Prologue
She tripped. She was running as fast as she could and she tripped on who knows what and she fell and it hurt. It hurt everywhere. It felt like she was being ripped apart and stabbed and punched and all she could do was scramble up from the ground and keep running. She had to ignore it; the tears stinging at her eyes, the searing pain, she had to ignore it or else she wouldn't be able to find them.
"Tido! This isn't funny anymore! Stop hiding. Please. This isn't like you. I always find you when you're hiding and I'm seeking. Please!" Aislinn was running so hard that it felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Out of nowhere her vision got hazy and her temples started pounding.
"Elf! Your kind is not welcome here." The deep voice boomed in her head and Aislinn sat straight up.
Chapter One
"Where do you think you're going?" Aislinn murmured while eyeing a rabbit that was slowly hopping forward, unaware of her presence. Careful not to make too much noise, she conjured up a spell of Lightning Bolt in her hand and as soon as the rabbit was still, she cast the bolt through it. Aislinn hated killing. She detested it. But she had to do it in order to survive and provide for her family.
Stepping out from behind the tree she was using as cover, she examined her kill. It was fairly small, but it would make a decent supper along with the fruits she had collected. Aislinn picked up the rabbit by its tail and pulled the lightning bolt out of it. Stuffing it in her satchel, she turned around only to find a strange man staring at her from about three feet away.
"Bad things are going to happen." His dark grey eyes pierced into hers and Aislinn found herself stepping backwards.
"Excuse me?" She stammered.
"Hin ro fen du hin vahrukt." He was speaking in dragon tongue. Your memory will devour your balance Aislinn translated in her head.
"I think you have the wrong person."
The man slowly shook his head and after a long pause, turned around and walked away.
Well that was interesting. Aislinn looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was getting lower. She had to make it home before dark and it was a long trek, so she started walking at a fast pace back to the forest by Riften. After a few minutes, she stopped at a river to have a drink.
Whilst taking a drink, she caught a glimpse of her reflection and stopped. She rarely looked at herself because of how elfish she really was. Pale skin, long white blonde hair, big blue eyes, and her dreaded pointed ears. Aislinn felt so out of place because of them. They were pointier and bigger than any other elves' ears.
"Ugh," she muttered, getting up and wiping her hands on her cloak. "Why can't I just chop them off?"
The journey back home took her quite a while and by the time she saw a glimpse of her home, it was dark out.
Her family had never lived in a normal home, only caves and forests. Aislinn never really knew why, but she didn't care. It's the way it had been since she was little and that wasn't going to change. The forest they were currently living in was beautiful. Flowers bloomed everywhere, fallen leaves blanketed the ground, and trees were in every direction. You could see the mountains in the distance along with the snow that covered them. It's crazy how two seasons can be happening at the same time.
"I managed to get a rabbit for dinner!"Aislinn called out. She lifted her satchel over her head and set it on the ground. The fire she had started earlier was now just a low flame and the three other beds besides her own were folded up.
"That's strange..." she murmured to herself. They never folded their beds. Suddenly, the fire blew out, but there was no wind. She was alone in complete darkness. Holding her breath, Aislinn drew her dragger out from her sheath, holding it out in front of her. Turning around, she noticed that an unusual cloud of smoke was forming above the fire pit. A woman's face appeared.
"Hello Mortal." The woman's voice boomed around Aislinn.
"Who are you?"
"I am just a person looking to help you."
"I'm pretty sure people aren't made of smoke," Aislinn muttered.
"It seems as though your family is missing, yes? Well, I can help you find them." Her eyes never left Aislinn's.
"They're actually missing? I thought they maybe went on an outing somewhere and weren't able to inform me or anything. How did you know they were gone? Did you see them?" Aislinn was pacing now, her gut wrenching for fear of her family's safety.
"They have been kidnapped to Eldersblood Peak, in the mountains by Morthal. Travel there and you will find them."
"How do you know all of this? Are you behind it?" Aislinn stopped pacing and squeezed the dagger in her hand.
The woman laughed. "Oh my dear, of course not. Why would I help you if I was? Look, you better leave as soon as you possibly can. It's a long journey and the longer you wait, the more chance there is that you'll never see them again. Good luck." Just as quickly as she had appeared, the woman disappeared.
Aislinn groaned and sat down on the ground with her head in her hands. The tears started flowing. What if they were already dead? What if she doesn't make it in time? Who was that strange woman? She kept asking herself these questions until she eventually drifted off to sleep and woke up the next morning to the unfamiliar loneliness she had endured the night before.
She packed quickly. Any food she could find was stuffed into her satchel, a blanket, the necklace her mother gave her, a map, and a few potions. As for weapons, she had her dagger and sword sheathed in her belt and her bow and arrows across her shoulders. She was ready.
