Whelp Chapter one in just a few days after The first chapter. I got this done much sooner than I anticipated, But what was helping me was music and I found an interactive Skyrim map to use (Even if I have to use mod locations By Memory) so that kind of helped it along as well.

The next chapter before it starts I'll have made changes to the initial character list file I have and try to include the Special: Story Only characters to help people understand who they've seen so far and how their characters are before I upload chapter 2.

Climbing the natural border to make my way towards Skyrim was the roughest part of my travel so far. Large mountains line just under the Cyrodiil to Skyrim border. When I got to the pass that would lead me into Skyrim I looked back down over the valley of my home one last time, I could see my house from so high up, the smoke coming from the chimney on the right side of the house telling me my parents were cooking dinner for the night. I decided to sit and take in the last look of my home that I would get for a long time, taking a deep breath I tried to hold back my sobs as the realization welled up inside me. I was leaving my home; I was leaving behind my parents who I loved so dearly. My friends in Bruma wouldn't have even gotten to say goodbye. I wept as I looked out at the sunset on the horizon and all of the emotions could no longer be held at bay; I hugged my arms and tried to pull myself together within the few moments of the sunset.

As the sun began to creep below the horizon I stood up and turned around towards the mountain pass towards Skyrim and started walking wiping my eyes with my sleeves and pressing on. The mountain pass was lined with beautiful evergreen trees before I reached a clearing seeing the leaves beginning to bloom on the oak trees far out ahead across the border. I crouched and slid down the gravel hill carefully only to be met by a bunch of men who quickly drew their swords. "Stop right there! Who are you?!" A blonde man had yelled, I put my hands up to yield to them since there were twelve of them. "Sorry I did not mean to startle you all; I'm just a traveler on her way to Skyrim." I had explained staying put before they all sheathed their swords. "Well alright then, we thought you were attacking us, apologies for the sudden reaction." The blonde man replied. "Come sit at the fire with us for now child, we'll be crossing into Skyrim at first light, it's better to travel with company than to be caught traveling alone at night." Another man said, he was dressed different than the others who all wore a blue sash and fur over their studded armor.

I bowed politely and walked over sitting by the warm fire before pulling a bedroll off my pack and setting it out. "I had planned to get across to the first town before stopping but thank you for the offer it seems like a good plan." I had said warming my cold hands at the fire, the well dressed man with brown hair moved closer. "So tell me, what brings a wood elf to journey into Skyrim?" He had asked passing over some meat and drink bladder. I had taken both and sipped tasting the ale, the shocking bitter taste almost made me want to spit it out but I was very thirsty at the time. I sat and ate for a little trying to answer in between bites. "Adventure calls, it's a little complicated to get into but I suppose that's just the way it is. I'm not sure exactly where my journey will lead or even start but I know it's going to be in Skyrim." I had explained keeping a lot of the details about my heritage to myself thinking that the less people know the easier my tasks will be, I don't know how much Hylian is known by the locals or if there's someone out to get them since they founded the now disbanded blades I had to play it all by caution.

The man nodded looking to the fire. "Hopefully it is a noble cause and Talos will bless your journey, we travel home to reclaim our land as it was taken from us since the white gold concordant was written banning the worship of Talos, that was the first mistake and now the empire thinks it can rob our home out from under us." The man spoke in a heartfelt manner; I gathered these were the Storm Cloaks, rebellion soldiers of Skyrim I knew I didn't have to choose my words too carefully but they were touchy and very jumpy. I decided to keep the rest disclosed and just nodded. "Well as the soon to be High King I welcome you to Skyrim traveler." The man said and I then realized who was speaking to me, The Jarl of Windhelm Ulfric Stormcloak. This could spell trouble for me but I was willing to risk it for safe travels, and if need be I could explain that I'm only traveling with the troop.

After a while I laid down into my bedroll putting my sword just at my side. I tried to get some sleep as the hushed talking of the rebel soldiers went on for quite a while, hushed plans of where to cross over back into Skyrim and where Imperial patrols would be watching. When I finally nodded off my dream was different for once. I dreamt I was still at home with my parents but it felt like more of a memory than a dream. Back when I was eight I was terrified of the dark to the point my mother slept in bed with me almost every night. I couldn't sleep if I didn't feel her holding onto me and softly whispering to me to coax me to fall asleep. I felt at ease in the dream as her soft humming filled my ears.

The peace ended abruptly when I was shaken awake by one of the rebel soldiers. I groggily sat up and rubbed my eyes, it must have been still early in the morning for the sun hadn't risen yet. "Come on, we need to move now while we have the chance!" Whispered one of them as the others picked up their gear and started on the road. I stretched and slapped my hand onto the sheath of my sword before clasping my hand and pulling the blade close to me before heaving myself up and reapplying the belt onto my hip before I rolled up my bedroll and joined the traveling company. The boarder to Skyrim looked quiet during the night; I looked onward at the beauty of the night sky. I never really got much of a chance to stargaze since Bruma always had bright torches lit all over the city.

I didn't know where my journey was going to start but I guessed I would have to go to the nearest town and ask around about strange structures with the same symbol on it as my gauntlet. I pulled my map from my bag and opened it taking a look, it seemed like Falkreath would have been my first destination. It was just north of this mountain pass. Immediately the climate felt different, South Skyrim was as if you were walking in a swampy land. It was humid and uncomfortably warm as we walked down the pass I guess part of Skyrim sat below sea level, at least that's what father told me how the swamplands were formed. The crickets sung and chirped away in the dark morning, the river flowed quietly in the distance as the water would flow over the rocks and splash. I could hear so many things in the forests of Skyrim that I was amazed at how many things were not in hiding in Skyrim unlike in Cyrodiil where the wildlife keeps clear of cities and towns.

