Chapter Text

AUTHOR'S NOTE & WARNINGS

Hey, thanks for clicking. I'm going to start out by telling you I'm writing this for myself, though that doesn't mean in any way that I'm not putting effort into it. It does mean I'm allowing myself to write at less than my best and my editing - this is just to get my creative juices flowing, figuratively. However, I hope you very much enjoy reading it! It has a different, more casual feel (because 1st pov)

next I need to warn you because ff doesn't have tags like ao3, that this story has very BDSM themes, don/sub, and that it's elder scrolls oriented so terminology and such is different. and though always consensual, can be dubious and rough and yes, descriptive smut. If you're not into a sort of poor etiquette though enjoyable sort of deal, don't read this.

The car was boiling hot when I sat down in the driver's seat, the Canadian summer sun roasted the air inside. I turned the key in the ignition, breathing out in relief when I was able to roll down the car windows. The air conditioner was busted, but luckily, windows down and music up was my preference anyway. I put a mix CD in and turned the volume on Someone Who's Cool, pulling out of the driveway and heading right out of town. I was anticipating a day out at the camp, meeting up with some family. It was about an hour's drive out into the middle of nowhere, but it was beautiful.

As I traveled down the rough back roads by myself, I felt bliss, and actually dreaded arriving at the camp. Out here, the air smelled fresh, like flowers and pine trees, and faintly, the ocean. I felt my stress melt off my shoulders, not completely, but a little bit, as I took a turn for an even longer route through the countryside. Out in the middle of nowhere by yourself, there was no stress and no one to bother you. I didn't need to concern myself with plans for the near future. I didn't need to worry about whether I should finish my degree or if I should quit my job. The nagging feeling of restlessness, of unhappiness, with my current life. I had always wanted a more exciting life. I wanted to travel the world. To feel adrenaline in my blood. But, somehow, I wanted a lot of other things too; things you just couldn't have while travelling full time. It was hard to think about.

I was lost in thought, thinking about these unhappy things, when I pulled over near a river. I stepped out of the car and picked my way down the steep hill to the riverside. I heard a car pass by, but thought nothing of it. There were so many trails and waterfalls in this region that pulled over cars were often just vacated for a hike or fishing trip. Or stops like mine, where I just needed some air. I put my phone and headphones on the bank and pulled off my sandals. Sitting on the edge, I reached my feet into the water. It wasn't chilly, really, just felt like a pool. Most water in the area was like that. There wasn't a house in sight when I looked in either direction, and it was quite the steep hill from the road, so I made a spontaneous decision. I had a change of clothes in the car, so I stripped my skirt off and let myself slide into the water. It was refreshing, and nowhere near the first time I had done something such as this. It was actually quite safe most of the time, but as I swam out into the middle of the river, I felt the current pick up.

My feet suddenly couldn't touch the ground, and I let myself go along with the current, simply staying afloat and not fighting it. I was accustomed to being able to edge my way out of the water and then walk upstream should this type of thing happen, but within a few seconds I felt my side crash against a massive protruding rock. As I twisted to get away from it, my head went underwater and for a few seconds I spluttered around, unprepared and without air. I forced myself to calm down after a moment and disoriented, allowed my body to go limp. Once I distinguished which direction I naturally floated in, I swam up in that direction and quickly my head burst into open air.

I was disoriented as hell, but I made my way slowly to the bank without much trouble. The current seemed weaker, and the bank shallower. I stumbled up onto it and sat there, catching my breath. Had the weather changed? It was cloudier than I remembered. The trees didn't look unfamiliar, in fact, they looked like back home; however, they didn't look like the part of the province I had been in. I looked around and still saw no houses in sight, but I hadn't beforehand anyways. First, I turned to find where the road would be, at least at some point, and started to trek up the hill. It was rather uncomfortable without pants, and the pine needles pricked my feet. I wished I had socks, as in my opinion that was always the comfiest way to move around. Quiet and warm.

I didn't find the road at the top of the ridge, but I thought I could see a path a little ways away, so I headed that way. It all seemed very strange. A few steps later, my feet found the clearer path. The sun broke through the clouds for a moment and warmed her still damp skin. It appeared to be a foot path, or maybe for four wheelers as it did appear to have wheel tracks on it. I contemplated following the trail to the right or heading farther in the direction I was already heading in. I couldn't remember if the road curved; for that matter, this area looked nothing like the place I was driving in before. I decided to head down the path, wondering how far I could have possibly floated. There was a pain in my right hip and ribs where I had crashed against the rock.

