Just outside a remote village in Hjaalmarch hold, Kor's giggles echoed through the air as a fuzzy brown caterpillar crawled up his arm. The small ten-year-old was enchanted by the insect's soft, tickly hairs. Although he had seen many caterpillars before, this one's unique appearance fascinated him. Kor's initial fear of the hairs stinging him dissipated with his big brother Aphid by his side, sharing his vast knowledge of insects.

Aphid, a fourteen-year-old with an apparent passion for entomology, chuckled at Kor's delight.

"Told you it's tickly, didn't I?" Aphid said, his voice deep off the heels of puberty, "It's a salt marsh caterpillar."

He couldn't resist indulging in this tender moment with his baby brother, even if their current task was mushroom collecting for a local villager. Aphid had taken on various odd jobs to earn extra coin, in addition to his work at the lumbermill. His early puberty had allowed him to blend in with the older workers, and he was grateful for the opportunity to provide for Kor without arousing suspicion. Aphid's deep voice, tall height, and stubbly face added more to his older illusion. And most importantly, it kept them safe from those who might try to send them back to that cruel orphanage they had escaped two years ago, as sixteen would grant Aphid emancipation and guardianship, and sixteen was what they will at least believe him to be.

Kor's deep blue eyes sparkled as he asked Aphid with his curious little voice, "What kind of butterfly does it turn into?"

Aphid's sky blue eyes crinkled in response as he said with a smile, "It transforms into a moth, baby brother – big and white, with black speckles. Freckly. Like you!"

Aphid playfully bopped Kor's nose, eliciting a giggle. Kor was quite freckly, and the two dark beauty marks on his left cheekbone added those extra speckles to his freckles.

Kor's head tilted to the side, his blonde ponytail swaying. "A moth?" he repeated, his voice filled with wonder.

"Mhm," Aphid nodded and swiped his lopsided rusty hair to the side, "These caterpillars are baby moths."

Kor's laughter bubbled up again. "I don't know why, but I never thought moths had caterpillars. I thought those always turned into butterflies!"

Aphid chuckled, Kor's innocent naivety was adorable.

However, his expression turned puzzled as Kor asked next, "Are they salty?"

The big brother's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, baby brother?" he asked.

Kor's freckled face scrunched up. "Salt marsh – do they taste like salt?"

Aphid's laughter burst forth, and Kor joined in.

But Aphid's cautious big brotherly advice soon took over. "I don't know, baby brother, but I don't think we should taste it to find out."

The boy's expression turned serious, his voice filled with a hint of awe. "I saw someone eat a butterfly once!" he exclaimed.

Aphid immediately was flabbergasted and curious. "Wha—who?" he asked.

Kor shrugged.

"Some guy," he said, "He ate it and said it's how he learns what potions it goes in."

Aphid's eyebrow arched high upon his forehead. He gently plucked the caterpillar from Kor's arm and patted the boy's shoulder.

"You stay near me, baby brother," the big brother said, "if you see someone like that again, alright?"

Kor's own brow mimicked what his big brother's had just done, but the little boy nodded and filed the command away for later, should such a thing happen again.

"…Yes, sir," Kor replied, but his attention span immediately darted to something new.

"Oh! Did you see that?!" he exclaimed, his voice full of excitement.

Aphid's watchful gaze followed Kor's pointing finger.

"I think it was a frog!" Kor exclaimed, as he began hopping up and down, his ponytail whipping with the movement. "Over there! THERE! There it is again! Did you see it, Aphid?! That's a big frog!"

Aphid chuckled.

"A big bullfrog, I bet," he said and teased his little one, "Maybe a big ole death hopper waiting to gobble ya up!"

Kor squealed and swatted at Aphid's playful pinch, his giggles bursting forth.

"No, it's not!" Kor protested, his freckled face scrunched up in mock seriousness. "It's not THAT big!"

Aphid's teasing continued, his eyes twinkling with the mischief of a pesky big brother. "Neither are you, little bit," he said, "I'd say you're about…one and a half gobbles big."

Kor tried to look indignant, but his laughter betrayed him, and he swatted at Aphid's playful pinches again.

Aphid relented, sweetly wiping a thumb over the beauty marks on Kor's cheekbone instead. "Alright, little gobble. You can go play over there while I finish gathering these mushrooms for Miss Anya. You can get muddy, but no getting gulped by any critters, okay?"

"Okay!" Kor chippered, bounding off towards the frog's last known location. Aphid watched him for a moment, ensuring his little brother was safe, before refocusing on his task.