The moment didn't last long before suddenly everything had gone black. I don't know what exactly happened but when I opened my eyes I was greeted to the sight of an enormous chapel, unlike anything I've seen in Bruma this chapel was enormous inside, two large doors behind me and at the very end was a long altar and two large doors with the symbol of the Triforce above it. The chapel looked dark as I walked up the aisle, I didn't know where I was but I assumed it was Hyrule since the Triforce was presented with such reverence above the chapel door on the far end. As I reached the door and placed my hand against the chilling cold stone suddenly the door was gone and I could see further into the chapel. There was a pedestal enshrined inside and a very elegant looking long sword was displayed as if it were a holy icon of the chapel sitting in the center of the room.

As I walked towards it to investigate, I felt a sense of vertigo as if the chamber and the chapel were not of the same space. Drawing ever closer to the sword I felt as if a spiritual pull had a grasp of my body and I felt as if there were so many of me at once in the space. But my other selves felt Loss, Grief, Anger, Hopelessness, and they were all mournful. It was as if they were all lost and didn't know where to go or where they were. I reached out for the source of this feeling, the blade in the center of the room but before I could touch it I felt my entire body pulled away and out of the chapel to the entrance of a cave, it felt so warm in the area and there was a tower nearby, it looked like a pretty secluded area. "Take Sword In Hand and Find Me." A voice called out in ancient hylian; however I was able to understand it clearly as if it was my mother tongue.

Then the ringing in my ears began as blackness once again enveloped me and I began to open my eyes to the very bright world. I groaned in agony as I felt pain in the back of my head and the ringing in my ears continued for a time before I groggily reached up to wipe my eyes finding my hands were now bound in rope. "Hey, you're finally awake?" A blur had said before slowly everything came into focus; it was that blonde man from earlier. We were both sitting in the back of a cart with two others, Ulfric and a man in rags. As I processed what was happening I looked around frantically for my sword and saw we were being led by imperial soldiers. As the blonde continued talking I scooted towards the carriage driver. "Hey, Where am I? What happened?" I had asked him. "Silence scum!" He barked and pushed me back on the bench of the carriage, "Don't bother, they're not going to tell you anything. We were ambushed at the border last night and this coward here smacked you good in the back of the head." The blonde man spat as he looked to the driver in disdain. I felt the rage climb and wanted to wrap my bonds around the soldier's throat for knocking me out but I had to keep my cool if I was going to talk my way out of this mess.

I wasn't a rebel I only traveled with them after I had accidentally stumbled upon them and rather than being killed I decided to play nice. "Your gear in a carriage up ahead…I doubt you'll be getting it back though." The blonde said which only made my rage peak higher. "General Tullius Sir! The headsman is waiting!" A man at the gate of a stone wall shouted to the old man at the front of the line. I knew that name; he was the military governor to the imperial legion. When I was younger my parents took me to the imperial city and a parade was going on in the markets, Tullius was at its head waving to the people smiling bright as he rode by on a decorated white horse. The same man looked much older and much more worn out, this wasn't the same man I looked up to as a child.

The blonde man kept prattling on as the carriages rode into town, I caught a glimpse of my sword and bag being taken into the main keep before the eyes of a Thalmor woman met mine. I quickly looked away, it was as if she knew something she wasn't letting on and the eye contact was proof that she had eyes on me from before. I didn't like the unsettling feeling of where we were, I understood the end of this ride meant my end. My journey would come to an end before I was able to unearth anything of consequence about my history.

As the carriages stopped at the outer wall, we were ushered off and told to stand and wait for our names to be called. "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm." A familiar voice had begun; I looked over to see a young soldier holding a plank of wood and a quill pen. I didn't believe it at first but it was an old friend who knew my family when his platoon got stuck at our farm. We talked a lot and became friends in the short time, that was seven years ago when I was sixteen. He must have been pushing his late twenties at that point and now looked to be in his forties. Maybe he would recognize me? I thought as the blonde was called next. "Ralof of Riverwood." The man called, the blonde man that sat across from me walked over to the rest of the crowd. The man in rags was next; he looked antsy from the start before his name was called. "Lokir or Rorikstead." The man called. "No, I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" He shouted as he began to run and attempted to flee the town. It was to no avail as arrows whistled through the air and planted in the back of his neck and his skull bringing him crashing to the path in a sickening crack. I closed my eyes tight after hearing the sound now realizing escape was not possible.

The woman next to the list reader spoke up angrily. "Anyone else feel like running?" She questioned as if confronting anyone cowardly enough to make a run for it. "Wait…you there. Step forward!" The man ordered looking at me as our eyes met. I hesitated but I stepped forward to meet the two soldiers. "Who are you?" He asked me as if he saw something wrong with me being here. "My name is Kotera Kilyerd, and if it makes any difference I am not a rebel I only traveled with them for my own safety." I had pleaded but it felt like it fell on deaf ears as the man looked to his superior, the woman from before. "Captain what should we do? She's not on the list?" He asked her, I was hoping I would be set free and told to collect my gear and move along. "Forget the list, she goes to the block." She ordered coldly before the man looked back to me as if apologetic. "I'm sorry there's nothing I can do about this, we will return your remains to your family. Follow the Captain prisoner." He had explained as he motioned to his superior. I felt betrayed; a friend of my family condemned me to death with no recollection to who I was.

