> A Housecarl's Journey
>  by Crysis Commander
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: The Housecarl Comes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Lydia? Lydia? By the Nine, where is she?"

The Dragonborn surveyed his surroundings, searching for his loyal housecarl. Though the plains outside the walls of Whiterun held nothing but lush, green grass and various creatures, he couldn't spot Lydia anywhere. 

"Right...here...my Thane," she panted, limping to her master's side.

"What took you so long, woman?" he asked, glaring a hole through her.

Lydia recoiled slightly. "There were...several bandits that...ambushed me after we had passed by their cave a while back. You went on without me, so I had to fend them off."

Under his horned iron helmet, the Dragonborn stared into Lydia's eyes with the intensity and rage that only he could convey. "You did not allow them to steal any of my skooma, did you?"

The battered and bruised woman shook her head vigorously. "No, my Thane. Your bottles of skooma are all here, as well as your moon sugar, Sleeping Tree Sap, and your potions."

"What about my staves and Arch Mage robes?"

"All right here, my Thane."

The Dragonborn clapped his hands together and smiled. "Excellent. Perhaps I will make your punishment for failing to keep up with me less severe tonight. We shall see how drunk I get."

At this, Lydia's smile faltered. Another beating from her master was the last thing she needed right now. Thanks to the bandits, she had fresh, bleeding wounds to attend to.

"Excuse me, my Thane, but is it possible for me to drink one of your healing potions? Those bandits certainly did a number on me," said Lydia, showing her bleeding arm to her master.

She was answered with a scoff. "I am the Dovahkiin; I need every potion I can get. You will live to fight another day, my loyal servant girl."

There it was. That word: servant. How Lydia wished to draw her sword and cut down her master right then and there, but alas, this could never come to pass. After the Dovahkiin had defeated the dragon that attacked the watchtower near Whiterun, she, as a housecarl, had sworn to protect her Thane with her very life; killing him was not an option, no matter how unbearable he may be.

Despite knowing that the Dovahkiin would most likely increase the severity of her punishment, Lydia persisted. "Perhaps you could use a healing spell? I know that you dabbled in Restoration magic while at the Mage College."

Before she could continue, Lydia felt the brawny hand of the Dragonborn hit her face, sending her to the ground. He placed a steel plated boot on her chestplate, preventing her from returning to her feet.

"Those spells are for mending myself and myself alone. You are but a lowly servant girl: an expendable resource. How dare you speak back to me in that way! I am your Thane, your master! I'm the slayer of Alduin the World-Eater, the Arch Mage of the Mage's College; I am the Dragonborn! I could kill you anytime I wish, girl. I would suggest you remember that before you complain to me again."

He removed his boot from Lydia's chest. Before she could stand back up, the Dragonborn pulled Lydia up by her flowing brown hair, eliciting a yelp from her.

"Never speak to me as an equal, woman. You are but a housecarl - my servant. Now what do you say?"

"Thank you for your mercy, my Thane. Long life to you."

Lydia looked into her Thane's eyes, her bottom lip began to quiver and moisture starting to blur her vision. She strained to keep from letting her emotions loose. If she did, she would surely receive a much more merciless beating from her master. Lydia was supposed to be a strong, fearless warrior of a woman; she was a Nord, after all. Although, when she had sworn to protect this man, she had no clue that she would be treated as if she wasn't worth the ground he walked on.

A gruff voice to her left broke the silence. "You there, you call yourself an Arch Mage?"

Both Lydia and the Dragonborn looked over to see a cloaked figure, his robes a dark shade of blue, the cuffs of which were a lighter purple. He pulled back his hood, revealing his long grey hair and beard. In his left hand, he held a peculiar looking staff, the top of which resembled the head of a horse.

"What is it to you, old man?" the Dovahkiin asked, laughing heartily.

The man tapped the ground with his staff, his eyes staring directly into the Dragonborn's. "I challenge you, Arch Mage. I challenge you to a duel."

"Very well, old man. I accept your challenge."

The Dragonborn pushed Lydia forward. "You heard me, Lydia. Kill him."

Looking at the robed figure, Lydia sighed. Why did this always seem to be the case with the Dragonborn as of late? Every time he had to fight, she was the one who ended up doing the dirty work.

"Sending your housecarl to fight for you? Interesting choice," the man said with an egotistical smirk.

Preparing for a fight, Lydia held her shield in front of her and drew her sword, a bead of sweat trickling down her cheek. They both stood there for what felt like hours to Lydia, but was most likely only a minute or two.

"Come then, housecarl. Let's see what you're made of."

Though the intensity of the moment threatened to hold Lydia in place, petrifying her in her own anxiety, she took a step forward, then another, and another until she was sprinting towards the man. The mage, however, was a statue, standing completely still. When Lydia was but a few feet away, she raised her sword and screamed as she brought it down on her opponent. To her surprise, just before her blade would have slain the mage, he swung his staff effortlessly and knocked Lydia's sword from her hand.

Lydia continued forward with her momentum and fell to the ground, watching as her sword stuck into the earth a good distance away from her. She looked back at the old man, a smirk on his face. He raised his free hand as a ball of flame formed within. As quick as she could, Lydia got back to her feet and dashed towards her sword. Her breathing was ragged and erratic, the familiar adrenaline rush of battle overtaking her. She turned around just in time to see a massive orb of flame headed towards her. She knew that there would be no way of dodging. In a split second reaction, Lydia held her shield in front of her and braced for impact.

The ball exploded when it hit her shield, sending Lydia flying back to hit the ground with a loud thud. She cried out and held her arm with her sword hand. Not only was she still greatly wounded from her fight with the bandits, now she felt as though she had been cooked over a fire. Panting, she tilted her head to the right and saw that she had landed next to her sword. Lydia turned onto her stomach and painstakingly stood up, the adrenaline running through her veins growing even stronger.

As the pain started to numb, Lydia turned around and pulled her weapon from the earth. She narrowed her eyes at the old man, who continued to wear that infuriating smirk.

"I'm going to wipe that grin from your face for good, old man," said Lydia, pointing her sword at him.

A chuckle escaped the man's lips. "Is that so? So far you've failed to make a single scratch on me, girl. Tell me this isn't your best."

"I'm just getting started."

With her shield in front, Lydia charged him again. An icicle spear shot from the mage's hand. Still running, Lydia spun on her heel and dodged. Her opponent replaced the frost magic in his hand with fire magic, casting firebolt after firebolt at Lydia. To her right, Lydia spotted a ledge no bigger than a few feet jutting out of the ground. This was her chance. She ran towards it, bolts of flame hitting the ground just behind her boots. She sheathed her sword and placed her shield on her back, taking out her bow and a single arrow. The arcane attacks didn't cease as she darted up the ledge, notching the arrow in her bowstring.

In what seemed like slow-motion, Lydia leaped off the ledge, pulled back the arrow, and released, watching it sail into the mage's chest. He staggered back and fell to his knees, his eyes wide with surprise. Lydia landed hard on the ground but quickly got back to her feat and darted towards the man, putting away her bow and drawing her sword once more. As she drew closer, her opponent picked his staff off the ground. He pointed to her and a dark purple orb shot forward. Lydia tried to dodge, but the orb it her square in the breastplate. Before the darkness enveloped her, the last thing she saw was the mage fall to the ground; dead and still wearing that antagonizing grin.

Lydia opened her eyes to find nothing but blackness around her. She looked around, puzzled.. Wait a minute, this isn't Sovngarde. I thought all Nords were sent to the great mead halls of Sovngarde when they died, she thought. This doesn't make any sense...unless...this is the Void.

Completely forgetting that she was supposed to be a fearless warrior, Lydia started to panic. This isn't good, not at all! How could I be sent to the void? I haven't done anything to anger the Eight divines. How do I get out of here?!

Suddenly, a speck of light entered Lydia's vision. Narrowing her eyes, Lydia realized that the speck was getting bigger. Her eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face.

"Sovngarde," she said before losing consciousness.

Little did Lydia know that Sovngarde was not the land that awaited her.
> Chapter I: A Quest of Her Own
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Regaining consciousness, Lydia attempted to open her eyes only to be greeted by the sun giving her a less than friendly wake-up call. She closed them and grunted. Her throbbing head did not help her predicament in the slightest. 
Turning onto her side, she opened her eyes again. There was one thing she immediately noticed: the earth and grass beneath her had somehow become much more colorful that the usual monotonous color Skyrim had to offer. She felt her armor to make sure it was still intact and checked her shield and blade. Everything about her seemed to be in order besides her slowly fading headache, but the surroundings still puzzled her.

