Uhtred's Tale Chapter 2, an elder scroll series fanfic

"So with that in mind!" boomed Tobias, seemingly back to his usual and slightly overbearing self and gesturing with a load of bread "I think I may have something for you.", He walked over to his chest and wrenched it open, and was soon rooting around inside, muttering to himself as he pulled out an assortment of daggers, wine, clothes and food. Every so often he would take a second to look at something as if surprised that it was there, but most of the items were simply tossed on the floor. Uhtred was intrigued by one of the daggers, a small black and gold knife that shone red when Tobias touched it, but before he could observe it further the captain stood with a cry of triumph, waving a black and white object above his head, before tossing it to Uhtred, who failed to catch it.

When he picked it up from the floor he saw it was a hauberk like the Bruma guards wore, but instead of yellow with a black eagle on the front it was white, with a black wolves head on it like the one on his shield. He looked at Tobias, who grinned. "Put it on lad, put it on! Let me help you…"

So Uhtred pulled the hauberk over his head and Tobias fastened the straps on the side, tightening them so that the leather and cloth armour sat snugly on top of Uhtred mail coat. It was then that Uhtred saw that while the Bruma hauberks had been little more than tunics with plate metal sleeves, this one was much longer. It reached halfway down his shin, and had a wide slit up the front to allow his legs more freedom of movement. It was an armoured robe, and when Tobias stood back and looked Uhtred up and down, he grinned widely. "Uhtred the wolf, eh? Ha! Uhtred the wolf indeed! Well, what are you waiting for lad? Go show Ella the new, improved barbarian!"

So Uhtred walked speedily towards the Tiber Septim hotel, feeling immensely proud. No longer was he Uhtred piss-flaps in sack cloth with a rusty old shield. He was Uhtred the Wolf, in shining mail, with a sword the height of an Altmer. He swaggered down the streets, grinning at everybody who stared and winking at some of the prettier girls, most of whom smiled back at him. It was almost a dream come true, except that when he was a boy digging potatoes and ploughing the fields he had never dared dream of anything like this. It was with the worlds biggest grin that he walked through the Tiber Septim's doors and saw Ella tidying up the counter in her usual hyperactive manner. He walked up to her quickly, not a shred of nervousness in his heart, and when she turned he wrapped her in an enormous bear hug, lifting her off the ground as she squealed in surprise. When he put her down again, she looked into his face and nearly burst a blood vessel.

"Uhtred! I didn't recognise you, where did you get the new clothes? Did Mr Thorn give them to you? You look incredible! And I heard about the pirates, im so impressed! Are you hungry? You must be! Stay here, ill get you some food, don't go anywhere, have a seat!"

Before Uhtred could say a word she went off at a canter, her hair bobbing around and her skirts flapping, leaving him slightly dazed. She was impressed about the pirates, was she? So Tobias had been right. Uhtred sat down at his usual table, mulling the fight over in his head. When he thought about it, the training had done its part but there was something else there. Some deep rooted instinct that had told him when to cut and how to kill, some subconscious Ivar gripping his hands and guiding them, directing his strength so that it could do more damage than he could have hoped for. The training had taught him where to hit, but instinct told him when.

Suddenly, his train of thought was derailed by the arrival of a large plate of meat and a bottle of mead, accompanied by Ella. Uhtred, thinking about the two meals he had already eaten today, invited her to sit. To his disappointment, she shook her head. "I think there's still something I need to do, do you mind?"

"Of course not, go ahead." he answered, expecting her to trot off to the cellar or the kitchen, but instead she walked around behind him and started lifting his hair at the back.

"You look like a warrior now!" she said "But you need warriors hair, oh yes. If there's one thing wrong with you Nords, its that you don't know how to control your hair." she giggled and began, with some difficulty, to untangle Uhtred's blond mane, laying it flat over his back and smoothing it down. As he ate she continued to adjust it, occasionally giggling or tutting, and by the time he had polished off the last mutton chop she had stepped back to admire her handiwork. Uhtred groped at the back of his head to discern what she had done, and found a single long, wide plait that reached down past his shoulder blades. He saw Ella bobbing on her heels awaiting his verdict, and grinned to her. She clapped. "Oh, its like having a doll again! Except he can talk to me and I can cook for him! What are you going to do now?"

Uhtred considered his options. He couldn't be bothered going for more training, he had decided that there was no need for any more swordplay today. Then again, there was little to do in the hotel, and he had just got an idea.

"You don't fancy showing me around the city, do you?" he asked Ella, a hopeful grin on his face. She beamed.

"Oh id love to! Would you like to go now? Ill just go and tell the manager im not feeling well! Wait here!"

Soon the pair were out in the streets, and Uhtred was wondering why he had never thought to explore before. It was the perfect excuse for some time with Ella.

She showed him everything about the city. From the Temple district with its one hundred foot high dragon statue, where they met Alessia Ottus who Uhtred delighted in berating for her Guide to Bruma, to the Elven gardens where she spent a long time introducing him to all her friends. They promenaded the waterfront, with its run down shacks and shady characters, and they browsed the shops in the market district.

Uhtred, for his part, was glad he had Ella with him. There was something about walking the streets of the biggest city in Cyrodiil with a bouncy, chatty Elf that made him feel incredibly lucky. Ella was feeling similarly lucky. She was walking around with an enormous Nord warrior, clad in wargear, who made her feel incredibly safe and constantly amused her by scaring any other guy who looked at her.

As the day drew to an end they went to the barracks to visit Tobias, who greeted them both jovially and embarrassed them both hugely by constantly mentioning what a good couple they would make. He took them both on a tour of the prison, where he had a competition with Uhtred to see who could sneak past the jailer and into the cell block without getting caught. Uhtred got as far as the door, but his mail boots slipped on the stone floor and he fell in a huge commotion of clanging and swearing, which made Tobias laugh until he almost fell over, before telling the jailer that it was all right and he needn't arrest Uhtred.

