Valleri could do nothing but scream. A steel toed boot collided with her side as two other bandits watched on from a distance. They laughed, two deep voices resonating while the third was the throaty cackle of an Argonian. Blood sputtered from her mouth and onto the ground after the bandits had stopped beating her. If her hands weren't bound, Valleri probably would have tried to squirm away. She already lost the fight.
The man wearing the cursed boots finally knelt down, coming face to face with Valleri. He was smiling with wide, crazed eyes. His mouth was moving but whatever he was talking about was inaudible. Valleri couldn't bring herself to care anymore. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a bloody trail and the Argonian dragging a heavy, blanket wrapped object. Valleri felt nothing suddenly. Not the bruised ribs or the sprained wrist or the bleeding gash on her face.
Only one thing made it to the surface of her mind.
She was going to die.
There was no panic or wriggling as the Nord in front of her revealed a rusty knife. If that was what he was going to end her with, then so be it. There was no sign of her friends anywhere nor anyone coming to help. If she was going to die, she may as well do so with as much pride as she could. Valleri tried to garble out a curse as the knife moved in slow motion. Finally, the blade was pushing into her neck.
Her eyes scrunched closed and then… nothing.
When Valleri fell to the ground, she could hear the Nord being called by the others. The knife had been pulled away from her bare skin and she tried to breathe as he walked off. Valleri could only barely register the bandits in the distance now. Every time she breathed in; her lungs burned.
Was the sun beginning to set or was she finally passing out?
It didn't matter now.
The bandits were gone. Her friends - her family- were gone.
But Valleri was not gone.
Sleep finally took her as everything went black.
…
Waking up was as painful as Valleri thought it would be. Everything hurt and the smell of what Valleri presumed to be her own blood quickly became nauseating. It took her what seemed to be forever to work up the will to pull her body up from the dirt.
It was dark now. Stars littered the night sky and Valleri was able to make out a constellation here or there. But with the night came the cold. Her fingers were numb and stiff. Valleri could feel the layer of sweat on her exposed skin freeze. The bandits probably took everything she had, including anything that could keep the Imperial woman warm. Even if they didn't, Valleri was too sore to check. Slowly, she crawled her way to the closest tree and huddled at its base. Teeth chattering, Valleri brought her knees up to her chest. Even if it only gave an illusion of warmth, keeping herself in wouldn't give the wolves something easy to chew on.
Valleri allowed herself one final look at the sky before leaning her head back against the trunk of the tree. Masser and Secunda were now beginning their descent into the horizon, heralding the arrival of morning in a few hours.
Her eyes shut slowly and she breathed out unsteadily. Valleri would sleep and if she didn't wake up that was fine. She couldn't bring herself to care anymore. Her friends were more likely dead than alive and her reason for coming to this blasted province disappeared with them.
It didn't matter if she woke up. Nothing mattered.
…
There were voices in the background. Valleri didn't expect to wake up, let alone hear voices. Her eyes fluttered barely open; sun light and leaf litter took up most of her vision. She must have fallen over while she slept during the night. Her arm was trapped underneath her side, making it hard to move. The sun was blinding but Valleri tried desperately keep her sore eyes open.
The owners of the voices had started to come closer. Their footsteps crunched on the forest floor then stopped next to her. One of them crouched down then said in a clear, deep voice, "You think she's even alive?"
The second voice, soft and womanly, spoke. There was a bitter edge to it that Valleri could only faintly pick up. "I don't think so. Would it matter anyhow?"
"If she's dead we should at least bury her. Last rights and all that."
"Fine. Let's do what you want. We always do what you want. Even though that fence is still broken and the window lock needs to be fixed."
There was a light tap on her arm as the man the voice belonged to spoke, "Oh don't be like that. Poor lady died before her time. I'll carry her."
The man bent over and slipped a hand underneath the Imperial's ribcage, causing Valleri to jolt and yell with pain. The man jumped back to his companion and started muttering in low tones. Valleri groaned and tried to face him but with no luck.
"Shit! We've got to get her home. You wait here; I'll get a cart," the woman said before running off. The man, now recomposed and calm, made his way back to Valleri. He laid a hand gently on her arm before reassuring her that she was safe. Valleri would have sighed with relief but the pain emanating from her side was almost too much.
