Ralof pulled Asmara along the road to Riverwood. They barely escaped Helgen alive and they had to make it to his sister's to recover. They had acquired only a few minor healing potions within the keep but after the dragon attack, the slew of Imperial soldiers they had to fend off, and the den of frostbite spiders, they had already used the potions they collected. So now Asmara was leaning against Ralof as she limped down the road. Through everything, they never had a moment to heal her injured leg and it was surely infected by now. Asmara was also sure it may have injured her leg further when she fell through the inn's roof in Helgen in an attempt to escape the dragon. The pain was excruciating and she ground her teeth through the pain as they continued their journey.
Asmara felt as if the road to Riverwood would never reach its destination, but finally as the path curved with the river, the quaint town appeared in front of them looking as normal as ever. The sounds of the mill and forge could be heard now and she felt Ralof heave a breath of relief as the village gates came into view. They drew closer to the town and Asmara could hear even more - indistinct voices calmly speaking with another, children playing, and various animals roaming the village. Everyone seemed oblivious to the disaster that had occurred only a few miles away.
"Looks like nobody here knows what's happened yet." Ralof spoke up, coming to the same conclusion Asmara had made. They crossed under the town gate and guided them to their left where a small bridge led to the lumber mill. Gerdur's mill rested on a small bit of land that split the river until it passed the town. There were large stacks of trees and wood that littered the area as well as piles of smaller bits of wood for chopping. Asmara noted a Wood Elf across the bridge taking an axe to a chunk of wood.
Ralof quickly scanned what he could see of the town as they crossed the bridge. He hoped the Imperials had not reached the village yet seeing how a quick look at the two of them would make it obvious as to where they had been. Both he and Asmara were covered in blood and ash as well as a few burn marks scarcely placed on each of them, matching the charred Stormcloak cuirass' they wore. With Asmara's arm draped over Ralof's shoulders while he supported her and she limped along, it bore even more suspicion.
Once they crossed the bridge a confused Faendal gave them a curious look. Ralof shook his head at the Wood Elf who helped his sister at the mill. The Wood Elf stared for a few more moments before returning to his work, deciding to keep to his own business. They turned right towards the mill and found Ralof's sister hunched over her workbench, her brow furrowed in concentration as she looked over her plans.
"Gerdur!" Ralof called out to her. Gerdur turned her head towards them and her eyes widened as she took in the sight of them.
"Brother! Mara's mercy, what happened?" Gerdur left her workbench and hastily made her way to their side, checking them both for injuries and finding more than enough to count. "Is it safe for you to be here? Are you hurt?" Gerdur berated him with questions as she placed Asmara's right arm around her shoulders, mirroring her brother.
"Gerdur…" Ralof said in a coaxing tone, trying to calm his sister. "I'm fine, at least now I am." It was a small white lie until they could get somewhere safe to discuss more of what happened. His back was sore and burnt from the chainmail cuirass he wore but he refused to cry about it; it could be tended to later.
"Who is this? One of your comrades?" Gerdur continued with her questions, looking down at Asmara, who looked more tired than ever. Ralof sighed before answering her question.
"Not a comrade yet, but a friend." Asmara looked to Ralof at his statement and she saw the corner of his mouth come up in a lazy smile as he looked down at her. "I owe her my life in fact. So, help my repay that debt by getting her safe and fixed up. We need to hurry. There's no telling when the news from Helgen will reach the Imperials."
"Helgen? Has something happened?" Gerdur asked in confusion, but then took another look at the two next to her and brushed off her own question. "You're right. Follow me." Gerdur nodded at her brother before she turned towards the mill and yelled out to her husband who was busy running their sawmill.
"Hod! Come here a minute. I need your help with something." She turned back so they could continue on across the second bridge connected to the piece of land the mill sat on to the center of town.
"What is it, woman? Sven drunk on the job again?" She heard her husband yell back to her and she rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Hod. Just come here." Gerdur yelled back. They crossed the bridge and walked past the blacksmith before crossing the cobblestone south road that ran through the town. As they passed between the Riverwood Trader and the Sleeping Giant Inn, they found Frodnar – Gerdur and Hod's son – waiting for them next to the Traders with their dog. He jumped with excitement at the sight of his uncle Ralof, regardless of how he appeared.
"Uncle Ralof! Can I see your axe? How many Imperials have you killed? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?" Frodnar chased after them, bombarding them with questions.
