The Pride of the Redoran
PreludeIt was a clear, sunny day in the month of Sun's Dawn in the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. I was walking the streets of Cheydinhal with my friend, Moryn Arethi to the Fighters Guild hall there after completing a job we were given. We were both Dunmer but born outside of Morrowind, which were considered, just like all other races that aren't native Dunmer, as "Outlanders" by them. Moryn had real parents, the Arethi family of the Imperial City.
I never knew who my parents were. I was adopted by a man who found me as a baby wrapped in blankets near the walls of the Chapel of Dibella in Anvil. He took me to his home, a small shack there in the city and cared for me ever since. When I was a boy at the age of twelve, he taught me how to use spears. He never explained to me where he got his skills as a warrior but he had a tattoo on his chest that appeared like a giant bug. I later figured out with the help of some of the Dunmer citizens in Anvil that the bug was a symbol of Great House Redoran. During my time with him I never knew his name and he refused or ignored me every time I asked him. He told me that he named me after a great warrior that served Morrowind during the Three Banners War of the Second Era and my name was not his. One day, when I was at the age of seventeenth, he left me. He told me that he is to return to Morrowind but without telling me the reason. He left me with a pouch heavy of gold and an iron spear. He told me to use the skills he taught me over the years to find myself elektra rose a job and live life on my own.
Now, two years after and being in the ranks of the Fighters Guild with my friend Moryn as sword and spear for hire, we earned quite a bit of money and reputation, being both Protector rank of the guild. Occasionally, we were sent to Modryn Oreyn of the Fighters Guild chapter of Chorrol to get duties from him. During the short hours that we were there, he had told us stories of Great House Redoran and their warriors of honor and duty. His stories were enough to convince Moryn and I to make a promise to each other that one day, we will go to Morrowind and join the Great House. I can only hope to find what became of my uncle there.
We arrived at the guild hall but as I reached for the door handle, it seemed to open from the other side and an angry Burz gro-Kash appeared. He is the Orc in charge of the Cheydinhal Guild hall.
"Well, did you clear out that cave yet? It's been three days since I gave you both that order." said the angry Orc.
"We cleared the cave of goblins and killed their leader, boss." Moryn said hurriedly. "We're a bit late because-"
"Because you were busy at the Newlands Lodge drinking and boasting about how you singlehandedly took on a legion of goblins by yourself." Burz cut him off. "And you," he said, now staring at me "I saw you drinking almost a keg of ale all by yourself and yet you're here, sober enough to hold your spear standing. I'm impressed."
"How did you..." even Moryn wasn't aware he was there in the tavern and I could tell it by the look on his face.
"Well, the job's done and it's all that matters," Burz said in a much cheerful tone when no more words came from me. "You've earned your pay kids." he handed me and Moryn each a heavy pouch of gold.
We entered the guildhall to rest and Moryn was counting the gold. "Four hundred!" He said cheerfully. "Well, I hope to get myself some good armor soon, this leather doesn't really help me and I don't really like light armor but I don't like the bulky heavy armor either." I said honestly. Light armor was too less but light and easy for me to move while heavy armor is too bulky but offers real protection. I sighed and sat on my bed. "Well, what of our plans to Morrowind?" he asked me, ignoring what I said "We have enough money and decent gear. There is Fighters Guild presence there too but I've spoken to Burz and he said that our ranks will be nothing there. I think my aunt has a house somewhere on the island Vvardenfel as well."
"Well, time to make our dream come true eh?" I said with a smile on my face.
Moryn smiled as well and replied "My father said he'll be visiting aunt's house there next tomorrow and I plan to go with him!" he looked at me and asked "Want to come with us?"
"Of course!" I said loudly.
"But..." I continued, now and also realized I had another task I must look into. "I can't since I promised some of the sailors in Anvil that I'll help them get rid of some slaughterfishes there. I'll do the job for them and they'll pay me, enough for me to make it to Vvardenfel on my own, I'm sure." then a smile found its way back on my face. "Remember what Modryn taught us? Honor and Duty."
"Alright pal, I haven't forgotten that one yet." Moryn said. "We'll meet at a village called Seyda Neen in a few days. It's somewhere at the southwestern coasts of Vvardenfel and where most ships from Cyrodill land."
We went to sleep and tomorrow was the time for us to bid each other farewell.
