As I opened my eyes I was blinded by the radiant white light of the morning. It was a cold morning, the crisp mountain air was chilling me to the bone. I was being shaken softly side to side by the wobbling lurch of the wagon I was riding in. It would have been a beautiful Frost Fall day were it not the day I was sentenced to die.
My hair was long and oily, my beard scraggly and unkempt. My clothes were filthy and ragged. My skin was dirty and I hadn't had the opportunity to bathe in several days. I was an altogether unpleasant soul. I was but a mere shell of the formerly proud and somewhat arrogant Thalmor operative I once was. I was the greatest of us. I was unstoppable! I was unconquerable! I was a god!
But they betrayed me, those bastards betrayed me! I was Lady Elenwen's right hand! I had the guards of half a dozen holds in my pocket! But all because of one botched job. One mistake on my part was all it took. One time I didn't get the correct information from a prisoner. It only ever happened once. But one mistake, one misstep, and I cost seventeen Thalmor operatives their lives...
"Fine! I'll tell you! Just outside Falkreath! They've taken over Peak's Shade Tower!"
"And how many are there?" I calmly asked the prisoner reaching for my elven dagger which had been soaking in a foul concoction nearby.
"There are seven of them. Three archers, two mages, and two soldiers."
"Alright then. You've done a great service for your country." I said as I sliced his abdomen from left to right with the poisoned dagger.
"Hey elf, looks like you're awake." Said a fair-skinned nord dressed in the stormcloak soldier's garb sitting across from me.
"I'm not much in the mood for the idle conversation and witty banter you thick-skulled barbarians like. If i'm going to die today I would prefer for my last moments to be spent in silence." I angrily told the nord.
The last moments of the ride were spent in silence as I thought out how I would escape from my captors and reap vengeance on the Thalmor. As I sat in silence for several moments I began to formulate a plan. It was approximately fifteen meters to the treeline. I could make that in about twelve steps. There was one man driving the wagon. Two men in the wagon about ten meters ahead of this one. At least one was an archer. It would take him about three seconds to aim and fire. It would take me two seconds to jump out of the wagon and four seconds to run into the cover of the trees. No way I could make it without becoming a pincushion. I would need a distraction. It is very good thing I have some basic knowledge of illusion magic. If I cast a fury spell on the man driving the wagon he would try to kill us all and the other guards would kill him. I decided I should tell the others so I would at least have a bit of arrow fodder should the need arise.
"I take it none of you want to be here. So if you wish to leave follow me!"
I whipped around to my left and hit the guard escorting us with a fury spell. He drew his sword and ran towards the other guards. I jumped out of the back of the wagon and ran into the trees. The three nords followed me. There was something about one of them, he was wearing a fur coat and possessed an air of authority. The one that I insulted earlier seemed to be a soldier. The third had no distinguishing features.
As I sprinted through the forest I heard the sounds of pursuit. There were two men yelling at each other. It seemed as if my distraction had been eliminated. We kept running and we finally began to slacken our pace. But as we did so one of the nords took an arrow in the middle of his right triceps. Then two more slammed into his back and he dropped to the ground stone dead.
"Over here!" I yelled to the nords.
We hid under a rock outcrop covered by a curtain of ivy.
"Everyone alright?" I asked feigning concern.
"Fine." Said the nord soldier.
I conjured up a spectral sword and sliced off everyone's bindings.
"Ready to go?" I asked the nords.
"Let's go." Said the one in the fur coat.
We ran out from under the overhang and saw several soldiers around us. They hadn't noticed us so we tried to sneak past them. However the soldier stepped on a rotten branch and alerted them. I rushed forward and split one of the soldiers open. The nord soldier ran forward and grabbed the fallen soldier's sword. He rushed forward and began to tear through their ranks, forcing a way out of the circle they were drawing us into.
"Come on!" He yelled at us.
The nord in the fur coat ran out before me.
"I'm not going to die today you bastards!" I yelled at the imperials.
I sprinted away and put down a fire rune behind me as I ran. I heard the explosion and several screams. I turned back to look and then suddenly there was no ground to step on.
I tumbled down the steep slope trying to protect my head as I rolled. The back of my skull smacked against a rock. My vision blurred and tears filled my eyes. I tasted something sour. It was an almost metallic taste. I continued to tumble endlessly smashing my ribs and chest against stones sticking out of the ground. I finally stopped rolling and I tried to assess the damage. My head was pounding. I put my hand up to where I hit it against the rock and my fingertips were smeared with blood. Every time I inhaled waves of pain surged through me. I believe that I had cracked a rib or two. I forced myself to my feet and immediately doubled over and vomited. I had a minor concussion.
I forced myself to stand up straight again almost collapsing due to pain. I began hobbling away when I heard the bark of war dogs behind me.
"Dammit! I can't catch a break today!" I screamed.
It was a mistake. I saw the dogs come over the rise of the hill I just tumbled down. I kept hobbling until I came to a cliff. It was approximately one hundred meters down into a lake below. I turned around and saw the dogs closing in on me incredibly quickly. It was either be torn apart by dogs or drop into the water below and possibly die.
I jumped off the cliff and it felt as if my innards entered my throat. I fell about twenty meters when I hit a ledge jutting out from the cliff face. I shattered all of the bones in my right leg. I screamed in agony and fear as I fell. I hit the water below and I felt a explosion of pain from my useless leg and ribs. As I slowly sunk into the frigid water my mind drifted away into an inky black cloud of despair and misery as I realized today really was the day I was going to die.
"Today is not your day altmer." I heard a godly voice remark. "You have more important things to do in this life." The voice was deep and rich. It was a resounding boom that filled my body with light and warmth. It was the most beautiful feeling in the world.