I felt the rage build as Tullius went on his rant to Ulfric, if I had my sword I would have gone down fighting just to cut the lot of them down. I wasn't paying attention to the block as I heard the axe come down removing a head from a rebel soldier. My focus was on Tullius, I barely managed to hear the roar in the distance that caught my attention above trying to find the source. "What was that?" The man who betrayed me said. "I said, Next Prisoner!" The woman yelled out. "To the block prisoner, nice and easy." I was pushed from behind as I was led to the chopping block. "May I have my last words?" I had asked, I received a nod from the woman as I turned towards Tullius. "I hope my death haunts you for the rest of your disappointing life, the death of an innocent woman forever engraved in your dreams as your life crashes to an end. That is my curse to you, General Tullius, that you let someone who looked up to you die on your watch because you ordered it. I hope that thought never leaves you and I pray you will be forever haunted by my face and voice." I announced coldly gritting my teeth as I poured forth my thoughts about the man I once looked up to but now shared a sickening disgust for his actions.

Something about his face just before I turned around gave me a sense of accomplishment as his angered expression turned to regret. I felt the woman's hand on my back as I was bent down to the block. "Well, let's get this over with. And may Hylia exact her revenge on your pitiful actions." I spat as I looked to the headsman. Just then as he hefted the axe above his head the sun was blotted out by the silhouette. A dragon as black as night perched onto the tower behind the headsman with a loud thundering crash making the headsman stumble and drop his axe. Everyone was frozen in fear as they looked up to the black winged dragon as it shouted and the sky seemed to begin to fall all around us. I rolled out of the way as one of the large rocks crashed down into the headsman's block.

"Hey you, get up! Come on the guards won't give us another chance!" Ralof yelled to me. I rolled back over and stood running behind Ralof into a tower on the far wall. As we got under the safety of the tower I took a deep breath trying to pull the binds off my hands. Ralof and Ulfric talked for a time before I was being pushed towards the stairs. As we climbed the wall burst in right in front of me and I had fallen back into Ulfric's fur coat. "I've got you!" He shouted as fire rushed into the upper floor of the tower just above my head. The dragon flew off and I approached the hole in the tower. "Listen, you'll have to jump, we'll meet you on the other side sister elf, please take care." Ulfric said, He seemed kind and very worried about me for some reason. I nodded to him and hopped into the other building where I ran to the lower floor and out the other side to come face to face with the traitor who was going to lead me to my death. "You're still alive Prisoner? Keep close if you want to stay that way!" He shouted as he pulled me away. A wall of fire engulfed just in front where I use to be standing. The black dragon had it out for me I thought, like it was targeting me specifically.

I shoved my fists into the man's chest in anger glaring daggers at him before I ran forward with him on my tail. "Wait, stay close to the wall!" He shouted as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me with him against the wall as the dragon landed just above us and set an alleyway ablaze with fire from his black maw. As the dragon departed that part of the town we snuck down that alleyway and out to the other soldiers. "Hadvar, into the keep soldier we're leaving!" Tullius yelled before his eyes met mine and he looked to the ground. "R…Run you idiot!" He ordered as Hadvar took me by the wrist and led me to the keep before coming face to face with Ralof. As the two got into an argument I headed for the room I saw them drag my gear off to and burst through the door, it was ransacked and empty.

The room looked to be barracks for soldiers. I cursed and kicked at the floor before Hadvar came in behind me. "Looks like we're safe for the moment, but I'm not sure for how much longer. Come here; let me cut those binds for you." He ordered taking out a knife. I glared at him not moving. "Look….I'm sorry things turned out the way they did…I know you're angry with me but right now we don't have time for nasty words between us." He had said, I grumbled quietly and held my arms out letting him cut the rope around my wrist. "Look around, there's got to be some kind of weapon you can use laying around here somewhere." Hadvar said as he himself went over to the beds looking around. I found a large chest and pushed it open to find a cheap iron sword and a key to who knows where. "That should do, give it a few swings." Hadvar said I purposefully swung the blade towards him quietly giving him the warning to back off. "Look if you want to keep throwing a fit then that's fine but we need to get out of here first!" He shouted pulling on a chain and opening the door in front of us.

I rolled my eyes and quietly followed him, I knew if I spoke it would only be insults and rage flying free. We quietly walked down the hallway of the keep the short moment of silence gave me a second to reflect. "Listen, I'm sorry I lashed out at you I was just…" I had begun before Hadvar put his finger to his lips. "Shhh, Storm Cloaks up ahead, let's see if we can reason with them." Hadvar said as he pulled the chain opening the gate. Instinctively I gripped the iron sword in my hand as we walked into a room with two rebel soldiers, a man and woman still trying to process what was happening. "Hold on now, we just want to talk…" Hadvar had said, but his intentions fell on deaf ears as the large man drew a battle axe. But his iron never reached its mark as I had jumped in front and slammed the blade of the iron sword against the handle of the axe breaking it in two. The silence after the head of the axe clanged against the ground was stifling, met with shocked horrified expressions as the two tried to process what was happening before their eyes. It was then I had taken my first life as the rebel man was stuck in his shock I took my blade and drove it into his chest directly into his heart as I kept hold of his wrist to keep him from sticking me with the broken handle of the axe making him drop the broken handle it bounced away on the stone floor and rolled to its other half knocking against it and stopping.

