Chapter – II

I couldn't believe what I was seeing as I stood rooted to the spot, staring at the impossible with my mouth hanging open. Turning into a deer of all things should have been impossible, but this, this was even more impossible.

This shouldn't be happening.

This shouldn't be happening.

This shouldn't be happening.

This shouldn't be happening.

I felt myself getting light headed and took several deep breaths as I tried to calm myself down so I wouldn't pass out, looking away from the Black Door and trying not to think about it while being unable to keep from thinking about it. It was trying not to wiggle a loose tooth, it was impossible.

If the Black Door was here, then the Dark Brotherhood was here.

If the Dark Brotherhood was here… I didn't want to go there. I really, really, really didn't want to go there.

But I had to. .

If the Dark Brotherhood was here, then I was in Tamriel.

Specifically Skyrim from the look of things, I should have recognized the place the moment I saw it. I didn't know how I couldn't. I've spent many, many hours playing Skyrim and probably even more playing Oblivion. I'd been hunting for a Game of the Year edition of Morrowind for console, but hadn't had any luck.

I could see the familiarity now that I knew what I was looking for, but everything still looked different. It would have been fantastically awesome if I wasn't so scared. I was a deer in Skyrim, people ate deer here regularly, there were people whose sole job was hunting.

Uh-oh…

I was standing in front of the Black Door, which is in Falkreath, and possibly had the most hunters of anywhere in the entire game.

I. Am. Screwed.

I was going to end up being some family's lunch! I had to get out of here and fast! I turned to run, but which way? I could only stand there in shake as I tried to figure out which way to run. I needed somewhere I could hide and be safe that had plenty of food and water around.

That line of thought was the one thing that kept me from flying off in a complete panic.

Okay, basic needs. What do I need?

First thing, shelter. A safe, hidden shelter preferably that would be hard for humans to find and get to. I pictured Skyrim's map in my head and started trying to figure out a list of potential hiding places.

A snort behind me jerked me out of such thoughts before they could even begin.

I whirled back around to the pool of water and found myself nose to nose with Shadowmere staring into his blood red eyes. I stood rooted to the spot as he snorted again, almost like he was laughing at me.

I wonder…

"What're you laughing at?" I demanded of him, trying not to flinch when my voice came out as a series of animals noises that sounded like a combination of goat and horse sounds.

He snorted again, obviously laughing at me, "Well, well, the doe knows how to speak."

I blinked at him in confusion, the gave him a suspicious look. I had no idea what a 'doe' was but I imagined it was an insult of some kind. "What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded of the evil-looking horse, who was much scarier in person.

Are those fangs at the corners of his mouth?

"Exactly what I said," He answered in a superior tone. I suddenly noticed that I didn't even hear horsey sounds when he spoke and I heard an actual voice. I wondered if he heard deer sounds or my human voice when I spoke. "I do not often run across others that can speak," Shadowmere continued, obviously looking me over, "You are a bit of an… unusual specimen are you not?"

I glared at him a moment before I rolled my eyes, "You have no idea…"

"Really?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious, "Do tell."

He was almost chatty. It was a little surprising, but if he didn't have anybody to actually talk to otherwise… I'd probably be chatty too. I sighed and drooped slightly where I stood, "I don't even know where to begin."

"The beginning," Shadowmere's dry voice answered, "Is usually the best place I have found."

I sighed again and glanced at the Black Door, then looked back at him. I didn't want to chance any of the Dark Brotherhood popping out, seeing me, and trying to make a meal of me. That wouldn't be fun at all. Especially if it was Arnbjorn, the werewolf would likely have no qualms about turning me into dinner.

"Somewhere more private?" I suggested, "I don't exactly what to become dinner for them," I nodded at the Black Door.

He twitched slightly, jerking his head up and staring at me very intently. I was no expert on reading the expressions on a horse's face, but I would definitely call the look he was giving me a glare. A bit puzzled and slightly confused glare, but a glare never the less.

"And how," He began in a voice in an overly mild tone that instantly put me on edge, "Do you happen to know about them?"

