AN: More or less of a filler chapter here, giving ya'll a little backstory on Lucia. Sorry, it's a day late(ish). Glad ya'll seemed to like the way I did Naruto's early life. After this chapter, we will start to focus more on him and Lucia. Enjoy!

Beta: V3X

(17th of Hearthfire 193 4E)

The smell of fresh snowberry pie wafted through the air as a little girl in a green dress and brown hair stared wide-eyed at the tasty treat. In front of her was a small table full of food, deer stew with little bits of cheese mixed in, baked potato wedges topped with grilled leeks and buttered cream, and lastly, that snowberry pie.

Her mouth watered as she looked at the meal before her. Looking up, she smiled at her mother as she poured hot water into the teapot.

This was her life… "Young one?" she heard her mother say.

"Mama?"

Reaching out and shaking her shoulder, "Are you alright, young one?" slowly, the world before her shifted, the warmth from the fireplace replaced with the burning cold wind of the alleyway, the smells of the food little more than smells coming from the chimneys around her. The table she had been sitting at was a snow and ice-covered crate she had used to escape the wind.

Her face was red from the cold, and the snot from her once-running nose frozen to her upper lip. Blurry eyes looked up at a hooded man before her. "Come on, let's get you somewhere warm." the man said, bending down and picking the little girl up.

Snaking his way through the streets, Lucia watched the world around her in a blur as people passed them; barely anyone acknowledged them. Slowly she closed her eyes.

She felt warm even in the biting cold. Dazed from hunger and cold, she nuzzled closer, finding the crook of the man's neck especially warm. "Hey, don't go to sleep now." she heard the man say. "Almost there."

"Huh…" she mumbled as her eyes fluttered open, the creaking of a sign above her, but she couldn't read it.

She recoiled slightly as the door opened. The hot air inside almost burned her as she was carried through the door. She squirmed, trying to get out of the arms of the man that held her, as the burning feeling seeped into her. "It's okay…" she heard.

She calmed down slightly as the man opened another door. The room was warm and cozy. In the corner was a bed, its bear skin blanket clashing with the more refined tastes of the room.

She stared at the wooden roof as she was placed in the bed and the heavy blanket pulled over her. Her blurry vision tracked the man as he walked over to the fireplace and tossed a few more logs onto the flames, sending sparks into the air. Slowly taking a washcloth and wetting it in a pot over the fire, he wrung it and walked back to her. "Get warmed up." the man told her, placing the folded warm cloth over her throat.

Flipping his hood down, a gray, almost silver-haired man smiled slightly. His blue eyes stared down at her as her heavy eyelids slowly fell. "Sleep well, young one. For you will need your rest," he mumbled before exiting the room.

Closing her eyes, she faded into sweet blissful sleep.

The Last Septim

A cough echoed throughout the house as she poured water into the teapot. Her nose wrinkled a the smell of the horrible tea, but it was all they could afford as medicine. The tea helped with cough and fever, but she didn't know if it would be enough to help her mother.

Picking up the pot of tea, she walked out of the kitchen and down the stairs into the bedrooms. "Mama, I got your tea," she said, walking through the door.

Another coughing fit racked her mother as she poured the tea into a cup for her. "Thank you…" her mother said weakly as she tried to lift her body out of bed.

Slowly the woman was able to sit up with help. She took a small sip of tea, the hot liquid soothing her sore throat. "Your uncle will be here soon from the Imperial City…" the woman said.

"I thought he couldn't leave his post in the Waterfront?" she asked, pulling up a chair and sitting beside the bed.

Taking another sip of tea, the sickly woman sat her cup down. "Lucia…" she started before the coughing took her once more. "I…won't be here much longer."

Confusion danced across Lucia's face as she stared at her mother. "What are you talking about? You can't go on a trip as sick as you are."

A sad smile graced her mother's lips as she laid back down. "Lucia, promise me…" her mother started. "Promise me you'll listen to your uncle, that you'll work hard and be happy after I'm gone."

"You're not going anywhere mama!" Lucia exclaimed, standing up. "I'll go an pour you some stew for you. Just rest now."

Lucia snuck one more glance at her mother before climbing back up the stairs. The bags under her eyes had gotten darker, and her skin had a pastiness that it had never had before. The sounds of a door closing pulled her attention away from her mother to the stairs above.

The world around her seemed to shake as the smell of fresh stew filled her nose. "Young one? Wake up, please. I got you some hot food." a voice said above her.

The Last Septim

Brown eyes squinted as they adjusted to the bright light filtering through the window. "Good, you're awake. I was worried you wouldn't wake up." a voice said as her eyes panned over to the man sitting at a small table in the corner.

