Erlirria and the group were trekking down from Helgen, having cleared the place out from bandits for the third time.
"I don't understand why they keep coming back, honestly. We're just going to keep killing them until they stop." Lucien speculated as they walked.
"Perhaps it's an attempt to show strength, so that we will leave them alone." Miraak added.
"What I don't understand is why they want to live in the wreckage of that place, the Empire hasn't made any attempt to rebuild the place." Erlirria said over her shoulder.
"Bandits tend to dwell in places where the authorities won't go, that's why they're holed up in caves and forts." Inigo said.
"I forgot you were a bandit for a while, Inigo." Khayla commented.
"So did I, you always seemed too noble to be a bandit." Serana added.
Inigo offered a smile, though it turned sour quickly.
"I was in a dark time when I was part of a band."
"Yeah, you mentioned you were on skooma at the time. I remember you telling me and Lucien back when it was just the three of us." Erlirria said.
"Hey! Over here!"
A voice interrupted the conversation.
Erlirria's ears pricked up, the group pausing, a few of them with hands on their weapons.
A woman appeared over the ridge shadowing the side of the road.
A redhaired nord, with her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing the garbs of a hunter.
"Hey! You there! Can you help me?" She asked.
Erlirria turned to the group, all of who looked confused.
She turned back and shrugged. "What's wrong?"
"You need to help me. There's a wounded girl, over there, by the cliff!" She shouted.
Khayla hissed quietly. "Would you quiet down? You'll attract wolves with all the racket you're chirping."
"Khayla..." Serana whispered.
"No, no. She's right." Erlirria turned back to the woman. "Calm down and tell us what this is all about."
"They're looking in the wrong place."
"Who are?" The Khajiiti Dragonborn narrowed her eyes.
"No time to explain, she's too heavy for me to move. I need your help to carry her to safety."
"Where would be safe around here?" Lucien asked.
"I have a camp not far from here, across the lake. She'll be safe there... if she lives."
"Wait, who is looking for her?" Miraak asked.
"The Thalmor."
Erlirria turned back to the others, then to the woman. "Y'could've lead with that!" Khayla hissed.
"Sorry.." She said.
"My friend, should we help this woman?" Inigo asked.
Erlirria pondered for a moment, then eyed the woman. "What kind of good guys would we be if we didn't?"
"Thank you. Come on, it's this way." She said, turning around.
The group followed her up the hills, to where trees sprouted around them, the leaves blocking sunlight.
"I saw what happened. They chased her to the cliff edge. And she jumped into the canopy of that tree to escape." The woman said, pointing up.
"Ja!" A voice shouted.
The group turned around to see Khayla dispatching a wolf with her bow, looting the arrows.
"What? I did tell her to be quiet or else the wolves would show up." She defended.
"The tree saved her fall, mostly, but she's badly injured. But, if we can get her to my camp, she may survive." She said.
The group followed her further up to the cliffside.
The woman approached beside Erlirria, walking past her to point down.
At their feet lay the small form of an injured Nord teenager, her undershirt very clearly stained with blood, with a small pool around the body.
"Please, pick her up and follow me, we need to be quick." The woman said.
Erlirria turned back to the others.
"Keep your weapons and spells equipped, there's no telling if the Thalmor are still close by."
Erlirria turned back to the woman.
"I'm trusting you not to lead me or my companions into a trap. Got it?" She asked.
The woman nodded.
Erlirria narrowed her eyes and bent down, scooping the injured girl into her arms so that her head lay against her chest.
"Lead on, lady."
"Follow me, and watch your footing." She said.
Erlirria turned her head over she shoulder.
"High alert, stick close."
The group followed Erlirria as the red-haired woman began leading them away from the cliff.
When suddenly.
"Hold up!" The woman said.
They stopped.
"What is it?" Erlirria questioned.
The woman pointing down from where they were, Erlirria followed her direction.
A Thalmor coterie passed on the street below them, headed by a wizard on a pure white horse.
"We need another route, up here this way." She said.
The group continued to follow her.
They arrived back out on to the road, where the woman asked them to pause so she could check if the coast was clear.
"No, no." Erlirria butted in. "I don't trust you, yet."
"You have to, otherwise she's going to bleed out."
The Khajiit lowered her eyelids. "No, I don't."
"Lucien, Khayla." She asked.
The two approached.
"Khayla check if the coast is clear for any Thalmor or danger." She said.
Khayla simply nodded and scampered past the the red-haired woman.
"Lucien, use Healing Hands to stabilise the girl."
"Right away, my friend." He said.
