"What a welcome," a Khajiit prisoner muttered to no one in particular after waking up, finding herself bound on a carriage with a group of men. All she remembered was being ambushed at a keep on Riften's boarder, almost through a lock to start thieving any valuables in said keep. Then many, many Imperials rushed towards her, one of which knocked her out. This one should've been more careful... Then she was pulled out of her thoughts by some one on the carraige.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake," stated one of the men, a Nord by the sound of his accent. He was one of three other prisoners, one with a gag looked like a Nord, the other she wasn't so sure of — either Imperial or Nord — who is in the carriage with her. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into the Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

"Damn you, Stormcloaks," the thief spoke up. "Skyrim was just fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell," he complained to the Nord. "You there," he said, facing the Khajiit for the first time, "you and me — we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

"We're all brothers and sisters in bonds now, thief," the Nord says. As the Khajiit wondered where she was going, one of the Imperial guards spoke up, trying to silence their conversation.

"Shut up back there!" he called, not even giving them the dignity to face the prisoners.

Disregarding the Imperial's order, the horse thief looked at the gagged Nord and said, "And what's wrong with him, huh?"

Looking over at the noble looking Nord with a gag, he Khajiit thought, This one wonders why he has a gag.

The Nord replied sharply. "Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."

The thief looked to the Nord, and then to Ulfric. "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?"

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits," the Nord replied. It seemed he knew what awaited them all.

The thief, in shock and panic it seemed, said to himself, "No. This can't be happening. This isn't happening."

Then a brief silence as the carriage, bumping along, neared the gates of a town.

"Hey," the Nord said, breaking the silence, "What village are you from, horse thief?"

The thief, sounding sad and bitter, replied, "Why do you care?"

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home," the Nord replies. So the thief is a Nord, not an Imperial. The Khajiit thief thought to herself.

The Nord thief spoke again, not as bitter this time, though sadness still faintly hid in his voice. "Rorikstead. I'm... I'm from Rorikstead."

Interrupting the calm atmosphere, an Imperial called out, "General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!"

Another Imperial, probably this General Tullius, replied, "Good. Let's get this over with."

Praying to the Divines, the thief said to himself desperately, "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh, Divines, please help me."

They had entered the town that should have ended all their lives.

The Nord, ignoring the thief, said to no one in particular, "Look at him, General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with them. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this. This is Helgen," he said, addressing the Khajiit. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here once. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in." He paused for a moment, before commenting, "Funny, when I was a boy Imperial walls and towers used make me feel safe."

A father and son were watching the procession. "Who are they, daddy?" said the little boy, watching the Stormcloaks and Imperials enter the city. "Where are they going?"

His father replied, "You need to go inside, little cub."

The son, sounding mildly displeased, tried persuading his father. "Why? I want to watch the soldiers."

His father replied more sternly, "Inside the house. Now."

The little boy, sighing in defeat, said, sulking, "Yes, papa."

"Whoa!" called a soldier, bringing the carriage to a stop.

The thief, once more in a panic, asked, "Why are we stopping?"

"Get these prisoners out of the carts. Move it!" said an Imperial woman who seemed to be the Imperial Captain, her voice cutting above the carts stopping, the conversations, and the horses.

The Nord, having accepted his fate, said sadly, "Why do you think? End of the line. Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."

"No! Wait! We're not rebels!" The horse thief yelled, desperately trying to save his skin.

"Looks like it is the end for this one," the Khajiit said sadly, yet proudly. Everyone stood, and got off the cart. She was last.

"Face your death with some courage, thief," the Nord ordered. He knew his fate was sealed.

"You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!" the thief begged in a panic.

Holding a list, the soldier next to the captain waited to call the names.

Looking at her prisoners, the captain saaid, "Step toward the block when we call your name. One at a time."

The Nord muttered, "Empire loves their damned lists."

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm," the soldier said indifferently.

"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric!" called the Nord as Ulfric walked to the block. It seemed to the Khajiit that he was next in the line up.

"Ralof of Riverwood." The Nord — or rather, Ralof — followed Ulfric silently and proudly.

"Lokir of Rorikstead." The thief — Lokir — stepped forward and tried for one more plea.

