AN: This is my first fan fiction, as well as a first Elder Scrolls fanfic. Please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy! :)
The light, warm breeze of Whiterun on my face, the sturdy, supportive feeling of Leitla under my legs, I felt right at home on the road with my parents.
"Papa, how much farther until we reach the city?" I asked, him and his horse being a few yards in front of me. He laughed at my question.
"Soon, child, soon!" he said back lightly. "Aldiina, I swear, you've been asking that since we left the Rift!"
My mother grinned at me, then at my father. "Tovnern, can you hardly blame the girl? It's not every day that a Jarl requests an audience with you."
"Ekkari, my wife, you are, as usual, completely correct." My father glanced over his shoulder at me. "Soon, daughter, we will reach the city's stables. We're very close."
Right as my father said this, I was able to see a grand city appear on the horizon. Passing by an overhead Shrine to Talos, as well as a number of small family farms, Dragons Reach and the surrounding area came into sight. The three members of my family continued on the stone path towards the gates, our backs to the northeast as we finally finished circling around a mountain.
As the city grew larger and larger, another form appeared on the horizon. At first it seemed out of place and unproportional in the countryside, but as we came closer I made out the figure. A giant. Slightly nervous, I tensed and hardened on grip on Leitla's reins.
"Papa, shouldn't we stop and wait for the giant to pass?" I asked, unable to take my gaze from its club.
My father, brave considering he's a nobleman, laughed at my concern. "Aldiina, do not fret," he reassured me. "We're not going through its camp, just passing it by. So long as we go calmly by and give it no reason to, the giant will give us no trouble."
I sighed out of relief. "Yes Papa," I said, knowing he would not have seen a nod of the head.
Moments later, we were closer to the gates, and closer to the giant as well. Ten feet away, it glanced at the three of us, no more.
It had almost completely passed us by when I felt air fly by my head less than a mere second before I saw an arrow embedded in the giant's chest.
The giant then proceeded to swing down its club, startling the horses and causing Leitla to run ahead, past my parents. I pulled on the reins to attempt to slow her down, or better yet turn her around, much without luck. After yards and yards, she came to a stop. I spinned her around, only to see my parents being knocked off of their own horses. Screaming and crying for them, I tried to get Leitla to go back, only for her to kick me off and run towards the stables.
Standing, I ran for my parents, the whole while hollering for them. "Mama, Papa!" I screamed as loud as I could, pushing my legs to try to help them. My father turned to face me, putting his back to the giant. One hand was clutching his shoulder, the other out towards me as if pushing me back. "No, Aldiina, run! Go towards the city, now!" he hollered to me. I opened my mouth to protest, just as the giant pushed him out of the way. I stopped in my tracks, unable to take my eyes away from the motionless forms of my parents. Never before had I ever felt so powerless, so weak. So helpless.
An era passed as I stood there on the verge of fainting before I came to the realization that the giant was not only still there, but walking right towards me. Mentally shaking myself, I spun on my heels and ran, ran as far as I could while tears ran down my face. Tripping on an error in the road, I fell, unable to will myself back up. The giant was over me, and I felt the hit of its club on my head.