"Who? Who are you?" I tentatively asked the voice. I have never been so humbled in my life as I was the moment I was spoken to by this celestial being.
"All in due time. For now you have things to do. Sleep well my son, for you have a long and arduous journey ahead of you."
I slowly drifted away into a deep slumber. It was as if I was a child being cradled in his mother's arms. In this case the cradle was that amazing sensation of warmth that had filled my body when the being first spoke to me.
I awoke in a small rundown shack out in the wilderness somewhere. I sat up quickly and noticed that I didn't hurt anymore. However I did notice two things. One there was an old woman sitting in a chair across from me. And two, I was completely naked. I quickly covered myself as best I could with a tattered blanket that lay nearby, but there were more holes in it than I had expected. Let's just say the old woman had seen the Serpent Stone that morning.
"Who are you? I asked the woman.
"My name is Anise and who might you be?" She replied. Her voice sounded gravelly and rough.
"Uh... my name is... Ancano." I lied to Anise. I saw no point in revealing my true identity to her.
"Well it is my pleasure to look at you Ancano." Said Anise.
Color flooded my cheeks and I felt waves of embarrassment rush through me.
"Uh well... uh... do you know how I got here?" I asked her meekly.
"Oh I found you on the river bank. You looked hurt so I brought you here and fixed you up." Anise told me.
"Well did you find me naked?" I asked Anise.
"No." Anise replied.
I did not like the way this conversation was going.
"Well did you have to take my clothes off to heal me?" I hoped that it was why I was naked.
"No."
"Well tell me why i'm naked!" I demanded.
Anise just smiled at me.
"Alright thanks for healing me now goodbye!" I yelled as I began to run away from the shack.
"You don't ever run from a witch you coward!" Screamed Anise as she started spouting flames from one hand and sparks from the other.
I dived behind a barrel just in time for the flames to scorch my hair. I began to think of a way to defeat this witch. As soon as I try to run she will burn me alive. I have no weapons or clothes. All I have are a few spells. I know Fury, Flames, Fire Rune, and Frostbite. I came up with a plan. Not a very well thought out plan but a plan all the same. I cast a fire rune just above the barrel and started running. I could feel Anise's magic burning me, a thousand flaming tongue's licking away at my bare back. I turned right and Anise's magic aimed towards me. The magic activated the fire rune and the resounding explosion destroyed one of the shack's walls. I heard Anise scream and I turned around and saw a flaming body laying on the ground. There was a reek of charred flesh and burning hair. The stench caused my eyes to brim with tears. I decided I had to search her house for any clothing or supplies.
I entered the ruined shack and began to search. Upstairs had nothing substantial and I was about to give up on my search until I felt the floor give slightly under my foot. I looked down and saw a trapdoor. I opened it and descended into the bowels of the shack. Inside there was an alchemy lab and an arcane enchanter. On the enchanter was a small iron dagger.
"Well... It will work for now." I said as I grabbed the dagger. I felt a little bit more secure with a weapon in my hands. I gave the room one last look and saw a spell tome for the spell Healing. I read it and the began trying to heal my burns. I won't ever be a master of the Restoration school of magic but I did the job not too sloppily. I also found some rough woolen undergarments and linen pants and shirt. I put those on even though they were incredibly uncomfortable. I stood up feeling multitudes better and exited the cellar.
An hour or so later I arrived at the small settlement of Riverwood. It was a humble little backwater near the border between Whiterun and Falkreath holds. The people were nice enough. I was walking out of the Riverwood Trader when I heard yelling.
"Ralof? Ralof is that you? Ralof!" I heard a woman's voice yell. A woman with honey blonde hair whose name was Gerdur was yelling at someone entering the town. I turned and saw to my surprise the soldier who had escaped from the imperials with me. The man in the fur coat was nowhere to be seen.
"Gerdur! I have much to tell you sister!" Exclaimed Ralof.
I decided to slip away into the inn before the Ralof could notice me. I quickly walked over and ascended the steps to the inn. But it just so happened I managed to step on the town drunk's foot. He was a nasty old nord by the name of Embry. Embry usually wasn't violent but today he was particularly drunk and to him stepping on his foot was the equivalent to challenging to a fight.
"You damn elves... *hic* You... You think you are better than everyone else. Well... *hic* C'mon then... I wouldn't mind kicking an elves ass today." Embry was in a rage.
"Excuse me?" I asked him.
What is wrong with these nords? By this time a small crowd had gathered around the little scene.
"You damn elves!" Yelled Embry as he swung a wild unfocused blow at me. I easily pushed his fist away with my right arm and sunk my left fist into his abdomen. It was a mistake on my part. Embry collapsed on me and vomited down my back. I pushed his crumpled form away from me and he fell unconscious on the front porch of the inn. Everyone looked at me in surprise. Embry might not be violent but he was known to be able to take a hit. Who was this mysterious high elf that is in our town?
I began to walk into the inn when I heard a familiar voice.
"Hey stranger, turn around." Commanded Ralof.
I took a deep breath and turned around.
"By Ysmir it is you!" Exclaimed Ralof who rushed forward to embrace me then thought better of it considering I was covered in vomit.
"It's me." I said.
"Everyone!" Yelled Ralof. "This elf is the reason I am here today! Without him I would be at the end of the executioner's axe!" Now speaking only to me. "What is your name by the way. I don't think you ever told me."
"My name is..." I said trying to decide whether or not to reveal my true identity to this man. I decided it would be alright to reveal myself. "My name is Daenir."
At that moment a wounded imperial came through the front gate.
