CHAPTER 1: Somber news
The sky was a bright, clear blue, with only a few wisps of clouds slowly drifting by as I sat on the balcony of my father's enchanting tower. Lakeview Manor was always so pretty. When the sun shined, the various plants in the garden looked so vibrant and colorful that they seemed incandescent. The mushrooms my father grew actually did glow, but they still looked beautiful in the sun.
When it rained, the forest was fantastic. So humid that I could suck moisture from the air itself when I breathed in. I felt alive and alert, as if I was in tune with the whole of nature. The gentle rapping of raindrops on the manor's roof always lulled me to sleep.
At night though, when the skies were clear and I could see the night sky lit with stars and cosmic colors is when I think the Manor was the most beautiful. The forest seemed even more alive at night when I could hear crickets singing and bats fluttering just overhead. Sometimes, just for a moment, all noise stopped and the whole world seemed so still. I'd sit completely motionless in my tower and I swear I could feel Nirn beneath me spinning in Oblivion. Then a cricket would chirp or some bats would squeak overhead, and the night would come alive again.
However, as lovely as my home was, none of its splendor or pleasures compared to my father.
You see, I didn't always live here. Not too long ago, I lived in a sad little farm just outside Whiterun. At least I did till my momma died. My father left when I was very little and I never knew him, so my aunt and uncle inherited everything, including me. They owned the farm for ten minutes before they told me that I wasn't good for anything and kicked me out.
After that I went to Whiterun. I didn't have any place there to stay, but I knew that I wouldn't last long out on the road.
So that's how it was for awhile. Begging in the square during the day and sleeping behind the Bannered Mare at night. The town beggar Brenuin was my only friend. The only one who would spare a glance and offer a kind word.
It went on like that for a few months, and then the Dragonborn came.
It was an unremarkable day, so much so that the only part of it I can still remember is him. I was sitting under the big tree in the wind district, begging again, when a huge warrior in dark armor strode towards me. At first I was terrified. The man wore dark ebony armor and a steel, horned helmet with a terrible metal face. Even his weapon seemed menacing, a black, glowing greatsword, the likes of which I had never seen before, was strapped securely on his back.
He looked like a daedric prince coming to trap my soul. I wanted to run at the first sight of that cold steel mask, but Brenuin's words rang in my head. "Listen sweetie, if you wanna live here on your own, you gotta beg in the square. Ask anyone who passes by for money if you wanna survive."
I gathered my courage and took a deep breath. Putting on my sweetest face I stepped in front of the man "Excuse me sir. Could you spare just one coin? Please?"
The dark warrior jolted in shock as soon as he heard my voice, clearly not expecting me to speak. Perhaps he didn't even notice me at first. He looked around the square and then back down at me. "Shouldn't you ask your parents for money?" He chuckled.
My gaze drifted to the ground as I told him my story, about my eviction from home. "-I… I don't know what to do. I miss her so much." It had been months since I left my home, but I still teared up a little after I told my tale.
I couldn't see the man's face, but he was as still and silent as a statue. After a moment, the warrior silently rose and reached into his traveling pouch. He pulled out a coin purse so large that he needed two hands to hold it.
When the man handed me the enormous sack, I was so stunned that I could barely stutter out a weak "Th- thank you."
The warrior nodded silently and quickly strode towards Dragonsreach, leaving me struggling to hold more money than I had ever seen before.
...
After giving a few coins to Brenuin and buying the first decent meal I'd had in a long time. The day ended and faded into night. After several weeks of renting a room at the Bannered Mare and getting three square meals a day, my gold finally ran out and I had to sleep out back again.
One night, I was awoken by a light shake to the shoulder. No doubt a guard who found my sleeping spot and was here to arrest me for lollygagging.
Ready to put on some crocodile tears and hopefully get some pity, I looked up at who woke me.
To my surprise, the person who stood above me was not a guard, but a handsome knight in shining Ebony armor. His eyes glimmered an electric blue and his wild hair was as yellow as straw with a small beard to match.
It took me a moment to notice the horned helmet under his arm and the scary dark sword strapped to his back, and I subsequently realized he was the same man from before.
"Lucia. Wake up." He said gently. "I have something important to ask you."
I was immediately surprised that he remembered my name. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and nodded. "Hmm?"
The man took a small breath and smiled to himself, as if he was thinking about my reaction to what he would say. "Lucia, do you want a home?"
If I wasn't awake before, I sure was then. I practically jumped to my feet. "Yes, yes of course! Why?"
The man looked at me and smiled warmly. "Well… I could adopt you, if you want."
To say I was surprised would be a massive understatement as I stood there and gaped at the man. The circumstances were ridiculous. How could such a man have found anything noteworthy about me? "Are you… are you sure?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
The man laughed and, to me, it was the most beautiful sound I'd heard in a long time. It began low, like a bear's deep rumble, but rose to a jovial and almost melodic chuckle. It was a laugh filled with mirth from the heart. The infectious kind that made you grin and feel good all over.
"Yes of course I'm sure... Daughter." He confirmed.
I laughed excitedly and wrapped my arms around his neck. The man patted my head and headed toward the main gate with me hanging from his neck like a scarf. I remember his scent as I hung there; he was a little musky, like a hound. Smoky too, a tad bit singed even, making me wonder if he'd been on fire recently. He smelled like the chill mountains and tall evergreens. He smelled of steel and blood and horses and people. He was adventure incarnate, like the concept itself had been anthropomorphized.
