Einar and Eira were happily living in northern Falkreath forests. The home he had built was suited for them, small and quaint. Einar had been making a living hunting and selling the excess meat and furs to the merchants in Falkreath and to the Khajiit caravans.. Long had it been since Hircine called for him and even longer since he changed. He did not miss it nor did he wish for its hasty return, but something felt like it was missing and he knew that this was the cause.
Einar slipped out one night while Eira slept. He called on the wolf inside him and it woke as if in a long slumber. Einar felt his bones cracking and reshaping, his body contorting to the lupine form and in an instant let out a howl that could have woke draugr from thousand year slumbers. Einar would hunt that night as the wolf for the first time in months.
He had been tracking deer and found that a bear had been poaching the lands he hunted. Tonight that would end. His heightened senses of smell and sight allowed him to quickly find evidence of where the beast made rest. After a couple hours of following paw prints, broken branches and animal carcasses, Einar came to a large cave. Before he made it to the caves mouth an arrow zipped past his head tearing a gash in his right ear. The arrow had come from inside the cave and Einar prepared for a fight.
A small framed figure stepped out from the cave garbed in dark clothing, shrouded in a black cloak. Einar rushed the silhouette and suddenly every muscle in his body locked up. He forced his eyes to look down and there he saw the source, a paralysis rune. The figure stepped closer to Einar and pulled back its hood. The figure was a dunmer woman.
"Well aren't you a big doggy," she said, looking Einar up and down. "What is a werewolf doing this far south?"
Einar forced his way back to his natural form after the dark elf released him.
"I am hunting a bear that has been killing all the deer but it seems you have taken care of it. What is a grey-skin doing this far south?"
"My name is Tamira Benatyl. I am an ashland ranger from Vvardenfell. I am here because my home is no longer hospitable and the game on Solstheim does not pose a challenge. I am here hunting werewolves and werebears. What you were tracking was the latter."
"Einar is my name. You know I'm a werewolf, what shall be my fate?" Einar asked.
"You are touched by Hircine, I have no intention of upsetting the Lord of the Hunt. You will live for now, but be warned. The stormcloaks are pressing closer into these woods to move on the Legion forces nearby. Don't get caught." Tamira said, donning her hood again and dashing into the forests darkness.
Einar knew the conflict in Skyrim had come to a head and incited a war but he had no idea it would come so close to his home.
Day was breaking by the time he returned home. He quietly opened the door and walked inside. Eira was still asleep fortunately and Einar began preparing breakfast. Eira awoke to the smell of pheasant cooking and got dressed. She came over, pecking Einar on the cheek before taking some clothes out to wash.
Einar finished the meal preparation a few minutes later, opened the front door and called for his wife. She came inside and they both began to eat.
"Eira?" Einar said.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Where do you stand on the civil war of this country?"
"I support the Stormcloaks of course. The Empire has had its turn, now its our turn to govern Skyrim freely."
"Yes but hasn't the..." his sentence was cut off by a knock at their door. Einar got up and walked to the door and opened it. Two Stormcloak soldiers stood in his doorway, bloodied from a recent battle that could not have occured too far away.
"Please kinsmen, you have to hide us. An Imperial scouting troop is headed this way." said one of the men.
Einar looked at Eira whose face was stricken with concern and knew that he could not turn the away. He hurriedly brought them inside and opened his cellar door. After getting them both downstairs, Einar covered the trapdoor with a rug. Shortly after another knock came to his door. This time it was four Imperial Legionnares. Einar didn't recognize any of them but that didn't surprise him, the Legion has thousands of soldiers why would any of them be familiar?
"Two Stormcloak fugitives passed this way. Have you seen or heard anything?" one asked.
"No sera, I can't say we have. We've only just finished eating and have not ventured outside for quite some time." Einar replied.
"Would you mind aiding us? You live here and we see your tanning rack. Could use a good tracker."
Einar knew that if the sodliers had any hope of survival he had to draw these Imperials away and reluctantly agreed to help. He gathered his things and followed the Legionnares into the woods. After a short five minute walk one of the Imperials asked, "See any trace?"
"None so far," Einar replied.
"We thought so."
Einar felt something very hard hit the back of his head and then saw only black. He awoke to the smell of something burning. He looked around, he was in a cart with three Stormcloaks but didn't recognize them as the two he had harboured. He looked to the smell of the burn and saw his home in flames. Einar franticly searched the carts but could not find Eira. The winds shifted and brought the smoke close to the carts. Einar smelled burning flesh now.
"Why did you burn the house?"
"Sir we could not get the woman nor the Stormcloaks out. She killed four men before barricading the door. This way we know they won't bother us anymore nor aid the enemy."
Einars rage stirred but he quickly subsided it. If Eira was dead, he would soon reunite with her in Sovngarde. He would willingly go to the chopping block he knew he was destined for.
"Alright, I'll deal with this mess later. Get these carts to Helgen. General Tullius is waiting."
Einars tears flooded his eyes now and as he closed them, Eiras face was in his mind.
