Stepping foot in Skyrim was nothing short of bliss for me. The warm sun on my face, the wind through my hair, the sounds of battle and gory death. In one moment, every hope, every dream I've ever had about my homeland was shattered. Captured by the Imperial Legion not an hour into Skyrim's borders.
Stripped of what little armor I had and changed into rags in front of both the Imperial and Stormcloak soldiers was one thing, but they took the only thing of value to me and paraded it around as a trophy. A polished silver dagger with a curved edge and a brown handle. The only reminder I have of home was being tossed around and toyed with. At least they had the decency to knock me out before putting me in the cart.
I woke an indiscriminate amount of time later, on the back of a cart being led by a horse, driven by a man in an Imperial uniform. We were being led down a tone road, surrounding us were many tall trees and hills. Being my first time viewing the scenery of Skyrim, I was awestruck by what I saw. "Hey, you, you're finally awake."
A gruff voice brought me back to my senses, I refocused on the three men in the cart with me, the one who spoke was a short and chubby man, he lad long blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a Stormcloak uniform. Next to him was a dirty man wearing rags like mine, he had brown hair and blue eyes, no doubt another Nord, most likely caught in the same way I was. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The last man was the most intimidating, tall and very built, he had blonde hair and blue eyes just like the first man, but his aura was vastly different. While the first man seemed friendly and maybe even harmless, this one exuded violence, as if it were in his very soul. His clothing and the gag he was wearing seemed to accentuate the absolute intimidation coming from him.
Finished with my observation, I refocused on what the first man was saying, "You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there." He nodded his head to the dirty man next to him.
"Damn you Stormcloaks. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell." He spat, and locked eyes with me, "You there. You and me – we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the empire wants."
It was at this point that the first man spoke up, "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." We were then quieted by the soldier at the reigns. The silence only lasted a couple of seconds before the thief broke it, nodding his head to the man next to me, "What's wrong with him huh?" The first man grew angry at this and yelled out, "Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."
The thief's confused face quickly paled, "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion, but if they've captured you… Oh gods, where are they taking us?" The first man was quick to reply, "I don't know, but Sovngarde awaits."
The thief's face turned to one of horror, tears threatening to escape from his eyes, "No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening."
"It is though, I'm afraid that wherever we're going will be where we take our last breaths. That has been true since we were put on this damn cart." The faces of the three men were of surprise that I even spoke up at all. I guess they're not used to women speaking up, typical Nord men. I let out a humorless chuckle, "All for the crime of being at the wrong place at the wrong time."
A few minutes of silence passed by before the first man spoke up again, "Hey, what village are you from horse thief?"
"Why do you care?"
"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."
"Rorikstead. I'm… I'm from Rorikstead."
As this conversation was going on, I noticed that we had reached a village, surrounded by stone brick walls, "General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!" One of the Imperial soldiers shouted as we made it past the large gate. "Good. Let's get this over with." He replied back.
"Shor, Mara, Dibel-" I'll be the first to admit, when the thief began chanting to the gods, I tuned him out and focused on my surroundings. The village we had found ourselves in was small but quaint. Houses made of stone, wood, and hay were around every corner and many of the citizens came to watch the impending execution. Personally, I could do without the insults and the commentary from the men I share the cart with but that's just me.
I only tuned back in then the cart had stopped moving. We stepped off the cart one by one and lined up in front of an Imperial captain and a soldier holding a long list of names. The soldier cleared his throat, "Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm." He grunted and walked towards the chopping block set up a couple meters to our left.
"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric!" The man standing next to me called out.
The next name called was that of the man next to me, "Ralof of Riverwood." He was quick to follow Ulfric to the chopping block. The thief was called up next, "Lokir of Rorikstead." He made a show of trying to escape and took a few arrows in the back for his troubles.
I was called up next, but they had no idea who I was, after they asked who I was my only answer was, "Brit"
The soldier looked at his Captain, "What should we do? She's not on the list." The Captain sighed, "Forget the list, she goes to the block." He nodded, "By your orders Captain."
He turned back to look at me, "I'm sorry. At least you'll die here, in your homeland. Follow the Captain prisoner." I followed her in silence. In fact. the only noise in all of Helgen were the cries of the birds and the whisper of the wind.
When I lined up with the other Stormcloak soldiers, the General stood in front of Ulfric, looking incredibly short compared to the tall Nord man, "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen called you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." He only grunted in response. General Tullius kept speaking, this time raising his voice, "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace." He was interrupted by a loud roar. Every single person in Helgen looked to the skies but there was no way of knowing where it came from.
I felt beads of sweat roll down the back of my neck, the first signs of nerves appearing in my otherwise calm façade. The soldier who read the names on the list was the first to break the silence, "What was that?" General Tullius was quick to respond, "It's nothing. Carry on." The Captain was the next to break the silence, "Yes, General Tullius." She turned to the priestess standing next to her, "Give them their last rights."