The light faded from his eyes as the last thing he saw were my own sapphire eyes looking to him in remorse that it had come to this. Luckily I wasn't on my own as his companion screamed bloody murder and raised her sword to strike at me. But Hadvar returned the favor as he stepped in and struck her across the throat with his own sword knocking her flailing body to the ground as she squirmed in agony with scarlet blood spilling from the open wound and trying desperately to grasp at anything and take a breath before the spasms stopped and she was limp. I looked to the man I had slain myself and took a deep breath before closing his eyes. "Rest, for it may not have been the way you hoped but you died for your belief." I had quietly said to the corpse, even if he couldn't hear me anymore he was still another human being. Scared and only trying to fight for what he felt was right in his own mind. "That was very noble of you…Giving him a proper send off to Sovngarde." Hadvar said quietly before he went over to the woman doing the same and placing her sword on her chest.

Hadvar walked over to the gate and tried to shake it open. "Damn, locked…Unless you want to give it a try?" He had suggested stuck on what to do now. I remembered the key I had taken from the chest earlier, but I stopped just in front of the gate. "Listen, I lashed out because I felt betrayed…I can't blame you for forgetting me, I was only sixteen back then and I've grown since then, it was foolish of me to assume you'd remember someone after seven years." I had confronted the issue I had with Hadvar, I blamed him for my situation because I felt like he could have done something to stop me from nearly being put to death under false pretenses. "I…I should be the one to apologize, No I didn't recognize you and I barely remembered your name, but your speech to Tullius jogged my memory if only a little of a young girl I once met in Cyrodiil when I was sent there as a boy to train as a soldier, when I was twenty five we were on our way home to Skyrim before a snowstorm blew through and trapped all movement. Your family's farm was the only thing in sight so we set up the tents and stayed there and when the storm passed nothing was able to be traversed so we stayed for a week until the snow could melt." Hadvar began to explain as I finally reached for the gate and turned the key in the lock causing the bent metal door to swing open in front of us.

I shook my head before walking through the gate. "I said a lot of things during that speech that I probably shouldn't have, but I said what I said and I'll deal with that." I had tried to make it seem like it was now water under the bridge, I didn't harbor hatred for Hadvar or even Tullius, they were words I said in what I thought were my last moments. "Well your gear is up ahead, I stored all the gear in the dining hall just down these stairs." Hadvar said pointing forward. As we rounded the corner we could hear the dragon outside as rubble came crashing down in front of us causing me to stumble to the floor being knocked off my feet. Hadvar reached down and lifted me from under my arm and I steadied myself against his shoulder before I pushed off and pushed through the door to my left. I locked eyes with two more rebel soldiers and we just stood there staring at one another in confusion before I noticed what one of the poor men was handling so poorly. The Hylian steel glistened as I caught the glimpse of my family heirloom being treated so disrespectfully as a rebel soldier swung it around carelessly not even holding it right. "Put…It…Down." I had ordered gripping the cheap iron sword in my hand ready to charge in.

The two men looked at each other before laughing and getting in a stance to attack. They might have been ready for me to charge at them but they weren't expecting a chair being thrown at them as the flimsy wood chair smashed apart on one of the men's head knocking him to the floor to the shock of his friend he had to double take to understand what just happened. And in that moment it was too late for him as I closed the distance and grabbed his wrist yanking his wrist against my knee and taking back my sword in a swift motion and dropping the cheap iron letting it stick between the bricks in the floor. The man wailed in pain as he held his now broken arm and looked to me holding my own sword. "Should have listened…" I said before in one swift motion the Hylian steel sliced through armor and bone like a warm knife in butter. I cleaved his hand from his broken arm before raising the blade over my head and letting out a shout of rage as I brought the blade down on his bald head splitting it in the middle. I felt the blood splatter against my armor and face as the body twitched and fell limp. I yanked my sword free with a furious tug before taking a few breaths. I must have turned fast because I looked to Hadvar and that alone nearly made him jump out of his skin. "What in oblivion was that? I've never seen a sword be able to do that without some serious strength behind it." Hadvar breathed before I calmed down and ripped apart one of the rebel soldier's armor to wipe my face and gear clean before tossing the bloody rags onto the unconscious one. "He had my family's sword, I wanted it back…The metal used in the blade is fine and very sharp when forged into a blade, it'll cut most things with little effort." I tried to explain and give my father the credit that his smith work could rival the best blacksmiths in Nirn.

Hadvar just blinked as I was still trying to catch my breath and calm down from the fiery rage fueling my veins. "Well I'm just glad you're on my side, we should get a move on before he wakes up." Hadvar said, I took a moment and rummaged out a few potions from the room and picked up my pack leaning against the far wall before sheathing my sword and hugging the bag tight to my chest. This bag was the only other thing to remind me of home aside from my sword. My mother made me the bag years ago to help out on the farm during harvest so I could carry much more between the field and the house. Checking for anything missing I sighed with relief that my bag was left alone and I stashed the potions carefully in the bag and we set out again hearing fighting in the distance.

