I do not own Skyrim nor any places or characters I use in this story except for my OC's. Enjoy!

There Anna stood. Soaked from head to toe, her eyes puffy, and her mouth wide open. It took a moment or two before Anna could even respond, "What?" Was all she could finally say.

"He would like to take you home dear!" Constance spoke up. She was beaming, her excitement obvious in her voice. How could she be so happy? She should know that Anna had no intention of leaving Honorhall until she was eighteen! Who would want her anyways, she could leave her guardians protection the minute she turned eighteen, which was only in two months. Anna found that she couldn't speak. She looked up at Aventus. She saw him staring coldly at the old man, his jaw clenched. Was he mad?

Her head snapped back to the old man as he began to speak again, "I'm a hunter, and I just want some companionship for the last few years of my life." All Anna could think of was that the man who had killed her father was in this very city, and yet here this man was, taking what might be the only chance she would have for vengeance. This couldn't be happening to her! She had to say something; she had to think of some way to get this man to leave her here. Before she could speak, she heard Aventus's voice behind her.

"You don't look like a type of man looking for companionship." Anna could hear the ice in his voice. Was he defending her? Did he actually have feelings for her, or was she just protecting her like he would a sister?

"What this man does or does not look like is none on our concern." Constance rebuked her voice harsh.

The older man held up his hand, "It's ok, what's your name boy?"

"… Aventus." He had hesitated but he gave his name to the old man.

"Aventus, huh. Hm. I think I could use you. Constance, I would like to adopt this young man as well." Anna felt Aventus tense up. She looked back and saw that his face was a solid mask. Whatever he was feeling, he was concealing it.

"Thank you so much! Well Anna, Aventus, go pack up your stuff, you now have a family." Anna didn't move. Her body was paralyzed. For the second time, her life was being turned upside down. The first time was because she lost a father, this time was because she was getting a new one. She didn't know if she stood there for just a few minutes, or if she stood there for an hour. Finally, she felt Aventus lead her to their common room. In a daze, Anna started stuffing her belongings in a bag. For living eighteen years she had very little. When she stuffed her brown thin dress in her bag, she could smell the scent of sewer still clinging to the cloth. She didn't care though, nothing really mattered. She had to start her life all over again and in a way she didn't want. Soon all of her belongings were packed. She took one last look around the room. She had been excited to leave for a while now, but she had wanted to leave to live her own life, not go and live with someone else. Aventus approached behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder.

"It'll be ok as long as we stick together." Anna just nodded, enjoying Aventus's strong arms around her. In too little time, they were heading back to the old man. He led them out of the orphanage, and out of Riften. None of them said a word as the three of them boarded a small boat. The old man rowed the boat, his large muscles rippling every time the paddles flowed through the water. Still in a daze, Anna watched as Riften became smaller and smaller, until it was no longer in sight.

With no words being said, the old man led the two onto the land and into the forest. The branches got thicker and thinker, until Anna could hardly move without scratching herself on the long dark branches. She was sure Aventus was having an even harder time, since he was so much bigger. One minute Anna was stumbling in a thick of branches, the next she was suddenly in a clearing. There was a tent made of furs in one end of the clearing, and a table with meat from dead animals. Right next to that table was a chest full of bows, obviously used for hunting. There were various poles throughout the camp that had animal skin, tanning. It was obvious that this man had been hunting in this area for a while.

Anna turned to the old man ready to start asking questions about the new life that she would be living, but the minute she turned toward him he through a long straight stick at her. It hit her hands before it slammed into the ground. Her checked burned in embarrassment as she looked down at what he thrown at her. She noticed that it was a wooden practice sword. Hesitantly she picked up the sword and questionably looked at the old man.

"They say that Ulfric Stormcloak was born a great fighter, that he inherited his skills from his father. Let's see if the same has happened to you." Before Anna could speak, the old man charged with surprising agility. He swung his own practice sword in a vertical arc, faster then she thought was possible from a man his age. Anna was only barely able to raise the wood in her hand in time to block. She almost smiled as wood hit wood, but she was given no time to celebrate. The old man swung his sword again and again, faster than a man half his age. Anna had no hope of blocking the series of attacks. Wood connected with her soft flesh time and time again. Anna tried to keep up with her elder, but no matter how fast she moved, this man moved twice as fast. With one baseball like hit, the man sent Anna sprawling on her backside. Frustrated she dropped her sword and started rubbing various places on her body. She hurt from head to toe, there seemed to be no place this man had missed in those few minutes of dueling.

