This is not a separate chapter, this is actually the original version of the previous chapter. I wrote this one first, but I couldn't continue writing this version, I just didn't know how to. But I decided to post it anyways just because. However, if anyone thinks I just continue this version, or at least try to. Just tell me, maybe I'll write a separate story following this path. Once again, try your best to enjoy whatever I wrote here.

Third Person

She shouts again and swings her blade again, cutting off the branch in one hit. Do I really want to go in right now? Is that really the best idea? Maybe I should be giving her time alone. But then again, I'm just making excuses for myself right now, aren't I. I take a breath and begin walking… I am going to die here. ==

"Lydia," he says. It takes her a while to look his way, but when she does, she jumps back immediately. Brandishing her weapon, she takes a fighting stance towards me. He lifts up his arms in an act of submission, but Lydia's stance does not drop.

"You…"

"Lydia…"

"My… thane," the emphasis on the word thane causes Mayisha to take a step back

"Lydia please,"

"I trusted you, did you know that?" a look of pain flashes over her complexion but it's quickly replaced by anger, "how could you do this to me?"

"I didn't do anything-"

"You did everything! You lied to me, you hurt me and now you're trying to capture me!"

"I'm not, I'm really not I promise. It's just a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" she smiles, "oh, I'm sorry, is this not yours?" she takes out her evidence and thrusts it into her thane's face

"Please," she says again, "enlighten me on how you just happen to find it lying around,"

"It's- mine, I guess,"

"It's yours?" she feigns surprise, her thane takes another step back the housecarl immediately takes one step forward

"Lydia, please calm down, this isn't like that,"

Lydia shouts and finally swings her blade. Her thane ducks but the blade leaves a short cut on his face nevertheless.

"What is it like then?" she asks, "TELL ME!" she pulls the steel sword back and thrusts it forward. The other nord jumps back in an attempt to dodge, but the sword pokes into his abdomen. He tries walk backwards out of it but Lydia follows until he hits the tree. She keeps the blade in place, not letting it out but not pushing it any deeper.

"A few guys came and gave me this, they asked me if I knew the person on it,"

"What did you say?"

"I said no,"

"All of this is true?"

"I promise,"

Lydia considers her position. She has grown to enjoy her thane's company and does not want to believe that he is an enemy. Although, Lydia is still finding it hard to truly trust anyone at this point.

Mayisha POV

"I don't believe you,"

"What can I do-"

"Nothing… but I don't want to fight you," she drops her sword, Ma'yisha carefully walks towards her. After what felt like years, he finally stands face to face with his housecarl, his hand slowly raises and cups her cheek into it. It seem things were finally looking up. But of course, nothing is that easy.

"Well, here's a face I wasn't expecting to see,"

Oh piss, out of all the times he could have appeared. Lydia and I turn to face the imperial. He just ruined everything that I have just done.

"Why are you here?" I ask

"Oh, no reason, just taking a walk, looks like it was good that I did after all," from the look of him and his battalion I doubt it was just a walk. Were they following me? I guess my lie was kind of obvious, but I didn't think they'd waste so much effort tracking me down. That's not the biggest worry right now, I guess. I reluctantly look to see how Lydia is feeling, huh, not so good, surprising.

"My thane," she angrily asks

"Yes, Lydia?"

"Why are they here?"

"I don't know,"

Lydia picks up her sword

"I recognise their armour,"

"I see you have found her after all, so I must admit, I almost didn't recognise her at first,"

"You promised me,"

"I wasn't lying,"

"How much money do you want for her?"

"YOU PROMISED ME!" Lydia screams

"I'm on your side!"

"YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL ME! Do you know what I went through? They held me for over ten years!" she kicks her dropped sword into her hand and holds it to my throat, "you said you were on my side,"

"I am," I say quietly, careful not to move

"You're lying," she says that, but she drops her sword anyways, "but I can't kill you. You're my thane, I can't do it."

The imperials were walking towards us. They have… six, seven people? Not that many, but I'm unarmed and I don't think Lydia will fight.

"Come with me, we can get away," I try to grab her arm but she jerks away from me

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING ME ANYWHERE," she looks to the imperials and then back to me, it must look to her like her enemies are closing in on her from both sides

"No one is taking me anywhere," she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes

"Lydia," I say in almost a whisper

"I've been running this whole time, I shouldn't have known I wouldn't have gotten away, not this easily," she raises her sword to her own throat

"LYDIA!" I scream, but too late. The next moments feel surreal. I don't know if time is moving faster or slower. But I know that one moment, the sword drops to the ground covered in blood. The next moment, I'm also on the ground, holding Lydia's form and desperately trying to keep the crimson liquid from spilling out. After that I'm looking around me, the landscape is shaking and I can only hear a dim ringing sound in my ear, it feels like the world has ended.