Panic quickly set in as she found herself in an unfamiliar place. Throwing the covers off, she pressed her back against the wooden wall. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for some escape.

Who was this man, and what did he want with her? Her mother had always told her to be wary of strangers, "Calm yourself, young one. I won't hurt you…" the man said in a calming tone holding his hand up.

Slowly the panic within her faded. The man before her was old, way older than her mother. His tone was like that of a father. Something about it made her feel safe. "Where am I?" she asked, looking around the room.

"Jerall View Inn in the upper district." the man said, taking a sip of something. "Come, come, eat. You must be starving," he said, motioning to the bowls of stew and loaves of bread on the table.

Slowly she forced the warm blankets off her. A chill was sent up her spine as her bare feet touched the wooden floor. "Who are you?" she asked as she slowly approached the table.

"Me, I'm a traveling merchant. Names Wulfgar."

"Woof-gar…" Lucia mumbled, testing out the name of the man.

"WULF-Gar. WULF not woof like a dog." Wulfgar said before making an odd face and sticking his tongue out, "See, I no dog!" A smile and a slight chuckle escaped her mouth as she watched the bizarre man make faces. Slowly leaning back in his chair with a smile, Wulfgar motioned to the food before her. "Eat."

Picking up the spoon, Lucia slowly dipped it into the bowl of stew. "Hot!" she mumbled, opening his mouth and blowing out, trying to cool it off.

Blowing on his own stew, Wulfgar chuckled, "Kind of the point, isn't it? Stew is supposed to be hot. It helps warm the body after being out in the cold all day." he told her before taking a bite of his stew. Breaking a piece of bread off, he dipped it in the thick broth. "Tell me, young one, what's your name?"

Lucia stopped eating and stared down at the bowl in front of her. "Lucia. Lucia Pullo…" she mumbled in reply.

"Lucia, eh?" Wulfgar mumbled, slowly eating the bread. "How old are you Lucia? Can't be older than what, seven?"

"Six, almost seven…" the little girl mumbled. Something about the man made her trust him and want to open up to him.

"Six. Tch." Wulfgar mumbled, getting a dark look in his eye, "What were you doing out in the cold like that?" he asked. Lucia's lip quivered, and she placed the spoon back into the bowl. A lot had happened, and none of it she wanted to relive. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something painful. Go ahead and finish. We can talk more later."

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence as Lucia tried to keep her emotions in check. Before her was a man she didn't know, a man that saved her for unknown reasons, fed her, and made her laugh.

She had to be strong. Her mother was strong, so she would be too, but the pain was still fresh in her mind.

Once the meal was finished, Wulfgar picked up the bowls and now empty basket. "I'll be back soon. Going to take these back to the front," he said, walking out the door.

Lucia was left to her thoughts and walked over to the fireplace. The enormous warm blanket loosely wrapped around her shoulders dragged across the ground. She sat down on the rug in front of the hearth and wrapped the blanket tightly around her. The flames soothed her mind as they danced on the logs of spruce. The only question on her mind was where did she go from here.

(18th of Hearthfire 193 4E)

Lucia awoke to the sounds of wood popping as a shadow hovered over her. Slowly blinking her eyes to clear her vision, she stared at Wulfgar. He was sitting in a chair, fire poker in hand, as he stirred the embers of the fire.

Slowly sitting up, she yawned and stretched her arms as the blanket fell off her, "Ah, good, you're awake."

"Wulfgar?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Who else? Did you think Sherogorath would come rolling in here on wheels of cheese?" Wulfgar responded with a joking tone. Lucia tilted her head slightly, not understanding who it was Wulfgar was talking about. Coughing slightly, Wulfgar continued, "When I came back last night, you had fallen asleep on the floor. The blanket had fallen off you, so I covered you up."

"Thank you…" Lucia said as she stood up. "Why are you doing all this for me?" while young, she was far from ignorant of the ways of the world. Most didn't care about a girl on the streets and those that did tended to have less than pure intentions.

Pulling up a chair, Wulfgar rested his hands on the firepoker. "I had a child about your age a long time ago. You could say they were the ones who softened this old heart of mine," he replied, blue eyes firmly locked on the fire as it hungrily engulfed the new tinder.

"Sorry to hear that." she mumbled in apology.

"It's fine. It was a long, long time ago now," he said with a melancholy tone before turning to face her. "So what are you going to do now?"

Lucia looked down. She had been asking the same question over and over in her head before she had fallen asleep last night. "I don't know."