Chapter Two
Aislinn had been walking for a day now. Her legs hurt immensely but she knew she couldn't stop as often as she wanted to. She was, though, getting hungry and she wanted to save the food in her satchel so she decided to look in what seemed to be an abandoned house for anything edible. She crept along the walls, the smell of unused pots and pans seeping through the air. She stopped at a doorway which led to the kitchen and peeked around the corner. Nobody. A sense of ease set into her bones and she stood up straighter. Aislinn quickly scrounged the room and found nothing except for moldy cheese and bad mead.
Disappointed and still hungry, she left the house and continued walking. It hadn't been long when she saw someone running towards her. That someone turned out to be a guard.
"Hey! Stop where you are!" He was carrying a sword. Aislinn stopped and crossed her arms.
"What seems to be the problem, sir?"
"You are a wanted woman and you will pay for your crime against Skyrim. Come with me." The guard grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction he came from.
"Excuse me? No I'm not! Let go!" Aislinn tugged her arm away and reached for her dagger.
"Do you really think you want to do that?"
"I'm being wrongfully accused of god knows what, so yes, I think I do," she said sharply.
Aislinn could see more guards in the distance and finally decided that it would be a bad idea. She sighed. "Fine."
He proceeded to take her into the jail in the town of Ivarstead and threw her into a cell. It was damp and cold and all she had was a little table and straw on the ground. This place was hell.
Aislinn quickly got up and started shaking the bars when she saw him walking away.
"Hey! I'd appreciate an explanation as to what I did. Come back!" He ignored her. "Son of a bitch." She sat back against the stone wall and gently, and repeatedly, threw her head back against it.
"Stupid….Stupid...Stupid…" she mumbled every time her head hit it.
"You're finally here. Thank goodness." Across from her cell was another one containing a girl about the same age as her. She had a mass of brown curls and big green eyes. No pointed ears, though. She must be a Nord Aislinn thought to herself.
"Why does everyone suddenly want to associate themselves with an elf?" She thought out loud.
"Well I'm the one who got you in here so that's the only reason why the guards actually noticed you." The girl smiled.
"What?! Are you kidding? What the hell did you do that for? I was doing something important before I had a group of guards accuse me of something I never did! You witch!"
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down. I need your help."
"Don't even bother. You screwed me over so I don't want anything to do with a Nord."
"I know how to get you to your family. All you have to do is get me out of here."
Aislinn narrowed her eyes at the girl. "How do you know about them?"
"You had that weird lady in the smoke speak to you, right? Well she came to me and told me that you could help me. I'm from Morthal which is really close to Eldersblood Peak. I can take you to Morthal and you could go on your own from there. Please? I shouldn't be in here." Her voice was pleading.
"How do I know I can trust you? I mean, you already messed things up. Time is running out for me and my family. I can't lose them."
"I swear you can trust me. I lost my mother and father so I know what you're going through."
Aislinn thought it over and was finally convinced. "Alright."
The girl's smile grew even larger and she jumped up and down in excitement. "Oh thank you! Bless you! I'm Maeve by the way. You're Aislinn, right?"
"Yes. How am I supposed to get you out of here exactly? How am I even supposed to get out of my own cell?"
"The guard will come back soon. When he walks over to you, I'll distract him so he turns around and you-" she paused and slid a small dagger to Aislinn, "can use this dagger to cut his throat. Okay?" Maeve said it so nonchalantly that Aislinn became suspicious.
"You sure you don't belong in here?"
Suddenly the same guard appeared in the doorway and started towards Aislinn.
"Are you hungry? Yes? Well, that's too bad. You only get fed every other day. I'm sure you'd know that, though, since jail is like your second home." He chuckled at himself.
"Hey! You ugly rat. I have something to say. Come here." Maeve motioned for him to come towards her.
"You don't dare speak to me like that-" Aislinn covered his mouth, held his head, and sliced his throat open with her dagger. He slumped to the floor.
"Okay that really was not pleasant. Now what?" Aislinn crouched by the body and cringed at the blood that was pooling around him.
"Grab the keys from his belt and unlock your cell. The big one is the master key."
Aislinn did as she was told and her door opened. She walked over to Maeve, stared at her big smile, sighed, and unlocked her door. Maeve burst out and wrapped her arms around Aislinn.
"You're the best! Thank you A."
Aislinn pushed her away. "First off, don't touch me. Secondly, don't call me that. It's Aislinn." Maeve's smile faltered and she looked at the ground.
"Sorry."
"Let's go now, okay?" They quietly opened the door to the jail and peeked out at the town.
"I don't have any belongings but I'm guessing you do. They're in a chest by the door for the watchtower of the jail."
