Chapter 1: A Fresh Start


A creaking woke me from my slumber. I recognized it as the heavy weight of someone walking. As I gazed around I realized that there was no place to hide, nor were there any region of the corridor dark enough to conceal myself. I would just have to face whomever it was. As I rose from the hard wood floor I rested on. The figure whom the creaking belonged to entered into the corridor through the tiny doorway. The man was a head taller than I, who is considered short even among other Wood Elves. He wore a heavy chain and steel armor set. He glared at me with piercing, yet worried, hazel eyes. He shakily drew his sword and in a crackling voice spoke nervously "W-Who are you" He ran his eyes over me as if searching for a weapon.

I gave a smile and removed my dagger from it's sheath under my black cuirass and tossed it to the floor. "I mean no harm. I'm just a stowaway." I reassured, "I'm an unfortunate victim of betrayal an a framing. I was, for lack of a better word, exiled from my home. I had to choose between death and stowing away on a ship bound who knows where" I spoke truthfully in an attempt to get off the hook.

The Nord, a guard I supposed, ran a hand through his blond hair thinking over the situation. There were two options; Turn me in as a stowaway, and I get thrown off the ship, where I would surely die; or let me stay to act as a passenger, though I would not be welcome on the ship again.

"Very well," the young Nord sighed, "You can stay in my cabin. You are not to leave unless I say so. Follow me" I shuffled along barely hearing a word as he talked about the four ports the ship would be going. I couldn't care less at the moment. I was too tired. I zoned in and out hearing snippets of his one sided conversion like "...Imperial city has six districts, which are the..." "...carrying a combination of cargo and passengers..." When the time came that we arrived I had a bunch of papers shoved into my hands. I hadn't even noticed that we made a short stop along the way. "What's this?" I yawned.

"Haven't you been listening?" He sighed before answering my question anyways, "It's the parchments you need to fill out." When I gave no answer he glared at me, "It's what will grant you access to Cyrodiil"

I gave a short courteous nod before entering the room. I placed the parchment on the table an began to fill out what I could. The questions seemed simple and easy to answer. I filled in my name and wrote Bosmer next to Race. Under birth sign, I entered The Shadow. I thought about my birth sign, and for the first time, and realized how fitting it was. It granted me the ability to become invisible a period of time per day, and it seemed perfect for me, as a thief. The final part to fill out was status. I wrote poor and left it there. The man should pick it up later. For now I needed sleep.

-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-

I walked out of the Inn I had made my home the past few days, an headed in the direction of my former home taken from me long ago. I stopped short when I heard the yell of a guard. When I turned there was a group of them heading my way, swords drawn. I eyed the swords, making a decision that I did not want to be on the receiving end of those blades. I didn't know exactly why they were after me, but I had a guess. The Thieves Guild. I did the only thing I could. I ran. "Don't let him get away!" they shouted somewhere behind me. I knocked over barrels, ducked through crowds of people, anything I could do to get away, I did. The docks began to spread out in front of me so I did the only thing I could do... I dove in the water and began swimming to a boat I was sure would leave soon. I climbed up the makeshift ladder at the side of the boat and made my way up. By the time the guards would be organized enough to search boats, I would be long gone.

-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-squeeper-

I sat up in the bed, drenched in sweat. The dream had been so vivid. So real. And this was the third time the dream had reoccurred. Would that day forever haunt me? Or would it stop when I fulfilled my dream? Would my exile have been forgotten by then? They were the questions that I might never have an answer for. But for the moment we had arrived in the Imperial City, an I did not wand to stay in this ship any further

As I stepped off the ship I relished in the cool breeze and stepped forward on the stone bridge to a new start in Cyrodiil