"Hmm." Wulfgar hummed in thought, rapping his fingers on the iron rod in his hand. "Well, how bout this, you can travel with me. I have to head up north for something. Money doesn't make itself after all."

Bruma was all Lucia knew. The furthest she had been away from the town was the stables, where she would work some days to help her mother keep food on the table. It wasn't much, three septims a week to tend to the horses, but it was something. "I don't have the money to pay you…"

"Well, that can be figured out later." Wulfgar told her before snapping his fingers, "How bout this, you pay your way by working. Gods know this old back of mine ain't as spry as it used to be."

Her mind ran wild while she thought about Wulfgar's offer. Her mother was dead. The warm, loving home she once had was now cold and in the hands of a man who cared nothing for her. The people she knew in the city were just as poor as her mother was, meaning none of them could spare any food or even a place to stay.

'I have nothing left…' she thought while a stray tear trailed down her cheek.

"Are you okay little one?" Wulfgar asked.

Wiping her face, Lucia shook her head. "I'll go…" she mumbled.

Wulfgar leaned closer and cupped his hand around his ear, "What did you say? I didn't quite hear you."

"I'll go!" Lucia all but yelled, "I'll go with you. There's nothing here for me! Nothing left in Bruma for me! I promise I'll work hard and earn my way."

Wulfgar nodded, "I'll teach you whatever I can so that one day you can strike out on your own and make a name for yourself." he told her, leaning forward and placing the firepoker on the rack.

"Thank you…" Lucia mumbled.

"I wouldn't be thanking me yet. We have a long road ahead of us." Wulfgar replied as he stood up. "Come on, let us get some breakfast and hit the road. We're burning daylight just sitting here!" he said, motioning her to follow him.

Lucia nodded and followed the man out of the room, silently thanking the gods for her good luck.

Arriving at the front, Lucia looked around the room. It was quiet, nearly everyone minding their own as they ate breakfast. "Here's the key to room three, and can we get some food for the road." Wulfgar said, setting the brass key on the counter.

"Of course." the innkeeper said, hanging the key on the rack and walking into the kitchen as Wulfgar put four septims on the counter for their food.

"Well, find a table," he told Lucia as he leaned against the counter.

Running across the room to find a table, she accidentally bumped into one of the chairs, making the table rock. "I'm sorry," she said, bowing slightly to the nord, who was sitting there in fine clothing.

"It's fine." the man mumbled in response. His eyes looked far off as he silently picked up his fork and continued eating.

'Odd…' she thought as she looked at the nord. She had expected to be scolded by the man.

"Find that table yet?" Wulfgar asked as he walked beside her, startling her and pulling her mind away from the odd man. "I think this one will do nicely," he said, motioning to the empty table beside her.

The pair sat and waited for the food. It took only a short time till the innkeeper came out with two bowls of eggs with some bacon on top placed before them. "Thank you for waiting." the woman said before walking away.

"Looks good!" Wulfgar exclaimed, picking up his fork. "Dig in before it gets cold."

She picked up her fork and quickly dug into the meal before her. The eggs were topped with leeks, and the bacon was lightly salted and tasted sweet from what she was guessing was honey. A treat she had only had one other time in her life.

Finishing their meals, the pair exited the inn. She shivered slightly in the cold morning air, "When we get to my wagon, I have a spare cloak for you, which should help with the cold." Wulfgar said, seeing her shiver.

"I'll be fine. You've already done so much for me as is." Lucia replied, following the man through the streets. In the distance, she could barely see the house she had called home, smoke pouring from its chimney.

"Nonsense, we can't have my new help catching a cold, can we?" Wulfgar replied as they exited the gate of Bruma. Walking up to a covered wagon, the man brushed the night's snow off the canvas cover before opening it. "Now, where did I put that cloak…Ah, here it is!" he said, pulling the fabric out and tossing it down to her.

Lucia caught the cloak; it had seen better days but was better than nothing and, certainly, more than she had now. Slowly feeding the button through the hole, she looked up at Wulfgar. "Little big, no, it's really big on you, but eh beggars can't be choosers," he said before climbing down. "Give me a hand with the cover."

Running over to the other side of the wagon, she quickly helped roll the canvas back over the crates. "Well, off we go!" Wulfgar said, climbing into the seat and picking up the horses' reins. "You coming, or you going to walk all the way to Skyrim?" he said with a smirk holding out his hand to help her up.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the smoke from the hundreds of homes slowly rising into the air. Burma, a city she had known all her life, a city her parents called home, 'But they're dead now, and no one will save you from Him.' a voice in the back of her mind reminded her.