When Tobias' turn came he amazed Uhtred by not only sneaking past the jailer, but getting through the doors and coming back with the guards mug, which he gave to Ella as a present before offering to take them both to catch a show at the arena. "Nothing like a good fight to the death to round off an afternoon!" he said happily, and bullied Oweyn into showing them the contestants before the fight. Then he handed Uhtred fifty septims. "Pick your man, Uhtred! If he wins, you can keep your winnings. If he loses," he lowered his voice "You have to try and kiss Ella." he grinned mischievously and Uhtred, thinking that he would win either way, agreed and picked an enormous Orc, not unlike the one he had killed in his first battle. Tobias bet on the other gladiator - an Argonian with a bow -, led the way to the stands, and the fight began.

It became obvious that while the Argonian was quicker and nimbler, the Orc wasn't going to be killed by a few arrows. There was a point early on when the Argonian managed to hit his opponent in the chest, knocking him to the ground and making Tobias shout in triumph, but the Orc was up again in an instant, charging at the Argonian and waving an enormous axe. The Argonian only just avoided a huge swing that would have cut him in half and fired another arrow, this time at the Orc's head. The Orc blocked it with his axe, and charged again. Uhtred knew that if the Orc didn't kill soon, he would become tired and die quickly.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, the Orc seemed to go berserk. He ran at his opponent, swinging wildly, and the Argonian just barely fended off the blows with his bow. Tobias swore, Uhtred cheered, Ella gasped, and the Argonian was losing. The Orc spun in a circle and brought his axe crashing down, knocking the Argonian's bow clean out of his grip. Seconds later the Argonian was on the ground, blood gushing out of an enormous gash in his guts. The Orc then removed his head at the neck and kicked it hard back down the tunnel into the yellow teams training room. It was over and Uhtred, for the first time in his life, had money.

When they left the arena Tobias, still damning all Orc's and criticizing the rules of the Arena, bade Uhtred and Ella goodnight and headed back to the barracks. Uhtred walked Ella back to the Tiber Septim, and decided to give Tobias something to laugh about. So in that terrifying moment that everybody knows, when the goodnights have been said and neither person knows what to say next, he hugged Ella and planted a large kiss on her cheek.

It could have gone down worse. She giggled, blushed, and ran down the stairs to her bed. Seven out of ten thought Uhtred, and then made for his room where he spent a good hour wondering at his good luck. A month ago he was a farmers son, who would do nothing but farm until he died. Now he was a warrior, Uhtred the Wolf, with a pretty Elf who didn't mind him kissing her, and a guard captain as a kind of benevolent uncle. Instead of a dingy cottage he lived in a posh hotel, and instead of ale and bread he lived on mead and meat. And he had money. He had nothing to complain about at all.

The next morning, after a slightly awkward conversation with Ella when she woke him up and a hearty breakfast with Tobias - who laughed hugely at Uhtred's account of the previous nights kiss - he did something he had never done before. He went shopping.

The market district had four shops devoted to weapons and armour, and Uhtred browsed them all, not entirely sure what he wanted. A dagger or shortsword would be nice, but so would a helmet. But only if he found one he really liked. 'The Best Defence' had a good selection of helmets, but they were all identical, and were merely functional. Uhtred wanted one that would strike fear into any man who faced him.

So he headed for 'Slash n' Smash', where the shopkeeper examined his claymore and offered him a matching battleaxe, but Uhtred declined. Then he had an idea, and asked the shopkeeper if he would make a helmet.

"Depends." grunted the Orc, looking expectantly at the pouch on Uhtred's belt. Uhtred sighed and opened it, showing the gold.

"What you want?"

"Eye loops. Like on Orcish helmets." Uhtred said, "And made of steel."

"Steel? Hah! Cant get enough, not soon."

"Well… how about I buy a steel helmet, could you attach eye loops to it?"

The shopkeeper thought. "Ok. I think I can do better than that though, how much do you have?"

"A hundred."

"Lets see… steel helmet is fifty… ok, for a hundred I can make you a helmet with eye loops, engraving, and a plume."

"Plume? Isn't that a bit… imperial?" asked Uhtred, and the shopkeeper laughed.

"Let me show you." he beckoned Uhtred down the stairs into the basement, and pulled open a crate. Inside were bundles of horse hair; brown, white and black. "Ill give you a black and white one." said the Orc. Uhtred shook his head.

"Could you fix it to my sword hilt instead?"

"I can do that. Leave the sword here, come back in two hours. Bring the money."

So Uhtred left, feeling slightly naked without the weight of the huge sword on his back. What could he do for two hours? He decided to have a walk down to the pirate ship on the waterfront to see if there was anything he could use, but his hopes weren't high. Anything of any value would have been taken the previous night. Nevertheless, it was something to do.

So he found himself standing on the quay, surrounded by shady looking characters and feeling slightly uncomfortable without his sword. Before he even got to the ship, there was a problem. A tall Redguard accosted him near the archway to the island, and at the same time he heard feet on the cobbles behind him. The Redguard spoke.

"Nice clothes."

"Thank you." said Uhtred, moving to walk past. The Redguard blocked his path.

"I like those clothes. I think you should give them to me so I don't have to take them."

Uhtred was no stranger to this kind of crime. It happened in Bruma every now and then, and once or twice Uhtred had been cornered by muggers and made to hand over whatever he was carrying. But back then he had been a farm boy, humble and withdrawn. Now he was a warrior and had pride to defend, not to mention that his confidence had been boosted hugely by his training and experience. So he said the only thing he could think of.

"I think you should get out of my way, and go home." The Redguard laughed at this, and Uhtred felt a dagger pushing at the back of his hauberk, threatening to end his life in a second. He reacted immediately.