Ahead of her, just beyond a hill or two, sat what seemed to be a town the likes of which Lydia had never seen. Though she was a good distance away, she could make out a few of the buildings, each one stranger than the last.

"Where am I? Why is everything so...bright?" Lydia asked of nobody in particular. Walking to the peak of the nearest hill, she could make more of the structures, and most odd of all, it's inhabitants.

"Horses? Why are they colored so strangely? Where are their masters?" she whispered to herself.

"Hello there!" said a child-like voice from behind Lydia.

Finally, someone to explain things, she thought, turning to face the source of the voice. Behind Lydia stood a small, brown-spotted colt. Though he had a cream colored coat, he wore a red cloth around his head.

Wearing a confused expression, Lydia knelt down to the colt's height. "Hello there, little one. Where is your master?" she asked in the manner she would address any other beast of burden in Skyrim. To Lydia's astonishment, the colt's expression changed into a look that seemed to match hers.

"Master? What are you going on about?"

Lydia's eyes went wide. She stumbled back, scrambling to her feet and drawing her sword. "By the Eight, the beast talks! What manner of dark magics is this?"

The little horse giggled a bit. "Of course I can talk. All us ponies can talk, and you're the strangest looking pony I've ever seen," he said, tilting his head a bit to the side.

As he spoke, Lydia backed farther and farther away from the mysterious talking horse, fearing for her very life.

"You stay away from me, monster! I am unsure just what sort of trickery or madness has caused you to talk, but I will have no part of it."

A light tapping on Lydia's shoulder caused her to scream and jolt around. A purple horse with a darker purple mane stood behind her. The oddest part about this horse to Lydia was the horn jutting out of it's skull.

"I knew there was something funny going on here," the lavender horse said.

This was the last thing Lydia remembered before fainting.




"Will it be okay, Miss Twilight?" Pip asked, a concerned expression on his face as he looked at the unconscious creature in the hospital bed.

He was answered with a nod from Twilight. "The human will be fine, Pip. They're usually quite tame creatures, though this is the first human to come around here in quite some time."

Pip smiled and looked at the "human"- as Twilight called it. He gingerly extended a hoof to brush the hair from her face. Despite Pip having never seen a creature such as this before, he was not afraid. In fact, he felt rather comfortable in the human's presence, even if it was unconscious and lying in a hospital bed.

Lydia's expression changed from one of rest to one of discomfort as she slowly opened her eyes, nearly blinded by the pale, artificial light above her bed. She turned onto her side to avoid the blinding luminescence and opened her eyes further.  
The motley colt from before was looking back at her, a smile on his muzzle.

"Ms. Twilight, the human is awake!" he said energetically.

"Stendaar's mercy!" Lydia cried. She scrambled out of the bed, landing on her back on the opposite side. With a grunt, she returned to her feet and reached for her sword. Nothing was there. Her eyes widened as she looked down to see that not only was her sword was missing, but her armor as well, leaving her completely...exposed.

A deep blush overtook Lydia's face. As quick as she could, she grabbed the sheets from the bed and shielded herself from the strange talking horses.

Twilight looked a bit confused, but Pip couldn't keep himself from staring at Lydia; his muzzle appeared to have a slight reddish tint.

"Where is my armor and equipment, foul demons?" Lydia snapped, trying to mask her deep humiliation.

The older pony stepped forward. "I imagine you're wondering why we can talk, correct?" she asked.

Seeing as they were not attempting to inflict some sort of vigorous torture upon her, she shifted her look from one of rage to one of curiosity. "Indeed. How...how can you talk? Where am I? What are you? How do I get back home?"

"My name is Twilight Sparkle and this is Pipsqueak. The land we're in is known as Equestria, the main inhabitants of which are like us. We're ponies. Now...who are you?"

"I...I am Lydia; housecarl and protector of the Dovahkiin."

Twilight tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "What's a 'Dovahkiin?'"

Lydia was about to explain, then decided against it. These creatures may be able to help me return to Skyrim, but I shouldn't tell them of the Dragonborn. I'm clearly in some other world, meaning that there must be a Dragonborn here, as well. If I tell them about Skyrim's Dragonborn, then the one here may seek to destroy him and gain his power. As much as I despise him, I cannot allow that to happen; my oath forbids me.

"It's...it's nothing of your concern," replied Lydia, hoping that the ponies would buy it.

After pondering Lydia's story for a moment or two, Twilight nodded. "Alright, then. Since you're a human, I know you aren't from Equestria. Where are you from, Lydia?"

"I am from Skyrim, a country in the land of Tamriel."

"Hmm. Sky-rim. I've never heard of it before," said Twilight, brushing her chin with a hoof.

"Wait. You said that you know I'm a descendant of man. How do you know this?" asked Lydia. She wrapped the sheet around her body and sat on the bed again, expecting a lengthy story.

A sigh escaped Twilight's lips. "Beginning a year or so ago, humans started passing through here on their way to the mountains, claiming to join the following of Sagittarius and seek his guidance."

Lydia looked puzzled. "Sagittarius? What is that?"

"It was the name given to a constellation by Starswirl the Bearded. Little did he know, however, after assigning the constellations their identities, a creature representing each formed. Years back, our town was attacked by Ursa Minor, one of the named constellations. Sagittarius, the centaur, is said to have retreated into the mountains after it was created. Followers of the constellation's creatures have been around ever since, but none as prevalent as Sagittarius. Since it is half man and half horse, both humans and ponies have flocked to the monastery where Sagittarius is said to live. They haven't really bothered us, so us ponies haven't bothered them."

Twilight walked to the open window and looked out at the distant, snow-capped mountains. "Though I do get the feeling that there's something more going on; something sinister."

She returned to Lydia's bedside and chuckled. "I'm probably just over-thinking things."

"Okay, but how does that help me get back to Skyrim?" asked Lydia in more harsh of a tone than she had intended.

"Oh, sorry, I lost track of what I was saying. My original point is that to allow followers of Sagittarius to travel across dimensions to live at the monastery, Sagittarius sealed his power into a blade said to be kept there."

She reached into her saddlebag and levitated a book over to Lydia. "Here. This will explain the process of it's use and where the monastery might be located."

Lydia eyed the book mindfully. Flipping through the parts that Twilight had already told her, she came to what appeared to be some kind of cryptic message:



Through the valley that stretches as far as one can see,
To survive that is to prove you are indeed worthy.
Within the mighty mountains there His home doth stand,
For those who reach it, He will be sure that their reward...
...will be grand.




"It says something about a lengthy gorge and a mighty mountain range." Lydia said, looking to Twilight for a translation.

The unicorn's eyes widened. "I...I know what it means, but..."

"But what?" asked the housecarl, her nervousness increasing at Twilight's hesitation.

"It means that in order to get to the monastery, you have to go through"-Twilight gulped-"the Valley of Trials and the Ghastly Mountains."

Lydia pondered a moment. "I'm assuming that the valley is filled to the brim with trials and the mountains are rather perilous?"

Twilight nodded.

Bringing her hand to her mouth in a pondering manner, Lydia stood from the bed and walked over to the window, the ends of the sheet around her dragging across the floor. Looking to the distant mountains to the north, a pang of both fear and excitement swept through her. A determined smile crossed her lips.

"I guess I have no time to lose, then," Lydia said, turning back to the two ponies.

Her new-found vigor seemed to radiate into Pip as a tenacious expression appeared on his muzzle. For Twilight, however, Lydia's determination seemed puzzling.

"You mean you...want to go through all of that?" she asked.

Lydia nodded. "Of course. I always love a bit of adventure."

"Miss Lydia, is it okay if I come with you?" asked Pip, his eyes pleading.

The housecarl laughed and walked over to Pip, putting a hand on his head. "I'm afraid you're a bit young for adventuring, little one."

"But why?" whined Pip, a more childish nature showing itself in the young colt.

He seems similar to the young boys in Skyrim; never wanting to know a moments rest as the crave of excitement consumes them, thought Lydia. Though it was an admirable trait in the little pony, Lydia shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Pip. That's the way it has to be. A trip such as this is too dangerous for one of your age. Besides, I won't be coming back here once I reach the monastery."