Taking the hand, she pulled herself up into the seat beside Wulfgar. "Ha!" he yelled, slapping the reins down with a loud snap.

Her head lurched as the horses started moving. Looking back at the gates, she watched as they got smaller and smaller. 'I promise to make you proud, Mama.' she thought as they faded into the distance.

The Last Septim

Lucia winced as she looked down at the small cut on her finger, a pinprick of blood starting to bubble up from the scratch. Sticking the cut finger in her mouth, she placed the knife down and picked up the bowl of peeled apples.

Walking through the cold house, she slowly descended the stairs where her mother rested. The only warm room was hers since she didn't have the strength to cut wood and feed the rest of the fires that kept the house warm, so she had been using the wood to keep her mother's room warm.

Opening the door, she looked at her mother, breathing barely audible as sweat poured down her face. "Mama, I brought you some food," she said, closing the door behind her.

The woman's eyes cracked open slightly, scanning the room before landing on her daughter. "Thank...you…." she mumbled weakly. "Eat it…"

"But you need it more than me, mama. I already ate some of the bread we bought last week." Lucia said, holding out a piece of the apple for her mother to eat. The woman just turned her head as if refusing the food. "Please…" Lucia begged.

"Eat the food…" her mother told her. "You'll need it…more than me…"

Confused, Lucia placed the piece of apple back in the bowl, "What are you talking about? You need it more. You didn't eat anything last night either." she had heated the last of the stew during the night for her mother to eat, the bowl still sat on the table beside her bed.

Closing her eyes, Lucia watched as her mother faded into sleep, "Please, mama, eat something…" she mumbled as tears streaked down her face.

Slowly sobs filled the room as Lucia cried. "Mama…" she mumbled, reaching out to touch the woman. "Please...I can't…" slowly, she shook her, the woman refusing to wake.

"Lucia." she heard someone say. "Lucia!"

(9th of Sun's Dusk 193 4E)

"Lucia Pullo!" she heard the voice say again. Opening her watery eyes, she looked around as tears nearly froze on her face. "Ah, good, you're awake. You were crying out in your sleep."

"Huh?" she mumbled, wiping the half-frozen water from her face. "Wulfgar?"

"I'm here…" the old imperial mumbled out, as the sounds of horses' hooves clopped on the ice-covered stone road. "You okay, young one?"

Pulling the cloak closer to her, she nodded her head slowly. She had been dreaming of her mother again. "I miss her…" she mumbled, fighting to keep back the tears.

Nodding his head, Wulfgar looked back to the road, "I miss my family too." he replied.

They had been on the road for close to two months. The biting cold of the Jerall Mountains had surrounded them each day on the road, and today was no exception. The cold had almost become a welcomed adversary to her at this point. Something that reminded her she was still alive.

"We'll be hitting the border today. There's a small fort town there named Frostfurrow Fort. The last town on the Silver Road in Cyrodill and the first on the Falk Road into Skyrim." Wulfgar said, pulling a piece of jerky out of a bag. "Going to be nice staying somewhere warm again. Been what, two weeks since the last inn?"

"I think," Lucia mumbled. They had been using the horses for warmth each night after their fires went out. Their thick fur and heavy canvas cover kept the tent warm enough for one to sleep, but the cold always found a way to seep in, making rest hard.

Looking back at the snow-covered road, she remembered the past two weeks and the trouble they had navigating through the mountains. The roads through the Jerall Mountains were treacherous and winding. Hundreds of interwoven small trails, barely big enough for a wagon to traverse, made by travelers trying to pass through the mountains.

The wind whipped through the passes, meaning one day, a road could be passed through, but the next, it could be blocked by a snow drift so deep it could swallow the wagon whole. Those drifts had forced them to backtrack countless times, trying to find a way around the blocked road.

"Jerky?" Wulfgar asked, holding out a strip of the meat between gloved fingers.

Taking the meat, she struggled to bite off a piece, its toughness enhanced by the cold. Slowly she was able to eat the strip of beef.

The faint smell of wood smoke hung in the air as the ice-covered fort city of Frostfurrow came into view. The stone walls glistened in the sunlight as they approached the open gates. The imperial legion soldiers there looked more like walking bears than men as they stood covered in furs dusted with white snow.

Lucia watched as Wulfgar fished around in his satchel for something before pulling out a small copper piece of metal. It was stamped with the Imperial Seal and had a date etched into it, a Merchants Pass.

Each pass was slightly different. It was a simple and small forged copper ingot imbued with magic that only the mages of the Imperial Treasury knew. The pass would allow someone to enter almost any city within the empire without too much trouble.

