AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi everyone - I just want to say thank you for all of the reviews from the prologue, and sorry for not updating quickly - in the future I will try to update more regularly! As always thanks to Skyflower51, who without, this fanfiction would never have been written.

I hope you enjoy it! :D

Chapter One:

Skyrim is a land of legends.

Every corner of this fierce, harsh and beautiful land has a story to tell. Every mountain and tree, every river and blade of grass hides its own secrets. There is not a man, elf or beast from one end of the kingdom to the other who does not have some fable to recount. The tales they tell are the tales that all Skyrim's people know and love, the ones that are told and told again, and will be told until the death of the world. Tales of Dragonborn and Dawnguard, Harbinger and Archmage, Listener and Nightingale. Tales of courage and bravery, malice and hunger, loyalty and love, warlords and warriors. Tales of mortals who desired power, who worked for the sake of evil, and the heroes who arose to defeat them.

These are the stories that children beg their parents to tell them, the songs that bards sing, the tales that inspire warriors even now to take up their weapons in defence of their land.

Mine is but one of those tales.

I never expected that my life would pass into legend. I never thought that I might help create a new world. I never imagined that my name would be whispered in awe by mortals a thousand years after my death. How could I have known what I would achieve? I could not have anticipated that my life would follow the path it did.

I cannot say whether the Divines planned my life for me, or whether the choices I made led me to where I am today. All I know is that I am here now, and that the name of Andevir Velarion, High Elf of the Summerset Isles, is revered as the name of one of the heroes of Skyrim. Maybe even one of the heroes of Tamriel.

It is a strange thing, life. It never goes the way you might expect.

I thought I knew where my life was heading. I thought I knew what fate had in store for me.

I was wrong. So wrong. I could not have been more wrong.

The rest of the world was nothing to me. My life was all that mattered. I was certain of where my road was taking me, and I thought nothing of walking it. Even if it meant crushing others underfoot as I went.

And then I met her. And everything changed.

I sometimes stop and wonder… how is that possible? How can one mortal have changed my life so completely, so utterly beyond recognition? And how could I have changed her life so much? How could each of us change the other so greatly, and yet so subtly, so secretly, that we never noticed that we were being changed? That we never even noticed that we were making each other change?

She was a thief, a rogue, a wanderer. She knew so little of the world. She did not know how to protect herself. She was alone, and she was lost. And me? I was a fool. I am not ashamed to admit it, and there is no denying it. I was an arrogant, obstinate, conceited fool. I cared nothing for anyone.

And somehow, the two of us, together… we changed all of that.

We. Both of us. Together. As one.

How? That is the question I ask. How could we do it?

But does it truly matter? Does it matter than I never anticipated what the future would bring? Is it important that I do not understand how she was able to change me so completely? I am not certain that it does. We are here. We have both changed. And that is all that matters to me.

I daresay that in a hundred years' time, no one will remember the full truth. I expect no one will remember the snobbish fool and helpless girl that that once we were. We will be flawless heroes, just like so many other great warriors whose flaws are forgotten. But I know that it was not always this way. And that is why the time has come for me to tell my tale, for Lorianne to tell her tale, for both of us to tell our tale, so that mortals may know the truth about who we were and what we did and how it happened.

Because somehow I feel it is important that the truth is not forgotten. I feel, perhaps, like I have a duty to make it clear to everyone. You see, there is something that too few people know, and that is that everyone has the makings of a warrior.

There are cowards, and there are evil men, but even they may have a spark of courage or goodness in them somewhere. All of us can become heroes. All of us have the potential to make our lives into legends. The way the bards tell it, you might think that every hero who has ever walked Nirn was chosen by the Divines. Of course that is not true. There are some who are, but so many are not. Lorianne and I- we fought great battles, defeated terrible foes, and accomplished great things. But this fate… it did not choose us.

We chose it ourselves.

We chose that we would stand by each other. We chose that we would fight side by side. We chose to pledge our weapons and our honour and our blood and our lives to wiping out the evil of the Dominion from Skyrim. It was a fate that we decided. No one else planned it for us.

We built our legend.

