Rena was bored.

Somehow, after barely escaping Cyrodiil and being on the run for weeks, the young woman was bored to tears. She took it out on her aunt, the only person she knew in the huge wave of refugees that had fled to Hammerfall. Her aunt, bless her heart, had tried being curt, mean, apathetic, and even nice. She knew that the screaming and yelling wasn't actually about being bored, but born of fear and anxiety. In the end though, she too was at her breaking point after dealing with her niece.

Flushed with anger after their most recent spat, Rena had run off, donned in her bits of armor that she refused to take off unless she was going to bed. Sometimes she even kept them on while she slept. Her dagger was safely tucked away in her boots, hidden by the long dress. Her belongings, bits of food and a few necessities were tightly secured to her body, warned by her aunt that there were desperate people all around them. Desperate people who wouldn't feel much remorse over stealing things from the little Imperial.

Something was going on, Rena realized as she bumped into a fellow Imperial. Snapped out of her silent stewing, she looked up to see a small crowd forming around two men in armor. Rena couldn't hear them over the din of the camp. She drew closer, intrigued, her heart leaping to life and crawling up her throat. What was going on?

"Who are they?" She tapped the nearest person on their shoulder, a Breton by the looks of it, face creased with worry.

"They're asking for volunteers. Now shush girl." Rena felt a light slap on her hand and pulled it away, brow furrowed.

"Volunteers for what? Who are they?" She was more agitated this time, her foot tapping with impatience.

"For the insurgency girl. Use your ears. They're recruiting to fight the Dwemer." The Breton took a good look at Rena before spitting to the side. "Fools I say. No use fighting those monsters." He added quietly, glancing around him as if he was suddenly self-conscious of his feelings on the matter. He moved off quickly, without looking back.

Rena's face lit up and she pushed herself forward, towards the two men. Her aunt had been wrong to leave the Heroes. Rena hadn't been able to stay with them then, but she could do something now. She had to. She couldn't stay here waiting. Waiting to...No, she had to join them. Maybe she could meet the Heroes again! And even if not, well she could become a hero herself and then she'd definitely get to meet them again.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" A few eyes were drawn to her. "I'll join. I'll go with you." Rena waved her arm at the recruiters, she pulled herself straight, shoulders back, her feet positioned in what she assumed was a good heroic, fighter's pose.

"You look a little young..." Reluctant words from the recruiters, but there was something else there. Desperation maybe. "Can you fight?"

"I have been with the Heroes themselves, I'll have you know. I can fight just fine." She purposely left out that she hadn't actually fought at all. She may have been forced to hunt from time to time, and had to defend herself several times from those who thought she would be an easy target, but all out battle? They didn't need to know that.

Those near her began to mutter, some calling her out on bullshitting them.

"I was with them in the Imperial City when the Dwemer attacked. We escaped together, but..." Her lip began to quiver. "We got separated afterwards.” Her chin jutted out with resolution. “I want to fight."

"What about your parents? Family?"

Rena shook her head and lied with tears forming in her eyes as if on cue. "I'm alone, sir."

"Very well. Anyone else going to follow to this girl's..." He paused, and held out his hand to her. "What's your name?"

Rena took his hand and moved to stand beside him, whispering her answer, a smile spread broadly across her lips.

"Who's going to follow brave Rena's example? If a young woman is prepared to defend our lands, who of you is too cowardly to do the same?!"

It was a good attempt by the recruiters, and they did get more volunteers moving forward. Rena didn't really care though. She was in, she was going to be away from her aunt, and she was going to be just like her idols. If only she knew where they had gone.

That answer came several hours later, once she had arrived at the makeshift insurgency camp. She was sent to a tent and told to make herself ready, for what she wasn’t exactly sure. But the woman with a bedroll next to her, a steely eyed middle aged Redguard, had news that made Rena want to dance. 

“They’re here? Really? All of them?!” Rena’s pitch edged ever upward. She had to find them, and quickly. 

“Where you going with all your stuff?” The older woman asked skeptically. 

“I’m going for a walk.” She tried to respond with as little emotion as she could. From the woman’s response, even Rena knew she had failed quite miserably.

That didn’t matter though, because she was off running just a moment later. Dust kicked up behind her as her legs took her past the women’s tent, her head whipping back and forth as she looked for any sign of the Heroes. Past a tavern, a brothel-an establishment that actually made Rena pause and wonder if any who she sought would be inside there. She had written a story like that once, about how she had become a dancer and how the Heroes had all visited her establishment and been completely and utterly taken with her. Each one outbidding the other for her services...She blushed as she recalled the story, and took off once more without peeking inside. 

Rena stopped only when she realized she had come to an edge of the camp, beyond her was the forest they were encamped in. She turned back, heading towards the men’s side of the camp and ran along behind it, eyes looking at each campfire for a familiar face. 

She stopped cold in her tracks. Breathing heavy from the exertion of her run, and from the sudden excitement that sent her heart thrumming even harder. 

“Zaveed! Zaveeeeeeed!” She ran the few remaining feet towards the fire that she had spotted him at. He was all alone, all the better for her, “Zaveed, I’ve found you! You remember me? Rena? You saved my life! Of course you remember me. Oh thank the Eight, I’ve found you again.” The words came spewing out of her mouth, tumbling over each other, a gurgle of emotion. She stood before him, jittery with the excitement, her eyes gleaming in the light of the fire.