Pip's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"Once I obtain the Blade of Sagittarius, I can return to Skyrim. I know that one such as I don't belong in a place such as this. You have my thanks for your help, but I have to return home." She directed her attention to Twilight. "If you could tell me where my armor and gear are, that would be wonderful."

With a sigh, Twilight motioned for Lydia to follow and walked out of the room, Lydia not far behind.

"There's got to be a way I can go along," Pip said to nopony in particular. Suddenly, a crafty idea popped into his head. "I've got it!"




"Please, Miss Lydia. It's late. You can't leave at this hour. I ask you to please stay the night at my house," said Twilight, pleading with the human.

A sigh escaped Lydia's lips. "You horses are persistent, I know that much. Alright, I will sleep at your home for tonight only. I will leave first thing in the morning."

"Thank you. I just didn't want you to enter the Valley of Trials at night. Besides, your knapsack doesn't have any food in it. You can't go off on a journey with an empty stomach."

A growl from Lydia's stomach caused her to take the unicorn's suggestion more seriously. "I guess a hearty meal would do me good. Thank you for allowing me shelter and food for the night, Twilight."

"It's fine, really. Many of the humans who came through here before you stayed at the library, as well. I'm sort of used to humans by now." Twilight looked out of the hospital lobby towards the setting sun. "We should get going; it's almost dark."

With this, the human and the unicorn left, making their way to the library as the sun's last rays disappeared into the night.




Upon entering the hollowed-out tree, Lydia's eyes widened.

"I can't recall ever seeing such a great number of books in one place," she remarked.

"Well until you leave tomorrow, you can read as many as you like. Just be sure to put them back where you find them."

"Thank you, Twilight. I highly appreciate your hospitality," said Lydia, bowing her head slightly.

The unicorn rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. She hadn't been expecting this much appreciation from her guest. "It's no problem Lydia, really." Before she could continue, a loud yawn escaped her lips. "Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay here in a minute. Goodnight, Lydia."

"Goodnight to you as well, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight cantered up the stairs into her room, leaving Lydia with only the massive bookshelves for company. A with a sigh of contentment, Lydia approached the shelves and selected a book regarding the Valley of Trials and another about the Ghastly Mountains.

Now to find out what I should be expecting on my journey, she thought.

As she sat down to read, the familiar feeling of drowsiness came over her. She slumped forward in the chair, drifting off into a deep slumber.




Lydia's eyes slowly opened, allowing her to realize that it was now some time in the late morning. She rose to her feet, causing the two books in her lap to fall to the floor. Not wanting to be an inconsiderate guest, Lydia picked them up and placed them back on the shelf.

"Oh good, you're up," Twilight said as she descended the stairs. "I put as much food as I could in your knapsack, so you should be set to go."

"You have my sincerest thanks, Twilight."

The housecarl picked up her knapsack from the ground. Hmm. Even though Twilight only added food, it feel a bit heavier than it did yesterday, she thought. She quickly dismissed the thought as nothing more than her imagination.

"Alright. I'm ready."




Twilight and Lydia approached the gate to the Valley of Trials outside of Ponyville. The only thing separating Lydia from her journey now as the solid steel door surrounded by towering walls. She turned to Twilight and knelt.

"You have my regards for all of your assistance, Twilight Sparkle," she said.

"Thank you, Lydia. Be careful."

Returning to her feet, Lydia approached the door and pushed it open.

This is it. No turning back now.

With a deep breath, she stepped through the door and closed it behind her. Before her lay exactly what the poem had said: a valley that seemed to stretched as far as she could see. In the distance, Lydia could see the caps of the Ghastly Mountains - her final objective.

"There's no time to waste," Lydia told herself. With her best foot forward, she set off on her very own quest.




Some time later, Lydia heard a faint, muffled noise coming from nearby. She removed her knapsack and drew her sword, ready for anything this strange land could throw her way. To her surprise, the sounds were coming from inside her knapsack. Curious, Lydia bent down and undid the strap.

Suddenly, the top of her knapsack flew open, sending apples, carrots, and various other fruits and vegetables flying out as well as a motley colt with a red cloth around his head.

"Pipsqueak?!" 
	
> Chapter II: First Encounter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The motley colt looked up sheepishly at Lydia. "Um...hello."

"By the Eight, child, what are you doing here?!"

Pip looked away, lightly kicking the ground with a hoof. "I just wanted to come along. I've never been on a real adventure before, and since you wouldn't let me, I sneaked into your bag last night while you were asleep. I'm sorry."

Fuming, Lydia started to say something, but placed her hand on her mouth before she could. She began to pace back and forth, livid that she now had another mouth to feed and another annoyance to worry about. Again, she tried to say something, but her words caught in her throat when she saw the tears falling down the young colt's face.

Lydia's heart sank. "H-hey. Don't cry, little one. Please don't cry."

"How can I not? I knew you didn't want me along, but I came anyway. I ruined everything," said Pip, attempting to wipe the tears from his muzzle.

You've certainly done it now, Lydia, she thought. To her surprise, the familiar sensation of moisture pooling in her eyes came to her. As much as she tried to hold it back like she did with the Dovahkiin, she couldn't hold them back now. Seeing the poor, innocent soul before her in such a state was too much for her to bear. She knelt down and gently wrapped her arms around Pip, holding him close to her.

Pip was taken aback at first, but soon returned the embrace. "Please forgive me, Miss Lydia. I didn't mean to ruin your adventure."

"No, Pip. I'm sorry for overreacting. I guess a bit of company on this journey would be nice," said Lydia, ruffling the hair under Pip's bandanna. Confused, Pip pulled away from the hug and looked at Lydia curiously.

"You mean...I can come along?"

"Well, considering that the book says that once you enter the Valley of Trials, the only way out is to pass through, I guess you'll have to join me."

"Don't worry, Miss Lydia. You can count on me!" said Pip, giving a little salute. A low rumbling sound caused the colt's expression from one of determination to one of embarrassment. He lowed his hoof from his forehead to his stomach.

Lydia chuckled. "I take it you're hungry?"

"I-I guess so," replied Pip, his face a light shade of crimson. His face flushed even deeper when he felt the gentle touch of Lydia's hand on his head.

"Then perhaps this is as good a spot for lunch as any."




A light breeze whistled through the grassy meadow as the human and the pony sat down to eat. Upon opening the knapsack, the aroma of fresh fruit, vegetables, and mead filled Lydia's nostrils. With a smile, she took an apple from the bag and handed it to Pip as she took out a bottle of mead for herself.

"So tell me, Pip, do you like living in Ponyville," asked Lydia, opening the bottle and taking a long sip.

"It's a nice town, but it gets boring, sometimes."

Lydia giggled a bit. "I can imagine." She took another sip of her mead. "I was never one for the peaceful life. The very idea of not seeing all the world had to offer never sat well with me."

"Really?" Pip asked eagerly, "I feel the same way!"

"You're an interesting one, Pip, I'll give you that."

Pip looked stunned. "I...I'm interesting? How's that?"

"For one, it seems that you seek the same thing I do: excitement and adventure. That's an admirable trait in one such as yourself." She reached over and placed a hand on the colt's head. "I think you'll make a great adventurer too, one day."

The young colt was at a loss for words. This creature - this...human - was telling him that he could be a great adventurer, something he longed to be for as long as he could remember. Accompanying the redness in his cheeks, a weak smile formed on his lips, growing by the second.

Before Lydia could say anything, Pip walked over and hugged her torso. Lydia was surprised to see him act in this way over such a small observation, but she decided not to say anything.

"Thank you so much, Miss Lydia. You're the first pon - er, creature to say that I could become what I've always wanted to be," said Pip.

Lydia smiled. She briefly return the embrace before returning to her feet.

"You're welcome. Are you finished eating?"

Pip nodded.

"Then let's get moving, shall we?"

With a light chuckle, Lydia patted the little pony on the head, picked up her knapsack, and continued on her way, Pip not far behind.




Some time later, the feeling of the air began to shift. Sensing that something wasn't right, Lydia held out her arm, signaling for Pip to stop. He obeyed.

"What is is, Miss Lydia?" he asked curiously.

