A/N: Just want to point out right away that in this story Morgan will be speaking in third person. It's a habit she later loses on her adventures. Wanted to make that clear so there is no confusion.
Characters and story belong to me. Everything else is Bethesda's fault.
It was a bright and warm day, the sun hung high in the air, shining its light over the quiet forest. Nothing seemed to disturb the harmony of the woods. Nothing except for the arrow that soared through the air before it hit its target. With a small sound of victory the young huntress left her hiding spot and walked over to the now dead hare. Her name was Morgan, a young Khajiit girl, fur black as ebony and snow white markings that were a mix of cheetah and leopard. Her short hair was a dark brown color and reached just past her shoulder, and her eyes were the vibrant orange of burning embers. She knelt by the dead animal and retrieved the arrow, petting the critter's head afterwards. She had been raised as a hunter, and taught to respect all creatures of the wild, the hare will be her food for the day. It was not much, but it was the most she could get. She was skilled enough to hunt deer, yet she was not strong enough to move such a large animal by herself. So unless she found someone to help her, she had no choice but to hunt smaller game. She slowly made her way back home, she lived in a house in this very forest. There was a village nearby, but her family preferred their privacy, they did occasionally trade with the villagers though. After a while she reached the small house.
Morgan is back.
She announced, as usual, but just like it was the norm she was only met with silence. Even though she wasn't alone. She left the hare on the table in their kitchen, next to another she hunted a few hours earlier, and made her way to the lone armchair by the hearth. Sitting there was an older Khajiit, more precisely, her father. As always he was just sitting there, either staring into space or at the old family drawing a friend of his made a long time ago. From time to time he would mumble to himself quietly, only pausing to drink more ale.
Morgan's family consisted of hunters, yet the life of a hunter was dangerous. Two years ago Morgan's mother died, she was mortally wounded by a bear. Ever since then her father fell into a deep depression. He would spend his days drinking and living in the memories of the time before the accident. At first they were both grieving, but Morgan eventually managed to break free from the sadness. With them both in a miserable state there was no one to take care of them. Grieving or not, they had to survive somehow. As her father was not able to escape the depression, it became Morgan's duty to take care of them. She was fourteen now, yet she was more independent than most children of her age. She would hunt their food and trade with the villagers for gold and other things, she also took care of the house when she found the time. And she also took care of her father.
Morgan is back from hunt.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, this finally brought the older Khajiit out of his trance like state. At least mostly.
Ah, what is Ro'jodarr's little M'rorrga up to today?
He smiled at her, yet his eyes showed he was still far away. Sometimes she wondered if he really realized that she was there.
M'rorrga was the nickname her parents gave her, the only one in her family who actually used her real name was her late grandfather. In fact, it was he who named her. It was an odd request, that name was not exactly usual for a Khajiit. But he insisted on it and her parents eventually gave in. Even if they later only referred to her by that nickname.
Morgan hunted two hares today. Will father help her cook?
Yes, you go play, but don't go too deep into the forest.
She sighed and left her father be, as always he wasn't really paying attention. Ro'jodarr was once a brave and skilled hunter, but not anymore, now he was just lost in sorrow.
She made her way to the hares and started working on them. About two hours later the two Khajiit had dinner in silence. And when night fell Morgan made sure her father would go to sleep in his bed and not in his chair again. Then she went to sleep herself. That was the routine for the past two years. Morgan hoped that sooner or later her father would snap out of it. But so far there were no signs that he was getting any better.
It's over there, hurry!
The young Khajiit exclaimed happily as she ran through the forest.
You don't have to rush like that, no one's gonna take it away!
The speaker was a Bosmer in his early adult years, he lived in the village at the outskirts of the forest. He was a hunter as well, and a friend of Morgan's family, the two sometimes hunted together.
You tell that the wolves and bears!
You left it alone for three minutes, I doubt anything happened to it.