We both ran down the stone stairs to the torture room. I had almost lost my footing as the last step broke apart but I used that momentum to tackle a rebel soldier to the ground before taking his own knife and plunging it into his neck before grabbing his forehead and chin and breaking his neck around the knife. This distracted the other two long enough that an old man wearing imperial garb drove his knife into a rebel's back while the ward of the old man brought down his axe on the woman. "Well, that was really quite the entrance young lady, its good you two came along. These fellows didn't take kindly to how we were treating their friends." The old man snickered. "Don't you know what's going on? There's a dragon outside burning Helgen to the ground!" Hadvar tried to get the two to understand it was dangerous to stay. "A dragon, please don't make such jokes. However I did hear some strange noises coming from over there." The old man said pointing down the prison hall. I was just about to investigate when I saw a book inside of a cage. "Hey can I get this open?" I had asked, the old man and his ward looked to one another. "Keys have been gone for months but here I have a few lock picks." The ward said handing over a few lock picks, I never really knew how to pick locks but now was as good a time as any.

It didn't take much effort; the lock was fairly easy to turn as soon as the pick was in the door. I opened the cage taking the gold and picking up the book with the symbol for destruction magic on the front. As soon as I opened the book I felt a flash in my head and instinctively I tossed the book away and covered my eyes with my arm flailing my other arm before someone caught me. "You're alright! Calm Down Kotera!" I heard Hadvar yell; I uncovered my eyes and looked around. "What in oblivion?" I asked looking at the three confused men in the room who looked between each other before looking to me again. "You…You've never opened a spell book before have you?" Hadvar asked genuinely shocked at the occurrence. "No…I feel like I was stabbed in the eyes and slapped in the mouth!" I shouted shaking my head letting the spots disappear blinking a few times before I took a deep breath. I'm surprised Hadvar hadn't guessed that I'm still just some farm girl I never experienced magika. "Well since this is your first experience allow me to make this easy for you. You've just unlocked your well of magika. Magika is out natural ability for magic it's the primordial force in Nirn so everyone is born with it few ever awaken it however since common folk never really just stumble across a spell book like," Before he continued the old man picked up the book I tossed. "Ah, you opened the book that teaches you spark and flames. It's rare to see a spell book infused with two spells." The old man said before putting the book on the table and holding his hand up.

"Picture in your mind a raging fire and will it to do your bidding you have to focus on the feeling of energy and pull it to your hands." And just like that the old man shot fire into the air like a dragon spewing fire from its maw. "What if I wanted the other spell? Do I just picture a raging storm or something?" I had asked as I looked to my hand and concentrated and threw my hand out as lightning jumped from my finger tips directly into the cage that held the corpse and the spell book, the corpse jumped and the spasms rushed through it as the charge had ignited the nerves. "Whoa..Alright that's awesome!" I gasped looking at my hands and the many ideas flooded my thoughts that some I admit were not the noblest ideas. "Well we need to get out of here, You said you heard noises down the path? Then we need to get out of here, come with us!" Hadvar asked the old man. "You do not command me boy, I'll be fine here." The old man snapped turning to his ward who stepped forward after retrieving a battle axe. "I'll come with you, if there is a dragon out there I want to scout out a way out before getting the old man to safety." The ward said causing the old man to scoff and cross his arms, I gritted my teeth holding back the urge to grab the old man by the back of the collar and pulling him along with us.

I started down the path while the three talked amongst themselves, there was a hole in the wall at the very end that led to a cave system. I heard voices much farther down the path so I crouched down and crept along until I came across another opening. I peeked through and saw many rebel soldiers crowded in a large room, horrified but unsure what to do. When I heard Hadvar and the old man's ward I held my hand up to stop them and to stay quiet. I waited till they all had their backs to the hole and I snuck through before dropping down to a small opening between a little bridge. Two of the rebel soldiers were standing in ankle deep water that lay stagnant in the small cave; the little pond reached the whole way to where I stood just short of the drainage grate. I had to wait for the perfect moment I focused magika to my hand and plunged my fingers into the water and waited looking over the little ledge that their friends were not watching, the men on the upper level were all looking down the hall towards a drawbridge they couldn't lower.

I looked back to the two men standing in the water and concentrated before I willed a furious blast of lightning making it jump across the water with a furious crack the two men went as stiff as planks of wood their bodies shaking violently before I pulled my fingers away and killed the energy watching the two quickly drop to the floor. Their friends screamed in horror turning to see the cooked corpses face down in the water. They didn't know where it came from and that was the advantage I was hoping for but they decided to split up amongst the room. Two of them were holding long bows while two more had claymores. I wasn't about to try and slip between them, I could get cleaved in two or shot trying to focus on just one of them. Just then I heard Hadvar and the ward shout and run into the room causing the rebel soldiers to jump in shock before processing they were under attack. I too leapt from the little crevice drawing my family's sword and making haste towards the two archers taking aim at the men at my back.

I had the time to notice the two archers were standing on a slick substance and I focused my power to my free hand before dropping to my knee and slamming my hand into the oily slick and fire exploded from beneath their feet as I had set ablaze the slick multicolored substance. The fire quickly engulfed the two men making their bows useless as the strings snapped up into their faces only spreading the violent fire up their armor before they collapsed flailing around wildly. I looked over seeing Hadvar and the ward still having trouble with the other two as I turned on my heels and sprinted into the fray bracing my palm against the pommel of my blade and thrusting the sword through the chest of the soldier that stood before Hadvar. The man let out a guttural scream as the blade crunched his spine, the gurgles as he began drowning on his blood echoed in the small room before I pulled the blade free and pushing the large man to the ground.