As Kor played, his joyful noises filled the air – giggles, songs, and splashing sounds as he danced along the marshy water's edge. When his boot got stuck in the mud, a brief yelp escaped him, but the humorous suction sound of unsticking himself prompted more giggles.

Aphid, ever vigilant, popped up like a meerkat at the yelp, his hand instinctively reaching for the machete at his hip. His bow was still in repair from the last time he'd leapt into action, but his protective instincts never wavered. Seeing no harm and hearing those precious giggles, he settled back down, but his ears remained attuned to Kor's antics.

Kor continued his carefree bounding, following the frog as it hopped away from the playful youngster.

"Boing!" Kor exclaimed, his voice full of glee. "Boing, boing!" The sound of his laughter echoed through the marsh, a smile tugging the corners of his big brother's mouth ever upward as he worked and listened.

Kor resumed his carefree bounding, determined to keep up with the elusive frog as it hopped away from him. "Boing!" he exclaimed, his voice full of joy. "Boing, boing!" But his excitement was short-lived, as his boot became stuck once more in the hungry mud.

Kor's face fell for a moment, his lower lip jutting out in a pout. However, his attention soon shifted to the challenge of freeing his foot from the mud's greedy grip. Kor stuck his tongue out with a determined focus at his predicament.

Just as he was finally managing to release his foot, Kor spotted the frog reappearing from the marshy water, its movements now frantic and urgent. Kor's eyes drew in confusion as the frog hopped away with a haste it had not had with his playful chase.

Before he could process what was happening, Kor found himself stumbling backward, his foot free and now both boots slipping on the slick mud. He landed with a soft thud on his bottom, but unwittingly this sudden recoil saved him from a ropey creature that burst out of the water, jaws wide open in a strike.

Kor gasped, his heart racing as this creature narrowly missed him. He scrambled to his feet, his movements hasty and clumsy on the slippery terrain. Panic set in as he struggled to find purchase, his whimpers the only sound he could manage.

The creature regained its posture, preparing for another strike. Kor knew he had to act fast – it was going to get him! He flattened himself onto the mud just in time, the creature sailing over him as it struck again. The water splashed around him, and Kor knew the thing would be back.

With a surge of adrenaline, Kor finally found his footing and took off running towards his brother.

"Aphid!" he yelped, his voice shrill with fear. "Aphid!! Snake!!! SNAKE!!"

Kor's terrified gaze darted over his shoulder, and he saw the creature slithering rapidly towards him. But his hasty turn caused him to collide with a large rock jutting out of the ground, striking his hip with a painful thud. Kor yelped again, but without hesitation, he scrambled onto the rock, hoping to escape the creature's deadly pursuit.

But the snake was relentless, its body slithered up the rock after him, as if it's legless form had millions of unseen arms made specifically for climbing mountains.

Just as all hope seemed lost, Kor heard the metallic clang of Aphid's machete slicing through the air and striking the rock, followed by a sickening thud.

Two thuds.

One being the snake's body, and the other its head.

The body continued twisting and rolling in death throws, as the head's mouth twitched and stretched, never again to close on a frantic meal.

Aphid's imposing figure stood mightily before Kor, his protective fury radiating as he stood victorious over the slain snake. The big brother's chest heaved with a triumphant sigh as he stomped the snake's head for good measure.

With a swift motion, he wiped the blade clean on his pants leg and sheathed it, his eyes locking onto Kor with concern.

"Are you okay, Kor?" Aphid asked, his voice gentle as he examined Kor's mud-stained face and trembling form. "Did it bite you? Did it—"

Kor's voice shook as he replied, "N-No, I-I'm okay…I'm fine."

Despite Kor's insistence he was fine, the little boy whimpered just after that proclamation and jumped from the rock towards his hero.

Aphid gladly caught him, as Kor flung his arms around Aphid's neck and legs around his waist, burying his face in the big brother's shoulder.

"T-Thank—Thank you, Bubba," Kor muffled in shaky gratitude.

Aphid's smile widened, his eyes filled with warmth as he embraced Kor.

"Of course, baby bub," he whispered, his voice a gentle reassurance, "Always."

He patted Kor's back and kissed the top of his head, the gesture a soothing balm to Kor's frazzled nerves.

As Kor leaned back, a sheepish grin spread across his face.

"I'm sorry I almost got gobbled," he said, but his eyes widened as he took in the sight of his mud-caked self and the now equally muddy Aphid. "Sorryyyy…"

Aphid chuckled, his laughter a low rumble. "It's alright, baby brother. And I should have been more vigilant about these marshy waters. We know snakes are rare here, but I should have known a marsh would be where you might find a cluster."