"Hush, Frodnar. This is no time for your games. Go and watch the south road. Come and find us in the house if you see any Imperial soldiers coming." Gerdur instructed her son when they passed the Traders and the house came into view. Frodnar began to protest before Gerdur shooed him away and the young boy took off running towards the town gates, their dog following closely behind.
They approached the house and on the outside it looked as simple as most homes in Skyrim. It had a straw roof and the house was constructed in an L-shape, built with stone and wood supports. A fence surrounded the front yard that held in the small bit of livestock they had and various patches of hay littered the ground for the animals.
They carried Asmara through the front door and over to the corner of the L-shaped room, where Frodnar's bed was. Gerdur grabbed a pillow to place under Asmara's leg to elevate it as she instructed Ralof on where to find their healing potions behind the bar in their part of the bedroom. Gerdur ripped open the fur leggings of the Stormcloak uniform and Asmara let out a hiss when the injury on her leg was exposed. The place where the arrow had pierced did indeed appear infected and was covered in black and blue bruises.
Ralof rounded the bar with a handful of potions as well as a bottle of mead. He handed Gerdur the potions, then walked across the house to the dining table that sat near the stone fireplace. He sat hunched forward, his elbows on his knees as the bottle hung from his hands. Gerdur walked over the wardrobe near the large bed that rested in the tail of the L-shaped house and found some clean cloth, then made her way over to the fireplace, grabbing a bowl from her prep table to fill with the hot water she kept in the kettle.
After all her supplies were gathered she dragged a chair over to the side of her son's bed, finding an ideal place to sit as she worked on Asmara's leg. She dipped her first cloth in the hot water and began dabbing it against the infected cut to clean off the dried blood and ash that had collected around the wound. Asmara let out a whimper and Gerdur tried to distract her from her ministrations. "Do you have a name Wood Elf?" She asked Asmara, who was gritting her teeth through the pain. Asmara met Gerdur's blue eyes for a moment before she responded.
"My name is Asmara." She said quietly before her eyes shifted to her leg again. Her voice was still hoarse from the events of the previous day and she strained to talk.
"What happened?" Gerdur asked and Asmara took a deep breath.
"Are you asking what happened in Helgen or what happened to my leg?" Asmara asked a clarifying question before giving an answer.
"They were two separate instances?" Gerdur asked with the concentration line on her brow firmly in place as she continued cleaning Asmara's wound.
"I arrived in Helgen with an injured leg. I left with a lot more injuries and I believe my leg has only grown worse."
"I made her jump through the inn roof to escape from the towers in Helgen." Ralof spoke up, and then took a swig of his mead. Gerdur threw a condescending glance his way. Ralof nodded, "In hindsight, sending someone flying twenty feet through a burning roof with an injured leg may not have been my brightest idea." Gerdur scoffed at his comment and he just took another swig of mead.
"I was fine. My landing was just off a bit. It helped me get to the keep and I am grateful for that." Asmara spoke softly to him.
Hod then entered the home, looking to each person before his eyes landed on his wife, cleaning Asmara's leg. The confusion on his face was not lost on Gerdur and she looked to Ralof. Her husband followed her gaze and looked to his brother-in-law. "Now, Ralof, what's going on?" He gestured to Asmara as he continued, "You two look pretty well done in." Ralof sighed and ran a hand down his face before tilting his head back, taking another gulp of his mead.
"I can't remember when I last slept…" Ralof shook his head as he stared at the floor. Hod made his way over to the bar to grab some mead. Ralof rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to recall the events of the past few days. "Where to start?"
"Well, we had heard Ulfric had been captured." Gerdur spoke up as she poured a healing potion over Asmara's wound. Her leg was already looking better after Gerdur had cleaned it and the potion would rid it of the infection. Asmara's leg would only show a scar in a matter of hours once the potion took full effect.
"Well the news was true. The Imperial's ambushed as outside Darkwater Crossing, like they knew exactly where we'd be. That was… two days ago, now." Ralof started with his testimony of what brought them there.
"So that's how you ended up as Imperial prisoners?" Asmara inquired. Ralof nodded before continuing.