Dropping to one knee, Lydia reached down and put her hand to the earth. Though the lush grass brushing against her skin felt as normal as grass can be, she knew that something about the ground was wrong. She grasped a hunk of dirt and held it up to her eyes. Not seeing anything suspicious, she tilted her hand to allow the earth and grass to fall back down. Something in the fallen ground caught her eye. The small specks mixed in with the dirt could only be one thing...

"Sand," said Lydia.

"Sand? What does that mean?"

Lydia returned to her feet and wiped her dirty hand on her breastplate. "It could mean a number of things, but what it probably means is that we're drawing nearer to the first trial."

"What do you think we'll have to do? Will there be monsters?"

"I'm not sure, and probably," Lydia replied with a sigh.

She looked back to Pip, and to her surprise, found a confident smile on his muzzle. "Let's show them what we're made of," he said.

"And so we shall," concurred Lydia.

With this, the two of them continued on their way, speculating what the valley had in store.




The air became more arid and hot. Beads of sweat trickled down Lydia and Pip's faces as they forged onward. Through the heat waves in her vision, Lydia could make out that they were approaching a hill.

I'm guessing that the first trial lies beyond there, Lydia thought. She picked up her pace, eager to see her first obstacle.

Upon reaching the peak, Lydia gazed at the seemingly endless ocean of sand that lay only a few feet beyond the bottom of the hill. The grassy meadow didn't gradually lead into the sand; there was a clear point where the green turned to the beige.

Lydia took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled.

Time to see what I have to do, she thought.

In her state of concentration, Lydia hadn't noticed that Pip had gone ahead of her to the dividing line. She was snapped out of her trance by Pip calling her name.

"Miss Lydia! Take a look at this!"

Descending the hill, Lydia could see that Pip was standing next to an obelisk a bit shorter than herself. She approached it and noticed that at the top, a message was engraved in the smooth, obsidian rock:




Every foe has a weakness. Make them suffer for it.




"What do you think it means, Miss Lydia?"

"I'm not sure, really," she replied, "but I think it has something to do with this trial." She again took a deep breath and exhaled, the familiar anxiety of uncertainty starting to kick in. "I guess we'll have to find out."

Lydia stepped forward, her boot sinking into the sand a good few inches. Pip followed suit, his hooves making small but noticeable impression in the sand. The two battled against the wind, trudging against the force that felt as though it was cutting them to bits. Standing behind Lydia, Pip wasn't having to fight for every step as much as his companion. Lydia, on the other hand, was taking step after painstaking step against the full force of the storm. Her head was turned to the side and her hand raised to shield her eyes from the desert's onslaught.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the flurry of sand stopped, allowing the duo to survey their surroundings. To their surprise, the grassy green field was no longer behind them, nor anywhere in sight.

"Miss Lydia, which way are we supposed to go?" asked Pip, uneasiness evident in his tone.

Before Lydia could respond with some sort of reassurance, she heard a low yet clearly audible rumbling sound. What was odd about this noise was that it seemed to come not from anywhere around them, but from beneath them.

"Pip...did you hear that?"

"I did, but-"

Pip's words were cut short as a terrifying, muffled screech came from beneath the ground they stood on. In one fluid motion, Lydia grabbed Pip and dove away from their former spot just as a long, snake-like creature burst from the sand.

Lydia gazed at the gargantuan beast. It's body resembled that of a worm, but the mouth was a gaping hole filled with long, serrated teeth.

By the gods...that thing could swallow me whole, thought Lydia.

Despite the worms lack of eyes, it turned to face Lydia. The same ear-shattering cry from before exploded from it's mouth, blasting Lydia and Pip back several yards.

Scrambling to her feet, drew her sword and stood in front of Pip, her gaze focused on the monstrosity that stood before her. Though she dare not show it or admit it to herself, she was scared beyond her wits. Not only did she have to defend a child, she had to fend off a beast she had never seen before all by herself. Her breathing quickened, her pulse raced, and adrenaline started to flow through her veins.

Stand up straight, woman! Show no fear! Worthless coward!

The Dragonborn's words echoed through Lydia's mind. What she couldn't understand was why her own voice joined in with the Dragonborn's, mocking her and taunting her in her mind. During this entire mental battle, Lydia was oblivious to the worm now coming straight for her.

"Miss Lydia! Look out!" exclaimed Pip.

When she didn't react, Pip knew that there was only one thing he could do. He started galloping away from Lydia, shouting and flailing like mad.

"Hey! Over here, ugly!"

Before the worm reached Lydia, the worm turned it's attention to Pip. Seeing that he would be a much easier target, it leaped into the air and plunged back into the sand. Seconds later, Pip heard the scream of the beast again and turned to see it soaring through the air once more, speeding towards him.

Pip's eyes widened. This was it. He was done for. In his state of shock, he didn't feel himself being picked up by Lydia and narrowly missing the worm's vicious maw. Coming back to reality, Pip looked up to see Lydia, her eyes fixated on him.

"Are you okay, Pip?" she asked.

"Y-yes. I'm fine."

The creature let out another screech before slithering back into the sand.

"How are we going to defeat it?" Pip asked, fear heavy in his tone.

Lydia opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a muted croak. Again she tried to speak, but she couldn't find the words nor the ability to talk.

The patch of sand in front of them sunk in some followed by the worm emerging, it's teeth barred. A slight hissing sound came from it's mouth accompanied by a few drops of saliva that hit the ground below.

Before the worm could strike, a ball of fire hit it from the side. It howled in pain; the flames left a large, charred area on it's skin.

Lydia and Pip looked towards the source of the fireball to see a cloaked man darting towards the worm; in one hand, he held a writhing orb of flame, and in the other hand he held a dagger. Another fireball shot from the man's hand, hitting the worm once more before it retreated back into the ground.

Shaking his head, the man turned and began to walk towards Lydia and Pip. As he got closer, the flames in his hand died out.

Lydia prepared herself for a fight. Whoever this person may be, there was no telling if he would be helpful or if he was simply another part of the trial that she had to smite. When the man was within range of her attack, Lydia cried out and lunged at him. Before she could bring her sword down on him, the man stepped to the side, avoiding Lydia's attack completely and causing her to fall to the ground. As quickly as she lunged, Lydia turned on the ground and swung her sword at the man's legs.

The man jumped over Lydia's blade. After it had fully been swung, he stepped on the blade with one foot and kicked Lydia's face with the other.

Lydia fell back to the sand, staring at the sky. The familiar taste of her own blood entered her mouth. Before she could get up to continue the fight, the man got on top of her, his dagger held to her throat.

"You get off her right now!" exclaimed Pip. He took a step towards the man.

"Don't take another step, little one, or I'll slit her pretty throat," the man replied, his voice a smooth, almost calming baritone.

Not wanting any harm to come to Lydia, Pip obeyed. Even though he couldn't move any closer, he stared at the man with a vicious look.

"Who are you?" Lydia asked.

With a slight chuckle, the man pulled back his hood. His forest green eyes stared back into Lydia's. His long black locks hung about the sides of his face.

Lydia knew of only one type of people that had similar facial features as this man. When the realization dawned on her, she gasped.

"You're...you're a..." she stammered.

"Yes. I'm a Nord," he said, "they call me Borick."

	
> Chapter III: The Desert of Death
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"A Nord - but how did you get here?" Lydia asked, still pinned under Borick.

"Listen, there's no time to explain. What I can tell you right now is that we need to kill whatever that was in order to move on," explained Borick. He stood up, allowing Lydia to move, again.

The familiar rumbling sound of the creature reverberated through the terrain. None of the three were sure of it's exact location, but they knew it was close, preparing to strike, once more.

Borick broke the uneasy silence.

"Before we can be rid of that creature, we need to get inside of it."

Lydia glanced at him with a look of great suspicion. "Why would we do that? You saw it for yourself, it'll kill us and eat us whole."

"Like I said before, I can't explain it to you in a dire situation such as this. You just have to trust me."

Borick attempted to put a hand on Lydia's shoulder, to which she pulled away from him. He understood that his sudden entry into the fray would give little reason to the woman and the pony to trust him, but in order for the three of them to make it out alive, their trust was what he needed.

"I understand that you don't trust me, and frankly, I don't blame you. However, if you two want to make it out of here with your hides intact, you're going to have to believe me when I say that in order to kill it, we have to get inside of it."