First he kicked his leg out backwards and felt it connect, hard, with whoever was behind him. Then he punched the Redguard on the jaw and spun around fast, grabbing the hand holding the dagger and twisting it back and to the side, hearing a sickening crunching sound. The third mugger pulled out another dagger and slashed wildly at Uhtred's face, trying to blind him. Uhtred grabbed the muggers arm and turned around, hauling the man over his shoulder and throwing him to the floor, before breaking the arm he was still holding with a swift kick. A stamp on the muggers face made sure that the man was not getting up again.

So Uhtred turned his attention back to the Redguard who was bent over picking up one of the daggers on the floor, leaving his ribs exposed to an incredible kick from Uhtred. Of the three muggers one was unconscious with blood dribbling from his head where Uhtred had stamped on him, the second was whimpering and holding his crotch with a bloodied and mangled hand, and the redguard was on the floor holding his ribs, gasping for air through a bleeding mouth. Uhtred stooped and picked up the two daggers, examining them. One was mere iron, a metal that Uhtred now thought of as below him. The other, however, was a thing of beauty excellently forged out of steel, with a deep crimson grip and a wickedly sharp point. Uhtred strapped it to the back of his belt, and heard laughter behind him.

He turned to see captain Brice, the man who Tobias had introduced him to, doubled over with laughter and leaning on his war hammer for support. Uhtred merely stood, feeling slightly confused and a bit offended that the man was laughing at him. He almost shouted a challenge but remembered that this man was a friend of Tobias, and therefore to be treated with more courtesy than most. Captain Brice finally got a hold of himself and walked to where the three muggers lay, still chuckling.

"Three muggers with daggers attack a single unarmed man, and they end up getting robbed!" he said, and began laughing again. Uhtred joined in this time, and the two stopped only when the Redguard made to stand again, only to get captain Brice's steel boot in his head. Brice looked at Uhtred. "Fancy coming with me to the prison and picking up the bounty?"

"Bounty?"

"Yep. Lets see… how much money do you have?"

"A hundred…"

"Ok, so that's a hundred, plus whatever your clothes are worth. Well, they're priceless, so lets say another hundred. That's two hundred for theft, each. Forty for assault, each. Six hundred and… no, seven hundred and twenty. And ill let you keep the dagger."

Uhtred nearly collapsed. Seven hundred and twenty? That was more money than his parents had ever had, more money than he had ever thought he would get. "What in the name of Ismir am I going to spend seven hundred and twenty septims on?"

Captain Brice grinned. "Well that's up to you. A new pair of boots might be good for you, some good solid steel ones. And maybe a helmet?"

"Im already getting a helmet made, that's why im down here in the first place. Killing time while I wait."

"Ok, so a pair of boots… maybe get your kit cleaned and repaired? Some regular clothes perhaps? You'll find something, im sure. Now come on you three unfortunates, lets get you somewhere nice and safe to sleep. Nowhere safer than a jail cell is there? Well, unless you're Valen Dreth…" he said, hauling the big Redguard onto his shoulder as Uhtred dragged the other two by their feet.

"Who was Valen Dreth?" he asked Brice as they carried and dragged the captives along the quay.

"Valen Dreth was a Dunmer we had in the prison once. Nasty character, all pride and spleen. We found him one day, a few weeks before he was due to be released actually, dead in his cell with an arrow in his head. Nobody knows what happened."

"Someone killed him?"

"Must have done, but nobody can understand how. Cell lock was fine, the guard didn't see a thing, nobody heard anything." the captain shrugged "Just one of those things, I suppose. I didn't like him much anyway."

The pair continued to make small talk until they reached the jail, where they deposited the three criminals with the guards and captain Brice made for the watch offices. Inside was another captain, a tall and grim looking man with no hair and a huge beard, who was scribbling onto bits of parchment and looking annoyed at the invasion of his office.

"What is it, Brice?" he said "And who's that?"

"This," said captain Brice loudly "Is Uhtred the Wolf, of Bruma. He's here to claim a bounty."

"How much?"

"Seven hundred and twenty. Three muggers from the waterfront, all of whom are now unconscious."

"You didn't kill them?"

"I didn't fight them, it was Uhtred the Wolf."

"Ok, so Uhtred, what exactly…" started the bearded man, but captain Brice cut him off.

"Uhtred the Wolf."

"Ok, Uhtred the Wolf, how exactly did this happen?" Uhtred told him, Brice backed the story up, and soon Uhtred was back in the market district, with over eight hundred septims. First he followed Brice's advice and bought a good pair of steel boots, then he made for 'Slash n' Smash' to pick up his helmet and sword.

Both of which looked magnificent. The sword, with its long horsehair tassel, looked even larger. And the helmet was nothing short of terrifying. Its eye loops looked sinister and dark, and on each side was engraved a snarling pair of jaws. Uhtred loved it, and tipped the shopkeeper an extra five septims before asking if there was somewhere that would repair and clean his weapons and armour. "Course there is!" growled the Orc, as if Uhtred was the one person in the world who didn't know. "Mages guild! They'll do it for a price, and if you ask nicely they'll even enchant it."

Uhtred got directions to the Arcane University and made his way there with no little feeling of apprehension. He remembered what had happened to the mages guild in Bruma, and since that day he had been suspicious about the use of magic. Unreliable, he though. Unreliable, unpredictable and much too easy to lose control of. But, he said to himself, he was only going to get his kit cleaned and mended. What could go wrong?

Nevertheless, he was fairly tense as he waited in the foyer. What if the spell went wrong and killed him, or destroyed the armour that Ivar and Tobias had so generously given him? No, he told himself, its fine, they know what they're doing.

And they did, to his surprise and relief. Twenty minutes later he was standing out in the street at the top of the steps, his helmet shining like silver, his hauberk gleaming white, and every bit of it in perfect condition. His boots were like mirrors, his sword looked like it was made of sunlight rather than steel, and his shield was dent free and perfect. As he walked down the street people turned their heads to look at the tall, broad warrior, with only his mouth showing. He looked and felt invincible.

