She ended up following Ralof. The two were in what looked like the keep. A round tower, with a Dead Stormcloak under a chair, dagger in throat. Three doors. One that she had came through, now locked. And two gates that were locked. This looked bad.

"We'll meet again in Sovngarde, brother." Ralof mourned, laying a hand on the Stormcloak's breast. He stood up and looked at Rosanna, haggard and slightly panicked. "Looks like we're the only ones who made it. That thing was a dragon, no doubt. Just like the children's tales and the legends." he looked at Rosanna, his eyes wild. "The harbingers of the end times."

Wait, the end of the world?

He shook his head, and looked around. "We have to find a way out of here. But it's locked." the two walked over to the wooden gate. After an inspection, he came to the same conclusion as her. "Damn. No way to open it on our side."

Were they going to die?

A familiar, too-loud voice pierced the thick air. From instinct, Rosanna cringed.

"Come on Soldiers, KEEP MOVING." There was a pause. "Get this gate open!" There was a lot of grunting, and muttering under breaths. Ralof and her exchanged glances, and crouched. Rosanna was familiar with Sneaking, from watching the most magnificent beasts in forests, with silence as a cloak. She brought out her axe, which Ralof had insisted she take from Gunjor, the silent Stormcloak who lay with metal in his throat.

The gate opens, with creaks and complaints. The captain walked in with swagger and an injured step. Two Imperial guards were with her. Rosanna's resolution to fight, fled, and she ran to a curved wall, hands over head and yelling 'Don't fight!' mind. By the time Ralof was finished, Rosanna stood, her face pale and waxen.

"Maybe...maybe one of these Imperials have the key?" Ralof asked in a low voice. She shook, her entire being shaking. Rosanna took halting steps towards the Imperial Captain, now face down. She bent down, and started going through the pockets. So far, she hadn't anything. No luck.

Desperation started to rise in her. Rosanna knew they had a small chance to avoiding the dragon, and just escaping through the gate, but most like Alduin would see them. Dragons see all. She could hear him roaring through all the stone. Rosanna searched the Captain's pockets. Cold, shaped metal found its way into her hand. For a brief moment, Rosanna fumbled with it for a moment, before tugging it out.

"Ralof!" she called excitedly, while dangling the key. He grinned. "An escape."

The gate led to a case of spiral steps, heading undergrown.

Rosanna didn't know what happened, but she somehow tripped and fell all the way down those same spiral stone steps.

"Owww..." she complained, picking herself up with a red face. Ralof laughed heartily. Sheepishly, Rosanna smiled. She actually surprised herself, because she had previously thought that she'd never be able to smile again.

The pair continued on, through a corridor. In surprise, Rosanna stopped dead in her tracks. A small army of Imperial Soldiers were waiting for them, on the other side. There was a violent shaking, and then Rosanna could hear Alduin.

The ceiling came down.

She was directly under the force.

Ralof saved her.

He had leapt from the archway, and shoved her roughly about an inches' worth away from the collapse, shoving her into a wall and landing on top. For several minutes they just lay there for a few moments, attempting to recover.

"T-Thanks." Rosanna said hoarsely. They stood up, shaking slightly. Rosanna pushed a lock of thick hazel hair from her face. It was streaked with dirt, sweat, and blood. Closing one slightly swelled eye, Rosanna looked around. There was one escape left.

"We have to get out of here! What are you doing?" Ralof and Rosanna crouched, again. Two Imperials were talking in rushed voices, searching for something.

"I'm not leaving until I find those potions Farengar hid."

"Ha! That wizard's lucky he had to leave early."

One of them caught sight of Rosanna's ragged skirt. Her breath hitched.

"For Ulfric!" he cried, and slashed her arm. All thoughts of peace, and tranquility were gone from her mind. She drew her axe, and hacked her way through them.

One was left. They circled, looking for a chance to strike the other. Rosanna's blue eyes were lit by a fire, her skin pale and shone with a sweaty sheen, as did the soldier. She held her axe up, and faked a lunge. He leapt back, then snarled with frustration. They continued to circle. The soldier bristled, and let out a groan when Hadvar hit him with an arrow. It protruded from his back.

Rosanna took the opportunity and leapt forward, laying a killing blow to the soldier. He yelled and fell back, lifeless.

What had happened to the peace? Who wasshe now?

After scrounging two swords from the soldiers, and several healing potions, Rosanna went over to Ralof, who was patiently waiting for her. As a side note, she had found a Pouch.

She had the pouch now, at her slim hip.

More spiral steps. Rosanna was starting to think she'd never reach the exit. Her legs were tired, and cramped, her arms stained with blood, and her hair a knotted, tangled mess. It was quiet, until Rosanna's keen ears picked up the sound of fighting. Was there never an end?

Two Stormcloaks against the Torturer and the Torturer's Assistant. The Torturers were fighting with Magicka, sweating and cursing the Stormcloaks. The blue-clad two were fighting with strong two-handed weapons, yelling various expressions. The Torturers were quickly overpowered, and killed in minutes.

Both of the Stormcloaks were fine, after Rosanna healed them.

"Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" he absently cleaned his blade. Rosanna leaned against a blood-stained pillar, taking deep breaths, trying to calm her gag reflex.

"No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up." the female Stormcloak said a little hurriedly. She had an aged face, spotted with dirt. She put her weapon on her back, stretched a little, and stood next to Rosanna.

