"Hey, you, you're finally awake." A familiar voice sounded.
The woman had opened her eyes to meet the eyes of Ralof, looking to her right she saw the man from before. His mouth had been gagged by a tightly wrapped clothe, his hands bound by a rope at the wrists. Looking down the woman gave a growl seeing that her hands were also bound, but also that her armor had been removed as were all her other belongings. Looking around she could tell they were a long way from the border, her belongings lost where ever the Imperial soldiers had left them. A horse thief sat next to Ralof, he seemed to be furious about being caught and struggled with his bonds. For the moment the thief as quiet as Ralof cursed shaking his head,
"You were trying to cross the border, right?" He asked, there as a momentary look of guilt in his eyes.
The woman nodded, looking ahead before shifting. The rags that she had on did little against the cold.
"Damn." He growled, "When those wolves attacked you and we stopped to help, you got caught in that Imperial ambush with the rest of us." He said glaring a hole at the carriage driver.
The thief glared at Ralof, he had only wanted to steal an Imperial horse to get to Hammerfell. Though he had little fear of letting his anger show; he wasn't going to be polite about it.
"Damn you Stormcloaks." He sneered, "Skyrim was fine before your kind showed up. Empire was nice and lazy."
The woman gave the thief a glare, though she had heard of the civil-war going on all she had wanted was to find one of the many abandoned forts and ruins to make a home for her-self. Being caught in an ambush was not her intentions, nor as listening to some rotten thief who had gotten caught in the act. The thief continued to curse at Ralof before he shook his head as though it didn't matter.
"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." Ralof said before looking over at the man then to the woman in front of him.
The horse thief scoffed before he looked around then also looked at the woman. Her icy green eyes seemed to glow as she tried to loosen her bindings. If there was one thing that she could not stand it was to be bound. There was something in her blood that made her crave both freedom and battle to the point of fighting the Imperials even when trapped. They were in the way of her freedom and would not let her go without a fight, thought she was outnumbered it had not been a dishonorable defeat. A grunt from the gagged noble broke the silence before the thief glared his way. The woman glared at the thief, though he didn't notice it at first.
"And what's wrong with him, eh?" He snapped; Ralof was the first to snap back.
"Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King of Skyrim." He growled as the bound woman next to the man tilted her head.
"Faal gein do grah ahrk smoliin fah stin fron?" Her voice was rough and held a growl as she spoke.
It made them driver stop before reaching for another piece of cloth to gag the woman before Ralof glared. The driver sneered but turned around and continued to drive. The woman had growled before Ulfric grunted and shook his head, though she was not one to surrender there was often a time to be patient and wait for the time to strike. The woman sighed and closed her eyes; the icy gleam had vanished as they closed. The horse thief continued to talk the closer that they grew to their destination, Ralof was the only one to resume the conversation with the thief. The woman had been content to bow her head and relax as if in thought, there was something in the air that made her tense yet gave her a feeling of security. The horse thief had no idea where they were going but the woman did not show much interest in the surrounding area. Ulfric Stormcloak was silent but glared to the Imperials passing by; his body shook with rage as he growled to himself.
The gag prevented him from speaking or Shouting. The woman beside him seemed to be in thought, or maybe she didn't care about her last moments. There was a look of peace in her expression, though it was not easy to see beyond a cold mask. She looked as pure blooded as any Nord, a feminine yet strong frame built to stand the harsh lands yet at first glance did not look dangerous outside of armor. It was hard to see how she could be the one who was in the armor, but yet the way she had stood her ground and charged against the ambush was as though it was instinct. With a grunt Ulfric nudged the woman. The woman opened her eyes half-way and looked to the noble with a stoic expression. Her green eyes were stunning even without their icy glow, had she been a Skyrim raised Nord she would've been considered a wild beauty. The woman didn't even give the others a chance to ask a question before her eyes closed once more, her posture one of an uninterested elder rather than a young woman about to die. The Imperials spoke of a place called Helgen; it was a place where they took many Stormcloaks for execution. The horse thief gave a whimper noticing a larger fortress growing closer to them, the woman opened her eyes part way before a faint sound echoed through the air, like thunder in the distance. The sound sent a shiver up the spines of the Imperials before they looked in the direction of the rumbling sound.
"Damn heathen lands…" A soldier grumbled as he walked by a carriage.
