? 4E 201

Awakening in total darkness, Alouette felt panic before anything else. Her thoughts swirled mistily in her mind, intangible as she tried to hold onto them. Her body was stiff and sore. She was thirsty, but without any light, she couldn't tell what, if anything, was with her. All she knew of this place was that she had been propped up against a damp stone wall. She groped around the floor in front of her – also stone – but decided against too much exploration right away; she had no idea how large this room was or what was in it. Without any recourse, she turned around to the stone wall and licked the moisture from it. It didn't leave as bad a taste in her mouth as she had expected, and this gave her a miniscule amount of confidence.

Crawling around in the dark, with her hands out to feel for walls, she got a sense of the space she was in. It was small, perhaps the size of a cell in a dungeon. Perhaps, she supposed, that was it. The door was heavy and wooden. After feeling the walls and floor to find that there was nothing in the room with her, she moved back to where she had been, against the back wall of the cell. She felt compelled to stay as far away from the door as possible.

The last thing Alouette could remember was traveling. She had been seeking passage with a horse drawn cart based out of Windhelm. Although she couldn't offer much in the way of payment, the carriage driver had agreed to let her ride at a discount, since he would be returning to the city anyway. She was now dressed in a small, loose-fitting linen tunic, but that hadn't been what she was wearing that day. That had been the third day of Midyear… But it felt so long ago. Wasn't there anything after that? She couldn't remember, and it seemed as though the more she tried to force the memories to return, the more elusive they became. With no other living soul to speculate with, and no view of the outside world, she couldn't even guess at the date or the time of day.

As she leaned against the wall, trying to assemble her thoughts and memories, Alouette heard the heavy door open. She immediately became tense. The door quickly closed again, and in the brief window of light that poured in, she could barely make out the figure of a man with matted-looking hair.

"Who are you?" she asked hesitantly. He ignored her question, and she thought she heard fabric shuffling.

"Where in Oblivion am I?!" Alouette tried again, demandingly this time.

She received no response, and though she couldn't see anything, she could feel the man moving closer to her. Suddenly, she was very aware of her underdressed state. She drew her bare legs close to her body and backed against the wall.

"Stay away from me," she stammered, her brief surge of confidence gone.

The man knelt down on the floor, bent over Alouette, and began trying to pry her legs apart. In her mind she was screaming, and her body began to thrash. She wasn't sure whether she was trying to strike the man, or just wriggle out of his grasp, but before she managed to do either of those things, she felt his fist come down on her hard. He must have been aiming for her face, Alouette supposed, but he missed and hit her in the side of the neck instead. She was briefly glad that he hadn't managed to break her nose, but this feeling was fleeting. She knew what was coming.

"Liked it better when you were out cold," the man grunted as he struggled to subdue her.

At that, Alouette lost the will to keep fighting back. She was exhausted, dehydrated and starving, unable to see three inches in front of her face, and locked in a cell. If she made him any angrier, would he kill her? Death may have been better than this, but she didn't even have the energy to find out.

Although it was obvious, she still struggled to believe that this was happening, and had already happened, if what the man had said was true. This disgusting, savage beast of a man had already been here to use her body as his plaything. Suddenly, she felt impossibly heavy, and her limbs went limp. As he spread her legs apart, she remembered every risk she had ever taken in life, now with regret. He repositioned her body for his convenience, and she heard her own voice echoing in her head. I'll be fine, she had always said, dismissing the concerns of her loved ones. She felt him push against her and began to weep silently. That will never happen to me, she had always said.

? 4E 201

How many days and nights had now passed in this waking nightmare, Alouette could not guess. Different men came and went, sometimes frequently and sometimes not. She was fed scraps at what felt like random intervals, leaving her unable to guess the time of day. She was generally kept without light, with few exceptions. One such exception was the periodic clipping of her finger- and toenails. They were kept painfully short, and bled often – but, importantly, the man who clipped them needed a light in order to do the job. For this he became central to her plan, and finally, after careful, meticulous plotting and planning, she had chosen this as the day she would escape.

The men who participated in her keeping – who brought food and water, clipped her nails, and so on – always took from her in return. When the one with the lantern and clippers came around, she knew what he wanted from her. Dutifully Alouette knelt to the floor in front of him, closing her eyes, trying not to think too hard about it. Even with her eyes closed, she heard the now familiar sounds of fabric shuffling and rustling, as the man situated his trousers around his hips. Not long later, when she knew he was reaching for paradise, she bit down as hard as she could. She was a little surprised that he didn't scream – instead he made a high pitched, whiny, sort of grunting sound.

Alouette's mouth filled with hot blood and she tried to jerk her head back. She had wanted to bite it off completely, but it was tougher than she had imagined it would be. Instead, she released her bite and let go. While the man writhed in pain, she grabbed his lantern and gave it the hardest swing she could, right into the side of his head. She failed to knock the man out, but the net effect of her surprise attack still gave her the window of opportunity that she had hoped for. As he collapsed in a daze, one hand clutching his manhood and the other holding the side of his head, Alouette – lantern in hand – made for the door.

