In the keep, Eriah heaved as she caught her breath. Ralof saw the body of a shield-brother and had gone over to it. "We'll meet again in Sovngarde, brother," he said, closing the soldier's eyes. His fellow ex-prisoner could still hear the sounds of the dragon attack but thanks to the keep's thick stone walls, it was muted. Now that she had a chance to catch her breath, she had to wonder how many others made it out alive. Did the Jarl survive? Would Hadvar? The former, Eriah felt, would prove to be way too stubborn to die here, especially if he was a typical Nord. She had a feeling that this wasn't the last she had seen of Ulfric Stormcloak. If he managed to get out, it was likely he'd return to Windhelm and pull his forces together to continue the fight with the Empire. The big question was did he intend to do anything about the dragon? Would anyone. Speaking of the winged menace and her near execution, Eriah could've gone her whole life without either happening.
Deciding to focus on escaping, she started pulling at her bindings. "Looks like we're the only ones who made it. That thing was a dragon no doubt. Just like the children's stories and the legends. The harbingers of the End Times. We better get moving. Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off," Ralof said. Eriah came over as he drew a dagger he must've lifted from a dead body. He took her bound hands in one of his, slid the blade between her wrists, and cut them loose. "Finally," Eriah said, rubbing her wrists gingerly. She had a nasty rope burn. Now that adrenaline and fear weren't pumping through her veins, they started to sting. "Now that we're safe for the moment, let's introduce ourselves more properly. I'm Ralof of Riverwood and a soldier of the Stormcloak army," he said, turning to pull the armor off his dead shield brother. "Eriah Quintence," she replied. "And where do you hail from?" he asked, standing up again with the armor in his arms. "I was born in Skyrim but was raised in Cyrodiil. My father is a jeweler and my mother taught me swordsmanship. I came to Skyrim looking to get in touch with my homeland, maybe even find a home here to belong. Cyrodiil, especially with this war going on, felt less like home to me," Eriah explained.
Ralof hummed. "Hadvar was right about one thing. You did come to Skyrim at a bad time. However, I do apologize that you got caught up in this mess." he said. "It's okay. Neither of us knew what would happen." Eriah said. Ralof cracked a smile and held the armor out to her. "Take Gunjar's armor. It's not going to do him any good now and you need to have better protection. Take his ax as well. It may not be a sword, but it's the best we have right now," he instructed. Eriah took the clothes and armor from him and he turned his back to give her some privacy. She removed the rags she woke up in and got into the Stormcloak outfit. To his credit, Ralof didn't even look at her as she prepared herself, preoccupied as he was with escaping. They weren't out of the woods yet and both knew they could be discovered at any moment. The thing about keeps was that the lower they went underground, the less likely anyone within would know what was going on topside. "I'm ready," Eriah said, hanging the ax from a loop on her belt. Ralof turned and nodded approvingly. "You do the uniform justice, Eriah. You should consider joining the cause," he said.
"First things first. We need to get out of here," she said. "Right." her companion said. He headed for the door nearby and tugged on it. "Locked. Let's try the one over there," he said, heading to the opposite side. "Damn! No way to open this from our side," he cursed. Eriah felt as frustrated as he sounded. She didn't go through all that trouble just get stuck now. That's when they saw a couple of Imperials coming their way. They quickly ducked on opposite sides of the gate. They wordlessly agreed that this was their ticket out. Together, they could handle the soldiers coming their way. When the Imperials opened the gate, Ralof and Eriah engaged them using the element of surprise. A short fight later, the two companions were victorious. Eriah took the captain's sword and felt its familiar weight. "This is more like it," she said, looting the scabbard and sheathing the blade. "There may be more inside the keep. Let's proceed with care and loot anything of use," Ralof said, looting the key to the locked gate from the body of the captain. With that, they went to the gate, unlocked it, and journeyed further in.
