A Tale of Courage

Part One- Defiance

Chapter One- Enemies Made, Alliances Forged

7th of Sun's Height 4E195

Danielle Tuhold

Province of Cyrodiil- Pell's Gate

"Just take the damn shot, you stupid girl!" Huron screamed in Danielle's ear.

"Shut up, you old man," Danielle said. Danielle was a Bosmer girl, and was just entering womanhood. She had moved to Cyrodiil from Valenwood at an early age. Her parents were farmers that were driven out of their homeland by the oppressive Aldmeri Dominon. Life was hard in Valenwood, but it was much harder in this new province. Danielle realized she had a natural talent for hunting when she moved to Cyrodiil. A very typical talent for a Bosmer, but this was something more.

Within months of her arrival, an old Nord by the name of Huron sought out her out at her home in Pell's Gate, claiming that he had heard of her extraordinary talent, and had traveled from Count Cheydinhal to instruct her, and lead her down the path of glory. Looking back, Danielle realized it was a bad idea to accept a man's help, "free of charge".

A black bear stood in a green meadow, utterly oblivious of Danielle aiming a steel arrow that would pierce his heart. Danielle let loose her arrow, and fate took charge. There was a thud as steel met fur, and the bear fell to the forest floor. The birds sung merrily in the trees as Danielle plucked her arrow from the bear's soft red flesh. Huron looked down at her. Without further notice, he struck Danielle with the back of his hand.

"You will shoot when I say, knife-ear, not before, not after." Huron snorted angrily at Danielle.

"You are just a pathetic snow-back! You bully me around, but eventually, I will match your skill, and I will paint the grass with your blood and flesh!" Danielle shouted. Huron grabbed Danielle by her brunette hair, and dragged her to an oak tree.

"That's it. You and I are going to visit a special place." Huron chuckled. Danielle knew that this Nord was scum, but she gulped when he said 'special place'. He dragged her south, to a place known only as, Horn Cave. The entrance was known to be collapsed. This was not so now, however.

Huron threw her down into the cave. He sprinted in himself, and cut a nearby rope. Several rocks covered the exit. The only light was emitting off nearby torch sconces. Huron's smug face glowed in the torchlight. He dragged Danielle to the lower bowels of the cave, and the only furniture in the room was a small bedroll. Danielle knew what was coming.

Huron cruelly beat her and raped her every night for three days. Every day, a small plate of food would be given to her in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. It was the morning of the fourth day when she had a fateful epiphany. If Huron kept refreshing her food daily, then there must still be a passage out! How her heart swam in satisfaction! The mood was quickly sullied when she realized the problem. While Huron still lived, he would never release her.

Huron stumbled into the small room, smelling heavily of mead. Danielle scurried to the shadows. "Don't try that! You forget that you are chained up, little elf," Huron said, his words slurred in a drunken fashion. Huron yanked cruelly at the chain attached to a ring around her neck. "Come and sit with me, wench." Danielle crawled sullenly towards him, and sat beside him on the ground. Huron had not granted her any clothes, other than undergarments. She scrutinized his armor closely. It was made of fine leather, and a knife was strapped to the inside of the cuirass.

She threw him down onto the bedroll, and he laughed. "The little elf-whore is starting to like it!" Huron shrieked, amused. He tore off his cuirass, and Danielle kicked him in the neck. There was a bone-grinding crack, and Huron fell to the ground. Danielle ran towards his cuirass, and removed the knife. It was made of fine steel, and an inscription was etched on the hilt. It read, "Let whoever wields knife have courage, for fortune favours you." She brought the knife up to his neck, and started cutting in a saw-like fashion. Waves of blood and gore rolled from Huron's neck, and a lake of blood flooded the area. He shuddered as Danielle finished her cut. She grasped Huron's head, and an iron key slid out from his severed throat. She took the key, and started walking through the mine, seeking an exit. She crawled through a small crevice, and found herself in an old Ayleid tomb. Streams of sunlight were visible from the door, and Danielle pushed the key into the lock. The lock clicked open.

Danielle's eyes flooded with tears sunlight washed over her skin. She fell to her knees, and wept in joy. Exhausted, she lay on the ground, and slept, for she had all the time in the world to return to her home. Dreams of songs about her bravery being sung in the inn of Pell's Gate flooded through her head. She was a hero, in her own right.

