Chapter 1: Darkness Falls
The darkness fell over the Jerall Mountains. The snow crunched vigorously beneath the galloping horse's hooves. The brush had gotten denser as we moved through the monochrome forest. The silhouettes of spindly trees were like limbs of Restless Draugr, clawing at us in the wind. In the distance, a wolf or two howled, which only made me make faster our pace. I led my horse through the trees with only the light of the full moon to guide us. We had to reach the border of Skyrim before the sunrise, and a night in Tamriel could pass quicker than a Khajiit sneak-thief running through the sands of Elsweyr.
A pack of wolves surfaced not so far behind us. I could hear their snarls and growls; they were hungry and they could smell food. An Imperial woman and her horse for dinner was no less of an option to satisfy their stomachs. Oh, how they could smell the fear in us. The alpha male howled a long, bone-chilling hull and picked up his pace. Skimming through the mess of trees, they pursued us.
"Faster, Rivett, faster! Ride like the wind!" I called down to my Horse as he glided into the fastest gallop I had ever experienced. Bits of snow beneath my feet took to the air. I looked back, the gust of air almost shrieking in my ears, and saw that the beasts had halted their advance. Their shadows grew farther and farther away until they were eaten up by the opaqueness of the trees.
A few moments after I had forcefully tugged at the reins, ordering the steed to stop. The horse was startled. Rivett got on his hind legs and neighed, kicking the air powerfully with his front legs. I slid all the way to the back of my saddle, almost falling off, were it not for the footrests that latched me on to the stallion. The black horse came down with a thud, and his feet bit into the thick snowfield. When he had finally settled, I dismounted the horse. My legs were shaking out of both cold and fear. Cold, for we had journey far into the northern regions of Cyrodiil, where the harsh northern air of Skyrim seeped into the capital through the towering Jerall Mountains. Fear, for I had just come close to meeting Arkay by the shores of the Lake Rumare.
"You'll be next, you ungrateful little brat! Touch but one of these septims and your head will go flying off!" Those words were still as if they were spoken to me a few moments ago. His money was thicker than his blood. Then, the image of a woman's bloodied body swam in front of my eyes.
I swallowed painfully, snapping myself out of the dark reverie. Tears welled out of my eyes. I had tried my best to hold them in for the long ride, I did. Nothing was supposed to distract me from escaping the old house, and Lake Rumare, Cyrodiil, and even the fate of a mother whose husband cared nothing about her once a fortune met him at the door. Now both of them were far from sight. I had to abandon my old life. The little drops of sadness, illuminated by the light of the moon, slowly fell to the snow.
White smoke steamed out of Rivett's nostrils as he released a jet of breath from it. He shook his head, shaking off the little snowflakes on his mane that made him shiver. "It is cold," I agreed with him, stroking his face. "Come, let's see how far we've made it from the city."
I found a little dirt path which lead to a cliff. Still sobbing, I led the black horse up the trail. We reached the clearing, and I fell silent. I had never seen a more amazing sight. A million stars dotted the heavens, and the great lights rippled in the sky. It was so different from a night in the Imperial City. Inside the city, the White-Gold tower would eat up the sky, and the darkness was but a veil stretched across the top of a smelted golden ore. The lights from the districts had overpowered the stars'. But now, they were so much clearer, so much more beautiful.
"Once we get to Skyrim, we'll start a new life. No more parents, no more traveling with father to Hammerfell. We'll settle down in some farm, perhaps. I heard crops grow well in Skyrim. And we'll even tend to those yaks that Nord merchant sold to us one time. Everything will be alright, Rivett. You'll see…" I said, a bit hopeful, as I looked up to the great northern lights.
Oh, how wrong I was that night.