They headed downstairs to a hallway. A rumbling shook the walls unexpectedly, causing the ceiling to cave in, blocking the exit. "Watch it!" Ralof shouted, once again catching Eriah around the waist and shielding her. "For the love of Talos!" she cursed, feeling slightly humiliated that this kept happening. If it were any other time, she'd accuse Ralof of not being able to keep his hands to himself. Still, this was a life or death situation and she couldn't afford to go off on her companion. She owed him her life more than once so she just shook it off as the Nord went to inspect the damage. "Damn that dragon," Ralof cursed. Fortunately, there was another door just before the cave-in and they proceeded through it. There had to be another way out. The next room yielded more Imperial troops which Eriah and Ralof made quick work of. They looted the bodies and the room for healing potions and anything else they could use.
They discovered a torture room where a couple of Stormcloaks were engaged with Imperials. Ralof and Eriah aided them. "Was Jarl Ulfric with you?" the blond Nord asked his shield-sister. "No. I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up," she replied before she and her companion split off to search the place some more. Ralof and Eriah continued their escape. "I hope the Jarl made it out." the soldier said. "If his reputation is anything to go by, I'm sure he did," Eriah said, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, lass. I'm proud to serve the man. Since I heard you invoke Talos's name, I assume you believe in his godhood as well?" he asked as they continued to find their way. "I grew up believing in him. My family wasn't bold enough to proclaim it openly but if there is one thing about the Thalmor, it's this. They can't know what goes through a man's mind. We worshiped Talos in our minds and thus we were never accused of breaking the law," Eriah explained. "A Nord should proudly proclaim his beliefs, lass. How else are others to know where you stand?" Ralof mused. "Whether it's in silence or shouted from the mountaintops, the Divines know our hearts. That was good enough for my family. Plus, it would've been suicide," she replied. "I didn't think about that. I apologize," Ralof said, sheepishly.
Silence fell between the companions as they found themselves in the keep's underbelly. It was mostly a natural cavern with a touch of human workmanship to make it usable. They killed the Imperials there and moved forward. They reached another part of the cave and the ceiling caved in behind them. "No going back that way now," Ralof said. Eriah followed him down the stairs and they pressed onward. Following the underground stream, with the sun shining through natural openings of the roof, both noticed that things were quiet up on the surface. "I think the dragon is gone," Eriah said. "Could very well be. Helgen is likely a charred wreck by now. Talos preserve the kinsmen who survived," Ralof agreed. The next area of the cave yielded a battle with some Frostbite Spiders. "We're almost there, lass. Just a little further ahead," said the man. They were just about to continue on when Ralof saw it.
"Hold up. There's a bear just ahead. See her?" he whispered. Eriah spotted it as well and swore under her breath. Would the obstacles never cease? "We could either sneak by or kill her. Your call, lass," Ralof said. "Give me your bow. I don't have the patience for sneaking around." Eriah said, holding her hand out. Her eyes on the bear, she felt Ralof hand her the bow and an arrow. Notching it onto the string, she pulled the arrow back and steadied her breathing. She knew the basics of archery and the bear was practically an easy target. She was snoozing away in a sunny spot on the cave floor, unaware of the Nords nearby. Aiming for the animal, Eriah let the arrow fly. It hit right on target. The bear had only time enough to give a pained roar before she fell dead. Eriah went to it and skinned it. She had found a number of septims laying around the keep and figured the bear's pelt would add a little more to her purse. "For a jeweler's daughter, you know a lot of outdoorsy skills," Ralof said, joining her. "I was taught a few tricks by my mother when I was fourteen, saying that I'd never know when I need them. She was right," Eriah said as they continued on to the exit.
They emerged into the sun at last and things were indeed quiet. They spotted the black dragon flying away from Helgen towards the mountains and ducked out of sight. "There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time. No way to know if anyone else made it out alive. But this place will be swarming with Imperials soon enough. We better clear out of here," Ralof said. "Good idea. I've had my fill of Imperials for now," Eriah agreed. The companions started heading for the main road seen in the distance. "So where are we going?" she asked. "My sister, Gerdur, runs the mill in Riverwood just up the road. I'm sure she'll help you out," Ralof replied. "Are you sure it's safe to go there. My geography isn't the best but isn't your hometown just over the border in Whiterun Hold? It's not that far from Helgen," Eriah said. "The Imperials will be too busy dealing with the aftermath to worry about escaped prisoners. Whiterun is also neutral when it comes to the war. Jarl Balgruuf the Greater will not allow troops from either side into Whiterun. I think we should be safe. We can lay low for a bit while you decide your next move. I plan on returning to Windhelm, reporting to Jarl Ulfric, and getting back to service," her companion replied.
