"Almost there..." I muttered to myself, marching up the small dirt trail. It was even colder than I had expected, I kept my jaw clenched to keep my teeth from chattering. I was raised in the warm, humid weather of southern Morrowind. I was far to the north now, close to Skyrim, home of the Nords. I was beginning to wonder how the hell they stood this. My ankles were starting to ache, I managed to gather up enough money to buy my way up to Gnisis with the Silt Striders, which was cheaper than buying a horse, but now I was on my own.
Well, not entirely. I had my always faithful companion, Dagger, with me. He stopped and sniffed a Nightshade flower, and barked a little. I stopped and picked it, gently placing it in my satchel with my other ingredients. "Good boy," I praised him, petting him on the head, then started back on the trail. I was already happier, just be away from Seyda Neen, and away from my controlling father... I'm sorry mother, but I have to get out of this place. Not that this place is very livable anymore anyway, ever since Black Marsh took control of it. Many Dunmer had already left. However, some, like my father, are just far too stubborn to leave.
My foot crunched into the white snow, shooting pain into my foot, which was barely protected by a cloth wrapped around it. I'd sold my good clothes for the money to ride on the Silt Striders, now I wished I kept my shoes and just stolen the rest of the money. Fortunately, my friend mention that in Skyrim there was a warm area in the south because of the mountains, that's where I'm heading. I was just hoping I didn't die of frostbite on the way there. I couldn't see a trail anymore, the sun had set, and the snow was coming down hard, making it nearly impossible to see just a few feet in front of me.
I finally got to Skyrim, I could see the warm green just ahead, and the snow had stopped at last. I looked back to make sure Dagger was still with me, he wagged his tail when we made eye contact. "We're almost there, old fiend." I told him, though I wasn't exactly sure where 'there' was. He didn't seem to care either way though, my brother once commented that he would follow me through an Oblivion gate if I went through one. We often joked about them, since it was my great-great-grandmother that ended the Oblivion crisis, in Cyrodiil.
I finally found another dirt trail, and figuring it would lead me to a town, I started walking down it. It went to a dense forest, making the already dark night even darker. It was times like this I wished I could have joined the Mages guild, and learn light producing spells. But of course, he said no.
It was to long before I heard the sound of hooves and wheels coming up behind me, and looked a saw a carriage. I got to the side of the trail to let it pass, and Dagger did the same. I heard another set of hooves approaching quickly, but the rider was forced to slow down, lest he run straight into the carriage in front of him. What happened next, is a blur to me.
Armed men and women emerged from the surrounding forest, I felt something grab me. I tried to jerk away, I heard Dagger growl, then yelp, and then silence. "Dagger!" I managed to turn and see his blood covered body, before I felt something hit me back of the head. Hard. I blacked out.