Wulfgar held up a copper merchant pass, getting a motion from the guard to enter. Either the man was too cold to talk or didn't care enough to inspect the pass further.

Lucia looked around in awe at the small town. It was nowhere near as big as Bruma, but it was new to her. The people here only spent a little time outside as they darted from door to door, covered in whatever wool or fur cloaks they had.

"Woah! Tit, tit!" Wulfgar yelled and clicked his tongue as he pulled back on the reins. Groaning as he stepped off the wagon, he tied the long rope to a post. "I'll head in and get a room. There should be a crate of cured beef in the back. When you find it, come get me."

Nodding her head, Lucia climbed down and walked around the wagon. Undoing the ropes that held the canvas cover, she struggled against the wind to keep the cords steady. Getting the blowing canvas under control, she tied it off and climbed into the back, 'Beef, beef, beef...Ah! Here it is.' she thought, going through the crates of goods in the back, silently thankful for her mother's foresight and teaching her to read.

Grabbing the rope handle, she grunted as she pulled the heavy wooden crate toward the end of the wagon. Climbing off the back, she heard the crunching of snow behind her. "Did you just get into town?" she heard a gruff voice ask.

Looking over her shoulder, she was greeted by the sight of three Imperial Legion soldiers. Their fur cloaks coated in a light coating of snow. "Did you pay the entry tax?" the one closest to her asked.

"Entry tax?" Lucia asked cocking her head slightly to the side.

"Yeah, the tax to enter the fort. You're no longer in Cryodiil. You're in Skyrim, and there's a fee to crossing the border." the man replied with a dark smile as his hand rested on the sword on his hip. "Since you didn't know what that was, that means you didn't pay it. And since you didn't pay it, we have the right to search your cargo for anything we deem of equal value to the tax."

Waving his hand, the two soldiers behind him stalked forward. "Eh! Look here. This one says beef on it!"

"Hey, hands off that ain't yours!" Lucia yelled, grabbing the man's arm as he reached for the crate of food.

Biting pain filled her face as the soldier backhanded her. "You little shit, did I say you could talk back!" the soldier roared as she fought back the tears. "You know what! For trying to stop a soldier from doing his duty and collecting the tax ordered by the Emperor, I hereby find you in violation of the law!"

"On what grounds?" an angry voice bellowed over the street. "The tax you speak of is a farse! And the girl has done nothing to warrant being arrested!" looking up, Lucia watched as Wulfgar stalked down the stairs. "The only thing I see is three pigs trying to steal my wares!"

"Watch yourself, old man…" the leader of the three ground out, "Or you an your slave here will be introduced to the blade of my sword."

"That 'slave,' as you call her, is a free girl," Wulfgar told them as he walked beside Lucia, holding out his hand to help her up. The leader drew his sword as if to threaten then, "As if you would try. I got my pound of flesh time and time again in the war, can you say the same welp…" anger flashed across his blue eyes, eyes Lucia had never seen like that in the two months she had traveled with him.

"Lucia, get behind me," he mumbled while nudging her slightly behind him. Slowly the three formed a half circle around her and Wulfgar. The man's eyes were calm as swords were drawn and leveled against them.

In a flash of motion, the one on his right struck out. Lucia watched as the man smoothly dodged the strike before grabbing a wooden bucket from the ground. The sound of wood meeting metal echoed as Wulfgar swung the bucket around and hit the soldier in the head, sending him sprawling.

"You'll pay for that!" the one on his left roared.

Tossing the bucket at the man's face making him flinch, Wulfgar grabbed the arm holding the sword and batted it out of his hand. Pulling the arm, he slammed the man into the side of his wagon with a roar making the horses cry out in fright. An amulet rattled to the ground as the man fell unconscious.

Popping his knuckles, Wulfgar glared at the last remaining soldier. "Well…" he said, motioning for the man to come at him.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF DAGON IS GOING ON HERE!" a voice yelled as an imperial soldier on horseback road up.

"S-Sir!" the imperial soldier yelled with a salute. "We were going to inspect the wagon's cargo and were attacked by this man! Legate Gillus, sir!"

"And my father was the Gray Fox." the Legate spat back, "The only thing you lot were doing was trying to steal from the man!"

"W-We were not, I-I swear!" the soldier managed to stammer out as he squirmed under the gaze of the fort commander.

"Enough! You will surrender your blade to me now!" the man ordered, holding his hand out, as the soldier walked forward and placed the hilt of his sword in the man's palm.

Lucia watched as the Legate slowly nudged his horse forward as the soldiers were pulled away. "I'm sorry for the way my men treated you, sir. Rest assured. They will be dealt with accordingly."