"No, I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!" He started to run away. "You're not going to kill me!" This was very futile, the Khajiit knew. She watched him run away, until the captain ultimately sealed his fate with arrows.

"Halt!" she commanded, then called, "Archers!" The Khajiit watched as the archers immediately got ready and fired. Arrows rained down upon Lokir, killing him. "Anyone else feel like running?" she asked, daring anyone to try. She seemed far too eager for someone to make an attempt.

The soldier beside the captain then called the Khajiit thief forward. "Dar'Elaraya of Torval." Stepping forward, Dar'Elaraya tried to look proud in the face of her death. "Follow the captain, Khajiit. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Elsweyr."

"This one thanks you," she replied. Dar'Elaraya did as she was told and followed the Imperial Captain.

The Imperial that Ralof had called Tullius steps forward and talks to Ulfric, hatred easily heard in his voice. "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." Ulfric grunted in response, then Tullius continued, his tone of voice accusing. "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace."

A monstrous roar was heard, and it was not too far off.

"By the Twin Moons, what was that?" Dar'Elaraya muttered quietly, not wanting to draw attention from the guards.

The Imperial guard with the list echoed Dar'Elaraya's words, surely wondering what they all were. "What was that?"

Tullius, wanting to execute the Stormcloak prisoners of his, brushed off the roar in the sky as nothing. "It's nothing. Carry on."

"Yes, General Tullius," the Imperial Captain replied, rather enthusiastically. Turning to a priestess, the captain said, "Give them their last rites."

     The priestess at the front rose her hands to bless the prisoners, praying they go to Aetherius. They all had honor, after all. Even Dar'Elaraya, a novice Khajiiti thief. "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for you are the salt and earth of Nirn, our beloved —"

     This one thanks S'rendarr for this merciful soul, thought Dar'Elaraya right before the priestess was rudely interrupted by a Stormcloak.

     "For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with." Walking up to the front he continued angrily, "Come on. I haven't got all morning." He was pushed down to the block by a man who seemed to be the executioner, and before he was beheaded, he taunted the Imperial soldiers one last time. "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?" One moment later, the executioner brought the heavy blade of his axe down on the Stormcloak's neck, the head rolling into the basket and his body going limp.

     Ralof, having known what honorable soul has just left the realm of Mundus to join many fallen dead in Sovngarde, commented about his fallen comrade sadly. "As fearless in death as he was in life."

     Villagers who had seen the executed man die celebrated, making the Khajiit sick.

      "Justice!"

      "Death to the Stormcloaks!"

     "You Imperial bastards!" one Stormcloak woman shouted to the Imperials a small insult. Dar'Elaraya wanted to yell the same, but she had no favor in this civil war of the cold and harsh land and had no intention of joining it.

     Dar'Elaraya's tail was swishing from side to side in irritation, and the Imperial Captain called out the next to die. "Next, the cat!"

     The roar came again, dangerously close now. Dar'Elaraya ignored the captain as she wondered what monstrosity could have made such a thunderous roar.

     "There is it again. Hear that?"

Ignoring the soldier and the roar from the sky, the captain called irritably, "I said, next prisoner."

     Stunned, and finally hearing what the captain said, Dar'Elaraya froze. Noticing this, the soldier next to the captain with the list said with a small bit of sympathy, "To the block now, Khajiit. Nice and easy."

     Dar'Elaraya, having no other choice, slowly stepped up to the block and kneeled down, resting her head on the block. "Looks like this one has seen her last days," she mumbled sadly, right before the roar was heard a third time and something black was seen in the sky...

     One of the men Dar'Elaraya was facing away from yelled as they saw the beast, "What in Oblivion is that?"

     The Stormcloak woman yelled in alarm of what everyone had seen: "Dragon!" and it landed on a tower nearby, his roar fury's fire. As Tullius started to command his soldiers, everything went from bad to worse.

     The sky seemed to bend to the dragon's will, as boulders of fire rained down on Helgen, ironically saving Dar'Elaraya's life. Now standing and dazed, she heard Ralof yell to her, seeming to not only want to save his skin, but hers as well. "Come on! The gods won't give us another chance!" Still bound, Dar'Elaraya got up and started to run after the man into another tower. Inside, there was the other Nord that she had met, Ulfric Stormcloak, and the only others were injured Stormcloaks; a Nord woman, who was bleeding from what looked like a stomach wound, and a Nord man, also bleeding from a wound, though Dar'Elaraya was unsure of the cause.

