I always somehow knew I was never meant to just be a Khajiit beggar girl, but I cannot overstate how horrid it was in Elsweyer under Thalmor rule.
My mother was never really convinced that the Aldmeri Dominion saved Elsweyr, she thinks that Massar and Secunda simply came back on their own.
Nevertheless, the Dominion were bastards to us, according to my Cathay-Rhat older brother, K'Donna, our family used to be quite wealthy. My father was the mane and during the time of the void nights, where I was to young to remember, the Aldmeri Dominion had killed him. I am, little 13 year old Suthara, Although I was only 9 at the time this is how I escaped Thalmor oppression in Elsweyr.
On a warm Elsweyr night, my mother had made K'Donna and I fondue, we had no home, it was just the moons that kept us going through the nights. We were sitting there silently eating our cheesy dinner when a Thalmor Justiciar walked up to us, I had seen him before, I could not forget that faint aura of superiority that he emminates.
"It is after dark, you three know the curfew." My mother spoke "Khajiit have no house to return to, you know this Cirion." *He let a smirk cross his face for just long enough for all three of us to see it. "well I am afraid, that his will add to your three's fast accumulating debt." K'Donna stood up, he easily stood head and shoulders above this smug High Elf, I tried my best to cover my face with the hood I was wearing, knowing what's to come. "Listen you smug rat-" "Oh I would be delighted to to hear K'Donna's reasoning as to why you cant pay the debt, but you wont want to be hauled off to the Corinth dungeon after the last offence, would you K'Donna?" as he arrogantly stared at my physically imposing hot headed brother who sat back on the ground after staring Cirion down for a couple more seconds."Well I have a party that I must be attending, so I cant be sitting here speaking with the riff-raff, see you tomorrow night." *As he was walking away he nudged my mothers bowl of fondue over with his foot. She stared sadly after the Altmer not really caring about her spilled dinner, K'Donna and I shared with her.
K'Donna stared morosely at his empty bowl, Mother was staring at the ground, silently. I stood up quietly, so quietly in fact, that neither of them had noticed.
"We need to get out of here." My mother looked up at me. "Suthara you know why we cant do that." I stare into my mothers distant blue eyes, they are the one trait, that I inherited from her. K'Donna looked at me, but said nothing, "mamma I don't want to be hungry anymore."I pleaded. "I know Suthara, but- "She has a point." said K'Donna in his deep voice. "mother we cannot keep doing this forever." he looked at her. I was only eye level with K'Donna, yet I saw the anger in his amber eyes, he considered it weak to attempt to run away, "My children I am to frail to try and run away, you both know that the Dominion would pursue you." even K'Donna's strength could only get you so far."
"Mamma we are going to be put into jail with the bad khajiit if we don't even try." "we are going to be put into jail if we do try, Suthara." Mother looked back at the ground.
"Well if we are going to be locked up regardless, than what do we have to lose?" K'Donna questioned." "Go to sleep my children." "but-" I began to say. "I said go so sleep!"
with that we lay down on the cold earth, and swiftly fall asleep, the last thing I saw before I shut my eyes, was Mamma sitting, looking at the moons.
When I wake up, I see Mamma standing next to a fence, two knapsacks laying next to her. I groggily crawl over to K'Donna and attempt to rouse him up, my tiny hands barely penetrated his thick fur but using a claw I was able to get him up. he sat up slowly, and looked over at mamma, once we had both awoken, she stood next to us. "My children,
after much thought I have decided, that you were right." K'Donna looked at her quizzing, not remembering our discussion last night. "What are you talking about Mother?"
K'Donna I have decided that Suthara and you are right, and you need to leave." "I have spent my money buying enough supplies for couple of days." *she hands us a bag each. I noticed that she had no bag on her back. " with enough luck the Thalmor wont notice you have gone until it is to late. " wait?" K'Donna looked at my mothers empty back.
We shared a long pause, "mamma?" She merely gave us a small look of happiness. She walked over and attempted to wrap her arms around K'Donna's colossal frame.
and then she knelt down and gave me an extra long hug. "Suthara, you are special, the daughter of the mane, there will be bright things in your future." I began to weep, but before I could my brother was gently grabbing my shoulder. "Do not worry mother, I will protect her." "I know you will K'Donna, now go quickly, follow the road northeast,
once you make it to the Cyrodiil border, go to Leyawiin, and find a boat going up the river, stow away if you have to, I just want my children to be way from this horrid place."
we paused for a fraction of a second. "Go" she whispered, "I will stall the High Elves as long as I can" as soon as she said that, K'Donna hefted me up onto his back and began to run.
I held both packs on my back, and K'Donna held me on his back, he was effectively sprinting with a 9 year old Khajiit and a weeks provisions on his back. He was sprinting through the jungle at speeds I did not think he was capable of, still it took us about an hour to make it to the Elsweyr-Cyrodiil border. Once we had gotten there however, there was a Wood Elf at the border. He had tried to tell us to stop, but K'Donna simply bowled him over. and kept running, He got up, grabbed his bow and quiver and rang a bell, alerting other Bosmer at the border to give chase. We were running and ducking past trees and rocks, K'Donna showing no signs of tiring. Arrows were flying past us but we still managed to make it to Leyawiin a couple minutes before any Bosmer archers. K'Donna got to the docks, and immediately collapsed, I hopped off of his back and dropped the packs on the wood. sailors were looking at us from all angles, I took a moment to sneak to the nearby wall and look at the town square, there my heart sank, I saw the same Altmer from the night before, Cirion.
Once i had made it back to the docks, I saw a couple sailors kneeling over my brother asking if he was alright. I went up to an argonian with a small row-boat, "mister can you take me and my brother up river?" He looked down at me, "I am afriad not little cat." I began to tear up, all this for nothing "but, but, we need to escape?" He looked down again, "we really need to ESCAPE!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs, the argonian's face twisted into one of terror "o-ok fine, just get in the boat. I crawled over to K'Donna who was catching his breath on the ground. "Brother, I got us a boat ride, we just need to get there." as soon as I had said that, K'Donna rose up with a heave of exhaustion. I carried my bag and he carried his own.
As soon as we made it onto the boat, we saw Bosmer and Altmer at the docks looking around for us. By the time we had made it to the middle of the river, they had spotted us.
and were firing arrows at us from the docks, "you didn't tell me that the Thalmor were pursuing you!" said the argonian. "No, i'm sorry but there wasn't much time." he gave a grunt of resignation, and continued rowing. "we are getting away Suthara!" yelled K'Donna, almost on command an arrow came flying at the perfect angle, and hit K'Donna in the eye. "AHGH!" he screamed in that was the only arrow that hit us. We were away, we were free.