Morgan soon lead them to the deer she had felled a few minutes earlier. She loved to go hunting with Thenderal, it meant she could try for big game without having to worry about transporting it.
Not bad, surely worth some coin. Or do you want to keep all of it?
Morgan will only keep some of the meat, and a bone.
Alright then, I guess we're heading back to the village. I still can't believe you managed to hunt something before I did.
If you felled a rabbit Morgan would carry it for you.
She said in a smug tone.
Thanks.
He laughed and hoisted the dead animal over his shoulders. Luckily he wouldn't have to carry it too far, only to his wagon. Morgan skipped more than walked, she was always happy when the hunt went well. A few minutes later they reached the wagon and Thenderal placed the carcass onto it.
Now, would you mind waiting for me a bit. I just remembered that Kentalla said if I don't bring anything back she would kick me out. She believes that every time I say I go hunting I actually go drinking. Can you believe that?
Morgan laughed, this sure sounded like something Kentalla would say. And it also wouldn't be the first time Thenderal had to sleep outside thanks to his sister kicking him out. Truth be told, there had been a few instances where Thenderal and Ro'jodarr went out to hunt and the only thing they felled were bottles of wine. But the once sweet memory turned bitter as she remembered how her father was now. She realized Thenderal gave her a worried expression, so she put up a smile to hide her mood.
Morgan thinks it's best you head out then. She will stay here and watch the wagon.
Alright, I won't take long.
He ruffled her hair before heading back deeper into the forest. Morgan watched him leave, then she laid down on the seat of the wagon, watching the leaves move in the wind. She didn't know how long she had been lost in her thoughts, but a sudden sound pulled her back into reality. She shot up and looked around for potential danger, drawing her bow during the process. The only other being with her was the horse which pulled the wagon, and she already began to think it was only her imagination. But then it appeared again, it sounded like a pained whine, although it was too quiet to be sure. For a moment she thought about what to do, then she left the wagon to check what it was. The noise grew louder as she got closer, by the time she reached the source she already knew what it would be. A dog, it got caught in a bear trap left by some poachers. The poor creature's fur was drenched in its own blood, its breathing frantic as it continued to whine in pain. Morgan slowly approached the animal and knelt next to it, softly stroking its fur. She took note of the wound, it was infected, the dog must have been trapped for a while. Then she knew that it would die, and a memory from five years ago filled her mind.
"But why father? Why must we kill it?"
The young Khajiit asked her father, tears freely streaming down her face.
"It is too late M'rorrga, the dog will die. The only thing we can do for it now is to end its misery."
The older Khajiit spoke as he ran his hand through the animal's bloodied fur. The dog had been caught in a bear trap, and the wound had become too bad for it to recover.
"But Morgan can take care of it! She will make it better again!"
She pleaded with her father, but he didn't give in.
"You cannot do anything. Perhaps it will live for a few more days, but it will still be in pain, and it will die in the end. If we kill it now it at least won't be suffering anymore."
Morgan kept crying, not knowing what to say anymore. Her father knelt down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Do not waste your time saving dying dogs, they cannot be helped. Instead spend it living your own life."
She kept sobbing, but finally looked at her father and hugged him. Then she turned back to the dog, she took a few moments to steady herself, then she raised the dagger, and struck.
When the memory ended she found herself crying again, shakily holding her dagger above the dog's neck. She shook her head, and brought the dagger down fast. The dog cried out one last time, then its voice faded with its breath as it died.
By the time she calmed down and returned to the wagon Thenderal was already waiting for her.
Hey, I thought you wanted to stay by the wagon.
He trailed off when he saw how sad she seemed.
Are you alright? Did something happen?
She shook her head, and smiled to mask her sadness.
No, Morgan is fine, she just went to check on something.
He didn't really buy the story, but he decided not to question her any further.
Anyway, you ready to go back to the village?
She nodded and sat down next to him on the driver's seat.
What did you catch?
She asked him to try and keep her thoughts from the incident.