     Ralof, having recovered from the dragon attack quickly, started talking to the Jarl of Windhelm, probably hoping for a plan of escape. "Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?"

     Ulfric responded gravely. "Legends don't burn down villages. We need to move, now!"

     Ralof, now done with his brief talk with Ulfric, turned to Dar'Elaraya. "Up the stairs! Let's go!"

     Obeying, The Khajiit ran up the stairs after him. As she ran up, Ralof stopped as they came to a "landing" step with another Stormcloak on it. As she was about to relay Ralof and Ulfric's orders, the black dragon burst through the wall, not only crushing the soldier, but burning him with his flames through the hole. The Khajiit pressed herself against the wall, feeling the flames singe her fur slightly. Then the dragon left, causing chaos elsewhere in the town.

     Ralof took advantage of the new way, and pointed out the hole to the inn nearby. "See that inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going! We'll catch up when we can."

     Looking out the hole, Dar'Elaraya decided she'd rather do the jump without being bound. She summoned a bit of magic that she learned years ago, and conjured flames to her palm to burn away at the rope. Her father, who had taught her the magic, had also shown her how to will the flames to not burn her flesh or fur, so she was unharmed. As soon as she got the rope off, she took a running leap and fell towards the hole in the inn roof. Landing gracefully, she immediately started running again, and down a hole in the inn's second floor, landing just as gracefully as before.

     The Khajiit ran through the burned building, catching sight of the Imperial soldier who had been calling the names. Hearing talk between him, another soldier, and a boy, Dar'Elaraya caught his name, not that it was very important, though. Chances were no one was leaving Helgen. He was Hadvar, and when she came close enough to hear, what she had heard was not in the least promising: "Gods, everyone get back!" Noticing the Khajiit, Hadvar called out to her, "Still alive, Khajiit? Stay close to me if you want to stay that way." He led the way after he gave an order to the other man, and headed for a wall just across the road. "Stay close to the wall!" Dar'Elaraya heard that and obeyed, right before a giant black wing nearly impaled her. Resisting the sudden instinct to rake her claws along the wing, she thought better of it in favor of staying unnoticed by the dark, fire breathing shadow.

     Once more, the dragon left them and went somewhere else to cause havoc.

     Hadvar got a move on, running away from the wall and through a burned home. Imperial archers stood in front of them, aiming for the dragon. Hadvar passed them by, not even looking at them nor wishing them luck. "Dar'Elaraya does not trust this one," she muttered, still following the soldier, close on his heels.

     "It's you and me, Khajiit, stay close," he called as they passed under a small and demolished arch, coming up on another keep. Then seeing and hearing another set of footsteps and the man who made them, Hadvar yelled angrily to the other man. "Ralof, you damned traitor! Get out of my way!"

     "We're escaping, Hadvar, you won't stop us this time!"

     "Fine! I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!" That a strange way to say "I hope you die..."

     They then went their separate ways, each calling to Dar'Elaraya to follow them. Since the Stormcloaks were less likely to turn her into the Empire, especially with her thieving, she followed Ralof into the keep. Upon entry, the Khajiit saw Ralof walk over to a body, dressed in the Stormcloak armor, and murmured quietly, "We'll meet again in Sovngarde, brother." Getting up and facing her, Ralof commented on the obvious: "Looks like we're the only ones that made it. That thing was a dragon, no doubt. Just like the children's story's and the legends. The harbingers of the end times. We better get moving." He then pointed to his dead friend. "You may as well take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it anymore." Dar'Elaraya took his armor and his iron war axe. She'd rather have a sword or dagger, but those could come off the Imperial soldiers they were bound to face, along with some septims to get herself to another state — she recalled they were called Holds here — and start thieving once more. "Alright." Ralof said, after she had looted Gunjar. "Now get that armor on and give that axe a few swings. I'm going to see if I can find some way out of here."

     After changing in a dark corner, she then swung the axe to test the balance and strength needed to use it properly. "This one is ready," she said simply and followed the Nord by the door, instinctively starting to sneak behind him.