Bowing slightly to the man Wulfgar looked up at the man. "Thank you, Legate Gillus," he responded, getting a nod from the man as he guided his horse away.

Lucia watched the man go, letting go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Well, that was fun," Wulfgar said before bending over and picking up the fallen amulet. She quickly recognized it as an amulet of Akatosh. "You failed…" he mumbled as he inspected the amulet.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fail you!" Lucia said, bowing to the man.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean you!" Wulfgar said, tossing the charm into the air as if it were garbage to him. "I was talking about the…" he stopped speaking for a second as if trying to figure out what to say. "The would-be thieves! No, no, you did your job perfectly, and for that, you get whatever meal you want!" he told her, patting her head.

Walking over, the man grunted as he picked up the crate, "Come on, the food ain't going to eat itself, will it?" he asked with a grin. "Hope your hungry food here in Skyrim tends to be larger in size!"

Sneaking one last look at the amulet as snow began to cover it, Lucia turned away with a frown. 'I thought the gods were supposed to protect us from people like that?' she thought, climbing the stairs to the inn.

(8th of Sun's Dawn 194 4E)

The wagon rocked as it snaked its way out of the small town of Riverwood. It seemed as if the walls of Bruma were but a far-off memory as she leaned against the hard wooden seat. She had learned so much in the past five months, how to pack away crates, fix a busted wagon wheel, and how to drive said wagon. The wagon had become home in almost every sense of the word.

"Well, that was a profitable exchange," Wulfgar said as she held onto the horses' reins. Looking over, she watched as the man counted the small bag of gold they had managed to get from the people of the town. "Guess tools are in demand just about anywhere. I didn't expect them to buy all my nails and furs, though."

"Well, it is winter," Lucia commented as she looked around at the snow-covered ground. It was not as cold as the Jerall Mountains here, mainly because the wind was calmer, but it was still cold enough to see her breath.

"That it is. You know your seasons well." Wulfgar said slightly sarcastically as he pocketed the small purse of coins. "Next stop is Whiterun, then from there, who knows."

"Whiterun? What's it like there?" Lucia asked as she gently tugged on the reins.

"Well…" Wulfgar mumbled as he stroked his chin, "It's Skyrim's second largest trade hub. The largest is Solitude, and the next is the port city of Windhelm."

Lucia looked at the man with a blank stare. "That tells me nothing other than how much coin you could make there…" she said, getting a chuckle from the man.

"Indeed it doesn't!" he said, leaning back in the seat. "It is a busy city, just a bit smaller than Bruma. Last I was there, it had about three, maybe four hundred people that called it home." Wulfgar explained as he motioned for the reins. With a small huff, Lucia handed them over. "Lots of people travel to Whiterun from all the holds. Not just merchants but hunters, fishers, farmers, and those seeking work. Really if anything, it's like the Imperial City of the north, one big melting pot of people from all walks of life."

"Sounds like an interesting place. Wonder if my papa ever got sent there." Lucia said, recalling the times her mother told her stories about her father. Legate Aventious Pullo, a Spellsword known during the great war as 'The Flaming Hammer.' Out of all the ways one could die, being hung as a Talos worshiper was the last way someone well-known to the Legion would have expected to die.

"Doubt it. The holds of Skyrim rely very little on the Imperial Legion for anything. Sure, there's forts scattered about that check the roads and patrol the wilds, but soldiers of the Jarl handle most everything."

"Jarl?" Lucia asked, not knowing what a Jarl was.

"Ah, I forget you only know Bruma." Wulfgar replied, "You know Count Vantus Carvain, right?" he asked, getting a nod from her. "Each Jarl is like a count or countess in their respective holds. There they hold power and answer to no one but the High King of Skyrim. The high king, in turn, answers only to the Emperor."

"So these jarls are nobles in a way?" Lucia asked, getting a nod from Wulfgar, "And the high king is the leader of the nobles?"

"Yes and no, it would take too long to explain, but anyone could 'technically' become High King or Queen of Skyrim." Wulfgar told her.

"How does that happen? I thought you had to be of royal blood to be a noble?"

With a chuckle, he reached over and ruffled her hair. "My someone is talkative today!" Wulfgar exclaimed, "Tell ya what, you ask, I'll answer."

The pair chatted away well into the day, with Lucia asking questions about the land around her and Wulfgar answering to the best of his knowledge. By night she had asked so many questions her throat had become slightly raw from all the talking. After eating a light dinner, the pair turned in for the night.

Lucia watched as the aurora danced in the night sky above her. Gently lulling her to sleep in its multitude of colors.

