//------------------------------//
// Chapter VI: Prii Tir Til 
// Story: Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Twilight's Destiny. 
// by grammar404 
//------------------------------//


Chapter VI: Prii Tir Til






Remember what Twilight said to herself not a few moments ago? Well, she just realised that it was easier said than done. As she now struggled beneath a heavy man, his thick blood splattered across her face, and staining her common dress. Shock filled her lungs making it hard for her to breathe. Her sobs that sounded like hiccups and her face soaked in tears and dirt. She remembered the yellow bearded Stormcloak as his vengeful eyes laid sight upon her. It froze her on her tracks, sent shiver down her spine, and despair in her heart. She had no choice, she had her dagger in both her hands, while her knees trembled. When the man came at her, she lifted her arms and the iron blade pierced the mans heart. His eyes turned to the back of his head, blood gushed out of his mouth. He then fell upon the poor lass, trapping her with all of his weight and armour combined.

"Twilight!" Astrid exclaimed, she raised a shield to block an arrow. She then came and rushed into Twilight's aid. The wood elf placed a hand on Twilight's tan cheeks. "Gods, girl. Let's get this bastard off you, shall we?" 

She hoisted the nord man off Twilight with a groan. When his lifeless body rolled to the side and fell off the stone floor. The Equestrian quickly hugged Astrid tightly as she sobbed into the light armoured elf's chest. Astrid patted the girl's head softly while reassuring her.

"It's okay, Twilight, you have done wel – Aaaarghh!" Astrid suddenly cried. An arrow was jutting from her right shoulder. "Uuurggh... " she took a few quick breath before looking at Twilight. Who now had her hands over her mouth looking terribly at the arrow in Astrid's shoulder.

"Come now, Twilight. Move into cover, hurry!" The lass vigorously nodded, and scampered her way into the archway where they came.

When Astrid turned towards the Stormcloak's here entire demeanour changed. The once calm, caring, and easy going elf now has an angry, and piercing eyes that felt like a raging dragon gazing upon a mortal soul. Another arrow swooshed through the air as it flew towards Astrid. She lifted her round hide shield to block the arrow. Had at was off the side of the bridge sparring with a red head nord wielding a great sword. The old mage's apprentice, Rigor, fought with a young blond nord who wielded a sword and a steel shield, which effectively blocked Rigor's mace but his scrawny-ish arms were taking a beating from the sheer force of the huge man's swings.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, and the stinging pain from the arrow that brought hell upon her back. Astrid charged at the Stormcloak with a cry. She raised her sword and her shield up and ready. Seeing the coming elf the female Stormcloak threw her bow and grabbed her sword from its sheath. She swung diagonally from the right. But, Astrid blocked it with her sword, the metal clashed with a long clinking sound. Then, Astrid stepped in with one foot and used her body to strengthen the Shield's force as she used it to bash the female archer. Knocking the black haired woman off, finishing her off with a straight swing. The female Stormcloak held her wound, her mouth agape from disbelief, her eyes wide while blood dripped down the sides of her mouth. When Astrid pulled the sword out of the wound, blood squirted out of it as the woman fell backwards like a rag doll. Astrid fell down in one knee, panting as she tore the arrow from her wound.

"Aaaarghh!" She cried. As the arrow made a grotesque sound before Astrid dropped it with a clang.

Hadvar was finished with his battle as well, sheathing his sword while leaving the dying man kneeling on both knees in front of him. He ran to Astrid, after seeing her in her knee. She was drinking a healing potion when he had gotten a look at her front. 

"A simple healing potion will only stop the bleeding. You will need to apply some herbs on it or a greater potion, or else it won't do." 

"I know that!"

And then, a groan from the right beneath him took Hadvar's attention. The young Stormcloak had managed to injure Rigor. Hadvar grabbed the bow and the quiver from the dead archer's body. He pulled the string, and aimed for the lad. He let loose... He missed. The Stormcloak went into the offensive while Rigor back stepped from his swings. Hadvar's took an arrow again... and missed.

And then there he lay, Rigor holding fast on the guy's shield. Both not letting the other take advantage of it with time Rigor will win, but the lad had his sword raised and pointed at Rigor's head. He knew he cannot escape, so he stared at the lad's eyes with souvenguard in mind. He would die in battle, and alas he would meet with his forefathers. 

thwack 

An arrow hit the young Stormcloak's head. The force of the marked hit cocked the lad's body off Rigor. Leaving a lifeless body and a stream of blood into the flowing waters. Astrid stood on the elevated stone bridge, a bow in her hands. She letted out a deep breathe, before slouching from the slight pain and exhaustion she one felted. 

Checking at his companions, Hadvar gave a nod at Rigor, and the huge man nodded back. Hadvar turned to Astrid.

"We have to get out of here, quickly. Prisoner, can you move?" He asked.

"I'll be fine." She said in between breathes. "It's Twilight I'm worried about. See to the girl, Hadvar. She had to spill blood today, and it wasn't here time, yet."  

