E'hla had spent the last two days on the road, heading south towards Falkreath. She had encountered several beasts of the wild, but nothing she couldn't handle. She didn't want to spend another night out here, so she decided to push on as dusk approached with silent steps. The wind howled through the surrounding woods, and every gust of wind coming their way startled her horse. She pulled her hood over her head and halfway down her face before she pushed on the horse to speed up. They trotted through the last part of woods before they got to the gates of Falkreath. She halted her horse just inside of the city gate and dismounted the animal before she tied the reins to a post at the back of Dead man's drink. "I'll be back" She whispered to the horse and stroked the animal's forehead with a calm hand.
After buying some food from the innkeeper she left town. As she walked alongside the crippled road she read through the notes she had managed to hide away since she got captured in that imperial ambush. She memorized the passphrase and kept walking 'till she stood before the black door. "What is the music of life"? The door asked, awaiting her reply. She replied a brief, but composed:" Silence, my brother," and allowed herself to grin when the door opened and said: "Welcome home."
As she walked into the bowels of the sanctuary a blonde woman stopped her. "What is your business here?" She asked in a harsh voice, not seeming too pleased about a stranger walking into their sanctuary. E'hla pulled down her hood to reveal her face for her fellow assassin, and presented the notes from her old home in Cyrodiil. The woman's eyes flew up when she realized who was standing in front of her. "Pardon me, I did not know…" She said, but E'hla put up a hand to make her stop, and interrupted: "I expected no less of you, Astrid. After all you're the leader of this sanctuary. You wouldn't do you job if you were to let anyone pass through here." The Nord seemed please with her answer and nodded as a greeting gesture. "Welcome to our sanctuary, sister." She said and E'hla nodded thankfully in return and without further ado she pressed on past Astrid.
She walked through the sanctuary, and introduced herself to her new family. Opinions about her presence seemed to be divided. A few of the assassins seemed to want her dead, but most of them greeted her heartily. "Got your first contract yet, sister?" A dark, masculine voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to face the man causing the disturbance. "No," she replied, thinking there was no need to sugarcoat it. "I'm E'hla" She added and looked the Redguard dead in the eye. The man chuckled and shook his head while saying: "Well, I just happen to have some jobs available if you're interested." She tilted her head a little before replying: "I'm listening," and cocked an eyebrow slightly. He filled her in on the contracts, and she departed with a brief goodbye. She didn't like this brotherhood one bit. They had abandoned the tenets, and now this wretched woman pretended to be the leader. As if she knew anything. Pfft, they're nothing but fools, she though as she left the sanctuary.
Her first contract was in somewhere close to Windhelm, so she figured she would travel back to Whiterun, and rest up for a day or two before taking care of business. She walked back up the stony path towards Falkreath city, where her horse was tethered, and ready to go back home. Hopefully I'll reach Riverwood before sundown, she thought to herself while she mounted the animal once more. Setting off in a steady trot, she made way for the other settlement. As dusk approached, she rode through Helgen lying in ruin from the dragon attack. Her eyes flew over the place as she passed. When she spotted the ruin of Bleak Falls Barrow atop the mountain, she pushed the horse into a canter. The playful auroras was dancing across the sky that night, being the only source of light beside the crescent moon hiding behind the pine trees. She pulled on the reins as she passed the gates of Riverwood, halting the steed. "We'll stay here tonight," she said softly and stroked the coarse mane of the horse underneath her. She dismounted him, and removed the saddle and bridle, placing it on a nearby railing.
As she made her way towards the inn, she stopped in her tracks. Gerdur, she thought and rummaged through her pack before embedding the key into the palm of her hand. She walked up between the trader and the inn, and up towards Gerdur's house. When she reached the door, she placed the key into the keyhole and turned it, but just for good measures she knocked lightly on the wooden door before entering. She closed the door behind her, trying to keep quiet. "Ralof?" She asked silenced at the familiar form before her. The bigger Nord turn around to face her, and his eyes lit up when he recognized whom she was. "What brings you here?" He asked, perhaps a bit too eager for his own best. She smiled at him before replying: "I was hoping I could stay here for the night." She removed the hood from her head, and looked him dead in the eye. "Your eyes," he muttered and looked quite stunned by what he saw. "What about them?" She asked and blinked at him while tilting her head. "I.. I'm sorry," he stopped himself and ran a hand through his hair. "I have never seen a Dunmer with blue eyes before," he added and looked at her. She motioned a silent nod, and didn't understand why it came as a surprise now. After all, they had spent some time together before, and he didn't seem to care then. "How could I have missed that in Helgen?" he said, mostly to himself before he shook his head. She just stood there looking around the house, feeling quite awkward. "I'm only half Dunmer," she mumbled and looked down into the fire once more. He startled and muttered a short:" What?" in return tilting his head. "My mother is Dunmer, and my father is a Nord. I was born in Cheydinhal, and I haven't seen him since my fifth winter." Her voice was monotone and emotionless, as if she was reading from a book. Ralof just sat there all quiet for several long minutes before he again opened his mouth:" I'm sorry to hear that, E'hla." She looked at him with a brief smile. He remembered my name, she though and ran a hand through her hair before she tied it in a knot at the back of her head with the cotton band she had tied around her wrist. She crossed her legs and fiddled with a loose lock of hair.