He was sitting in his room in the Tiber Septim the next day when he heard voices downstairs, then feet on the staircase, before Ella and Tobias both burst into his room. Uhtred, in a state of undress, clasped his hands to his crotch and yelled, almost toppling off the bed. Tobias caught him and spoke dramatically.

"So, Uhtred the Wolf. Today's the day."

"What day?"

"The day we start to take back Cyrodiil. The day we beat the marauders. The day we win."

"What? What's happening?" asked Uhtred, confused.

"We saw them!" said Tobias, gesturing "Marching this way. They'll try and take the city, and we'll chop them up and spread them over the ground like butter on bread. Get dressed, have breakfast, and meet me at white gold tower in twenty minutes. We'll show them, by Akatosh. We'll show them."

So saying, Tobias walked out of the room, leaving Ella and Uhtred together. All Uhtred could think as he stared at the small Elf's face was that he had to win. Not for himself, not for the Imperium, but for her life. For her freedom, and for her heart. Nothing could be allowed to happen to her.

"Do you want me to help you get ready?" she asked, snapping him out of his musings.

"Err… Yes, please."

He stood and pulled on his greaves and boots, before Ella helped him to slip his mail coat over his head. She then did up the straps on his hauberk, and he noticed her hands were shaking slightly. So he took them in his, smiled at her, and tried to think of a way to tell her what he was thinking without saying the most feared word of them all. He couldn't think of anything though, his mind was working too hard, and anything he tried to say got caught in his throat. Then she turned and picked up his shield. The moment was gone.

All he wanted to do now was be away. Being around her now was too painful, too distracting. He had to be away, to be thinking about more important things. If there were any.

So he slung his shield onto his back pulled his helmet on and picked up his sword. Then he smiled at Ella one more time, and left the room without a word. He didn't stop running until he got to white gold tower.

Tobias was waiting, clad in his magnificent captains armour. On one of his arms was a shield, and on his belt was a sword made out of what looked like silver. He was also wearing a helmet, and a long white cloak that reached to his ankles.

"You'll be in my division." he said as Uhtred approached "Right behind me. We're near the front of the column, which means we'll be right on the front of the line. I hope you made your peace with Ella."

Uhtred shook his head "There'll be plenty of time for that." he muttered, earning a smile from Tobias. "Of course there will lad! Be back here in time for dinner. Follow me."

The streets the pair walked through were crammed with citizens. Some smiled, some cheered, some even shouted advice. But most stayed silent, awed by the sight of the whole amassed power of the Imperium.

Almost every guardsman in the city was leaving, and they stood in swarms, comparing weapons and tightening bowstrings. Here and there a guard captain in shining silver and gold could be seen, and near the front were the gladiators.

Tobias had been right, Uhtred thought. They were indeed a force to be reckoned with. Each one made a career out of fighting for his or her life, and the reason they were still alive was that they were the best. They wore arena raiment's, and were headed by the grand champion in his red and gold. Of all the people going out to fight they looked the most eager, like starving hounds in a cage surrounded by rabbits.

The order came to form column, and Uhtred fell in with the rest of Tobias' division. They were typical guardsmen, sullen and silent in their brown armour and pointed helmets. None of them spoke, which let Uhtred concentrate his thoughts on Ella as he marched out of the city and across the bridge.

The march wasn't long. The marauders were waiting at the crossroads, and Uhtred wondered if they were the same group he had fought against before. He didn't know how to tell, and merely took his place in the unfolding battle line. He almost drew his sword, but noticed that nobody else had yet. So he stood and stared at the enemy wondering which one, if any of them, would kill him.

As he stared, the fear came onto him again. It was less acute than the last time, more of a dull ache than an all-embracing pain, but it was still enough. Only the sight of the unmoving Tobias in front of him kept him steady and focused. He felt a sudden, burning desire to impress the man, to show the whole of Cyrodiil that he wasn't just a farmers son who had been pressed into a militia and survived out of luck. Uhtred the farmer had died in his first battle, and now Uhtred the Wolf would be reborn in his second.

But not if the battle never started. For some reason the marauders weren't charging, and Uhtred couldn't think why. For a long time the two armies simply stared at each other over the short distance between the lines, and nobody made a sound. It was a silence louder than any battle.

Suddenly, there came a huge explosion from behind the line, and Uhtred turned to see the gatehouse of the Imperial city fall apart completely. It dawned on him immediately.

The force outside the city had never meant to attack, he realised, simply to draw out the defenders so the real attack could come the way the first had - through the sewers. And the defending army was hoodwinked. To fight the force before them would spell the end of the city, but to turn and head for the city would mean an attack from behind which would lead to enormous slaughter. It was too late to win.

So Uhtred decided to lose. Reaching backwards he pulled his sword off his back and held it high above his head, before letting out a fierce battle cry. Then he walked steadily forwards, oblivious to the shouts behind him, picking up speed steadily until he was right in front of the marauders line. Not one of them moved, so he began to taunt them, calling them whore-ridden piss buckets, worthless mongrels, cowardly scumbags who were only good for dying. He shouted challenges at them and hurled abuse, pointing his sword at the biggest ones he could see and daring them to come and die. One, a Nord with a longsword and shield, stepped forwards. He lunged as quick as a cat, but Uhtred had been expecting it and dodged to the side, letting the marauder charge past him before bringing his sword down onto the back of the mans neck, sending him crumpling to the floor in a shower of blood and clatter of armour.

It was completely silent now. Both sides knew that battle was seconds away, and slaughter would be the result. But for which side?

It was Tobias who broke the silence. "My division, stand fast!" he shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear "We're covering the retreat!"

