Isobelle,

Your father and I are very worried about you. Please, I know that you are at Rilla's, do not make me send someone after you, because I will. I know you are angry, but sometimes the truth is to awful to ever be revealed. I know that I haven't explained much to you, but please, I beg of you, do not go searching for him. He is nothing but trouble and I dont want to see you get hurt. He will hurt you, little bird, and no one will be able to help you. Please, come home and I will tell you everything.

With Love,

Mom

My tears fall onto the paper, smearing the elegantly written letter my mother sent to me by raven. I rip off the bottom half and scrawl a quick reply.

I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I need to know the truth, and I know you will say anything to keep me from finding him. This is something I have to do. I will find my real father, and when I do, maybe... just maybe, things will fall into place. I can't take the chance that I could be right, and then do nothing about it. I know my future lies in Skyrim, I can feel it. You have to accept that your little bird isnt quite so little anymore. I love you. I'm sorry.

I wipe the tears off my face and fold the parchment neatly, tying it to the Raven's leg, and send it on its way. I stand, watching it fly over the tall trees of my homeland. In the distance, my eyes catch a glimpse of one of the great moving trees my land is known for. I turn back to the house, and open the door. Rilla is standing in her kitchen, stirring a pot of something that smells like cabbage. She turns around and smiles at me, her wide, amber, elven eyes making my heart melt. She lives in a secluded part of the forest, where the trees are still and frozen, an hour's journey from the Valenwood/Skyrim border. She came out this way, because the game is plentiful, and the area is quiet. I walk up to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder. "What are you making, love?" I coo softly in her ear. She trembles slightly and lets out a breathy gasp.

"Cabbage stew. I couldn't find any meat in the cupboard, so I just made this instead." She rambles when she's nervous, she gets anxious when she is eager to please me.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. That cabbage was taking up entirely too much storage room anyway." She giggles, and I smile, holding her tighter. She sighs contentedly as I place a gentle kiss on the crook of her neck. "So... this is our last night together before I leave for Skyrim. I don't know when, or even if I'll be back." She sighs sadly.

"Yes, I know. I wish you didn't have to go." I can't help but hear the plaintive tone in her voice. "But, I know this is something that you have to do." She nods her head and resumes her stirring of the stew. Her beautiful, pale face is flushed from the fire, and I feel a wave of intense longing wash over me. "I know that this was never meant to last, but somehow, it did. And in honor of that, can we have just one more night? I just want you to hold me one more time, before you leave me forever." My breath hitches as I struggle to hide my tears. She was right, of course. This was just supposed to be a fling. She knows how I work, and she expected nothing less. But she got so much more because of it. I took it to far, and we both got attached. I feel my resolve soften as she takes the pot off the fire, and steps out of my grasp. She places the pot on the table, and turns to me, her look hungry, but questioning. One last night can't hurt anything... right? In two steps, I am in front of her, our faces almost touching. Her honey sweet scent washes over me as I grab her roughly, and kiss her deeply. She moans into my mouth, and wraps her arms around me, pulling me flush against her. My heart racing, I slide my tongue over her plush bottom lip, sucking on it gently, coaxing her to open her mouth to me. She responds hungrily, her tongue swirling over mine, dashing in and out of my mouth. Our teeth clash as we get sloppy in our rush to undress each other. She quickly tugs open my shirt, baring my supple chest to her. I quickly unlace her dress, and slide it off her shoulders. She shrugs it off and it slides down her soft, warm body, down to her feet. She unlaces my leather pants and tugs them off, never once breaking the kiss. I pull off the rest of my shirt, and pull her closer, bare flesh against bare flesh, the only sound is our heavy breathing as I pull her to the bedroom. The room is cold and dark, so I shoot a firebolt at the fireplace, and lay her down on the bed. The fire is large, and heats the room quickly as I slide my hand down her bare stomach and pause, teasingly, just before reaching her wet core. I smile as she whines is frustration and slide my hand down the rest of the way, gently spreading open her folds and sliding my fingers over her sensitive bud. She moans again, arching her back as I slowly rub in circles, increasing in speed and force gradually. She weaves her hands into my hair as I slowly trail kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, and latch my mouth around one of her bare breasts. She cries out as I add another hand, continuing my movements, but inserting one finger into her tight hole. I slowly pump into her, teasing her with slow, lazy thrusts, and she whimpers. I gently nip at her nipple, and swirl my tongue around it, causing her to buck against me once more. I pause, and trail kisses to the other breast, latching onto her stiff nipple, and repeating the same steps. Her breathing picks up, and she moans again, making me even wetter. She whimpers as she gets closer to her peak, and I slow my ministrations. She groans "Please" and I can feel myself flood my undergarments with my juices. I add two more fingers, and she gasps in shock. Without giving her time to adjust, I ram my fingers into her and bite down gently on her nipple. She weaves her hands even tighter into my hair as I trail kisses down her belly, and nip at her inner thighs, teasing her. She sobs with desire and I decide to stop with the teasing and go straight for the gold. I weave my tongue in intricate patterns through her velvety soft folds, sucking up her juices as she screams in ecstasy. She clamps her thighs around my head as she hits her peak, and I lap up the rest of her juices. Panting, she pulls me up by my hair and kisses me passionately, licking the rest of her fluid from around my mouth. She untangles her hands from my hair as i pull her to me, and we lay side by side on the bed, the roaring fire keeping the chill at bay. I wrap my arms around her waist as tears start to fall from her eyes, and kiss her nose gently. Never before have I felt this way, but I know that it is time for me to let go, and move on. I stand up, releasing her, and bend down to grab a cloak, and hand it to her. I put on mine and we head to the kitchen, where the pot of stew has gone cold. SHe picks it up and places it by the fire again, and I move to grab the bowls when I hear it. I drop to the ground instinctively as the arrow mean for me, flys through the window, and embeds itself into the wall. I wrench it out of the wall and examine the tip from my spot on the ground as Rilla ducks down beside me. Sleeper darts. My stepfather's men no doubt, here to take me back to him. They wont take me alive. I hear two more arrows and I grab Rilla, rolling us toward the wall, and better cover as the two arrows hit the spots we were in. Leaving her in cover, I dash towards the table and grab my scattered clothes and weapons. I duck into the bedroom as five arrows hit the wall behind me. I pull on my clothes quickly, my practiced hands lacing up my armor quickly. I grab my longbow and arrows and perch under the window, notching an arrow and readying myself. I duck my head up slightly and wait for them to take the shot. I see one figure in the trees, perched on a branch, bow at the ready. I stand and drop down as they launch another arrow my way. I return in kind, narrowly avoiding the arrow as I swing out of cover and embed my arrow deep within the archer's skull. I hear faint sounds of outrage, and I know that their patience is wearing thin. I hear Rilla whimper in fear, and I glance over at her. Never being trained for combat can leave one feeling panicked and defenseless, and that is exactly what I see in her gaze. I smile as her and wink, hoping to pull her out of that for an instant before the real fighting begins. I sheath my bow and reach for my daggers as the sound of quiet footsteps grows closer to the door. I carefully, almost silently, creep towards the door as the footsteps stop at the threshold. After what feels like an hour, the door slams open and I spring into action, slicing through my first opponents belly, spilling his guts onto the floor. Throwing him to the ground, I move on to the second attacker driving my dagger into her chest and twisting. SHe coughs blood onto my face as I push her aside, and send my blades flying into the skulls of two more Bosmer Mercs. I reach for my spare daggers and slice the throat of one man, and twist around to kill the other. As i embed my knife into another man's skull, I hear a scream from inside the house.