Well...
His expression was unreadable as he pointed to the back of the wagon. When Morgan turned around she saw the deer she felled and next to it lay a rabbit. She burst into laughter then and there. The elf shot her a glare, but it wasn't an honest one and soon he was laughing as well.
Some time later they arrived at the village and went straight for Thenderal's house. Once there Thenderal carried the deer to his skinning area, and Morgan carried his rabbit, as she had promised. While they were working on the animals Kentalla decided to join them and the three spent the next few hours talking.
So, how is your father doing?
Kentalla asked the young huntress. At that Morgan's expression darkened a bit.
Still the same... Perhaps he will never again become the great hunter he once was...
Kentalla felt bad for the girl, and almost regretted asking about her father. But then she got an idea.
How about you take him out to hunt with you? It would be like old times, and it could help him get out of the depression. You can take Thenderal with you too.
What? Ouch!
He rubbed the arm his sister just struck.
I would have agreed, damn it! You just caught me off guard.
A real hunter should always stay alert.
Kentalla crossed her arms and looked smugly at her brother. Morgan found the whole scene quite amusing. The Wood Elf siblings would often fight, but they were still close.
You know, this might work. How about tomorrow?
Sure thing.
Kentalla answered for her brother who wanted to say something but eventually gave up. Morgan laughed, having gained some hope. Tomorrow things would get better.
As promised all three went to hunt together the next day. Morgan's father was even surprisingly aware of what was going on. He was still far from being in a normal state, but it was definitely an improvement to what he was usually like. Thenderal was in charge of everything most of the time, Morgan was focusing more on her father, trying to act like during those years when they still actively hunted together. At one point they found a pair of elk tracks that split apart. Hoping to bring down both animals, the group split, Thenderal going for one while the Khajiit went after the other. As the tracks were still fresh it didn't take them long to find the creature. Morgan wanted to show her father how good she had became and gave him a signal the she would try to fell the elk. He seemed to acknowledge her and she proceeded to get into position. Just when she was about to shoot, a cracking sound came from behind her, causing her to tilt the bow and miss the shot. Startled, the elk took off deeper into the woods. She let out an annoyed sigh and halfheartedly glared at her father who had stepped on a branch. He showed no reaction to the look she gave him and she sighed yet again. The elk was gone, and now she had to go look for the lost arrow as well.
You can wait here.
She said to him before leaving to go search for the arrow. It couldn't have gone too far, but that didn't mean it would be easy to find. It took a few minutes until she was able to locate it stuck in a tree. Her thoughts wandered back to her father, he's never made such a mistake before. But she guessed she shouldn't have expected him to immediately return to the way he once was. Yet as her thoughts distracted her she did not notice that she was not alone anymore. Not until the angry snarl from the beast behind her shook her out of her thoughts and made her rapidly turn around. A bear. A full grown bear and it did not seem happy at all.
It's alright, Morgan won't hurt you.
She said in a soft voice, slowly backing away from the beast. The bear kept growling and took a step closer to her. She kept talking to it, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. This was not her first time running into a bear, but never before hes an encounter been this close. She also soon realized what made the creature so aggressive, it was wounded, and arrow sticking in its side. This was not good, she slowly began moving her hand to the quiver, hoping to have an arrow ready in case she might need it.
M'rorrga, where did you hide?
As soon as her father's voice reached them, the bear seemed to have lost interest in her and turned to where Ro'jodarr was calling from. As it started to walk into the direction of her father, Morgan began to panic. She looked around frantically, and with nothing else coming to her mind she climbed up a tree.
Get away from Morgan's father!