I look up and see… people? It must be people.

"AAAAAAAAAAA!" a scream, was it from me? "YOU BASTARDS!"

Third Person

Mayisha picks himself up from the ground and charges at the offenders. Two of them raise a crossbow but a shout easily blows back the bolts and knocks down the archers. He jumps onto a nearby tree and uses the momentum to launch himself back at the targets. He lands onto one footman and the force knocks off his helmet. The thane eagerly takes advantage of situation and digs his fingers into the man's eye sockets. The imperial screams and flails about but when the fingers finally pull out from his skull, his eyeballs were already in the Norseman's hand. He stands up and takes a look at the rest of the squad. There were six left, including their leader, and they walk around to surround him with their shields up. The usually quiet fighter lets out a feral roar and pounces at the closest enemy.

His weight immediately knocks the legionary to the ground who desperately tries to raise his shield as he wildly claws at the steel armour. The others react quickly and begin attacking. However, he manages to evade every attack all the whilst not letting up his assault until a stab going for his abdomen is caught before reaching its mark. The blade begins to cut into his hand, but he doesn't notice and only grabs it tighter before ripping it out of the imperial's grasp. With his other arm, he spins and punches him in the jaw, the clanging of his helmet ringing through the forest.

He responds to the next attack with a low roundhouse, effectively breaking the imperial's knee and sending him to the ground. Three left.

The two soldiers attack while their superior examines the situation. But it has been long enough, and the dragonborn is capable of shouting again, which he wastes no time doing. The pair is knocked to the ground and he runs his sword in through the legionary's groin area and twists it until the screaming subsides. The last imperial tries to bash with his shield but he catches it and it turns quickly into a competition of strength with the two sides pushing at each other. Soon, the wood breaks and the two tumble onto each other. The legionary immediately acts by pulling out his pugio and stabbing down at the dragonborn. The short blade easily cuts into his unarmoured flesh but it doesn't faze him at all, instead he grabs the imperial by the neck and forces him onto the bottom. Punching him once to disorient him, he grabs a chunk of flesh from his neck and tears and it out.

Mayisha POV

What is this I'm feeling, is this… anger? I haven't felt it in a long time, but right now I can't feel anything else. I want nothing else than to destroy these in front of me.

I tear at the one below me, doing whatever I can to ensure his death. Finally, my arms are covered in red and there is a chunk of something in my hand, do I stand up. I see the last soldier, the centurion, the one responsible… for… this tragedy.

He raises his shield and readies his gladius

I should be pleased that he'd still like to fight, but I don't feel pleased, just anger. I pull the pugio from my shoulder and take a stance.

"WAAALIAAAAAA!" the ancient khajiit battlecry, looks like I'm going back to my roots

I sprint with nothing but him in my vision and nothing but my goal in sight.

His lifts his shield as I strike with the short-blade, which bounces off harmlessly. He stabs over his shield, but the size of my knife allows me to move quickly enough to slash at his extended arm. It doesn't cut him, but it cuts off the straps of his arm guard. Growling, I begin circling around him. His mouth opens and moves, but I don't hear what he says. In fact, I can't hear anything over my own screaming.

I charge him again, and dropkick his shield away. During our recovery phase, I grab some dirt off the ground and throw it towards it. The dirt briefly removes his focus and I get the chance to get close enough and punch him directly into the face. Unfortunately, his helmet's faceguard protects his head from any damage but it knocks him off his feet and he drops his imperial short sword. Unexpectedly, he is focused enough to kick me off him and grab my neck. The lack of air threatens me but my raw anger keeps me focused. With the pugio I still had, I dig it into the top of his arm and drag it down creating a gash from his shoulder to his wrist. The pain of the cut makes him release me and I take no time head-butting him. My own blood rings down my face from the impact with his helmet and threatening to fog my vision. I wipe it away and walk towards him. As soon as I'm in range, I begin clawing and ripping my way through his armour and his flesh. Soon his face is in my hands.

**Why have you done this?!** I scream

**Who sent you?!** I scream questions and insults for a while longer before realising I am screaming in Ta'agra and that I have already torn his head from the rest of his body, the only thing the neck was connected to was some bits of gore and a small portion of his spine.

With my anger finally realised, I walk back to the source of all this.

"Lydia," I cradle her lifeless form in my arms

"Lydia, I'm sorry" I repeat as I hold her tighter, my hands are still covered in blood and entrails and I'm dirtying her beautiful face because of it

How dare I?

But I don't care about that right now

I don't care about anything else right now

This was my fault

"Lydia, I'm so sorry,"