Chapter 8 - Unexpected Company
"Next, the Nord in the rags!" The Imperial barked. She didn't even bother correcting the fact that Rosanna had a name.
"You Imperial bastards!" A Stormcloak bellowed, her face red with barely contained rage,
"Justice!" A Helgen man called, with glee in his voice.
"Death to the Stormcloaks!"
"As fearless in death, as he was in life." Ralof mourned. Rosanna looked down, her heart in her throat. Why was this world so heartless?
The cry reverberated through again. That...indescribable shouting that raised the hairs on Rosanna's arms. Shaking her head, Rosanna continued on her way to her death. The gravel was rough against the soles of her feet, and the slab of stone was cold. Rosanna wondered what Death would feel like. Would it be quietl? Dark? Light?
With the way her head was positionrd, Rosanna noticrd that the headsman had one dead eye, milky white. He raised his axe. A dragon appeared, and it's voicr, she assumed, spoke to her mind.
Alduin.
"What in OBLIVION is that?" Someonr screamed. Obviously, a dragon. The ebony black scales glinted in the morndas light. His red eyes pierced into the depths of Rosanna's soul, giving her a fear like no other. Gods. She had never seen anything like it, before.
"Dragon!" A Stormcloak cried in fear.
The headsman's axe slowed down considerably. He was staring at Alduin in awe, and by the time the axe came to her neck, it was simply resting on the skin. Quickly, she slid to the side, but the blade still cut her. It left a long, red, dripping line across the base of her neck.
Whether it was by axe-ident or not, Rosanna'd never know. But the flat of a war axe hit the side of her head. She stood still for a moment, and fell. Hard. After a few moments, Rosanna managed to stand up and find her balance, but everything was a little blurry.
Then, it Shouted.
It was so concentrated. On each and every one of them. Insantly, Rosanna was flung back, and into a wall. She sank to the ground with a sickening crack, unable to find the energy to get back up.
"Hey, kinsman! Get back up!" Ralof cried, hauling her back up to her feet. "I don't want to have to carry you all the way!" Great. Rosanna somehow managed to stumble along, with his help, into a tower. All hell broke loose, it seemed. Alduin was throwing chunks of tower, and pillars of white-hot flame to everyone.
There were two injured Stormcloaks on the ground.
"I'll have to carry one. But they'll live." The healer said. Rosanna gave him a grim-set smile, and looked to her left. And started.
Ulfric was at the side of the door, with Ralof. Rosanna could hear Alduin wreaking havoc, as she stood next to Ralof, frail shoulderd heaving with emotion.
"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing?" Ralof cried. "Could the legends be true?" His pitch was rising, much unlike his calm demranour. Everyone was panicking now, it seemed. It was every man for himself.
"Legends don't burn down villages." Ulfric said gravely.
"We need to move." The Jarl announced suddenly. "Now! Up through the tower, let's GO!" Rosanna started up the spiral steps, leaving to the healer muttering to himself, and the groaning of injured soldiers.
"Come on, friend, let's go!" Ralof urged, leading up the steps. It was at that moment, Rosanna suddenly got a dizzy spell halfway, and leaned against a wall. Her vision blackened around the edged. Rosanna watched through half-closed eyes as a Stormcloak attempted to move bits of crushed wall and ceiling,
Alduin burst through, with his scaled head.
"Toor...SHUI!" It screamed, and fire flew. Panicked, Rosanna scramblef back, and landed in Ralof's muscled arms. She started to shake. There was no hope now, for the soldier. But Ralof and her still had a chance, however small.
Rosanna stood at the edge of the new hole, punched into the tower. There was a burning inn on her right, and a lot of empty space to jump at her left.
"See that inn on the other side? Jump through the roof." Ralof commanded, those loght blue eyes trained onto the Nord lass.
""But, Ralof!" Clara pleaded. "What if -"
"No ifs. Just don't look up." Ralof said firmly. He placed a hand on her newly calmed shoulder, and looked into those purple eyes. "I want you to live." Rosanna nodded weakly, and gathered strength into her thin calves, jumping.
She singed her elbow, and landed on the wooden floor. Now, this was all kind of hard, since her hands were bound in front of her stomach.
She continued to run. In a few moments, Clara found someone safe. Hadvar. With no one else, she ran to him, clinging to his tight waist. Which, was easy, as she was as short as a Breton.
"Haming! You need to get over here!" Hadvar begged. The child was standing near his father, Torolf, uncertain.
In a sudden burst of crazy strength, propelled by motherly instinct, Rosanna ran forward and broke her binds in the frenzy, wrapping Haming up in a bear hug, and running towards an elderly man and Hadvar.
"That's it, son. Make me proud." Torolf called after them. He was curled up on the ground, with a cut stomach. Alduin landed, and blasted his inferno, killing the father instantly.
"Gods...everyone GET BACK!" Hadvar cried. Sobbing, Rosanna ran beside a ruined building, with the older man and the Imperial soldier. She only let Haming go once Alduin was passed, and she was certain he couldn't see the young Imperial boy,
"Gunmar, take care of the boy." Hadvar said breathlessly, as he crouched, eyes still following the evil being, known as Alduin. "I have to find General Tullius, and join the defense."
Rosanna looked back uncertainly, and then followed Hadvar. They ran down to an alleyway, where Alduin almost impaled her on a sharp-tipped ebony wing. She yelped, and crouchrd, then continued running through ruined, burning buildings.
In a short moment, Rosanna heard General Tullius call to Hadvar about going to the Keep. Alduin started to Shout, and fighting back. Soldiers were crying with desperation about how it couldn't be killer.
By this point, Rosanna was beginning to believe it.
As they ran, Ralof appeared out of almost no where. Three childhood friends, now reunited.
It wasn't as happy as you'd think.
"Ralof! You damned traitor! OUT OF MY WAY." Hadvar yelled. The two were meters apart, but anger was definitely there.
"We're ESCAPING, Hadvar. You can't stop us." Ralof called calmly.
What had happened to Rosanna's childhood friends? The sweet boys who fancied every girl, including her?
"Fine. I hope the dragon takes you all to SOVNGARDE!" Hadvar roared, his face turning red, whilst Ralof's paled. Rosanna guessed he kept a sliver of respect, as Nords who were strong of heart went there when they died.
Rosanna didn't know who to follow. Two friends. Two lifesavers.