Just as Lydia was about to retort, the beast burst from the sand, the burn from before still prominent on it's slimy exterior. It let loose another cry like that of a furious banshee. The worm slithered out of the sand completely and reared up on the back of it's tail.

Drawing her sword, Lydia shot a confident look at Borick. "No need. I'll kill it, myself."

Lydia darted toward the worm, yelling as fiercely as she could in hopes of at least slightly intimidating the beast. Her mind raced and her heart pounded a deafening beat as she drew nearer to her target.

How am I supposed to kill this thing? she thought.

It was then that she noticed the tail. If she could be launched into the air and bring down her sword on the worm's neck, she could effectively slice it in half. Of course, this wasn't a complete certainty, but it was the best shot she had.

Before the worm could lash out, Lydia leaped onto it's tail and drove her sword though it's surprisingly thick hide. The monster shrieked in agony and flicked it's tail into the air, launching Lydia skyward. At the peak of her flight, Lydia could tell that she was at least twice the worm's height. She gripped her sword with both hands and brought it above her head as she descended.

"You will perish this day, foul creature!" she shouted.

The two sounds heard next in a savage duet were the sounds of the worm screaming in pain and Lydia's blade slicing through the worm's skin. Though the cut was not entirely clean, the blade managed to slice all the way through and hinder Lydia's fall enough so that she hit the ground with a thud instead of a series of cracks.

Due to the massive amounts of adrenaline pumping through her veins, Lydia felt barely any pain from the impact, though she knew that a health potion would do her good. Returning to her feet, she removed a health potion from the knapsack and downed it in a single gulp. She looked at the slain beast laying in the sand and started to laugh.

"You see?" asked Lydia, walking back over to Borick, "I killed it without your ridiculous idea. This was my victory! You had nothing to do with it!"

"Um...Miss Lydia..." said Pip, looking behind Lydia and backing away slowly, "I don't think you should have done that."

"Pardon?" Lydia asked.

"I d-d-don't think you should have done that," he repeated, his face turning whiter than it already was.

Borick pointed behind Lydia, causing her to turn around. What she saw made her blood run cold and her heart nearly stop.

The two halves of the worm were growing, the cut ends reforming into their lost counterparts. In what seemed to be no time at all, each half had formed into a full worm the same size as the original. Then, much to Lydia's confusion, one of the worms bit down on the other's tail. As it kept biting further forward, it became painfully clear what the feasting worm was doing.

It's...eating the other one, thought Lydia.

Once the worm had consumed it's duplicate, it started growing larger until it was twice it's original size. A low, hoarse growl came from it's mouth, chilling Lydia and Pip to the bone.

"How are we supposed to stop it now?" asked Pip.

Borick sighed. "Did you two not read the plaque?"

This caught Lydia off-guard. How did he know about the plaque? "What about the plaque? How do you know about it?" she asked.

"It said that every enemy has a weakness, and that you have to make them suffer for it. That's the key to defeating this worm," replied Borick.

"Wait, how do you know tha-" Pip tried to say before Borick cut his sentence short.

"I told you both before that I can't explain it now. We have a much bigger problem on our hands. We need to get inside that thing if we are to kill it. Do you understand me?"

Despite his harshness of tone and the fact that she didn't want to take orders from this mysterious man she had just met, Lydia now knew that she had to listen to Borick if she wanted to get out with her life. With a sigh, she picked her sword up out of the sand and took her shield off of her back.

"I understand. What's our plan of attack?"

Borick reached under his cloak and pulled out a small vial containing a grayish liquid. "I assume you know that this is a paralysis poison, yes? I'm going to need you to give me your bow and arrows so I can hit the worm with it."

Lydia took the vial from Borick's hand and put away her sword and shield. She drew her bow and a single arrow before shaking her head at Borick. "How would I be sure that you wouldn't use it on me? No, I'm going to do it."

Taking the top off of the bottle, Lydia carefully lowered the head of the arrow into the poison. As it entered, a small hissing sound came from the liquid, followed by a film of bubbles floating to the top. She retracted the arrow and put the top back on the bottle.

"You sure you can do this?" asked Borick.

"I can handle myself with a bow, thank you," Lydia replied, slight irritation evident in her tone. She notched the arrow in the bowstring and drew it back.

This had better work, she thought.

Lydia exhaled and let go of the arrow. She watched in anticipation as it sailed towards the gargantuan beast. The faint sound of metal piercing flesh and the angered cry from the worm signaled that the arrow had hit its mark.

The monster turned to face the party, it's mouth seemingly contorted in rage. With little hesitation, it charged, sending waves of sand in opposite directions of it's body.

When it showed no sign of slowing down, Lydia took a step back. "Why isn't it stopping?!"

Borick stood where he was, planted directly in the worm's path. "It will work."

The worm continued it's approach, drawing dangerously near to the three adventurers. An ear-shattering roar bellowed from the creature, forcing Lydia and Pip back a bit.

"Borick, move!" exclaimed Lydia.

To Lydia's surprise, he didn't move; he stood there, unwavering and staring at what was sure to be his doom. She was about to run and push Borick out of the worm's destructive wake, when she noticed the worm start to stiffen. Though it was still headed straight for Borick, she could see a massive decrease in it's speed.

Soon, the beast came to a full stop only inches away from Borick, it's body as stiff as a board.

Pip and Lydia were dumbfounded; they both looked to each other, then to the worm, then to Borick. As the tension and adrenaline in their bodies began to die down, they slowly regained their composure enough to look like they hadn't just seen a massive worm stop inches from killing a man.

Borick reached to his shoulder and tore away his cloak. He wore a brown cuirass adorned with a blue sash, and his gloves and boots were crafted from animal fur the same color as his armor.

Lydia's eyes widened. Those colors could only mean one thing.

"You're a Stormcloak?!" she exclaimed, reaching for her sword.

Before she could draw her blade, Borick put out an arm, signaling for her to stop.

With a huff, Lydia obeyed.

Borick turned around to face Lydia and Pip; his expression was emotionless. "No, I'm not. This is just the only piece of armor I could get my hands on before coming here." He pulled up his hood, the black trim on the outside now visible to Lydia and Pip.

"So...we just go inside?" asked Pip.

Borick nodded. A ball of flame appeared in his left hand after he stepped over the worm's teeth and into it's mouth. The luminescence of the flame lit the hollow chasm ahead of him. "Well? What are you two waiting for? Let's get going."

Still wary of their new "ally," Lydia and Pip followed him.

The inside of the worm was as Lydia had suspected: soft, damp, and reeking of death and decay. She covered her nose with her left gauntlet and drew her sword with the other, preparing for any sort of danger she may encounter. Looking back, she noticed Pip taking steps much more tentative than her own; it was clear that he didn't enjoy walking bare-hoof on such an unfamiliar and unpleasant terrain.

Not sensing any sort of impending demise, Lydia felt that this was a good a time as any to finally get some information of of Borick.

"Okay, now that we're safe - however long that may be - who are you and why are you here?" she asked.

"I told you: my name is Borick. As far as my reason for being here, I am simply in this land to do my mother's bidding," he answered, continuing his steady pace forward.

"Your mother? What does she want of you?" asked Lydia curiously.

"My business is none of yours, miss, and I suggest that it's kept that way."

"Could you at least tell me where you're headed?"

"I am going to the same place you're most likely going: the monastery. That is where I must go, and before you ask how I know about the monastery, my brothers and sisters have all been here before to attempt crossing through this valley. Each has gotten farther than the last, and I intend to succeed where my siblings have failed," Borick replied, growing increasingly impatient.

This Borick is a quite the man of mystery, thought Lydia, stroking her chin with her free hand. If she were to follow him to the monastery, she would need to know enough about him to be sure he wouldn't kill her in her sleep.

"So your mother wanted you and your siblings to seek Sagittarius?"

Borick chuckled lightly. "In a way, yes."

The stench of the worm's insides grew stronger as the party ventured further. Lydia was curious as to why they had been walking in one direction for so long. Surely the worm wasn't this long from the outside. Was it?

Before Lydia could ponder further, Borick stopped. Thinking that this was a sign for them to stop, as well, both Lydia and Pip remained where they were.

"This is the entrance to the stomach. In there we'll find what we need to move on to the next trial," said Borick, his tone flat and emotionless.

Pip stepped closer. "What are we looking for?"