The woman growled at the remark as Ralof chuckled, an Imperial didn't know much better but the woman shifted before leaning forward. Ulfric couldn't help but notice the expression on her face; it was the look of someone trying to hear beyond the noise around them. Another rumble echoed through the land making the soldiers stop; they drew their weapons before a few made annoyed noises at being too paranoid of the sound. The silence that came after each rumbling thunder was more unnerving than the last as they finally came to Helgen. The woman couldn't help but growl seeming a few High Elves walking around the fort; Ralof noted her displeasure and tilted his head in confusion, she seemed to have a deep rooted hatred of High Elves that sounded older than just the Great War. Icy green eyes glared with fury at the High Elf talking an older Imperial, the woman heard Ralof talking about the man; she caught the name Tullius and promised to have his head. The cart that they were in came to stop as all the occupants in the back were told to get out. It was not unexpected for the red head to be difficult and resist those who tried to pry her from her seat; one of the men had been head-butted before the woman was stabbed with a poisoned dagger to drain her stamina. Tullius had taken a note to the woman's resistant nature and ordered her to forgo the list of all the known rebels; he wanted to see just who was giving his men such trouble. The veteran watched as the wild woman was drug to him by two men, a fresh wound leaving a trail behind her; the man gave a faint grunt before he spoke.
"A woman gave you men trouble?" Tullius asked; he disapproved of his men's trouble with such a simple task.
One of the men rubbed the back of his head letting his long brown hair bounce freely before the other man forced the woman to her knees, the action earned a weak growl before the man forced her face into the ground with his boot.
"This thing is no woman, she's a wild beast." The man growled before the woman writhed trying to free herself from under his boot.
The woman wasn't in the best shape due to the stamina poison, was much as she hated it there was little she could do if she wasn't able to bleed out most poisons. Tullius clicked his tongue and the woman was forced to sit on her knees, her face covered in dirt and a small bruise. Tullius had no doubt in his mind that the woman was a Davari, he had been getting reports that many from the clan had been making their way to Skyrim for some time but did not know their reasons; some had joined his ranks even though he had feared it would only lead to further problems with those from the clan joining both the Imperial Army and the Stormcloaks. With luck he managed to avoid a meeting of two clan members since they both chose opposite sides for the moment; there was little doubt in his mind there was a reason as to why the Davari before him was now trying to get away.
"Trying to get back to your rebel friends?" Tullius said, gaining a confused glare from the woman.
The woman shook her head before the man behind her made a move to kick her; Tullius stopped him with a wave of his hand. He wanted to hear why the woman was found with rebels and why she had attacked them if she wasn't with them.
"The why attack my men, surely you know of the war Davari." Tullius said; the clan named got her full attention before she sneered at the old man.
"I care not for your men or your war." She snarled roughly, "I travel alone… Now thanks to you a vital part of my clan's history may be lost." The woman growled thinking that her bag was lost; it would no doubt be looted and anything of value sold to the highest buyer or worse; given to the Aldmeri Embassy.
"Then why were with Ulfric Stormcloak?" Tullius asked firmly, his mouth pressed into a tight line waiting for her next answer.
The woman hung her head for a moment before she gave a sigh.
"I was caught off guard by wild wolves… Two of those men in the ambush aided me." She said gritting her teeth in embarrassment. "Had they not I may have been too busy with them to be caught up in your little ambush." She mumbled.
The two men behind her slightly gulped, knowing that they had a hand in subduing the woman during the ambush and bringing her before Tullius. The older man noted their expressions. With a sigh Tullius was faced with the choice of letting her go or keeping her there, he didn't want to risk stirring up trouble with the Davari clan with the Grey-Manes and Battle-Born already causing trouble in Whiterun due to the war. A deep rumbling alerted the group to something coming near; a loud roar drew all attention to the sky as a large creature landing on the tower over the executioner's block. There was a shout of shock as a large black Dragon over looked the area before giving a roar knocking all in the area to the ground, a second roar cause clouds over head to circle as fire rained from the sky. Tullius' eyes widened as the three men ran to assist those that they could; leaving the Davari on her own. Her first instinct was to run but the Dragon was flying over the area and landing on towers and walls to breath fire onto anyone nearby however she couldn't help but hear it's Shouts.
"Yol-Toor-Shul!" The Dragon Shouted each time it landed till the stream of fire ended.
The Davari had to roll to avoid being crushed by a ball of fire nearly ending her life as she spotted Ralof, with a sigh of relief she ran to him just was the Dragon landed over them; it snarled before Shouting once more and moved to snap at the two before it paused for a moment. Ralof went to grab for a sword he had looted from a dead Imperial before the Davari nudged him to stop as the Dragon took a deep breathe, the Shout in the back of it throat before the woman yelled out.
"Drem vul lok!" She yelled making the Dragon turn it's head towards a crowd of Imperials, it was enough time for the two to run by and make it to a near by tower.
