The Dragonborn Comes (a Skyrim fanfiction)

Chapter Seven: Underforge

I wake up from a nightmare, screaming and convulsing. I'm still on the side of the road by Helgen and I think dawn is beginning to break. I shakily get to my feet and I stumble away from Helgen, still screaming from the bad dreams. I get to Falkreath in record time and the guards look incredibly alarmed to see me running around and yelling. 

"Don't let Alduin take me!" I shriek, still delirious and half-asleep from the dreams. "DON'T SEND ME BACK TO BLACKREACH!"

"Hey, shut up. You're disturbing everyone!" 

"Helgen is still there!" I sob. "All of the dead are still there!"

One of them puts a hand on my shoulder and I scream and shake him off, shoving him a little. "Hey! The little bitch assaulted me!"

I suddenly snap back to reality and I feel sick again. I throw up again, splashing the guards, and it's a disgusting yellow colour due to me not eating in a while. 

"By order of the Jarl, I arrest you with charges of assaulting a guard, indecent conduct in public and disturbing the Jarl's peace,"

"You can't touch me, I'm Dragonborn!" I roar. 

The guards are both bigger than me, so they grab me easily and the gag me too. "Just so you don't get any ideas about Shouting your way out of this," he sneers. 

They haul me to the prisons and they lock me up in there. The second I hear the lock click, I begin to come back to reality and I groan and rub my forehead, trying to ease my approaching headache. The guards have taken away my armour and weapons, leaving me in just a roughspun tunic, the standard outfit for prisoners. 

I sit on a pile of hay and I seriously rethink all of my life choices. 

I spend a good few hours sitting and staring at the wall, occasionally dozing off. How long are they going to leave me in here? How are the others going to find me? Probably quickly...the guards'll brag about having the Dragonborn locked away and word will get around quickly. My eyes burn from a lack of sleep, but I don't want to sleep, in case the nightmares come back. After a few more hours of insanity-inducing boredom, I hear the doors to the dungeons open up and the clattering of armour walking towards my cell. 

I look up and my heart sinks. It's Kodlak and Vilkas. 

"Skylar, what on Nirn were you thinking!?" Vilkas exclaims. I look away from them, avoiding their gaze. 

"I don't know," I say in a small voice. 

"We paid the fine, you can leave now," Kodlak says sternly.

"Don't make me go past Helgen," I beg. 

"We won't," Kodlak's tone softens. "Vilkas, get the girl ready. Her stuff is in that chest. I have to sign some stuff with the guards,"

Vilkas unlocks the door and helps me to my feet. He looks at me and I can't read  the expression on his face. "Skylar, is there anything you feel like telling me?" 

"No, it's fine. I wouldn't want to bother you," I shake my head. 

"I'm really sorry for everything I've said and done," Vilkas says. He opens up the chest and I gladly pull my things out of there. "I know I've been an ass and you didn't deserve it. You saved my worthless life at Karthspire, even though you didn't have to. I hope you can forgive me,"

"I saved you because I already let someone die when they were with me," I answer simply. 

Vilkas tries to keep a conversation going, but I don't respond. I silently sheathe my weapons and tighten the straps to my armour. As we walk out of the dungeons, the guards stare at me judgmentally and I go to great lengths to ignore their gazes. I'm glad to get out of the prisons and to breathe in the refreshing and cool air of Skyrim's pine forest.