And that is why it is so important that I tell you my tale. So that maybe, you will realise that you, too, can create a great future for yourself. You can make your life become legend. You can be honoured as a fearless hero forevermore.

This is my story. This is my legend. This is my life.

There was no warning. None at all.

It was morning. The sunlight was bright, streaming through the windows of my room, turning everything it touched to gold. Dust danced in the light in shimmering clouds. Outside the window, I could see wisps of white clouds slowly drifting through the sky, like puffy white ships sailing on the gentle breeze.

I let out a long, low groan as I laid down my quill. It was not often that I found it difficult to write up my mission reports, but today, all the words I wanted to put on the scroll of parchment in front of me seemed to be stuck inside my head, stubbornly refusing to come out. Perhaps it was because this particular mission had been so boring. Or maybe it was the fact that the day was so beautiful- one of the rare days in Skyrim when the weather was pleasant. I could think of a thousand things I would rather be doing than sitting here in this poky office writing about the arrest of yet another damned Talos worshipper. Or maybe it was because she still had not returned.

I sighed, twirling the quill around in my fingertips. I knew that I was being foolish. She had only been gone a day, and she would be back within a few hours. I should not be worrying about her, and I should not already be missing her. But I did worry about her, and I did miss her. It was impossible not to. Ever since our parents had died, each of us had been all the other had.

Yes. It was well within my rights, really, to miss her, to worry about her. She was the only person on Nirn I loved. The only person I had loved for a long time. The only person I would ever love.

Until she returned, I knew that I would not be myself. There'd been no word of her yet.

But then… no news was good news.

There was a knock on the door of my office. I frowned, and let out a small hiss of impatience. This was the last thing I needed, to be disturbed now. Who could want to speak to me at this hour? Had I not very clearly put a sign on my door asking for me to not be disturbed? "Enter," I called, but the word came out as a strained growl.

The door opened a fraction, and a Bosmer servant stuck his head into the room. "Agent Andevir Velarion?"he inquired nervously.

Well, he had the right room, at the very least. "In person," I snapped.

He swallowed. "Sir, the First Emissary has requested your presence."

I slammed the quill down on my desk. "Very well then," I hissed through gritted teeth. "Spare me a couple of moments to make myself presentable."

"My sincerest apologies sir." The servant shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, stuttering his words. "She asked me to inform you that it is urgent."

With a low groan of frustration, I shoved back my chair and got to my feet. What could Elenwen possibly want with me? It could not be another mission, or a hunt for a Talos worshipper. No, the First Emissary would never concern herself with speaking to someone of such a low rank about such trivial things.

I stormed out of my office, leaving the gawking servant staring after my retreating back, up a few flights of stairs, and down a corridor, until I stood at the entrance to Elenwen's office. I had only entered here once. When our parents had died. When they had told us, in those cold, careless tones. 'We regret to inform you both that your parents both succumbed to Ataxia within minutes of each other this morning. We would like to pass on our sincerest apologies and condolences at this difficult time…' And yet there had been nothing but emotionless blankness in their faces, as the two of us had collapsed into each other's arms and sobbed…

I flung open the doors.

The Skyrim First Emissary of the Thalmor stood in front of me, her eyes stern and stony. I flinched instantly, realising that I should have knocked and waited to be admitted, but she did not react to my hasty entrance with anything more than a short nod. "Come in, Agent."

I did so, and as I crossed the threshold, I suddenly realised that Elenwen was not alone. Beside her stood a figure with long golden hair, and grey eyes that burned into me with an expression I could not read. I recognised him with a sharp intake of breath. Erlandir. What was he doing there? Wasn't he supposed to be in Falkreath? Wasn't he supposed to be with-

I froze rigid.

No. No, no, no.

"Emissary," I said slowly, dipping my head in respect. "Erlandir."

"Agent," Elenwen answered.

"Andevir," Erlandir said quietly. He did not meet my gaze as he said my name, and his voice was low.

I took a step towards him. "Erlandir," I said again.

He raised his hand slightly, as if trying to warn off a wild animal. Elenwen coughed loudly. "Agent, you have been called here in order to receive tidings of-"

For the first time in my life, I broke across my superior, a silent scream rising up within me. "Where is she?"

