12th Lastseed, 4E 201
So far, I did not find Skyrim an enjoyable place. I was told it would be cold, not wet. I could deal with cold though. I don't like it, but I could deal with it. The wetness was a different matter altogether it made my tusks itch. By Malacath, it's times like this that I miss hot, dry Hammerfell the most. But for all its apparent flaws, Skyrim was much better than a Thalmor dungeon. I don't think I'll ever know how their agents got so deep into Hammerfell, being the sovereign nation that it is.I grunted as the morning sun glinted off my iron pauldron and into my eyes, I looked up and saw the sun shining through the tress and began to pack up my small camp I need to make better time I am still too close to the Hammerfell border and the last thing I wanted was for the Thalmor catch up to me.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a large group of travelers moving up the road in the same direction I was going. Their pace was quicker than mine and soon I heard the heavily accented voice of a Nord speak behind me.
"Hail wanderer, what brings you to Skyrim?" the man asked, gazing at my distinctly Hammerfell style armor.
"Leaving some trouble in Hammerfell behind and Skyrim seemed a decent place to do it." I answered as I looked over to his fellows, "Large group you travel with."
"Safety in numbers," the Nord answered with a shrug. "Can't be too careful these days. We were on our way to Windhelm ourselves."
"I see. Would I be imposing if I asked to travel with you for a time? It's been a damn long journey from Hammerfell, and one I made alone."
The man's brow furrowed as he thought. "One moment" he mumbled, walking towards the now stopped group and spoke to a man near the front for a moment. After a few hushed words, he returned to me. "You may travel with us, but stay near the back."
"My thanks…" I started, unsure.
"Ralof," the Nord supplied as he caught my meaning.
"My thanks, Ralof. Call me Mazlor." I moved to the back of the group and kept pace as they resumed walking. We traveled in silence for nearly an hour before Ralof made his way to the back and began conversing with me. I learned he was much more fond of small talk than I, but I used the chance to learn about current events in Skyrim. Besides the rebellion, I knew very little about the province I was now in. I learned that the civil war had slowed, with neither side making any real gains and most of the bloodshed was happening in the form of small skirmishes. Ralof seemed bitter about this, not that I blamed him. I imagine being caught in the middle of a civil war was not great.
Being a person that does not enjoy speaking unless necessary, the small talk continued for a bit longer then I would have liked. But as Ralof opened his mouth to continue his thoughts, a scream of pain and several shouts of surprise filled the air.
"Kill the rebels!"
"Imperials, all around us!" Malacath's balls, they were Stormcloaks, they just had to be. A dull thud sounded against my chest and I looked down to see a standard issue Legion arrow fall to the ground as it bounced off my Iron plate.
"Well, shit," I sighed as I drew my battle axe and turned my attention to the sound of footfalls coming from my left to see an Imperial soldier mid charge. I side stepped the blow and brought my axe down on his neck. His body crumpled in a bloody heap on the ground beneath my blade.
"That wasn't very smar-," I let out a shout of surprise as a sound like none I have ever heard shook the air and nearly brought me to my knees.
"FUS RO," the sound left my ears ringing and my head feeling like a minotaur had stomped on it in the greatest of rages. As I struggled to recover from the deafening sound, I was blessed to notice the glint of gold from my right and managed to spin around to block the Elven mace from caving my skull in. I found myself locking eyes with an Altmer woman I assumed to be a Thalmor. There was something vaguely familiar about her.
"Recognize me, you green-skinned filth?" she snarled with pure hatred in her eyes.
"No," I responded quickly before I opened my palm and let loose a stream of flames into the Thalmor's face. Her hands flew to her face and she wailed in pain, leaving her open for a strike. My axe swung in a downward arc, severing her left leg at the knee. Her screams intensified and her hands went from her face to her profusely bleeding knee in an effort to stop the blood, but she left her head wide open. A second later, the cries ceased as my blade removed her head with a single powerful stroke.
My breath came in gasps as I gazed around the battle to see Ralof surrounded by a group of Imperials. As I moved forward to help him, I felt a burning pain in my right shoulder that quickly surged through the rest of my body and seemed to send me spinning through the air at a speed that should have been impossible. Fortunately, the feeling didn't last long. Unfortunately, it was immediately replaced with a new feeling of blunt pain, then motionlessness. I groggily looked up at the tree that I had slammed into and let out a groan as the fog of unconsciousness coiled around me. I let out a shaky cough and mumbled as the darkness took me.
"Damn…"