Uhtred backed up until he was next to Tobias, gripping his sword tight and feeling sweat soak his forehead under his helmet. This was it. Covering the retreat would mean certain death, but it would also mean a name, and that Ella would stand a chance. If she still lived.

This last thought pushed Uhtred to the edge. Most of the retreating force was halfway across the bridge, but there were some who had just stepped onto it. Uhtred didn't care. The marauders meant to harm Ella, so he would harm them. He shouted a long, drawn out cry of pure rage, angled his sword like a spear, and ran at the marauders. He heard Tobias shouting behind him, but didn't stop until he crashed into the enemy lines, knocking men over and cutting a head off in a single blow.

Uhtred set to work. He chopped, he hacked, he swung and he slashed, spinning like a maniac in full circles to keep the enemy at bay. He simply swung his sword and let the momentum carry him around, trying desperately not to become dizzy. Every so often he would feel some resistance to the blade when a sword or limb got in its way, but the blade didn't stop.

Eventually he began to get tired, and decided to draw the enemy backwards. He had no idea how many he was fighting or how many had made a charge for the bridge, all he knew was that he had to kill as many as possible before he died. So he backed away from the line, swinging his sword in great semicircles in front of him, waiting for an enemy to come close enough.

One of them did, immediately got the sword in the side of his head, and died instantly. Another threw an axe at him, but Uhtred turned quickly so the weapon thudded into his shield. Was Tobias still alive? Had the city fallen? He had no idea. All that his world consisted of was anything within reach of his sword, nothing more. Life and death, blood and pain was all he knew. Even Ella had left his mind by now.

After several minutes of fighting, killing and shouting the adrenaline began to wear off and Uhtred became more aware of his surroundings. He was facing a group of maybe ten marauders, and behind them was the bridge, on which hundreds of men were fighting in a vicious meat grinder. Men ran in, were chopped up and then spat out, falling into the lake or being trampled underfoot. It was impossible to tell who was winning.

So Uhtred fought on and on, killing another three marauders who were brave enough to come within reach of the great claymore. One of them had tried to block the blade with a shield, but the shield had been hit with such force that it had splintered and the mans arm had shattered before his guts were spilled onto the grass.

The last thing Uhtred saw was a marauder moving towards him with a longsword before he felt a huge pain in the back of his head, and the world went black.

He woke as it was getting dark. The pain in his head was excruciating, as were several other injuries on his body. Injuries he either hadn't noticed due to adrenaline, or injuries that he had sustained while he was unconscious. He stood slowly, looking cautiously around but seeing nobody. The imperial city was dark and silent, and the bridge was thick with bodies. The battle must have been lost.

It was too dark and Uhtred was too tired to look for friends, alive or dead. He was numb. Ella must be dead by now, along with Brice and Tobias. If the battle was lost, the captains must have died before the end. Captains go down with their ships, after all. What could he do now? He had nobody.

He thought of going back to Bruma, but he couldn't face the shame. The day before he had been Uhtred the Wolf, a warrior with good friends, a pretty girl who seemed to like him, and more money than he could have dreamed of. Now he was Uhtred again. Just a Nord in bloodstained clothes and a broken helmet, with nothing to his name but a dented shield and a blood encrusted sword. He was a nobody. A nobody who had fallen in battle and left his friends to die.

So he walked south. He didn't know where he was going, or what he would do when he got there. All he knew was that he had to get as far away from it all as possible. As far away from himself as possible. His helmet, with a huge dent in the back that had split the steel all the way up one side, was under his arm. His sword and shield were on his back, but not in the proud way he had worn them before; they now hung loose and clattered against each other, and his hauberk with its wolves head on the chest was torn and smeared with blood, the loose material flapping in the wind. He was nothing like the proud warrior of yesterday. He was a penniless, injured failure.

He walked through the night, never stopping despite the pain. He knew that it wouldn't be long before he ran into a creature or bandit that would finish him off like the marauders couldn't, and then he would be free. Free from the crippling self hate that poured through his veins, tearing his proud soul apart and rearranging it into a cowering heap of shame and despair. With every step his knees felt weaker, tempting him to collapse, but he refused to let himself stop. He knew somehow that if he fell to his knees, he would never get up again.

As the sun rose, Uhtred finally stopped. The combination of pain, fatigue and despair had slowed him to a stagger, a stagger that led him to an isolated house. He had no idea where he was, except that it was somewhere well south of the imperial city. There wasn't a soul to be seen, so Uhtred opened the door and stepped inside.

There was a single room downstairs, containing a table and chairs. There was a grate, but no fire, and upstairs were a pair of beds. Without considering who these beds might belong to, Uhtred collapsed onto one of them and fell into a deep sleep, his sword in his hands.

He woke to hushed voices in the doorway and knew that there were people there, but could not bring himself to sit up or even open his eyes. So he listened.

"Must have come from Skingrad" said a mans voice.

"He's not wearing their armour though," answered a woman "what armour is that anyway?"

"I don't know, I cant tell. Fetch Agnete, she might know."

"If she's sober."

"Just go and get her."

Uhtred could hear footsteps now on the wooden floor, and a mumble of voices downstairs. There was no apparent hostility, but he felt uneasy. He was surrounded by strangers in an unknown place, and didn't have the strength to lift a finger, let alone his sword or dagger. More footsteps were coming up the stairs now, and he could hear the voices starting again. There was a third one now, another woman's, and she didn't seem to be making much effort to stay quiet.

"White you say?" she was saying. This must be Agnete, Uhtred thought.

"With a black wolves head, looks like. Too much blood on it to be sure though." said the other woman.

"Should I go closer?"

"The poor boy seems half dead. I think you'll be safe." said the man. Uhtred heard footsteps approaching, and rough hands began tugging his shield from beneath him. There was a short intake of breath.

"Kvatch!" said the woman beside him.

