I ran along a rocky trail, high in the in the Jerall Mountains. I looked back at Domino. She was clutching a stitch in her side, pale face was flushed pink, and the brand on her face showed stark a stark red against it. Her dark hair was in a tangled mess. I doubt I was in better shape as I stumbled with her towards a spring. We shivered in the cold mountain air as we gulped handfuls of water.
I stared at our reflections in the pond. Both of us were small. Domino was a Breton girl with black hair, pale skin and icy blue eyes. Her right cheek was marred by an ugly brand; a circle with a loop on top and lines bisecting it. My gaze shifted to my own reflection. I was a Bosmer or Wood Elf girl with golden brown skin, reddish brown hair and red eyes. My face and arms were lacerated with deep cuts, especially on my right side of my check, next to my mouth and both my hair and Domino's was roughly cut, hacked with daggers and claws into shoulder length mops.
I pulled Domino close for a hug then froze. I heard voices echoing in the forest.
"What is it, Andy?" Domino whispered in my ear. Her hand clutched at my shoulder.
"Men." I whispered. She stiffened in my arms and I quickly whispered, "No, not a hunting party from Cyrodill. I think there's a camp site nearby."
Slowly we got up and moved silently as we could through the trees. As I thought there was a campsite, a small one full of Nords. Most were wearing armour. A leather or quilted cuirass and wool trousers. The cuirass was wrapped in a blue cloth sash that wrapped across their bodies and around their shoulders. I spotted a large cookfire in the middle of the camp.
"Stay here." I whispered to Domino. "I'm going to get some food."
"No, Andy!" Domino hissed, but I was already running for the tents closest to the trees.
I stayed low, creeping between the rows of tents. I could hear that most were unoccupied. Next to the large cookfire I spotted a pavilion full of cookpots, and tables of raw meat, cooked meat, fruit and vegetables. I paused for a moment, then stole around towards the back of the pavilion and slipped under the cloth walls. Moving as quickly and silently as I could, I grabbed a half-full sack and grabbed a cooked venison leg, and some seared slaughterfish. I stuffed them roughly into the bag then struggled to shove it under the pavilion walls. As I slipped under after it, I felt it being yanked, out of my grip. I looked up, half under the cloth wall, at a large, very angry looking Nord.
"Thief!" He roared as he dragged me out. "Lads we have a Wood Elf thief!" I kicked him hard in the groin, and he doubled up and I snatched the bag and ran, to the far side of the camp.
"Fus Ro!" Someone bellowed, and something hard, struck me, sending me head over heels into the tents.
"Fire," Another Nord yelled. Groaning, I looked up as rows of tents burst into flames.
"Wolf!" A ghostly wolf stood snarling between me and the Nords, as Domino, one hand holding cracking flames, another a dark purple sphere.
"Give it up, Breton mage." A Nord man said. He was dressed in fine wool tunic and leggings and a fur-lined cloak, so I pegged him as a lord. "You and the thief are out-numbered." We looked at the ensembled crowd, most carried battle-axes, claymores or war hammers. A few also had bows drawn. Moving carefully, I stood beside Domino, and held my hands up in surrender. Domino dismissed her familiar, and held her hands up too.
"Now, why do you attack my camp?" The Nord Lord said.
"We're not attacking." Domino said. The Lord raised his eyebrows. "Really, we're not. We're fleeing trouble in Cyrodill. We hoped to cross the border."
"Well, you succeeded at that." The Lord said, "You're in Skyrim now."
Before anyone can say anything further, a horse galloped through the camp, and arrows rained down from ledges in the cliffs above the camp, and trees around us. The soldiers scattered.
I grabbed Domino's hand and ran for the trees at the edge of the camp. A battle raged behind us. Between the Nords and soldiers in Imperial armour. I shoved Domino ahead of me, when a blow struck me from behind, and I heard my own body thud to the ground like a felled tree.
