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I remember the day like it was yesterday.
When the oppressed finally takes a stand against the oppressor. If you understand history. You'd know that the history of the two will always end in the oppressed raising up and ultimately unsurping their oppressors. Breaking free the chains of that monarch.
Since the ancient days of Tamriel, mortals have fought for their freedom. Against the Dragons, the ancient Nords of Skyrim fought to their last drop of blood, to end the dragon's reign of suffering and heartbreak.. Eliminating almost all dragons from the realm of Mundus. Or we can look at more recent times.
When the Empire had Skyrim in their clutches. Ulfric Stormcloak and his armies rebelled against Emperor Titus Mede II. Until the death of General Tullius by Ulfric himself. Skyrim was no longer apart of the Empire and their elven overlords, the Aldmeri Dominion.
It was a slow ascendence to which I followed in history's footsteps. And its almost reaching the climax. I could no longer standby as my father treats Lorena and I as his personal servants, who he could beat whenever he feels like.
It was time I showed my father that we were done.
We would no longer be the ancient Nords serving the Dragons, we would no longer have our rights and our culture stripped away by a broken empire ruled by the elves. As far as I know I was ready to become independent, for as long as we relied on him to provide for us, we will forever be under his rule.
But it was time for a change, a revolution. My revolution.
'He hit you, didn't he Lorena..'
Lorena stared at me intently. I could see the sadness in her small brown eyes. 'No, Sev. Leave it alone. It was my fault, he told me to attend to my chores and I didn't do them right away.' She said holding back her sobs.
Anger quickly filled my mind. 'No Lorena..' Placing my hands on her shoulders. 'No child, should be worked to the bones like we are, and beaten for the reasons we are beaten. I'm tired of it.'
Lorena was a small and frail child. Born prematurely, she couldn't withstand the type of beatings and punishment our father implimented on us. I couldn't stand to see her hurt and all I wanted to do was get back at father for ever touching her.
'I think it's time. I have a plan.'
'What do you mean? Sev, what are you planning.'
I shook my head slowly. 'Don't worry about it, just know everything will be alright.' I grabbed Lorena's small hand. 'Come on, lets get you cleaned up.'
I took Lorena up to her room. As I began cleaning her with a wet rag, I could see all the bruises and scars that our father left on her pale skin through out the years since mother died. I couldn't bare thought of Lorena being beaten. She could die so easily. Usually when she was being beaten on I would voluntarily anger my father just so his attentions would shift to me, sparing my little sister.
My father had left to Falkreath for the next few days. He is usually summoned by the Jarl, being that he is a Thane of the Falkreath Hold. These periods when he was away presented the perfect oppurtunities to run away. But I never had the gall to do so. I always thought of how much Lorena needed shelter and food. I was afraid I wasn't able to provide any of it. And now I can tell that none of that is worth living with my Father. He would surely beat us to death with in this house.
I slowly cleaned and soothed Lorena's bruised body as she laid in her bed. I had to get her out of here and away from our father, unless I wanted to see her dead.
And now's the best time than any.
My plan was to grab as much food and supplies as I can. But eventually that food and supplies would run dry leaving Lorena and I to starve to death in the vast Skyrim wilderness. I would need coin and my father had tons of coin. Locked away tight in his study where no one, not even mother stepped foot in. And I never knew where he kept his key.
'Do you know where father keeps his key? You know.. the one for his study?' I asked looking down at my little sister.
She kooked at me, her face stricken with worry. 'No, you aren't thinking of going in there? He will kill you if he catches you, Severus.'
'And thats why he won't catch me. He is away now, and you know as much as I do that everything we need to survive without him is in that room.'
'I won't let you.'
My brow furrowed. 'Why not!?'
'Because he will kill you.'
I sighed. My eyes drifted from hers towards the window. Looking out at the trees swaying in the wind and the sun shining brightly through the branches into the room. 'Isn't he killing us now?' I asked quietly. 'He beats us any chance he gets, sooner or later he'll take it to far and kill us Lorena..'
'I guess.. you're right Sev.' Her voice was a little shakey.
I understood Lorena's fear. Our father was a scary man. Who could intimidate an Orc, but now wasn't the time to be scared. We had to do what was best for us. I had to do what was best for Lorena, even if it meant taken her away from a roof over her head and a hot supper every night. None of that would matter if she was beaten to death.
'He keeps it in his night stand, atleast thats where I saw him place it. He may have taken it with him.'
'Ill give it a check and soon we'll finally be out of here.'
'Sev,' Lorena brown eyes connected with mine. 'Thank you for being a caring big brother, and I don't doubt you for a second. I know you can provide for the both of us. You've stayed strong, even stronger than mother was before she died.'
