Breathless

Chapter 1. Helgen

Of all the ways she could've died in her short lifetime, Eroeh had never imagined that being beheaded for treason of all things would be the way she'd go. Wincing at the rope burns that'd developed around her wrists overnight, the tired half-elf flexed her fingers and cast a discreet healing spell to try and ease the pain.

Noticing her discomfort, one of her companions in the cart, a tall blond Nord by the name of Ralof leaned into her to help conceal her faintly glowing hands. "I'm sorry about all of this, Eroeh. Had I known the Imperials were on our tail, I would never have asked to share your camp. You, least of all deserve to be caught up in this mess," he apologized, his voice gentle and heavy with accent as he placed a similarly bound hand over hers. She grimaced, thinking of just how wrong he was in his sentiment. At this point in her life she had a laundry list of things she could be executed for.

She and Ralof had known each other for almost a decade thanks to her cousin Faendal, who worked for his older sister Gerdur at the Riverwood Mill. She'd always seen the friendly Nord when she'd pass through, and had developed a friendly rapport with him and the rest of the town over the course of her time in the province.

Hell, Ralof was practically family at this point.

She'd known for a while that he'd been supportive of Jarl Ulfric's ideals in the current civil war- just as many other Nords did, but she hadn't known he'd gone so far as to actually join the Stormcloak rebellion.

They'd come across one another by chance the night before near Darkwater Crossing, just as Eroeh was making her way up towards Winterhold from the forests of the Rift. She'd been down south in Valenwood visiting her siblings for the last month, and had only just returned the week prior. She had unfortunately discovered the hard way that Ralof had been traveling south with the Empire's Most Wanted, Ulfric Stormcloak, the Bear of Markarth himself.

Eroeh sighed and rested her head against Ralof's muscular shoulder as he quietly questioned their other companion- a horse thief by the name of Lokir, who'd unfortunately been in the wrong place at the worst time and was caught in the crossfire.

She'd hoped she might be able to convince the guards of her innocence if they were willing to listen. A bard by trade, she was typically successful in her endeavors so long as she could get people to engage with her. She was hoping that perhaps she could bat her long, dark eyelashes at just the right person and they could simply "lose track" of her and set her loose.

Pulling into Helgen's open gates, Eroeh made sure to keep track of the cart carrying her personal belongings ahead of them, as gods only knew that if she could get ahold of her bow, she'd take out as many soldiers as she had to if it meant keeping herself alive.

"Alright you little minx, I see that look in your eyes... What're you up to?" Ralof whispered conspiratorially in her ear, having noticed the thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm not up to anything, Ralof... just wishing my bow weren't so far away is all..." she sighed, her voice gentle and resigned.

"I've seen you shoot, Eroeh. They were smart to take it from you," Ralof joked, his hearty laughter rumbling from deep within his chest. "You know, even though you're only a half-elf, you're just as deadly as any true Bosmer with that thing," he chuckled, playfully nudging her shoulder with his.

"Thanks, father would be proud to hear I hadn't got rusty since he died," Eroeh soberly replied. She'd lost both of her parents years ago in one of the Dominion's many off the record 'purges' within Valenwood's populace. Luckily enough for her, she and her siblings had been traveling when it happened, and so remained unharmed.

As they were called by name, the prisoners took their places around the chopping block. As the soldier holding the list- a familiar face framed by mousy brown hair and mismatched eyes by the name of Hadvar got to Eroeh, there seemed to be a bit of a discrepancy. "You there, elfling. State your name and business," he said, trying not to acknowledge that they knew one another.