Aislinn paused and looked back at Maeve. "You sure do know a lot about this stuff."
The girl shrugged. "I've been here a long time."
"Alright so where is the watchtower? I've never been in a town before."
"How…really? Where do you live then? That's a bit strange." Maeve gave Aislinn a one over.
Aislinn sighed and looked out at the town again. It was getting late since the sky was dimming and not very many people were outside. She could see a few chickens and goats roaming about. Finally, after a few moments, she found what looked to be the watchtower.
"Is that it?" she pointed to the tall building and looked at Maeve.
"Yes it is!" Maeve said smiling. "Put your hood on and sneak over and get your things. Nobody will be able to see that it's you because it's too dark out."
With that, Aislinn pulled her hood up and slipped out of the entrance. Quickly and quietly, she ran to the chest that contained her belongings, collected them, and ran back to Maeve. They decided that they would leave the town through a gate located near the back. It was hard to see anything in complete darkness but somehow Maeve was able to navigate them to an empty cave.
"We can spend the night here. Hopefully no bears decide to make this their home for the night either," Maeve murmured.
"Well that's really reassuring," Aislinn muttered to herself.
The night passed by quickly and she awoke to find herself staring into two big green eyes.
"Ahh! Get out of my face!" she yelped, crawling backwards.
"Sorry, I was just looking at your eyebrows. Did you know they're perfectly straight? And your ears are so big and pointy! You could cut gold with those things." Maeve was crouching with her head in her hands, smiling, clearly admiring the elf. Aislinn glared at her until she got the hint and left her alone.
She couldn't stop thinking about her family. Her father, Joseph, who was a retired Stormcloak soldier. Her mother, Kyna, who was a merchant for a living. Her brother, Tido, who was a prankster. She missed them so much. She was especially close with her father who was the one who taught her how to use the alchemy table and how to fight. If it wasn't for him, she probably wouldn't be alive right now.
"So, are you ready to head out?" Maeve asked quietly.
"Yeah. We really need to hurry." Aislinn gathered up her belongings and they left the cave. The sudden brightness of the sun hurt her eyes and she had to squint for a few moments. It was giving her a headache.
They walked for what seemed like hours. It was a beautiful day out; quite the opposite of what Aislinn was feeling. Maeve was as chipper as ever and it was getting hard for Aislinn to not tell her to be quiet. She doesn't have a care in the worldshe thought. They stopped at a river to get a drink.
Aislinn examined the girl as she crouched to get some water. She was a really pretty girl, she was, but something was off about her. Something in her demeanor…
Suddenly, a load roar boomed over the trees and shook the ground beneath their feet. Maeve screamed and Aislinn quickly grabbed her bow and an arrow and pointed it at the sky. A blood dragon was circling right above them, getting ready to land. She let go of the arrow and it shot into the dragon's neck. It roared even louder and landed right in front of her, crushing the trees around it. Switching her bow with her sword, she ran straight at the beast and sliced its nose. Her mistake, though, was catching a glimpse of anger in its red eyes, which caused her to lose focus. The dragon swung its head at her and she flew back into a tree. Everything was hazy and her head was pounding. Where is my sword? No, no, it has to be here somewhere. Her hands hastily searched the ground around her but she couldn't find it anywhere. The haze was drifting from her eyes and she could now see that the dragon was going for Maeve.
"No!" Aislinn yelled, jumping up and running towards it again. Every bit of determination built up inside of her. "Yol Toor Shul!" The thu'um cascaded out of her body and the dragon was on fire, burning, and in mere seconds, it was dead. She caught her breath and ran to Maeve.
"Are you okay?" she put her hand on Maeve's shoulder and looked her over.
"I'm fine, don't worry. That was just scary. I've never been up close and personal with a dragon before." Maeve gave a weary smile and got up from the ground. Her smile faded quickly though and she looked hesitantly at Aislinn. "What was that? The…
"Let's go before more come." They started walking back the way they were headed and finally made it to Whiterun. They agreed that they would stay the night at The Bannered Mare which was a quaint inn with friendly people.
"Goodnight. We'll meet by the fire here at 7 in the morning, yeah?" Aislinn asked Maeve at the doorway of her room. Maeve nodded, said goodnight, and shut her door. Aislinn did the same and was soon fast asleep. When she woke up, though, Maeve was nowhere to be seen. Not by the fire, not in her room, not even in the town. She had left Aislinn.
"I can't believe that girl." Aislinn said while angrily packing her things again. "I guess I'll have to find my own way to Morthal. Maybe I'll pay her a little visit and show her how rude it is to just up and leave."
Stepping foot outside, Aislinn sighed and looked around. She had never been this far West before. It was alien to her. She saw an older, friendly looking lady sitting in a chair on her porch and decided to ask her for directions.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but would you happen to know how I would make it to Morthal from here?"
