The afternoon sun blazed on Pai's emerald cheeks through the dappled trees from which she emerged. She was in the foothills beneath High Horathgar, the throat of the world never looked so huge. She found a large rock and sat down. The air was thin and whined around her. Lake Geir shimmered a long way down. She would have to work to afford a bed in Ivarstead. Pai wanted to arrive rested.

Her gaze followed a swish of leaves that spun her around, and Pai was nose to nose with a petrified fox. It's frantic eyes darted from her to the road. Pai released herself into a smile and stretched her hand out and uttered her animal charm incantation. The fox became more curious, less cautious. When she scratched the creatures ear, it was in love. Pai stared out at the miles of wilderness ahead of her, and combed her fingers through the fox's wirey hair. "Will you keep me warm if I can't get a bed?" She gazed at the tiny crimped face. The fox licked at her fingers and stomped the ground in nervous excitement. But then the spell wore off and it came back to its senses, it tore into the thick undergrowth in search of more private hunting grounds.

Pai watched it go with a hopeful thought for its future. The same hope she had for herself, one of goodness and plenty. She got back to her feet and scaled the inclining road to Ivarstead. She thought she felt eyes on her, but seeing nothing, she decided it was her ancestors, cheering her on. Sunshine beat hot upon her right shoulder and it was more than enough to sustain her. But even so, she stopped once again just outside of the town. A drunk just waking up alongside the road might have seen apprehension on her face.

One fewer question. When an out of breath orc arrives in your village, would you not ask what he was running from? Or to? Best to stay composed.

The village was bustling. livestock brayed and scratched at the ground.

"Sir?" Pai inquired with a long haired Nord man lounging on the steps of the inn.

"Yes? Hm?" Smoke billowed out of the man's mouth as he spoke. His leathered cheeks squinted up in the climbing sun, but he sat a bit more upright when he met Pai's eyes. A moment of fear in him at the strange orc that just rolled into town.

"Yes, sir, I was told that I could work for a bed here?"

"You can." The man's attitude covered the fear.

"Is it you I should talk to?"

"No. Inside."

Pai nodded her gratitude and walked up the stairs. The man watched her go inside, and then settled back to his pipe.

Pai entered the dim long house and was drawn to the great fire sizzling and crackling in the middle of it.

"Welcome travelor, I am Sinde. will it be lunch then?"

"Yes and a room, but I was told I could work for the money?"

"You can. There's a wood axe, there's my wood axe, out the side door. You chop me wood, I'll give you coin. You give me coin, I'll give you a room."

"Fair enough."

Pai opened the door to the watchful mountain. Clouds languished around it's top, blazing in the sun. Pai found the wood axe where Sinde said it would be. She could see before picking it up that the poor thing had rarely been sharpened. So she set about it, she grabbed the axe and swung her legs over the whet stone. Like she had done at home a thousand times before, she had the blade needle sharp in short order. It shone sweetly in the afternoon light.

The wood fell apart under the axe. By the time the hills were coming alive with people tired and thirsty and headed for the bar, Pai had a huge pile of split wood. The Nord from the stairs sauntered now from the stables. He spotted the Orsimer woman making such a large wood pile. Then a Breton woman was curious what had the Nord so transfixed. Her impressive axe skill was drawing a crowd. Pai just wanted to bed down and start early again in the morning. The spectacle was getting too much. She quit hurriedly and bundled wood together in a waiting basket. She stuffed it full and piled even more on top.

"Is this enough?" she said as she dragged the package inside.

"My word, yes!" Sinde said, obviously impressed.

"I sharpened your axe for you, I hope that's ok."

"I- uh sure. I don't think I ever have" Sinde searched around her patrons curious if maybe she should have been? She decided that was nuts.

"It did look a little dull. What's on the menu?"

Sinde gazed at Pai like she didn't understand her for a moment.

"Uh. We have uh" and then she had to think. "We're out of the rabbit." She said rather proudly.

"So what do you have?"

"Yes, we have roast, a little of the roast left." She stole a quick glance behind a partition. "Yes, a good bit of the roast."

"How about bread?"

"Sure. And ale?"

Pai was feeling celebratory. She felt good about the sawmill. "Mead." She said, beaming. Then looked meekly around her. The place was filling up. She wanted to avoid the crowd if she could.

Sinde nodded, in reassurance, Pai thought. She took a stool at the bar and leaned her pack against it. The fire warmed her back, and the din of the bar washed her in comfort.

"That wood didn't stand a chance." The Breton woman took a seat beside her. "I took a look at that axe after you left."

"Well it's wood."

"I've never seen it so sharp!"

"I'm good with metal."

"Clearly." The Breton turned herself to the merry faces talking of the day in the wilds of the great mountain's foothills. A couple of Wood Elves, passing through. Four Nords, laughing and cackling. "You don't get out much, do you?"

Pai's face flushed. She in fact had never been much beyond the saw mill, and almost always back in the greathouse by night. Pai forced the thoughts from her head. Sinde brought her mead.

"Helvie."

"Sinde" said the Breton, without turning.

"Soup?"

"Yes. Sinde," she said, turning herself to face her. "This girl here, she sharpened your axe."

"Yes." She said smiling slightly "I know." Then with sudden concern to Helvie "Why, did someone take it?"

"No no, you think anyone's chopping wood right now? Maybe I will, after a few of these" She said, grabbing for Pai's mead.

"Ma'am, that's mine."

"Yours?"

Sinde gave her a piercing look. "Stop bothering my patrons, Helvie. Don't you have animals to bed?"

Helvie bobbed her head back towards Sinde, then stood and ambled over to a table of chattering Nords.

"Thanks."

"She's intense. But she means well. Your bread is coming up."

Pai took a long swallow of her drink as Sinde disappeared back behind the partition. She reappeared promptly with a tray of mugs brimming with ale and mead. Pai thought she should get to her room before the drunken feats of strength came out. Her brother once told her drunk Nords love to test themselves against Orcs. Maybe that was just the fear talking. She took another big swallow.

For a long moment she thought of nothing but home. Her dad might be joking right now that there's not as much wood for the evening fire tonight. Her younger brothers might take it personally. She smiled at the thought of her father and brothers wrestling out their disagreements in the evening dirt and coming back into the great house laughing and smacking each other on the shoulder. She tried to remind herself that she was ready for this journey.

"Here you go dear, fresh bread and all your troubles disappear." Sinde broke her trance. She was right, the smell of fresh bread made her feel better right away. "You look vexed."

"No. No, just a little homesick I guess. Believe it or not, I know exactly where I'm going."

"Weeehl do tell" Sinde said, pulling up her stool.

"Oh, well, it's not that interesting. I'm going to the college to study magic."

"Well that's something. We don't often get mages through here. And young ones who aren't yet mages are even rarer."

Pai smiled. She took a bite of the bread, it melted in her mouth.

"Right, well, are you sure I can't interest you in that roast?"

Pai looked thoughtfully.

"You got it." and Sinde disappeared again.

Pai turned her body to face the room. Everyone was deep in conversation, the occasional cackle rippling through the grand stone room. Pai saw people, their dirty faces, their bruised hands and scratched arms, lifting mugs and shovelling food. Pai felt like she was one of them for a moment. Their voices lifted her spirit to the giant wooden rafters. She thought this might be courage she was feeling.

The door pushed open and the three Nords that she had met at the saw mill marched in. They looked like they were in the middle of an argument. Muli, the one that ran, noticed her first. He tapped the others with his elbow and gestured. They turned.

"You." Baggi said dripping with malice.