     "Ah, this is locked. Let's try the other gate." Checking the other gate, Ralof cursed. "Damn! No way to open this gate from our side."

     "Come on soldiers!" the captain's voice rang through the keep, apparently she had survived so far as well. Ralof, thinking quick, whispered, "Quick, hide!" And so they crouch on either side of the gate, weapons ready.

     The captain and her soldiers were getting near. "Get this gate open," she ordered. It started to open, slowly.

     With a nod from Ralof, the Khajiit and Nord stood up and immediately had their weapons flashing. Both the soldier and captain went for Ralof first, since he was a warrior for sure and a greater threat. They left the Khajiit thief alone, thinking thieve don't like killing more than they like sneaking around undetected most likely, and are unskilled in battle. That was their undoing, ironically. Sneaking behind both Imperials while they tried to take down Ralof, Dar'Elaraya slammed the hilt of her axe on the soldier's head then, aiming for the neck, decapitated the Imperial Captain.

     "Maybe one of these Imperials had the key. Help me check their pockets, Khajiit." Taking her cue, Dar'Elaraya started to go through their pockets, taking an Imperial steel sword, Imperial light bracers and boots, and the key. Handing over the key to Ralof, she adorned the bracers and boots and brought out the sword, then followed him to the door he wanted to go through at first. "Let's see if it opens that door." He took a minute to unlock the door then... "That's it! Come on, let's get out of here before the dragon brings the whole tower down on our heads." They proceeded through the door, the Khajiit in a low crouch, as if she were robbing the keep blind, like she was about to do before being sent here. Going down the stairs carefully, the Khajiit used her superior hearing and smell to taste the air for any other scents and listen for any footsteps or voices. Baring her teeth, flattening her ears, and narrowing her eyes she got a head of Ralof and peaked around the corner. Sure enough, there was an Imperial there. Just as she was getting ready to rush him, the ceiling fell down on top of him.

     "Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easily," Ralof said, looking at the stone barrier that stood in their path. The Khajiit heard a voice beyond the door they now were headed through, and growled. "Come on. Grab everything important and let's move. The dragon's burning everything to the ground." Then the Stormcloak and Khajiit walked in, for a short time unnoticed.

     "Just need to gather some more potions..." said an Imperial.

     Then they were noticed. "Imperial dogs!" yelled Ralof to the two Imperial soldiers.

(Up to this point has been edited, and I will finish editing the rest of this chapter at another time. I'm sorry for the atrocious use of quotation marks up until chapter three I believe it is, and I hope to fix that soon.)

"Stormcloaks! Filthy traitors!" Then the soldier is cut down by Ralof, Dar'Elaraya after the light armored soldier. Casting fire towards the soldier, he caught fire, burning to death by flames. And if he didn't die by flames that was fine; Dar'Elaraya would finish his life either way. Seeing the soldier was putting out the flames easily, she pulled out Gunjar's axe and slashed it across his midsection, causing a bloody stomach wound. Those never went well, and since no one would come back this way, Dar'Elaraya decided to do him a favor and kill him. Moving on to forget about the kills she'd been forced to make and will make in the near future, Dar'Elaraya doesn't look at her kill. Dar'Elaraya just wants to be a thief, not a murderer! Not that these men give her that choice, she thinks angrily.

Ralof, noticing where they were, told the Khajiit to have a look around. "A storeroom. See if you can find any potions. We'll need them." So she has a look around, looking for gold or alchemical ingredients or food. Hm... A barrel. She checks inside, and she finds a minor stamina potion, a minor magicka potion, and three minor healing potions. Now for the kitchen part of the keep. Maybe some herbs or spices can be used for alchemy... Trailing off in though and continuing in mutters, Dar'Elaraya searches for anything good. "Perhaps this one might find spices from Elsweyr." Though she seriously doubted it.

In the kitchen, she found a knapsack to keep her equipment in, another minor healing potion and minor magicka potion, half a loaf of bread, some salt, and some meat from hanging animals: rabbit haunch and pheasant breast.

