In the forests of Bruma in the Jerral mountains was a large manor house that every summer was the home of the descendants of Adriana Kvatch the champion of Cyrodill.

As it was there were currently three living blood descendants, the eldest was Adrian Kvatch, a tall nord with red hair and sapphire blue eyes. He was the owner of a rather successful fishing company that had boats in both Cyrodill and Skyrim. He and his wife Anwen, a tall ebony headed high elf, had one son, Tomas Kvatch.

Tomas a high elf like his mother, though you would not be able to tell just by looking at him as his skin's golden shade was so subtle, so unless you caught sight of his ears you could be forgiven for thinking you were looking at a rather slim, tall nord. He was currently working on one of his father's fishing ships that docked in the Imperial city, his mother was staying in the city to take stock of the months catch.

For years Adrian and Anwen had tried for children and had felt thoroughly blessed at Tomas' birth but were devastated to learn that they wouldn't be able to have another child. Until they had met Annika Hanson.

She was a scholar at the collage of Winterhold in Skyrim, the only non mage to be ever granted a Master, she studied both Dwemer mechanics and ancient languages.

She had made fast friends with Anwen, who was a Mistress of the college herself, and had gotten along well with Adrian when Anwen had invited her to their winter home in Skyrim and she absolutely adored Tomas who had just reached his third winter.

But this story is not really about them, no this story is about the youngest member of their family.

When Anwen learnt that Annika also longed for children she brought her to meet her husband, sat them both down and proposed that they would have a child together and raise it as a family.

At first Annika and Adrian were both against the idea but Anwen using all the persuasive charm she possessed plus a little of Tomas begging for a younger bother or sister for New life festival, they eventually came around and so on the twenty first of Second Seed, 187 4E Katrine Kvatch was born.

At first she was thought to be still born because she was not crying, nor was she moving but when she was handed to Annika the little baby opened her eyes and seemed to stare right into her mothers soul.

Presently only Adrian and Katrine was in the Bruma household, Annika having been called away to assist the collage.

The young girl, now of fourteen winters, was having to read out the history work that her mother had left for her to do to her father in his study.

"The fall of the Septim empire and what occurred after," she read.

"Nice title," commented Adrian before gesturing to continue.

"The fall of the Septim empire occurred in the third era 433, in the rein of Emperor Uriel Septim the seventh and was brought about by the assassination of said Emperor by the cult of the Mythic Dawn, who worshipped Mehruns Dagon the daedric prince of change and destruction, led by Mankar Camoran, which led to the oblivion crisis in which the daedra invaded Tamerial,"

"A strong start if a bit wordy but I'm certain your mother will be pleased, continue," Adrian instructed her.

Katrine nodded, "The Emperor, before his asked Adriana, later to be known as Adriana Kvatch the champion of Cyrodill with delivering the amulet of kings to the grandmaster of the blades and finding his then unknown son Martin. The oblivion crisis only ended with Martin sacrificing himself to defeat the Daedric prince, however due to the power vacuum and the destruction caused by the oblivion crisis the empire fell to chaos until the conqueror Titus Mede took the city with under a thousand men. However because he was not of Septim blood and the dire straights at that time many of the provinces left the empire leaving it with seven of the nine counties, though the empire would latter retake Leyawin, Bravil, Hammerfell and High rock," finished Katrine with an expectant smile on her face.

"Well, I'm no history scholar but I'd say it sounds right," said her father.

"So can I go and practice my bow now?" Pleaded Katrine.

Adrian laughed, "Yes you may go,"

Katrine raced out of her father's study and down the hall to her and her mother's room, she hastily shoved her work into desk.

Glancing up at her family painting, she could almost hear her mother scalding her, though her mother was in Winterhold.

Katrine still found it odd that her family were all in different parts of the empire as usually they all would be in Bruma from the start of Midyear till the end of Last Seed then they would return to Lakeview manor in the forests of Falkreath in Skyrim.

It had struck her as odd because until last month Tomas would have been the only one missing while he worked on the Jun Ikrin, one of their father's ships and wouldn't be coming to Skyrim with them.

Then one day her father came home from a trip to the Imperial city and took her brother to one side and had words with him.

After that her brother was going to work on the Jun Ikrin until the end of summer when they would all return to Skyrim and he would be going to Whiterun to join the companions.

Katrine shook herself from her thoughts, her father had told her not to worry.

She took one last look at her family painting before grabbing her bow and her quiver full of practice arrows and headed out side to where she had set up some targets.

As she practiced her archery she pondered on what she would do in Skyrim, she would be fifteen next Second Seed and as such of age in the eyes of her nordic culture, the bards college in Solitude was her dream but she very much doubted her mother would let her go off to Solitude alone.

