"I'd rather stay alive, Alana." She looked towards her fellow reachman and nodded "Fair enough I suppose." She took a bit of a pause as she often did, before giving the jist of an ideal she felt strongly about. "But! if I'm lying in my bed many years from now, old and close to death. I'd rather myself have taken the chance to show the world maybe had a chance after all." Alana gave a small smile, one that showed her naive, hopeful mind and attitude. As she hopefully awaited a response from her Kinsman (as she was overjoyed someone had spoken to her and she could respond), she fiddled with the small quiver of crossbow bolts, which she had on her thigh. The crossbow was as always loaded and set on her lower-back, out of the way of her sword. 

Alana looked forward and saw another of her companions, the Thalmar agent speaking of their orders; before the company split up to infiltrate the city. She had no other garments with her, she had no money if she needed more clothing she would hunt and repair her current set or simply make a new set. Regardless of that she had no time to do these things, she decided it would be best to just go straight through the gates. 

Alana headed up with the trail of people filtering into Falkreath, and took a deep breath as she entered the tall gates. The walls looked mighty in her eyes an immovable defense, and she stared upon them in awe. Her sight-seeing was abruptly interrupted, as a Young Nord man in worn clothes bumped into her. Perhaps to signal her to keep moving, or perhaps just from spite more then likely the latter however she responded with "my apologies.". Before she continued up towards the large gates, she straightened up her shoulders and tried to blend in the crowd. 

Unfortunately as her red guard companion privately thought, she stood out.....like a wolf in a hen house. Alana had drawn the attention of the guard captain himself, he made over to her and ordered her aside out of the flow of people entering the city. She gulped and looked to and fro nervously as he came out where the broad man ordered. She knew she was good but if this broke into violence she wouldn't stand much of a chance, against the sheer numbers trained or not.

"What is your business here woman?" The captain asked her, Alana looked at him nervously and opened her mouth to respond. "Well sir I've been exiled from my settlement." She quickly said in a slightly upset tone, he looked at her and his look said he was inquiring more. Alana spoke again starting to get more upset sounding in her tone, in order to be more convincing. "You see my people had taken several children as hostages, and demanded a large sum of gold. However they planned to kill the children regardless of the gold sir, I couldn't let them die...." She looked at him and severely hoped her ruse had fooled him, she'd never really lied before; other then if she'd taken an extra sweet-roll as a child.

The Captain nodded his head as if in approval, "Well Lass, you seem to have a good heart. I'm sorry you had to lose your home, but we are much more civil folk here." Alana nodded and wiped her eyes of the tears she managed to produce as he continued. "As a matter of fact you should accompany me young lady, just until the people here know you're a good seed." Alana figured the captain had to know something, as well as being with the captain would rescue the friction she'd cause with the local Nords. "Thank you sir, you're much to kind" he gave the young woman a smile and beckoned for her to follow him, as he walked back to his post at the gates of the city.

He eyed her sword and asked her as she stood with him on the grass to the side of the trickle of people entering the city still, "That's ancient Nordic work isn't it? How'd you come upon such a master piece?" Alana smiled and responded to the man "It was fathers, he hadn't found much use for it hunting so he handed it down to me when I was just a girl." He nodded and looked at her, "could I hold it?" She nodded as she talked "I can not see a reason to say no." She pulled the large bladed intricately carved weapon from its sheath and handed it to the captain, whom spent a few moments examining the craftsman ship on the sword. He gripped it and looked over it then towards Alana, she then asked the captain "Excuse me but who is that man over there and why is he at the booth with those people?". The captain looked at her and told her "That's the recruitment center for the Alessian empire and the man is the towns Jarl, Jarl Dengeir." Alana nodded, one of her companions had explained to her what a Jarl was on the road into the city, a man of great importance here. She curiously asked albeit knowing all the basics of it "what's the Alessian Empire? If you don't mind explaining that is." He chuckled a little and handed her sword back which she promptly sheathed, "It's not a problem Lass, the Alessian empire is the force that will usher in the newest era of peace not just in Skyrim but in all of Tamriel." Alana nodded "I do not see any elves over there sir, but surely there are many here?" The tall Nord captain scoffed "Between you and me lass this world is better off with out those pointy eared bastards, I just can't trust them backstabbers and plunderers the lot of them." 

Alana listened as the captain began to ramble off more then likely unintentionally, "It's only to bad the Jarl wouldn't let us exterminate the ones that left...." He had put a emphasis on the words 'the ones that left' Alana caught this and decided to inquire upon this. "Well sir, what would be done to the elves?" He chuckled again and put one of his large hands on Alana's shoulder "Well lass what 'would' happen is we 'would' line the lot of them up and gut them like the swine they are." Alana nodded a bit disturbed "But that couldn't be a good public spectacle could it? What of the local children?" He smiled "you are a clever young woman, well it 'would' be someplace no one can hear them, now enough of such talk I never received your name." 

Alana stored away what she had learned inside her head, but was disappointed she couldn't get more than a highly vague location from the man. "My name is Alana sir and yours?" He responded "Captain Firebrand and no not the wine." He chuckled at his own joke and nodded towards her. "Well Alana I shall tell the guards you are not to be dealt with as a threat." She nodded and spoke while popping her knuckles" thank you very much Captain Firebrand." She had kept up her charade of happiness, despite her want to force the man to tell her what she wanted to know about the elves. But that wasn't her mission her mission was to get information about the Alessian empire itself, Alana wasn't sure how she'd do it but she didn't want to be a disappointment there had to be maps or war plans in the city. Her hunch told her the captain could get her to these plans, but how would she do it? She formulated a plot in a few minutes of silence, as her and the captain stood at the gates over seeing people. 

"Uhm captain? Do you possibly know of place I could get alchemy supplies but not a shop I haven't any gold." The captain looked at her and thought for a minute "Yes in the Jarls Palace, the court wizard perhaps the man loves visitors and id like to get out of this cold." He walked off to the side of the road Alana following him towards the Jarls palace, she was correct and smiled gleefully about her small personal victory. She drew the conclusion the Jarls home was the largest and would likely house the plans. She drew the assumption there was a wizard or alchemist from her brief stop in a field which lead her to the Jarls palace in Markharth, Divines know she was glad when she had left.