"I was assigned to Ulfric's guard. We were on our way to Darkwater Crossing, in the south of Eastmarch. The Imperials were waiting for us. As pretty an ambush as I ever saw." Ralof downed the rest of his mead and Hod handed him another. Ralof pulled the cork out with his teeth and took another large gulp of the drink before he continued, shaking his head. "They outnumbered us five to one, least. Ulfric ordered us to stop fighting. Didn't want us all to die for nothing, I guess." He said solemnly as he recalled Ulfric shouting for them to lay down their weapons before the fighting even began.
"I thought they were taking us south to Cyrodiil. Parade us in front of the Emperor. When we reached the Pale Pass the gates were closed and they turned us around. That's when they loaded you onto the cart." He said gesturing towards Asmara. "After that we stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping."
"The cowards!" Gerdur exclaimed as she wrapped Asmara's leg in clean linen.
"They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial. Treason, for fighting for your own people!" Ralof's voice raised and he drank some more of his mead, and then slammed the bottle on the table. "All of Skyrim would have seen the truth then."
"Why were you being executed?" Asmara asked. Gerdur had finished wrapping her leg and was making a fresh bowl of hot water before moving her supplies over to where her brother sat at the dining table. Ralof gave her a disbelieving look that she noticed was on Hod and Gerdur's face as well.
"Seriously, you don't know? That was Ulfric Stormcloak…" Ralof started before Asmara interrupted him.
"I know who he is, but I also don't pay as much attention to current events as I probably should." Asmara said softly.
"Right." Ralof said in understanding, "I forget most people don't know him all that well or even know what he looks like, except for those Imperial wanted posters."
"It was because he killed the High King wasn't it?" Asmara asked, recalling General Tulius's statement at the headsman's block. Ralof nodded.
"That was when the war expanded into full force. He challenged High King Torygg to a dual in the old Nord way."
"A fight to the death? Torygg had to have known he wouldn't win against Ulfric."
"He did, but if he declined then everyone would have seen him not only as a coward but as someone who couldn't protect his throne. If he could not protect his title, how could he protect the country?" Ralof stated as if it was all common knowledge. Asmara kept her thoughts to herself, unsure of what to think about Ulfric's decision.
Gerdur inquired about Ralof's wounds and he removed his cuirass to reveal the burns on his back. The chainmail left burn marks on his skin and the pattern left raised spots of his skin where it had not been completely burnt. Gerdur looked peculiarly at Ralof's burned back as she began to treat the burns.
"What happened in Helgen? How did you escape?" Gerdur asked, observing the other burn marks that covered the two of them as well as the soot ridden clothes.
"They had already begun the executions but then… out of nowhere… a dragon attacked." Gerdur stopped her motions and Hod looked at him as if he were crazy.
"You don't mean a real, live…" Gerdur started, the disbelief leaking out in her voice.
"I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there." Ralof said, shaking his head. Gerdur continued tending to his back and he hissed as the cool liquid of a healing potion was poured over his burnt flesh. Hod handed him his mead so it would help dull the pain. "As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away… with the exception of dealing with a few Imperials and frostbite spiders along the way." Ralof felt the burning sensation on his back subside as the potion kicked into action. It wouldn't take long for his skin to heal completely.
Gerdur began cleaning up the soiled rags she used and dumped the hot water into the hearth. She left out a few minor healing potions for their smaller wounds if they wished to heal them as well. "Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?" Ralof asked, opening his third bottle of mead.
"Nobody else has come up the south road today, as far as I know. I'm sure Frodnar would have said something if he had seen anything." Ralof nodded in acknowledgment.
"Good. Maybe we can lay up for a while." Ralof turned to Hod, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hate to put your family in danger but…"
"Nonsense!" Gerdur interrupted as she threw a stern look his way. "You and your friend are welcome to stay here as long as you need to." She patted Ralof on the shoulder and gave a motherly smile to Asmara who still sat on her son's bed across the room. "Let me worry about the Imperials." She said to Ralof, giving him a quick wink and a peck on the cheek. "I ought to get back to work before I'm missed, but… did anyone else escape? Did Ulfric..." Ralof gave her his lopsided smile before he responded.
"Don't worry. I'm sure he made it out. It'll take more than a dragon to stop Ulfric Stormcloak." Gerdur just smiled at him as she turned to leave.
"I'll stay here and help them if they need anything." Hod said, uncorking another mead. She smirked and gave him a knowing look.
"Hmph. Help them drink up our mead, you mean." She chuckled before she gave her husband a kiss on the cheek and left the house.