She awoke to the smell of heavy ash stuck to her nostrils. "What in Oblivion...?" She thought aloud. Danielle picked herself off the ground, and headed north, to Pell's Gate.

As Danielle approached Pell's Gate, she beheld towers of smoke billowing from the village, and turning the sky into a graying overcast. Her naked feet thudded heavily against the grass, and she felt something sandy on the soles of her feet. She wiped her foot with her hand, and ash covered it. All around, the grass was covered in ash. She approached the village, and saw only some skeletal remains of buildings, and sadly, men, women, and children. A figure was tied to an upright wooden plank nearby. It stirred, and Danielle looked closely at it.

She felt sadness as the man looked up at her. Sharp features, and pointed ears existed on the man. This was Danielle's father, Lormheign. He was shirtless, and wore tattered cloth britches. Bloody gashes and cuts riddled his chest, and he breathed faintly. His soft Elven voice flowed faintly forth. "Who's there? Is that you, Danielle?"

Danielle answered gently. "Yes father, it is I. Who did this to you?"

"While you were away, the Aldmeri attacked the village. It turns out that our neighbors, the Groundours, were Talos worshipers. They showed the rest of us no mercy, and murdered most everyone! I think that I may be the only one left..."

Danielle whimpered. "What about Mother?"

Lormheign shook his head, and started to weep. "The Altmer... they took her. I don't know if she's dead, but it's a sure thought that she would want to be. Listen daughter, I am out of time! Find your mother, and bring her away from those Altmer monsters! You will find everything you need in the cellar. It should not be burned. Now, go!" Lormheign said. He bowed his head, and drew his last breath.

Danielle spoke a small prayer to Arkay, and turned to where her small cottage once stood. A few ashy pillars protruded from the small mound of earth. Danielle cleared some dirt and ash, and found the trap door to her cellar.

Danielle could not see in the darkness, so she illuminated a torch. She looked around. A small chest that she had never noticed before stood in the corner. The wood was water stained, and was cracked. A rusty lock warded the chest's secrets from the world. Danielle raised her foot, and crushed the lock to pieces under her foot. The chest slowly clicked open.

Danielle lifted several pieces of fine Elven armor out of the chest. Diamonds were expertly crafted into the folds of moonstone. A small message was scratched under the breastplate. "This is the armor of a Guardian of Talos. Wear it proudly." Danielle donned the armor, and found it unnaturally comfortable, light, and flexible. She looked once more down at the chest, and saw a bow of pure gold, and tipped with rubies on each end. The bowstring was made from braided sinew, and was lightweight. She hefted the bow, and pulled lightly on the string. A magical arrow conjured itself out of air as she continued to pull it back. "That explains the lack of ammo." Danielle said aloud.

Danielle began to stride to the northeast. An old fort called 'Homestead' stood on the horizon. On a ledge, a flag bearing the crest of the Aldmeri Dominion fluttered in the wind. They occupied the fort shortly after their assault on the town. Danielle saw the flag, and grunted loudly. A stream of breath billowed out of her mouth in the cold evening. An Altmer guard stood watch near the gate of Fort Homestead. Danielle quickly pulled her bowstring back, and a glowing arrow appeared on the drawn bow. The Altmer spotted her, but his reaction was too slow, and the magical arrow pierced his heart before he could utter a warning to his comrades.

Two more guards sat near a fire. They drank mead, and laughed merrily into the evening. Danielle drew her bow back once again, and an arrow met the skull of a Thalmor with a crack. The other got up, and stumbled around, unaware of his vanquished friend. He also met his demise by one of Danielle's arrows.

A brazier crackled madly near the old wooden door that was the entrance to Fort Homestead. Danielle shoved the door, and it slowly creaked open.

The corridor was darkened, and the stench of deceased rodents filled Danielle's nose. She walked along the corridor, and soon found a door that lead to a hallway. She approached a door, and overheard part of an argument between two Thalmor.

"... I'm telling you! What we did at Pell's Gate was extremely unethical! There was only one family of Talos worshipers in that village, and we killed everyone!" the first Thalmor said.

