Have Your War

In the beginning, there wasn't much of a choice.

I had never really imagined myself in this situation. Hands behind my back, cloth tied around mouth stuck bouncing around on a carriage banging against hard wood and the bodies of others in a similar state. Everything was perfectly fine, well, for the most part. A few wolves here and there, fallen by an arrow each and a blistered heel. I was moving along just fine until I was attacked by a group of Nords and then captured by a group of Imperials. Right then and there I was charged with smuggling (what, I don't know). I was stripped of my armor and possessions, hustled into prisoner garb, bound and thrown into a carriage.

Our ride traipsed on at about a snails pace as we started a steady decline downwards. This was the first time I really looked at my travel companions. All three were Nords. On wore a peculiar set of armor, the other, prisoners garb like me. The last one wore fine clothes. A feathery black cloak with a bluish tunic of carefully spun wool and sleek black trousers. This man was also gagged about his mouth, though his binding seemed much, much more durable. I removed my eyes from his person and with a glance I noticed the oddly armored Nord staring at me. Finding no interest in a staring contest I heaved a sigh and looked away. I felt this man's eyes on me and I glanced to him again. He seemed focused on my ears. Not my eyes or my skin or my hair, but my ears. I shook my head from side to side and covered my pointed cartilage. He offered a low chuckle in response.

"You can't cover what has already been shown, son." he laughed. "You're a bit far from home, aren't you?"

I returned his remark with a glare and looked forward on the path before us. In the distance, I watched gates become clear. A town.

"Wh-where are they taking us?" The other Nord man asked.

The man who had contently marveled at my ears looked down.

"Helgen..." He said slowly. "End of the line, horse thief"

I continued to watch ahead, fascinated. The gates grew close and closer. We would be stopping soon. For what? The though of imprisonment was pushed from my head as I squeezed my eyes shut. A buzzing circled my brain, a fly I could swat. The end of the line. For the life of me, I couldn't understand. That is, not until we entered the gate and I listened to the horse thief beg the divines for his life. The end of the line. We were going to die. No trial ,no letter home, no reassurance. Prosecute first, question later.

The carriage stopped and we all stood and jumped out. Listening to the names being called, numbness grew inside me. Death. I was going to die today. I watched as everyone before me was called, The finely dressed man, Jarl Ulfric of Windhelm and the armored man, Ralof of Riverwood, went courageously to await their demise where as the horse thief ran from his, only to receive an arrow to the back of his skull. I watched this with a numb surprise. No remorse, no question, no anything.

The guard next to who I assumed to be the captain achieved my attention wanting to know who I was. Name, Race, Home Providence. Again, felling incredibly numb, away from my body, he got his information. Re Sai, Altmer , Summerset Isle. He asked his captain what to do, to which she replied that I was to die with the others, and I was directed towards the block. Something screeched loudly in the distance, perhaps a woman, but things continued.  I looked away as another man in odd armor was killed, his head cut clean off. I was ordered to be next. Pushed to my knees, Head bowed watching and waiting for my death, the screech was hard again. I closed my eyes waiting for the axe to make contact with my skin when an explosion of rock and fire reigned down. My eyes flew open and as I lifted my head at the wrong time, a brick nicked my shoulder, leaving a small but jagged cut. Blood poured freely down my arm and my senses returned to me. Looking around I located a watch tower and I bolted forward. One step at a time my feet carried me with the speed of light. I ran inside and began to follow the guard who questioned me. Hadvar. He guided me through the burning city and the keep and we escaped together.

Once on the road, as safe as we would be, he treated my arm as best he could and we began to part.

"you fought well." he commented.

"Thanks, although a battle axe isn't really my style." I replied.

Hadvar laughed.

"You know, just because your an elf doesn't mean you can't be a soldier."

I whipped my head to glare at him.

"I refuse to become part of the Thalmar!" I shouted.

The Nord before me shook his head.

"Not a Thalmar. A Stormcloak or an Imperial. That choice is yours, but either way a soldier."

And that's when I really knew, for the first time since I entered this country, I had a choice.