"So you saw a dragon, did you? Tell me, what was it like? As big as a house?" He asked Asmara and Ralof with excitement in his voice. Asmara just looked to the floor as she brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them and Ralof remained silent as well. Hod looked between the two for a few moments gauging their reaction. Ralof looked to Asmara who still refused to make eye contact and he sighed.
"I'm not sure how ready we are to talk about it. It was more frightening than you can imagine." Ralof said quietly.
"Sure, sure. It's just, you know, not every day I meet someone who's laid eyes on a dragon." Hod said taking a sip of his mead. Ralof chuckled.
"No I suppose not. Maybe you'll see one for yourself soon. Helgen isn't that far from here. I even think I heard old Hilde going on about seeing a dragon when we first arrived to town." Hod's eyes widened and he shook his head.
"Don't even say such things. I hope that dragon stays away from Riverwood. We don't need that kind of trouble." Hod stated.
Ralof and Hod continued to make small talk while Asmara remained in her place on Frodnar's bed, with her right knee up and bent, her chin resting atop it as she still tried to process the events that had occurred leading up to that moment. Everything had been turned upside down in a matter of two days. She went from a simple huntress to a felon in a matter of hours. She was still trying to hold onto the fact she was free of the headsman's block. She was sure her death was upon her, even when the dragon attacked and stopped her execution, she wasn't sure if she would have made it out alive.
Asmara thought to her recurring dreams as of late. The Flaming Dragon had only once appeared to her when she was younger and she had not dreamt of him again. It was only a few weeks prior that the dreams surfaced. It was surreal to see a real live dragon in front of her. She thought it was a nightmare she would awake from, but nothing has happened to back up her suspicion.
This dragon was nothing like the one in her dreams. She remembered the sharp scales that were more black than night. His eyes burned in the same ways her Dragon's did, but they were blood red – not the warm gold she was used to. His shouts seemed more fierce as well. She remembered being knocked back from the force of the dragons voice and how it made her disoriented and even more terrified. Hell and debris had even rained from the sky, giving a more apocalyptic feel to the whole situation. Was it like Ralof had said in the keep? That the dragon was the harbinger of the end times? Was the world truly meant to end so soon?
Ralof's voice pulled her from her disturbing thoughts. She looked up from the floor and met friendly blue eyes. He tilted his head at her as if waiting for a response and she shook her head blinking a few times before he let out a small chuckle at her actions. He held up an unopened bottle of mead but she shook her head, smiling politely. He shrugged and uncorked the bottle before tilting it to his lips.
"You seemed lost friend." Ralof said to her, taking a seat on the edge of the bed in front of her.
"Perhaps I am." She said before she looked to him. She observed his Nordly features. He had the typical blonde hair and blue eyes and he was tall as well. He had a goatee the same color as his hair that framed full lips that she knew gave a warm smile to those who earned it. "Where did that dragon come from?" She asked him, not really expecting an answer.
"I'm not sure. Though, if anyone knows what the coming of the dragon means, it's Ulfric." He said to her.
"You seem to have a lot of faith in that man. You think Ulfric really knows where it came from?" She asked. He took another sip of his mead before he shrugged a shoulder, his fingers stroking his beard.
"Well… maybe. Dragons haven't been seen in Skyrim for an age or more. But wherever that dragon came from, and whatever it wants, Ulfric will get to the bottom of it. You can count on that." Asmara nodded, almost admiring his loyalty to the Jarl.
"We will see then." She said and returned her gaze back to the floor. They sat in silence for a moment before Ralof stood and headed over to the bar to grab more mead.
"You should get some rest. Let those potions finish working on your leg." He said to her, gesturing to her wrapped leg. She nodded to him and turned towards the wall as she lay down and curled into herself. She heard movement behind her and then suddenly felt the warmth of a fur blanket being placed over her. She turned to see Ralof looking down at her with his ever friendly smile lighting up his face. "Rest up. Gerdur will be back later and we can get some food in our bellies." He walked away and she turned back towards the wall. She closed her eyes and the images of the day flooded her mind. She didn't want to relive the events of what happened and luckily exhaustion won out, pushing her into a deep sleep.
The Flaming Dragon did not visit me this time, yet I was not alone. Everything still burned around me and the heat was unbearable. I could feel the burns on my skin in multiple places and the screams around me. There had never been screams before. It was always the roar of the flames and the rumbling of the Dragon's voice that filled my ears… never screams. The smell of burnt flesh and soot filled my nostrils and I gagged. This is not the same dream I had been having and it terrifies me.