To complete her escape, Alouette would have to move quickly and silently. Luckily, upon exiting her cell, it was fairly easy to tell which way was up. It looked as though she was inside a mine. She passed more cells along the way, and didn't look inside. Wordlessly, she promised any captives inside them that she would lead as many guardsmen as would follow her back to this place to liberate them.

By avoiding any path that didn't lead up, she made it to the entrance of the mine without further incident. She passed through as cautiously as she could, not knowing what to expect on the other side. When the door opened and closed behind her, she was met with half a dozen large, burly men sitting at a table, looking bewilderedly up at her from their meals. She bolted.

It was dark, and she had no time for any feeble attempt to navigate with the stars; it didn't take any time at all for her captors to give chase. She climbed down over some rocks to break their line of sight, and came to a river. All the while, she could hear them jeering after her. In absence of a road, Alouette knew that the river was her best chance for survival. If she followed it, she was sure to find people – a town, a farm, something – eventually. And, now halfway down a rocky cliff, with the men above and the rushing water below, she realized that the river was truly her only option.

Carefully, Alouette slid down the rest of the rocks and boulders and dipped herself into the river. I'll just hold on to the side and follow the current, she told herself, as if she had any choice in the matter. Eventually, I'll find someone or someone will find me. The river was wild, and even clinging to the rocky cliffs that lined it, keeping her head above the water was a struggle. But somehow, as she bobbled and dunked, she recognized the sight of a stone bridge high overhead – but there was no bank in sight. She had no way to access it.

Desperately managing to climb up atop a large boulder on the side of the river, Alouette was still dishearteningly unable to reach the ground or the bridge above her. What was more, she could now see from her vantage point that the river she was traveling was headed for a waterfall. She couldn't risk the waterfall from the water, so she carefully and quietly scrambled onto the rocky cliff alongside the river, and slowly climbed down next to the waterfall, before being forced to reenter the water.

When a patch of soily shore opened up on the opposite side of the river, Alouette made a mad attempt to reach it; the side she was on looked to be all rocks and cliffs, as far ahead as she could see. Kicking as hard as she could to reach the other side, she was dragged further downriver and several times swept under by the current, before she made it to a riverbank. But, just as she thought she could have a moment to catch her breath, she heard a now familiar voice – it sounded like the gruff man who came to her after she awoke in the cell.

"There you are," he grumbled. "I'm gonna teach you what happens to little whores who try to run."

Alouette ran, she had no idea where to – she simply picked a direction and moved. She could hear the man's booted feet pounding after her. Just as she could feel her body slowing down and running out of breath, and her feet blistering and bleeding from the hard, uneven terrain, finally she came to a road. She glanced around wildly, trying to pick a direction, her head spinning in confusion just trying to keep up, and suddenly she spotted buildings. And they were close!

Feeling a second wind coming, Alouette made a break for it, running full tilt until, approaching the town, she collided with a guardsman in red. Where do the city guards wear red? she wondered to herself, but put it out of her mind for the time being. She'd have time to figure that out when she was safe – truly safe, with other people, out of the night. Whatever she blurted out to the guard, she supposed didn't make much sense; he looked alarmed. He tried to calm her down as much as possible, as he led her into the town and down its small road, to the inn. Then he sat her down next to the fire and went over to speak to the innkeeper. There were a handful of other people there. Alouette eyed them with suspicion, but they didn't look at her. Shortly after, the guard came back over to her.

"It looks like you've been through a lot," he commented, looking her over. She was barefoot, only half-dressed, and filthy. She hadn't bathed in – she didn't even know how long. There was a film of dirt mixed with sweat and, in some places, blood over all of her skin. Her hair was tangled and matted.

"Rest here for the night. Have something to eat – don't worry about paying; I spoke with Faida so you're all set," the guard said, gesturing toward the woman who kept the inn. "Whoever hurt you, tomorrow we'll see about getting them brought to justice."

Faida brought over a plate of food and a tankard of ale after the guardsman left. Baked potatoes, bread, chicken. Butter, herbs, and salt. Alouette had, for the most part, been fed grainy, slimy gruel by the men holding her captive. This was real food.

"What day is it?" Alouette asked Faida uncertainly.

"Tomorrow will be the 18th of Last Seed," Faida replied, a little incredulous. "What do you call yourself?"

"Alouette."

"Alouette," Faida repeated. "When you finish eating, Alouette, I'll show you to your room for the night."

Alouette ate her meal slowly, appreciating the taste and the texture. Later, after she had finished, Faida led her to a room. Finally, Alouette felt like she was in a safe place, and the moment her body touched the bedding, she fell asleep.

At first, she was plagued with nightmares – all about the captors she had just managed to escape. The men coming to find her, ambushing the guardsman who had helped her, coming to take her, imprisoning Faida the innkeeper and ransacking her inn, bursting into this room and taking her, forcing her, all over again. She woke up terrified, but when she managed to fall asleep again, her dreams were sweeter. The guards of whatever hold this was tracking the men down and slaughtering them, Alouette standing over their mangled corpses, their heads rotting on posts outside her door.

