The dunmer blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the bright Skyrim sunlight. He looked out across the landscape in front of him, taking in the beauty of the environment
Suddenly, the dunmer heard Ralof speak in a hushed voice.
"Get down!" Ralof exclaimed. Ralof and the Dunmer crouched down behind a nearby rock, and cringed as the dragon they had spotted in Helgen flew overhead, moving north. The pair breathed a sigh of relief.
"I guess we're the only ones who made it out," Ralof said tiredly, "but don't worry. I'm sure Jarl Ulfric managed to get out another way." Ralof beckoned for the dunmer to follow him down the path to the north. The pair began hiking at a brisk pace.
"We're not too far from Riverwood," Ralof said, "My sister, Gerdur, runs the mill there. She'll help us with supplies." The dunmer simply walked on next to Ralof in silence.
"Can you tell me your name, friend?" Ralof asked. The dunmer stayed silent. Ralof shrugged. "Well, you can tell me what to call you another time." Ralof said, "You know, you should come to Windhelm and join the fight to free Skyrim!"
The dunmer looked at Ralof in surprise. "What?" exclaimed the dunmer.
"Aha!" said Ralof, "Finally, some speaking." Ralof smiled as he looked the dunmer in the face. "And yes, I did mean what I said about joining us Stormcloaks. We could use fighters like you, you don't have to be a Nord to fight for their homeland!" Ralof said proudly.
"This is actually my homeland as well." Said the dunmer, "I was born and grew up near the border between Eastmarch and the Rift."
"Then all the more reason to join our cause!" Ralof said happily. He then frowned slightly, "If you don't mind me asking, why were you trying to cross the border if you are from Skyrim?"
"My brother lives in Cyrodiil," the dunmer answered, "I was planning to go and see if he was alright, what with everything occurring in Tamriel at the moment."
Ralof nodded, "Understandable. The damned Thalmor are poisoning this country. Their Concordat is oppressing every human in Tamriel." The pair had come to a fork in the road, with one path going east and one going west.
"If you don't mind," the dunmer said, "I'd like to think over your idea alone." He gestured down the western path.
"Of course." Ralof said, "Meet me in Riverwood at the mill when you've decided." He began walking down the east path, leaving the dunmer alone.
The dunmer turned and walked west, eyeing the sky. The sun was going down, and rainclouds were forming overhead. The dunmer fingered the roughspun tunic he was wearing. It would be little good in keeping him warm and dry in a rainstorm. The dunmer looked around the landscape, searching for a place to stay dry. He saw a light ahead, and began running towards it. The dunmer climbed a small hill and found, to his relief, a shrine of Talos with a small tent set up nearby.
The dunmer scrambled inside the tent, then gave a small shout in surprise. Inside the tent was a dead body. A Thalmor agent lay on his back, his eyes rolled back. The dunmer shoved the body away in contempt. "Damn Thalmor and their agents." Said the dunmer, "Maybe he was right." He said, thinking back to what Ralof said.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the tent, chilling the dunmer to his core. He looked at the dead Thalmor again. It's hooded robe looked much warmer than his simple tunic. The dunmer swallowed to prepare himself for what he was about to do, and removed the Thalmor's robe, gloves and boots. The dunmer pulled them on and rolled the now naked, except for his underwear, Thalmor outside into the rain.
Now feeling much warmer, the dunmer laid down on the ground in the tent. Despite the still strong anger at the Empire inside him, which he had kept hidden from Ralof, he was able to relax, and let sleep take him.
Several hours later, the dunmer woke and peered outside. The rain had stopped, and the sun shone warmly on the ground. As he wiped the sleep from his eyes, the dunmer thought back to Ralof's idea.
Should I join the Stormcloaks?
It seemed like a good idea. The Stormcloaks wanted to fight the Empire, and so did he. Their goals aligned, so joining them would make sense. But was it really for him? What he felt inside wasn't because the Empire was oppressing the Nordic way of life. The dunmer felt rage, white-hot and extreme, for trying to kill him for no reason at all.