"Rilla!" I call as I look back. That one mistake cost me dearly as three more advanced on me, grabbing me and throwing me onto the ground. My head hits the ground and my vision blurs as the breath rushes out of me.

"Isobelle! Help me!" I hear Rilla sobbing. Growling, I spring up and slice the three who threw me in the throat, bathing myself in their blood. Thank the Divines for advanced combat training. I scan the area quickly, searching for more people and, finding none, storm back into the house. I enter, and i hear the sounds of muffled sobbing coming from the bedroom. I enter quickly and gasp in horror. A man with a wickedly evil grin is leering down at me, and on her knees, with a knife pressed to her throat, is Rilla, tears streaming down her face.

"Vicino. I should've known he'd send his most loyal dog to bring me back." I spit with malice.

"Ah ah ah, you start talking real nice to me if you want your most lovely companion to walk out of here with her head still on her shoulders." I stand stock still, not noticing the sounds of two more men grab me from behind and push me to my knees, grabbing my arms and locking on. I struggle, but to no avail. "Now that we are all comfortable, let's talk." He smiles down at me again, with pure joy in his eyes. "You are going to come back home with me, and you will accept your punishment for killing my men," I scoff and he raises his brow. "Something funny to you?" I smile up at him.

"Those are my step-father's men, you dumb skeever's ass. You are nothing more than one of his little pets he keeps close and well fed." I flick my eyes down to his bulbous stomach, and smile sweetly. Rage flashes in his eyes, and he slides the knife slightly across Rilla's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. I feel the blood leave my face as I realize her situation fully.

"You know... I don't have to let the girl live. Your father would prefer it that way, mind you. Told me himself that he didn't want his only daughter to be flouncing about with a Strider, let alone a woman. Risky place you put your family's name in, fucking some outcast whore." I try to charge him, growling in anger, but the men are too strong. Vicino smiles again. "So really, if you agree to come back with us, we don't have to let your father know she still lives know do we?" Smart move, for a pawn to make. He knows I'd likely give them the slip before we got back to the Estate.

"Isobelle, no! You have to do this! You have to go! You can't stay here, you know what he'll do." I do know what he'll do. He'd chain me up in the basement again, leaving me there for weeks until i beg forgiveness. And the lashings... all the lashings. My back is laced with the marks of his cruelty. But I can't let her die. I know now, looking into her eyes, that I love her. I can't let her die. She must see the decision written across my face, because panic flashes in her eyes. Her breath picks up as her eyes harden with resolve. Vicino lets out a suppressed yelp as she bites down hard into his free hand, feigning and escape attempt.