The Imperial switched his spells and began casting, the girl's breathing becoming more even.
Khayla reappeared from the shadows of a tree.
"Coast's clear. That clique must be the only one in the area." She said.
The woman raised her eyebrow.
"How do you know?" She asked.
"I went to higher ground and used my eyes?" Khayla asked sarcastically.
"Lady, come on. Lucien can't keep this up forever." Erlirria said.
The woman continued on her way, letting the others follow.
"Down here, quickly." She said as they veered off the path.
They came to a small camp on the edge of the water, a man sat by the river with a fishing rod in his hands.
"Rose, are you mad?!" He shouted. "They will kill us!"
'Rose' gave him an angry look. "I'm not letting those bastards push us around, Hedren!"
Hedren turned to Erlirria and the group behind her.
"Who are these people, can we trust them?"
Rose turned back.
"I think so. We have to do what is right. Even if it means risking everything."
Erlirria and Inigo exchanged confused glances.
"Put her in the boat." Rose said.
"A please would be nice, but very well." Erlirria said, placing the girl down.
"Let's go."
...
They sailed the boat out to Rose's camp, hidden on a small island upstream on the river.
"My camp is over there, pick her up and put her on the bed roll." She said.
Erlirria got out of the boat, followed by everyone except for Inigo.
"I will guard the boat, my friend. Come and get me if you have need."
"Alright, Inigo." Erlirria said, hauling the girl out of the boat.
The group followed Erlirria up to the camp, shaded by trees and bushes.
It was comprised only of two stumps, a campfire, and two tents.
Erlirria placed the girl down on the furry bedroll inside one of the tents.
"Alright, let's take a look under this armour." Rose said.
Erlirria stepped back with the rest of her group as Rose went about checking the teen's injuries.
"Oh my- I...There's a deep cut running about her midriff, she's lucky she wasn't disembowelled. She's lost a lot of blood." Rose said.
She turned back to the group.
"We need to gather some things or she won't survive. Can you stay and help?"
Erlirria put a clawed finger to her lip for a moment. "What do you need?"
"Furs and clean linen for bandages, and a healing spell if the trader at Riverwood has one. And be careful, the Thalmor may still be around the village."
"And you?" She asked.
"I'll stay here and keep her warm and dry."
"Then I'll leave a few of my friends here with you, if that's ok." Erlirria suggested.
Rose looked at the people at her side. "Alright, which ones?"
Erlirria turned back to them. "Any volunteers? I would suggest we split in half, two of you with me, the other three with Rose."
"I'd better stay here, I already know the healing spell anyway." Lucien suggested.
"Alright, anyone else?" Erlirria asked.
Khayla put her hand up. "I guess I can stay here for the kid's protection." She said.
"I'll stay here as well." Serana said. "And I believe I have some spare bandages we could make use of."
"Brilliant. Then me, Miraak and Inigo will go back to Riverwood and get the furs." Erlirria announced.
"Have an alibi for the Thalmor ready, they're in a bloodthirsty mood it seems." Rose said.
Erlirria smirked. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine."
...
Erlirria, Inigo and Miraak approached the village carefully.
And, sure enough, the Thalmor were at the West gate.
"You three, halt!" One of the soldiers shouted. "What business do you have being here?"
"We're just passing through. What's the problem?" Erlirria asked.
The soldier pulled a piece of paper off his waist, unrolling it, he held it up to them.
"Have you seen this girl?"
Erlirria shared a glance with Inigo.
"No, we haven't." Inigo stated.
"Well, take a good look at it. And, if you do make sure you report it to the authorities. There's a sizeable reward being offered for her capture." He stated, giving the paper to Erlirria.
Miraak sighed audibly. "Description?" He asked as Erlirria rolled up the paper.
"Eighteen years old. About five feet, six inches tall, with shaven hair."
"All these soldiers for just one girl..." Erlirria mused.
"She is extremely dangerous, and wanted for murder." The soldier said.
Erlirria hummed in thought.
"Anyone caught aiding her will me summarily...ahem... executed. And their families arrested and sent to Valenwood." He threatened.
Erlirria hummed again, unimpressed.
I was saved from my execution by a dragon, and I can call for one to do it again.
"We'll keep it in mind." Inigo said.
"Good...good. On your way, now." He said, letting them past.
They walked only so far into the village before Erlirria turned around and flipped the Thalmor soldier off.
"Arghh! I wanted to 'Fus-Ro-Dah' him back to whatever god he worships." She growled.
"The feeling is mutual, Dragonborn. High Elves in particular can be... irksome." Miraak commented.
