A/N: Welcome to the first chapter of Blood and Iron. The title is borrowed from a famous speech made by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1862 regarding the unification of Germany. He was my second favorite historical figure when I took European History (the first being Tsar Alexander III who tied a fork in a knot as an intimidation tactic at a dinner party) so I figured I'd give him a nod by using his famous phrase. That being said...this is the sequel to Ice and Fire and it picks up right where that one ended. I hope that you're reading this right now because you were a fan of my other story, and if not, then I highly recommend you read it first. And, I will be leaving early tomorrow morning for a family wedding, so it'll be a little while before I can get back to writing. With that, many thanks to my beta reader (and sister) GrowlingPeanut, and reviews are appreciated.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Bethesda Softworks and George R. R. Martin.
Rating: M for language and violence and death.
"Dragon!"
The word, and the reality of the situation, seemed surreal, but as the ground shook and the executioner was knocked to the ground, something broke through Daenerys' confusion and she scrambled to her feet. Whatever else this would mean for the future, and for Skyrim, at the moment, this dragon had saved her life, and she was not going to stand around and give it the pleasure of ending it as well.
"Come on, get up! This is our chance to escape! The gods aren't likely to provide another chance like this."
It took her a moment to realize that the words being spoken were directed at her, and when she turned, the blond Stormcloak—Ralof—was waving her in his direction. Once he was sure that she had regained her bearings, he ran off and she followed as quickly as her trembling legs would allow. He reached a tall tower that was still intact before she had caught up with him and gestured again for her to follow.
"In here! This way! Come on!"
He held the door for her and as she stumbled into the tower, she saw that they were not the only ones to have taken refuge there. On the ground was a wounded Stormcloak soldier, his hand over a steadily bleeding wound in his side as a fellow rebel tore at his own tunic for use as a makeshift bandage. Beside the door they had just entered, Ulfric Stormcloak himself was quietly standing, now free from his bonds and un-gagged, though still just as stoic.
"Jarl Ulfric," Ralof seemed a bit hesitant to voice his thoughts, but continued regardless. "Are...are the legends true?"
Stormcloak took a moment to respond, and when he did, his expression was grim. "Legends don't burn down villages."
A moment of silence passed as his statement permeated the chaos of their situation, but it was soon broken by the sound of the fight outside and both men sprang to action.
"Up through the tower." Ralof grabbed her by the arm and pushed her forward. "Hurry!"
Nodding, Daenerys moved up the stone steps of the building, watching the steady movements of her feet in order to keep her mind from unraveling. A few steps ahead, a Stormcloak soldier was waiting and he yelled down to her, shaking his head.
"This way is blocked! There are stones that need to be moved out of the way!"
He turned back to try and remove the rocks that blocked their path as Ralof and Ulfric climbed up to help him, but just as they passed Dany on the stairs, a gravelly shout in some ancient tongue that she could not recognize filled the staircase with fire, killing the soldier, knocking Ralof to the ground, and destroying the staircase before them.
As the loud flapping of leathery wings announced their relative safety, Ralof moved to his feet and turned to look at Daenerys, his face now as grim as that of the man he followed.
"Jump down there, my lady. Into the inn." She turned to see that there was indeed a partially intact building just past the hole that the dragon had blasted through the wall of the tower. "We will follow as soon as we can and meet you on the other side." He remained just long enough to add, "Talos be with you," before he and Ulfric descended the stairs and disappeared into the smoke.
For a moment, Daenerys stared down at the inn before her. The jump was far, but, since she didn't see any alternative, she took a deep breath and leapt from the keep. Upon landing, her legs gave way beneath her and she fell heavily onto the charred wooden floor, a shock of pain shooting up her body as she cried out. A protective hand fell to her stomach as she landed and, ignoring the pain, she rolled over and barely managed to stand, looking around with tear-filled eyes as she struggled to continue.
Once out of the inn, she was faced with the true chaos of the village. Half of the buildings were nothing more than flaming stacks of wood, and the ones that remained intact were charred and leaning precariously. Screams of pain and terror pierced the air, some silenced by the intermittent roars of the beast that was destroying all in its path.
Just to her right, across the street, the Imperial soldier who had read the names of the prisoners was trying to coax a young boy out of the road from where he knelt by his injured father's side.
"Boy, come here! You aren't safe there."
The little boy—Haming, some voice at the back of her mind told her—looked up and shook his head, barely managing to speak through his sobs. "My father! He's hurt!"
The Imperial sighed and gestured toward him. "Come here and I will bring your father to safety."
The man in the road raised a hand and laid it on his son's shoulder with what little strength he had. "Go, Haming. Do as he says."
Though still visibly hesitant, he obeyed his father's command, and just as he reached the soldier on the other side, a deafening roar came from the northeast, followed by a stream of fire that put the boy's father out of his misery.