"Stupid whore!" Vicino yells, and grabs her roughly by her beautiful black hair and places the knife against her neck. 'Well girl, looks like your more trouble than you are worth." He brings up the knife as I scream her name and fight with all my might against the very strong guards. Laughing maniacally, he slides the blade across her delicate skin, and crimson blood spills over her half naked form. We lock eyes as she falls to the floor, and she mouths the words 'I love you.' Tears in my eyes, I whimper,

"I love you too, Rilla." As her face and body grows still, the pool of blood reaches me, and I look into my glistening expression. Wide, ice blue eyes, delicately curved upwards are pouring a waterfall of silent tears. Long, delicate nose, leading to a full, gently curved mouth. Pale white face, smattered with dried blood and dirt. Long, thick blonde hair hanging loose around my waist, the only really noticeable sign of my half Nord blood. As I study my reflection, i wonder what Rilla had seen in me that had warranted such a sacrifice. No one would ever take a Nord/Bosmer hybrid seriously as a life partner, and until Rilla, no one did. I feel an aching emptiness as her blood warms my suddenly cold body. Determining me to be in a state of shock, they drop my arms, and I fall forward. I crawl slowly to Rilla's still warm body, and cradle her to me. Her beautiful, amber eyes stare blankly into the heavens, and I pray to Hircine, her Lord, beg for him to grant her entrance into his realm. I gently close her eyes, and kiss her forehead.

"I don't understand what you're so broken up about," Vicino calls to me. "She was a Strider, an outcast by choice. If she wanted something better than this, she would have stayed at home like a good elf, and been married to some lord. Someone who could treat her much better than you ever could. She got what she deserved, breaking tradition like that." I pull her closer, knowing she would have hated being married off to some asshole who would never treat her like an equal. I feel rage breach the cold numbness that had overtaken me. I gently lay her body down, and fold her hands over her body. I stand slowly, and I feel the dried blood crack on my skin. I turn slowly towards the three people talking in hushed tones, not realizing what I was about to do. They thought that they had broken me, but they had only awakened the burning rage I kept buried inside. I raise my hands and dual cast an fire bolt at the two lackeys, heads, and aim a third for Vicino. Screaming, they frantically try to pat out the fire. I bolt over and grab the dagger Vicino had killed my love with, and bury it in the skull of the first screaming man. The second, I kick in the balls and stab him in the throat twisting it, then dragging it across his neck. Vicino, I grab and throw to the floor. I launch two more firebolts at his balls, and he screams in agony, thrashing around in the blood of three people, putting out the fire. As he struggles to get up, I embed the knife in his side, just above the hipbone, and force it up, cutting all the way to his ribs, spilling his guts onto the floor. I grin in triumph as he falls to the floor in agony, and I grab him roughly by the collar.

"I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you very slowly, and when I'm done, i'm going to burn you and all your friends in the yard. But I will leave your head, on a spike, as a message to anyone who tries to fuck with me again. I am not someone to be trifled with, and I have been abused too long. But how about I use some of the things done to me, on you? That sounds like a lot of fun, and obviously, you won't be going anywhere. Feel free to scream, no one will hear you. Guess that's one advantage to being a lowly Strider, eh?" And I live up to my promise, emerging an hour later, covered in the blood of four people. I carry the bodies out of the house, and throw Vicino's head onto the ground to save for later. I light up all 13 bodies, and watch them blaze for a bit, before going to a nearby tree, and cutting off a strong branch. I throw it next to the head and go inside. I clear off the table in the kitchen, and head to the bedroom. I place another log on the pile for light and heat, and gently pick up Rilla's still body. I carry her outside, past the pile of burning flesh, and over to a nearby clearing that the creek runs through. I remove her robe, and place her in the creek, washing the blood from her body and hair. When she is clean, I wrap her in clean furs, and carry her back into the house. Returning to the room, I sift through her drawers until I find her favorite green dress. I carefully dress her, and brush out her hair. Leaving her there on the table, I go back outside, and build a pyre. The sun is just brightening the horizon as I carry her body to the pyre and place her gently upon the furs and branches. I say a brief prayer to the Divines, and ready the torch. Just as the sun breaches the horizon, I throw the torch onto the pyre, and pray to Auriel for his blessing and guidance, as her body is consumed by the hungry flame. As the sun continues to rise, and the fire burns, I sharpen the spike and hammer it into the ground. I pick up Vicino's head and slam it down onto the spike. I smile at his face, eyes rolled back, mouth agape, blood smeared over every inch. Sighing, I head back into the house and grab my things, pack food, and upon scanning the room for anything I had missed, I see Rilla's necklace still laying on the floor by the fireplace. I walk over to it and pick it up. It is an emerald, set into a silver snake design. I slide the blood encrusted jewel over my head and head out of the house for the final time. Blinking in the sunlight I look back at the trees of Valenwood. For so long, it's beautiful woods had been a gilded prison of gold. I look up at the snowy mountains of a strange new land, and a small, strange happiness stirs in me as I feel the stirrings of something foreign to me. Free, i feel free. For the first time, I am free. I smile at the thought, as I close the door behind me, and head towards the border of a land so strange, that it would change my very being. Ulfric... father, I will find you, and I will know the truth...