"A gem buried among the corpses and stomach acid. In order to open the door to the next trial area, we need the gem from this worm."

Practically thousands of questions bounced around in Lydia's mind like rabbits, but for now, she thought it best not to ask and just follow what Borick said. He did seem to know what he was doing, so far.

Borick drew his dagger and tapped the floor of the chasm. Moments later, a small opening appeared, followed by a stench that could knock even the heartiest of men back.

Lydia's eyes watered and her stomach convulsed as the foul odor violated her senses. She felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Borick standing there, his expression was one of urgency.

"Come on, Lydia."

Pip wasn't faring much better than Lydia was. His muzzle was covered with his right hoof and violent coughs rocked his little body.

Suddenly, Lydia had an idea. She took off her knapsack, picked up Pip, and put him inside. Pip was coughing and convulsing to much to protest.

"Just hold on, Pip. We'll be out of here before you know it," Lydia assured. She returned to her feet, slung the knapsack onto her shoulders, and turned to Borick. "There's no time to waste, I guess."

Borick nodded and approached the opening. He gave a small salute to Lydia with his index and ring finger, cracked a smile, and jumped into the orifice.

In the short span of time that she knew him, that was the first time Lydia had ever seen him show any real emotion - let alone smile. Perhaps there was more to him than she previously thought.

Lydia exhaled in an attempt to relieve any sort of tension she felt while she looked into the blackness that could very well be her doom. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to jump into the hole. Despite her asking the divines for the strength to move, she didn't budge.

Damn you, woman, move! exclaimed the voice of her Thane in her mind.

I...don't know if I can...

Do it you miserable excuse for a servant! his voice retorted.

Lydia grasped the sides of her head, gritting her teeth. As the verbal attack continued, she felt as though her head were being bashed in by a giant's club. Weak whimpers escaped from her mouth as the pain intensified.

Suddenly, a new sound cut into Lydia's thoughts: Pip coughing and taking ragged, shallow breaths. The voice of her Thane and the pain in her head were gone within an instant. Her mind switched gears so that there was only one priority: get Pip out alive.

With renewed vigor, Lydia leaped into the blackness.

It was only moments later that Lydia impacted with what she knew was a corpse, landing with a loud unf. As quick as she could, she returned to her feet. Upon standing, she heard her boots splashing in some sort of liquid. She opened her eyes, but due to the absence of Borick's fire, she couldn't see anything.

"I was wondering when you'd jump."

Before Lydia could answer, a familiar light ignited and blanketed the area in a faint glow. She looked to where she landed and saw that it was the rotting body of a dead pony. Her eyes widened. Stifling a scream at the sight of the deceased animal, Lydia backed away towards the source of light. It wasn't long before she backed into something solid. She turned around, sword raised, ready to fight anything, only to find Borick.

"Let's find the gem," he said.

Lydia nodded. She waded over to the skeleton of what was certainly a human and looked around in the pool of stomach acid. Looking closer, she saw the right hand of the skeleton gripping something that gleamed in the faint light of Borick's flame. She brought the hand up for closer inspection and found a silver dagger. Taking the dagger from the hand, she noticed a small engraving on the blade. She read the message silently to herself:



The beast will only tolerate the enemy of werewolves.
Once the mound has been cut, the aspect of Hell shall ensure your victory.




What's that supposed to mean? Lydia thought.

When Lydia looked up, she noticed the left arm of the skeleton cradling something that looked like a grey lump of flesh that stood out among the greenish-brown stomach acid and floating corpses.

Wait a minute, she thought, "the beast will only tolerate silver."


Lydia took the dagger and carefully sliced open the mound. After a small accumulation of bile spilled out of the opening, she looked inside and gazed at the shard of diamond inside. She reached in, grabbed it, and held it up to the light.

Borick interrupted her thoughts. "Find anything? I know we could be down here for quite some time, so-"

He stopped when he turned and saw Lydia holding the gem, a wide smile on her face. He looked at the gem, then back to Lydia, then back to the gem. Bringing his free hand to his forehead, he sighed, though it was clear he was trying to hold back a chuckle.

"Women," he stated.

To both of their surprises, they suddenly burst into laughter.

Now not only had Lydia seen Borick smile, she now heard him laugh - two things she thought a man like him would be incapable of.

Once the humor of the moment finally ended, Lydia looked around the worm's stomach. "How are we supposed to leave and kill this thing, now?"

It was then that Borick noticed the silver dagger. "What does it say on there, Lydia?"

"'The aspect of Hell will ensure your victory.' Why?"

Putting his free hand to his chin, Borick pondered the possible meanings of the phrase. It wasn't long before he had an idea.

"Fire," he said, "the aspect of Hell is fire. Is this stomach acid flammable, perhaps?"

"I'm not sure, but it's the only shot we have," Lydia replied. She cringed as another violent cough from Pip shook the knapsack.

"Right. I have an idea: stab the side of the stomach with your sword. When the worm throws us back up, I shoot a fireball into it's mouth, and the fire will spread, killing it from the inside.

Lydia looked astonished. "That's...that's brilliant."

Chuckling lightly, Borick directed Lydia to the stomach wall. "Like the plaque said: every enemy has a weakness, and you have to make them suffer for it." Readying his fire spell, he looked over to Lydia. "Ready?"

Lydia nodded. Without any hesitation, she drove her sword into the lining of the worm's stomach. Hearing the agonized shrieks of the worm, Lydia ran to Borick who was standing under the opening to the throat.

All of a sudden, a tremendous force shot Lydia and Borick upward through the opening. As they zipped through the throat like a bullet, Borick managed to turn himself and shoot off his fireball just as they flew out of the worm's mouth.

When they both hit the ground with hard thuds, the last thing Lydia remembered seeing before she lost conscience was the worm engulfed in flames and burning to the sand.




"Miss Lydia? Miss Lydia, please wake up."

Lydia lazily opened her eyes to find a concerned-looking Pip standing in front of her face. When she saw this, she tried her best to get up off the sand and return to her feet.

"I'm glad you're alive, Pip," she said, putting a hand on Pip's tiny shoulder.

Soon, Borick began to stir. He returned to his feet and looked over to Pip and Lydia. "Well, let's move on to the second trial, shall we?"




The party walked up to the massive stone wall that separated the first trial from the second. In front of them stood a steel door with a small hole in the center.

Lydia knew what to do. She inserted the gem into the slot and removed it, causing the door to slowly open to the next trial area.

Lydia, Pip, and Borick walked out of the desert sands into the dense forest that awaited them.

	


> Chapter IV: The Forest of Fear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The formerly harsh rays of the sun were almost blocked off entirely by the thick, lush tree tops towering over the adventurers. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustling of the leaves, the chattering of birds, and the pounding of their hearts. Lydia had never seen trees this tall before. The natural giants provided her with more anxiety than comfort; their shadows dancing about as the three adventurers cautiously walked by.

Wanting to strike up a conversation, Lydia turned her attention to Borick.

"So...Borick, I have to ask: why didn't you leave Pip and I for dead? I'm certain that we are just burdens to you."

"Though you may be a burden, you're not a threat," he said, glancing back and shooting Lydia a glare.

Taken aback at Borick's straight-forward rudeness, Lydia's cheeks flared with embarrassment and irritation. Despite her attempts to calm down, her headstrong side got the better of her.

"You've could have just killed us, you know! It would have been much simpler that way!" she snapped.

Borick stopped dead in his tracks.

"Believe me, Miss Lydia, if I wanted you dead..."

Lydia blinked. To her surprise, Borick was no longer standing if front of her where he had previously been.

"...you'd already be dead," he whispered in her ear, his tone as sharp as the dagger he had to her throat from behind her.

Gods...I didn't think anyone could be that fast, she thought.

Discreetly, Lydia slid her right hand across her torso, hoping to reach her blade. As soon as she felt the hilt against her fingertips, Borick's boot connected with her back, sending her to the ground. As she fell, he pulled Lydia's sword from it's sheath and pointed it at Lydia, just inches away from her face.

"Like I said, if I wanted you dead, you would be. You're both lucky that killing you isn't required." said Borick bluntly, tossing Lydia's sword back to her and turning back to the forest path.

With a huff, Lydia returned to her feet and dusted herself off.

"Something about him doesn't seem right, Miss Lydia," Pip whispered so as to not be heard by Borick.

