"Oh shit." Sonmia immediately threw her sword up to block the hit from the female Stormcloak. The soldier raised her warhammer, and Sonmia took this chance to plunge her sword into the woman's chest. The Stormcloak went limp. Sonmia laid her on the ground and pulled her sword out. It was covered in blood. Her mind flashed back to when she killed her father. All the blood that dripped down her hands, the adrenaline and glory she felt from it. She was feeling the same thing again. Am I mad? Is there something wrong with me? she asked herself. She looked over at Hadvar, who had sucessfully killed the other Stormcloak.

"Well, that should do it. Gods, all this blood on me, it's disgusting. Wish I had something to wipe it off with. Oh well. Let me see if I can get this door open." Hadvar went over to the door leading into the next hallway. While he tried to unlock it, Sonmia decided to see if the dead soldier's had anything worthwhile.

"You didn't even give it a second thought," Sonmia said quietly.

"What?"

"The fact that you just killed someone. You immediately thought about getting the blood off of you. You don't even care that you murdered someone." Sonmia took an iron dagger from one of the soldiers, and three gold pieces and a steel dagger from the other. She contemplated taking the warhammer, but decided it was too heavy to carry, so she stuck with her sword.

"It isn't murder if you're fighting in a war. But it looks like you didn't think about it, either. You looted them right away. There, I got it open. Come on, let's go." Sonmia quietly followed Hadvar into the next hallway. Halfway down, the ground rumbled and part of the ceiling fell, blocking their path. "Damn it, that dragon doesn't give up easily. Where are we supposed to go now?"

Sonmia looked around. There was a door on her left. When she opened it, she saw it lead to a storeroom, which looked like it could lead somewhere else. "Come on, let's go through here. This might lead somewhere."

Both Sonmia and Hadvar walked in, with Sonmia in the lead. Sonmia stopped when she heard voices coming from the other end of the room.

"These damn Imperials have to have healing potions somewhere," one of the voices said.

"Damn, more Stormcloaks," Hadvar whispered. "Looks like we're going to have to fight again."

"That's the last thing I want to do." Sonmia crouched, and snuck to the wall closest to the soldiers. She sheathed her sword, and took out the iron dagger she looted. Peering over, she could see the two soldiers searching through some barrels and crates. "I'll take one, you take the other," Sonmia whispered. "We'll sneak up, and stab them in the side of the neck. Deal?"

"I don't have a dagger."

"Good thing I grabbed two. Here." Sonmia handed Hadvar the steel dagger. He took it without hesitation. "You go first, I'll follow you."

"Alright. Here goes." Still crouched, Sonmia quietly snuck up behind the taller Stormcloak. She quickly stood up, and stabbed him right in the neck. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. Sonmia looked over to see if Hadvar succeeded. The other Stormcloak was dead. "Done and done. Good job."

"Yeah. We make a pretty good team, I'd say," Hadvar said with a smile.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose."

"Let's have a look around, see if there's anything useful in here." Sonmia looted six gold pieces all together out of the Soldiers. She looked through some nearby barrels and found four minor healing potions. "Hey, I found some potions." Hadvar came over, and Sonmia handed him two of the potions. "This should make you feel better." Hadvar immediately drank both of them.

"Gods, these things are so bitter. I wish there was a sweeter recipe for them."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Sonmia said, before she downed one of them. The bitter taste from the blisterwort made her face scrunch up. "It's really the aftertaste that's the worst."

"That's true. I wish there was some pots of honey just laying about. Poor man's luck, right?"

"Mmmm, some honey would be great." Sonmia looked up as another dragon roar came from above. "We should get moving." They left the storeroom and went onto the next hallway. At the bottom of some stairs, they came across the torture room.

"Oh, gods. This place. I wish we didn't need it."

"STORMCLOAKS! GET THEM!" someone yelled from the room. Hadvar and Sonmia sprinted in to find some Imperials fighting two more Stormcloaks. Sonmia ran over to the closest one, and slashed her throat open. The other Stormcloak was dead in seconds by three Imperials ganging up on him.

"You two happened along just in time. Those Stormcloaks seemed a little angry at how I was treating their comrades." The torturer was a Dark Elf, his voice sly and cunning.

"Do you even know what's happening out there? There's a dragon attacking Helgen!" Hadvar exclaimed.

"A dragon? Please, don't be stupid...now that I think about it, I did hear some strange noises coming from above."

"We can get you out of here. Come with us," Sonmia suggested.

"And what makes you think I'll actually listen to you?"

"Did you not hear me?" Hadvar was starting to get irritated. "There's a dragon out there, killing everyone!"

"Forget that old man. I'll come with you," chimed in another man. He was tall, built. He appeared to be the torturer's assistant. His voice was deep, and ordinary.

"Well then come on, let's get going!" Hadvar said. Sonmia and the assistant followed Hadvar down the hallway...