No, thought the dunmer, the Stormcloaks aren't for me.
The dunmer began walking the way he had come the previous night, back to the fork in the road. When he reached the fork, he continued down the eastern path Ralof had gone down.
After walking for about an hour, the dunmer saw the wooden gate of Riverwood over the road. A little boy was sitting against one side of the gate while a dog lay across his legs. As the dunmer approached, the boy sat up.
"Hey, do you know my uncle Ralof?" the boy asked cheerily.
"Yes I do." replied the dunmer with a small smile. The boy's good mood was infectious.
"I thought so! He said that a dark elf would be coming soon! Let me show you to the house." The boy stood up and began running down the road, forcing the dunmer to jog to keep up. The boy turned left at an intersection and kept going. The dunmer followed the boy to the house he stopped at.
"Here's the house!" said the boy, panting from the run, "My parents and uncle are inside."
"Thank you." said the dunmer, as the boy ran off down the road again. He opened the door and saw Ralof inside, sitting next to a man, laughing heartily.
"Ah! My friend!" yelled Ralof, "Good to see you!" He stood up and walked toward the dunmer, clapping him on the shoulder.
"It's good to see you too." said the dunmer.
"Sit down!" said Ralof, "Eat something, you look done in!" Ralof pushed a plate of food toward the dunmer, who pulled it towards him and began wolfing hte food down. "This is Hod by the way," Ralof said, "my sister's husband."
Hod nodded. "Good to meet you friend. Ralof was just telling me how the war effort is going."
Ralof grimaced.
"The Empire is winning this damned war." Ralof said in a low voice. "All of the Jarls except for Ulfric have allied themselves with the Empire. And now with these dragons, I don't see how things can get better."
"There's still hope Ralof." said Hod, pushing a bottle across the table to his brother-in-law, who took it and drank a swig of the contents.
"So anyway," said Ralof, in an effort to change the subject, "have you decided whether or not you want to join the Stormcloaks?" Ralof leaned forward expectantly.
The dunmer shifted slightly.
"I'm honored by the offer, but I don't think its for me." said the dunmer.
Ralof shrugged.
"Very well, if that's your decision, I won't stop you." replied Ralof, "But I'll still hope you'll change your mind friend." Ralof smiled again. "Will you stay here, or continue on to Cyrodiil as you planned?"
"I'm not staying in Riverwood," answered the dunmer, "but I will stay in Skyrim."
"Then I hope to see you again friend." said Ralof.
"I hope to see you again too." replied the dunmer as he stood up.
"Remember friend, you're welcome here anytime." said Hod.
"Thank you my friends." said the dunmer as he walked out of the house. He looked up at the sky, frustrated. He still felt the fire of rage burning inside him, but he didn't know how to let it out. The dunmer tugged on the fabric of his stolen thalmor robe as he walked down the road. He saw the bridge leading out of the village and walked towards it slowly. As he arrived, he climbed onto the side and sat down, looking at his reflection in the water. He drew one of his daggers and held it out in front of him.
"They need to pay." muttered the dunmer, his voice shaking with rage, "The Empire, the Thalmor, all of them. I will have revenge." The dunmer thought about what the Empire had done. They tried to kill him for no reason, they would have sent his dead body to a land he had never even seen, and the Thalmor ran rampant, killing people simply for worshiping someone different than they did.
But what to do? Thought the dunmer, What can I do? Then he realized. The only way to get his revenge on the Empire's agents in Skyrim would be to eliminate all those who imposed their rule. And those who brought the Empire's rule to Skyrim, were the thalmor agents, and the Jarls of the holds. In order to get his revenge, they all needed to die.
The dunmer pulled back his hood and slid the dagger back into his belt. He swung his legs back over the side of the bridge and stood up.
"If I'm really going to do this, then I have become someone completely different." whispered the dunmer, "someone darker." The dunmer turned around and looked over the waterfall towards the plains.
"My new name," said the dunmer, " is Shade." He pulled his hood back over his head. "And I will cast my shadow on the Empire."