A STORY OF ELSWEYR

THE LEGEND


27th of Sun's Dawn 4E, 203

The traveler should not have come out in this weather, not today, but the whispers coerced her. The harsh bite of a frost-ridden sky pierced her cheeks, but she keeps her head down and against the wind. Footsteps laid out in the ever-deepening snow were keeping her on her path. She never had to look up.

The paw-like feet meander on before they disappear with the snow, leading into a modest tent with thick hides to keep the elements at bay. The traveler quickly pushes back her hood to peer around at the interior. What she finds is a small desk filled with treasures, and a large rug spread out on the floor covered with many more. In the center, sits an old Khajiit. His posture is hunched but that could be so he could brace against the cold. The way he sits shows he still has enough flexibility to move with grace. His yellow cat-like eyes lock with hers and she knows there will be no mistaking why she is here.

"Come to learn? Come to see? Or come to steal?" He asks curiously. His voice is only lightly accented, a rarity for Khajiit people in Skyrim.

"I'm here to listen. I thought about your offer, and I'm looking to buy." Her strong voice carries over the way to the Khajiit. It looked like it was music to his ears, or at least, it should have been.

His face only darkens at this mention. The traveler sees the indecision flickering in his eyes, but he soon motions to the floor in front of him, "Sit. Sit. You have all day, do you not? With that snowstorm out there, there are little places to be. Very well, I wish to tell you something. About a memory. A long-lost feeling. Please, sit and listen. Years past, a long time ago when I was a young Khajiit, I was wandering. Lost and alone in the great dunes of Elsweyr…

"Now, these are not the normal plains, the normal deserts, they are something elusive and desolate. Not even my ancestors would walk it. I was a fool to do it. But I did. I was hungry, so, so hungry and thirsty. This was not the land I grew up in. Nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. At my home, my motherland, there were streams, waterfalls, and rivers. Long tunnels where the thriving canopy up above let in little light. Any critters down below scurried away when it would sear through. But it would show the beauty of the teeming rain forest. Dense underbrush absorbed the land as a living, breathing, being. You could feel the very heartbeat of the jungle the moment you stepped foot into it. But this new land, this was not the land of my home: where food was rampant, just by growing in the trees and water was plentiful based on the sound it made.

"This land was harsh and unforgiving. The sand blistered my face, digging into my furred cheeks. My eyes were barely seeing. I had them closed when the worst of storms came through. My cloak was useless. It did little to keep me safe. I was still blown around, clothing and all, like nothing more than a child's ragdoll. The horizon held nothing but the endless land I knew I had to traverse. Even if it meant another aching step forwards, I had to continue.

"My only comfort was the memory of sweet foods. Of kind people, and numerous dreams of home. My only sanctuary was the red and purple painted sky at sunset. Sitting under the stars gave some brief relief from the heat, I know this well. I still feel that scalding sunlight on my skin sometimes. I wish I could erase it. Who knew a memory could make you sweat?

"One day, a long few days later, my savior came. At first, he was nothing but a dark dot in my line of sight. The haze from the relentless sun kept him hidden from me until he was much closer. The dark camel was racing so fast, swaying from side to side with the weight of its baggage, I worried he would pass me by. I had to go meet it. So, I ran across the relentless sand. Do you know sometimes it would give way? It would fall out from underneath me and try to trip me up, such sneaky, crafty land.

"I raced as fast as my feet could carry me across the warm sands, almost hot in the mid-morning sun. The Redguard riding the camel appeared shocked. He hadn't seen of us, the Khajiit, yet in his long travels. I fell to my knees when I saw he would go no further. I was nothing but relieved, I could only laugh from the growing calmness that overcame me.

"But then, I pled. Until I had no more strength left, I began to beg for water, for food, for any sustenance. The man just stared down at me with a stern expression. He asked me one thing through my outpouring, 'What makes you flee? Why leave your home to brave this harsh land?'

"I couldn't think. I was stunned into silence, a great feat for someone like me, dear friend. The only sound was the harsh winds and the grit of sand. Finally, I looked to the man and told him the truth: My land, my home, was split into two. Our religion was shaken. Masser and Secunda were gone, gone for years in the Void Nights before their return. Blotted out like nothing more than the sun is blotted out by a cloud. That's what they told us. But our moons were not there anymore, they were gone, even the Mane could feel them no more. Elsweyr's citizens fear the next time they disappear. It was like living out in the desert, without food or running water. One does not last long.

"In my home there was not much left for my kind. There never would have been anything for Elsweyr. The Aldmeri Dominion were nothing but a new turning point for the land of my birth. We were a land to be conquered from our inception. Not many of my brothers and sisters knew this, however. Some stay loyal to the Thalmor with their dying breath, but most do not care. You must understand, friend, us Khajiit, have a different structure for our province. We do not see it as an organized land like Skyrim. We see our land and religion as the pinnacle of our existence. Life is what we live for, not a king or a Jarl. But I saw differently when things changed. I knew the Thalmor were clever in their deceit and would not stop once they have taken the hearts of my fellow brothers and sisters. I had to find somewhere better.

"The man didn't believe me, he told me, 'If you talk with such conviction of your home, you would not want to leave. You would do what you could to stay and preserve it.'

"My silence was his answer. He saw I had no tears left to cry with. No energy to ponder over the fate of my home, of my family, of my friends. He only gave me food, water, his precious time, and this token, dear friend. This gem, he gave me from his neck. He told me this: 'Keep it close, it will protect you from the demons you harbor inside your heart. It will not let them pass through you. Give it away when you are strong enough to fight them.'"

The older and weathered Khajiit trader holds up this gem, a glimmering bright red ruby centered in the rusted gold strands of a necklace. An amulet. An offering. The snow-covered and hide bundled traveler gives it a weary look.

"Now, friend." The Khajiit's eyes glow with something burning underneath in the candlelight. Determination. "How much are you willing to offer for such a beauty?"


A/N: This is my first oneshot so I hope everyone enjoyed it! I was inspired by the movie Lawrence of Arabia. There's a scene in there where he's riding on camelback after saving a fallen friend. His other friend is waiting for them to return from the Nefud desert, and in the blistering heat, he finally see's Lawrence on the horizon. At that point, he breaks into a run, and they race to meet each other in the empty desert. It's a long scene, and it's intense with action and emotion. It's more of that feeling that there's someone else there when it looks like he was so alone. I had this idea of a Khajiit trader speaking of his life in Elsweyr and wanted to incorporate that scene.

Let me know your thoughts! It was more experimental than anything. If there's any flaws with the lore let me know and I will have it corrected. I had fun with this and am writing more! I will post more oneshots when I have them written and they will run concurrently with my longfics. :)