Looking the kitchen over incase she missed any gold, Dar'Elaraya heard Ralof call from another exit. "Hurry it up Khajiit, who knows how well this place will hold up under a dragon?" Nothing more to grab, she hurries over, seeing more rabbit and other items, she takes the two rabbit haunches, another bit of salt, and another minor healing potion. Finally as ready as she'll ever be, Dar'Elaraya walks over to Ralof. "Done?" He says, turning to go through the door. "Let's get moving." He walks through the door, the Khajiit in tow. Going into the hall that was blocked by the ceiling, they go down some stairs. Voices are heard easily by Dar'Elaraya, two sounded Imperial, two had the accent of the Nords.

"Troll's blood! It's a torture room." Ralof curses, and now she could hear what they were saying. A cry could be heard, a woman, and weapons could be heard clashing. Another battle? As they enter the room, Dar'Elaraya sees two Stormcloaks, a man and woman, fighting a torturer and his assistant. The assistant went down before Ralof quickly joined the fight, and the torturer went down quick as well. "Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" He asked the fellow Stormcloaks.

Looking at Ralof, the woman says, "No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up."

Ralof, looking around for more suitable equipment, notices the cages that were ignored by everyone, even a scavenger-thief such as Dar'Elaraya. "Wait a second." Going over to one of the cages, Ralof points to a cage with a pickaxe, dead man, a spell tome, and... Gold! She celebrates inwardly having finding some very much needed septims. "Looks like there's something in this cage. Ah, it's looked. See if you can get it open with some picks, Khajiit. We may need that gold when we get out of here." Up to the challenge, the Khajiit grabs some picks off the table and starts to work. "This lock is too easy." Only a few tumblers, and she got through them without breaking her pick. Opening the cage, she snatches up the septims, the soldiers letting her keep them. Strange. She thinks, wondering why they aren't asking for them. Shrugging, she looks at the tome. Dar'Elaraya can learn that spell later, and if she ever get sent to jail again, she can bust out with magic.

Checking the other cages, Dar'Elaraya sees nothing in one and bones in another. "This place has served its purpose." She comments to herself. Now looking at the rest of the room, a table and a place for torture tools, she goes and checks the knapsack, snatching the book, "Book of the Dragonborn." In the knapsack were four lockpicks and a minor healing potion. She grabbed them, now noticing Ralof and the two other Stormcloaks had left her, going through a hallway. Having no other alternative, the Khajiit shouldered the knapsack and followed them into the hallway. Turned out to be more cells, some with nothing, others with skeletons. One had a coin purse near a skeleton, so Dar'Elaraya pulled out her lockpicks and found a flat, narrow bit of stone on the floor to help keep the lock open. She'd get a better knife or special shiv later. Getting the lock picked, she went inside, grabbed the purse, and got out. As she continued, she smelled much death around her.

Another room. Big surprise. A torture chamber, while entering, had two hanging cages that looked like oversized bird cages. One had an unfortunate occupant. Nord. Most likely a Stormcloak. To keep herself from slightly vomiting, Dar'Elaraya kept moving and held her breath. Curiosity helped in this, because there was a tunnel dug into the wall. Ralof and the Stormcloaks stood near it, waiting for her to catch up. Looking past him, Dar'Elaraya notices the tunnel looks eerily familiar to those that belong to the Atmoran tombs of ancient Nords. Crouching slightly, she follows him into the tunnel. Twisting and turning just like the Atmoran tombs. Then voices of Imperial soldiers could be heard ahead, she lets out her breath she forgot she was holding.

"We are to await until General Tullius arrives."

"I'm not waiting to be killed by a dragon! We need to clear out!"

"Just give the General some time."

The Stormcloaks and the Khajiit enter the cavern, and a battle starts. Battle cries and taunts ring around the cavern, metal on metal, making echoes strange and disorienting.

"Freedom or Sovngarde!"

"Ha! Like the bite of a flea!"

"That the best you can do?"

"Imperial bastards!"

Metal clashing with metal, Dar'Elaraya did not avoid the conflict this time. Dueling with a swordsman who surpassed her shameful skill with a sword, she brings up her hand, palm facing the soldier, and commanded flames to burst from it. The Imperial, taken by surprise, jumped back, away from the flames. His leather Imperial armor was burnt, but under that he was fine. Using the flame to engulf her sword, she reengaged combat with him, fire coming off the sword. Seeing a steel dagger in the floor from a fallen Imperial soldier, Dar'Elaraya snaches it up quick, jabbing it into the man's gut. The steel easily went through the leather, and he dropped his sword. No longer hearing steel on steel, she hurried after the scent of the Stormcloaks, eager to get back to her "normal" life of thieving.