"Kvatch? Impossible!" scoffed the man, and Uhtred heard more footsteps coming towards him.

"Its Kvatch, I swear. Where on earth did he find these? Look, lets get him out of them. He looks wounded, he needs to breathe."

Uhtred had neither the breath, the strength or the inclination to stop the three people as they stripped him. He felt his sword taken away, his helmet removed, and his hauberk undone and was in nothing but his loincloth by the time they had finished. The man spoke again.

"He must be dead. Look at these wounds."

"If he was dead" said the unnamed woman "He wouldn't be breathing, would he? No, he's just exhausted. He needs rest."

Agnete spoke up "Look at this helmet… cracked all the way up the back. Must have been a war hammer or something… if he hadn't been wearing this, he wouldn't have a head."

"Well, lucky for him he was wearing it then. Shalen, I'll take his things away and put them somewhere safe. You go and see what medicine you can spare. Ill tell the others not to disturb him." said the man. "Agnete, you stay here and keep an eye on him."

Uhtred heard no more. He fell back into his deep sleep, and dreamed of Ella and Tobias, Ivar and Egbert, the four friends he had lost. The four people he would have died for, and the four people he had let down. Their dead faces swam in front of his eyes, mocking him and blaming him. He woke suddenly, feeling his shoulder being shaken hard. This time he opened his eyes a fraction, and saw very little. The voice of Agnete sounded in his ear.

"Sorry, you were having a nightmare or something. Go back to sleep." he did, and was woken again by somebody muttering in his ear. It was Shalen, the other woman who had helped remove his armour. "Wake up boy, ive brought you a potion. Come on, I need you to be awake, you need to drink this."

He raised his head slightly, and felt the mouth of a bottle being pushed against his lips, and cool liquid sliding down his throat. The effect was amazing. The pain from his wounds was dulled, his head became clearer, and for the first time since he had collapsed he was able to open his eyes fully.

In front of them was the face of a Dunmer woman, smiling gently and looking back into his eyes. He looked to the left and saw a woman who must have been Agnete, who to his surprise and relief was an aged Nord. He hadn't seen a Nord for weeks.

"That's better isn't it?" asked Shalen "I do like it when my potions work. Can you sit up?"

Uhtred tried, but the moment he bent his ribs he felt an agonising pain and had to lie down again. He tried to apologise, but the words seemed to stick in his throat so all he could do was gape like a fish.

"Its ok boy, its ok. Lie down, ill bring you another. We'll have you fixed in no time." Shalen said, and left the room. Uhtred looked at Agnete, who grinned at him.

"You know." she said quietly "Nobody else knows how you're still alive. These wounds, they should have killed you, especially the one on your head. I know why you're alive, but I don't have the heart to tell them. I can tell you though. Its because you're a Nord. Nord's don't die easily, you know that. You survived the fight, which means you can get better. I'd offer you some ale, but Falim told me not to."

Uhtred tried to smile, but he couldn't. Despair still had him in its icy grip, and all he could do was twitch the corners of his mouth and blink. Agnete smiled enough for both of them.

"See? You're better already. Couple more potions and you'll be dancing. Don't let go boy, keep fighting."

She was right, thought Uhtred. He hadn't survived the battle just to give in now. So gripping the side of the bed hard and clenching his jaw, he sat up. The pain was immense but he fought through it, grunting ever so slightly. Agnete clapped, and Shalen appeared in the doorway, smiling widely.

"Well done, well done!" she said "Ive got another potion for you, but it's the last I can give you for the moment. Trust me, you don't want to drink too many of these too quickly. You think you're in pain now…"

"Cheery stuff Shalen, cheery stuff." said Agnete, amused. Shalen rolled her eyes, and fed Uhtred the potion. He felt the pain lessen even more, and saw one of the cuts on his stomach close ever so slightly. He was going to live, he knew it. Shalen seemed to think so too.

"You'll be fine, you'll be fine" she smiled "And Agnete here will keep an eye on you. Just rest. Don't worry about a thing."

So Uhtred rested. Most of the time he slept, but when he was awake Agnete was always there next to him, and talked to him. He still couldn't talk, which worried him, and he found it difficult to smile. All he could do to communicate was nod or shake his head, but this didn't seem to bother Agnete. She chatted away to him about anything.

"You know, at first people thought you were from Skingrad. Do you know what happened to Skingrad? No? Well I do. I was there, see, when they broke down the gates. Marauders and bandits, tearing the city apart. The guard did their best, but we had been starved for weeks. So many dead, I only survived because I was wearing armour. They must have thought I was one of them, so I could just walk straight out of there. I wondered for days before Falim and Shalen found me and brought me here. This place is a sort of refugee camp, we've got people from Bravil, Leyawiin, Skingrad… its getting crowded, I can tell you."

Uhtred found a scrap of hope in the fact that she hadn't mentioned Bruma. If there were no refugee's from the city, perhaps it was still standing. Perhaps Ivar and Egbert may still be alive. Or maybe it had been attacked and there were no survivors.

Over the next couple of days, Agnete made pleasant company for Uhtred. In between his frequent sleeps and doses of potion from Shalen she spoke to him about anything and everything, from the best wines in Skingrad to the best tomatoes around, from her trade as a smith to the fact that when she was younger the champion of Cyrodiil had been a regular customer of hers. Her conversation kept Uhtred from his darker thoughts, and slowly but surely restored his mind until one day, after an account from Agnete of a fight between three Orks and an Argonian, he managed to smile.

"And then they took him by the tail and… Hang on, do that again."

Uhtred did it again.

"You smiled! Hey Shalen, Falim, get up here! Don't stop boy, keep doing that!"

Shalen and the man, who Uhtred realised must be Falim, ran into the room looking worried, then looked at Uhtred and laughed.

"So boy" said Falim "You're on the mend after all. I owe you a bottle of wine Agnete."

