Unlikely

Chapter 3: Skalarn

I journeyed with Ralof until we reached his home town, Riverwood. There we met his sister and her family. She offered her help to the both of us. Before we left, I took off my armor, leaving just my underclothes. It was mens armor, and barely fit me right anyway, and Ralof advised me to not put myself in harms way but dressing as a rebel. I listened, but he failed to take his own advice. Upon arriving, his sister, Gurdur, who happened to be the same size as myself, gave me her armor. She told me she had not used it in years, and I would make better use of it.

I became friends with the woman and her husband, and she let me stay. Ralof and I laid low for two nights at her house, so that no suspicion would arise about us being at Helgan, and this morning, we parted ways. He to a city called Windhelm, to the north, where he hoped to meet Ulfric and begin the war again. I had a favor to for fill. Gurdur had asked that I go to the main city of the hold, and inform the Jarl that there was a dragon. Riverwood was defenseless.

I had started the road this morning. Along side the armor, I got a larger sword. It was not as nice as the one that the legionnaire had, but I was willing to trade the quality for how well I could use it. My armor and sword had been taken when I was captured, not that I should complain, the forged bosmer armor did not suit me well.

I walked down the road, it was early, the dew was still on the grass. Animals were walking around along side the river, and I had no reason to disturb them. Skyrim in the morning was as beautiful as it was at night. But something interrupted the tranquility.

"Keep moving damn traitor." A voice violently yelled, I stopped in my tracks.

"You know I'm not a stormcloak." Another says, more calm, but still clearly annoyed.

"I don't care what you are, the Thalmor have you reported to be caught, so you will go where I say." Another aggressive voice shouts. Slowly I look around the corner of the path, trying to stay out of their sight line. Imperials. They were marching down the road, three of them, they were all to orderly and clean. I was getting tired of their presence.

Along side of them was a bound man. He, like I was just days ago, was a prisoner. His hands tied, and he was dressed in rags, his feet were bare. He had a strong build, and his dark hair was pulled back into a dread locked pony tail. The sides of his head were shaven. I was unsure of how he became captured, for the imperials were tiny against the nord's build, but here he marched along barefoot on the cobblestone road, on the way to meet the Thalmor.

My jaw tightened. I was tired of the Thalmor, and tired of the Legion. But there had been enough blood spilled for me in the last week. Still, I felt as if the man deserved my help. We had both been in the same position. Lives in the hands of the Empire.

I took off my armor behind the rock I was standing near, and wedge it in between a crevice. I buried my sword in the tall grass, point in the bottom half of the crack so I could find it without trouble later. My underclothes stuck to my body in sweat, and the cold winds made it freeze. I run down the road, and begin breathing deeply.

"Sir, sir!" I run in front of the Imperials, grabbing one of their arms. The Nord looks at me in confusing. "Are you soldiers? Of the Empire?" I ask, out of breath. The men stop and straighten their backs.

"Yes ma'm we are." The man who's arm I held replied in a much more official voice than I had heard him scream with before.

"Oh thank the eight. I just escaped Riverwood."

"Riverwood? What is going on?"

"Stormcloaks, they've taken out nearly every soldier in the area. They have hostages, I just escaped before... Before..." I pause, and forced my hands into my face. "My family, they got hold of my family."

One of the men in the back yelled forward "Sir, what do we do?"

"We have to go, the captive will have to stay here," he turns to face me. "Could you watch over him? If he gets away, don't come up the hill, down there is Whiterun. The guards may not let you in, but at least inform them on this man's capture." The speaking Imperial walks past him, checking him with his shoulder. It doesn't do much. The three run up the hill in uniform. It seems they do everything that way. Surprisingly the Nord doesn't move. I don't either, but when I see that they are gone, my posture stiffens, and I roll my eyes.

"Follow me." I say and start running to where I had left my things. He didn't ask any questions, just followed. When I got there, I grabbed my sword. He stepped back when I held it up. "Here, I can get your hands unbound for you. Hold them out." He lets me take his hands, but looks away. A greatsword is to big a weapon to take off bindings, so I end up uniting them instead. He rubs his wrists, and I start to strap on my armor.

"So why are you helping me? I have no idea who you are." He asks, confused.

"And I don't know you, but I've had my fill of the Empire, and no one needs to be at their mercy." I turn around to have him do the belt on my back. Out of habit it seems, he buckles it, and I turn around. "If you don't mind me asking, if you aren't a Stormcloak, why do the Thalmor want you?" I ask.

"It's alright, you can ask. I owe you my life. I killed one of their own. They raided my house looking for signs of Talos worship, so when I found him, I killed him. I've been on the run since then, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stopped them." I smiled, I had forgotten about how the Thalmor hated then nordic god Talos, it's not a problem in Valenwood, but it makes me hate them even more.

"So where are you going?" I ask him, trying to keep up conversation.

"I'm not sure, they took my armor and axe when they captured me." It seemed to be a common practice in the Empire.

"You are going to have to go somewhere, soon. As will I, they won't take kindly to my lies and your escape." I was beginning to sound like my sister. I smiled at the thought, I missed her.

"You're right. I owe you something, don't I. Do you have somewhere you were going? An adventurer doesn't take kindly to the roads." He was right, if I wanted to blend in, I should learn. It could have kept me out of Helgan.

"I'm going to Whiterun, got a message to deliver to the Jarl from Riverwood. The Imperials told me where it is, so I can get there." I point to the city off in the valley out in the distance. Suddenly there are hoof beats coming swiftly around the corner. I grab the man's arm, and guide him to dive into the tall grass.

Our noses are only feet from the road as we watch. The noise grows, and I see brown hooves stomp the ground, accompanied with wind, blowing my hair. Luckily, the man on the horse is going to fast to see us in our terrible hiding place. Once he is gone, the Nord stands up, and lends me a hand.

"Well I'll go with you then. I have no other place to go, and the imperial was right, you aren't getting into Whiterun, but you could say I'm well known there." He smirks to himself. I can't read what he is thinking. "And if you plan on taking the road, you are going to need to re think."

"Alright, we can travel together." I smile at him, I've been alone all the way through Cyrodiil, and no company is better than another wanted felon. I'm sure I will get the title when the Imperials see there is nothing wrong with the village. He offers me his hand to shake.

"Skalarn." He grunts in his gruff voice, shaking my hand firmly.

"Frea." I respond, smiling up at him, and he laughs a bit.