"Come on, you two. That girl needs those furs."
...
The three of them returned to the island, furs in backpacks.
"Rose." Erlirria said as they broke the treeline.
"You're back! Did you get some furs." She asked.
"Yeah, we did." Erlirria said, putting the backpack down and extracting the furs to hand to Rose.
"Great, these will work." She said, laying them over the girl carefully.
Serana stood over a cooking pot, mixing some kind of stew together.
Khayla was sat on a stump, tying up some shafts to make more arrows.
And Lucien was beside the girl, healing the large cut around her midriff.
"How is she?" Erlirria asked.
"Your friend has done a good job in closing the wound, and I've dressed it with some daub and the bandages your other friend gave me."
"She's also taken some water, I don't know if I mentioned that." Lucien said from where he was kneeling.
"No. You didn't." Rose said.
"We got the furs, now what?" Miraak asked.
"We wait. If she survives the next few days, we can find out who she is, where she comes from, and I can take her home, if she has one."
Erlirria glanced at Miraak and Inigo.
"What? What is it?" Rose asked.
"Her name's Rigmor of Bruma."
"How do you know that?" She asked.
Erlirria took the paper from her belt, letting it fall open to show the girl's face.
"There are posters all over Riverwood, as well as Thalmor guards."
"Rigmor of Bruma, huh?"
"Didn't the guard also say she was wanted for murder?" Inigo remembered.
"Well, I'm not going to judge until I hear her side of the story."
"So what should we do in the meantime?" Erlirria asked.
"We never proper introduced ourselves did we?" Rose asked
Erlirria shook her head, "No, we didn't."
Rose took a seat, "Well then, I'm Rose, and you all are?"
Erlirria smiled.
"Well, I'm Erlirria Daro." She began.
She then began to introduce each of her companions individually.
Serana handed out stew for them all to eat.
"The grey Khajiit is my little sister, Khayla Daro."
"The Imperial wizard who's been healing Rigmor is my good friend, Lucien Flavius."
"The vampiric woman who cooked the stew is Serana."
"Vampiric?" Rose asked, sudden fear in her voice.
"I'm a vampire, but don't worry, I keep vials of blood on me if I need it." Serana stated.
Rose turned back. "And the other two?"
"The blue and white Khajiit is my good friend Inigo the Brave."
"And this..." Erlirria put her hand on his shoulder. "Is the mighty First Dragonborn, Miraak."
Rose raised her brow. "Dragonborn?"
"Yes. And Erlirria here is the Last Dragonborn, and the leader of our little group." Miraak stated.
Rose nodded her head.
"It is my high honour to sit before you both." She stated.
"Stop, please. I don't like it when people grovel." Erlirria said, her tail curling and bristling.
"Sorry." Rose said.
They ate in silence for a little while.
"Where do you all come from?" Rose asked.
"We could go around and say, I guess?" Erlirria asked.
They group agreed. "Khayla, you start."
"Well, originally I'm from Senchal in Pellitine, Southern Elsweyr, the same as Erlirria. But I moved up to Skyrim some years ago for work."
Khayla turned to Serana.
"I've lived in Skyrim all my life, in a castle on an island near Solitude. But I moved out some time ago when I started travelling with this lot." She said.
Serana turned to Lucien.
"I grew up in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, mostly with my head in a book. I studied most of my life there and came to Skyrim on an expedition, where I met up with Erlirria and we originally formed the group."
Lucien turned to Inigo.
"I grew up in Riverhold in Anequina, Northern Elsweyr. Me and my brother travelled across Cyrodiil before he, sadly, met his end. I ended up in Skyrim after I tried to kill Erlirria."
Rose turned back to the red Khajiit.
"He tried to kill you?"
"He was on skooma at the time. The scar cutting across my left brow is from his arrow, and it's likely the reason I was unconscious before I was in the cart on the way to Helgen." She said, pointing to it.
Inigo turned to Miraak.
"Must I contirbute?" He asked.
Erlirria elbowed him. "Don't be a child, Miraak."
He growled.
"I was trapped in Apocrypha for close on 7 millenia by Hermaeus Mora. I spent those years trying to escape, and then learned of Erlirria's existence." He stated.
Erlirria turned to him as he continued. "Initially, the plan was for me to kill her and take her soul to return here. But she made a different choice." He said.
"You mean, I had the opportunity to kill you and instead chose to drag your ass out with me through the Black Book?" Erlirria asked, laughing.
The group chuckled with her, Miraak elbowing her.
"Shut up." He said.