The Last Septim

Lucia sobbed as she rested her head against the wooden headstone of her mother's shallow grave. She had died in her sleep the night before, finally released from the clutches of her sickness and the pain that came with it.

Bruma was a harsh town for one to live in, her mother had told her this hundreds of times, but it was only now did she realize how harsh it was. Her uncle, a foot soldier in the Legion, had arrived this morning just in time to see his sister-in-law one last time as she lay in the coffin.

Unlike her mother's, her uncle's eyes were cold and uncaring. There was darkness in them that she had never seen before. "Tch, damn brat," he mumbled as he roughly hoisted her by her arm. "Grow the fuck up, she's dead, and there ain't a fucking thing you can do about it."

As he spoke, she could smell the smell of ale on his breath, a harsh reminder that the man holding her wasn't her mother and a far cry from the legend of a man her father was. "Would have been better off joining her in the grave if you were going to cry this much." her uncle said, making her sob even more.

The sound of flesh meeting flesh rung out across the graveyard as she was sent flying towards the ground. "Enough of your fucking sobbing!" he yelled as she reached up and touched the red stinging skin.

"Mama…" Lucia mumbled as she stared at the grave.

Hearing enough, the man pulled his sword out from its scabbard. "If I hear one more word about the harlot, I'll let you meet her in the afterlife!" he pressed the tip slightly into her chest, making her back away. "If you were dead, I wouldn't have to give the house back to you when you're older…."

With each move she made backward, the man took one step forward, "Please, stop! Mama! MA-" she called out.

"FUCKING DIE!" her uncle roared, raising the sword high.

"STOP!" Lucia yelled as she closed her eyes, waiting for the strike that never came. Slowly opening them, her eyes widened as tendrils of pure darkness pinned her uncle in place. She didn't understand what had happened or where these tendrils came from, but there was something she did know.

She needed to run.

Snow crunched beneath her feet as she sprinted off into Bruma's snow and smoke-covered streets. Her uncle yelled for her to stop, but she wouldn't, her mother's voice screaming in her head to run, to survive.

(12th of Sun's Dawn 194 4E)

Lucia awoke with a shiver as the wind picked up, blowing a light breeze across her neck.

She would have preferred to be in the walls of Whiterun last night. Instead, she was waking up before the sun rose in the cold with the stench of horses filling her nose.

Wulfgar was adamant about not going into town last night—something she found odd for the man who had almost become her adoptive grandfather.

So the entire night, she had to watch longingly as the torches and fire brazers of Whiterun twinkled like stars on the horizon. If they had just pushed a little longer, they could have spent the night at whatever inn the town had, but no, Wulfgar wanted to be a miser with his coin purse.

'The man makes no sense…' she thought as they guided the wagon up the small hill through the first set of gates that protected the City of Whiterun. 'One second, he's blowing money on 'fine' drinks. The next, he's too cheap to pay the stable hand for simply feeding the horse.

Holding his merchant pass to the guard, she watched as they waved him in. 'Another town, another Septim to be made.' she thought, stretching her back.

"Lucia," Wulfgar said, the tone in his voice was different. It was a tone she had never heard in the months they had traveled together. "When we get inside, we will be going our separate ways."

"What are you talking about Wulfgar?"

"My name isn't Wulfgar…" Looking over, her eyes met the blue eyes of the man that had taken her in. Eyes that were normally warm like a kind grandfather were now hard icy orbs. "You won't remember this, but I am truly sorry. Thank you for humoring this old man all these months."

With a wave of his hand, the world around her faded to black.

The Last Septim

The wind had picked up sometime during her sleep. 'So...cold…' Lucia thought as she pulled her knees closer to her chest and leaned her head against the hard wooden crate, thankful for the sun's early morning warmth. She had spent the night between the boxes behind the blacksmith's shop, the forge providing enough heat for her not to freeze.

She picked up a small basket filled with flowers she had picked last night. Brown eyes filled with determination as she stood up and grabbed the basket.

Her hand reached up and touched the spot where a small locket should have been. Slowly, like ice being thawed, she remembered the past few months. 'Sorry, mama, I had to sell your locket to get here.' she thought as tears began to well up.

She had run away from her uncle at her mother's grave when he tried to kill her, found a traveling merchant, and paid him to get her as far away from Bruma as her mother's locket would get her.

Five months later, she was in Skyrim.

She was deep in thought about how to make enough money for food as she walked towards the market. Her eyes were firmly planted on the ground as she walked, not seeing the hooded man walking towards her.