Elenwen hesitated- something I had never seen her do before. Erlandir continued gazing at the floor.

"Where is my sister?" The words rang through the room like the roar of a sabre cat.

Erlandir raised his head, and the moment I saw his expression, I knew what the answer would be.

"Forgive me, Andevir," he replied, his voice barely audible. "Aravir is dead."

No. Sometimes there's no warning. No warning at all.

And suddenly, it was as if the entire world had been jerked out from beneath my feet, and I was falling, falling through the blackness of space.

No. Not Aravir. No. Not possible. No, no, no-

But she had been safe-

She had been in Falkreath-

She had been safe-

She had been with Erlandir.

I did not realise I had moved until I had moved. One moment I was standing frozen in the doorway, the next I was slamming Erlandir against the wall, my whole body shaking with fury and grief, my hands around my fellow agent's neck. The only noise to be heard was the sound of shattered glass, which I had knocked over to lunge at Erlandir, breaking into a million different shards, breaking just like my heart.

"She was with you!" I was the first to break the silence, as I screamed in a voice which sounded like it no longer belonged to me. Gone was the emotionless cold voice. Gone was my dignity and the phacade that I didn't care. And now I no longer cared: I only cared for what had been, and what had been lost. I cared only for revenge. "You said she'd be safe!"

"There was nothing I could have done!" Erlandir replied, his eyes widening for a brief second, before they narrowed back, as he hid away his thoughts, and most inner emotions he had left. If he did have any left… and they were still there, they would not be there for much longer…

"But you told me you would keep her safe!" I felt as if someone had lit a fire inside me, and it was blazing in every corner of my body. "Why are you here? Why not her? Why didn't you save her? Why didn't you die instead of her?"

"Unhand me, you fool!" Erlandir spluttered, struggling ferociously against my grip.

"Soldier, kindly desist from assaulting your fellow agent," Elenwen snapped crisply, observing the scene with the air of someone watching a pair of beetles fight each other. "It is entirely unnecessary, unless of course you intend to kill him, which I would not advise."

"Don't tempt me," I snarled, letting my hand burst into flames.

"Well if you want to play it that way…" Erlandir hissed, magic beginning to crackle in his own palms.

"Enough!" Elenwen roared her voice echoing throughout the room. We both froze.

"You are acting like members of the inferior races! Remember you are superior bred Almer of the Thalmor. You will maintain your dignity and restrain your anger!" She paused, looking slowly at the pair of us. Elrandir's furious, shocked gasp mingled with my own. Members of the inferior races? How dare she?

"Remove those shocked expressions from your faces – I am your superior and I can insult you whenever and however I like." I felt a flash of uncontrollable rage. My sister was dead. Dead. Aravir, my sister, the only person I had left. She was dead. And Elenwen was talking as if nothing had happened, as if the world was no different. As if my life had not been torn into pieces right in front of my eyes, just moments before.

"Kindly allow me to remind you that you are both agents of the Almery Dominion and you should act like such! I would expect this behaviour from Orcs!" Elenwen watched as I slowly released Erlandir and turned to face her, my face streaked with tears I had not even realised had come to me, my entire body trembling with rage, rage that was impossible to control. "If you wish to avenge your sister, then perhaps you would like to learn exactly how she met her demise."

Met her demise. So cold. So emotionless. As if she had simply blundered into Aetherius. As if Elenwen did not want to face the truth. Aravir. My sister. Dead. Gone. Lost. Forever.

Forever.

"How?" The single word, charged with hated and fury and wrenching grief, hung in the air between us. Erlandir glanced at Elenwen. She nodded. He looked at me.

"We were in Falkreath,' he began. 'Looking for that Talos worshipper. Hadmir Frost-Bade."

I nodded slowly, trying to force myself to relax, but my fists were so tightly curled that my hands were beginning to bleed.

"We challenged the fool. Told him that he was to give up his faith or die for it." Erlandir's jaw clenched. "But of course he did not listen. A fight broke out. We were far superior to the Nord and his friend, but in a confined space like that-"

"His friend?" I broke in.