This could turn very bad, very fast. I wasn't sure if I could outrun Shadowmere or not. He looked sleeker, stronger, and faster than he did on the TV screen in the game. I swallowed, suddenly nervous but kept my resolve, "I'll tell you," I paused, "Somewhere private, meaning away from the door."

No amused snort this time. The suspicious look on his face hadn't left either. In fact, he wasn't saying anything at all… This just couldn't be good.

The silence continued to stretch, neither of us moving or saying anything. Shadowmere probably had all day to hang around and wait until someone appeared from behind the door, I didn't. I racked the reaches of my brain for something, anything I could say to distract him, calling on my lore knowledge of anything and everything I had ever read about the Elder Scrolls games…

"Weren't you a girl about two hundred years ago?" I asked him bluntly, hoping I had the timeline right, "When Lucian LaChance was your rider?"

Shadowmere was staring at me with an expression that was a mix of shock, wonder, and curiosity. He was silent for several moments before nodded and stepping to the side, then forward, "This way."

I heaved a sigh of relief and followed the black horse back the way I'd come up the trail, then turned left to go up the hill I'd come down. I briefly wondered if this was a good idea, leaving with a sort-of stranger who might just think I know too much… But Shadowmere was the only one I'd been able to talk to since I woke up and I needed someone to talk to.

He was silent as we walked up the hill, all the way back up to the ledge where I had first spotted the pool of water. We stopped there and stood side by side looking out over the forests around us, blanketed in mist and fog as a result of the rain last night.

"How did you know?" He finally asked quietly, not looking at me.

I sucked in a breath of air as I thought about how to answer. I was silent for several moment before I finally said, "I'm not from this world." He turned his head to look at me then, looking interested and more than a little bit wary. I sighed and continued, "I woke up here on… I don't even know what. There was what must have been a mage and a circle of rocks with candles and the bloody skull…" I shuddered at the memory.

Shadowmere snorted a laugh, "You obviously know who I am and my associates, I would assume you know what we do for a living as well then?"

"Yes," I nodded, miserable, "But seeing something in a…" I groped for a substitute, there was no way Shadowmere would know what a TV was, "Picture and seeing something in person is totally different."

"Pictures? Dear girl, am I to understand you know about myself and my associates from books?" He sounded almost as if he didn't quite believe it, but to the point that he thought it was funny. It was unbelievable, but he thought it was funny.

"Kind of," I answered, wondering why he wasn't making a big deal about me being from another world, "The pictures move within their... frame and somebody is controlling where it goes and what it does." I huffed in annoyance as I struggled to come up with a way to explain what playing a video game was like.

"That sounds interesting, but that does not exactly explain how you knew about my past life," Shadowmere answered, reminding me of a teacher trying to direct a student back on topic.

I laughed, well snorted and shifted my shoulders in the closest version of a shrug that I could. "It does and it doesn't," I argued, finding it briefly funny that I was arguing with a demonic horse that could talk back. I licked my lips, reminded of how thirsty I was, and tried to explain again, "I think it might be closer to compare it to a dream, but you're awake and you know what you're doing," I tried again, "But it's not you, you. You create like a… A version of how you want to see yourself and you control the you in the dream."

I paused and looked at him to see if he was with me so far. Shadowmere was staring at me like he wasn't quite sure what to make of me. I figured he was probably trying to decide if I was crazy or if I was really telling the truth.

"You with me so far?" I asked him, just to check since he wasn't saying anything.

Shadowmere eyed me a moment before nodding, "Somewhat yes, proceed."

I wanted to roll my eyes at his downright conceited manner of speech. It was annoying and not at all how I had pictured Shadowmere would talk if I had ever considered him talking in the first place. I would have imagined him to be a blood thirsty monster out to kill anyone and anything he didn't like. Polite, refined Shadowmere was almost scarier.

"Okay," I agreed, earning me another odd look from the horse, and continued, "I made a character that lived through the Oblivion Crisis that joined the Dark Brotherhood while it was going on. She was recruited by Lucien himself and he eventually gave your… er, past life self to her when he made her his Silencer. Sound familiar at all?"