"I know," replied Lydia, "but he's right. He must not want to kill us, or else he would have already done it by now. I may not trust him, but he's our best shot at getting to the monastery alive."

"We'd better get going, then," replied Pip, reminding Lydia that Borick was a good distance ahead of them.

Lydia and Pip followed hurriedly after Borick, not wanting to face the trials of the forest alone.




As the party trekked further into the woods, Lydia kept thinking she heard the sound of rushing water. Dismissing this as nothing more than her imagination getting the better of her, she forged on. However, the farther she walked, the louder the sound became until she was sure she wasn't imagining it. Looking to the faces of Borick and Pip, she saw that she wasn't the only one who heard it.

Going towards the source of the sound, the group came upon an open patch of forest floor, the trial plaque standing in the center. Curious, Lydia walked over and read the text aloud:




To know your enemy is one element,
To know how to combat your enemy is entirely different.




"What does it mean?" asked Pip.

Before Lydia could respond, a stack of wood fell to the ground in front of her feet. Looking up, she saw Borick, a smirk on his face.

"We're going to be setting up camp here tonight," he said.

Lydia looked through the tree tops and noticed that the sky had changed from blue to a darkening purple, red and gold.

I must have lost track of time, she thought.

Of course you did. Idiotic girl.

It was him. His voice. No matter how much she didn't want to believe it, the Dragonborn was still with her. He was still criticizing her for every mistake she made. Was there nothing she could do to escape him?

"Miss Lydia? Miss Lydia, hey!" called a distant, child-like voice somewhere in the depths of her mind.

You can't do anything right. You couldn't even save your family, could you? Your father dies in battle, your mother, brother, and sister slaughtered by the Stormcloaks, and, oh - what about good old Captain Hloggar? After killing your mother and siblings, didn't he take you as a "prize"? Such a shame your innocence had to be torn from you at such a young age.

How could he have known that? How could he have possibly known that?!

"Miss Lydia! Miss Lydia, snap out of it!"

Tears streamed down Lydia's face, making woeful pathways from her blank, distant expression. A slap to the face snapped her back to reality. Blinking several times to ensure her consciousness, she saw Pip standing in front of her, a guilty expression plastered on his muzzle.

"Sorry, Miss Lydia. I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

Regaining her composure, Lydia gave Pip a light hug, trying not to let him see the years of pain reflected on her face. "It's okay, Pip. Thank you."

"Thanks for helping with the firewood, you two," Borick chided, using a fire spell to ignite the pile of wood near the pillar ablaze, "there's a small waterfall a couple hundred feet away if you need a drink."

Lydia debated about taking a brief trip to the falls. After she realized that she may not get another chance to wash away the sand, grit, and horrid thoughts from her mind anytime soon, she chose to take it.

"You both go ahead and start eating, I will return in a bit," she said, heading towards the sounds of water impacting against rock.

Pushing past the thick brush proved more difficult than Lydia had expected. Each step she took was hindered by the dense vegetation that seemed to hold her legs in a vice-like grip.

Gods...how did Borick make it through here without leaving some sort of trail? she thought.

After clearing through one last tree limb, Lydia beheld the small waterfall. A shallow pool housed the pristine water cascading down the short distance from the top. From the pool, a stream led the excess water away, deep into the darkness of the forest. To Lydia, it looked as though the moon's pale light shone directly on the falls, illuminating the rising mist and casting a faint teal glow around the natural spectacle.

Lydia glanced back towards the camp, the faint light of a fire flickering in the distance. With a sigh of exhaustion, she turned back to the falls. Near the water's edge, she stuck her sword in the ground and set her shield down next to it. She unhooked the clasps on her breastplate and let it fall to the ground. The sudden rush of cool air against her bare chest acted as both a comfort and a shock to her senses. Removing her leggings, boots, and gauntlets and placing them next to her breastplate, she took her first cautious steps into the pool.

Despite the water's chill, a warm, unknown comfort seeped through Lydia's veins as she took further steps into the pool. Soon, she was submerged up to her upper waist with the falling water only an arm's length away.

If only this water could wash away more than simply the sand and grit, thought Lydia.

With a deep breath, she dipped her head into the glass-clear pool, allowing the water to envelop her.




Muted crackles from the fire echoed through the surrounding forest. Borick poked at the flaming logs with a tree branch, sending stray embers into the evening air.

"So Pip..." said Borick.

Pip took his eyes from the flames and focused on Borick.

"...do you feel that this is something you want to do? Adventuring and the lot?"

"Well, I like it so far. I've wanted to be an adventurer for as long as I can remember."

Borick looked Pip square in the eye, his gaze expressionless and stern. "Are you prepared to kill?"

This caught Pip off-guard. "P...pardon me?"

"I asked if you are prepared to kill. To be an adventurer, you will encounter situations where you will either have to kill or be killed. I first experienced a situation such as that when I was about your age; a wolf had made it's way into the hen house, and either I had to kill it or it would kill me. They say that your first kill is the hardest, and that couldn't be closer to the truth."

"How many times have you...killed?" Pip asked nervously.

Borick chuckled a bit. "Dozens, perhaps hundreds of times - I've lost count. Many of those I've had to carry out whether I wanted to or not."

"Whether you wanted to or not? What do you mean?"

"Some of those I've had to kill I've known by name, some were complete strangers to me, but in order to protect my mother, brothers, and sisters, I must not show any mercy to those who oppose us or to those who are required to die." answered Borick, his voice containing not a shred of emotion.

Borick's expression shifted from stern to chipper soon after he had finished.

"Eh, I don't want to frighten you too much, lad. Glad you're with us." He reached over and ruffled Pip's hair underneath his bandanna.

Pip, visibly unnerved, quickly tried to come up with some sort of excuse to get away from Borick.

"Um... I need to get a drink of water. I'll be back in a minute," said Pip, getting up and heading towards the falls.

Borick looked after him, smiling to himself, then returned to stoking the fire.




Making his way towards the growing sounds of water against rock, Pip followed Lydia's boot prints under the dense brush. He counted himself lucky that he was short enough to not face the plants' full wrath.

Soon, a teal glow entered his view as well as the opening out of the growth. With child-like glee, he dashed the rest of the way until he was no longer a prisoner of the plants. His excitement turned to panic in a split second when he saw a figure standing in the pool under the falling water. Stifling a scream, he maneuvered himself behind a nearby tree, heart in his throat. Part of him wanted to run away - run away and seek out Borick. However, thinking back to what Borick had said, a strange new courage swelled inside him.

Borick wouldn't run away...neither would Lydia. I have to show them that I can be a great adventurer. I have to be brave.

After an audible gulp and a deep breath to calm himself, Pip slowly turned around so that he was looking at the figure yet still hidden behind the tree. He studied the creature. It's height, flowing brown hair, and well-defined, curvy features seemed all too familiar to him; that's when Pip recognized what - moreover, who he was beholding.

Lydia?

The white and brown fur on Pip's face slowly turned to a deep crimson; his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. Never before had he seen anything so beautiful, so majestic, so amazing.

Wow...

Suddenly, a hand clasped around his mouth and pulled him into the bushes.  He tried to scream, but his cry was muffled by the hand. Looking up, he saw Borick, his index finger to his lips..

Borick glanced back, making sure Lydia hadn't heard anything. When all seemed clear, his gaze returned to Pip, irritated and concerned. He took his hand away from Pip's mouth and motioned for him to follow him back to the camp.

Scared of what would befall him if he didn't, Pip reluctantly obeyed.




Once by the fire, Borick sat Pip down next to him, his expression one of urgency.

"Now, Pip," he began, "I understand that you weren't intentionally spying on her, but even so, I can imagine she wouldn't want anyone viewing her...personal affairs."

Pip made occasional glances to Borick, but focused his gaze to the forest floor.

"I'm sorry, Borick. I thought there was some sort of monster out there and when I saw that it was her...I don't know what happened," said the motley colt, a mad blush still consuming his face.

Smiling faintly, Borick ruffled the colt's mane. "Quite a sight, wasn't it, though? I understand completely. From what I've seen, she's a strong Nord woman in all senses of the word. I, myself, would be interested in her, but someone like me should never know the joy of marriage."

Pip looked at Borick, puzzled. What does he mean someone like him shouldn't get married?

