Author's Note: Hey! As I said this is my first fanfic, so please tell me what you think! I'm new at this so I'd appreciate feedback, and please not the bad kind! I'll try to update as often as possible, depending on everyone's feedback and when I get the next chapter done. Hope you enjoy!
In Chains
My first thought as I woke up on the rumbling wooden wagon was how much pain my head was in. My second, through the grogginess was more of a notice that my arms were bound behind me. Damn, those Imperials really did a number on me. As the effects of the blow to my head were wearing off, I heard a voice saying "Ah, good, you're finally awake." I turned to the source to find a muscular man with long dirty blonde hair in front of me, also bound. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush same as us, and that thief over there." I turned my aching head towards where the blonde was looking to see another man with long brown hair dressed in the same black garb as the blonde with a scarf over his mouth, and a punier man with short black hair dressed in rags with a scowl on his face. "Damn you Stormcloaks," he said, "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy." So these two in black were Stormcloaks. I heard of them. They were completely against the Empire and their leader was supposedly heir to the throne. Basically your typical rebels against the Empire. Not that I cared much for the Empire, but I wasn't one to get involved with politics. Growing up on a farm tends to lessen the care of who governs whom when you've got tons of work to do. "If they hadn't been looking for you," he continued, "I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell." He gave one more dirty look, literally too, to the blonde and turned to me and said, "You and I shouldn't even be here! It's these damn Stormcloaks the Empire wants!" I guess he just wanted support for his argument, but he wasn't getting any from me. We were all caught anyway. No use fighting about it. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." Said the blonde. I was about respond in agreement when the Imperial soldier driving the wagon shouted at us to be quiet. Lowering his voice, the thief nudged the dark one. "What's with him, huh?" He said, rudely. "Watch your tounge!" Said the blonde angrily. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" Oh shite, I thought with surprise, the leader of the rebellion is sitting right next to me! That also explained the scarf, which I then realized was a rag to gag him, as there were stories he had a sorcery talent known as the Voice which he used to kill the king. A load of shite if you ask me. This may get a little more serious than jail time. "Ulfric?" The thief asked incredulously. "The Jarl of Windhelm? But if they've captured you…" A look of horror spread over the thief's face. "Oh gods, where are they taking us?!" "I don't know where we're going," the blonde grimly answered, "but Sovengarde awaits." I looked to the front of the wagon and past the other one in front to try and make out what village we were approaching while the thief went into hysterics. "Hey what village are you from, horse thief?" The blonde asked. "Why do you care?" The now worried thief asked. The blonde looked forward. "A nord's last thoughts should be of home." He had a good point, so I thought of home. Unfortunately, I grew up near a small village and hardly went into town, so there weren't too many good memories. After my father died when I was a lad, it was just me and my mother, whom I doted after to try and make her happy and taken care of. Pa would've been proud, though Ma wanted me to find a girl and settle down. I just never found any of the nearby girls interesting or exciting I guess. The thief said he was from Rorikstead, which sounded a lot more exciting than a farm. We arrived at the gate and the soldiers signaled to a Genreal Tulius that we arrived. He said back the headsman was waiting. As the realization of my upcoming death hit me with great sadness, the thief was praying to any of the merciful gods he could name offhand. Funny what a man who sins by stealing for a living will do to pray to gods to live. The blonde sneered at Tulius and the Thalmar with him. The Thalmar were the highborn race of elves who answer only to the Empire's highest in command. "Damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this." As the blonde sadly reminisced on the days of his youth I saw the villagers staring at us grimly, some even ushering their kids inside. Cheerful place. Bet it's great on the weekends, I thought. We started to slow down. "Why are we stopping?" The thief asked, his voice full of fear. "Why do you think?" The blonde answered grimly. "End of the line." I sighed. This was it. "Time to finally face the gods." Said the blonde, I nodded as we stood up and got in line. All of us but the thief were silent, as he kept protesting that it was all a mistake. The guard started calling names to the block. "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm" As Ulfic silently moved forward, the blonde said aloud, "It's been an honor to serve with you." A few more names were called before they finally called "Lokir of Rorikstead" who I guess was the thief. Still protesting and hysterical, Lokir stepped forward before completely losing and ran for his life, until he got shot by an archer. Not the smartest move. The guard looked at me and back at his list and frowned. I guess they didn't get my name. He called me forward and asked "What's your name, Nord?" "Will Svennson, sir" I answered. He turned to captain and asked what should be done as I was not on the list. A glimmer of hope surged through me as I realized that I might survive! "I don't care. Send him to the block. Shite, my life thrown away because of this bitch. "Sorry" Said the guard and motioned me to the block where Tulius was reading Ulfric his charges for death. "You started this war, and now we're going to end it by putting you down to bring back the peace!" Suddenly a loud sound could be heard echoing throughout the valley. Almost like some sort of animal. "What was that?" Someone asked. "It was nothing, carry on." Said Tulius. "Yes sir!" The priest was starting to read the rights when a Stormcloak next to me cut her off and demanded to get the beheading over with. They brought him forward. He kept taunting the Empire until the axe cut through his neck. I looked on, sickened. The bitch-captain motioned to me. "Next prisoner!" I swear she loves this job too much" Then the sound came back again. This time it could be heard as a loud roar. What in the hells was that? "I said next prisoner!" The bitch shouted completely ignoring her comrades' fear. I stepped forward, silently praying to the gods if not for a miracle then at least safe passage. As I knelt down onto the block, the roar came again. "What in Oblivion is that? Shouted Tulius. Everyone was getting really scared now. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw something flying in the sky. It was too big to be a bird. With a loud crash everyone turned to see a gigantic black dragon with horns all over landing hard on top of the fort. For a few moments no sound was made. Petrified, I stared into in beady black eyes. It stared back, the let out a huge ROOAAARRRR! Oh, shite,