Shadowmere was staring at me with an expression I couldn't read before he looked away. "Yes," He said simply, "That is all correct."

I looked away too, "I was sad when Arquen and the rest of the Black Hand killed him. It wasn't fair. I didn't get a chance to save him." Even though I had played through Oblivion with more than one character on more than one occasion, I didn't want to tell Shadowmere that. I was also relieved that Lucien's Silencer had been a she like my characters had all been.

A sound very similar to a growl rippled from Shadowmere and it almost seemed to grow darker around him, before he sighed and the darkness vanished. "I was angry with her. I wished very much for a chance to slay her myself, but circumstances never permitted me the chance. The Listener would have stopped me. She saw us all as victims of the trailer's plots, Arquen included."

"I never did get the chance to find out what happened to her after the Oblivion Crisis," I paused, "Or the Listener for that matter," I was fishing for information a little bit here, but I really wanted to know. I was curious to find out what had eventually killed Arquen and what has happened to my dark elf character. If it was my character that he was talking about, I couldn't just ask him what her name had been. That would seem suspicious I thought.

"They were both slain defending the Night Mother's chambers in Bravil when the Thalmor attacked," He answered, his voice sad, "I pulled the cart that a few new initiates had managed to get the Night Mother's crypt into to safety in Cheydinhall," Shadowmere finished, staring down at the black pool below us blankly.

"And then there was no Listener and the Brotherhood has been in decline ever since," I finished the tale. It was sad, even if it was happening to a bunch of professional killers and most people would say they deserved it.

"Yes," Shadowmere replied simply, "I long for the day a true rider such as Lucien and Morrigan will come and serve Lord Sithis."

"You don't like Astrid?" I asked him, startled. I didn't think it would really matter to Shadowmere who his rider was, but I guess if he could understand humans it probably really did.

I was also relieved that he finally mentioned a name and I got an idea as to which of my characters he was talking about. Morrigan had been the last character I had made, a dark elf that lived through the whole main quest first then started the side fraction quests. I didn't remember doing any of the quest lines beside the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood with her though.

"No," His tail swished in an aggravated way, "She claims leadership to this Sanctuary by simply having been handed the position, not because she is worthy of it! Doing away with the Tenets! The disrespect!" Shadowmere made an angry, growling noise and stomped a foot to show his opinion of Astrid's rule.

I hesitated, knowing that I probably really shouldn't do this, but that I was going to do it anyway. "Give it time. You'll find somebody."

He swung his head around to look at me, "Truly?"

I swallowed, "That or this Sanctuary and everyone but Babette will die," Was my blunt answer. "There is a choice for whoever is in charge of the 'dream.' The Night Mother will be safe though," I added on quickly, to reassure the now nervous looking horse.

He practically vibrated with suppressed energy and I wasn't sure if I should stay put or run for my life. Shadowmere's expressions were terribly hard to read.

A sigh was finally given and he shook himself before eyeing me like he thought I might be crazy, "Both lead to a life without Astrid, so I suppose I could live with either option. For so long as the Night Mother is safe, the Brotherhood lives."

I didn't dare tell him more. That one option would result in the Dark Brotherhood having a Listener once more and the other would likely result in centuries of rebuilding with a possibility of them dying out altogether. I was afraid he would demand even more information from me, more than I was will to or should give.

"So young doe," Shadowmere interrupted my thoughts, "You clearly know who I am, but I believe proper introductions are overdue," He snorted a laugh, then tossed his head the way I pictured high spirited horses doing, so his whole mane flew up briefly. It was a pretty picture. "I am Shadowmere, sworn servant of the Dread Father Sithis, tasked with service to the most worthy of his loyal followers within the Dark Brotherhood."

He bowed his head slightly then and I started as I realized he was indicating that I should introduce myself. "Oh! Well, I'm Morgan, uh I just got here last night so I guess I'm uh…" I didn't have anything else to say, "I'm Morgan." I finished lamely.

A snort form Shadowmere, at least he thought I was funny.

"Uh, question for you Shadowmere," I spoke to break the short silence.