The tortured yell from Haming could be heard over the dragon's retreat and the Imperial had to drag the boy away from the pile of steaming ash that had once been his father, steering him toward a Nord man who stood helplessly beside Dany, at the entrance of the inn.
"Ser, he's your boy now."
The man nodded and took Haming into his arms as the soldier turned to look at Daenerys. "You, prisoner, follow me if you want to stay alive."
Wordlessly, she obeyed, walking across the street and stepping past the man's remains with difficulty. Ignoring her discomfort, the Imperial cast her a side glance and then said, more to himself, "We have to find General Lannister and assist in the defense of this town."
They passed between what had once been the tailor's shop that Dany had visited and a ruined stone wall, and a strong arm kept her from moving forward as the Imperial drew his sword. "Stay here. I do not know what danger lies beyond this point."
As if in response to his words, a huge dark shape blocked out the sky above them and the road they had been running toward was engulfed in flame. The soldier at her side flinched back from the heat, but she remained standing. She realized with sudden surprise that she couldn't even feel it.
Adjusting their path, they ran into a dilapidated shop and jogged through it, eyes on the sky, searching for any sign of the creature who sought to end their lives. Just past the doorway, they entered an open field, where a group of Imperial archers and mages were attacking the dragon on the command of General Lannister. In response, the beast was perched above them at the top of the tower that Dany had fled from, sending bursts of flame down upon the men below.
Her escort stepped toward his commanding officer, but Lannister waved him back, shaking his head. "Hadvar, into the keep." Turning to his other soldiers, he yelled the rather unnecessary command to retreat and they broke formation to flee from the rising flames.
Dany followed Hadvar as he rushed toward the keep, but at the door, they were met by Ralof, who drew his sword at the sight of the Imperial soldier. Hadvar did likewise, and the two men eyed each other warily for a moment before realizing that there were more important things at stake than the outcome of Skyrim's civil war. Each ran off in a different direction, and Dany remained unmoving, unsure as to which "follow me!" she should obey.
Her brother's betrayal and her near death at the hands of the Imperial Legion too recent to be forgotten, she followed Ralof, running through the doorway of the keep and into a large circular room where they were greeted by the mangled body of a Stormcloak soldier. Beside the corpse was a heavy oak chest and Ralof opened it to reveal the belongings that had been taken from them at the time of their capture. The soldier muttered a prayer of thanks as he fastened on his armor and Dany silently gathered her things.
Turning back to the fallen soldier, Ralof swore under his breath and then muttered a prayer to Talos over the body of his friend before turning his gaze to Daenerys. "Take his armor, my lady. It will provide protection that you will likely need in the coming fight."
Nodding, she fell to her knees beside the fallen soldier and tugged at the straps of his armor until it was free from his body. Ralof pulled fruitlessly at the handle of the door to their left as she struggled into the over-sized armor before declaring it locked and moving to the next. With trembling hands, Dany pulled the thick bear pelt cloak Drogo had given her over the bulky, blood-spattered cuirass.
"Gods damn it!" Ralof yelled in frustration, pounding a fist against their only other hope of escape. "Barred from the other side." He moved back, presumably in order to slam on the door with the full force of his weight, but before he could try, it opened and they were greeted by two Imperial soldiers, one of whom was wearing a captain's armor, though it wasn't the same man who had presided over the executions.
Through the blurry haze that covered her eyes, Dany watched Ralof's sword as it slipped expertly between the plates of steel armor and came back covered in blood that dripped wetly onto the already bloodstained ground. The other soldier was killed before his captain's body even hit the earth.
"Take this." He tossed her a key from the corpse of the Imperial captain as he searched the other body and she moved silently to the door, opening it and following her companion through once he was done looting his fallen foes.
The rest of their journey passed by in a blur, a flurry of swords, of steel; of fire; of blood; of death. Countless Imperials fell before them as they ran through the keep, seeking refuge in a cavern that lent them relative safety until they once again reached the surface.
Ralof was at her side for but a brief moment before his sword was drawn again and he turned to her, his eyes filled with determination and steely resolve. "I cannot leave this city without Lord Stormcloak, but you, run for safety. Riverwood is but an hour's ride from here—go to the mill and tell Gerdur that Ralof sent you."
As the sound of his footsteps faded into the distance, Dany turned her gaze to the sky where a dark shape, terrifying in all its destructive glory, flapped its wings and flew into the distance, ready to bring death upon all of Nirn.
Still in pain from her fall at the inn, but finally clear-headed enough beneath the bright light of the sun, Dany limped away toward Riverwood, a town that seemed but a memory. So much had happened since she had been there last.
At the thought of the caravan, she remembered her husband, miles away when she needed him most, their child, now destined to be born into a dying world, and her brother, willing to betray her for the crown he had always desired. Her eyes grew wet with tears, but she forced herself onward, determined to find the strength in herself that Viserys had never had.
He was not a true Targaryen; I am. I am the blood of the dragon.