The roar of the dragon echoes above the flames and I look to the dark sky. I search for my Flaming Dragon but there is nothing. I thought I caught a flicker of movement in the black sky and it was confirmed when the black as night dragon swooped down above me. I screamed in terror and ran as I always did.
The dragon landed in front of me, his scales were sharper than swords and smoke rose from his body. Blood red eyes pierced through me and I could have thought he chuckled at my trembling. I saw the flames building in his throat, his neck glowed a dark orange as he spoke to me. "Zu'u los Dinok" He stepped closer and the whole ground shook with his weight. I fell to the scorched earth beneath me and the tears fell as my eyes met his and the flames began to pour from his mouth with his final words. "Hi los funtaas…"
Asmara startled awake in an unfamiliar bed. She took note of her surroundings and saw four sets of eyes meet her. She was breathing heavy and her skin was drenched in sweat. Gerdur stood from the table and as quickly by her side.
"Asmara, are you okay?" She asked, placing her palm over Asmara's forehead to check for fever. Asmara nodded and gently pushed Gerdur's hand away.
"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. Thank you." She said as she pushed the fur blanket off her and ran her fingers through her hair. She noticed she was still in the burnt Stormcloak cuirass she had escaped in. Ralof had changed into some of Hod's clothes and appeared free of dirt and ash. Gerdur walked over to the fireplace and picked up a bowl that had some warm water and herbs in it.
"Here you go dear. Let's get you out of the men's sights and get you cleaned up. I have some stew in the kettle if you're hungry as well." Gerdur placed the bowl of water on the small round table across from the bar in the offset bedroom of the house. Asmara stood and was happy to see her leg no longer hurt to walk on. She walked over to the table and Gerdur motioned for her to strip as she walked over to the wardrobe next to her bed to get some clean clothes. Asmara began to peel off the Stormcloak cuirass as Gerdur spoke to her.
"I have mostly dresses in here but you don't seem much like the kind for dresses. I might have some old trousers in here..." She went on as she dug through the wardrobe's bottom drawers. She exclaimed in victory when she found a pair of leather leggings. She went to grab one of Hod's tunics as she continued on. "I knew I had something for you to wear here. The tunic might be a bit large but…" Gerdur stopped as she turned and saw Asmara's back. It was covered in bruises, all looking no more than a couple days old. There were also bruises on her biceps and other various places that contained smaller marks.
Asmara took note of Gerdur's silence and turned, covering her chest. Gerdur swallowed deeply when she saw more bruises around Asmara's throat and collarbone, which had previously been covered from the uniform's Eastmarch blue scarf. Asmara did not meet her eyes and only stared at the floor. Gerdur walked over to her and placed the clothes and a clean cloth on the table. She placed her hands gently on Asmara's arms and slowly rubbed them up and down.
"I am sorry for what they did to you." Asmara just shook her head, still refusing to make eye contact. "If you would like to talk to someone…" Gerdur started and Asmara's head lifted and she gave Gerdur a small smile. Gerdur dropped her hands from Asmara's arms and stepped back. "There are some herbs in the water that will help with any muscle aches and pains. Feel free to ask if you need anything." Gerdur turned the corner towards the main living space and left Asmara alone to cleanse herself.
After she was dressed and her clothes were adjusted to her size correctly she took the bowl of now dirty water and walked over to the fireplace before dumping the water in. The flames flickered from the water but the fire still roared in the hearth. Gerdur stood from her place at the dining table next to her husband and son and grabbed a bowl for some stew. She handed the bowl to Asmara who took it gratefully as she sat down next to Ralof at the table with the fireplace to her back.
The stew smelled divine and Asmara devoured it quicker than she expected. She gave a sympathetic look to Gerdur as she got her another bowl of stew but Gerdur just smiled warmly as she continued their dinner with her family.
"I cannot thank you enough for your family's hospitality. I have never received such kindness." Asmara spoke up. She noticed the stew had helped her voice and it was slowly returning back to normal.
"Of course. Any friend of Ralof's is a friend of mine. You're welcome to stay as long as you like and if there's anything else you need, just let me know." Gerdur said to her and Asmara could see the friendly smile she shared with her brother.
"Thank you, but you have already done more than enough. I don't know how I will repay you."