The woman looked up at her and smiled, the wrinkles in her face reflecting how old she really was. "Oh my dear girl, how old are you?"
"Twenty." Aislinn couldn't help but smile at the woman. She reminded her of what her mom would soon be.
"Such a young lass to be travelling by herself! Why are you headed all the way out there? This land is a dangerous place." The woman looked out at the mountains in the distance, clearly reminiscing.
"Just personal troubles, ma'am."
"Oh, so polite! Much more polite than most people here. They aren't very fond of an old hag who doesn't have much of a purpose left. You can get to Morthal more quickly if you take a carriage. Go down to the Whiterun Stables and ask the carriage driver for a ride. Tell him Bronwyn sent you and it will be for free."
"Thank you very much, Bronwyn. I appreciate it." Aislinn smiled for what seemed to be the first time in forever, and left to find the carriage. After searching for a few minutes, she finally found Whiterun Stables and spotted the carriage driver chewing on a piece of bread. She stood beside one of the horses and pet its nose.
"Want a ride, miss?" His smile revealed one of his front teeth missing.
"Actually, yes I would, but I was told to tell you that Bronwyn sent me. She said I wouldn't have to pay any coins. I know it's a long shot but I was hoping that she was telling the truth. I have no money." Aislinn crossed her arms and looked at the ground. The man's smile never faltered.
"Get on in. Where are ya headed?"
"Morthal. Well, Eldersblood Peak, but I know you can't go there." Aislinn climbed into the back of the carriage and sat on the wooden bench.
"Yeah, I'm sorry lass, carriages aren't really made for mountains. I'll get ya there as soon as I can though. Come on!" He slapped the reigns down and the horses set off.
Looking out at the landscape before her, Aislinn sighed and slumped down a little more, getting comfortable. Her eyes grew heavy and soon she was asleep. She dreamt of her family, hands bound and heads in bags. People laughing and drinking while they suffer, sprawled out on the ground, dying. She needed to get to them. Nobody could see her there; nobody looked her way. She reached out to help them but her hands just passed through their bodies. It was as though they were ghosts of themselves. Tears stung at her eyes and suddenly the ground beneath her gave way and she fell endlessly into the earth.
She awoke with a start. Rubbing at her eyes, she sat up and looked around. Something was wrong. The road was bumpy and the driver seemed to be leaning strangely to the left.
"Sir? Hello?" She reached across and shook his shoulder. He fell completely on his side. Aislinn quickly leaned over the front and saw that he had an arrow through his chest.
"Oh my gods," she breathed. She looked up but it was too late; one of the horses tripped on a rock and it came tumbling down, spooking the other horse. It started galloping, rocking the entire carriage, and before she could even blink, she saw the edge of the cliff. They were falling.
Chapter Three
Aislinn gasped and opened her eyes. She could hardly catch her breath and her entire body felt like it was on fire. Coughing, she crawled forward. She could see what used to be the carriage was now scattered wood and broken wheels. The two horses were lying there, dead, along with the driver. How did she survive when they didn't? They fell the same distance; it was impossible. Was she dead? Is this the afterlife; roaming amongst the living, invisible to those around you?
"No time for questions," she mumbled to herself, her voice hoarse. Water. She needed water. Aislinn looked around and luckily enough, there was a small stream a few feet from the wreck. She managed to crawl there and splash water on her face. She drank as much as she possibly could and delicately poured water on her wounds. She was definitely going to be bruised in a lot of places. A cut on her forehead was bleeding and another was doing the same on her leg. She knew she was lucky it wasn't worse.
Picking herself up, she limped over to the driver and knelt beside him.
"I am so sorry. It's all my fault." She closed his eyes, sighed, and stood up again. It was getting dark and she needed to rest. Luckily, her satchel was still intact, along with its belongings and her weapons, so she grabbed them and started towards a forest she could see a ways off. When she reached it, she sat down against a tree, the pain in her body becoming worse. Sleep soon found her, though.
As soon as she woke up she started gathering her things while also looking for food. She looked at the shrubs for anything and that was when she spotted the boy, hiding behind one and looking at her.
"What are you doing?"
The boy awkwardly got up and put his hand behind his head, trying to smile.
"Well, I uh… I saw you laying there and-"
"You were going to steal my stuff?" Aislinn interjected.
"No! No, I just kind of thought you were dead and really pretty and I didn't think it would be proper to leave your body out here to get eaten by wolves or anything so I was gonna get you a proper burial service…" He trailed off and shut his mouth, looking at the ground.
Aislinn rolled her eyes. "Well gee, thanks. I'm not dead though."