Her words were sincere and had a meloncholy tone even though she was trying to cheer up the mood. But at the same time Lorena's words filled me with determination. When we do leave this house I will stop at nothing to make sure my little sister had everything she needed.
The day quickly passed. The sun had set and Lorena had finished her supper and not before long she was already sound asleep in her room. Leaving our big empty- now peaceful- house to myself. Our father won't be back for another couple of days.
At first I thought about where Lorena and I could go. Back when Mother had taken us to Whiterun to get away from father we were given away easily. My father was a Thane for the Falkreath Jarl and had all the connections and influence that came with it. And since the two holds were so close to each other he also had contacts in Whiterun. We would have to move further than that and we would have to lay low around the towns when picking up more supplies.
I closed Lorena's door behind me glancing back at the peaceful sleep that my sister had slipped into.
Walking around quietly in the house, melting in and out of the shadows was something I taught myself at a very young age. It was in order to avoid my father's wrath at the worst times. When I would hear him yelling I tried my hardest to go unseen, and without a trace. It worked almost all the time, unless I had to step in to save Lorena or my mother.
I quickly walked past my father's study and into his room.
My father was a fairly tidy man, but we were still forced to tediously clean every corner of the room and I always hated being in here, for it reminded me to much of my mother. And the darker days, when I often had to scrub her blood off the wooden floor.
I slowly opened his nightstand drawer, looking around for a key to his study. I prayed to the Divines that it was there. If it wasn't, we won't be able to survive out there for long with no coin.
My hand pushed around the various items in the drawer. There were letters, quills, and other useless trinkets.
And finally my hand touched metal.
I grabbed the metal piece and pulled it closer to my face to get a better look. It was a small bronze key about the size of the lock. I closed the drawer and ran back to my father's study, assuring everything was left the way I came in.
I pushed the key into the lock and slowly opened the door.
Moonlight from Secunda and Masser shot through the windows illuminating half the room.
The room was clean, surprisingly. Me nor Lorena has ever step foot inside this room to clean it. So he CAN clean for himself. I thought to myself.
His desk was neatly organized with two rolls of paper, an inkwell and a single quill placed in the middle. There were several bookshelves across the east side of the room stacked with several different tomes which didn't surprise me. My father was an Imperial after all, and we're all scholars at heart. No matter how tyrannical or evil.
One bookshelf stood out in particular. The top shelf wasn't filled with historical books, but with several strongboxes. I knew what must be done. I grabbed one strongbox and weighed it in my hands. I listened carefully and I heard it. That familiar jingle that everyone knew.
Coin.
The thought raced through my head as I tried opening the strongbox only to find it locked.
'Of course..' I muttered under my breath.
Taking the key and popping the top open. My eyes widened. I have never seen so much gold in one place. I always wondered how my father paid the taxes for this house and the lands that he owned. Now I knew. My father was a wealthy man.
I dug my fingers down into the strongbox grabbing as much gold as my hand could possibly hold. And I shoved into my pocket. I did it a second time leaving the box half empty. I quickly shut and locked it and placed it carefully back on the shelf.
Something inside of me felt unsettling.
It was as if an unknown force was growing, and kept growing. A feeling I haven't felt in a very long time. A rush of adrenaline, the flushing excitement of stealing from my father. Was this joy I was feeling? It has been so long I could not remember what joy felt like. But what really was the cause? Was it the act of thievery or was it because I had defied my father.
I had defied my father many times before only to be met by his fist and his brutal words that hit equally as hard. So it had to be the act.
I made my way out making sure the room was the way it was when I had entered. Lorena was still fast asleep. She must have taken a heavy beating, since she usually was a light sleeper, waking up several times in one night. In my room, I found a fairly large coin purse transferred all of the gold from my pocket.
I made my downstairs into the house cellar to find anything that I could take with us. I gathered some old furs my mother stitched together some time ago. Along with two bedrolls, I tied them all together. I grabbed ny mother's pack she used the first time we ran away and began filling it with preserved meat and fruit from our reserves.
I threw everything in the darkest corner of the cellar for when the day comes and Lorena and I will finally leave. A day that I felt was soon at hand. All we had to do was wait for another day to pass then we can leave.
Finally feeling tired enough, I climbed up the stairs and what I saw stopped me dead in my tracks.
Through the shadow of the night. Was a dark silhouette, face shining in the moonlight, eyes filled with fire and hate. There was my father, staring straight into my soul. Drunk.
He was home, earlier than expected. Much earlier.
Usually my father's meetings with the Jarl lasted atleast a week. He has only been gone for half a day.
'W-w-why...a-aren't y-you.. in bed..' It was blatantly clear he was drunk, by the way he stuttered over his words.