She raised her hands to the heavens and began preaching, "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for you are the salt and earth-" She was interrupted only a few seconds into her preaching by a Stormcloak soldier, "For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with." He boldly stepped up to the block.
I snorted and mumbled, "Idiot." Under my breath. His incessant rambling was giving me a headache. Though I'll admit, I was surprised when I was called to the block next, despite having Ulfric Stormcloak standing to my left. As I walked to the block my nerves were getting the best of me. My hands were trembling, and I was sweating through every pore.
When I rested my head on the chopping block, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. A loud roar, not unlike the ones heard earlier but much closer this time, echoed throughout Helgen, my eyes snapped open and widened with horror. If I was scared before, that was nothing compared to the absolute terror I felt when I looked upon those pitch-black wings.
The name came out of my mouth involuntarily, as naught but a whisper, "Alduin." My blood ran cold when those glowing red eyes locked onto me. Somehow, he had heard me, the whisper of his name was heard over the shouts of the Imperials, Stormcloaks, and villagers alike. We seemed to lock eyes, then… He roared.
The World Eater had knocked over the entire Imperial delegation, as well as all the prisoners, including myself. I groggily returned to my feet a moment later where I came face to face with the first man, Ralof. "Hey, kinsman. Come on, the gods won't give us another chance! This way!" He then turned and began running. I followed him just a few meters into a stone tower with an open door. Just before I walked in the door, I noticed at the corner of my eye a fallen Imperial soldier lying still just in front of one of the carts with my dagger sheathed at his hip.
He had been the one who stripped and changed me when I was captured, I quickly made my way to his body and grabbed my dagger. I used it to cut my bindings and sheathed it at my hip, I then made my way back towards the tower, dodging all sorts of debris on my way there.
Once inside I closed the door behind me, immediately I saw a Stormcloak soldier trying to attend to two heavily wounded soldiers lying on the ground in puddles of their own blood. "Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked as soon as the door was closed.
Ulfric's voice was almost as I had imagined it, deep with a hint of growl. An underlying accent marking him as a Nord, "Legends don't burn down villages. We need to move, now!"
Ralof nodded, "Up through the tower, let's go!"
I followed him up the stairs, halfway up the tower there was another Stormcloak soldier, he was trying to move the rocks that were on the stairs in order to reach the top. He said naught but a few words before the wall of the tower caved in and splattered him. The face of Alduin appeared in the hole, his eyes locked on to mine, he opened his mouth, and I threw myself back, narrowly missing the wave of flames launched at me. After the flames stopped, he flew away, and I peered through the hole he left behind.
Ralof came up behind me, "See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going!" We both ducked when we heard another roar, he turned to me, "Go! We'll follow when we can!"
"Easy for you to say." I mumbled under my breath, before taking a step back and leaping out of the tower. I landed with a roll and took a deep breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. The top floor of the inn was practically untouched, there were a couple of beds to my left and a table to my right with bottles of Nord Mead on top. I grabbed one and opened it, taking a hearty sip before dropping it and continuing to the end of the inn, where there was a hole in the floor. Dropping through, there was an exit directly in front of me, I quickly went through it and found myself outside once again.
To my left there was an Imperial soldier trying to direct some of the villagers, and there was Alduin, landing in front of me and sending another torrent of red-hot flames. When he took off again, the soldier turned to me, "Still alive prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." He then turned to the villagers, "Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to fine General Tullius and join the defense." He turned back to me and motioned for me to follow him.
I sighed, "I probably shouldn't have come here." I said under my breath, before going to follow him into an alleyway, between the large stone wall and a house. "Stay close to the wall!"
Suddenly we both lurched backwards as Alduin landed on top of the wall we were hugging in order to launch more flames at the soldiers. The claw of his wing was only aa couple of inches from impaling my chest. I felt the blood drain from my face and locked eyes with the soldier standing next to me, just as pale. Alduin flew away just a few seconds later, "That was the worst advice, ever." I told him.
He just took off running, "Quickly, follow me!" We ran through a destroyed building and past the line of soldiers trying to attack the dragon. The General gives the soldier, Hadvar, the order to run into the Keep in order to escape. "It's you and me prisoner, stay close!" He yells to me, as we run.
In front of the entrance to the Helgen Keep we run into the first Stormcloak Soldier from earlier, Ralof is his name. "Ralof! You damned traitor. Out of my way!" Hadvar yells.
"We're escaping Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." He replies.
"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde."
They both call out to me as they enter the Keep through different doors. Making a split second decision, I follow Hadvar inside, once we're safe, he turns to me, "Looks like we're the only ones who made it. Was that really a dragon? The harbringers of the end times?"
I nod, "It seems like it, and that wasn't just any dragon. That was Alduin."
His eyes and mouth widen in shock, "Alduin? The World Eater? How do you know?"
I grimace, a feeling of discomfort settling over me, "Let's just say that I have extensive experience with ancient dragonlore."
He nods, suspicion in his eyes, "Very well. We should keep moving." He said, and turned to walk deeper into the keep.
I sighed and followed him.