Katrine turned and aimed as she heard someone rushing towards her, she relaxed when she saw it was just her father.

"Papa, you scared me," she said but what else she had meant to say died on her lips as she caught the look on her father's face.

"Katrine you need to run," he said concern etched onto his face.

"Run and hide in the forest, don't come out until I come and get you and if I don't come by nightfall you're to camp out in a tree like I Showed you and come morning make your way across the border to Skyrim and head to the Grey Mane's, do you understand?"

"Yes but what is going on?" she asked confused.

"There is no time, just do as I say, I love you my little one now go," her father ordered her, giving her a hug that scared her more than anything, he was saying goodbye.

She ran into the forest but decided to circle back around so that she could see what was going on without being seen.

Her father was speaking with a group of thalmor and some Imperial soldiers, she recognised one of the thalmor as Elenwen the ambassador to Skyrim, what was she doing here?

Katrine watched in confusion that quickly turned into horror as her father was grabbed and held down as Elenwen pulled out an ebony dagger and plunged it into her father's chest.

Katrine stood frozen in fear as the thalmor let her father fall and then walk away as if they hadn't just shattered her life.

She waited to see if the thalmor would return then slowly walked towards where her father lay.

He was staring up at the sky with a slightly glazed look but he focused on her face as she knelt beside him, she glanced down at the dagger protruding from his chest and blanched at the blood that was soaking his tunic.

"Papa what is going on, why would the thalmor do this?" She asked her voice trembling.

"Because the Emperor asked them to," he said his voice pained.

"But why, I do not understand,"

Her father sighed heavily, "I suppose there is no point in me hiding it from you now listen my little one, we are the last descendants of Martin Septim,"

She cut across him, "The Dragonborn emperor? Son of Uriel Septim?"

"Yes and that means we have a legitimate claim to the throne of the empire, you or your brother should be ruling after the Emperor dies and that is why the thalmor want you, they know under the rule of a dragonborn emperor or empress the people will rally against them,"

"But Papa how can you be certain that we are, no one knows who the father of Adriana's child was," said Katrine.

Her father lifted his left hand and Katrine gasped it gently.

"The ring on my hand that you now hold was given to Adriana the night before the battle of Cyrodill as an engagement ring, nine months after that Adriana gave birth at Cloud ruler temple," he explained then gave a pained moan.

"Papa!" cried Katrine fearfully looking down at her fathers rapidly paling face.

"It's alright little one, you need to take my ring, then go inside and pack what you need to but remember what your brother and I taught you about how to travel when you know you are hunted," her father told her.

"I will Papa but I am going to stay with you till you," she couldn't say it "Till you go,"

"Alright, my little one, help me over to the small boat on the lake," Adrian said.

So they struggled over to a small lake that was beside the house on it was a small boat that Katrine liked to row into the middle and either fish or pretend to be a pirate.

"Help me in little one,"

Struggling Katrine half lifted half dragged her father into the small boat and as gently as she could laid him down, noting the far away look in his eyes that she had seen animals get when there time was near.

"When I go push the boat out and set it aflame," he instructed with difficulty his breaths now coming in short gasps.

Katrine nodded "I will Papa, I love you," she said laying her head on his chest listening to his slowing heart beats.

"I love you too my little Dovah,"

She frowned "Papa, what does dovah mean?" she asked.

He was silent, Katrine listened she could hear nothing, nothing.

She looked up at his once expressive face, there was nothing there that was her father he was just empty.

She got out of the boat and grabbing a piece of rag that was used to clean fishing knives she rapped it around one of her practice arrows.

But before pushing the boat out she reached over her father's body and pulled out the ebony dagger, she wiped her fathers blood off using some grass and tucked the dagger into her belt.

Once the boat was far enough away she used a flame spell to set the practice arrow alight and shot it at the boat.

She watched as flames erupted across the old wood and started to consume it.

An unconditionally cold breeze brought her out of her thoughts, she glanced up at Magnus' gaze and noted that it had begun it's decent.

She needed to move quickly, especially if those thalmor or even imperial soldiers came looking.

She raced into the house and went over what she would need.

Map, yes. A her hunting parka yes, it may still be summer but she wont be able to light a fire at night someone could see the smoke. A bedroll? No she would sleep in trees to keep away from predators.

Food, she would need to take precooked food.

She raced into the larder and got some salted meet and bred, as well as a water skin and filled it with water, anything more she would need to find on the road.

One last thing she did was switch out her practice arrows for a set of iron ones, she did consider grabbing a steel sword but if she got into a fight with a thalmor, imperial soldier or even bandits by her self and needed to draw a sword it would already be to late for her.

Fiddling with her father's ring she walked out the door and set off into the forest sending of a silent prayer to the Nine to guard her on her journey.