"...see if the way is clear." Dar'Elaraya heard Ralof saying to the Stormcloak soldiers. He was standing by another tunnel, waiting for the Khajiit to hurry up with her looting. When she caught up, he lead her into the short tunnel. A bridge blocked the path, and a lever lowered it. Pulling the lever, Ralof comments aloud, "Let's see where this goes."

The bridge lowers, opening into another cavern. As the Khajiit walked over the bridge, a sense told her there was another tunnel, hidden from view. She could smell water, though water was no where, and heard the water running below her. Deciding to lift the bridge after the other Stormcloaks got across, she acted as though it weren't there. As she got on the other side of the bridge, however, the ceiling collapsed and crushed through the wooden bridge. Noticing the tunnel that she had sensed before, Dar'Elaraya jumped down into the small gap and carefully stepped into the tunnel. It was small at first, but as she walked on it grew bigger and wider. At the small stream's turn, she saw a skeleton, a minor healing potion, and a coin purse. Snatching up the gold and potion and storing them in her knapsack, she continued to follow where the small stream of water was flowing.

Exiting the tunnel, she came out into a large cavern. Able to hear Ralof walking down the stairs she saw, she decided that this was the cavern she and Ralof had just entered moments ago. Ralof coming into Dar'Elaraya's view and vice versa, she waved to him to hurry up, darting into the next tunnel. The stream continues, but into a place humanoids cannot go. There was another tunnel, leading into another cavern, that the water did not follow. "That doesn't go anywhere. I guess we'll have to try this one." He continues into the tunnel, followed by Dar'Elaraya, at a slight distance.

With only her sharpened senses did she notice the frostbite spiders a split second before they descended from the cave ceiling. Drawing her sword in her right hand and flames in her left, she killed one by flames before they all had their legs on the ground. Ralof going for one and the Khajiit fighting the other, a few more joined the fight. Two verses one for both the Khajiit and the Nord, Dar'Elaraya set her two on fire killing them quick. Ralof used two hefty swings, slicing right through the spiders. One swing each. With that brief fight, the spiders were dispatched of quickly. The Khajiit picked up the poisons from the spiders incase she either wanted to sell them, or more likely, use them on arrows when she gets a better bow. Possibly a hunter's recurve bow or an Imperial bow to start with.

Nothing else to loot, Dar'Elaraya leads the way into the next cave. There was a hallway looking bit, which included the stream that vanished from them earlier, and as the Khajiit looked around the corner, she saw the hugeness of it. It was much bigger than the previous, and inhabited. She could smell bear. Ralof realized they weren't alone also. He whispers to her very quietly. "Hold up. There's a bear ahead. See her? I'd rather not tangle with her right now. Let's try to sneak by. Just take it nice and slow, and watch where you step. Or if you're feeling lucky," he offers her a bow and some iron arrows, "you can take this bow. Might take her by surprise. Go ahead. I'll follow your lead and watch your back." Not taking the bow, the Khajiit keeps crouched, and starts to sneak. Ralof, true to his word, followed. Slowly and steadily, they move by the bear silently.

"That was close." Ralof says haphazardly, still close to the bear.

"Shh!" Hisses the Khajiit, turning and narrowing her eyes at the Nord, aware of a slight movement from the bear. "She heard you."

They stayed silent for a bit more, going down a slope. Dar'Elaraya smelled fresh air, a real blessing from Khenarthi.

"Looks like the way out. Knew we'd make it." They see sunlight, something they haven't seen since the dragon rained hell on Helgen.

They exit the cave, hearing huge wingbeats from above. "Wait!" Whispers Ralof, crouching behind a rock. Dar'Elaraya didn't move, she saw the dragon heading northwest, away from them. She watched it fly away, wondering if her personal quest would take her after it.

