The sun rose bright and early on the last day of the week, its golden beams streaming into the bedroom and catching specks of dust as they swirled in the air. Inches away from the light's territory lay a girl, on a bed in the centre of the room, wrapped in a cocoon of cotton sheets. She groaned as the sun crept towards her, one arm lazily thrown over her face.

"Becky!"

A voice called from beneath, and the girl groaned again. But this time she sat up, blinking a bleary hazel eye open.

"Yeah, I'm up." she mumbled, quiet enough that her inquisitor continued to shout.

"Becky, dear, are you awake?"

"Yes, Mum!" she called back, louder, rubbing her face and swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She heard the patter of feet up the staircase and anticipated the knock on her door with another groan.

"Can I come in?" 

Rebecca's mother eased the door open, beaming at her daughter. She was in no state to beam back, and simply glared, gesturing dismissively as if to say 'Why not? You're already here'.

"I'm going out to walk the dog, but I'll be back soon." she told her, perching on the end of the bed and tucking a strand of auburn hair behind Rebecca's ear. Her daughter grimaced and batted her away.

"Fine." she reached for a bottle of water on her bedside table.

"Oh, it's so lovely to have you back from uni for the holidays!" Without warning, her mother lunged at Rebecca and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Her daughter spluttered through her water, arms pressing down on her throat.

"Mum, you're on my windpipe!" she gasped.

"Oops!" her mother giggled, wiping a drop from her daughter's chin. "Have some breakfast if you're peckish. And don't go on that blasted machine while I'm out!" she called over her shoulder. 

Rebecca lay back on her bed, listening to the dog barking and then the sound of the door slamming from far below, allowing herself a small smile. As soon as she heard the key turn in the lock, she threw back the covers, yanked on some trackies and a hoodie, and raced down the stairs to her brother's room, where the Xbox lay dormant in his absence.

She grinned at the familiar startup ding of the console as she turned on her personalised controller, Master Chief's face looming above the joysticks. But it was not any game from the Halo series that she selected as her Kinect bid her welcome. No – after studying hard for a term at university without her set up or a console in sight, there was but one story that Rebecca wished to relive for her first weekend back home. She felt a shiver as the black screen in front of her began to smoke, and a distant chant called out to her from within the TV.

Jumping onto her brother's bed, she tipped her head back to revel for a moment as the chant grew louder and louder, until it evolved into the iconic Dovahkiin song. She sang along under her breath, scrolling through previous saves with a grin. Rebecca had no desire to launch straight back into a level 60 character, with ebony armour and a disappointing Alduin to face, so she chose to start a new game – mods off. Something she hadn't attempted in a long time.

The singing stopped abruptly, and was replaced by a loading screen. Her love for the game ran so deep that even the appearance of the studio title on screen made her want to squeal with excitement. But just as the clip-clopping of the opening audio sounded, the screen froze, and minimized until it was barely the size of a matchbox.

"Oh- what!" Rebecca protested, standing up and leaning closer to the television. Squinting to get a better look, she realised that the graphics and audio were, in fact, still working - just on a much smaller scale. She reached to tap the screen, but instead found it getting larger. Assuming it was now working, Rebecca moved to sit back on the bed. But her hands grabbed at empty air, and a scream was ripped from her as she realised that the screen was not growing, but rushing up towards her, wind flying through her hair as a small, wooden cart came closer and closer until-

BAM!

With a start, Rebecca looked up, brushing the hair from her face and gasping in shock to find that she was no longer in her brother's bedroom, but in a wagon, bumping along a cobblestone road in a pine forest. It was jarring to find the sounds of woodland animals and the floral scents carried by the warm breeze so terrifying, but despite the therapeutic setting, every fibre of her being was screaming internally. And against her skin - what was that? She looked down to find not her trackies and hoodie, but a rough spun tunic, yellow in colour and scratching against her chest.

"Hey, you're finally awake."

Her head snapped up in fear. Although the man that voice belonged to posed no threat, Rebecca flinched as she took in the soldier sitting in front of her for the first time.

"No," she whispered, her eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets. Across the cart from her, sat none other than Ralof of Riverwood, the first character in Skyrim. Her jaw practically fell to the floor as she took him in. Although his features were softer, and less defined than in the game, there was no mistaking his identity; shaggy blonde hair hanging by his shoulders, and a Stormcloak cuirass that clinked with every tremble of the carriage. He was unmistakable, despite the twist that reality had taken on his appearance.

