Chapter one: /title
I woke up, my body covered in sweat. It was just a nightmare. It had been haunting me ever since the day it actually happened. I found myself lying on a bed of grass, in the forest I had lived in ever since I escaped from the guards.
It was 5 years later now, and I knew the forest and the creatures in it, as if they were my own. They knew me, and we knew each other territories. In the 5 years I had spent in the forest, I had made myself a simple, but decent spear, a bow and some arrows, and I had even managed to create a piece of chest armour from a boar's skin. That was all I had, and all I needed to survive. The forest gave me a decent opportunity to survive. I hunted the creatures for meat, I ate the berries from the bushes, and there was a small lake in the middle of the forest, from which I could drink and clean myself.
I spent only a few hours per day on hunting and gathering food, so I had a lot of time to think. I thought of the village, my parents, and everything I used to have, which I hadn't got any more. One day, I decided to leave the forest, and head into the country. I knew I couldn't spend the rest of my life in the forest, and I didn't even consider going back to the village, not even to pay it a short visit.
One day later, I walked through the forest one last time. I made some kind of bag from leaves, and gathered enough food for the trip. I headed south-west, not looking back once. I had already left everything I had once before, so this was an easy one. I walked, and walked even more. It took me one day to get out of the forest, avoiding contact with any creatures, because I started to love them, and I didn't want to lose any beloved things any more. All I had with me were my weapons, armour, and the bag with food. I collected a lot of berries, because those could lessen my thirst. I didn't take any water.
It was in the midst of the summer, and everything looked beautiful. There was a small gravel path, which led me along my way. While I was walking along the path, I suddenly felt the need to talk. I didn't say a word in 5 years. The need flowed through my body, as I walked on, trying to ignore it. I walked for a few miles, when I suddenly burst out in crying. I kneed on the floor, crying out loud, and screaming for help. There was no reply. When I had stopped crying, I laid down for a while, trying to rest. When I woke up, it was night, and it was raining a bit. The fresh drops of water touched my skin, and it made me feel indestructible. I packed my gear, and started walking again. The night had become my time. I followed the path, and it led me over a small hill. From there, I could see a lot of the region, but I couldn't see any living creatures, or human beings. I knew it was going to be a long trip. I walked on for miles, and the night started turning into day. It had stopped raining, the sun was coming up, and a slight breeze came from the north. The air was still fresh from the rain, and the smell gave me new energy to go on. After another mile, I sat down on a broken tree, which, as it appeared, had been struck by lightning. I ate 2 hands full of the berries, and I started walking again.
Now the environment started looking a bit darker, and there was an evil presence surrounding me. I had felt it before the night my parents died. I kept walking on, not paying attention to the surroundings. Everything seemed dead from here. There were no trees, no more grass, and everything seemed empty, without any kind of emotion. It made me realize that I was all alone, without a goal in life, left alone to rot away, without anyone asking about me. It made me feel depressed, and it really got onto me. I didn't want to walk any more, so I stopped again for some food. I tried eating some berries, but I couldn't swallow it. I knew I needed to get out of here. This was a dangerous place for young wanderers like me. I stood up, and with all the energy I had left, I started running. As far away from this terrible place as possible. I ran through a never ending scenario of nothingness, and 2 hills beside me. The gravel path had turned slowly into a paved stone path, which obviously was a sign of life.
Again, I felt refreshed, and my depressed feeling was gone. I stood still when I set foot on the stone road. It was a long time ago since I had encountered something human. I looked up at the sky, and thought it looked beautiful. I thought about my parents again, but with another point of view. They had died for me, to protect me, so I wouldn't get killed. It was the first time since that day that I thought of it in a positive way. It made me cry to think of it, but I was crying of happiness. I walked on, and now the 2 hills were merging into one. As I walked up at the hill, I saw a sign. I ran towards it, and it had 2 pointy pieces of wood on it. The first one was pointing to the north-east, saying 'Balmora'. The other one was pointing south south-west, and it said 'Seyda Neen'. I was delighted by the sign, and I knew I couldn't be far until I reached the town. I smiled at the sign, ate the last berries I had left, and walked on.