"I can see that." He smiled. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it was a really nice smile. He was actually really attractive. His teeth were straight and white, his hair was messy and dirty blonde, and his eyes were ocean blue. Then she noticed his ears.
"Elf! Get away from me!" Aislinn found herself stepping backwards.
"Well, my name is actually Alec but okay, you can call me 'Elf'." Alec stepped towards her and stuck out his hand. She stared at it and then up at him.
"Leave!" She pointed towards a path that led to somewhere she didn't know and glared at him. A look of disappointment flashed in his eyes but it quickly changed to concern.
"You're hurt. What happened?" He stuck his hand out and brushed her hair away from the cut on her forehead. Aislinn sunk away from his touch.
"Nothing happened. Now please leave."
Alec didn't budge. "No, you're hurt and you need help. Let me take you to a place where you can get looked at and patched up. That's a big cut. Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Aislinn was actually surprised with how genuine his concern was. "My leg," she mumbled.
"Pardon?" He leaned down until he was closer to her height.
"My leg!" Her voice was unintentionally sharp and she bit her lip.
"What's your name?"
"Aislinn."
"Okay, Aislinn, I'm going to take you to Markarth. My aunt can help you." Alec then effortlessly picked her up and started walking.
"No, please, I'm fine. I have to get to Morthal, please let me go." She shoved against him but it was useless.
"You have to get looked after or else those cuts could get infected and you could get a disease."
"Ugh," she muttered.
They arrived at Markarth after about an hour and once they were in his aunt's house, he let her down. His aunt, Mia, was a sweet lady. She treated Aislinn as though she had known her her whole life.
After cleaning up her cuts and laying Aislinn down in a bed, Mia looked in the elf's eyes.
"Amazing…" she whispered to herself.
"What?" Aislinn felt her face turn red and started fidgeting with the bed sheets. She didn't like people looking at her.
"I haven't seen a snow elf in years. You are quite the exquisite creature, young lady."
Aislinn frowned, confused. "Snow elf?"
"You're a snow elf. Didn't you know that?"
"No… my parents never really told me anything about our background. My ears have always been bigger and pointier than anyone else's, though. I hate it. What's so special about a snow elf?"
Mia laughed. "Honey, snow elves don't exist anymore. Well, not in the traditional sense anyway. They all turned into the horrible falmer that live in all the Dwemer ruins. Horrible creatures they are. They've been in darkness for so long that they're blind but their other senses have benefited from that. The fact that you're still… normal…is reassuring though. Snow elves are the most beautiful race of elf that there is. You could save them."
But I already have people to saveAislinn thought to herself. Mia noticed how quiet she had gone but knew not to ask, so she kissed Aislinn's forehead and said good-night. Alec took her place.
"How are you doing?" Alec sat down beside her.
"I'm okay. Thanks." Aislinn tried to smile but failed.
"I'm glad I found you out there, in the forest. Aunt Mia told me about your race and how you might possibly be the last of your kind."
"Yeah."
Alec sighed and stood up. "Well, goodnight then."
Not realizing what she was doing, Aislinn grabbed his hand as he started turning around. "No, wait."
He looked down at her hand in his and back at her. "Yes?"
"Thank you. Really. You saved my life. My stupidity could have been my own demise." She smiled at him this time, squeezed his hand, and let go.
"No problem, Aislinn. Get some rest now, okay? I'll check on you in the morning." With that he left the room and she was back to being alone. The night was slow; she couldn't sleep very well because of how sore her body was. In the morning Alec came in and brought her breakfast and a book to read. She hadn't even told him that she loved to read.
They decided that they would see how she was in a day or two and if she was well enough, he would join her in reaching Morthal and possibly Eldersblood Peak. She spent most of the day trying to get back to walking normally and also getting to know Alec. He was a year older than her, knows how to cook, writes poetry, and loves alchemy, just like her.
Aislinn doesn't like elves; she doesn't trust them. But she trusts him. He had proven himself to her just by saving her, and Mia was just as well. She was happy that she had made two more friends but all she could ever really think about was her family. She doubted they were still alive, as horrible as that is.
"So you have a younger brother?" They were sitting by the fire in Mia's living room.
"Yeah. His name is Tido. He can be a real pain but I still love him more than anything. I miss him." She rested her head in her hands and closed her eyes.
"You'll see him again soon. You'll see all of them. I promise." Alec put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
She looked at him and smiled. "I hope so."
…
"I'm very concerned for your safety." Mia had her arms crossed and was watching Aislinn and Alec pack their things. They were getting ready to leave and look for her family but she had been trying to talk them out of it for the past hour.
Alec turned around, put his hands on her crossed arms, and looked into her eyes. "Aunt Mia, we will be fine, I promise. You worry too much."
"I just care. You're all I have. Both of you." Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled out.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I know you do. We will both come back, safe and sound. I love you, okay? You took me in when my mom died and I will never be able to thank you enough."