"You were trying to cross the border, right?" he asked. 

Rebecca stared stupidly, unable to make any coherent sound.

"Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us." he added, his voice thick with that familiar yet foreign Nordic accent. Rebecca decided that she must be dreaming, and slapped herself. Hard.

"Hey- what're you doing?"

She looked up, a frown knitted across her brow as Ralof grabbed her wrist. Their hands touched, his fingers rough and calloused against her palm – skin that had never seen a real day of labour, unlike his. So, he was corporeal then. This was no hallucination. Her own hand had certainly felt real enough against her cheek.

But what shocked her most about their interaction was not the discovery of Ralof having a physical form, but his words. She was sure that wasn't a scripted line...he had strayed from the dialogue. But for what?

As she sat in awe of him, the Nord turned his attention away from her, and continued to talk. That's when Rebecca noticed the elf sitting beside her. She was wearing the same tunic, her hands bound just as Ralof's were, and as silent as Rebecca without the expression of utter bewilderment. For the first time it occurred to her that the man had not been speaking to her, but to this gold-skinned Altmer. 

Rebecca rubbed her tired eyes in disbelief as she took in the other two occupants of the carriage, a horse thief, and Ulfric Stormcloak himself - the leader of the rebel Stormcloak rebellion - bound and gagged in his heavy fur-lined armour. A wave of nausea hit her suddenly, and it wasn't because of the lurching of the carriage. If she remembered correctly, that horse thief would be shot dead in a matter of minutes. And if this journey bore any resemblance to the video game, then Alduin, World-Eater, would be swooping down to lay destruction and death at the doorstep of Helgen upon their arrival.

Panic took over, and, thinking fast, Rebecca turned on the bench and gripped the side of the carriage, swinging herself over it. Time seemed to slow as she jumped, turning to watch the Altmer woman as she leaped. There was something about those piercing green eyes, that scar on her cheek...she seemed hauntingly familiar.

"Hey!"

Ralof had stood up in the carriage and was glaring at her. Time sped back up, her bare feet hit the freezing ground and she heard the carriage driver turn in his seat. Rebecca didn't wait to see if he had spotted her.

She whipped off into the woods, pine needles pricking at her feet as she sprinted, faster than she ever had in her life - going where, she wasn't sure. Her muscles screamed in protest as a chorus of angry shouts rose up from the break in the trees. She kept running in what she hoped was the direction of the first town, Riverwood, but having never explored Helgen other than in ruins, she had no idea what the surrounding area looked like, or which side of the settlement she was on.

The yelling subsided as she put more distance between herself and the Imperial soldiers, relief coursing through her as the clamour faded in the distance. But now her mouth tasted of blood, and each pine looked identical as she dipped and climbed the forest in search of any kind of landmark. Perhaps she was near the border? If this was anything like the game, then she wouldn't be able to cross it – what's more, it would likely be manned by more soldiers. And, Rebecca had to admit, a girl with bound hands, wearing nothing but rags would not be assumed innocent, much less pointed in the direction of the nearest town.

A thought suddenly occurred to her, and Rebecca stopped to kneel at a stream snaking along the forest floor. Looking down into the clear, mountain water, she squinted at her own reflection, fearful that she might find someone else staring back at her. But, to her relief, the girl in the water had the same curly auburn hair, the same green eyes, currently filled with fear, and the same full face dotted with freckles.

Hearing a twig snap somewhere behind her, Rebecca froze, her eyes widening in the reflection. She stood up slowly, bending from her aching knees, but it was too late. Before she could manage even half a turn, a long, glinting silver knife appeared at her throat. The metal was cold against her skin, and pressed so hard that she could feel her own pulse against the blade.

"Do not move." her attacker growled. Rebecca, swallowing, raised her arms above her head and dared to glance down at the hands that held her captive. To her surprise, they were furry, and had long, dark claws where the fingernails should have been. Rebecca felt her stomach drop as she realised that her assailant was not simply a bandit, but a Khajiit, capable of slashing her throat with or without this dagger in his hands. He had also snuck up on her without her notice, which meant he was skilled. She closed her eyes and hoped to high hell he took pity on her.

