Chapter One

Kila had woken up in the middle of the night. Again. Her little sister Dorthe was having another nightmare, and Kila slowly pushed the blankets off of her and set her feet on the cold wooden floor. She walked over to where her sister was whimpering and moaning unintelligibly, and gently sat down on the bed. She placed a gentle hand on Dorthe's shoulder and bent close so she wouldn't wake their parents.

"Dorthe. Dorthe wake up." Kila gently shook her shoulder. Dorthe woke up, and had a look of confusion in her small childish eyes.

"I had another dream, Kila." Dorthe closed her eyes, and Kila pulled her close in her arms. "There were monsters, and, and, I didn't know where Ma or Pa was…"

"Shhh it's alright now. It was just a dream. I'm here now, it's alright." Kila stayed there, comforting her sister until sleep started to take Dorthe once again, and Kila laid her back on her pillow and covered her with the blanket. Quietly as to not wake her now sleeping sister, Kila lifted herself off the bed, and made her way back to her own bed. She laid down, and curled into a ball on her side, waiting for her body to warm up, and sleep to come.

Just as she started to drift off to sleep, a noise far in the distance woke her, and she opened her eyes to the dark of the inside of the house. It was barely audible, but it sounded like a rumble or a roar that was far off in the mountains. She figured it must be a cave bear or sabre cat, and thought nothing of it. She closed her eyes again, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Girls! Wake up, time to start on the chores!"

Kila groaned, and didn't move, and instead stayed in her warm bed for a few precious minutes. Her mother, Sigrid, came halfway down the stairs again, and said with a tone of irritation "Come on Kila, get up! I need you to fetch water. And get your sister up too."

Slowly Kila sat up, and slid both hands over her face and back to her long brown hair, that was now a tangled and tousled mess. She woke Dorthe, and they both changed from their nightgowns to simple dresses. Kila preferred wearing her leather pants and a tunic, but her mother only allowed it when she was helping her father Alvor at his forge or training her to use a sword. Her mother said she should act like a lady if she was to find a husband, but Kila wanted no such thing. Kila had taken her looks after her mother, and had light brown eyes and full lips, with once pale skin that had been tanned and browned by working in the sun. Why would she want to tie herself down to a man that probably wasn't going to love her? She had been stuck in Riverwood her whole 23 years, and the thought of being stuck somewhere forever put a bitter taste in her mouth. There were so many places to see in Skyrim alone, and prayed to the divines that someday she'd be free to go on her own adventure. But today, called for cleaning.

Late in the afternoon, with the chores done, Kila was helping Dorthe with her reading. Dorthe was reading Final Lesson, Kila's favorite as a girl.

"Loreth dee…cided, that he cow…could do no thing… nothing…",the words coming slowly. Kila let her mind wander, and soon she was daydreaming about being out on the road to wherever. It didn't really matter where she was going, but she could see the pine trees swaying in the breeze, smell the fresh mountains, and the rocks beneath her feet. Just then, she got an elbow in her side from Dorthe, asking for help on a particular word.

"Kila what's this word? En…cow…"

"Encounter, sis."

"What does that mean?" Dorthe asked as she looked up at her sister. Kila sighed, and said, "It's when you meet someone or something unexpectedly."