1 The carriage ride (Read Authors notes)

"Hey you, you're finally awake"

I looked up as my vision cleared and my consciousness returned, my hands were bound and I was sitting on a carriage in the middle of the forest.

As I looked up I met the gaze of a Nordic soldier. He had blonde hair and a strong build. He was wearing blue and silver armor with some flag. I'm guessing he was one of those rebels that I heard about.

But why am I in a carriage right now with rebels? I was in Hammerfell when I went to sleep so how did I end up here?

"You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there." The man said as nodded toward the brown-haired man next to us.

The Empire? Did they capture me in my sleep? Did I do something wrong? No, I don't think I did, so why did they capture me? And why did they bring me all the way to Skyrim?

"Um..." I tried to ask him if he knew anything, however, the brown-haired man interrupted me.

"Damn you Stormcloaks! Skyrim was fine before you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you I'd have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell."

The blonde-haired man looked at him with a slight amount of pity, as if wondering about what it was that led the man to this point. I however looked at him in contempt. I would rather not more thieves invade my home.

"You there." he said while looking at me, "You and me... we shouldn't be here, it's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants!"

"No, we should be here. You are a thief, and obviously, I did something wrong if I ended up here, so we do deserve to be here. Even if they only intended to capture the rebels originally, it is still their duty as soldiers to capture criminals, if they had let us go they would have been allowing criminals to run free." I snapped back in their defense.

While I still did not know what I did or how I got here, I must have done something if they arrested me like this. The blonde-haired Nord said that I was trying to cross the border, so perhaps I got drunk and don't remember it? Or maybe something worse happened. Did Vaermina possess me? Or some other Daedric Prince? Have I been tainted by their power?

"Do you not remember what you did Khajiit?" The blonde Nord asked me while I was still panicking.

"Uh... no... or, I mean, not entirely. I think I might have gotten drunk or something. The last thing I remember was going to sleep after setting up camp outside of Dragonstar. Maybe I got drunk and ended up crossing the border." I said hesitantly, as a drunk man couldn't make it that far in the night with so many animals and trolls in the area.

"I see, well, either way, we are all brothers and sisters in a bind now." He said, obviously not falling for what I said either.

"Shut up back there!" The soldier driving our carriage yelled.

"And what's with him?" The brown-haired asked as he nodded toward the gagged man next to me, that I hadn't even noticed until now.

"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king of Skyrim!" The blonde retorted rather aggressively after seeing the disrespect the brown-haired man showed.

The brown-haired man's eyes widened. "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they've captured you... Oh gods, where are they taking us?"

A Jarl was captured? If I recall correctly, Jarls are the leaders here in Skyrim. And he is the leader of the rebellion? If he's here then that likely means that they are going to execute him. And if I'm here with him, then does that mean that Ill die too? No, don't be ridiculous, surely the empire wouldn't do that to someone who merely crossed the border drunk. They are just and fair, and I have done nothing worthy of execution, I'm sure they just didn't have enough room on the other carts so they put me here.

"I don't know where we are going, but soverngarde awaits." The blonde said as he looked at the sky with an expression of relief, longing, and slight regret.

"N-No, this can't be happening!" The brown-haired man had a sunken expression on his face, one of fear. "Tell me this isn't happening!"

"Hey, what village are you from horse thief?" The blonde asked without taking his eyes off the sky.

"Why do you care?" He asked with a depressed tone.

"A Nords last thoughts should be of home."

The brown-haired man froze for a minute and stared at the blonde. Then he sighed in defeat and said simply, "Rorikstead, I'm... I'm from Rorikstead."

"And you cat?"

"Why are you asking? I'm no Nord." I asked back with a smile, I felt a feeling of death was approaching. Even if only in the back of my mind, I could tell that this might just be my last conversation.

"Well then perhaps it's more fitting to say that a warrior's last thoughts should be of home." He said with a smile on his face as he looked at me.

"I don't think I ever said I was a warrior either," I said in a light-hearted tone.

"You don't need to, I can tell. Your presence is one of someone who has faced many battles in both body and spirit." He chuckled.

"I'm from Hagathe."

I looked over and could see a small village. It had few houses but high stone walls and imperial guards everywhere. I guess this is where we are going.

"General Tullius, sir! The headsmen is waiting!" A soldier called out.

"Good, let's get this over with." Sighed an old, muscular man wearing a red and gold armor set.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me. I don't want to die! I'm sorry for stealing the horse. I'm sure you've already returned it so do I need to be killed for it? Please, I'll become your servant, just please don't let them kill me." The brown-haired one started half praying, half begging the gods to save him.

"Sorry to tell you this, but the gods won't answer your prayers this time" The soldier driving the cart said.

I knew what was coming now, the second this carriage stopped, it was the end of the line.