LISTEN TO MY VOICE
Act 1: A Princess' Journey
4E, Fifth of Second Seed, Morndas
WHITERUN
My home had been a little silent since I sent my housecarl and trusted companion Lydia, to gather some supplies from the neighboring hold of Markarth.
By now you must wonder who it is speaking to you. My name is Almeria Redoran. Sounds familiar? I am a Dunmer hailing from House Redoran, the current ruling House in our home of Morrowind. To be honest, my reception in the province of Skyrim has not been well. Our kind had not been granted the courtesy the residents give amongst themselves. We are looked down on because of our eyes and sallow skin. But that will not make a difference now, yes? But enough of these criticisms. I am here to see the that my Dunmer brethren are fine and well. Our kind does not have much involvement in the affairs of Skyrim, nor do we care.
Anyway, I have arranged for a trip to Windhelm, where I will meet with the new jarl Brunwulf Free-Winter, but alas, without Lydia, my trip would be impeded for but a while. A knock on the door disturbs my morning breakfast, and so I get up to answer the door. Ah, a courier wearing the garbs of an Imperial. What a splendid sight in the morning as I take in his message. It is a request from a good friend of ours in the island of Solstheim, councilor Adril Arano. Always a pleasure to assist the good man and his lot over there. It seems that I have to leave without Lydia.
As I have accustomed to doing, I have left a note here in the house should Lydia return and find it empty. As a representative of the House Redoran, I shall not travel by an ordinary horse-drawn cart, but a special envoy had been arranged for me. I must get to Windhelm, for the harbor there is my only way to Solstheim. Azura guide and bless me on my journey.
The trip to Windhelm was rather slow. Bandits littered the hillsides and forests that we passed, but none of them managed to pilfer even a single piece of gold, for my knowledge in magic proved far too much for them. With a simple flick of my hand, fire rained upon those heathens, and nothing was left of them except their meager possessions. It is, how should we say, the perk of being trained by the wizards and mages of House Telvanni.
Ah, Azura's light shines. Evening is at hand now as my men and I decided to camp for the time. Flicking my hand once more, I set ablaze the gathered firewood. While sitting on the cool earth, looking at the fire, I noticed that I was not garbed in my usual armor. Instead, I wore the robes of the great House Redoran: red, with gold trimmings. I kept my hair tied back in a ponytail so it will not get in the way of my sight, and I carried my trusted staff with me. The soldiers all wore their Imperial and Stormcloak armor, which is quite a sight since I have heard that a civil war had erupted between those two factions.
I saw one of the soldiers unfurl a map onto the ground. It was the most detailed map of Skyrim that I've ever laid eyes on. "We still have a long day ahead, m'lady." he told me. "Aside from the bandits, sabre cats, bears, and your occasional elemental wraiths, the path to Windhelm is quite a journey." I shook my head in dismay. "Where exactly are we?" I inquired. "M'lady, we are well past the Battle-Born Farm, Shimmermist Cave, and the Fellglow Keep. We are approaching the Uttering Hills Cave, Morvunskar, Raldbthar, and Shearpoint." the soldier answered. "Far beyond those will be another road, and we will pass Anga's Mills, and the Windhelm Stables, which serve as the threshold to Windhelm." I nodded in acknowledgement as I asked again, "How long do you think it shall take for us to arrive?" "By Middas, we shall arrive." he answered as he rolled back the map and went to his tent. I, too, retreated to my own tent, and slept the night away.
I have not kept track of the time, yet I knew I was fast in slumber, dreaming. I prayed to good Azura that she keep me away from Vaermina's clutches. But nay, my prayers went unheard, as a cold embrace swept over my body. But the sign of the Daedric Prince of Nightmares was nowhere… Only the echo of a mantra that sounded unfamiliar to me. It droned like a funeral march.
"Here in his shrine
That they have forgotten
Here do we toil
That we might remember
By night we reclaim
What by day was stolen
Far from ourselves
He grows ever near to us
Our eyes once were blinded
Now through him do we see
Our hands once were idle
Now through them does he speak
And when the world shall listen
And when the world shall see
And when the world remembers
That world shall cease to be "
"By the gods!" I woke up, panting and heaving. Although to you, it would be an innocent chant, there was something about those words that were…terrifying. Thankfully, I did not wake the rest of the group, therefore I resolved to go back to sleep, this time praying more fervently to Azura to protect me from whatever entity assaulted my slumber. And I was sure it was not Vaermina.
As morning arrived, I woke with a start, despite a throbbing headache due to waking every few minutes. I was given a basin of fresh water to wash my face with, and breakfast, in the form of grilled chicken breast and venison, were being cooked by one of the soldiers. "Good day, m'lady." the soldiers greeted. The one I had talked to last night, I had finally gotten his name: Frigyrd Shatter-Shield, a Nord who lived in Windhelm. No wonder he knew the places well. "M'lady Almeria, I trust your slumber had been well?" he asked. My father had assigned him to be my steward when the envoy had been assembled. "I've had better." I answered nonchalantly as I proceeded to take a piece of grilled chicken breast. Eating it with relish, I was also handed a flask of ale. Ale? In the morning? By all that Jyggalag stood for, why would one consume this in the early part of the day? "You better drink the mead, m'lady." Frigyrd said. "The path to Windhelm runs colder. Windhelm itself is no hearth. The mead will keep you warm." Begrudgingly, I took the mead and drank it carefully. It did warm me up, long enough to start traveling once more. And Frigyrd was not joking. The weather suddenly went cold.
HELLO EVERYONE. THIS IS MY FIRST SKYRIM FANFIC FEATURING AN ORIGINAL CHARACTER, ALMERIA REDORAN, AND EVERYBODY'S FAVE DRAGON PRIEST MIRAAK. PLEASE R&R. THANKS :)