The Elder Scrolls of Morrowind
By Naemrii Evenfel
Disclaimer: the Elder Scrolls and all related items, people, plots, etc. in the intellectual and conceptual property of Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media Company, and this author is in no way making a profit off this story or her own manifestations of said story. This is based off of the video/PC game the Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and its expansions Bloodmoon and Tribunal and is altered according to the author's whim and fancy, this story contains spoilers for the actual game as it follows the basic plot line and it expounded upon under creative liscence – this is not an actual account of the game as the characters of the story that were frabricated by the author will do and say things not included in the game. The views and opinions of the author are not shared by Bethesda or ZeniMax. This story is for fun not profit, do not read if you do not want spoilers for the game and its expansions. This basically ignores anything else before Morrowind – Oblivion spoilers included but not many since the author hasn't finished that game yet and is setting this after that game. Basically - Morrowind DOES NOT belong to me, but to Bethesda.
Here's a bit on Morrowind:
Planet - Nirn
Island - Vvardenfell/Morrowind
Empire - Tamriel
Summary: This is the story of how five children of Vvardenfell forged their destined paths in History by reminding us how we are all connected and we are all in this together. This is also the story of the Legendary Hero of Vvardenfell, of Morrowind, reborn into a child who would grow into the next Legend of Morrowind. The Nerevarine is Reborn.
Chapter I
Aeri sighed and scrubbed harder at the floor boards of his family's old three room stilt-house over the water just off the banks of Seyda Neen, sleepy, backwater place that it was. Their town's port was hardly ever occupied and the Census and Excise office was usually very quiet and always empty.
Poor Sellus, Aeri thought trying to remove the salt bleaching build up from the floorboards of the deck before staining it again. If he didn't have it done before his father returned from Hla Oad then his mother was going to kill him. But she was out in the swamps collecting like the other women.
Aeri's ears twitched as he picked up the sound of someone paddling towards their stairs, he sat back on his haunches and craned his neck to look over the boards. Speaking of Sellus, the Imperial guard was mooring his little boat and climbing onto the stairs.
The young Bosmer stood and brushed off his linen breeches, padding on bare feet to the top of the stairs and grinning down at the Imperial. Sellus Gravius was a pale Imperial with dark hair and a strong featured face and the staid build of a soldier. He was a calm, quiet, sensible man who liked to tell the children old stories – most of which Aeri was very fond. Even at twenty summers.
The Bosmer ruefully compared himself to the Imperial briefly, noting his work gold skin, gold-red hair, and slight frame. He was little and a wood elf from the forests in the west, Valenwood. Well he himself was not from Valenwood but his parents were. He sighed, he was a runt compared to them too.
"Good day, Sellus. What brings you out here?" Aeri asked politely.
Sellus looked up at him with a bit of a gruff demeanor. Then sighed heavily and shook his head stopping at the top of the stoop.
"We'd better sit down inside and talk about this, Aeri. Is your mother home yet?" Sellus asked, gesturing towards the open door.
"Oh! Of course, come in I'll get you some ale or something." Aeri said leading the man in.
"No my mother isn't to be back until dusk at least, why?" Aeri asked as he poured the bubbly gold drink into a tankard and plunked it down in front of the obviously weary veteran.
He set out some bread and pears as an afterthought then sat across from the Imperial.
"I've been given a package and scroll to give to you for you to deliver to a man named Caius Cosades in Balmora. And I'm afraid, my young friend, that this is not going to be a simple journey for you." Sellus said after a deep drink and a quiet moment.
Aeri simply stared at the Imperial, and Sellus had to look into his mug because the boy's unnatural and unnerving leaf green eyes were wide with innocence and curiosity. He couldn't bear to send this young, slight creature out into the world to what he suspected was going to be the greatest journey that the boy had ever been on.
"This comes from Emperor Septim himself, and I fear it is vital that you leave tonight. I would've given you more time had I not only just gotten it this morning." The Imperial told the boy after draining the rest of his ale.