'Father I..uh thought you had a meeting with the Jarl.' My voice seemed a bit shaky.
He chuckled. 'We went h-hunting instead, ...had a f-few hehehe drinksss.' He said stepping forward. 'Now answer me, you damned imp!'
'I don't have a bedtime.'
'Lies, boy! All little bastards like you have bedtimes.' he said easing closer towards me. 'Go to your b-bed.'
I began to walk slowly towards the stairs. And then I remembered that I wasn't going to back down anymore. It was now or never. And I choose now.
I stopped and staired at my father, fire burning in my heart, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. 'No..'
'What in the Eight Divines did you just say to me?' He said as his eyes narrowed.
'You heard me, Father... I said..no..'
'Why you little...!' Without a moments hesitation my father stumbled towards me barely able to stand.
I narrowly escaped his clutches as he fell into the wall. Dropping a trophy of a slaughterfish.
'You d-don get to say no to me boy!'
'Well, I just did!' I yelled back, easily dodging his attempts at grabbing hold of me.
'Stay still.. So I can put a hurting on you..'
My father stumbled and tripped unto the ground. My heart was racing faster than the fastest horse in Skyrim. In the distance, I could hear Lorena's door swinging open upstairs.
I stood still, looking at my father having a hard time standing. 'Look at you..' I let out a small laugh. 'You lilly-livered, milkdrinker. Having trouble standing?'
I couldn't believe the words coming out my mouth. I was actually saying what I wanted for so long. Our roles were finally switched. My father was on the ground and I was standing above him, taunting him.
My father looked up at me. His brow was fully creased. As if he couldn't believe his ears. He had all the right to be surprised, this was new to me also.
'You know, I should've.. given you two cretons to the orphanage.' He said slowly clamering off the floor.
'You should've!' I yelled and kicked him back down to the floor. 'Maybe, we would have had a better life. Better than this, we would've had friends, we wouldn't have bruises all over our bodies, we wouldn't of been oppressed by our own father... We would've had peace of mind!'
I looked up to see Lorena staring down at the whole scene at the top of the staircase. Her eyes trained on my father, tears in her eyes. I could tell her tears was full of sorrow and pity. She wanted freedom just as much as I did. But she still carried a kind heart.
Her eyes widened and I quickly followed her gaze. My father was up.
He grabbed my neck, squeezing as hard as he could. Choking my life away. He pulled me closer. I could smell the alchohol on his breath. The distinct smell of wine. The same wine my mother loved. 'Was it worth your death? Hmm? Ill take care of you first and when I'm done I'll move on to that little bitch up stairs, just so I'll be rid of you two burdens your filthy whore of a mother left me.'
His words ripped into my heart like a dagger. I couldn't believe it, his words were the harshest he has ever uttered. I felt defeated, like I couldn't do it anymore. He was going to kill us. I had failed..
Tears began to swell in my eyes. My father increased his grip and threw me into the stone mantle of the fireplace.
I looked back up at Lorena. 'Lorena...run..!' I ordered, coughing.
My father walked slowly towards me.
I looked around frantically, for something, anything. And then I saw it, a sharp rod, used to poke the embers of the fire. A cast iron, fire pit poker was going to save me and my defenseless sister.
'Sev, no..!' Lorena yelled.
I grabbed the rod and with all the might my body held, pushed it deep, down into his foot. I could even feel the rod piercing the wooden floor underneath.
My father shrieked.
Blood pooled around his foot and I stood there frozen in time. The only thing that broke me out of my trance was Lorena's cries. She stood at the top of the stairs, a witness to the whole spectacle.
I moved past my father as he wailed and cried in pain.
I ran to Lorena looking straight into her eyes. 'Listen, Lorena and listen carefully, grab your warmest traveling cloak and meet down here. We can't stay here anymore. It's done. He'll kill us any chance he gets
Lorena nodded frantically. 'A-alright.' She said as she scurried down to her room.
'I'm going to kill you!' My father screamed. 'Who in Oblivion do you think you are!'
I ignored him and rushed down to the cellar where my supplies were left. I hastily grabbed the pack and tent roll that I crafted and ran back up stairs.
Lorena stood by the door waiting.
I pushed it open and let the brisk air hit my face. I looked out into the darkness, but all I could see was light. The light of a bright future. A future without my father.
I looked back at him. Still screaming and swearing, trying desperately to pull the iron rod that was embedded in his foot. I gritted my teeth and I began to cry. Pushing Lorena forward we ran. Ran as fast as we could.
We ran into the unknown.
I looked back at the house. A house built during happier times. When Mother was alive and my father actually had an hint of love in his heart. Closed-River Manor was no longer my home. I was free.
We was free.