"Listen, I don't have any valuables, I'm just-"

"Sh!" the Khajiit silenced her with a hiss. He seemed to be listening out for the last of the Imperial soldiers, frogmarching her behind a tree as the voices grew fainter. Despite her fear, Rebecca found that part of her was just as anxious to face a Khajiit in real life as she was to be found by the soldiers. The feline race had always looked so artificial in the game - she could only wonder at their real life rendition. When the forest was once again silent but for the wind whistling through the pines, he removed the blade from her neck.

Rebecca fell in a fit of coughing as air suddenly rushed back into her lungs, hands on her knees as the Khajiit stepped around in front of her.

Upon finding the courage to look up, the first word that came to Rebecca's mind was magnificent. The feline creature that stood before her in the woods that day was certainly nothing less. At his full height he was at least a head taller than her, and that was without the long, dark ears that swivelled at every rustle or snap in the branches around them. His fur was a  dark grey, mottled with white patches and black stripes, and he had a slash of scars across the bridge of his pink nose. But it was his eyes that captivated her the most. 

This Khajiit wore light armour, of a dark, black leather, and had a thin, sleek elven sword at his side, but Rebecca could register none of it due to the amber orbs, bright as lamps in the canopy of the woods, set like jewels against the dark frame of his face. He seemed to be watching her, trying to assess whether she posed any threat or not. Rebecca found herself able to do little else but let him, the memory of his glinting dagger still fresh in her mind.

"You are a prisoner?" he rasped.

Rebecca nodded slowly, fearful of making any sudden moves in case he changed his mind and slashed her throat for good measure. "But not a valuable one," she quickly explained. "My name isn't even on their list." she added, remembering the familiar course of events at Helgen from the game.

The Khajiit's mouth twitched in a curious sort of smile. "And what is this one's name, hm?"

"Rebecca," she answered. In the distance, the spine-chilling scream of a dragon split the summer air, bouncing between the trees towards them. The Khajiit whipped around, the hair on the back of his neck rising.

"But we'd better get out of here, fast." she added. The cat nodded, his hard amber eyes betraying no sign of fear.

Without a moment to pause, he raced off into the undergrowth, barely giving Rebecca time to breath before haring off after him, her lungs heaving. Another roar echoed across the land and made her shudder as she ran, barely keeping up with the cat as he weaved between trees, following an invisible path. 

The dragons sounded significantly more terrifying in real life, and if this was from afar...she could only imagine meeting one face to face. After what seemed like a millennium, her Khajiit guide stopped at the edge of the tree line, stepping out onto the poorly paved road once again. Warm sunlight washed Rebecca's face, reminding her of the morning light that had cut through the dark and dust of her bedroom only minutes ago.

She had to shield her eyes just to get a good look at the land as it fell and rose again in front of them, and, with a gasp, she realised that they were standing on the path to Riverwood. Beneath them was the rushing river itself, glimmering in the daylight as salmon leaped up and out of the current, twirling in the air. She no longer had to imagine its icy cold waters lapping at the rocky banks and rushing down the waterfalls up ahead. It was all here in front of her. Across the valley was Bleak Falls Barrow, in all its stony glory, its giant arches rising like ominous gates against the snow of the mountain. For the first time, Rebecca took a moment to breath in the beauty of Skyrim in all its reality...and an irresistible urge to slap herself arose once more.

Both Khajiit and woman flinched at a third, more bone-chilling screech from the dragon. They ducked instinctively beside a large boulder on the side of the road as its terrible figure appeared over head, plunging them in shadow by the path. Its black wings were unfurled and beating furiously against the sky, its jaw agape as though ready to lay waste to all it saw at any moment. Once it had vanished behind the mountain and into the clouds, the Khajiit leaped gracefully up onto the boulder, balancing on the balls of his feet to try and get another glimpse.

"What in Oblivion...?" he murmured, watching the skies with those guarded golden eyes.

"Alduin, the World-Eater," Rebecca told him, her voice hoarse. The Khajiit tilted his head to one side. "A dragon." she clarified.

"It came from Helgen, yes? This is where you were?" he asked, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Rebecca swallowed nervously, deciding not to get into the details of her brush with execution. Or of how she accidentally tumbled into a fictional world and was now very non-fictionally homeless, friendless, and...hungry. "Yes."

