An Old Dawn


As I left behind the smouldering town of Helgen, the strong smell of burnt timber followed me down the road like a stalker in the shadows. The smell brought me back to the night my journey had started, to the night my father was murdered. I was a mile away from the manor when I saw the orange glow lighting up the night sky and the faint aroma of burnt timber passed over me. Even though I was exhausted from the long ride from Morrowind, I rode hard and I rode fast towards the family home. As I approached the gate the house was ablaze, the flames dancing and taunting me. The guards had sealed off the area as the growing number of spectators grew. I pulled up my hood in the hope no one would recognised me and why would they? I had been gone for long 7 years. Fearing the worst about my family I knew there was only one man who could help me, an old friend of my fathers, if my family were alive he would have helped them. So I made my haste and started my short journey to Skingrad.

By the time I entered the city it was the dead of night. The streets were empty and there was a strange eeriness about them. I knocked hard on the door hoping to disturb the occupants of the house. The weary-eyed servant opened the door as I demanded to speak to the head of the house. Leondeiu Pelelius, my father's oldest friend. It took him awhile to recognise me. "Ertuis? is that you?" "Leondeiu, where is my father? the house"… We went into the drawing room where he pulled himself a very large glass of brandy. Leondeui explained that while I was gone my father made some powerful enemies and that this was a message. They had burnt down the family home, my mother and sister had managed to escape through an underground tunnel and were in hiding. "Ertuis, your father didn't make it out of the blaze". "Where is my brother? Where is Ildoni"? "Your father and brother had a falling out and he left almost 3 years ago".  My brother had left for Skyrim and with my mother and sister safe I decided that I would travel to Skyrim and bring him home.