Wow! Sorry for the long delay!

Figuring out how to stick to a writing schedule is taking some work. The good news, however, is that I actually have a couple chapters all ready to go now! So you can expect another chapter in just a week!

As always, I do not own the Elder Scroll Series or any of the characters or assets found therein.

Hope you guys enjoy!

The fires are roaring. The darkness seeps in though the trees, casting everything in shadow except for the great flaming pyre. A family stares into the flames, transfixed.

A small boy shivers in the arms of his mother. She sweeps his long, brown hair back from his eyes, humming quietly as she braids the hair intricately. Her singing voice hangs in the thick air.

In Forests of Valenwood dwell many trees
The power of earth and sun give them their knees
The trees are our bones and the bark is our skin,
In hunger we look for something deep within.

The child cries softly, holding his stomach and bending forward. The woman holds a cool hand on his back.

"Mother, when will we be able to eat?"

"Hush, my child. We have but one more day, and all will be ready."

The pyre continues to consume the dead wood, gifts from the forest. The boy knows that such a large flame means something special is coming. No one hurts the trees of Valenwood. All this kindling was gathered from the forest floor, as a gift from the god Y'ffre. For a fire this large, the gathering must have lasted a year.

The woman finishes the braid and places her arms around the boy. "The pains will cease, Tuscal, but you must never forget this hunger. This is what gives us strength."

The boy nods, then squirms as his mother's grip tightens. Soon, the pain in his stomach became unbearable, and then Tuscal smells the stench of flames cooking and burning and consuming, until his mother's horrible mouth that was not hers comes close to his ear and says, "The hunger gives us strength."

Tuscal screams as he feels his neck bitten.

Tuscal woke in a cold sweat, a sharp cry still echoing in his sleeping chamber.

The nightmares were getting worse. Much worse. Tuscal sat up in his bed and held his head between his hands. He slowly inhaled and exhaled, working to calm his racing heart. It did little good.

Tuscal rose from his bed and paced his small room. His walk was erratic, frantic. He stopped and looked out the window at the frozen night.

He was still in Winterhold, not the Forests of Valenwood. He was surrounded by the comfort of stone walls, not twisting and writhing undergrowth. And he was alone. Tuscal reached up to his neck, remembering the dream.

It was just a dream.

Still, he was not eager to return to bed. Instead, Tuscal thought back to a week prior, the first day after he arrived at the College.

J'zargo had checked in on him immediately at dawn. Tuscal had politely but steadfastly refused the bacon and sausage served to him in his quarters, and the Khajiit came himself with a plate of fresh fruit and warm oats.

"J'zargo apologizes if the food is unsatisfactory. I must admit, when I heard a Bosmer was staying with us, I wrongfully assumed you would be follower of the Green Pact. Tell J'zargo, is this more suitable? You must regain your strength."

Tuscal had not expected the vampire to blatantly come to him while the sun was up, but he was able to answer the Khajiit without a tremor in his voice. "Yes, this is just fine. My choice in diet stems from personal convictions."

J'zargo bowed his head. "J'zargo understands completely. Rest assured, here at the College, you will find whatever your heart desires. But where are my manners! You came to us quite nearly upon death's door, and so urgent steps were taken to ensure your survival. I have not introduced myself formerly."

The Khajiit bowed his head and placed a hand upon his chest. "I am J'zargo, and I am fortunate to be the Master Wizard here at the College. It is my duty to facilitate the education and betterment of our student body. May I ask, who exactly are you?"

Tuscal sat up in the bed, keeping his back flush against the headboard. "My name is Tuscal. I hail from Valenwood, although that was a long time ago now. I have been living in Skyrim most of my life, practicing and perfecting the art of Alteration."

J'zargo placed his paws together and gave a small smile. "Yes, I witnessed a small taste of your Alteration skills when you arrived. It is an interesting school of study, no? J'zargo is ashamed to admit that we at the College are currently lacking expertise in this. Our most recent Alteration master, Tolfdir, has…" J'zargo made a small shrug. "Retired. And even he was quick to admit that the Nordic understanding of the magic was quite limited."

Despite his circumstances, Tuscal felt a small smile steal upon his face. "Yes, you are correct. Nordic knowledge of Alteration is very sparse."

J'zargo stood and spread his arms wide. "A proposition for you, then. When you have regained your strength, you must make a show of your knowledge and abilities. A lecture, if you will. You may freely stay as a guest in the meantime, but…" and the Khajiit winked conspiratorially. "If you impress, we may insist you stay."

Tuscal nodded, inwardly thanking the divines that everything was going so smoothly. "Yes, that sounds wonderful. If I could have a week to prepare."

"One week, then," J'zargo snapped his fingers as he left Tuscal's room, "And then J'zargo will see what you can do."

And now seven days had passed. Tuscal spent his time preparing, gathering materials, planning his lecture. The elf had no doubt of his abilities. His entire life had been in the pursuit of knowledge. Everything had fallen perfectly into place.

But the dreams persisted. Every night, Tuscal tossed and turned in turmoil. Every night, Tuscal was affronted by vison, memories, or a hellish mixture of the two. While Tuscal's days were spent preparing, his nights were filled with demons, with Tuscal's family, with dead Vigilants, with vampires and with the strange man who set this all in motion.

Tuscal sighed, and again looked at the dark sky outside his window, just catching a dark shape outlined against the moon. Tuscal blinked several times, dumbstruck, but the shadow was already gone. Tuscal shook his head and turned away. He couldn't afford to lose his focus. It was vital that he obtain this position at the College. Reluctantly, Tuscal lay back down on his bed.

And really, there's no way he had just seen a dragon. Just another nightmare.

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading! As always, thanks for checking out my work!

I would love comments and reviews, and I am open to constructive criticism. You guys have an awesome day out there, and happy questing!