I departed from Cheydinhal before Dawn and made my way to Anvil and I arrived at around four in the evening and was glad for it. I talked with the sailors at the docks and they told me there had been an increasing amount of hostile mudcrabs in the area and they pointed me the way.
I almost lost my leg to those creatures but they made easy kills for me with my long spear so that I don't have to go swimming to fight them, as I am a terrible swimmer. The sailors paid me about a hundred gold and returned back to their duties.
I approached one of the sailors and asked him where I would get transportation to Vvardenfel and he pointed me to a big Nord man named Wilheim. Wilheim told me to wait two more days until he can take me there and it will cost a sum of 250 gold, which is good enough for me.
As I made my way back to my home in Anvil, the shack of uncle Bugman, a stupid name I have in mind for my uncle to get some rest, I felt my pouch of gold slip from my pocket.
A cutpurse.
I turned back to see an old balding Nord man in rags running away with my pouch of gold that I spent weeks to earn. I called for the guards but they were nowhere to be seen. I rushed for the thief and I was sure I'd catch him because I had skills in Athletics that uncle taught me.
I caught the thief by his right arm, turned him around and pushed him against a nearby wall with a force so hard that I never thought I could, and it made the thief scream in pain and fall to the ground. I retrieved back my pouch of gold and placed it quickly in my satchel. I wiped the sweat of my head and stared at the beggar for a moment and then decided to report him to a guard, but as I turned back I was blocked by a man in chainmail armor bearing the sigil of Anvil, sword unsheathed.
He screamed at me "What have you done?! Why in Oblivion would you kill a harmless beggar?!". He must have arrived just in time to see me standing over his body, but he can't be dead after just a single blow! I turned back to look at the man again, this time with no life in his eyes. "Come with me! You're going to rot in Anvil castle dungeon, you murderer!"
"No!" I protested. "The man had stolen my purse when I wasn't looking and I chased him here! I just pushed him against the wall, and it made him go down, I didn't want him dead!" I kneeled before the lifeless beggar. I reached my hand for his neck and checked for a pulse but none came.
"You're coming with me or you can resist me. Your choice... murderer."
He dragged me across the short stone bridge that led to the castle... and its dungeon.
Why, I asked myself. Why has fate done this to me? All I did was push a man against a wall, how can it possibly kill him?
The guard threw me into a small cell after he took all of my belongings from me and asked me questions about myself.
I'm sorry my friend. I can only imagine that Moryn could be waiting forever for my arrival in Seyda Neen and I'm here spending the rest of my days for murder.
Don't I have the right to defend myself when robbed? Seems like the guard believed in nothing that I said.
A few weeks have passed...
The captain of the guard came over to my cell, and without a word, unlocked the key to the cell door and asked me to get on my feet. Then he and a few other guards led me out of the prison, but no word from anybody. "Where are you taking me?" I asked after we stepped outside the Anvil castle gate. The captain shook his head and answered, "This is an official matter, prisoner but I can tell you you're being transported to the Imperial City's Prison."
For what I wondered. I can't be executed!
I was ordered to get on a carriage and surrounding it was a few guards on horses wearing Imperial Legion armor. Why was I worth this much trouble to them just to be executed?
We made our way to the Imperial City's Prison in about a full day's time. A guard in Imperial Watch armor told me that my new cell is here. Perhaps Anvil's prison wasn't enough for a murderer?
A few months have passed...
Stupid. 'Honor and Duty' got me locked up...
I woke up to the sound of my cell door opening and I looked up to see the same Imperial Watch guard all that time ago that led me to my cell.
The man came over to me and kneeled one leg down. "I knew there was something special about you." he said with a smile. "Come with me, prisoner."
He helped me up and led me outside the prison to a carriage waiting for us. The same number of men were there guarding the carriage. Along the way I wondered what he meant by 'special' but didn't ask.
We were being taken south back to the Gold Coast... and back to Anvil...
Are they executing me in Anvil for the people to see? But again, I was hardly worth the trouble for a legion of soldiers to guard me along the way to my execution.
We didn't enter through the city gates but around the city walls and to the docks. A ship was waiting for us there and the guards led me into what seemed to be a prison ship.
I shared a small cell with a Dunmer man with one eye scarred. He said his name was Jiub and had explained to me that we were being taken to Morrowind.
Morrowind. Has the gods shown mercy on me and took me to my dreams?