The Imperial soldier with the list didn't see my name, commented the fact that I wasn't with other Wood Elves and that I was far from home. He has no idea.

"Captain, what do we do? She's not on the list." He asks.

"Forget the list. She goes to the block."

I knew it. All this time, I've been worrying about dying from my marks or from a pack savage beasts on the trails. I shielded myself from this world, thinking that it wouldn't concern me or effect my mission to return home, to my family. I guess because I didn't involve myself or moved on from my past that I will now never return to, I will die with nothing accomplished. I did a few favors in my travels, but it wasn't because I wanted to help. I had to do those favors so that they would try to find a way to send me back. Key word there was "try". They all found nothing. Therefore, I now feel as though all that nothing, makes my life nothing.

A familiar sound fills the air, but the Imperial General dismisses it and has the execussion begin. One of the Stormcloak rebels rushes up to the block, mocking the Imperials. They kill him. I hear the rebel who was in the cart with me, complimenting on how fearless he was. The captain calls for me to be executed next. I still can't believe it; I am to die for entering a country during a war that I have no part of.

Over the sound of my fast beating heart, I hear a familiar roar, the same sound as before. Everyone starts to worry, but the captain calls me to the block again. I stand there in front of the block, wondering if it will hurt or where I will go after death. To Soverngarde like everyone says here, or to the Maker's side like I was taught back at Kirkwall. I'm forced down on my knees, head on the block still fresh with blood that it is almost sickening. "This is it." is the thought that runs through my head. As the headsman raises his axe, a dark and familiar figure appears on top of the tower behind him.

"Dragon!" a woman yells.

Everyone scatters in a panic and the dark dragon...does something that I've never seen. He roars or something and everyone is flung back. Stones fall from the sky, my sight and hearing is all a blur. I slightly hear someone calling me to run in they're direction. I run inside a tower as my senses go back to normal.

"... Could the legends be true?" the rebel that was in the wagon with me asks the noble, Ulfric Stormcloak.

"Legends don't burn down villages." He replies, the dragon roars loudly outside. "We need to move, now!"

The rebel and I run up the tower hoping to find a way out. The dragon brakes through the wall and tries to roast us. He flies away to kill the rest of the town. I see the inn nearby with an opening in the roof. Without really considering what will happen, I jump into the inn and to the ground where I find the Imperial soldier who had the list protecting a now orphaned boy and elderly man.

After seeing me, he sends the boy with the old man, praying for they're safety. He then tells me to go with him, with no way out, I agreed to go with him. As we run through the already ruined town, we run into a few close calls with the dragon's fire. We finally run into the rebels, but instead of working together, they split up asking me to go with them.

Who do I go with? The Imperial who represents the men who nearly killed me for being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or the Stormcloak who represents a man who killed a king to try to take his throne? Both have tried to save me when this dragon appeared, but as the Stormcloak told both the thief and myself to accept our deaths, the Imperial tries to spare me from that fate. I rush to the Imperial, Havard. Once inside, I dig into a chest that has all of the prisoners' belongings. I only want to retrieve two things. I found them, the locket my mother gave me when I was born, the locket that has the crest of my grandmother's family on it and a book. The book was written by my Dwarven uncle after the mage circles rebelled and it's the full truth version. Throughout all of the people I talked to, only one was able to cast the spell that sent me here. However, he could not send me back, but send something to Tamriel. I asked him to retrieve a record on the Champion of Kirkwall and this is what he gave me. A family locket and the story of my family before and after I was sent to Tamriel. There, I will start this journey.

...

Getting out of Helgen was not easy. Rebels trying to have Havard and me killed when they should have worried about the dragon. About surviving. I guess their hate for each other clouds the fact that there is more danger than a rebellion that'll only end with a battlefield covered in blood. Havard and I had to fight Rebels, giant spiders, and a big bear. Once we got out of the caves under the town, we headed for Riverwood to meet Alvor, Havard's uncle. On the way, he tried convincing me to consider joining the Imperials, but since I was almost executed, I told him I'd think about it.

We arrived in Riverwood before anyone else and told Alvor, Hadvar's uncle who was also the village's blacksmith, what happened. At first he laughed, thinking that we were drunk or took a drug called skooma. After awhile, Alvor realized that we weren't joking. Havard decided to stay awhile before going to Solitude, Alvor gave me some food, an iron dagger, and suitable armor. Before heading out to Whiterun, I spent the night.