"Yes. There was a girl with him."

"And you could not defeat them?" I snarled. "You could not defeat a pair of Talos-worshipping fools? Aravir would never allow herself to be beaten by-"

"I was fighting the Nord," Erlandir spat. "He was a fiercer foe than I thought. I did not see the girl until it was too late."

I stared at him. "And she killed Aravir?"

Erlandir nodded. "I did not have a clear view. But I saw her, if only out of the corner of my eye. She had a pair of daggers, and she knew how to use them. I could not stop her, the Nord was in my way. She thrust them into your sister's chest and the next thing I knew, she was lying with her lifeblood soaking into the floor."

I stood frozen to the spot, a strange roaring noise in my ears, the blood pounding in my veins. In my mind, I saw the faceless, phantom girl advancing towards Aravir with her daggers shining, saw her lunge forwards, saw her drive them through my sister's amour and into her heart-

I saw Aravir fall, those once bright green eyes clouded over forever.

"Who was she?" I whispered.

"The girl? I couldn't get a proper look at her. That accursed Nord insisted on shoving her behind him," Erlandir told me bitterly. "But she looked to me to be an Imperial. She had long, dark brown hair, and she was fairly short. And quick. Quick as a striking snake."

"Her name?" I hissed the words through gritted teeth. "What was her name?"

Erlandir looked uncomfortable. "The Nord shouted it at one point, I think. But I didn't hear properly."

I looked down at my clenched fists.

"But, before the fighting broke out, he gave to her his amulet of Talos, and whispered to her that if anything should happen, she should run back."

"I will kill her," I said softly.

"Yes," Elenwen affirmed. "That, soldier, is why I summoned you here."

She folded her arms. "I anticipated that your sister's unfortunate end would mean a great deal to you. Therefore, I would like you to seek out and eliminate her killer."

I gazed fearlessly into her eyes. "I will take any chance of vengeance," I snarled.

"I expected as much." Elenwen nodded. "It will be wisest if you go undercover. Tell no one your identity, do not reveal that you are of the Thalmor. Find this girl. Report back to us. We shall capture her and bring her here to face justice."

I blinked away my tears. "When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow. We shall give you the full details of your mission upon your departure. For now, I appreciate that this news may have distressed you, and you will need some time to recover." She waved her hand carelessly at me. "You are dismissed. Both of you."

I found myself stumbling from the room, Erlandir hastily following. The doors slammed behind us. I collapsed against the wall.

Aravir was dead. My sister had been killed. My sister, my twin sister, who had always been at my side, no matter what happened. She was gone.

Gone forever.

"Andevir." Erlandir placed a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

"Andevir," he repeated. "I know it doesn't change anything. But I am truly sorry. Believe me, I am."

I shook my head, desperately trying to compose myself. Yet Aravir's face would not stop flashing in front of my eyes. I tried to find the words I wanted to say- that I did not forgive him, that I never could, but I understood that he could not have prevented it. That I was sorry for taking out my anger on him, that I had not been able to stop myself. That he could not understand how I felt, how my entire world had been torn apart, how my insides had been ripped out as if my some invisible hand.

In the end, all I said was, "I can't believe you let her die."

He was silent for a long moment. Then very quietly, he whispered, "Neither can I."

We stood there in the hallway, neither of us speaking. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. And I walked back to my office. As soon as I sat down at my desk, I released any amount of control I had left, allowing the darkness to swallow me whole, and encompass me with my misery. Before I buried my face in my hands and wept.

And so it was that it began.

I thought that day that my world had ended. But I was wrong. So wrong. I could not have been more wrong.

Because that was not the day that my life ended, but the day I was given a new life. It was not the day that everything I loved was taken from me, but the day I was set on the path that would lead me to the finding of a new love. It was not the day that destroyed me, but the day that made me.

It was the day that I began to learn who I truly was.

It was the day the legend began.

N.B And so the adventure begins... I hope that this chapter answered all of your questions from the previous chapter. Feel free to ask me more! And thank you for reading my story so far, and for the support so many of you have given me already! :D