She gagged, and bent double over while the Stormcloaks talked.

"Wait, looks like there's something in this cage." the four walked over to the cage. A dead Mage was in the corner, freshly killed it looked like. Rosanna bit her lip, a sour taste in her mouth. She licked her chapped lips. "Rosanna, try and pick the locks." She silently picked the lock without much of a problem.

The lock clicked open, and she cautiously peeked around. Since she didn't want to disturb the dead, she left the mage alone, and gathered the coins on the bottom of the cage. Rosanna guessed it was as good a time as any to start making use of those cold, metal coins.

She licked her chapped, dry lips and continued to follow Ralof and the Stormcloaks. The three were talking, with Rosanna just listening. She started to see the reason for the Stormcloaks' uprising, or their Rebellion. For a brief moment, Rosanna considered joining their cause. Free the empire.

A giant room, that looked like an extension of the torture room, was partially destroyed. The four probably wouldn't have made it, if it weren't for the gaping hole put in the stone. Rosanna wasn't the only one to feel a shiver go down her spine at the sight of the skeletons, in hanging cages.

The Stormcloaks walked down the hallway, with the tiny Nord in front, ears pricked.

Rosanna's life had never been easy. Her housecarl, or minder, Alessi, was with her. Even when she was hunter, and running away, Alessi was with her. Most of the time, her Minder was in the Holds, collecting salt piles, or strings and bits needed. But Alessi had always been there. Had she been in Helgen? But Alessi had never always been with her.

When she was younger, crossing Skyrim to get to Cyrodil, Rosanna was forced to sneak food and water and milk from unsuspecting houses. Her Sneak skills were heightened as a result.

"Orders are to wait until General Tullius issues orders."

"I'm not waiting to be killed by a dragon!" an Imperial soldier argued. Rosanna would have been just content with waiting until the Imperials had escaped, but apparently, Ralof and the two Stormcloaks had other things on mind.

"For Skyrim!" they yelled, brandishing their iron weapons and shields.

Rosanna found an opponenet, and prepared herself for more death and gore. She, again, swiped her tongue against her pale lips, and braced herself, spreading her slight weight over her knees. The two swayed gently, waiting for the perfect moment. The right spot.

"You're not coming out of here alive, you damned Stormcloak." the Imperial hissed, his eyes slitted with hatred. Rosanna sneered, and struck, with a sword scavenged by the dead. Her shield blocked an otherwise-deadly attack, and parried. The man ended up dead, on the end of her sword.

"Yuck." she grunted, kicking the corpse off of the blade and helping her fellow Stormcloaks.

"I...I'm going to stay behind. Watch for the old man." one of the Stormcloaks said, looking at the ground. Ralof and Rosanna bid them farewell, and followed the tunnel. For some reason, Rosanna felt like that was their last goodbye from anyone. She felt a lump in her throat, and couldn't tell if it was vomit from all the death, or tears.

Now it was just Ralof, and Rosanna. Because of the exhaustion, fear, and irritation, the two didn't talk much. Just the sounds of padding feet and breathing filled the otherwise dusty air.

"Holy motherf*cker those are huge." Rosanna gasped when she saw four spiders, waiting for them in a cavern. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her mind raced. Memories of Alessi beating off spiders when she was just a babe, because she was scared, came back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed, and brandished her fire spells, in each of her hands and ran forward, blasting them with fire. Her Magicka was depleting, which she could feel in between her breasts. It was strange, Stamina and her Life Force she could easily feel. But Magicka...it was located somewhere in her chest. Hard to tell.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screeched again, when two spiders, much bigger than her, dropped down on top of her. The head was so large, that she could see her face reflected in their black eyes, each and every one of them the size of her head. She lay back and trembled, screaming all the while.

"I hate those damn things. Too many eyes, you know?" Ralof asked, when he had killed the spiders.

Rosanna stood up. "Think the dragon heard me?"

"I think all of Tamriel heard you. Loathe those things, don't you?" Ralof remarked affectionately. He took ahold of Rosanna's thin arm, hoisting her up.

Rosanna's cheeks flushed. "I've always hated them. But Alessi always took care of them."

"Alessi?"

"My minder. Mother couldn't care less about me."

They nodded grimly, and walked on.

"A bear. I don't want to fight with that right now. Maybe we can sneak? Or, you can take it on. I'll use a bow, and you can take it by surprise." Ralof said. "Either way, I'm with you a hundred-percent."

Rosanna weighed the options. She pursed her lips and shook her hair, which was an earthy shade of hazel. She glanced towards the bear, sleeping, and unaware.

She crouched, her thighs already started to burn, and took a roll. It was quiet, padded by soft soil, and Ralof went along, his eyes trained on the lovely lass.

"I'm glad we made it out. I was beginning to think we'd never would." Ralof breathed. Rosanna rushed forward, forgetting all thoughts of stealth. By now, the bear didn't care anyway. It was sleeping. Peacefully. At least this time, she was able to avoid conflict. The hem of her ragged robes caught on a rock, sending Rosanna tumbling forward.

"Ow." she remarked, getting back up. Newfound clumsiness. Huh. Never something she had experienced, but maybe the darkness of this cave was muddling with her thoughts and vision. She felt...strange. Like...like...she was empty. Her life-long companions were gone, dead. In the corner of her visions, she would constantly see hints of Bolyn. But he was dead, and there was no hope for him. Tears blurred her vision.