I hoped desperately that no one would happen across me in this state, but I also hoped that if someone did they would be able to point me back towards my car. I had done something stupid, I thought as I shivered in the breeze. Was is colder? The sun still felt warm in its brief appearances.

In a few minutes, I reached a fork in the road. It had two signs on it, made of carved wood oddly enough. One read "Solitude," and the other "Whiterun," pointing in opposite directions. My eyes nearly bugged right out of my head and I took two steps forwards to touch the sign. My hands slid across the bumpy wood, and it was indeed real. What kind of nerd had put this here? Maybe this was someone's hang out of sorts. Odd. Regardless, I took the direction of the sign reading Whiterun, as it followed along the river. I stood a bit off the rocky path to walk in the grass, which cut my feet a few times but was overall more comfortable.

The real shock came not long later, when I came across a small farm. There was no one outside to notice me nor my odd attire. I took the time to stare in shock at it. There was livestock, a variety like you just don't see back home; farms are either horses for riding, beef cows, or dairy cows. Nothing like this, no goats and pigs, with a garden. No, this looked self-sufficient. And there was fire coming from the chimney - odd for the summer. I moved subconsciously but stayed along the tree line, and from the window I noticed a woman in period clothing. I couldn't tell you what period. There were clothes hanging out to dry, and they were all the same.

I heard a horse coming up along the trail, though I was a ways into the trees by this time. I looked back to see a full cart with three passengers being hauled by a pair of horses. It looked like I had walked into a historical village. I watched the cart move past, and my eyes followed it into the distance. I could see... stone? A city? I squinted harder. The sign had said Whiterun. What the hell was going on? Did I fall asleep? What kind of weird ass dream am I having? I suppose it was one I would have, though more of a daydream. And not really Elder Scrolls. No, more like Dragon Age, or something like that. Elder Scrolls? I'd die. Wait.. what?

I took a few confused steps backwards, tripped on a root, and scraped my side against the rough tree. I looked down and saw scratches and a bit of blood, but I was too stunned to really notice. It hurt, more by the second, and it grounded me. Coma? I feel pain, that's for sure.

I'm not sure how long I sat there on the ground; I completely lost track of time. I kept expecting to snap out of whatever was going on, but it didn't happen. Elder Scrolls? What in hell?

Eventually I figured I couldn't keep sitting there. The sun had moved a ways, so perhaps I had sat there, hidden in the thicket, for hours. Regardless, I pulled myself into a squatting position and my body screamed in protest. Leaning around the tree to investigate, I started planning ahead. Nothing is making sense, but I would hit the ground running and move with the flow the same way I had always tried to in life. I was hyper-aware of my lack of pants, and also of my distinct clothing.

I could see the small farm winding down for supper. A couple of children were called inside to eat, and two older men who had been working in the back of the house trudged inside. This was lucky for me, as they left their clothesline unattended. I didn't even think about it, really. I stayed near the treeline until I reached the tree that had one end of the clothesline tied to it. I didn't want to venture out too far, as I could see from my position the window I was able to be spotted from. The first thing I could reach was men's clothes, but I decided to be a bit more ambitious and select the dress that looked like it may fit me, a few steps out into the open.

After a few minutes watching the family, I slowly moved out of my hidden position. The shadows cast by the setting sun helped me hide myself as I slowly pulled the beige dress off the line and retreated into the woods. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I hid myself maybe ten feet into the trees. Adrenaline filled me up. Maybe not full up, but I felt exhilarated.

There, in the woods, I stripped down and started to dress again. I kept my now dry underwear and my slightly damp on the inside bra, and fitted the dress overtop. It did fit me, maybe not perfectly, but well enough. It had strings in the front, which I tightened until they were comfortable. It was a bit scratchy in some places, but it would do the trick.

Then it dawned on me that I didn't have any shoes.

I edged closer to the farm again, but there weren't any shoes in sight, and I had no desire to go any closer. I thought about it for a minute, but figured that the dress covered my feet, so it was unlikely anyone would notice if I was careful. It was relatively comfortable anyway, though with the fading of the adrenaline my aches and pains started to return.

I wished very hard that I had... well, anything. I was completely disoriented as I headed for Whiterun, but I did my best to keep my head.