"I'm to leave for Balmora tonight? To meet this man, Cosades – and give him these things? And you think I'll not be home for a long time? What should I pack then?" Aeri asked, voice calm even if his words were rushed and his eyes were alight with excitement.
Sellus sighed and watched the young Bosmer flit from his pack to his cupboards to his room and back again packing reasonably enough that Sellus was gratified to know that the boy remembered his lessons. Then he sighed again, regretting that his "adventuring lessons" had to be put in effect.
"Careful with the amount of food you're bringing, it's only a day to Balmora on the Silt Rider. You can buy more food in Balmora. And here's one hundred septims for the journey and to start you out. Horde that money carefully on your journey, you never know when you'll get more or have to buy supplies. And remember to plan out your rations and supplies carefully." Sellus reminded the excited child.
Well, not so much a child, at twenty summers, Sellus thought.
"Go get the sack from my boat, Aeri. Quickly." Sellus ordered, watching the young Bosmer nod and scamper out.
Aeri hefted the sack from the boat, carefully balancing the new weight against his own and the boat as he adjusted it so that he could climb out of the boat and up the stairs without falling or slipping. He walked quickly back into the larger family and kitchen area in the main part of the house. He set the sack down and nearly vibrated with his excitement as Sellus began to pull out things – a thick, good, sturdy pair of boots, a thick travelling cloak, treated hide breeches in a dark brown, a good green tunic, and a brand new travelling pack. Aeri grinned, but it quickly faded as a wicked looking silver-glinting dagger was set out with several small vials of potions.
Sellus looked up and faced slightly narrowed verdant eyes and a tight lipped mouth. He jerked his head towards the open door, where it was darkening.
"Go get your mother. You'll want to say goodbye. I'll pack this for you." Sellus said.
Then Aeri was gone, leaping from the back banister of his house to the neighbor's roof and then to the next neighbor's and so on until he hit the ground running through town towards the gates leading to the swamps.
"Aeri! What's the hurry?" called a female voice called out making him skid to a halt in the middle of the road.
Azaera. He'd completely forgotten about his best friend. He swung around to face the voice and there she stood, hands on her hips and head cocked. Tail flicking back and forth and her whiskers twitching, triangle ears swiveled towards him. She knew something was wrong. His Khajit friend, was of the feline-beast race from the desert plains of Elsweyr on the continent of Tamriel, the main part of the Empire.
She had white fur with blue-green stripes and longish green dreadlocks decorated with beads and bits of bone and ribbon. She wore green breeches and black hose with a black tunic and dark, dark gold belt where her pouch and dagger sheath hung from. Small gold hoops graced her largish triangle ears atop her head and her family crest-stone hung around her neck. Her clawed hands drummed on her hips and her clawed back paws were set slightly wider apart then necessary – but her stance was one of still patience. Her blue, slit-pupil eyes were intent and unblinking on him and he swallowed uncomfortably since he didn't like it when she was angry or worried. And since she was obviously both he winced slightly at the near snarl on her mouth were sharp teeth gleamed.
They both stood straighter, she very much taller than him, and Aeri bit his lip.
"I'm going away tonight and I was going to get my Mother to say goodbye. I didn't mean to forget you Azaera." Aeri said, fidgeting with the hem of his plain gray tunic.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously and a warning sound came from low in her throat before she pounced him to the ground.
"Leaving? What do you mean, leaving?" She hissed.
"Emperor Martin Septim is sending be to a man named Caius Cosades in Balmora to deliver a package to him and await orders from him. Sellus just told me, and he said I probably wouldn't be able to return here for some time." Aeri told her quickly.
The Khajit let her Bosmer friend up and looked away as they sat on the ground.
"I'm going with you." She said after a moment, nodding decisively.
"Good." He said, relieved. A long journey without his best friend would be unbearable.
"Go pack and meet me at my house, I'll go get my mother. I want to leave by ten." Aeri told her, she nodded, and he continued towards where he could see the women coming home.