"These lowlife Imperial urchins need to be taught not to second guess any Thalmor laws! What we did here is a shining example to the province if they refuse our supremacy." the second said.

Danielle pushed the door open, and found that both Altmer were unarmed. A sharpened Elven claymore lay in the corner. "Don't move," Danielle said. "If you try anything, you can be damned sure that you will be a corpse."

The first Thalmor snickered. "The fool is out of arrows. Grab that sword!" The elf couldn't make it to the blade before Danielle's arrow met his temple. He fell to the floor, and a puddle of blood encircled his corpse.

The second Thalmor appeared speechless, and was shaky mildly. "Are you scared worm? You have every right to be. You believe you can burn our villages and our families? Perhaps you are right, but, if we burn... you burn with us!" Danielle shouted.

Danielle grabbed the Elven claymore, and advanced on the man. He attempted to escape, but Danielle cut his left leg, and he fell to his knees. Danielle lifted the elf up by his dirty blonde hair, and shoved his head down onto the blade. At first, he screamed madly, but his cries were soon silenced by the ring of blood cascading in a stream around his head. Danielle's new armor was stained crimson with blood.

Danielle continued to advance through the ruined fort. She encountered no more Thalmor for a while. Nearing what she thought was the end of the fort; she could hear a man yelling.

"I'll just leave! You'll never see me again! I just want to go home!" the man said.

"You cannot leave. You have seen too much Thalmor operation. You could reveal vital information to our enemies." A jailor hissed.

"I think I'll decide who comes and goes, now." Danielle snickered, "Why don't you Thalmor ever arm yourselves?" Danielle mused.

A wide smile spanned the Altmer's face. "I don't know about the others, but I have the power of the arcane as my weapon." the jailor chuckled.

"Oh, shit." Danielle muttered. She was blasted into a dark corridor, and she suspected she twisted her ankle. Danielle propped herself against the wall, and waited for the pain to ebb. Meanwhile, she could hear the jailor speaking to the imprisoned man indistinctly. She peered slowly around the corner, and saw that the man was encased in an iron cage.

"Please, elf. I swear that I will never return to the life of banditry! Let me see the glory of the day once more!" the man pleaded.

"Glory of the day? Hah! The hood believes that he is a poet. Shut your mouth, you pathetic thug." the jailor spat.

Danielle stood up, and began to sneak over to the jailor, who continued to shoot insults at the incarcerated bandit. She drew back her bowstring, but grabbed the summoned arrow, and approached the jailor from behind.

Her boots crunched on the gravel, and the jailor turned to her. "Ah, our guest reappears. So, are you ready to be struck by magic again, bitch?" the jailor said.

Danielle jammed the arrow into the jailor's throat. Blood began lapping out of his neck. "Shut your mouth, you disgusting, pathetic, abusive puppet!" Danielle said.

Danielle took an iron key that was latched to the Thalmor's belt. The man in the cage looked at her. His eyes were widened and frightened. "What shall you do with me, girl?" the man said.

Danielle inspected the man closely. He was a Redguard, and he wore reinforced leather armor, with thick ebony plates safeguarding his heart and lungs from piercing and stabbing wounds. "So long that you are strong, and bear a burning hatred for these witch-elves, I can use you." Danielle said.

The bandit looked down at the corpse of the jailor. "There is something I must check, first." he said.

Together, Danielle and the bandit walked out of Fort Homestead. They headed south towards Pell's Gate, and then turned on a road that led east. Danielle and the bandit rested on a bridge, and then passed some ancient Ayleid ruins. They continued east, and found a small dirt path that led south.

"By the divines!" the bandit shouted, looking at the giant smoke river that flowed out of the trees. He sprinted towards the smoke, and Danielle followed him.

There were several tents erected in a semicircle. Bodies were strewn around the area. Several braziers were on the ground, their embers sending the smoke into the air. The bandit sank to his knees near what looked like a dark elf girl lying on the ground. A dagger of Elven make was thrust between her ribs. The bandit's eyes clouded with tears that flooded out. He sobbed madly, and all Danielle could do was watch.

