Stone Cold Heart Chapter One

Stone Cold Heart – A Skyrim Fanfiction
©JadeDruid87 2013
Chapter One – Helgen
The Imperial prisoner cart hit a large bump and jostled the four prisoners in it hard, waking one of them from an exhausted slumber. Olivia kept her eyes closed, hoping the last couple of days were a nightmare caused by a alchemy tasting gone bad, but she could feel the gentle bumping and swaying of the cart she was on, smell the horse pulling it, and feel the rough jute of the prisoner clothes against her skin. So she had to admit to herself that it really did happen, she did get arrested with some Stormcloak soldiers and was being carted along with them to wherever the Imperials were taking them.

She opened her eyes, squinting in the harsh glare of the sun off the snow. A warm Nord voice greeted her “Hey, you’re finally awake” the man said. Olivia’s eyes adjusted to the light, and she looked across from her to see a blond Nord half smiling at her. What in Oblivion are you smiling about? Olivia thought by the looks of the armed guards and wrist accessories we’re wearing, we are in a heap of trouble.

He introduced himself as Ralof, the man sitting next to him was some kind of thief. “What’s wrong with him?” the thief asked, indicating with his head at the man sitting opposite him.
“Watch your tongue” Ralof said, indignantly “That’s Ulfic Stormcloak, the true High King!”
“The Jarl of Windhelm? The leader of the rebellion? If they’ve captured you….. oh gods where are they taking us?”
“I don’t know where we’re going” Ralof replied “But Sovngarde awaits”

Olivia sat silent, watching the exchange take place. Her mind swirling with thought. If they truly were to be executed, she would never get to see her father. She was a fool to come to a war-ridden land, but she had nowhere else to go. At least I’ll see mama again Olivia thought.

A shadow passing over the carriage made her look around again. Ralof mentioned something about the town being named Helgen, and then mumbling on about mead with juniper berries mixed in. Is he high?Olivia thought How can he be so calm and happy? Oh gods, did that solider just say something about a headsman waiting? This is it isn’t it?

The cart slowed to a stop, and the driver climbed down. Another cart next to them had already unloaded its passengers, and now Olivia was expected to also get up and walk to her death. With a bit of difficulty due to the bindings on her wrists, she managed to stand. Her legs wobbled a bit, gods she was tired and hungry. They had been in captivity for two days now, and had not been fed, watered nor in any sort of place to sleep for more than a few exhausted minutes at a time. Olivia hopped down from the back of the cart, as a stern looking Imperial officer and a sad looking scribe stood before them, getting down names into some sort of death notebook.

Ralof of Riverwood, check, Lokir of Rorikstead, check, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, leader of the rebellion, check. Olivia hoped and prayed to all of the eight divines that the absence of her name in the ledger would mean her freedom, or at least a reprieve from the dangerous looking axe being wielded by the scary masked man over by the tower. She was surely innocent, but somehow so was Lokir and look how that turned out. She was commanded to step forward, she took a shaky step as the scribe asked her name. Should I use my last name? Olivia thought maybe I can just say I’m from Bruma, and that will settle things. But they do have my things, maybe they already looked in my pack and found mama’s letter, then they already know my last name. Divines I have never been arrested before, what do I do?
Olivia opened her mouth and spoke for the first time in the last two days since she had been captured and labelled a Stormcloak. “M-my n-name” she stuttered, nervously, thinking this was going to send her right to the headsman for sure “My name is Olivia Stone-Fist.”