Aislinn stopped what she was doing and turned around. Her eyes met Mia's and she smiled. They didn't need to say anything. They just hugged, and it made Aislinn miss her mom more than ever.
Finally, they left.
"Do you think she's going to be okay on her own?" Aislinn looked up at him while they walked.
"Yes. She's strong. Much stronger than anyone I've ever met," he looked back at her and smiled. "Other than you."
Aislinn smiled back and looked down at her hands. She had never had a friend in her life so she never really knew what to say to Alec. They didn't say much at all for the rest of the journey. Finally, after a long day, they reached Morthal. They rented rooms at the inn, but before they slept they sat out by the fire and ate bread.
"Alec?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you come with me?"
"I want to help you because you can't do this on your own. It's dangerous."
Aislinn laughed. "And who's the one here who can project thu'ums?"
He smiled at her and chuckled, rolling the bread around in his hand. "You've got a point there, miss." After a few moments Aislinn stood up and wiped her hands.
"I'm going to get some sleep."
Alec stood up. "Me too."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
Aislinn went to her room and wrapped herself up in the blanket, drifting off. Not soon after, Alec woke up to a scream coming from her room. He was there in mere seconds. Aislinn was sitting on her bed, sobbing, and holding her head.
"What's wrong? Aislinn?" He sat down beside her and held her, stroking her hair. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay."
"I've been having so many nightmares lately; ever since they disappeared. I don't know what's wrong with me, Alec. I'm so scared."
He held her closer. "Nothing is wrong with you. You're just concerned for them. Come on, I'll stay here with you. Go back to sleep."
She lied down again and soon her sobs turned into a peaceful slumber. Alec sat in the chair by the door, watching her. She was beautiful to him. He barely knew her but he felt like they were connected somehow, someway. It was as though he had known her his whole life.
When she woke up she looked around and spotted Alec in the chair, his head hanging forward and his arms crossed. He was sleeping. Your neck is going to hurt when you wake up she thought to herself, smiling. She got out of bed and went out to the inn keeper.
"Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is?"
The man smiled at her. "Aye lass, you're up early. It's 4am."
"Oh man. Well, thank you!" She went back to her room and gently grabbed Alec's hand. "Come on. You need to be more comfortable." She tugged at him to get him up, grunting. He was not light. "Alec, come on. Put some effort into it!"
Groggily, he got up, his eyes still closed. "Aunt Mia, noooo, I don't want tooo…"
"Ugh," Aislinn finally pulled him to the bed and plopped him down, covering him with the blanket. "There. Sleep for a few more hours, you're exhausted." After staring at his face for a few seconds, she turned around and went out by the fire. Two hours went by before he dragged his tired feet out of her room.
"There you are, sleepyhead."
"Mad at you…" he mumbled, sitting down in the chair beside her.
"Why?!"
"Well I woke up in the bed YOU were supposed to be sleeping in." He glared at her, his eyes more blue than ever.
"You looked uncomfortable in that chair and I was wide awake!" Aislinn threw her hands up in the hair.
"I'm supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around."
"Oh hush." She lightly punched his arm with her fist and he finally grinned at her.
"Let's get going." Alec left, collected their things, and brought them back to her.
"You do know that I'm quite capable of getting my own things, don't you?" she said, putting her satchel across her shoulders.
"Yes, yes, miss independent. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the inn. About an hour later, they made it to the bottom of the mountain where Eldersblood Peak was. They climbed and climbed and climbed until it hurt. When they were close, Aislinn suddenly stood still. Alec looked back at her.
"What if they aren't there?" she shivered but it was not cold.
"They will be." Just like earlier, he grabbed her hand and held on tightly. "I'll be right here with you."
Suddenly the ground beneath their feet started rumbling and they gasped, whipping their heads back and forth to find the cause. They ran to the Peak, and standing there, was a woman. A familiar woman.
"It's you! I knew it. I'm going to kill you, you evil wretch." Aislinn ran at the woman from the smoke, fire in her eyes and her sword in her hand.
"Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you." The woman smiled, but it was not a nice smile.
"Where the hell is my family?" Aislinn screamed, not slowing down.
"You didn't listen to me, you fool." Suddenly Aislinn felt a sharp pain in her stomach and was thrown backwards into a rock, her head smashing into it and darkness rushing over her.
Chapter Four
"Aislinn? Aislinn!" The familiar voice along with a familiar hand on her leg made her slowly open her eyes and, looking up, she was face to face with Alec. Something warm trickled down her forehead and she slowly lifted her hand to it. It stung when she touched it and she knew what the crimson liquid was.
