They stumbled out of a cave he had never known existed near his village, and was almost immediately shoved to the ground. The young woman hissed at him to be silent when he yelped in protest, and the other rebels ducked under rocks and trees or back into the cave to avoid being seen as the dragon flew overhead, apparently deciding it had wreaked enough havoc. He really hoped he still had a village to return to. Once it was declared clear, he pushed himself back upright, brushing dirt and leaves off his clothing.
"Look, I appreciate you saving my life back there, but I really need to get back now-"
She gave him an unimpressed glare. "You really think the Legion's going to just let you go back? I'm pretty sure at least that Captain saw me dragging you into the tower."
"But that's my home-"
"Let him go," the tall woman in white armor said. "Perhaps the General will show mercy."
"Not likely…" his rescuer scoffed, folding her arms. "But alright." He was quick to push himself back to his feet and take off. It seemed by sheer luck that he even picked the right direction to run in.
It wasn't long before he reached the gates of Helgen, and he slowed to a halt at the sight of desolation before him. There was very little left of his town; most of it had been destroyed by either the dragon's breath or the fiery hailstorm. The survivors were still putting out fires. His own home hadn't survived. "Oh no…"
He paused when he realized he could hear the General speaking with one of his captains. He hadn't been noticed yet, and so listened in.
"…like one of the villagers was actually a rebel as well, he aided the captives in escaping. If he returns, I want you to arrest him. He is to be executed with the rest of the rebels, once we've caught them again."
"Yes, sir."
He sucked in a sharp breath, and carefully crept back outside the gates. Everyone inside was too busy to notice him as he sat on the ground, feeling overwhelmed. Not only was his home gone, but he'd just been declared a wanted criminal.
"Bad news?" He gasped, jerking his head back up to see the young woman who had saved him. "I tried to tell you," she said more gently, reading his look.
"My house is gone…"
"…I'm sorry." She held a hand out to him. "I'm Lucy."
"Um… I'm Emmet," he introduced himself, reaching to shake her hand. She grabbed hold of him, pulling him back to his feet.
"Come on, let's get out of here before they see us."
"Where did your friends go?"
"We split up, it'll be safer to head back to base that way. Come on."
"No."
She turned back to him, surprised by his adamancy. "What?"
"Somebody has to tell the Jarl about the dragon. Helgen had a whole troop of Imperial soldiers stationed there, and look what happened to it anyway! What do you think is going to happen to some place like Riverwood? They're completely undefended, they wouldn't stand a chance…"
Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "Alright. I guess we're making a detour to Whiterun, then."
Emmet, it turned out, was very chatty. Obnoxiously so, almost, and he had a thousand questions. He mostly asked about her, where she was from, who her parents were, why she fought for the rebellion, and when she didn't respond, answered them himself. She learned he'd been born in Helgen, had lived there his entire life up until that point. He didn't seem a very imaginative or adventurous sort, unlike herself. It sounded like he'd never once set foot outside the walls in his whole life. He'd studied stonemasonry, and a bit of carpentry, under his father's guidance, and took over the 'family business' when his father passed away. He didn't seem to have any aspirations for anything greater. All in all, he sounded like a very boring person.
As Emmet nattered away, Lucy went over all her options. It was kind of her fault the young man was in this mess now. She should have just left him after ensuring he wasn't about to become dragon food, she'd had no reason to drag him into the fortress with her, and now she was paying the price for her actions. But as much as she didn't want to see an innocent person come to harm, she also knew he was going to be a huge liability. He had no combat training, no capacity for stealth, no apparent survival skills at all.
Lucy perked up as a thought occurred to her; perhaps this detour wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe if she explained the situation to the Jarl, he could grant Emmet sanctuary. Whiterun was still an undeclared Hold, but the Jarl did seem to lean more toward the side of the Imperials. If they could persuade him of Emmet's innocence, maybe he in turn could persuade the General, and Emmet could return home unhindered.
She liked that plan. She'd go with that. If it didn't work, well, she'd figure something else out then.