"Can you talk now?" asked Shalen "Can you? What's your name?"

Uhtred tried. The first couple of times all he could do was make a strange croaking noise, but on the third try he managed to say "Uhtred… Uhtred the… Uhtred."

Agnete whooped, and Shalen smiled. "So Uhtred!" said Falim "What happened to you?" Agnete looked annoyed at this question, and Uhtred wondered if he could face telling the tale. Shalen spoke. "You'll feel better if you get it out, Uhtred. I know you're in shock, but talking will help. Agnete, don't look at me like that, im only trying to make him better."

So Uhtred began his tale. He started with his enlistment at Bruma and told them everything from that point up until he had collapsed into the bed. At first, the only audience was his three minders, but by the time he got to the first battle a small collection of refugees had appeared to listen. When he got to the second battle there was an audience of about ten, and when he finished everybody in the house was listening to him. Shalen had been right, he did feel better. There was silence when he finished, and in the end it was Falim who spoke.

"Well at least we know what's going on. What are you going to do now, Uhtred?"

"I don't know. What should I do?"

"Well that's obvious" said Agnete "Go back to Bruma."

"Bruma?"

"Yep. You're a warrior, Uhtred."

"No im not. I lost the battle."

"So? You survived, which is more than a lot of people did. You're a warrior. This man, Captain Thorn, he called you Uhtred the Wolf. Who would you rather be, Uhtred the Wolf or Uhtred the refugee?"

"Uhtred the Wolf, but…"

"Then be Uhtred the wolf. You lot, get out. Falim, go and get Uhtred's kit. Shalen, pack him some food. Bruma needs you, Uhtred."

Uhtred knew that she was right. "But my stuff, its…"

"Broken? No it isn't. Im a smith, remember? What do you think I did while you were sleeping?"

Uhtred laughed and, for the first time in days, stood up. His wounds were now mere scars, and his weapons and armour looked as good as new when Falim brought them down. Shalen helped him dress, and as she handed him his helmet he asked; "Why don't you all come with me?"

"What?"

"I can defend you, and Agnete's right, its getting crowded. Come along."

"I cant.. There are people here we cant move, and this is safer than Bruma. This house isn't marked on any map, nobody can find it if they don't know where it is."

"Ok, it was just an idea" said Uhtred, slightly disappointed. It was a long walk to Bruma, and he didn't want to be alone. Then Agnete spoke.

"Ill come with you."

"You will?"

"Yes. I want to see Bruma again before I die, and you need somebody to look after you. Give me a few minutes to pack."

So saying, she left. Falim walked in soon afterwards, holding something. "Uhtred" he said "We Shalen's right, we cant come with you. But we want you to remember us."

"I could never forget you."

"Be that as it may, take this." he said, throwing something to Uhtred. It was a wolves tail. "Nothing like a bit of fur to give a man some class. Where's Agnete?"

"Packing."

"Packing? What, is she going with you?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Good for you! And her I suppose. Look after her, Uhtred. She's a good woman."

"I know."

Ten minutes later, Uhtred was standing outside for the first time in days with Agnete beside him. He was dressed in his armour and had fixed the wolves tail to his sword hilt after tearing off the blood matted horse hair, and Agnete was wearing leather and linen. She carried nothing more than a stout stick.

"Im too old for fighting" she grinned "So im relying on you to look after me."

Falim spoke from the doorway. "Remember you two, if they ever sort this mess out, come and tell us wont you?"

The pair assured him that they would and set off north, out of the valley and towards Bruma. They had been walking for a couple of hours before Uhtred saw a light on the road and pulled Agnete behind a rock, and there they hid and listened. Uhtred thought he heard hooves, and a slight clanking of metal armour. A marauder perhaps, but what marauder would betray his presence with a torch? They weren't as sneaky as bandits, but they still knew better than to travel on a road with a torch. Agnete sneaked a look, and before Uhtred could stop her she ran into the road.

Uhtred ran after her and saw something he hadn't expected at all. It was a legionnaire on a horse, who was looking equally surprised at seeing an old woman jump onto the road, soon joined by a tall Nord in armour. He leapt off his horse and drew his sword.

"Wait!" shouted Agnete, but before she could shout that they were friends the legionnaire lunged at her with his sword, hitting her on the thigh and cutting deep. Agnete screamed in pain and Uhtred punched the legionnaire on the side of his helmeted head, making him reel in pain and shock. This was just long enough for Uhtred to grab the hand holding the sword and twist it, making the weapon fall to the floor. This done, he grabbed the man by the throat.

"We're FRIENDS, pissant!" he shouted, shaking the legionnaire "FRIENDS, and you're fucking lucky she's alive or you'd be fucking dead. What the fuck are you doing?"

The legionnaire stammered something about patrolling.

"I know you're patrolling, knob cheese. But where from?"

"The imperial city…"

"Don't be a fucking prat. The imperial city fell."

"It didn't. They fought off the attack."

"Did they bollocks. I was there, wasn't I? I saw the gate get blown open."

"Yes, and I saw the legion fight off the attack."

Uhtred began to feel slightly stupid. There was only one way he could keep his pride now, so he let go of the legionnaire and shoved him towards his horse.

"Take us there then, fuckwit. Come on Agnete, we're going on a horse. This cunt can walk."

The legionnaire tried to argue at first, but Uhtred mentioned Tobias and the man quietened, and it wasn't until the sun was beginning to rise that Uhtred, doing his best to keep Agnete conscious, realised just how symbolic the silence was. If the legionnaire was scared of Tobias, then Tobias must be alive. Uhtred very nearly shouted a hurrah, but checked himself just in time and concentrated on keeping Agnete alive and awake. He tore off a scrap of linen from the bottom of her skirt and used it as a tourniquet, and spoke to her continually as she had spoken to him, trying to keep her focused. If her eyes closed, they might never open again.