Kor's gaze snapped back towards the water, his eyes wide with alarm. "There's more??"

Aphid's reassuring pat on the back calmed Kor's fears. "There might be, but I ain't gonna let anything get ya, okay? Besides, it's about time we head back in. Got Miss Anya's mushrooms, and it's getting time for me to get ready for work."

Kor pouted, his lower lip jutting out in an adorable sulk.

Aphid's smile, however, only grew wider.

"We can play some more out here tomorrow… vigilantly," Aphid assured.

But Kor sighed.

He laid his head on Aphid's shoulder again and revealed a deeper concern. "No, it's not that," he said, "…I just miss you when you're working."

Aphid's heart skipped a beat at the sweet admission.

"Aw, I know, sweetface," he said, his voice softening as he nuzzled Kor's hair. "I miss you, too, but I gotta work. Unfortunately, we need money to have a place to sleep and food in our bellies—Oh! Speaking of food!"

Aphid set Kor down and picked up the headless body of the snake, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Thanks for luring out something to add to our stew pot!"

Kor's eyes widened in surprise. "We can eat it?!"

Aphid chuckled. "Yep, anything with a bit of meat can be edible…"

He trailed off, "…at least once."

"What?" Kor asked, his brow furrowed.

"We can eat it," Aphid nodded, his expression serious. "I've had snake, this particular kind too, a couple times in the mountains. It's not a bad taste."

Kor giggled, "If you say so."

Aphid smiled and motioned Kor to follow. "Come on, polka dots, let's head on back."

As they made their way back into the village, Aphid stopped at the front porch of a small hovel and knocked on the door.

He presented the elderly woman who answered with the basket of mushrooms she had requested, mindful of his manners by extending his arm as far as possible to avoid presenting his muddy state over her threshold.

She waved off their mud with no concern and invited them in for a cup of tea, but Aphid politely declined, citing his need to ready himself for work. Anya nodded and exchanged her promised payment instead, slipping a few extra coins into Aphid's hand with a nod and wink towards Kor. "For the real little worker," she said.

Aphid grinned. "You know it," he nodded. "Made him pluck every last mushroom in the marsh. Didn't I, bub? I worked your little tail off."

Kor chuckled. "No you didn't!" he giggled the truth.

Aphid and Anya chuckled along, but as soon as Aphid's hand was free of pocketing the gold, Kor took hold of that hand and began pulling his big brother along. "Come here, Aphid! Come on!" he tugged, his excitement bubbling.

Aphid smiled and followed Kor's enthusiastic tugs, but he did speak up. "Well, hold on, baby brother," he said, "I really gotta get ready for work soon, honey. Where are we going?"

Kor pointed excitedly towards the food vendor across the small cobble road. "Here!" he exclaimed.

Aphid's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh! I'm sorry, Kor. Are you hungry?"

Kor shook his head, his ponytail swaying. "Nuh-uh," he said, "I wanna buy you something, with my gold!"

Aphid's face softened, his smile warm and gentle. "Aw, sweetface," he said, "That is very sweet, but I don't want you spending your coin on me. Besides, I'm not hungry—"

But Kor was insistent, his grip on Aphid's hand tightening. "Come on!" he pulled, "I'm getting it!"

Aphid sighed, a small, indulgent smile on his face. He followed Kor to the vendor, who greeted them with a friendly nod.

"What can I get for you, little one?" the vendor asked, smiling at the child's excited approach.

Kor started to say something, but then suddenly whipped his head around and gave a stern order to Aphid.

"No peeking!" Kor demanded his big brother.

Aphid gave a playfully warning look to that brazen bossy tone.

"I wanna surprise you!" Kor explained and cheekily stuck his tongue out.

Aphid stuck his tongue out in return but turned his back obediently.

"Mister," he heard Kor speak politely towards the vendor, "may I buy that, please?"

"Of course, little one!" the vendor replied, "And lucky you! It's as fresh as fresh, just corked it up a few minutes--"

"Shh, shh!" Kor could be heard shushing, not wanting that snippet of detail to give away what he was buying.

"Oh—sorry, sorry!" the vendor chuckled, "One gold piece, little one, and this anonymous, ambiguous, super secret item is all yours!"

Aphid felt a tug at his sleeve, but he didn't turn around, for he knew what this was about.

Kor hopped in front of Aphid, his little arms behind his back and ever slightly leaning forward in that adorable stance he takes when he wants something.

"I need a gold piece, please," Kor requested, "From my coins!"

Aphid chuckled and handed Kor the coin, which the boy promptly hopped back over to the vendor for the exchange.