Not noticing Pip's confusion, Borick sighed. "Regardless, I'm afraid that you shouldn't pursue her. You're a different species, not even close to the same age, hell, you aren't even from the same world."

"But why should any of that matter?" asked Pip, visibly hurt by Borick's words.

Before Borick could reply, Lydia stepped out of the growth, panting and brushing stray leaves off of her armor.

"Hello," she said, "I have returned. Anything interesting happen in my absence?"

Shaking his head, Borick smiled. "Nothing that we know of, right, Pip?" he said, giving Pip a quick, sideways wink.

It took a moment for Pip to catch on, but he did, nonetheless. "Yep. Nothing going on here," he said, his tone still slightly nervous.

Just as Lydia moved to sit next to her companions, a shrill growl sounded from the brush.

Anticipating anything, Lydia and Borick drew their weapons.

Pip, having no form of protection, stayed close to Lydia's side.

Even a momentary glimpse up to Lydia's steadfast gaze reminded Pip of the events prior, bringing the redness to his face once more.

Luckily, in the darkness, Lydia didn't notice.

"Borick, now would be a good time as any to tell us what in Oblivion the plaque means," Lydia said sternly, looking back at him.

"If I knew, I'd tell you," he replied.

None of them took their eyes off the bushes or towering treetops. An eerie, almost soothing calm befell the forest, but neither Lydia nor Borick lowered their guard. The only light came from the still-crackling campfire.

Suddenly, a flash of tan fur shot out of the treetops. Before Lydia could react, the blur collided with her torso, forcing the wind from her lungs and sent her crashing to the ground, nearly knocked unconscious by the unexpected blow.

Coughing and gasping for breath, Lydia struggled to reopen her eyes. When she managed to do so, she found herself looking into the piercing black and amber eyes of a saber toothed cat. It's long, sharp teeth dripped with saliva, anticipating the beast's next meal. Cuts and scars dotted it's coat and a low, malefic rumble came from it's mouth.

It's similar to the ones back home, Lydia thought to herself.

The cat raised one of it's paws, ready to strike down Lydia where she lay. Just then, a ball of flames slammed into the cat's side, sending it tumbling across the forest floor.

As quick as she could, Lydia scrambled to her feet, her blade and shield still held firmly in her grasp.

Another cat shot from above and dove towards Lydia. Not being caught off-guard again, Lydia jumped out of the cat's range. When the cat's paws touched the ground, it immediately turned itself around and leaped towards Lydia. Lydia raised her shield, preparing herself for the eminent impact. The force of her enemy's collision sent her stumbling back to the grass. Looking at the motionless beast in front of her, blood seeping from it's skull, she knew that it's failed attack had been it's undoing.

"Lydia!" shouted Borick, slashing a cat as it leaped towards him, "I figured out what the plaque means."

"By all means, let me hear it," Lydia replied just before dodging another lethal pounce.

Borick opened his mouth to respond, but a scream replaced his answer as a cat sunk it's teeth into his shoulder.

"Damned monster!" he cried. He took his dagger and stabbed above his bitten shoulder, the blade penetrating the cat's skull. After the deceased beast had let go, Borick shook it off. "It means we have to use our environment to our advantage."

"How exactly do you intend we do that? From what I can gather-" Lydia paused to cut down another whiskered enemy attempting to lunge at her. "-from what I can gather, these things hold all of the advantages."

"I'm still working on that one. Just keep them off yourself and Pip."

Lydia nodded. Turning her attention away from Borick, she saw Pip, his back against a tree and a saber cat closing in on him.

Sticking her sword in the ground and drawing her bow, Lydia fired an arrow at the cat. The arrow sunk home, sticking deep in the cat's chest.

The cat howled in pain and turned it's attention to Lydia. Before she could string a second arrow, the cat darted towards her, it's eyes seething with rage.

Moving as quickly as she could, Lydia strung the second arrow and aimed for the fast-approaching enemy's head. A dagger zipped past Lydia and hit the cat between the eyes. The cat fell to the ground: dead.

Lydia looked over to Borick and saw that both of his hands now contained balls of flame.

"Give the dagger to Pip; he's going to need some sort or protection," said Borick.

Dislodging the blade from the feline corpse, Lydia walked over to Pip and set it on the ground in front of him. "Here. Take it."

Pip, still shaking, took the hilt of the dagger in his teeth and nervously looked at Lydia.

"Don't worry, Pip. Hopefully you won't need-"

A shrill, animalistic scream rang out from ahead of Lydia and Pip. Suddenly, an abnormally large saber cat barreled out of the brush towards the duo.

Barely having any time to react as well as her sword being stuck in the ground a ways away, Lydia did the only thing she could think of doing: she tossed Pip into the air, out of harms way, and backed up against the tree. Just as the cat's powerful jaws were about to bite down on her, she forced her bow into it's mouth, preventing it from clamping shut. This only gave Lydia a moment of peace before the bow broke like a twig between the cat's teeth.

Pip, about to come down on top of the cat, hesitated momentarily. Could he really do this? Kill another creature? Borick had said that the first is always the hardest, but could he really pass that first hurdle and become what he so desperately wanted to become?

"Pip!" Lydia called out.

The cry of his named snapped Pip from his deep thoughts. Seeing Lydia, trapped against the tree, the beast's razor-sharp teeth only inches away from her, brought new courage into his heart.

Kill or be killed.

The phrase repeated itself over and over in Pip's mind. He came down from the air, dagger facing down, poised to strike. Before the cat could sink it's teeth into Lydia, Pip landed on the back of it's neck, the dagger puncturing it's hairy flesh.

Howling in surprise and agony, the beast tried to claw behind itself at Pip.

Pip drove the dagger further into the cat's neck, causing it's shrieks to turn to no more than a low gurgle as blood seeped into it's throat. Not long after, it collapsed to the ground, a final breath escaping it's lungs.

Yanking the dagger out, Pip turned his attention to Lydia, her expression one of awe and amazement.

Pip came over to her and dropped the dagger from his mouth, but before he could say something, an explosion of flames grabbed their attention and turned it to Borick.

Balls of flame from his hands were shot left and right, fending off the hordes of felines closing in on him. Lydia, knowing Borick wouldn't last alone much longer, scooped Pip and his dagger up and bolted over to assist him.

A stray fireball missed it's mark and slammed into a tree, exploding and setting the tree ablaze. To Lydia's surprise, the fire almost immediately spread to another tree, then another, and then another. Soon, she and her comrades were surrounded in a towering inferno. Cats still in the trees whaled as their fur caught fire and met the same fate as their colossal homes.

"Run!" Borick shouted, grabbing Lydia's arm and pulling her until she herself was running for her life.

The remaining cats that pursued them were taken one by one by the flaming trees until none remained.

Following Borick through the blazing forest, it was to Lydia as if the entire world was burning around her, and she was just unfortunate enough to witness it.

Suddenly, Lydia's foot caught on a tree root, sending her sailing forward onto the ground, her head impacting hard against the dirt.

Before her hazy vision, the burning forest shifted to her home, the city of Markarth, burning before her. Before her now stood a Stormcloak officer, smiling wickedly at her.

"Watch your precious home burn, milk-drinker," he said to her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards him.

Lydia, now a young girl, looked up at the officer. A large scar stretched across his face, slightly covered by his long brown hair.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Captain Hloggar, your new master. Don't worry, girl," he leaned in close enough for Lydia to smell his mead-laced breath, "I'll take good care of you."




"No!"

Lydia awoke, screaming. Looking around, she noticed that she was no longer in the forest, instead surrounded by open ground and smoldering ashes.

"Hey, she's finally awake," said Borick, walking over to her and offering his hand to help her up.

She accepted, taking his hand and rising to her feet. Looking back, she gazed upon the ashen remains of the forest; no trees, no grass, and no cats - just an open plane of black, charred earth.

Borick put his hand on Lydia's shoulder. "I guess that's one way to use your environment to your advantage," he said, slightly amused.

Still thinking of her dream, Lydia barely noticed Pip tapping her leggings.

"Miss Lydia, I'm so glad you're okay," he said, hugging her leg.

Smiling, Lydia picked Pip up off the ground and placed him on her shoulder then turned to Borick. "Alright, Borick, what awaits us, now?"

Wiping the sweat off his ashen face with his forearm, Borick gave Lydia a serious look. "The Meadow of Murder."