After an hour of grieving, the bandit stood up. "Her name was Batalia. She was my love. The damn Thalmor must've found our camp. They killed everything. Even our dogs," he said. "My name's Kirdan. I lead my life of banditry out of this camp. It was here before we were. The place is called Sweetwater Camp. Not much left of it now, though," Kirdan said. "However, this part of my life appears to be over. If you will have me, I will gladly join you in your quest against the Thalmor."

Danielle looked around at the corpses of the bandits. "I'm sure you will be a worthy companion, but first, I think we need to give your friends a proper burial. No one deserves to be slaughtered like pigs, simply because the Thalmor sees it fit. Come on." Danielle said.

Danielle and Kirdan spent an entire day digging graves for the six dead bandits. They inserted the corpses into the graves, and Danielle said a prayer to Arkay, the Divine of Death.

Kirdan looked down at Batalia's grave. He took the dagger off his belt, and laid it on ground. "You made me proud, my love." he said. He stood there, staring at the grave, for a couple of minutes. Danielle opened a pouch on her armor, and found an Amulet of Talos. She laid the amulet down on Batalia's grave. "The Thalmor will pay for what they have done." she said.

Danielle and Kirdan salvaged food and bedrolls from the remnants of the camp. Kirdan went over to a tent, and entered it. He reappeared with a fine Dwarven Warhammer. Danielle set up the bedrolls, and lit the fire. She took off her armor, and motioned for Kirdan to sit beside her.

"Tell me your story, Redguard." Danielle said. Kirdan grunted, and began to tell his tale.

When Kirdan was still a boy, he lived close to the Alik'r Desert. He lived on a farm. When he turned thirteen, a horde of bandits attacked the farm. They killed both his parents, and burned the farm to the ground. He traveled the roads of Hammerfell in solitude for a time, before being set upon by another group of bandits. Instead of slaying him, they decreed that they would raise him, and welcome him into their ranks. Kirdan of course, accepted. They terrorized the Alik'r for three years after that day. Fate, however, has an ironic side. The same group of bandits that attacked his farm raided his bandit camp. Their leader, Sandheart, wielded a Dwarven Warhammer. After they destroyed the camp, they rested in a couple tents nearby. Sandheart's tent was much larger than the rest, so it was easy to indentify. Kirdan snuck inside, and found Sandheart sleeping. Kirdan was relentless, stomping the man's throat flat, and taking his weapon. Kirdan escaped the camp unnoticed. At this rate Kirdan was close to the border. He headed to the Imperial town of Anvil, to seek a new and better life. While shopping at the local produce stand, he noticed a very beautiful Dunmer girl. Her eyes sparkled at him, and he knew he had to have her. After speaking to her a bit, he learned that she also lacked a family, and was just trying to survive. Kirdan, who was new in town, asked her what she did for work, for he needed it. She told him about the Tamrielic Fighter's Guild. Kirdan signed on with them for a while, but was kicked out, along with the Dunmer girl, named Batalia, for unorthodox recklessness while on a contract. They decided they would start a bandit clan, and raid around the Imperial City. Everything was perfect until the Thalmor attack.

When the elves attacked, he was out scouting for caravan activity, but was apprehended, and brought to the occupied Fort Homestead. That is where he met her.

Danielle nodded, and smiled. "I would not find a braver man to have at my side."

Kirdan chuckled. "You have to tell me your story, now."

Danielle lowered her head, and told him about her hiring Huron, his abusive attitude, the black bear, Horn Cave, and the return to Pell's Gate. She told of the Altmer in which she killed in Fort Homestead.

Kirdan went into a tent without any warning, and brought out a case of wine, and two tankards. "This is Firebrand Wine. It is the finest in Cyrodiil, and very rare. I found it on one of our caravan raids. I can't think of a better time to drink it, or a better person to drink it with." Kirdan said. Danielle giggled girlishly.

Kirdan filled the tankards, and handed one to Danielle. "Before we drink, I have some toasts to make," Kirdan said. "To the lost, for they will remain in our hearts until the end," he said. "To you, Danielle, my saviour. One can only wonder how you dragged my ass out of the fire," Kirdan chuckled. "Only one more. To the Thalmor! Let them burn in what hell they still believe in! Let them hope to be worthy opponents to our skill" Kirdan mused. Danielle and Kirdan put their glasses together and laughed.

Together, these new friends will face the Thalmor, and reclaim their honour, and what was taken from them.