Three on one was never good odds; the last rebel soldier backed away and threw his blade down not wishing to die. It didn't matter as the ward cleaved his head from his shoulders with the axe he held. The man's head thumped against the stone and rolled from the body over the ledge and into the dirt. I gave a disapproving glare to the ward who merely shrugged. "This is war Lass, surrender or not his fate was sealed." The ward said before wiping his axe and putting it away. I wiped my blade on the other corpse before kissing the handle and sheathing the blade gently as if putting a child to rest. "That's no excuse to kill an unarmed man, do not do that in my presence again or you'll be the next one I cut down." I coldly told the ward getting an angered snarl from him. Hadvar stepped between us both before the ward stepped forward. "I'd listen to her, I watched her chuck a chair one handed into a man before splitting the skull of another for just mishandling her sword, I'm lucky I wasn't killed for even having it in my hands before all this happened. This girl is frighteningly strong; I should know I was once a visitor to their farm. Farm girls get pretty strong on their own lugging around bales of hay." Hadvar intervened. "That doesn't give her an excuse to order me around like that…I'm not your lapdog Girl and don't forget it. You're lucky I can keep my composure over such an offense." The ward snapped, I just rolled my eyes and made for that hallway that had the rebels so occupied they didn't pay attention to the only other entrance into the room.

I could see a switch on the far side of the bridge but I looked back seeing the bows were scorched and useless without string and the arrows reduced to ash. I hated to do it but I pulled the dagger I had gotten from the Khajiit back in Cyrodiil and I took a deep breath before tossing the blade. The blade hit home and struck the switch, it didn't stick in and fell to the ground in a clang but it did what I wanted and the bridge quickly lowered. "YES!" I shouted as I leapt in joy throwing my arms up surprised I even made the accurate throw. Turning to see Hadvar holding back a laugh, the poor man had to turn away. I cleared my throat and quickly turned back around to retrieve the dagger, my face must have been as red as a tomato. "You two can go on, I'll go back for the old man and see that he gets to safety." The ward mentioned before walking off back towards the torture room. Hadvar and I came out to a much larger cave opening before the ground rumbled knocking me down the stairs onto my side bouncing on my shoulder twice. I groaned in pain as I slowly pushed myself back up and took a deep breath in holding my shoulder. "Well…looks like there's no going back now…" Hadvar said in a defeated tone. I finally stood back up and looked at what he meant seeing that the ceiling collapsed on the bridge we crossed and the path back to Helgen was blocked by a cascade of fallen rubble.

"Shit…Well I guess we weren't exactly hoping to go back that way anyhow so let's just continue on." I had said pulling my sword from its scabbard again and we began to quietly walk the large open cave, sunlight beamed through holes in the ceiling of the cave showing other little entrances that were too high for us to climb to right now. I rolled my arm to stretch it after I had taken that spill down the stairs, the pain was annoying but I could deal with it. I remembered the bruise my father left just above my breast and chuckled. "What is it?" Hadvar asked as we slid down a small hill in the cave lined with loose stones and pebbles next to a flowing small stream. "It's nothing; I was reminded of something from back home when I fell on those stairs." I had explained but stopped short before we reached the next entry way in the cave. There were large webs everywhere with cocoons of webs hanging from the ceiling. Frostbite spiders…there looked to be several of them calmly strung from the ceiling of the cave and some were just walking along the ground. Their orange and black coloring prominent in the dim light of the cave I shudder at the sight. I always hated the little freaks and I wasn't excited about getting up close and personal with fangs the size of my foot but the only way through was passed the ugly little creatures.

Hadvar and I walked quietly towards the entrance at the other end of the large webbed room keeping our eyes on the spiders as they trotted the ground barely occupied with us at all. As Hadvar made it through and just started running to safety one of the spiders turned and raised its body into a threat posture. I froze where I was until the spider calmed but kept its beady eyes locked onto me. I stepped back slowly into the entryway. Frostbite spiders normally were fairly aggressive when you get close to them or during feeding times but it looked like they had already fed on rats and most likely a few bodies with the shapes of some of the web wraps. These spiders luckily were uninterested in us but that didn't stop one of the runts of the pack to keep its eyes on me ready to strike if I got too close. "Easy now fella…I'm not gonna hurt you, you stay over there and I'll leave you alone." I whispered as if trying to talk to it to calm it down as if it would work.

Luckily we escaped that room without incident; I walked over to Hadvar and punched him in the chest. "Oww! What was that for?" He whispered "Rush out like that again in a room full of spiders and I will personally drag you back in and throw you at them." I whispered before Hadvar quickly put his hand over my mouth and pointed behind me. A large grizzly was sleeping in the sunlight on the other end of the cave. I stuck my tongue out against his hand and he quickly retreated that hand and shook it. "Really?" He had asked I just smiled and crouched down removing my shoes; I crept along quickly passed the bear leaving it to sleep before I turned around towards Hadvar and held my arms out and continued on. I didn't always take pleasure in showing off but that felt very satisfying. It almost felt like old times when the two of us would talk together a lot. That brought a smile to my face before I exited the cave to the bright light of the outside. "Ugh, fresh air for once!" I had said as I started walking down the hill before Hadvar caught up and pulled me down by the rocks. "Wait, get down!" He whispered and just then the dragon had flown overhead as it glided through the sky towards the other mountains. "That was close, looks like he's gone for good this time." Hadvar said as he helped me back up.

