Chapter 1
50 years ago. In the woods near the city of Elden Root, Grahtwood.
Out of the dim forest light a Bosmer man runs, panting, and holding a small female child in his hands. Followed closely behind, a Bosmer woman appears carrying a crying infant on her back. "Shhh my little one, please…" she whispered. "Daddy!" cried the toddler held by the man. "It's okay sweetie, everything is going to be alright." the man attempted to soothe the child but there was real fear in his voice and an uncertainty about if what he was saying would hold true. In the distance the sounds of several savage beasts could be heard snarling and panting. They were getting closer. Following the sound of the two small children crying."We can't keep going at this pace, they will catch us." the woman said helplessly. "We are almost there, once we reach Elden Root we can find shelter and hide. We have to keep going. If they catch us, we will all perish. These men will not show mercy on you or our children merely because you are a woman and they are children. Oh, what have I done to us!" the man began to weep. "I'm so sorry my love." the man reached out and caressed his wife's cheek. "There is no time for regrets my love. You were unaware of the dangers, and simply trying to provide for us…" "Quiet!" the man interrupted. "They're here. We must hide the children. Here, in this tree hollow." Behind then stood a large tree with a hollow at the base. "Muster all the magicka you can my dear to conceal their presence and pray." They placed both children in the tree hollow along with a ledger of some sort. "Mama!" the little girl cried and reached for her mother. "Now my sweet, you must be quiet and hold your baby sister tight, okay." the woman said with tears streaming down her face. "Whatever happens and no matter what you hear you mustn't come out. Do you understand?" the little girl nodded. The woman began to chant something almost inaudible. Just then the energy around the tree hollow vibrated. The sounds of the girls crying became mute to the outside world. The enchantment also hid the girls from view but it would not last forever. Inside the girls could hear the chaos ensuing outside. The sound of their parents fighting growling hungry beasts, and men shouting orders for those beasts to attack, soon became only the sound of those savage beasts devouring flesh. "Enough!" the sound of flesh being eaten subsided at the man's command. "The mistress demands we not return without the ledger. Search the bodies! Locate the children they can't be far! We have orders to kill them all." Shouted the man. "Yes sir!" replied the other men in unison. They searched and searched but the enchantment held and they grew tired of the search. "Alright that's enough! We are moving out. Those children won't survive out here alone and the ledger must have been devoured by one of the durzog along with that idiot merchant and his wife. Move out!" The men began to leave and soon there was only silence. The only sound was the vague sound of crying beginning to emerge from the tree hollow.
Several hours later, along a rarely traveled road through the woods, a caravan approached. "Darling do you think it is wise to take this road? These woods are filled with terrible dangers." an Altimer woman traveling with the caravan worried aloud. "Now Miriam I've traveled this road countless times. You are completely safe with me." an Altimer man said with a roguish grin. "Edward why do insist on taking unnecessary risks and putting me, your poor wife, through such nerve wracking conditions!" Miriam scolded. "Dear no risk is unnecessary if it brings the reward of a large gold payment at the end." chimed Edward. All of the sudden Miriam heard the crying of small children coming from somewhere not far off the road. Miriam beaconed for her husband to be quiet, "Did you hear that Edward?". "Hear what?" replied Edward. Miriam heard the crying again this time closer, "Driver stop the carriage now!". The carriage came to a screeching halt and Miriam dashed out of the carriage towards the crying. Edward chased after her with the driver following close behind them. "Miriam please stop, these woods are dangerous!". Miriam suddenly stopped and Edward nearly ran into her. The crying was now audible to everyone. In front of them stood a tall tree with a hollow at the base. On the ground the barely recognizable half eaten remains of a man and woman lay strewn in all directions. Blood covering the forest floor. "Look away Miriam…" Edward warned as he approached the hollow. He looked inside and saw two of the most beautiful Bosmer children he had ever laid eyes on, the blood of what he could only assume were their parents splattered on their skin and clothing. "Daran, come here quickly." he motioned for the driver to approach. He grabbed the infant and handed it to Daran. "Shhh now little one, you are safe." he gently tried to soothe the frightened toddler who clutched in her hand a ledger. Daran handed the infant to Miriam and guided her back to the caravan. Edward followed with the little girl in his arms. Immediately her head collapsed onto his shoulder in exhaustion. They loaded back into the carriage and continued on the road to Elden Root. "Edward what do you think happened out there?" Miriam asked quietly as both children had fallen fast asleep, finally out of danger. "I'm not certain. If I had to guess their parents were attacked by a large number of beasts. How they didn't get eaten as well is beyond me. Their crying would have easily attracted whatever it was that got their parents." "What is in the ledger?" Miriam wondered aloud grabbing and examining it. "It appears to be a standard merchant's log. All there is to identify the owner is a name inside the front cover. Not much to go by but we can inquire about it once we reach Elden Root. We must find out where and with whom we should leave these children." Edward replied. "Leave them? We won't be leaving them anywhere. They will be returning with us back home. I have prayed to Auri-El for years to send us a child. While this may not have been how I would have guessed he'd send them, I believe it was no accident these two precious girls were kept safe and spared despite the odds or that we happened by them." Miriam said filled with renewed faith in Auri-El. "Miriam we simply cannot…" Edward paused as he saw the defiant and loving look Miriam gave and she cradled both girls next to her. "As you wish Miriam." That was that. Ready or not Miriam and Edward had in an instant become parents for the first time. Unprepared and unaware of the challenges they would face raising two adopted Bosmer girls to be Altmer women. As they finally approached Elden Root all they both could think of was how these poor children had so violently lost their parents and how now they were the only ones in the world those two girls could depend on to keep them safe. Edward tucked the ledger away in his satchel and neither of them spoke a word about it for many years later.