Alec ripped a part of his shirt off and put it to her forehead. She winced when it made contact. "Your cut from before was opened again, and I'm fairly certain you're going to have a concussion."
"I'll be fine. We have to get out of here." Alec paused and then helped her up. She noticed he was acting very uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"I know who that woman is."
Aislinn looked up at him again and tugged on his sleeve. "Who?!"
"She's… a daedric prince. Her name is Vaermina. I've read about her in books. She has to do with dreams and nightmares so maybe that's why you've been having so many nightmares lately?"
Aislinn gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "She's evil! She killed my family! I'm going to-"
"Baby! Aislinn, we're over here. Do you see us?" That voice. She hadn't heard that voice in so long.
"Oh my god! You're alive!" Relief flooded her veins and she started running in the direction they were, until Alec grabbed her arm.
"What the hell are you doing? Who are you talking to? Aislinn, stop!" She pulled and pulled but he wouldn't let go.
"My family! Let go of me! They're right there, Alec, can't you see them? They're okay!" Tears stung at her eyes and she looked at him fiercely, trying to get him to let go.
"Aislinn, I can't see anybody. You're delusional from hitting your head." His voice was softer now and he was looking straight into her eyes. She swung her head back to where her family had been but they weren't there anymore.
"No…" she breathed, her hands shaking.
"I know you're upset, I know this is a lot to go through, but we have to get out of here. Please, Aislinn. Help me look for a way out."
She collected her thoughts and exhaled everything that was hurting her right now. She had to put it to the back of her mind, just for a moment, so she could make sure Alec gets out okay. Her family wasn't alive anymore, they couldn't be, so it would make no difference if she made it out or not. Looking around, she couldn't see anything that even resembled a door or a window. No way out. But then, after a few seconds, she noticed something unusual.
"Alec, right there. It looks like… an outline of a door. Or something that could be like a door." He walked over to where she was pointing, looked at it, and kicked it.
"Ouch! Okay, nope, it's not going to budge with physical force. Maybe there's a keyhole…?"
"Wait. I know what to do. Back away." Breathing deeply while walking towards the 'door', Aislinn shouted. "Fus Ro Dah!" The door flew off whatever was holding it there and brought into view a dimly lit hallway made of stone.
"Are we underground? That must be why it's so cold and damp down here." Aislinn hadn't noticed the cold until Alec mentioned it and she shivered. They grabbed their things (weapons and all… Vaermina didn't do a very good job at making them vulnerable) but Aislinn noticed something was missing.
"My necklace! She took my necklace that was from my mother! I swear I am going to literally wipe that stupid grin she always has off her face. Come on, Alec." They slowly crept down the hallway, dragging their fingers along the stony walls. It seemed like there would be no end until they finally saw a peek of light coming from a turn off.
"Should we trust it?" Aislinn looked at Alec and he looked right back at her.
"We don't have a choice. Light is more comforting than the dark anyway. You can see what you're up against."
Aislinn nodded and peeked around the corner, but the light was so bright that she had to close her eyes. Suddenly there was a grotesque noise behind them. Instinctively, she moved so Alec was behind her and she drew her sword out.
"Aislinn, stop-"
"Shh! I'm perfectly capable."
The creature was just as grotesque as the noise it made. It was hunched and crouching, clearly blind, with pointed ears. It was completely bald, with very few rags on. Aislinn quickly realized what it was.
"Falmer! Alec that used to be a snow elf! Oh my god. Why am I not like that…?" Her gut wrenching, she quickly jumped at the creature and stabbed her sword through its chest. It groaned and fell to the ground, dead. She couldn't stop staring at it. She could see the resemblance, with the pointed ears and pale skin. Then it hit her. "Why am I a snow elf and my parents aren't?" They were both silent and Aislinn sighed. "I guess it doesn't matter now."
"Come on, let's find Vaermina and show her what she's messing with, yeah?" He grabbed her hand, held tight, and led her outside
After blinking a bunch of times to adjust to the change of light, they realized that they are at the bottom of the mountain again.
"Well that's not so bad," Aislinn mused.
They started their climb again. It was a very tall and beautiful mountain, with snow blanketing the rocky ground and trees only gracing a few lucky spots of the great stature. Though it was a thing of beauty, it was extremely difficult terrain. They slipped more times than they could count on their hands and it resulted in bruised knees and cuts but this didn't stop them. Finally, they reached the peak that they had previously stood on.
"I didn't think you'd stay in there for very long."
Aislinn and Alec turned towards the bitter voice and were face to face with Vaermina… and the same man Aislinn had encountered when she had caught that rabbit. He smiled coldly at her and her heart skipped a beat.
"Hello again."
"You? What have you got to do with any of this?"
Vaermina chuckled evilly and turned so that Aislinn could see behind her, and sitting there, was Maeve. "Since this is just like a family reunion, I thought I'd let her join us."