Valleri didn't know how long the man had kept her company before the woman came back with the cart. She could hear the woman disembark and rush over, muttering something in a hurried voice. Once again, Valleri began to fade back into unconsciousness and couldn't register their conversation. Slowly the man picked her up, mindful of her side and put her in the back of the cart. The wood was hard on Valleri's back, but much more comfortable than the leaf litter that jabbed into abdomen awkwardly. The woman sat in the back with her so she wouldn't be jostled during the ride back to where the two strangers came from. The ride was shorter than Valleri anticipated and the sun seemed to be at its peak in the sky.
The cart stopped with lurch in a clearing. The man once again took hold of Valleri and rushed into the house. In Valleri's peripheral vision, she could make out the shapes of fields and a windmill in front of a smaller cabin.
The interior of the cabin was dark and warm. Inside was a single room with a table and hearth. At one end of the room, a bed was pushed haphazardly into a corner. The man all but tossed Valleri onto the bed then went to the hearth to begin boiling water. Meanwhile, the woman threw open the windows to let in the light then rushed over to Valleri. She tore open the side of Valleri's shirt to examine her side then gasped.
"Shor's bones! She's all purple." The woman's fingers grazed over her ribs to start a more thorough inspection. Bones burned and pulsated as the woman felt around for more fractures. "She's got a broken rib. I'm gonna need a sheet."
"Watch the water; I'll be back." Valleri could hear heavy footsteps exit the house and felt the woman take hold of her hand. It was soft, nothing like the burly fingers of the man when he carried her into the cabin. She whispered in low tones and a warm feeling filled the room. Valleri faded into unconsciousness once again.
…
Valleri jolted awake once again. The Imperial half expected to find herself back in the wilderness where the bandits left her. Only she was surprised to see she was laying down in a house. Sunlight poured in through the window and the fire in the hearth was dying down. Looking down, Valleri also expected to see her blood stained, tattered clothes, but instead found herself dressed in an old night gown. No blood, no dirt; only the softness of the sun light and blankets.
She ran her hand over her side absentmindedly. Instinctively, Valleri winced as the fingers brushed over her skin. Slowly, her fingers moved upwards, only pausing when she brushed her left cheek. The wound was already scabbing over now and promised to scar.
One of the only things she could remember clearly was the Nord's face as he sliced deep into her own. The expression was sadistic; his eyes were wide as he smiled a toothy grin ear to ear. He cut deep and long only ending right before his knife found her jaw.
Valleri looked up again the room and noted an open door leading outside, sunlight pouring into the room form there as well. Shuffling out the bed, Valleri stumbled forward onto the floor. She held onto the wall for balance but her legs were shaky and it was going to take time to get her strength back. Still, the walk over only took her a few seconds. Valleri paused to catch her breath and the fresh air hit her like a hammer. It was cool and damp. Sunlight turned mottled on the ground as it passed through the trees. In the distance was the windmill Valleri had spotted when she arrived. Next to it was the vegetable garden. Two people were working in the garden, presumably the man and woman who had taken her in. Valleri watched them for a few minutes before the woman took notice of her.
"Jalfi! She's awake!" the woman shook the man by the shoulder before rushing over. She met Valleri at the door and took her by the shoulder, a soft expression of concern washing over her face. "Are you okay? What's your name?"
Valleri stared at her for what seemed like forever before blinking back into reality. "Where am I?"
"You're safe now. That's all that matters. Come on inside and I'll get you something to eat." The woman led her back into the cabin, letting Valleri draper arm over her shoulder for extra support. The woman carefully sat her down at the end of the table and went to the hearth to begin cooking.
The man came in only a short time after, kicking his boots free of any heavy grime he collected outside. He took a seat on the bench next to Valleri. The woman was the first to speak as she cut up vegetables and meat to put into her soup, "You've been out for almost two days. My name is Helgi and that's my husband, Jalfi," She gestured towards the man sitting at the table, "He's the one who insisted we bring you back. You're lucky we even found you out there." Helgi poured her ingredients into a pot hanging above the hearth then came to sit next Jalfi, "Now, what's your name and what can you remember?"
"Two days?" Valleri looked around the room for a moment, "Has it really been two days?"
"Yes. What's your name?"
"Oh! Valleri," she muttered as she looked at Helgi, "My name is Valleri."