It was mid morning when the front arch of the bridge loomed into sight and Uhtred saw the legionnaire, who was leading the horse, turn and grin triumphantly. Uhtred checked the man with a look of pure malice, and then punished him by whipping the horse into a gallop, forcing the legionnaire to run alongside in his heavy armour. When they reached the far end of the bridge, Uhtred found himself staring at a pair of brand new gates, in a rebuilt gatehouse. So it was true. It wasn't over.

The gates were opened quickly, and Uhtred was too tired and excited to wonder why. The first thing he did was call for a guard to take Agnete away and have her bandaged, and was surprised when the man did so without protest. Then he headed for the barracks, the legionnaire from the road still following him and muttering about punishment for assault. All hopes the legionnaire may have had, however, evaporated when Uhtred's arrival inside the barracks was greeted by a huge cry of joy and the sight of Tobias rising from the table and hugging the enormous Nord.

"Uhtred my boy! Uhtred! By Akatosh, you're alive! We thought we'd lost you. Come, sit, tell us what happened." He indicated a table at which two other captains were sitting, and the legionnaire spoke up.

"Sir," he said eagerly "I have to report that this man assaulted me."

"And I have to report." said Uhtred, amused at the futility of the legionnaires actions "That this man attacked an old woman, and let himself be overpowered by a single man."

"Is this true?" asked Tobias, looking at the legionnaire "Did you get overpowered by this tiny Nord?"

"Well sir, he…"

"Shameful, shameful. I'll let it slide this time, but if one more Nord gets the better of you I wont be so lenient. Off with you!"

The legionnaire left, and Tobias waited a couple of seconds before bursting into hysterical laughter. Uhtred joined in, and together the pair staggered to the table, where they sat.

"Uhtred lad." said Tobias happily "If you were anybody else, I would've let that little git have his way. But after what you did, I don't have the heart or wish to punish you."

"What I did?"

"Charging the enemy lines like that! You showed us all up, you cheeky young barbarian. There's the might of the legion massed up against a few poxy marauders, and the only person who charges at them is a young Nord who isn't even in the damn legion. There were some red faces, I can tell you. And then dying on us like that, and now coming back from the dead. What on Tamriel happened to you?"

Uhtred explained. He told how he was knocked unconscious, how he had assumed the city was lost, and how he had wandered southwards and found the refugee sanctuary. He told of the healing, the news from other parts, and the decision to go back to Bruma. When he had finished, Tobias spoke.

"Yes, we almost did lose. But some young swine messed up the enemy line so much and confused them so that we had time to send enough men back into the city to fight off the enemy in there. You should have heard Brice! 'make that boy a captain' he said 'he knows how to fight a damn battle'."

"Where's captain Brice now?"

"Six feet under, im afraid. Got an arrow in the face and a battleaxe in the neck, poor fellow. Took plenty of them with him though!"

"Im sorry."

"Don't be boy, don't be. Were it not for you, I daresay the whole city would have died." one of the other captains nodded agreement, but the other looked sceptical "Including someone who's name I know you want to say, but you're too embarrassed to. Come on boy, out with it." Tobias was grinning knowingly, and Uhtred couldn't hide it any longer. He grinned back and said,

"Ella."

"She's fine boy, fine! Well, apart from that she thinks her pet wolf is dead. Im sure she'd be very happy to see him again."

"What about Agnete?"

"Who?"

"Agnete… the woman I brought back with me."

"Mellowed Minotaurs! She's a bit old for you isn't she?"

"No, I mean, is she alright?"

"Oh, she'll be fine, fine! Probably be on her feet by this time tomorrow. Now never keep a woman waiting, Uhtred. Never know when some classy Dunmer might turn up and try to sweep her off her feet."

So Uhtred, grinning, stood up and left with as much dignity as he could muster. He kept this dignity until the moment he got out of the door, and began sprinting as fast as he could towards the Tiber Septim hotel. From behind him he heard Tobias laughing loudly, but he didn't mind.

As he skidded through the doors of the hotel, the first thing he saw was that it was empty. The woman behind the counter was gone, and Ella was nowhere to be seen. He searched around upstairs, hoping to find her cleaning a room, but had no luck. So he gingerly edged the basement door open and walked down the dingy stairs, making as much noise as possible so that if anybody was down there they couldn't accuse him of sneaking. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he found that the basement too was deserted, and he decided that things had gone from odd to downright suspicious. A hotel with no staff and the door unlocked? Something was amiss, and Uhtred was determined to find out what. He found Ella's bed behind a screen in the corner and saw that it was unmade, and the floor around it covered in clothes. So she was still living here then.

He was about to return to the ground floor when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Emerging from behind the screen, he saw something he had thought he'd never see again. It was Ella, a huge watermelon clutched in her arms, with a look of amazement on her face. As Uhtred walked towards her, grinning widely, she hurriedly and slightly clumsily put the watermelon on a nearby stool and ran at him.

The collision knocked the wind from Uhtred, but he couldn't have cared less. The pair hugged tightly, albeit awkwardly due to the size difference between them. Neither of them wanted to let go, and Uhtred, in a gesture that took more courage than standing in a battle line, kissed Ella gently on the lips. She seemed taken aback for a moment, and then relaxed into him and returned the kiss happily. They stayed that way for as long as they could before one of them had to surface for air.

Ella was full of questions, and Uhtred found himself telling his story again, this time seated on Ella's bed as she stared at him wide eyed. When he finished, she kissed him again, then reclaimed the watermelon and set about polishing and caressing it.

"What's that massive thing for anyway?" asked Uhtred, grinning.

"Oh, its Mr Thorn's birthday tomorrow, and he's always been partial to watermelon. I was going to put a candle in it." Uhtred nearly fell off the bed laughing. A birthday watermelon? His dad had been right, Imperials were very odd people.