The warmth of a campfire brought Kedi back to consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she saw the stars sparkling above and a circle of tall trees all around her. She clenched her hands and her fingertips dug into the earth. She sat up with a groan and clutched her head when the world began to swim around her.

The campfire was burning healthily, with unrecognisable meat roasting on a spit above it. A strange elf sat on the opposite side, her peculiar eyes sparkling in the firelight – they were completely black with a golden ring for an iris. Her hair was whiter than bone despite her obvious youth, and pulled back in a half-ponytail, exposing cheekbones and ears that were both sharper than a knife. Her skin was a dark golden brown, and contrasted starkly with the flyaway strands of snowy white hair that escaped the leather strap. She wore a leather vest which exposed toned arms, and leggings, despite the harsh weather, with various belts and satchels hung about her person. Kedi's studying her went unnoticed, as the elf was concentrating on restringing her elaborate bow.

"Nice bow. It's not wooden, is it?"

The elf focused her strange eyes on Kedi, causing her to shiver. Something about that bottomless black ringed with gold was unsettling; they looked devoid of emotion.

"No, it is bone."

"Thought so. You are a traditional Bosmer elf of the forest, then?"

"When possible. I will not starve to death just because there is no one to eat, however."

Kedi examined the elf with more caution as she returned to her work. That was the reason behind the black eyes then. Most Bosmer elves refused to harm any plants for their own gain, and instead chose to live as carnivores and, sometimes, cannibals. Devout Bosmer ate everyone they killed, and were said to possess the ability to transform into violent, crazed animals able to destroy and devour hundreds of enemies. This woman was definitely dangerous, and yet she had saved Kedi instead of eating her.

"You are alive because the Gods made it so."

Kedi's eyebrows shot up. "The Gods saved me?"

That uneasy gaze returned to her face. "They called on me, and I saved you. Then I dealt with your victim." She gestured to the fire and Kedi paled as she realised where the roasting meat had come from.

"He was murdering Dunmer girls in the city."

"I do not care. I was not judging you."

Kedi ran a finger under her blindfold and turned to study their surroundings instead, in order to avoid looking at the Bosmer that made her so nervous. The forest was strangely green, considering they couldn't be far from Windhelm, but she noticed her armour and full satchel lying nearby.

"Do you get into the town often?"

"No. The forest is my home."

"How did you get my belongings from the inn?"

"I called on the Aretino boy you had spoken to previously, and he assisted me. I did not enter that place. It would have been dangerous."

"So, you solely live off what you find in the wild?"

"Yes. I do not like to kill my beasts, but they clothe, feed and arm me. I do not leave the trees. They hold my magic."

Questions buzzed around Kedi's mind like flies. Every other Bosmer she'd come across in Skyrim had relinquished their traditional ways along with their homeland, and it was rare that a true Bosmer would share their lore with you.

"Your beasts?"

She gestured to the woods around them. "The animals that dwell amongst the trees. They are kin. My beasts."

"So they obey you?"

"They do not attack me. They see me as beast, like them. I can force my will onto them, if I must. I prefer not to."

"And the trees hold your magic? What does that mean?"

"I cannot be killed amongst my trees. They protect me, revive me if necessary. They make me eternal, they make me powerful. So, I do not leave them."

"Sounds like a nice deal." Kedi smiled.

"It is all I know."

"Why did you leave Valenwood?"

"I do not recall ever being there."

"But all Bosmer come from the Sacred Forest."

"Not this one."

The Breton frowned as she tried to make sense of the elf before her.

"How did the Gods lead you to me?"

"The trees whispered of you, of Sithis and his Wife, a spirit yet to join you, and a duty yet to be fulfilled."

Kedi raised her eyebrows again; this Bosmer was full of surprises. "What else did the trees tell you?"

"They whispered of death, betrayal, love, and rebirth; a journey on which I must accompany you. I cannot tell you more than this."

"Why not?"

"It is not for you to know yet."

Kedi studied the elf while she thankfully kept her gaze down. There were faint white markings on her brown skin, like old tribal tattoos, mostly dots and straight lines converging on one another in an elegant design around her features and arms. Her long and pointed ears were pierced, with big white discs hanging from the lobes, accompanied by various coloured beads. Her leather vest was tight, with a fur lining, and tied down the front, with her leggings of a similar design. Her feet were bare, and sported the same white tattoos as her face and arms. Two thick belts hung around her waist, carrying assorted knives and daggers, potions and ointments, and a third was slung over a shoulder and worn across her torso. The third belt had many small pouches and a larger bag near the hip. Two larger daggers were sheathed on the belts around her waist, but her long nimble fingers showed her preference and fondness for the bow as she continued tending to it.

"I need to get back home."

"Yes, you do. But we will eat and rest first, and wait until sunrise."

Kedi's stomach turned at the thought of eating the man she had chased through Windhelm, but her worried thoughts were silenced when the Bosmer produced a roasted rabbit for Kedi instead and kept the Imperial flesh for herself.

"I can't just let you into our Sanctuary. There's a reason we've survived this long; we stay hidden, we stay safe."

"You have nothing to fear from me. I would not care to see the Brotherhood come to an end. Everyone must die, after all."

Kedi stared at the elf for a moment longer before nodding to show she trusted her. They ate in silence, and afterwards the Bosmer elf prepared a fur-lined bedroll for Kedi to sleep on, announcing that she would prefer to sleep amongst the flowers and grasses instead. When they had settled, the Breton realised she hadn't asked the elf for her name.

"Do you have a name?"

"None that would be of use to you." She replied, and was silent for a moment. "But you may call me Nock."

Kedi smiled in the light of the dying fire, her eyes somehow exhausted again already. Nock: the cut on the end of an arrow to keep it in its place and to stop it slipping. She couldn't help but appreciate the prophetic feel to that name.