Harvar nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand." He trotted to Twilight's side.

While Hadvar ran to check on Twilight, Astrid stood up, took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. She felt a lump in her throat, she set a hand over her chest as she tried to cough it out. After a few, she gurgled and spat blood onto the stone floor. She then turned her head to see Twilight tugging on Hadvar's collar. She could hear the girl cry, apologising from something that may have costed her life.

"I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry!" She sniffed. "I-I-I don't know what to do! He was looking at me with his sword up, and, a-and I can't move. It almost seemed like I lost my legs!" Twilight pressed her face into Hadvar's chest. "I h-had no choice, I had my arms up with my dagger in hand. He just charged at me and I can't do anything! Waaaah ha!" 

Hadvar buried Twilight in his chest. Softly cooing the girl to calm down. "It's alright, lass. It was his fault, those Stormcloaks are savages, just like Lisa told you. To even harm a civilian." He sighed. "Calm down, Twilight. You have to gather yourself in order to meet Lisa again."

It took a few minutes for Twilight's sobs to dwindle down into simple sniffles. She then nodded her head, Hadvar smiling at her quick understanding and determination. He helped Twilight pick herself up to join their two other companions.

"We'd have to continue, let's see where this path leads us." Hadvar said as he gestured at a drawn up bridge, lightened by four torches placed parallel to each other on both walls.

"Go ahead," said Rigor, "I'll wait for the others. There are bound to be some."

Hadvar nodded, he then sets a fist over his heart. "Gods guide you." Rigor returned the gesture.

"Come on, now." Hadvar gestured towards the bridge with his other hand going on a circling motion, encouraging them to cross first. 

Astrid was first to cross followed closely by Twilight, whose head was hanging from the feeling of remorse for the injured shoulder she caused her eleven friend. Hadvar was right behind them. A tremor shook the cavern, the unstable rocks above quaked 
And fell onto the bridge they just passed. Hadvar squinted his eyes and both he, and Astrid, lifted a hand to shield them from the dirty that flew out of the passage's mouth.

"Good thing that didn't collapse on us." He turned his head to his two companions. "There's no going back that way."

"How about the others?" Asked Twilight, "without the bridge the only way out is up to Helgen, and there's a dragon there!"

Seeing the worried look the poor lass has, Hadvar answered with the best case he could think. "This tunnels are leads everywhere, I'm sure they'll find another way out... probably." 

"We can stay here, the potion will wear out soon and I'd hate to bleed to death here."

Hadvar nodded. "Right, come on. We'll follow the stream and see where it goes." He said, leading the two down the stairs. "Watch where you step."

And so the three lucky souls who escaped the fall of Helgen, and the Wrath of ancient legend, followed the stream that came from a gushing water in a rift between the limestones above. On the way, Twilight so pocket of purse near skeletons of long the dead. It baffled her though, the mysterious stories of those who met there demise here was now long lost. It also reminded her how dark this world is compared to Equestria.

They stopped at a dead end where the water flowed under a rubble.

"Ah... that doesn't go anywhere." Said Hadvar.

"Let's try this path." Astrid asked, gesturing at the other tunnel.

"I guess, I've never seen this part of the cavern before, better keep your eyes open."

As they went into the passageway, Twilight felt a cold touch that made her shiver. 

'Something feels wrong.'

At the end of the passage was another large cavern. A little Ray's of light came from a hole on the upper wall, the ceiling was filled with glistening silken webs. Some were wrapped around creatures Twilight has never seen, others was stuck on the wall on a cocoon like blobs. The group took cautious steps through the creepy place, eyeing their surroundings carefully.

In the howling winds that signified a nearby exit, came a clattering and clicking sounds that echoes through the huge cave. Twilight, looking scared as buck. Her eyes warily looking from right to left, her right hand holding Astrid's while her left was near her mouth, which her lips and her hands trembled in agitation. Her mind was filled with different scenarios on what may come out of the shadows. The only one standing out in her vivid imaginations was one of the stories she had read in her library. Arachniponies, with eight legs and four pair of pitch black eyes, wrapping her around with their sticky white webs.

Then, there was a grumbling sound, like that of an old door opening, above her. Her eyes widened at what she saw. She gasped. She was no further from the truth it seems.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaah!"

Astrid and Hadvar quickly turned around to see Twilight shaking in her place, her head and finger pointing upwards. What they saw made them unsheathe their sword and bows, looking at the source of horror with cautious eyes.

A spider. A pony size spiders. Twilight stared into its dark eyes, and it stares back. It opened its drooling maw, then dropped from its silken web heading for Twilight's face.

"Twilight move!" She heard Astrid shout at her. She gasped out of her shock and was in the nick of time before dodging the incoming creature. With her elbows and knees on the dirt, Twilight whipped her head to where the creature landed, while it traversed its legs to face her. The Equestrian could see pass the spider menace and saw her companions were busy fending other arachnids. She turned her head towards the spider in front of her again as it took steps towards her. Twilight knew what to do, she knows what'll happen next.

She'll lay down and die.