Morndas, 18th of Last Seed, 4E 201

When Alouette first woke up, she just lay there for a time, enjoying the feeling of being in a bed, feeling warm and protected. After some time passed, Faida appeared in the doorway to her room.

"Good," the innkeeper said, "I was wondering if you would ever wake up." She smirked lightheartedly, then gestured toward a chest against the wall, near the door. "There are some proper clothes for you, and shoes. I'll send for a guard to come and meet you in the main hall."

There was a jug of water in the room, which Alouette used to wash her face. She took her time to dress herself in the clothes Faida provided, relishing the task. Even simple cotton felt like fine silk to her at this moment, and the weight of a long dress – of being fully dressed, in real clothing – was an exquisite comfort. Putting her sore, tired feet into boots was painful, but even in that she managed to take great pleasure, knowing that her feet would be protected from the terrain. There was no looking glass in her room, she realized, as she began combing out as many of the tangles in her hair as she could, but she supposed that was for the best. She was sure her face looked tired, and her complexion lackluster. She glanced down at the skin on her arms and hands and found it a dull, ashen color – not the rich, caramel color that it usually was. She must have been missing the sunlight the entire time, from the third of Midyear until now. After reflecting on this, she ventured from her room to the main hall of the inn and was greeted by a guardsman – not the same one who had brought her here the night before, but one who nevertheless had a kind face.

The guard asked her to tell him what had happened to her, and she explained it as well as she could. Alouette had always thought of herself as a fairly tough person, but some parts of her story were difficult even just to talk about, and she found herself trailing off and avoiding saying certain things outright. The guard was patient with her when she nearly broke down, and when she finally finished her tale, even he had to take a deep breath and a moment to think.

"Well, it might do good to take you to the capital to speak with the captain," he said finally. "I can't make any guarantees that we'll be able to catch these barbarians… especially if you can't tell us their exact location or lead us directly to their hideout."

Alouette's mood fell. The guard sounded skeptical that anything would or could be done about the men. To her ears, he didn't even seem to want to bother trying. He must have seen her face fall; he backpedaled a little.

"But, it may be that these are some of the bandits we've been after lately anyway. And we may be able to investigate this crime within the city, and find someone connected to them, maybe get them that way…"

"What about the cart driver?" Alouette suddenly asked. "He said he was based in Windhelm. You could send a message to the Jarl of Eastmarch and—" she was cut off by the guard.

"I don't think that's going to happen," he said. There was a sound of resignation in his voice. "But if you're up to it, I'll still escort you into the city."

"Which city is that, exactly…?" she asked timidly. "I… still don't know where I am." The guard seemed a little taken aback.

"Solitude," he replied after a moment. "You're in Haafingar. This town is Dragon Bridge."

The realization staggered Alouette. Solitude? This… this was the other end of Skyrim altogether, from where she was headed that day. She could vaguely hear the guardsman telling her that they could easily be in Solitude within the day, but she still couldn't believe it. Less than a day's travel from Solitude? Suddenly, she realized the guard was looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Okay," she managed to spit out. "Yes, I mean. I'll go to… to Solitude." She still sounded incredulous.

As predicted, they arrived within the day, just in time for the spectacle of a public beheading. Alouette found herself staring at the headsman preparing to swing his axe. She wasn't listening to any of the things that were being said. She wanted to imagine it was the men who had held her captive, but she never got a good look at any of their faces, so it was hard to picture. It abruptly occurred to her that if she wasn't able to picture any of them, then they could be anybody. She had no real way of knowing who they were. Even if they were arrested by the guards, she wouldn't be able to identify them. The gaurdsman's hand on her upper arm made her jump.

"I don't think it's best for you to watch something like this, miss," he said gently, calmly ushering her away from the platform. When she heard the axe swing down, she shuddered pleasantly, choosing still to take comfort in the fantasy that the men who had hurt her might still face such a fate. The guardsman seemed to have thought it was a sign of distress.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She only nodded, and they carried on through the city. Alouette had never been this far west before. This city seemed particularly foreign to her, but she couldn't put together why. Presently, they followed the walkway forward to an archway on the left side. Through the archway, they entered a training ground.

"This is Castle Dour," the guardsman leading her said. "I'm taking you directly to Captain Aldis."

Upon meeting with the captain of the guard, Alouette was painstakingly required to recount all she knew of what had happened to her once again. The captain hemmed and hawed after she was finished, and ultimately declined to give her any further consideration. It was terrible, what had happened to her, he had told her, but there was nothing they could do. His advice was that she be more careful in the future; after delivering this advice, he sent her out.

With nothing else to do, but not yet ready to give up, Alouette wandered the city trying to think of what to do. She felt stranded. She supposed the thing to do was to just head back east. But how would she get there? She wasn't an experienced traveler, and she was hesitant to buy passage with a horse-drawn cart again. On top of that, she didn't feel satisfied with just leaving it all unaddressed. But what could she do about the guards? As she passed by the entrance to what could only be the Jarl's palace, however, an idea struck her: the Jarl. If she could successfully appeal to the Jarl, perhaps the guards would be forced to investigate.