"Maeve! Why are you doing this to me Vaermina? What have I ever done to you?" It took every ounce of strength she had for Aislinn not to just slit her throat right that moment.
"Some things need to be explained. I'll let Hermaeus here tell you."
"Wait," Alec interjected. "Hermaeus Mora? The daedric prince that has to do with knowledge and memories? Daedric princes never work together!"
"Well, they do now." Hermaeus replied. He stared at Alec as though to intimidate him, which it clearly didn't as Alec stood his ground, his brow furrowed and his eyes cold. The daedric prince then turned to the snow elf and smiled. "Now, Aislinn. I have many things to tell you, but in order for me to tell you, you have to listen intently and not try anything. Okay?" When Aislinn didn't reply, he prompted her again but more harshly and she nodded once. "First thing's first… your family. I know you've been with them your whole life but what you don't know is that when you were born, your mother died giving birth and your father was also killed. By whom? Me. I knew you were a special baby since the day you entered this earth because you are the last of your kind and your mother gave you a very special necklace." He held it up and continued. "The family you thought was your own, they don't exist. As your friend here mentioned, I am involved with memories, and your entire life I have been manipulating yours so you see memories from your past lives in the life you are currently living. Kyna and Joseph and Tido haven't been alive for hundreds of years. They were your family in another life of yours. And this necklace your 'mother' gave to you? It contains one of the most precious things of all: a dragon soul."
Aislinn gasped and lifted a hand to her mouth. "I've been carrying a dragon soul around with me for this entire time? Take the soul, I don't care about it, I just want the necklace itself. Please."
"Ah, I can't do that. The soul won't be worth anything if it is separated from this necklace. It has bound itself to it."
"May I talk now? I just have one thing to say." Vaermina moved closer to Aislinn and smirked. "Your little friend, Maeve, over there? I used her to lead you astray, I made her kill that dumb carriage driver of yours, I made her lock you two down in that cave, and I also made her kidnap a certain someone else… your beloved Aunt Mia." Aislinn could see Alec's aunt now, her hands and legs bound, sitting against a tree.
"No!" Alec yelled, running for his loved one. Vaermina quickly turned, and hit Alec so hard that he went flying into another tree and was knocked out. Aislinn cried out but stood still, knowing she'd have the same fate if she attempted anything similar.
"Just let them go, please. This is between you and me, not them." She pleaded.
"It's not that simple, my dear. Now that we have the necklace, and they're witnesses to it who I know won't keep their mouths shut, they need to die, along with you."
Suddenly something in Aislinn changed. The anger that had welled up in her burst and it felt like she was floating and getting bigger and bigger, and she was. She felt something sprout out of her back, her hands and legs were changing, and soon enough she was in the air.
"What on earth?! A dragon? I didn't know that was possible…" The daedric princes stumbled backwards and Aislinn found she couldn't speak. Instead, when she opened her mouth, fire was all that came out. She was soaring and it was the most free she had ever felt. The glory didn't last long, though, because suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her breast. Hermaeus was shooting her with arrows. She was bleeding. Swooping down, she roared, and soon they were covered in fire, screaming. Just as quick as that happened, Hermaeus formed into a gross mass of tentacles. Almost as big as her.
"Don't you dare hurt another soul!" Alec appeared behind the hunched over Vaermina and stabbed her back. She squirmed and squirmed but soon she was laying in the snow, her blood staining the white.
Aislinn took this as her opportunity to come crashing down on Hermaeus, digging her fangs and claws into him. His blood covered her.
"You… will regret this… mortal…" he managed to get out before stabbing her in the chest with one of his tentacles and twisting, making her lose her breath. She was falling and falling and soon she hit the ground, the last of her breath escaping her.
Epilogue
She opened her eyes and three faces were above her. Three faces of people she loved.
"Aislinn, you're alive!" Maeve smiled, tears in her eyes. But Aislinn knew that she wasn't going to be alive for long. The pain she felt was more immense than all the emotions she had felt put together and she could feel her heart slowing and her eyes growing heavy.
"Thank you for everything you guys"
"That was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed. You just… you were a dragon, Aislinn. I knew they existed but I didn't know we could become one. I think that because you had that necklace for so long it caused the dragon soul to absorb with your own. You could be the greatest thing to ever grace this planet. Come on, get up." Alec tugged at her but she winced and shook her head.
"I'm not going to make it, Alec."
Sadness flooded his eyes. "Yes you are. Get up. You're going to be okay. I told you you would be and you are." He scooped her up in his arms and she could feel her heart beating even slower than before.
"Don't ever trust someone using smoke to communicate with you." She smiled through her tears but her eyes quickly closed.
Her heart stopped.