Now it is morning and even though I usually involve myself in this world's affairs, the dragon made me wake up and smell the mountain flowers. As long as I'm here, I should try to help in anyway I can, even if it doesn't benefit me going home. It won't be easy since I've been concealing for so long, but it is worth a try. Don't want anymore misunderstandings while I'm in Skyrim. I may never go back to Kirkwall, but I know from the stories that Varric was able to tell me, my mother would want me to do something to help, especially with this whole dragon thing. As they say, it is not the destination, but the journey.

As I walk towards the inn to see if the innkeeper had heard of anything that I might be able to help with or know where I can find a guide, two drunk men on the main road dog whistle me and calling me a witch because I bewitched them and other lines that may get other women in a bedroll with them. One even asks if I want to lip wrestle with him. I do my best to ignore them, hoping neither of them touches me. I look up towards the door and see a man leaning up against the wall, staring at me. He doesn't speak his mind about me like the other two, but his eyes don't break away from me.

Is he thinking about what these men are thinking of me? Does he want what they want? Is he waiting to see what my reaction will be to their banter? Is he wondering about my marks?

I walk up to the door, his eyes are still on me. "What are you looking at?" I ask both annoyed and suspiciously.

"So you're someone who doesn't lip wrestle, got it. Or are you just looking for someone to kiss your boots? If it's the ladder, I suggest asking elsewhere." He replies.

What was that all about? Maybe I'll make some snappy comeback and see his reaction.

"So you're someone who doesn't kiss boots. Too bad, mine were looking dull." I smirk at him.

"Got a thing for feet huh? I'm sure that dog scampering around would be happy to put a few layers of drool on them for ya." He got me back.

I'm a little stunned. Most men that I ridicule or joke with, usually take me way too seriously or walk away.

"So, are you..." he starts, "used to those comments that you turn up your nose at all of them like some damn noble?"

He has his guard down with a serious question, payback time. "I'm sorry, Princess, did you want someone to pay attention to you too?"

"Wha-? Princess?" I shocked him and got him to laugh. "Those two only wish to work up the courage to whistle at me. I'll be fine. They've been harassing every pair of legs that's crossed their path for days. Yesterday, they got so drunk, they even wolf whistled the black smith."

I can't hold it in anymore. I start laughing, imagining Alvor getting whistled at and holding back his overreacting wife from killing those men.

"You're the first they've been right to admire though." He says seductively. I stop laughing and look at him with my guard up. "Anyway, just... give them a wide berth."

That almost sounded like concern. I don't usually meet men like this. A man with a sense of humor and who doesn't think with what's between his legs. "Thanks, but why are you telling me this?" I ask.

"Maybe I'm just a nice guy?" he chuckles as I look at him suspiciously. "I need to get going. I was tracking my wolf, Karnwyr, around here. We were separated while hunting a week ago. I've been hearing rumors of bandits holding pit fights somewhere this side of Skyrim. He's all I've got and it's the only lead. So I'm off to shut them down before anything happens to him."

Hearing that, I could relate. The song that my father once sang to me what I have to remind me of my father while my locket reminds me of my mother. If I lost either of these by theft or some sort of memory spell by bandits or mages or demons of any kind, I would take every lead and follow any clue.

But still, "Your only friend is a wolf? Huh, explains your manners." I giggle a little to ease the tension.

He glares at me. "First off, that wolf has been the only thing that hasn't stabbed me in the back. He's almost like a brother to me, got it? Second, if you're looking for manners, Princess, you've come to the wrong country." I guess I overstepped. I need a guide and he needs his wolf back. Judging by the armor he wears and the scars, he's a ranger and he knows how to get around.

"Tell you what?" I begin, "You help me get to Whiterun to warn the Jarl about the dragon attack in Helgen, and I'll help you get your friend back. Deal?"

I reach out my hand for a shake. He looks at me both surprised and suspicious. I give him a look that shows I'm serious. After a few moments of silence, he shakes my hand.

"My name is Bishop. What's yours, Ladyship?"

"Melody, Melody Hawke."