She shouted to the beast, firing an arrow next to it as a warning shot. This turned out to be a mistake as the bear rose on its back legs and roared at her. It charged at the tree and struck it with its paws. Morgan dropped her bow and clung on to the tree as it continued to shake from the bear's assaults. Again and again it would rise up on two legs and use its strength and weight to hit the tree. Morgan continuously cried out to her father, hoping he would come to help her. And at one moment she saw him approach, yet even though he could clearly see and hear her, he just wandered off. The empty expression on his face never changing. Morgan was too shocked to call out to him anymore, tears now beginning to roll down her face. In her shocked state, she lost grip of the tree when it shook again and fell down. The giant frame of the bear rising up over her, and she screamed. At that moment and arrow flew just past the bear's muzzle, followed by someone shouting. The bear turned its attention to the new attacker as yet another arrow narrowly missed its head. Thenderal kept shouting at the animal, sending another arrow flying past it. He did not wish to hurt it, only draw its attention to himself, and it was working. The bear roared as it stalked closer to the Elf, filling the air with its threatening growls. Once the bear's attention was fully on him, he let his bow drop and held out his hands. And as the bear came almost close enough to strike a burst of yellow magic erupted from Thenderal and the creature instantly calmed. He let out a sigh and moved closer to the animal. He removed the arrow from its side and patted the beast on its head before sending it away. Calmed by the Bosmer's spell the bear lazily walked away from the hunters, having lost all interest for combat.
Morgan, are you alright?
His tone was worried as he knelt down to the girl.
Morgan is fine.
She replied, her voice was weak, but at least she had stopped crying. Thenderal helped her stand up, and then she noticed her father standing a short distance away from them. Thenderal saw him too and shot the Khajiit a glare.
No one spoke a word on their way home and as soon as they arrived Thenderal sent Morgan up to her room. She was tired, wanting nothing more but to sleep. Yet she couldn't help but hear how Thenderal yelled at her father.
I don't know what's wrong with you Ro'jodarr, but you need to snap out of it. You miss Gi'rissa, we all do, but you can't keep living like that. You almost lost your daughter today, and given your behavior you don't even seem to care. Don't you realize that you still have a family left? She needs you, she needs her father, but that man seems to have died with his wife two years ago. Do you even realize that girl is the only reason why you're still alive? I bet if we left you alone you would just starve to death and not even realize it. Please, for the girl's sake, try to finally let go of the sorrow.
Her father never responded to him, and Thenderal eventually left without saying goodbye. Morgan then fell into a dreamless slumber and didn't wake until it was late into the night. She left her room and climbed up onto the roof, there she would lay on her back and watch the stars. It was a warm night and the sky was clear. She would often come here to think at night, the sounds of the surrounding forest always calming her spirit. And tonight she definitely had a lot to think about.
As the morning hours approached she had made her decision and was working on the necessary preparations. She made sure to pack anything she would need, and also take some gold. She wore her fur armor, her bow resting on her back, and her dagger sheathed by her hip. She also wrote a letter to Thenderal and Kentalla, leaving it on her bed. She wished she could go see them, but she was sure they would try to stop her. So she counted on Thenderal finding the letter here when he would come looking for her. All this time her father was awake, but showed no reaction to what she was doing. He was back in his chair, yet again staring at the drawing of the family he had lost.
Morgan is leaving now, and she won't be coming back anymore.
No reaction.
She is sick of all this! Sick! Father is not himself anymore, he's left Morgan alone, and she was alone for the last two years. Father died when mother did. And Morgan is too tired of taking care of his skin that carries no soul anymore! She is done with taking care of dying dogs. So Morgan is leaving. If father wants to become himself again, he has to do it alone. Because Morgan doesn't care anymore...
He neither said nor did anything as she closed the front door of the house for the final time. She was scared, so scared of the wide world that awaited her now. But she couldn't stay here anymore, she realized she really didn't care about her father anymore. Not about this lifeless thing he had become. And what was once her home was now only full of sorrow. She had to leave, go out into the world and finally live. It wouldn't be easy, she knew that, but she was determined to make it. She would leave all of her past behind, and build a new future for herself. Now she would be free. This was only the beginning. The beginning of the long journey of the Khajiit Morgan from the forests of Valenwood.