"Can I stay here tonight, or not?" She asked and looked at the man before her, who suddenly snapped out of his own thoughts and smiled at her. "Of course, friend. Make yourself at home," he replied and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "So, what brings you to Riverwood?" He asked as he dumped down onto one of the chairs near the fireplace. She placed herself on the chair opposing him before she replied:" I have business to attend to in Windhelm," and stared carelessly into the fire before them. He looked at her as if he wanted her to continue to talk, and she did. "When we got out of Helgen, you said I should go talk to Ulfric about joining the rebellion. Did you really mean that?" She asked, and turned her head towards him with a questioning frown on her face. He raised his eyebrows before he broke out laughing. "Of course I did, The Rebellion will always need able fighters, and I've seen what you can do. I'd vouch for you," he explained. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again before looking away. "But I'm not a Nord," she whispered and turned her gaze towards him again. "Do you really think he'll have me, a Dunmer, fight for his cause?" she said and fiddled with the edge of her tunic for a short moment.
They had spent the last hour talking, but eventually she said she was tired, and needed some sleep. She took off everything but her soft cotton undershirt and underwear, and crawled under the furs on the bed Ralof had showed her. The furs were chill, and she pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself shivering a little. The blonde Nord walked over to the fireplace and tossed in a couple new pieces of wood, just to make sure the fire would continue to burn throughout the night. When he was done, he looked over at her and narrowed his eyebrow at the sight before him. All he saw was the little bundle underneath the furs, slightly shivering. He walked over to the side of her bed. Her back was turned to him, but she knew he was there anyways. He's just going to his own bed, she thought and closed her eyes trying to get her thoughts over to something else from the chill surroundings. She had never been a person to freeze easily, but only wearing a thin shirt and some panties took its toll. "Are you cold?" He asked, almost whispering. His voice made her heart skip a beat. She had never heard him talk like this before, so caring, so tender. She only nodded, still with her back towards him. The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a faint grin before he sat down on the edge of her bed. He placed a hand on what he figured would be her shoulder, and started rubbing it before he stood up. "I…" he started before he ran a slightly nervous hand through his hair. "I could keep you warm tonight," he finished and braced himself for a solid scolding. It never came. She simply made place for him on the small bunk, and turned around so she could actually see him. "That… is very kind of you," She replied and gave him a smile. He started to undo his armor, and kicked off his boots. Wearing only his pants he crawled underneath the furs, which covered her shivering body. She nuzzled against him, and in return to her motion he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer. He could hear her sigh, feeling relieved, as she rested her forehead to his chest. "Good night," she whispered and closed her eyes. He let a hand run down her back, and smiled when he heard her sigh lightly.
He had awoken long before her the next morning. She furrowed her brows at his touch, and did an attempt to open her eyes, but they just wouldn't cooperate. "Good morning," he whispered and brushed away some of her black hair covering her face. She smiled and nuzzled against him, resting her forehead on his chest. "Are you hungry?" He asked in a hushed tone, to not wake up the rest of the house. She nodded and mumbled a short mhmm, still with closed eyes. He smiled, and pulled away the furs before he stood up from the bed and covered her body with the furs he had used. She smiled and curled into a tiny grey ball where only her head was visible to the world around her. He walked over to the fire pit, and found a pot and started preparing breakfast for the two of them. The smell of food spread through the entire house, and it made her stomach grumble. She stretched out underneath he covers, before propping herself up on her elbows. She studied him, and every move he made, made her smile. She rolled over to her side, and put her feet to the floor and stood up. He turned around when he heard what she was doing, and he walked over to her in long strides. She had already gotten half across the room when she was caught in his arms. "But, I can't to help," she murmured, but he didn't listen. "Go back to bed and warm yourself," he said with a smile before he picked her up in his arms, and carried her back to the bed where they both had spent the night. He placed her carefully in the bed, and pulled the furs over her once more, still smiling.
When breakfast was done, he divided it in two, and put it on plates before he walked over to where E'hla was sitting, wrapped in furs like a tiny personal igloo. He handed her one of the plates and said: "Be careful, it's still hot," before he sat down beside her. She picked up the fork he had balanced on the edge of the plate and started eating. "This is really good," she mumbled through a mouthful of food and added:" You're a very good cook." He smiled at her and asked: "When do you have to go?" looking down at his own lap. She looked at him, and balanced the plate in her lap. "Soon," She mumbled and removed the knot from the band that held her hair away. Her long black hair fell down around her face and down her back. She had to run her fingers through it a couple of times to get rid of the few tangles she had, before she tied her hair back up in a bun. She looked at him with a tilted head, and she furrowed her brows. "What's wrong, Ralof?" She asked and placed a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. He just shook his head, and put on a fake smile before he replied:" Nothing, I was just thinking." She looked at him, and raised one eyebrow at his answer. "What is it, really?" She asked and looked him dead in the eyes, giving him no choice but to answer. He sighed and replied:" Will we ever speak again?" She replied with a smile and a confirming nod before she added:" Most certainly." She removed her hand, and got out of bed. "Besides, You are one of Ulfric's soldier boys. I am sure you'll be in Windhelm at some point. Next time you're there, try and find me," She said and gave him a pat on the shoulder before she gathered her armor and put it on.
When she was fully dressed, she turned around to face him, and smiled while she opened her arms as an invite to a hug. The much bigger Nord walked over to her, and pulled her close in a quite intimate and long lasting hug. "I'll see you in Windhelm then," he mumbled from above her head. She just nodded with a smile and let go of him. She turned around and walked towards the door. She stopped by the door for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet and walked out of Gerdur's house. Once outside she let out a sigh of relief, and started walking towards where she had tied up her horse the night before. She saddled the horse, and mounted it before she rode off for Windhelm. Just outside of Riverwood she decided she should follow the river to get to Windhelm. She pushed on her horse, and kept it at a steady trot until they had reached the bottom of the falls.