Ralof looked at the woman before he was assaulted with the clamor of his fellow Stormcloaks, including Ulfric. The men were unnerved that a Dragon had appeared, even though said Dragon had a hand in them living another day; granted if they made it out of Helgen alive. The woman leaned against the wall and listened for the Dragon to Shout again; in the back of her mind there was something familiar about it but she couldn't put her finger on it. Her frustration was noted by Ralof when he glanced her way; he sighed and walked up to her to cut her loose. When he did the Davari bowed her head to him.
"I believe you owe us your name, lass." Ralof said making the woman shift before she nodded.
The woman rubbed her wrists before she glanced to Ulfric and spoke,
"My name is Thalia Davari." The woman said; the men didn't seem surprised.
Ulfric tilted his head slightly before he nodded to her, Thalia walked up to him; he seemed tense as two men tried to run up the stairs. The Dragon's head burst through the wall and sent a stream of flame to the other end of the tower; Ulfric growled as the Dragon's actions caused the stairs to be blocked. Ralof gave a cry of frustration before Ulfric gave him orders to leave with Thalia; they were to try to make it out alive and make it to the nearest village. The two nodded before running up the steps, the hole that the Dragon made in the tower gave them access to a burning building that seemed to be their way out. With a deep breath Thalia and Ralof jumped; rolling as the hit the ground, they both sprinted from the burning building as it collapsed behind them. The Dragon was still circling the area but seemed to roar even louder when it saw Thalia and Ralof, the two needed to get to a safer place and recollect themselves. Ralof had found a path the avoided the Imperials almost completely until Ralof seemed to find someone that he knew; it was a Nord dressed in Imperial armor, they exchanged heated words before the two ran into a door that lead them to a rather spacey circular room.
"That… That thing doesn't know when to give up." Ralof said as he rested his hands on his knees.
Thalia was leaning against a wall, the stamina poison wasn't doing her body much good, she wasn't quite able to bleed out all of the poison; the remaining poison left her body feeling numb due to the running. Ralof noticed her fatigue and walked over to her, Thalia gave a small glare as he moved to inspect the dagger wound to her side. Ralof grit his teeth before looking over the wound, he wasn't impressed by the tactics of the Imperials but he could understand their caution. Thalia didn't back down during the ambush and he had a feeling that she was giving them trouble when he saw that she was taken to Tullius himself.
"Are you going to make it?" Ralof asked half jokingly to try and lighten the grim situation.
Thalia pushed away from the wall and grit her teeth as the numbing feeling seemed content to give her legs a feeling of pins jabbing under her skin.
"I have been through worse; I'm just not so good with poisons." She growled lightly.
Ralof raised his hands up in defense before walking to the other end of the room, the cell door was locked and neither of them had anything to pick the lock with. The room soon shook lightly as the Dragon's roar was heard; voices were heard before two Imperial soldiers rushed into the room. Ralof pushed Thalia behind him, she growled as though she was insulted but she understood that she wouldn't be of much help until the stamina poison ran its course through her system. The Imperials looked to Ralof before they charged him, the Skyrim born Nord was cocky and used the hilt of his sword to slam into the face of the male; the female Imperial gave out a battle cry but was stopped by a fire ball. Over his shoulder Ralof could see Thalia with a ball of fire in one of her hands, she seemed to slightly struggle with her Magika telling him that the Nord wasn't really cut out to be Mage but knew enough to defend herself when she had nothing else. The female Imperial had been burnt on her face and arm before she glared at Thalia before charging; Ralof wasn't quite able to make it time before the Imperial's axe made a deep cut into her arm, The fight continued until Ralof drove his sword into the gut of the female, the male had been taken care of by Thalia's fire ball spells, the use of Magika had left her slightly paled before she weakly growled.
"Mal tiid… We need to go." Thalia glared slightly before she limped toward the two looking for the key to the door.
Ralof couldn't agree more as he helped search bodies for the key; with luck the female had the key and gave a cry of triumph before he unlocked the door. Thalia was leaning against a wall to keep herself straight, the use of Magika and the poison had weakened her further; whoever made the stamina poison was a damn good alchemist or they knew their way around a potion's lab. Ralof grit his teeth as their way was blocked by a wall of rumble brought down before them by the Dragon. Ralof glanced back at Thalia before he noticed a second path leading downward; silently hoping it would get them out of Helgen before the Dragon brought down the whole damn prison on top of them.
*Mal tiid: Little time
*Drem vul lok: Peace dark sky
*Yol-Toor-Shul: Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)
*Faal gein do grah ahrk smoliin fah stin fron: The one of battle and passion for free kin