"Well there is something you could do for me. For all of us here in Riverwood." Asmara looked to her and motioned for her to continue. "The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenseless. We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever troops he can. If you'll do this for me whenever you are ready to travel, I'll be in your debt." Asmara nodded. The task was more than simple enough and she needed to return to the Rift soon to escape the events of the past couple days.
"I would be more than happy. I will leave for Whiterun in the morning and give your message to the Jarl." Asmara replied.
"Tomorrow? That's so soon. Will you have recovered by then?" Gerdur asked, concern etched in her features.
"Yes, I believe so, thanks to your healing potions and aid I'm feeling just fine." Asmara said with a smile. "What can you tell me about the Jarl?" Asmara asked, curious as to who she would be dealing with tomorrow. She had never met a Jarl before and hoped this one was only concerned for his people and not just his own well-being.
"Jarl Balgruuf?" Gerdur confirmed and Ralof scoffed. Asmara didn't miss the action but her attention was on Gerdur. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, as he's ruled Whiterun Hold for years, but he seems in over his head now."
"How so?" Asmara asked, her head tilting to the side slightly.
"He's been trying to stay out of the war, but it can't last. He's going to have to pick a side." Gerdur said.
"You don't agree with neutrality?" Asmara probed but did not want to push the subject too far. She knew all too well how prideful Nords were and they're morals and values were of importance to them.
"Not in this case. It's time for Skyrim to rid itself of the Empire. The Empire may have been good for Skyrim once upon a time, but those days are long past. Banning the worship of Talos was the last straw. Thalmor everywhere, dragging people off for honoring our own gods!"
"Perhaps it is not the Empire we should be fighting then?" Asmara said calmly and all eyes were on her. She looked down at her stew and took a bite. She could vividly remember her first encounter with the Thalmor and believed more than anything that they needed to be eradicated. She knew they had power though and she feared no one would ever be able to face the Aldmeri Dominion.
"Ulfric's cause is still just. I'm glad Ralof is helping drive them out of here. If I was a bit younger, I might have joined the fight myself." Ralof and Hod chuckled at her last statement and she gave them an exasperated look.
"Woman, you were too busy running around with me when you were younger." Hod said as he wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. She rolled her eyes but then smiled up at him as he planted a kiss on her forehead. Frodnar made a disgusted noise but Asmara smiled softly at the sight of the couple who was still in love after so many years.
"You should join the fight to free Skyrim." Ralof spoke up, working on his fourth bowl of stew. "You should come to Windhelm with me to see Ulfric. You've seen the true face of the Empire here today."
"You mean the beheading of innocent people?" Asmara said and Ralof chuckled.
"Yeah, something like that." He said, his lopsided grin pulling into place on his face.
Night had fallen and the house was filled with the soft snores and sounds of its sleeping residents. Asmara sat on the raised hearth of the fireplace with her knees bent up to her chest and her chin resting atop them. She stared into the flickering flames as they licked the stone around them. She had attempted sleep, but it had not come. She wanted to blame it on the uncomfortable floor her bedroll was on but she knew that was not the cause.
The scenes from Helgen raced through her mind. The charred bodies, the screams, the terror, the falling debris, the shadow of the dragon overhead and its shouts, the black scales, the red eyes, the tumbling tower around her, the burning…
Everything in the once quiet village burned. She had visited Helgen more than enough times to sell her wares and animal meat and she could only imagine what citizens were left alive afterwards. There were children there and a tear slid down her cheek at the thought of the young lives that had not been spared that day.
She soon realized she was not alone and heard Ralof approach from behind her. He took a seat on the hearth opposite her and their eyes met momentarily before she turned her attention back to the fire.
"Can't sleep either?" Ralof asked her, looking into the fireplace with her. Asmara just shook her head without answering but he still saw the motion. "I can't get the images out of my head. I've been to battle before, but… what we saw today was the worst thing I'd ever seen."
A few silent moments passed before Ralof looked to her again and tried to spark a conversation with his quiet companion. "How did you end up on that cart?" Asmara turned her head towards him and let out small laugh with her breath.
"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Asmara said plainly, looking back to the fire.
