly placed the other glove on, tightened the bindings around her wrist, and took the torch back from him. "Come on, I just want to get out of here." She took a few steps forward and held the torch up high.
The flames shimmered off the flowing waters and off the damp walls of the cave as the pair moved forward, placing their feet carefully on the slippery stones below them to avoid an undignified injury. The pair was silent during the travel the only sounds were that of the flowing waters and that of their boots against the gravel and stones. They soon stopped when they came to a large wall of stone, blocking the path forward, only the water managing to slip through the small crack in the bottom of the pile.
"This way is a no go. Unless you Stormcloaks have a fancy way to turn into water or some sort of fish, we need to go around." Karin poked the crack with her free hand; faintly hoping that messing around with the crack would prompt the entire thing would collapse.
"We can go thought this way." Ralof pointed out the side-entrance. Taking a few steps down the passageway and looking at her.
Karin sighed and wearily nodded. Nothing was going her way today. Apart from escaping from death, and even then her saviour was a dragon. She was certain that the gods had decreed that they would not escape Helgen. If so then she would defy the gods and escape, and then meet up with her family as soon as she could. She stood upright and followed Ralof through the tight passage, holding the torch up high so that he could see.
The passage soon opened up into a large circular cave, natural light flooded through the cracks in the roof, various silk cocoons littered the outer walls. Karin's stomach did a flip when she realised what the cocoons belonged too.
Various large spiders dropped down on thin, silver threads from the ceiling. A large number of them were small baby spiders covered in small brown hairs, but two of them were the same size as Karin, covered in large, brown hair that made them look menacing and stuff of nightmares. Eights eyes upon each head glared at they prey.
Karin felt her entire body paralyse with fear as the monsters approached her. Already she was visualising the spiders injecting her with the venom that would freeze her in place and then wrapped up in a silky cocoon to die a slow and painful death.
"Look out!" Ralof shouted and stepped in front of her, releasing an arrow at the nearest baby arrow, punching it through its head and killing it instantly.
Karin stepped out of her stupor and drew her sword with her other hand and stepped forward. Stabbing her torch into the face of one of the baby spiders and twisting around one of the large spider's legs, stabbing her blade down into one of its eyes.
The Spider howled in agony and attempted to shake the blade out, its many legs failing about. Soon it became motionless when another pair of arrows penetrated its eyes.
Ralof swiftly took out the other spiders with expert aim and dexterity, loading up one arrow and releasing them rapidly. When all the spiders were dead, Ralof shivered and walked over to the next passageway. "I hate those things. Too many eyes."
Karin chuckled a little and nodded to herself, knowing what he meant by the eyes. The torch she had extinguished when she shoved it in the face of the baby spider, so she threw it to one side and quickly caught up with Ralof. "Where did find the bow and arrow?"
"I found them on the guards that we killed earlier. They had plenty of bows and arrows. I figured our village could use them in case of a bandit attack." He explained as he led the way through the passageway.
The passageway led out to another very large cavern, the sound of a small waterfall splashing against the rock to her left and under a stone bridge that led deeper into the chamber. Her gut instinct telling her that freedom was so close and she hastily ran ahead, running over the bridge.
"Stop! There's a bear over there, you see her?" Ralof whispered urgently, crouch walking over to her and pointing in front of her.
Karin had frozen when Ralof told her to stop and now saw the large, black mass of a bear a fair distance ahead of them. She glanced to the side and saw the passageway continuing in that direction. The bear was not blocking their path.
"I'd rather not tangle with her right now, we should sneak around if we can" Ralof suggested, and then held out his bow to her. "Or you can use my bow and get the drop on her. I'll follow your lead."
Karin glanced at the bow and considered taking out the bear. It would only take one well-placed shot to kill it and she could probably strip it of its fur and hide to get some gold coins, but that ran the risk of being killed. On the other hand, she could sneak past with her life but lighter in terms of gold. It is not as if she couldn't find some work when she got out anyway.
She put a finger to her mouth, pointed towards the wall, and started to crouch walk towards the passageway, hugging the wall as best she could, taking careful note of anything on the ground that might awaken the bear from its slumber. Her boots stapped quietly on the stone but for a sickening moment, she thought the bear had awoken, watching in fear as it tossed and turned but remained still seconds later.
She didn't stop sneaking around the bear until she was well and truly clear of the animal. She ignored the set of bones that littered the edge of the cave floor and instead focused on the chilly breeze that embraced her. Ecstatic she ran forward towards the light that paved the way back to the outside world and into the world of Skyrim.
And so, we finally get to the end of the Prologue and actually get into the world of Skyrim. I tell you now it is REALLY hard to juggle two characters, especially when one is for writing reasons and the other is for general gaming.
Next Chapter will explain in depth about Karin's past and what-not for those who are interested.
Karin is still up for grabs in terms of archetype! At the moment she's really leaning towards Stealth but for the moment, I'll keep that to myself!
I'd like to thank everyone for the large amount of support that you've given me and the reviews and the alerts. Everyday when I came home from work I'd see even more and wonder "Why is this so popular?". I want to thank everyone who took a small moment of their time to review this as well. Rest Assured, Karin is going to have some interesting adventures in the future.