It felt like she had walked into a wall when the two collided, "Are you alright?" the man asked, holding out a hand to help her up.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," she replied, taking the hand.

"It's quite alright. I was lost in thought as well," he replied. "Be well, young one," he said with a slight wave as he faded into the crowd of people at the market.

Finding a spot where she could be seen and heard, she sat her basket down. "Flowers for sale!" she yelled out over the crowd. "Flowers for sale!"

She sighed. No one wanted flowers for a Septim. A Septim could buy a loaf of bread or a small bowl of stew. Why would someone want to buy a single flower for that price? "Fresh cuts straight from the wilds!" she heard the Dunmer hunter yell as she closed her eyes.

"I'll take one." she heard someone say in reply to the hunter. "Hello? You okay?"

"Huh?" she mumbled as she opened her eyes and looked up at the boy before her.

"I said I'll take a flower." the blond-haired boy replied as he fished around in his pocket before pulling out a single golden coin. "Here."

Lucia shakily reached out and took the coin. "Um…" It took her a second to realize it wasn't a dream, and the boy was indeed buying a flower from her. Sitting the coin to the side, she reached into the basket and pulled out a single flower. "Thank you!" she all but yelled as the boy reached out for the flower.

Just as the boy was about to take it, the wind kicked up, and she felt the flower slip from her fingers, "NO!" she yelled as she reached out for the flying flower in vain. "Sorry…I…" Lucia tried to tell him she was sorry but couldn't find the words.

Reaching back into the basket, she pulled another and held it out to the boy, her face hidden to keep him from seeing the tears. The wet stem of the flower was replaced with something cold and metal feeling. "Here, one for the flower and one for the one I lost."

She stared at the boy. How could someone just a bit older than her be so kind to someone like her? It didn't make sense, she was now an orphan, a gutter rat, and this boy was trying to help her. "What's your name?" the boy asked, startling her slightly.

"L-Lucia…" she managed to stammer out as she clutched the coin.

"Nice to meet you, Lucia. I'm Naruto," he replied. The voice of someone yelling caught his attention, making him turn his head. "Over here, Ma!"

Now able to see his face from a different angle, she could see something resembling whiskers on his face.

"Naruto, how many times do I have to tell you, don't go off somewhere without telling me." a woman scolded him as she walked up. "Who's this?"

"She said her name was Lucia. I haven't seen her around here before," Naruto told the older woman, who she was starting to guess was the boy's mother. "I bought two flowers from her. Here," he said as he handed her the flower.

Looking down at the blue flower, she smiled slightly. "Thank you, pup," she said before looking at the girl. Lucia squirmed slightly under the gaze of the older woman. "Lucia, right?" she asked, getting a timid nod from the girl. "It's going to be a cold one tonight. Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Lucia's eyes looked down at the ground. "I was hoping to sell enough flowers so that I could sleep by the fire tonight at the inn, but the only two coins I got were from Naruto." she replied.

"I'll tell you what, come on up to Jorrvaskr tonight. We don't have a free bed, but we should have a bedroll somewhere." Lucia's eyes widened when she heard what the woman said. She repeated the words repeatedly in her head to ensure she wasn't hearing something wrong.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden."

"Yes, I'm sure. Can't have a young pup like you freezing out here in the middle of winter." the woman told her as Naruto grinned at her. "I'm Aela. If the pup here has taken a shine to you, I guess you can't be that bad. He's always been a good judge of character."

Tears of joy welled up from her eyes as she looked at the pair. For the first time in five months, she had felt happiness, something she thought she would never feel again.

Lucia locked eyes briefly with a hooded man. Blue eyes shone from in under the tattered cloak he wore. With a nod, the man turned and walked away. "Looks like I'll have to make a large pot of stew tonight. Guess Red will have to cut up more onions." she heard Aela say, getting a chuckle from Naruto.

"You know he hates onions, yet you make him cut them anyway," Naruto replied. "Or are you still punishing him for whatever fight you two had?"

Lucia watched as the woman's eye twitched, "Naruto..." she growled, getting a panicked yelp from the boy, "Do I stuff another bar of soap in your mouth? Maybe that way, you learn to keep your thought to yourself?"

"No, Ma, I'll be quiet now..."

"I don't believe you..." Aela said, making Naruto shoot off up the stairs, "GET BACK HERE PUP!" she yelled before taking off after the boy.

Lucia laughed as she watched the woman chase after Naruto, 'Thank you….' she thought in prayer as she ran after the mother and son duo up the stairs—a smile on her face.

AN: Leave a review telling me how ya liked it or if ya hated it. Ya'll have no idea how good it feels to get a review on one of your stories. Cya soon!