"All right, Valleri, where are you from?"
"Cyrodiil."
Jalfi furrowed his eye brows and stared hard at Valleri with anticipation. "Are you with the Legion?"
"What?"
"I'm asking if you're with the Legion. I apologize, but I don't want any soldiers in my home. It only brings trouble."
Valleri shook her head, "I'm not with the Legion. In fact, my friends and I didn't even come through the main gate."
"Why are you here then?" Jalfi's scowl deepened as Valleri went silent.
Helgi looked at her husband and laid a hand on his shoulder. The attempt to calm him down was ineffective, but Jalfi didn't move or speak again. Helgi looked back to Valleri then spoke with an even voice, "We're farmers. There's not much we can do out here in the middle of nowhere if anyone were to wish us harm."
Valleri didn't have to guess Helgi's meaning as she paused. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she quickly muttered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I came here with a small group of researchers."
"Ah. What happened to them?"
"We were ambushed by bandits shortly after we crossed the border. I'm guessing they're both dead," Valleri felt her throat tighten as she recalled the attack. Memories of clashing metal and the smell of blood crept at the edges of the mind. They were still too fresh. "I don't remember too much about the attack itself. Only that it was two Nords and an Argonian."
Jalfi replaced his scowl with a more concerned look, "That could be anyone."
Helgi nodded momentarily and got up to check on the pot behind her. Satisfied, she took three bowls from a shelf nearby and filled them with the stew. "Here, Valleri, eat this. You're going to need nourishment if you're going to recover nicely," Helgi insisted in her soft, calming voice as she placed a bowl in front of the Imperial. Valleri looked at the stew in the bowl before eating it. There were potatoes and leeks in the stew with warm bits of meat here and there. She felt the broth going down her throat as her body began to warm up. The taste was bland, but Valleri was hungry enough to eat anything. Helgi smiled contentedly as she watched Valleri eat.
Jalfi was already finished with his portion before Valleri took a second gulp of stew. He leaned back in his chair and started talking once again, "You said you came with a group of researchers? Maybe those bandits were after whatever the research you guys had?"
Valleri shook her head, "No, not likely. My group was looking into some obscure stuff. Even people in Cyrodiil wouldn't know much about it."
"A random attack then."
Valleri looked down at the empty bowl in front of her then sighed through clenched teeth, "This is just great though. My first week in Skyrim and I get attacked by bandits. I feel like such a fool."
"You're not a fool. Things are only so chaotic right now because of the war."
"Right." Valleri paused for a moment before addressing Jalfi, "How hard do you think it'll be to track them down?"
"Difficult, especially when you're not familiar with the territory. Winter will be coming soon as well," the man gestured.
"The Companions could probably help." Helgi quipped before moving to collect the bowls.
"Who?"
"A warrior band based out of Whiterun. They pride themselves on being the best fighters in the province."
"You think they'd actually help me?"
Jalfi shrugged, "Maybe, probably."
Valleri could feel hope welling up inside of her for the first time since the ambush. Her heart pounded against her chest and she forgot about the dull ache in her side. Maybe, just maybe.
Helgi stared at the two figures sitting at her kitchen table. Valleri's eyes were wide with anticipation, but Helgi could remember the shape they had found the poor woman in. She gave her pot a sharp tap with a wooden soon to get their attention. Surprised, both Valleri and Jalfi flinched and looked at the woman by the hearth. "Valleri, I get that you want to go after those men right now, but you're still in no shape to even be leaving the house for too long. Your bones are broken; it'll take at least four weeks to heal up," Helgi paused to sigh, "I'm not gonna let you go all the way to Whiterun until I know you can at least walk without falling over."
"Wait," Valleri looked back to Jalfi next to her, careful to avoid the disapproving eyes of Helgi, "How far is Whiterun? Do you have a map?"
Jalfi laughed a bit, "Now that's funny, lass! Whiterun is about a week away by foot if you were in a hurry."
"Where are we now?"
"We're in Falkreath hold. And don't even think about leaving yet." Helgi said from her spot by the hearth. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Valleri across the small room.
Valleri's expression went serious as she began thinking about the bandits and her friends, "Soon though. I need to know what happened to my group. I want vengeance." Jalfi and Helgi stared at the woman sitting at their table. Valleri seethed quietly, barely moving.
Soon.