We started down the path and I turned to him. "So, do we want to just say all of this is water under the bridge? I mean we both just went through a whole keep killing almost everyone in our path, narrowly escaping a confrontation with about…I don't know how many spiders were in that one cave" I shuddered before I continued. "Oh and we snuck by a sleeping bear, all after a dragon interrupted a ceremonious event of nearly lopping my head off for no reason." I had brought up sourly, the bitter taste of betrayal still sat upon my tongue as I was helpless to stop any of it from happening. "Yes, I am sorry you were wrapped up in all of this, and I'm sure somewhere down the line General Tullius will request audience with you himself about it, but right now we should head to Riverwood, my uncle is a blacksmith there and he can help us recover for a little before parting ways." Hadvar had said, I nodded and we headed down the path. "I have my own quest to attend to so I don't intend to stay very long Hadvar, as much as I'd like nothing than to…well do nothing for a while; I have to press on to something important." I had begun; Hadvar stopped and put a hand on my shoulder. "Well maybe I can help with that if you don't mind, I know my way around Skyrim I could probably point you in the right direction." Hadvar explained, Hadvar was a kind hearted man it seemed but I couldn't just let him come along. This was a secret mission to the family after all.

"Thanks Hadvar, but I need to do this on my own, maybe you can try and identify a place for me though. A cave near a decrepit tower I don't know how else to really explain it except the feeling was…warm? Where up here it feels colder than that place did." I had tried to explain my vision with what details I had. "That sounds like Bannermist tower. It's just a spot not far from Half-Moon Mill; let me show you on your map." Hadvar said leaning in closer as I pulled my map from the side pocket of my bag. I opened the map and he traced his finger along the paths. "We're here just a stone's throw away from Riverwood between it and Helgen, down this fork that we'll come to shortly is a path towards Falkreath there's a winding road that leads to Half-Moon Mill, from there you just travel a little south west of it and you should come across a tower in the woods. And just below that is the cave you're talking about. It's significantly warmer down in this area because it's near the southern border, up north is where it starts getting colder so I believe the cave you're looking for is there." Hadvar explained, he couldn't really mark my map but I made a mental note of the location.

It wasn't long before we reached the fork in the road that Hadvar mentioned. I looked up at the road signs seeing Falkreath as one of the paths down the way and I took a gaze down the path I would need to walk possibly later today after some needed rest. A dark force was emanating from that direction, I couldn't place the feeling but something was trying to draw me in to get its claws on me. It felt ancient and didn't feel like anything I've felt in Nirn before but I'm fairly new to being outside of Cyrodiil, ancient power is more prominent in Skyrim from what I read in history books when my mother home schooled me. "So let's talk about what we did back there, I heard the screams from two of them and by the time we charged in two of the bodies were already cooked. Can you tell me what happened there?" Hadvar asked however my eyes were still glued down the path at the evil presence I had sensed, but far beyond it was the warmer energy and vertigo I felt in that temple in my dream. Hadvar started waving his hand in front of my face and I shook my head and blinked a few times. "Oh…I just placed my fingers in the water connected to where they were standing and gave it a jolt with the sparks spell, it was enough to double the output of the spell because of the water and the metal they were wearing." I had explained before I turned away from the path and we headed down towards Riverwood.

Riverwood was a small few houses of a town. The town sat next to a small river that I'm sure led to Lake Ilinalta which I would have to follow in order to get to where I saw in my dream. "Uncle Alvor, Hello." Hadvar greeted a broad man working at a grinding wheel. "Hadvar? What are you doing here? And why do you look like you've lost an argument with a cave bear?" The broad man with blonde hair said. "It's a long story, can we talk inside?" Hadvar asked in return before hugging his uncle. "Sure, and who's this then?" Alvor said looking to me and looking me over. "She's a friend, saved my life in fact but let's not talk about this here, I can explain everything inside." Hadvar explained, Alvor nodded and all three of us went into the large house. I was quick to go stand in near the corner away from everyone and sit in a chair near it.

His aunt and little cousin had come upstairs to see him when Alvor called for them. "Well we were at Helgen when it was attacked by a dragon, black as night it just swooped down and started mass panic. My friend here helped us get out of there in one piece but the only reason we met there in the first place…We were about to execute some storm cloaks we had caught sneaking back into Skyrim from Cyrodiil, which is where she was coming from. She was about to have her head lopped off by the headsman when the dragon showed up. I still regret the action because she wasn't in any part of this war and my superiors didn't care, just sent who we captured with the soldiers to the block." Hadvar explained the story so far to his aunt and uncle, who both looked to me after explaining I was supposed to be executed. "That's some story, well you two can rest here as long as you'd like but the jarl of Whiterun needs to hear of this, if there's a dragon we need all the help we can get." Alvor explained before he got up and walked to me. "It is a pleasure to meet you…uh…What is your name?" Alvor asked looking at me still a little wary but it was probably justified. "My name is Kotera Kilyerd, and don't worry…I wasn't supposed to be set to be executed, I was on my way to Skyrim on my own journey I was just…In the wrong place at the wrong time I suppose." I had explained holding my hand out Alvor shook my hand grabbing it tight. "Well a friend of Hadvar is a friend of ours. Please help yourself to some food and drink. Then if I could ask if you could go to Whiterun and tell Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon problem I would be most grateful." Alvor said, I nodded and walked over to one of the beds plopping down.