He snorted again, "Ask."

"What's a doe?"

The bright red eyes blinked. Once, twice before Shadowmere threw back his head and whinnied, which my not-quite-a-voice translated into laughter. This went on for several moments, during which I became increasingly frustrated.

"Okay," In interrupted his laughter, annoyed, "You can stop laughing now."

He snorted a couple more times before reining himself in and shaking his head, still clearly amused by my question. I wondered if I was about to get some embarrassing talk adult horses gave to their babies…

"My dear Morgan," Shadowmere answered, "A doe is what you are. A female deer."

"Oh," I answered, feeling stupid and a little glum. Sure I knew a whole lot about Skyrim and Oblivion, but there was stuff I didn't know too. I hadn't ever bothered to read very many of the in-game books, I didn't know anything about wilderness survival or how game travel would translate to me traveling on foot. I liked exploring in game of course, but I never made my character sleep unless I was killing time for shops to open.

I had no clue how I was going to survive in the wilderness, let alone surviving it as a deer.

"Though I will admit," Shadowmere's voice called me back from my approaching panic, "I've never seen a deer quite like yourself." He was clearly looking me over again, with what I equated to puzzlement on his face.

"So there's no chance of me hiding out and hoping I don't become somebody's dinner?" I asked miserably, hoping he say 'yes, there is a chance' and then give me a plan for surviving. Then I could ask him about getting home and he'd have a plan for that too and somebody who wouldn't try to turn me into dinner I could go talk to. Then that person could send me home and my life could go back to normal.

A soft whinny met my question and Shadowmere shook his head, "I am afraid that is not the case," He answered to my disappointment, "You do not have antlers as deer have, but horns closer to that of a goat. You resemble a deer more closely in body type, but your size is more akin to a horse." Shadowmere paused, looking strangely pleased with me, "I believe you will be able to outrun any horse in Skyrim, myself included."

"You did seem faster when you were a girl," I said without thinking and immediately wished I hadn't. I wasn't trying to offend Shadowmere, the words had just popped out. I really hoped he wasn't too angry with me…

Those red eyes blinked in surprise before another whinnied laugh was given. A few snorts were uttered before he got himself under control and nodded, "Indeed. The bodies of the Skyrim breed of horse do not support my sense of speed, but their hardy nature is required for me to live and blend in."

I blew through my nose in a sigh of annoyance and rolled my eyes, "Just how long do you live anyway?"

"Until I need to change, such as here when I needed to migrate to Skyrim or until I am slain," He answered readily enough, still looking amused.

I blinked at him, "So in the Oblivion Crisis, when you pulled the Night Mother to safety…?"

"I suffered many wounds," Shadowmere answered, his voice low as he looked into memory, "But I was able to cling to life until the Night Mother was safely hidden."

I nodded and looked out over Falkreath as I tried to determine what I wanted to ask him next. The obvious hit me as soon as I thought of that and I mentally rolled my eyes at myself, "Do you think you could help me find a way home?" I asked as I looked back to him.

Shadowmere looked at me with surprise, "I am afraid not, I do not know how you came to be here in the first place."

I sighed and looked away, my head drooping with sorrow, "Neither do I."

"Tell me of it. Perhaps I will think of something that will help," The horse suggested, nudging my shoulder with his nose.

I sighed and raised my head back up and turned to look at him, "Alright," I agreed, "I was laying down to sleep in my bed and I was still human…"

I hope that the little bit of a cliffhanger I left everyone on last time makes a bit more sense now. It was a little bit of an awkward way to leave off and I realized that when I finished with it, but otherwise there just wasn't a good place to break up the chapter without ending up with a monstrously long chapter.

For those of you who have been reading since chapter one, you may have noticed that I now have a cover! It was a speed paint I did that isn't all that great, but the insignia of Kvatch was bothering me so I had to replace it with something! Yes, it is suppose to look like Yakul from Princess Mononoke. Why does Morgan look like Yakul you might be wondering? Well, that's how she looked in my dream so that's the way it is!

XOXO my readers, until next time!