He took out an apple and began to peel it with the same dagger that was moments ago pressed against her skin. Rebecca couldn't help but stare, realising that she hadn't eaten yet that day and had since done a great deal of running for her life. The Khajiit looked at her with that curious smile once again, and patted the space next to him gently. Rebecca raised her eyebrows in surprise. But she was in no position to question his motives, and scrabbled up the rock to join him.

"This ones name is T'ariq." he told her, shaking his long dark mane in the breeze. "And he is very interested-"

T'ariq lowered his blade, twirling it between his fingertips. Rebecca inhaled sharply as he sliced the twine binding her hands in two. "-in who you are, and how you came to be here."  

Rebecca breathed a sigh that she didn't know she had been holding in, and shook out her wrists, enjoying the mobility. T'ariq offered her a piece of apple in his clawed paws. Rebecca was wary, but thanked him and took the fruit.

She chose her words carefully. "I was imprisoned by the Imperials – wrongly." She bit down on the crisp fruit after she spoke, making it clear that this was all she intended to share. Besides, this cat had been tempted to kill her just minutes ago – now was hardly the time to confess that she was from another world.

T'ariq purred in amusement.

"This one does not care whether you are a criminal or you are not," he mrrowed. "T'ariq is merely curious." He began running his claws up and down one furry arm lazily. "To where are you next headed?" 

Rebecca shrugged, still savouring every bite of her apple for fear that she would be offered no more. "I don't know." she admitted. Traditionally, her next stop should be Riverwood and then Whiterun, to warn the hold about the dragon in Helgen. But this was clearly no longer just a video game – maybe it didn't run the same way?

"Where is your kin?" T'ariq asked.

Rebecca shrugged again, this time with a heavier heart as the weight of her situation began to press down on her. "They're not here." her voice cracked as she spoke.

The girl found her eyes burning as she swallowed a lump in her throat. How was she supposed to get out? How could she get back home? She had barely been in this crazy dream for half an hour and already she had been captured, chased and attacked by strange men all with very big weapons. In the game, it was much simpler. In the game, she simply pressed a button and found her character standing in steel plate armour, cutting down bad guys left and right. But Rebecca wasn't like that. Rebecca was a student, she had never worn armour in her life, much less wielded a sword. The threat of death in this world and its unknown consequences for hers landed like an anvil on her chest as it suddenly occurred to her just how vulnerable she was.

Rebecca felt a furry paw placed on her shoulder, and looked up to see T'ariq's eyes shining with surprising warmth.

"Do not worry little one," he purred. "This one will take you to the nearest town, he can get you clothes and a bed for the night."

Rebecca searched his eyes for any hint of deception but found none, and managed to smile weakly. "Thank you." she sniffed. She wiped her nose angrily on the sleeve of her tunic, feeling silly for crying in front of what she assumed to be a highly trained warrior.

"Actually," she added, a thought rising to mind. "I need to go to Whiterun. To warn the Jarl about the dragon attack...would you happen to be going that way?"

T'ariq tipped his head to the side again, considering it. His tail twitched as he began to nod slowly. "It can be so. But we will not make it to Whiterun before the night. It is best to stay in Riverwood for today." he concluded. Rebecca nodded in agreement.

"Of course." she smiled, feeling a little more relieved at having concrete plans and a guide. Although, assuming that she hadn't yet gone completely insane, Rebecca was fully expecting to wake back in her brother's bedroom as soon as her head hit the pillow in the Sleeping Giant Inn.

"Where are you journeying to?" she asked politely, dipping her head in thanks as T'ariq handed her another slice of apple.

"It is not yet clear," He swung his broad head from side to side as he spoke. "T'ariq seeks a noble quest that will bring him honour and glory. But, for now, there is honour enough in helping a lost kit." he purred. Rebecca smiled at him gratefully. She definitely didn't remember a Khajiit as kind as this from the game.

"Come." he slid off the rock and landed with poise on the path. T'ariq lent her a paw to help her down before tossing his apple peel into the bushes. "We had better make for Riverwood before the sun dips beneath the mountains."

*

AN: Thanks for reading! This is a twist on the classic gamer's-dream-come-true trope, but it also features OC's and plenty of your favourite characters. The rating is M for only a very few scenes in the entire story, and I will always warn when they occur. I upload as regularly as I can, and would love any reviews or feedback :)

Anyways, enjoy!