"Is that why the beat you then?" Ralof asked and almost regretted the words. Asmara's golden eyes snapped to his blue ones and he saw the pain within them. "When they loaded you and the horse thief onto the cart he had said you were caught crossing the border. Ulfric and I saw the marks while you were in those rags." He explained to her and she still stared at him, so he continued awkwardly. "Then, in the keep when you changed into the cuirass I caught a glimpse of your back…"
"You watched me undress?" Asmara said with no hint of emotion in her voice, her eyes still locked on his. This time he looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I wasn't watching, I just… I just saw the bruises." He tried to explain and her face softened as she threw him a small smile.
"It is okay, Ralof. This is the longest I have remained in the company of one person and I am glad it is you. It was nice to see a friendly face when I awoke on that cart. Yours was the first I saw." She said to him.
"Is that why you chose to go with me instead of Hadvar?" Ralof asked.
"Yes. That and the fact that he still continued to call me prisoner. You kept calling me 'Wood Elf' until I told you my name once we were in the keep. So, it was either I go with 'Prisoner' or 'Wood Elf'. One I have no choice in being but the other title I did not welcome so openly. The choice seemed obvious."
"Well, I'm glad you chose me." He said to her with his charming grin in place. She smiled back at him before turning her attention back to the fire.
"You know I think one of the oddest things of the whole experience was waking up with my leg resting on a strange man's knee." She told him as her lips quirked up at her comment. Her eyes shifted to him and her smile grew when he began to laugh softly.
"The previous night they had thrown you onto the bottom of the cart. Ulfric and I had lifted you up next to him and when we saw your leg and how bad it was, I thought it was the least I could do to help. I wasn't sure where we were headed at the time so helping a lady out as one of my last acts in the world couldn't have been a terrible option." Asmara chuckled.
"I'm sure Shor would have been fond of your chivalrous acts." Asmara said in a joking tone.
"This is the most I've heard you speak since we've met." He stated matter-of-factly. Asmara shrugged and began picking at a stray thread on her leggings.
"I guess the less I speak, the more people care of what I have to say when I do." Asmara stated plainly.
"Perhaps you're right, but you still didn't answer my first question entirely. What happened?" Asmara shifted slightly in her place and her eyes dropped again before she spoke.
"I was hunting in Falkreath Hold when an earthquake disturbed the elk I was tracking. The ground had rumbled a few times and there was this enormous crashing sound to the southeast, but I'm not sure where."
"When we stopped at the border, and you were loaded onto the cart, Tulius said something about an avalanche that was blocking off the Pale Pass. Maybe that was what you heard."
"Possibly, and it makes sense if I think about it." Asmara stated. She chewed her lip as she tried to recall her hunting trip that morning. She had noticed Ralof was still waiting for her to continue so she snapped out of her reverie. "After I lost the elk, I heard a commotion coming from the border to Hammerfell. I thought maybe something had happened because of the earthquake so I headed towards the gate out of curiosity."
"Then I guess what they say is true about curiosity killing the cat, eh?" He said with a grin in place. She let out a chuckle and shook her head.
"That would have been much funnier if only I were a Khajiit." She said with a smile before continuing. "When I arrived at the gates I noticed they were transporting the horse thief. I suppose he was what caused the shouting that drew my attention. That was when they found me hiding in the bushes. They assumed I was also trying to cross the border and also affiliated me with the bandit camp that resided in a keep nearby. I fought them off and ran for so long before they go to me with a bloody clairvoyance spell." Ralof shook his head at her mention of the spellsword. "I wasn't aware the Imperial Legion had many magic practitioners."
"At least you put up a fight before they took you. I would have done the same." Ralof said to her.
"Well my muscles are regretting it, but the herbs your sister gave me helped."
"I'm sorry they did that to you."
"So was your sister. Everyone seems to be sorry except for the ones who should be." Asmara said solemnly.
"Just another good reason for you to join the Stormcloaks. Ulfric would be glad to have you, I'm sure he even remembers you from the cart, plus I'd put in a good word for you." Ralof said enthusiastically but she could not meet his enthusiasm.
"Thank you, I might think on it, but I have avoided the war thus far I only hope I can do so for a bit longer." She said to him.
They remained silent before her eyelids began to feel a bit heavy. Ralof must have noticed her change in mood when he got up and held his hand out for her to take. "Come on. If you plan to leave for Whiterun in the morning you'll need some sleep." Asmara nodded and took his hand, stretching her legs out as he helped her to her feet. She walked over to her bedroll and tried to find a somewhat comfortable position before she forced her eyes closed and prayed to the gods that sleep would take her.