It's always surprised me where my mind went sometimes.

My eyelids felt heavy and hard to open. My head was throbbing, it was like Sheogorath were knocking on the inside of my skull. Why does my head hurt so bad? Where am I?

I didn't have my clothes or my pack.. My hands were bound and I was wearing prisoners clothes. I had so many questions -

"Hey you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right?" The blonde Nord in a blue cuirass interrupted my confusion. I looked to my right and a man in elaborate fur armor sat with his hands bound as well but he had a cloth across his mouth as well. He was obviously Nord. He had blue eyes and light blonde hair. Across from him sat a man, presumably Nord but dirty enough to pass for Breton, he was in rags like me. All of us were in a carriage, all bound, Talos help me. The Nord continued, "Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

The dirty Nord spoke next, "Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. The Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you I could have stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell." Stormcloaks? What in Nirn were Stormcloaks? The Breton turned towards me. "You there. Me and you - - we shouldn't be here. It's these Stomrcloaks the Empire wants."

The blonde Nord looked annoyed. "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."

The carriage driver urged us to shut up, but we didn't obey.

The dirty Nord look to the large Nord bound and gagged and said, "And what's his problem?"

The blonde Nord looked horrified as he snapped, "Watch your tongue! You are speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King of Skyrim."

True High King? What on Nirn had I missed in the past 15 years? It's almost as though Skyrim had thrown itself into some sort of a civil war...

Damn. My pack had my papers in it. All my documentation. Without it, I might as well not exist. I have nothing now. Coincidentally I have been brought back into Skyrim the same way I left (you know except the carriage and inevitable execution).

The two Nords held a pointless, hopeless conversation all the way to Helgen. Which is when the dirty Nord realized he was headed to Sovrngarde. He prayed to his gods, but we all knew it was in vain.

When we entered the city, where we heard a father telling his son that he wasn't allowed to watch the soldiers.

Then we stopped. End of the line. Talos, here I come.

Ulfric went first off the carriage. Then the Legionaire with the list called for "Ralof of Riverwood" and the blonde Nord in the blue cuirass jumped off. Next was "Lokir of Rorikstead" and the dirty Nord jumped off, pleaded innocence and fled for the hills, though he did not make it.

I stepped up, expecting to hear my name, but I did not. The Legionaire asked my name and said I wasn't on the list. I triumphed momentarily. But the Imperial captain said I was to be sent to the block anyway.

Damn.

A priestess was giving us our final rites when we heard a cry in the distance. Another Nord in a blue cuirass volunteered to go first, not before interrupting the priestess.

Then the Imperial Captain pointed at me, "Next, the Nord in the rags."

Another cry came from the mountains and I saw a something huge fly around the mountain, if I didn't know any better I'd say it looked like a dragon... but that just wasn't possible.

I bent down at the block and stared at the severed head that still lie in the crate. The Imperial Captain pushed me onto the block. My neck became sticky with the blood of my predecessor.

The axe was up. Something that likened to hot acid rose in my throat. Tears escaped my eyes.

At least, I'd die here in my homeland.

Then the ground trembled as though the gods had been angered. The executioner stumbled over. And a large black dragon landed on the tower in front of me.

By the gods! I was right...

The dragon shouted into the sky. Everyone was running. Ralof helped me up and got me to a tower. Ulfric stood in the doorway. Ralof and I head up the stairs and the dragon cut off the top set of stairs. I jumped through the window into a burnt house and met Hadvar (the legionaire with the list). I had two choices and though I was quite fond of Ralof, I chose to go with Hadvar. We were the only two who made it out.

"Well Sartyl, I have to say I'm glad you weren't killed." I raised an eyebrow in question to him, then I continued to search for armor. "I was at the Imperial ambush where Ulfric was captured. One of the lower rank soldiers hit you in the head accidentally. We went through your papers and saw that you were perfectly legal, but then one of the Stormcloaks swore they knew you from somewhere. General Tullius presumed you were a spy for the Stormcloaks, though Ulfric denied it. But you know how that goes."

I nodded, suddenly wishing I'd chosen to go with Ralof.

"I knew Ulfric was telling the truth, your hands were too clean and too uncalloused, your clothes were made of the finest fabrics, and you are a Nord crossing back into Skyrim from Cyrodiil. It was too farfetched to be true." Hadvar looked at me as I pulled on the boots I'd found.

"I am the adopted daughter of Sir Cortumelorius Lady Faustina Lovidicus. I was born in Morthal. Captain Bolliviir was my godfather, but he was assassinated. I left Skyrim 15 winters ago. Just as soon as I am able I am going to write to my parents and have this whole "incident" erased from records. And you best believe that General Tu-" Hadvar put his had over my mouth.

"Do you hear that," he whispered.

"Hear what," I said rather loudly.

His eyes darted to the weapons rack. "Stormcloaks," he said darkly. He grabbed a sword and a shield and offered them to me.

My eyes got real wide. I did not know how to use a sword... I had never had to. "I don't know how to use this," I whimpered.

"Well I guess you'll just have to learn."

Talos guide me.

Hadvar opened the door and several Nords all clad in blue cuirass and guard's helms charged at us. I swung the top helplessly at the soldiers. One of the soldiers cut my thigh and I cried out in pain, grabbing the attention of Hadvar, who mercilessly yanked his sword out of the skull of a Stormcloak. He charged at the soldier attacking me and killed him.

"Are you alright? How deep is the cut?" He urged me to stand up and remove my already bloody hands from the cut.