"Well… that was disappointing. You are very weak girl." He did not say this unkindly, but rather matter-of-factly.

"Well what did you expect? I'm an orphan, not a warrior!" Anna snapped back.

"I expected the daughter of Ulfric Stormcloak. I thought she would be strong, not small and weak." Again he did not say this with even a hint of anger or unkindness, but as if he was just truly saying what he thought. The old man just sighed, "As you are now, you could never even touch me." He turned his back and walked toward his tent. What had been a fast and strong warrior was replaced with a slow old looking man. "Go clean yourself up girl, there's a river just a few minutes east."

Anger filled Anna. So what that she was small? Did everyone have to be big and strong? She clenched her fist. In a sudden fit of rage she grabbed her wooden sword and charged at the man. She might not have been strong, but she had spent so much time sneaking while she was at Honorhall that her movement was practically silent. The old man never even knew she was behind him. With no hesitation she swung the sword with all her might, putting every bit of her anger in this one strike. The sword hit his back with a loud crack

Before Anna could react the old man turned and swung his sword. The piece of wood connected with her face with such speed that the sword broke in half. She saw black as she collapsed on the ground. She could feel a warm liquid dripping down her face. She could hear someone shout something. She was slightly aware of a large mass jumping over her and slamming into the old man before she was swallowed by the blackness completely.

Anna was seated on a small wooden chair with a round table in front of her. She was surrounded by light on all sides. Wherever she was it was completely silent, despite that something about this bright place made her feel at ease. She looked around her, but there seemed to be nothing else for miles around her. She was about to get up when an unmistakable voice broke the silence, "Anna, my daughter." She quickly turned her head. Behind her stood Ulfric Stormcloak, her father. The minute she set her eyes on him the light turned into a small room that was decorated as if for a king.

"Dad?" Anna could feel hot tears filling her eyes. She tried to wipe them away. She had to be strong for her dad, she couldn't fall apart.

"Anna, I am so sorry for leaving you; however Skyrim needed me, just as she now needs you." He kneeled down in front of her and reached out to cup her check. She could feel the warm from his hands as he stroked her check.

"But how? You have never talked to me in another other dreams?" Anna was afraid to closer her eyes, even to blink, for fear that when she opened them again her father would, like so many dreams before, be headless.

"This is no dream. This is Sovngarde; I have been allowed to visit you for just a short time." Ulfric look into her eyes. Oh how Anna had missed those eyes, the grey eyes that carried so much love, but also so much concern. "Skyrim suffers under the hand of the emperor. She must be saved, and only a Stormcloak can do this. It must be you, my daughter."

Anna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no military training, and she definitely didn't know how to please a crowd to rally around her. "But, how?"

"It will be hard, but by Talos you will succeed where I have failed." Anna just looked up at her father, speechless. Just a few hours ago she had been living in Honorhall as an orphan nobody knew, now her father, who had been dead for over five years was asking her to save a country, a country that not even he could free. She looked helplessly up into his face. All doubts, all fear melted out of her as she looked into her father.

"For now, just become strong, the time is not right yet, but the day will come when Skyrim will once again rally under the banner of Stormcloak. They will strike with more power and bravery than ever before. This time Skyrim will crush the Imperial's!" Anna nodded. She still didn't know if this was just a dream or if she was really in Sovngarde but this sounded just like her father, always concerned about Skyrim more than anything else.

Ulfric pulled her into a huge bear hug and whispered into her ear, "I am sorry to put this burden upon you, but you can do it, after all, you have the blood of a Stormcloak." Anna squeezed her father, not wanting the moment to end. She didn't know if this was real or not, but for the first time in five years, she was able to see her father's face, and hear his voice. She stayed there, hugging the big man until her eyes closed, and for the second time that day, the blackness overtook her.

To be continued…

Thanks so much for the reviews! As always, please review wither you liked it or not! I could always use pointers! Thanks!