The Price of Vengeance- A Skyrim Fanfiction

One: Helgen- Meeting Ulfric and the Stormcloaks

A decade later...

A rapidly increasing pain burrowed a path through my skull, similar to the one I had when I woke up ten years ago all alone. I staggered to consciousness, opening my eyes to the late afternoon sunlight and my hands bound behind me. I was in the back of a cart with three other men. One of them looked like he was going to piss himself, the second had an almost resigned look of calm while the third had his mouth gagged as well. His eyes blazed with an impotent fury and I immediately knew this was a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Just as determined as I was. The man with the calmness spoke.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."  

So the scared one was a thief? Figured. And an Imperial ambush. Fate must have a screwed up sense of humor to warrant a second run in like this with the bastards, especially in a situation where I couldn't sink my swords in their flesh. I was regretting my spur of the moment trip to Cyrodiil now. I had hoped to discover a weakness but the place was impenetrable. At least, it was without contacts. So I made my weary way back to Skyrim, only to walk in to this. The thief started to bitch.

 "Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was 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 been halfway to Hammerfell."

Looking at me, he entreated- "You there... You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants. And what's wrong with him, huh?", he asked, nodding at the gagged man.

The calm man lost the resigned look even as he snapped. "Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."

Stormcloaks! And Ulfric.... I remembered the tales I heard in the taverns. That he had Shouted the High King Torryg to pieces. That he was the reason my people are called the Forsworn, and that he hated the Imperials with a passion as great than my own. I realized that here was a man who could help me pursue my vendetta, and win as well. What was the age old adage? The enemy of my enemy is an ally. Not that we could do much now, being tied up and helpless. The thief and the calm man- Ralof- carried on speaking even as the cart entered a town- Helgen. The people stared at us and I overheard a father taking his curious daughter inside. 

An arrogant looking Imperial told us to get down from the cart and I burned holes into them with my gaze, hoping I could take down at least a few of them. The thief begged first then tried to run, getting a quiver of arrows in his back. An awful way to die, I thought. The Imperial began crossing names off his list and when he got to me, he remarked with a sly glance - "You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim." 

 Like it was a crime to come into my country. Fucking insolent Imperials. And now I was going to die, at their hands like a common criminal, like my mother and Arris died. Was there no justice at all in this world? 

The General spoke to Ulfric. "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace."  Ironic really, that the Empire accuses somebody else of instigating chaos. Hypocritical bastards.

A roar sounded somewhere far away. Some bear probably. No one seemed to care. A Stormcloak was beheaded and another roar echoed this time, closer. My turn came. I knelt, my heart clenched with the rage of dying so helplessly, when a gigantic shadow fell over us, as a huge black dragon settled on the tower beside sending a shockwave through the surrounding. At a third roar that reverberated long after the dragon snapped its mouth closed, pandemonium broke loose.

The general screamed at his men to kill the thing, and Ralof elbowed me. "Get up! Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!" I ran towards another tower, dogging Ralof's footsteps and we swept in along with Ulfric. I helped Ralof untie his hands and he did the same for Ulfric and me, just as the wall exploded. It wasn't safe here. I heard Ralof scream at me to jump through the hole and go through the inn with the broken roof, promising he'd meet me at the entrance to the keep. I took a leap through the broken wall, murmuring a prayer to the Nine. My leap took me into a sooty inches-away-from-collapse inn and I made another jump outside into Helgen, hoping not to twist my ankle. 

Landing without injuries, I sprinted toward the keep. An Imperial soldier asked me to follow him. Fat chance, like I'd follow them anywhere. I saw Ralof make his way into the keep and caught up with him. Inside, I heard the dragon shouting something. A dead Stormcloak lay on the floor and I took his armor and sword after Ralof's wry comment that he wouldn't be needing it. I finally felt some semblance of control sweep through me with the weapon in my hand. It was nothing special, just an iron blade but I knew with this, I was no longer prey. The hunt was on.

Ralof tried the keep doors. "They're locked!", he exclaimed even as one burst open and two Imperials came running in. Excellent, I thought, feeling the anticipation course through me as I ran at them. My headlong rush gave them pause and I swept the sword into one of their necks, feeling it sink into warm flesh. The other swung at me, and I easily parried with my own blade and kicked him between his legs. He collapsed in agony and I moved my blade upwards in a smooth upcut, striking his head off. Ralof stared at me in unguarded admiration before shaking his head and running through the now opened door. I looted the bodies and after scavenging some better armor and another sword, went after him. We were now in a storeroom with two more soldiers. Having the element of surprise, I stabbed one neatly in the heart while Ralof took care of the second and after wiping our blades clean on the tunics of the corpses, we looted the place for potions. I picked up a health potion or two and after some hesitation, the magicka ones too. I could at least sell them if I got out of this mess.  

We made our way further downwards and ran into a battle between two Imperial torturers and two Stormcloaks. This was a good day, I thought to myself. Five Imperials dead on my sword.  After some more looting and the acquisition of a spelltome and some lockpicks, we continued on our way. The keep gave way to a cave formation where some Imperial soldiers sat guarding it for the General. I noticed a pool of oil nearby and smiled. Magic wasn't really my forte but I had had some training. I summoned a flame in my left hand and let it fly, setting the soldiers on fire. It was a mercy to sink my swords into them. I briefly considered letting them suffer but then decided that it was better to finish things. The two Stormcloaks and Ralof had a brief conversation, at the end of which the former decided to stay back waiting for Ulfric.  

I sprinted across a bridge, Ralof following, only to run into another cave, this one filled with frostbite spiders. They sprang at me and I jumped back, knowing their venom could mean my end. I yelled and rushed one of them, double slashing with my twin swords and killing it almost instantly. I could hear Ralof grunting as he tangled with two more. A third clicked its pincers at me and I sheathed my blades, even as I summoned flames in both my hands. I let fly the inferno and incinerated the creature, leaving a pile of ash behind. That bit of magic took away what little fortitude I had and I almost collapsed in exhaustion. Ralof had managed to deal with the other two and he looked much the same. He staggered towards me and we began to limp our way outside.

I was hoping there wouldn't be anymore nasty surprises but of course, there had to be a bear. Ralof handed me a bow and some arrows but I kept them sheathed. Why kill an innocent creature when you could simply sneak past? 

We walked out of the cave into the fast falling night and Ralof smiled at me. "We made it, ..." he paused, waiting for my name. "I'm Ven," I said with a tired grin. "Well Ven, you're quite a swordswoman. The Stormcloaks could use people like you. You can free Skyrim from these tyrants. Meet Jarl Ulfric in Windhelm if you're interested. For now, you can come with me to Riverwood. My sister lives there, and we can rest and ready ourselves for the next onslaught."

There was only one answer. Twisting the silver ring around my finger, with the shadow of the grin still etched on my face, I said- "As  long as it involves killing Imperials, count me in."