It had been a crazy day and it was only close to dusk, it wasn't even the evening yet and I was exhausted. I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes quickly drifting off to sleep, blackness had taken my mind again as I slipped into a deep sleep in what felt like seconds. I saw the cave again and the tower, this time I walked out to where I thought Half-Moon Mill would have been and there it was. So it was Bannermist tower I saw and now I knew where to go once I woke up. I turned my vision to a darker presence in the distance much closer to the border of Skyrim. A very dark energy loomed over it but it felt like it wasn't natural. I began walking toward it and I felt my body quickly pull to some ruins built into the mountain there. The dark energy began to hum as I drew closer. I walked up towards the stairs to the ruins and against the wall was painted in what looked like blood the reversed symbol of the Triforce with the words "The Cursed Heart Brings A Terrible Fate Upon Us!" I shuddered at the words and started backing away from the ruins. I didn't want to make my presence known to whatever Hylian entity was inside. Evidently it already knew I was close enough and the door into the ruins flung open violently. It was black as night I couldn't see anything inside the ruins and just like that an orange pair of eyes wide as plates was staring at me from inside. A large entity began to climb from the ruins with elongated limbs and claws as long as swords as it awkwardly pulled itself from the door closer to me.

The beast was enormous and lanky and on its face adorned a heart shaped spiked mask with two bulbous orange and yellow eyes. As you looked to the outer rim the eyes were red and would change to orange and yellow the closer to its acid green iris'. The mask was horrifying to look at as it twisted on the head of the large entity. The entity crawled ever so closer but the bottom of its body was trapped to the ruins unable to leave it. I kept backing up but the creature kept crawling closer and closer to me before its large hand swept and knocked me back as I tried to leap out of the way from its massive claws. I fell back and tumbled down the hill before I saw the creature being quickly pulled into the ruins again. The claws tried to dig into the ground and prevent this but to no avail as the claws couldn't touch the physical realm and the beast was sucked back into the ruins. The door slammed behind it with a mighty thud and I snapped awake sitting up. I had to refrain from screaming because the house was now dark. The little girl was sleeping in the bed next to where I was sleeping. I covered my mouth and quietly crept to the table sitting down and putting my hands on my head. What was that thing?

I must have sat there for another few hours before I crept back to bed and went to sleep. My dreams were normal from then and it didn't involve anything special from my visions. Morning came and I sat up and felt the soreness in my body from yesterday's excitement. I groaned as I moved my feet to the floor. "You mumble a lot in your sleep." I nearly jumped out of my skin as I heard the little girl speak behind me. "By the nine please don't do that!" I had said putting my hand to my chest noticing that I had dressed down to something to sleep in after feeling across my chest and looking down. I must have forgot doing so and quickly got back under the covers pulling my normal clothes out from my bag and redressing in a large green tunic and leather pants before I climbed back out from the covers. I shuddered a little when I stood up on the cold stones and I made my way outside to look at the town to get my bearings again.

Riverwood was still quiet and only a few of the guards were walking amongst the gates. I sat down on the steps for a little while and took in the new day. I guess my next goal was to travel to Whiterun and report the dragon attack at Helgen before making my way to that cave, that way I could sleep easier with knowing the town would get some assistance from the bigger city. "I brought you some tea to warm up." The little girl had said handing me a horn of hot tea. "Thanks sweetie." I had said to her taking a sip of the tea and warming up letting out a sigh of relief. "You have very pretty eyes, they're almost like gems." She had said sitting next to me ogling me with wide eyes and a wide grin. "Thank you, I got that quite a lot back where I'm originally from. They always told me that someday someone might be spellbound by them or something along those lines." I had chuckled looking to the excited child. "Where are you from Kotera?" She had asked, she was so intrigued by me, it was quite cute. "Well, I was born in Cyrodiil like my father was, and my mother is from Valenwood, I live just before the border between Cyrodiil and Skyrim. My family owns a farm just on the outskirts of Bruma." I explained to her still sipping at my tea every now and then. I just nearly missed the man who had passed by covered in scratches and bruises. "Uh….Hey Ralof." I had said to the man only remembering his name from the list. He turned to me wide-eyed and genuinely shocked.

"Uh…Hey…You made it out too I see." He awkwardly said as he tried to really avoid contact with anyone. "Well might want to skedaddle before Hadvar wakes up…I know you two are on opposing sides but I guess you both have a home here. Listen…thanks for kind of helping me out back there and when my journey is over maybe the three of us can share drinks if the civil war ends by then and you're both still alive." I had said, he just chuckled and sat next to me. "Yeah…I'd like that, to be totally honest I don't dislike Hadvar at all, I don't agree with the imperials a great deal for what they've done but…Hadvar is a good man and it's nice to hear he made it out too, and hello Dorthe." He had said, the girl waved before retreating into the house. "Well I should get a move on, I don't want to be caught by Hadvar out here, I don't exactly know how he'd act being in the Legion, but it was nice to see you make it out alright and I hope your journey ends the way you wish." Ralof said before he quickly crept to the house up on the hill.

Would it end the way I wanted? I had my doubts but the thought was nice. I looked down the path to where I would be going next and sipped my tea again. Whiterun, My first city in Skyrim to visit was going to be a bustling little city with a gorgeous view.