Clinging to my father was like climbing a dragon. He was a great and powerful entity who could not be mistaken for an ordinary man.
We rode to his home, our home, on a magical dark horse with iridescent red eyes. He introduced me to his friend and steward, Faendal of Riverwood, who lived with us.
...
My father was wonderful beyond comparison. Brave, powerful, heroic, perfect… but absent.
I understood there were far more important duties that the Dragonborn had other than taking care of a little girl. Still, it pained me when my dear father would disappear for weeks, sometimes even months at a time. Faendal was a sweet Mer, if not a bit awkward. After my father left, the elf would often take me shopping to Whiterun and Riverwood to cheer me up, even if it was mostly so he could see Camilla Valerius.
As I was reminiscing, Vix, my pet snow fox, nudged my hand. I smiled and stroked her back. I had found, and adopted Vix a few weeks ago. I was so nervous about whether my father would let me keep her when he came home.
When he finally did come home and I introduced her, my father smiled at me and said, "She's a very pretty vixen, and you two seem close. Be sure to take care of each other, okay?"
I promised that I would take care of Vix and thanked my father profusely even though I knew he would be understanding, like he always was.
...
Before I could continue my daydreaming, I heard a swift knock at the front door downstairs. I picked up Vix and slid down the ladder to the second floor.
As I headed down the stairs to the first floor, I overheard bits of conversation. "-Lot of gold… about your inheritance… for your loss."
I paused. Faendal's loss? I couldn't remember him mentioning any family in Skyrim. He had migrated from Valenwood and then worked for Gerdur and Hod at the lumber mill. Perhaps something had happened in Riverwood. I pondered and suddenly gasped. What if Camilla had died? How terrible that would be for him! I made it a point to speak to Faendal immediately.
The door closed as the courier left, but Faendal stayed in place, opening the delivered letter.
I tiptoed behind him, so as not to disturb his reading the letter.
Suddenly Faendal gasped, so loudly in fact that I nearly tripped in surprise. It was a deeply disturbing noise he made, full of grief and horror. He began to look about the room in panic and he suddenly gripped his hair in angst.
I walked up to him, suddenly worried. "What's wrong, Faendal?"
The wood elf began to sweat as he gaped at me. His gaze seemed elsewhere and tears started to form in his eyes.
Suddenly, for a moment, a jolt of fear ran through me. No, no, that was impossible. I shook my head.
But then I looked back to Faendal. His face was like nothing I had ever seen before. He bore a mask of panic, shock, worry, and pain. I could read the emotion on his face as clearly as my yellow book of riddles.
A dull thrum of panic began to well up in my gut. As if possessed, I snatched the letter from his hands and bolted away.
Faendal yelped in protest and started after me, immediately tripping over Vix who also yelped.
By the time he rose, I was long gone. As fast as a squirrel, I scurried up the stairs, up the ladder, and up on the roof to my secret spot where I could be alone.
I clutched the letter with both hands to my chest. I was beginning to shake.
"This is stupid." I protested aloud. "He's fine. Everything is fine." I told myself, yet my trembling hands gripped the letter so fiercely that I had to force myself to open them.
I smoothed out the now slightly crumpled parchment on my thighs and began to read. "Faendal of Riverwood, In the name of Jarl Siddgeir, it is with great regret that we inform you of the Dragonborn's death..."
Panic began rising. Surely it was a mistake, so I read it again. "inform you of the Dragonborn's death…"
My shaking was getting worse. I read it again. "the Dragonborn's death…"
I read it over and over, praying for the text to change. "Dragonborn's death… Dragonborn's death… Dragonborn's death."
Suddenly I couldn't breathe normally. My breath came in short, hurried gasps as I began to hyperventilate. I panicked, my head spun and I knew nothing more.
When I awoke, time had passed and the day had become gloomy with dark and cloudy skies. Though the forest air was humid, it no longer made me feel alive.
Slowly I dropped back into the enchanting tower and down into the manor.
On the first floor, Faendal was rapidly scribbling on some parchment with a quill and some ink. Trying to keep himself occupied no doubt. Still, I could see tears streaking down his face as he frustratedly swept them away with his sleeve. Faendal was a nice enough man, but certainly not a caretaker. More than likely, he was afraid that if he spoke to me it would make things worse.
I trudged over to the table he was working on and silently deposited the letter of inheritance next to him. He nodded a silent thank you, either unwilling to speak or unable to.
I blankly floated to my room and into my bed. Other than the throb of pain in my abdomen, nothing felt real. Just another day of waiting for my father to return. It was getting close to the day where he usually came back. Any time now he would burst through the front door with treasures and love, excitedly telling me all about his latest adventure. The day after he would show me how to string a bow or teach me to dance or instruct me on how to swing a sword. We had so much life left to live together.
Vix whined and curled up next to my bed when I offered her no response.
His flowing blonde mane and electric blue eyes, his musky smell and his warm, comforting grin was gone forever.
I curled into a ball under my covers, as if I could hide from the world, from the pain. Silently I wept, for my lost father the Dragonborn.
