Giggles-at-Miscreants staggered across the marsh. She was half starved, not having eaten in days, and parched regardless of the marsh-water lying stagnant for miles in every direction. She dare not stop however, the sounds of dogs kand worse) in the distance, ever louder, always pursuing. Always one step behind…
Giggles-at-Miscreants kept going one step at a time, remembering her clutch, her family… what she’d left behind in this wild dash for… For… Did she even know any more? All she knew was that if she stopped, they’d catch her, and she would be dead.
The border was close now, just over the horizon… Soon, they’d lose sight of her… Soon they’d forget… Soon… maybe… she’d be free… In the pre-dawn darkness, she’d make it… She could claim asylum, be free at last… It couldn’t be far… It just couldn’t.
As the first rays of dawn breached the horizon, she saw the soldiers ahead in the red of the Imperial Legion… All she needed to do was get through the pale pass and she’d be free. Just ahead, and then Helgen and on to Falkreath.
Behind her, a crossbow twanged and Giggles-at-Miscreants dived as the whoosh of the bolt parted her crest. She staggerred and ran on… Only a short distance… Only…
A soldier in heavy mail stepped out in front of her, sword drawn and Giggles stopped… “We’ve been waiting for you”, a gruff voice spoke as rough hands grabbed Giggles arms and bound her wrists… “You’ve an appointment in Helgen”..
Not long later, Giggles-at-Miscreants awoke, bound in a cart, surrounded by strangers. As she looked up, one surly nord spoke… “Hey, you. You’re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.”