"There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time. No way to know if anyone else made it out alive. But this place will be swarming with Imperials soon enough. We'd better clear out of here. My sister Gerdur runs the mill in Riverwood, just up the road. I'm sure she'd help you out. It's probably best if we split up near the Guardian Stones." Small silence, soon broken. "You know, you should go to Windhelm and join the fight to free Skyrim. You've seen the true face of the Empire here today. If anyone will know what the coming of the dragons means, it's Ulfric." They go a little ways more in silence, then Ralof points to a barrow on the other side of the river. "See that ruin up there? Bleak Falls Barrow. I never understood how my sister could live in the shadow of that place. I guess you just get used to it."

They keep walking, downward to a turn and downward still, and come upon some strange stone pillars. Dar'Elaraya jogs ahead to look at the rock, seeing the curious constellations engraved in them. She thought she recognized one of them, the one to the left...

Ralof catches up. "These are the Guardian Stones. Three of the thirteen ancient Standing Stones that dot Skyrim's landscape. Go ahead, see for yourself."

And it hit Dar'Elaraya. The left Guardian Stone was the Thief Stone, the constellation is her birthsign. How did she not remember? Then Ralof interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, Khajiit, I'm going to continue to Riverwood. Good luck. I wouldn't have made it out without your help today." They wave good bye to each other, and Dar'Elaraya looks back at the Stones. Then Ralof calls back. "Hey, you might need this on wherever your travels take you." He handed her a map. She took it gratefully and looked back to the Stones. Should she follow the path of the warrior, of strength, and choose the Warrior Stone and head to Whiterun to join the Companions in Jorrvaskr? Will she continue her path of thieving, of stealth, and choose her birthsign, the Thief Stone and head south to join the Thieve's Guild? Or should she choose the path of magic, of knowledge, and choose the Mage Stone, heading to the farthest northern corner of Skyrim and join the mages at the College of Winterhold? "Many choices this one has..." She murmurs.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♖Chapter Complete!♖

But please answer the first question below regarding how Dar'Elaraya speaks...

♖First off, please tell me what you think of this and the way I am using the normal Khajiit speak! Should I keep it how it is, or change to normal Imperial like speech? If a majority doesn't like it, please tell me and I'll write Dar'Elaraya's dialogue in normal Tamrielic (or English) and fix this chapter and the next, since I have a head start on it. I will keep using the Khajiiti Pantheon, just because it's a fun bit :). Creative criticism or advice on how I should write would be greatly appreciated, and your opinion on how you like or hate this story. I will be completing this story, no matter what the comments may say, so if only one person out there likes it, do not worry about me stopping! :D

♖Now to get on with things...

♖Sorry there was so much dialogue in beginning of this chapter, and the poorish quality of my writing here, but most of this is in the beginning of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. So not much flexibility here for me. Not much going on and much more dialogue than actions, Bethesda nearly made this chapter. All dialogue other than my Khajiit's is directly out of the game, leaving out a few bits and pieces and adding others. The following chapters hopefully will be better made, and I don't know how to make this thing better. Of course this has spoilers for the start of the game, but hey, its Sept. 1, 2014. The game came out three years ago (Nov. 11, 2011) so who ever is going to play it will have played it by now. Everything but Dar'Elaraya is Bethesda's, and even the Khajiit name I made from two bits in the Khajiit lore I found on the UESP wiki (Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages). "Dar" means "thief" to put it simply. And Elaraya is a Khajiit name used in a previous Elder Scrolls game. WARNING: THIS STORY WILL HAVE SPOILERS FOR THE "Thieve's Guild" QUEST LINE. Skyrim belongs to Bethesda, if you haven't already guessed. And sorry this chapter is coming along slowly, but I only have a few hours a day during the week (on weekends I will hopefully be getting things done quicker >.<) to look at a Skyrim Let's Play to get the dialogue I need for this chapter. At chapter endings I will be having an 'author's note' thing, and if anyone looks on dA and finds stories, this is going to be similar to the description. All looted items in this chapter can be found in Helgen, and so can the enemies. Also, if the constant updates of my story are an annoyance, I'm sorry once more. But I need to save my writing as I am going to YouTube and then back to Wattpad, and this app likes to refresh after I wrote a bit... . The updates should be less as I get away from characters with SO MUCH FREAKING DIALOGUE UGH.

♪ This chapter is still being updated (typos) ♪