"It's not too bad, honestly," I lied. My leg burned. I ripped some cloth off of the cuirass of a soldier and tied it harshly around the wound.

"Here take this," Hadvar handed me a Minor Healing Potion. I chugged it. My body numbed and eventually the pain ceased.

"Now let me teach you a little bit about using a sword." Hadvar showed me a few tricks on how to use my sword.

I am glad that I chose Hadvar, afterall.

We went a little ways until we ran into more Stormcloaks. I let Hadvar handle them, as I was unsure how to wield my sword.

I watched as a Stormcloak crept up on Hadvar as he fought with another. The Stormcloak raised his sword and I yelled and charged in after him. I tackled him and we broke the would rail, landing in the creek. He reached for his sword and then he pulled my hair to try and move me. I unsheathed my sword and cut that part of my hair. I then, without thinking, plunged my sword into his neck.

Realizing what I'd done, I yanked it back out. The soldier made a horrific gurgling noise. I climbed off of him and pressed my hands to his neck, begging Talos to heal him. The soldier began coughing up blood and it splattered down the front of my armor. My hands were drenched with another man's blood blood. The Stormcloak let out one final jagged breath and his body went limp..

He was dead. I screamed in horror, knowing he died at my hand.

Hadvar rushed over and pulled my off of the dead man. I was sobbing unconsolably. Hadvar crouched down and came face-to-face with me and placed his hands on either side of my face and begged me to look at him, as opposed to the lifeless man splattered in blood.

I turned to face him. He brought his forehead to mine. "Calm down. You did the right thing. You saved my life."

"B-b-but he died. I k-k-killed him, Hadvar." I gave way to a river of sobs and wails as I pointed to the limp form in the creek.

"If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed me and then come for you. And gods only know, what they would've done to someone like you." I knew what he meant. Hadvar pulled me into a hug and held me until my sobs subsided. I let go of him to dry my tears.

He looked at me with concern heavy in his eyes. "It will get easier, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"You're a strong woman, I know you will find a way." I stood up and dusted off my armor, making my hands slick with the blood of a soldier. I felt nauseous. I washed my hands in the creek and looted the bodies. Some had gold and lockpicks, others had swords and shields, a few even had healing potions.

Hadvar led me through the tunnels of the Imperial fort that led into cave tunnels. In the cave we were met with Frostbite Spiders.

A little further in the cavern was a bear. Hadvar squated down and pulled me down with him, when I attempted to question him, he put a finger to mouth to quiet me.

"Shh! You see that bear over there. We can try to sneak past it or I can teach you how to use a bow and arrow and you can kill it." I supposed now that I was back in Skyrim with not a thing to my name, I would have to learn how to hunt and sneak. So I let Hadvar teach me how to use the bow.

Finally I knocked an arrow, took a deep breath and loosed an arrow. It landed right in the bear's belly. The bear awoke angrily. So I shot another arrow, this one landed right in between his eyes.

"Great shot!" Hadvar rejoiced. He gathered me into his arms and spun me around. When he sat me down he's cheeks flushed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

I was blushing a little. "It's-It's fine."

"Well let us get on, shall we?"

"Onward we shall go."

The exit of the cave wasn't far from where the bear was. We made our way down the pass to Riverwood and on our way we passed the mage stone, warrior stone, and the thief stone (or the Guide Stones).

Hadvar urged me to choose one, but I was torn. I had trained to be a mage in the Imperial City, but I needed to learn to better wield my sword. Afterall, Hadvar could only help me with so much. I chose the warrior stone. Hadvar muttered something of knowing I was soldier-material. Conversation subsided quite a bit for a while.

Then, "So, Sartyl, why did you come back to Skyrim? You appeared to have had a pampered life back in Cyrodiil."

I pondered on this for a moment... I never really thought about it. It was just something I felt I had to do. I spent years and years sleeping on the finest linens and wearing the most expensive fabrics, not the life for me.

"You know, Hadvar, I'm not quite sure. Life in Cyrodiil, especially the Imperial City, was boring. I lived in a huge manor. I slept upon the finest blankets, wore the finest clothes, ate the most decadant foods, rode the most expensive horses, and attended the best schools while getting anything I wanted. Don't tell me that doesn't sound boring."

Hadvar looked like he tried to understand. But shrugged instead. "Yes it must have been a true inconvenience to have to deal with that every day for... what? Ten? Twelve years?"

I rolled my eyes. "I know you can't fathom any of that being boring, and for the first five years, it wasn't. I loved it. But Skyrim is my home. She birthed me and my parents lay rest in her soil. It's almost like if you had a horse, and it may not have been the prettiest, most expensive, or fastest but it was your horse. You and this horse had been on many adventures, conquered many mountains, and narrowly escaped death several times. But one day you were forced to go and ride on this magnificent, expensive, fast horse and you enjoy this horse, but it doesn't climb mountains or fight enemies. Do you stay with the magnificent horse or the loyal and fearless horse?"

Hadvar was in deep thought. I noticed the large, muscular build of Hadvar. And how his brown hair flowed to just above his shoulders like a mane that framed his tanned face and calm, blue eyes. Hadvar was so obviously a Nord, despite the deception of the Sun, he was still pale.

"I get what you're trying to say now. Well welcome back, kinsman."

We closed in on some town borders and Hadvar rushed me into his uncle Alvor's house. Alvor gave me whatever I could take, as well as a lesson in smithing armor. I stuffed my pack full. Then Alvor sent me to tell the Jarl of Whiterun about the dragon at Helgen.