His mother was tall and slender, a willowy figure of gold and cream. She had pale skin for a Bosmer, and long gold braids of hair. She wore simple linen breeches and a neatly tucked in pale blue tunic. She was barefoot and had a large basket, filled to the brim with growth, balanced on her head. She had deep amber eyes crinkled at the corners and a near always smiling mouth, she had the same long, slender pointed ears he and all their kind did.
She was talking merrily with another Bosmer woman, two dark skinned, red eyed elfin Dunmer women, Azaera's mother and a dark brown skinned Redguard woman with her black, kinky hair loose and tangled, falling to her shoulders in tight curls and waves, she had gold eyes and a bright smile. She was younger and unmarried; she was also the woman that Aeri's mother tried to match him with.
When Aeri's mother spotted him at the town gates she sped up and stared at him questioningly.
He gave her a wan smile and she pulled the basket to her chest and ran the last way to him, leaving a gaggle of quiet, confused women behind watching.
"What is it little one? Are you hurt? Is your father hurt? What's wrong?" She asked rapidly, setting her burden down and frantically checking him.
He stilled her hands and caught her gaze, wary and sad green met worried amber.
"The Emperor is sending me to Balmora to meet a man there for some journey. Sellus just told me. He sent me to fetch you to come home." Aeri told her, picking up the basket and balancing it on his head, then taking his mother's hand.
Their walk home was silent and slow, and Aeri didn't mention his mother's shaking hands.
Azaera was sitting at the table in her travelling clothes with a pack on the floor beside her, a tankard of steaming cider in front of her. Sellus sat across from her with Aeri's pack on the floor near the door.
"Your clothes are in your room, go change, sera." Sellus told him, the endearment slipping out in his quiet sorrow.
Aeri nodded, enthusiasm gone, closing the door behind him.
Mae, Aeri's mother, looked to Sellus, eyes wild. Sellus nodded, grim. A question asked was answered and tears and terror filled a mother's eyes. Sellus sighed quietly and looked out the still open door.
Aeri opened the door and noted his mother turning away to scrub her face and felt a pang of helpless sorrow for leaving his mother alone.
He had braided his long hair, having noted earlier that it touched the backs of his thighs and had been surprised, and was wearing the gear Sellus had brought for him and felt a little strange in a pilgrim's clothes. But he rolled his shoulders and quelled the discomfort.
"I'm ready." He said quietly.
Sellus nodded and stood, holding out his pack and helping him slip it on. He adjusted the weight and the straps to be comfortable, then stood back and nodded to the man. Sellus touched the boy's shoulder and squeezed it firmly, then nodded and stood back, arms folded, eyes dark.
Mae crushed Aeri to her in a fierce embrace and breathed in raggedly.
"Do me proud, sera. Save the world." She told him, saying what she always did when he left for anything lengthy amount of time.
"I'm your Hero, remember?" he told her, and she nodded, eyes dry if red rimmed, her smile watery.
She stepped back and he looked to Azaera who stood quietly at the door.
"Did you say goodbye to your mother?" he asked, and she nodded stiffly.
"She told me that if I didn't send home gold or treasure from my adventures, not to show up again 'til I did." Azaera grinned briefly, feral.
"What'd you say?" Sellus asked
"That I wouldn't send her bonemeal." But that really meant that they'd had a screaming row and then cried and made up. Then her mother had probably packed for her as she ate dinner and sent her on her way with the command to write to her.
Sellus snorted, and Mae grinned. Aeri nodded and Azaera stepped out the open door. Aeri turned back to his mother and mentor, grinned and nodded, and left as well.
He straightened at his mother's sob but kept walking. They leapt roof to roof until they hit the ground and crossed the foot bridge. They walked up the hill behind the town and made it to Darvame, who smiled, took their two septims and began their trek on the giant flea-like creature that walked steadily towards Balmora.
TBC