Eriah felt a little saddened that their companionship would soon end. She didn't know him very well but she considered him a friend after their shared experience in Helgen. She decided to dig for information about why the Stormcloaks were fighting and for info on Ulfric himself. She was starting to consider joining the cause but she needed to know more about the conflict so she could make an informed decision. While she disagreed with the ban on Talos worship and the Aldmeri Dominion forcing the Empire to sign the White-God Concordant, there were still good things about the Empire. Her father's business thrived and they had lived comfortable lives since the Great War's end twenty-five years ago. Still, that same Empire consigned her, an innocent person, to the chopping block for no reason other than being in the same area as the Stormcloaks. There was also the dragon to consider. Eriah felt, deep down, that the attack wasn't a one-off deal. That dragon had the look of a lord with his curved horns, which made it likely he had a name recorded somewhere. She tried to think back to all the dragon books she read as a child because he had struck a chord of familiarity with her.
She still didn't know why. It was like her soul knew that dragon and she had felt a subtle pull towards him. One of awe, as if she beheld a god. If not for her terror and the chaos of the attack, Eriah was sure the pull would've been a lot stronger. It was almost funny. The dragon had saved her life as much as Ralof had. He had come in at the right time to stop her execution. He may have been after her specifically but thanks to him, the Imperials were denied their chance to end the rebellion with Ulfric's head on a pike. "You've been quiet for a while now, lass. Everything alright?" her companion asked. "Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about what had happened. I wonder if anyone made it to Riverwood ahead of us and warned them of the dragon," Eriah replied. "We'll know when we get there. Was that it?" Ralof then inquired. "I was also thinking about hearing you out on the Stormcloaks. Can you give me something to work on so I can see if the rebellion really has Skyrim's interests at heart?" she questioned.
"Sure thing, lass. Let's get to my sister's home first and I will answer any questions you have. I owe you that much for all your help," Ralof promised. "I'll hold you to it, then. And thank you for helping me escape," Eriah said, giving him a small smile. The man grinned back. "The feeling is mutual. Thank you for trusting me with your life. You'd make a fine Stormcloak if I manage to convince you that Jarl Ulfric's cause is right," he said. "That depends on how well you explain your side," she playfully jabbed. That's when the reality of the escape caught up to her and her knees gave out. Ralof noticed she had fallen behind and looked back. He half-jogged back to see what was up. "Are you hurt?" he asked. "No. I guess...it finally hit me that we're still alive. I almost can't move for the sheer relief," she said, running a hand through her shoulder-length brown hair. Ralof laughed for a moment before reaching out a hand. "Here. I'll help you the rest of the way," he said. Eriah took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. Wrapping her arm around his neck, his arm wound around her waist and he helped her keep walking.
She let her eyes fall to the road, watching it pass under their footsteps. She felt drained of energy and the dragon's Shout that hit her twice when he appeared left her body feeling rather sore. It was like getting thrown into a wall by a giant. "Riverwood's just ahead, lass. Hang in there," Ralof said, encouragingly. He had picked up on his companion's growing weakness and knew she needed rest. They both did. He didn't know where she'd go next but his plan was to recover for at least three days before making his way to Windhelm. If Ulfric had survived Helgen and wasn't picked off by either the dragon when he flew away or nabbed by Thalmor Justicars on the road, he would be there. The Nord could only hope that Eriah was right and Ulfric had gotten away. He didn't doubt his commander's ability to handle himself in a fight. He rounded a bend and a smile broke out on his face as his hometown into view. "We made it, Eriah. Once we find Gerdur, you'll be able to rest," he said. "Thank you," came her whispered response. With that, the companions headed towards the town, Eriah's mind full of all the past events and the memory of the Jarl's eyes being the most prominent.