After another moment, Aphid again felt a tug at his sleeve.

He turned around this time and was presented with Kor holding up a corked bottle filled with a fizzy liquid and berries floating at the top. A juniper berry tonic.

Kor extended the bottle to Aphid, his face beaming with a big toothy smile. "Here you go, Aphid!" he gifted, "I know you like them!"

Aphid's eyes lit up, he hadn't noticed the vendor carried these, and he surprised by Kor's thoughtfulness. He didn't realize Kor had noted such a detail about him, but of course that sweet kid did.

"I do like them!" Aphid smiled, "Why, thank you, baby brother! I'll keep this to sip on while I work. That was very thoughtful of you, honey—oops!"

Aphid had been stuffing his wallet back in his pocket when it suddenly slipped from his hand and burst open on the ground, spilling coins everywhere.

Kor sprang into action, his face set in determination. "I got 'em!" he stated and dove straight to work collecting the coins and getting them back into the pouch.

When he stood to hand the wallet back to Aphid, he saw the older brother extending a napkin with treats on it for him – two honey-nut skewers and a sweetroll.

Aphid grinned, a mischievous victory upon his lips.

"Here's something for you too, sweetface," he said and took the wallet from Kor to pay for the treats.

Kor's face softened, realizing the dropped wallet was a distraction to surprise him back.

"Aphid...," he sighed, but smiled and happily took the treats, "Thank you!"

The brothers headed back to their cozy little inn room, where Aphid quickly set to work skinning the snake, cleaning himself up, and preparing for his shift at the lumbermill. Kor, too, changed out of his muddy clothes and settled onto their bed, savoring his treats.

"I'll only be working a few hours today," Aphid informed Kor, "Maybe even just a couple. We're finishing that house at the east end, and all it needs now is a couple of doors."

Kor nodded enthusiastically as he munched on his snacks.

"You be good while I'm gone," Aphid instructed, though Kor was almost always a perfect model of good behavior.

"Mind your manners, clean up after yourself," Aphid added, "Oh, and take that snake meat to Miss Orza, will you? Ask her if she can store it in the ice chest, and I'll do something with it later. You can give the skin to Mister Krimmar; he'll find a use for it. And you can give the innards to Mister Dahni; his crow eats anything."

Kor nodded again. He swallowed his food and wiped off his mouth before speaking. "Yes, sir…," he answered respectfully and asked, "Can I go play with Teeter after?"

Teeter was another little Nord boy here in the village, known for his unsteady balance after a particularly nasty ear infection during his toddling years, hence the nickname he's known by. Despite his much more frequent knocks and tumbles, it didn't slow Teeter down a bit, as he was just as rambunctious as any other kid.

Aphid smiled.

"Of course, baby brother. Have lots of fun."

He stepped over to the bed and leaned down, enveloping Kor in a warm hug and planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I'll see you in a bit," Aphid whispered, "But if you need me for any reason, you can come pester me. I love you, baby brother."

"I love you too," Kor replied, snuggling into the hug, "See you in a bit."

With that, Aphid was out the door and off to his job, leaving Kor to finish his treats and complete the tasks his big brother had assigned to him.

The last task, delivering the snake innards to Mister Dahni, took a little longer than expected, as Dahni was a talkative Dunmer who loved to share stories. He regaled Kor with the tale of how he trained his crow, a story Kor had heard many times before, but he listened with polite attention, not wanting to be rude.

Once all his tasks were done, Kor was eager to go find Teeter and play, but he suddenly remembered the wooden figurines he had left in the inn room. He decided to retrieve them so he and Teeter could play out a battle with them. Kor reentered the inn and made his way to his and Aphid's little room, his mind focused on the fun he would have with his friend.

As he approached the dresser where he had stashed his toys, he suddenly heard the inn's main door burst open with a loud boom.

Instinctively, he rushed to his room's door and pushed it nearly shut, leaving it open just a sliver to peek out at the commotion.

To his horror, he saw numerous men filing into the inn, their weapons drawn. The leader, a Nord man with a cruel grin, had a bow at the ready, aimed at someone Kor couldn't see, but he knew it was the innkeeper, Orza, when her fierce voice she demanded to know the meaning of this.

As fierce an Orc she sounded though, she was no fighter. She tried the raw intimidation of her people's voice once again, commanding them to lay down their weapons, stop this childish prank, or leave the inn.

The man, however, didn't say a word, but his wicked grin sent shivers down Kor's spine.

Without warning, the man released the arrow, and Kor heard the gasp of Orza, followed by a sickening thud. Kor's heart raced with fear as he realized what was happening.

A bandit raid.