THIEF

so it begins

 „Get the fuck away from me!", scrambling, I slide back as far away from his paws as I possibly could, cursing myself for not bringing my dagger or any weapon at that. 
My back meets the wall behind me rather quickly and I look around frantically, observing my surroundings for some item, anything, to save me from the man in front of me.

My fiance.

Slow, steady footsteps make their way toward me, and fearfully, I slide back even farther, pressing my spine into the cold concrete.

Is this how I am going to die? Alone and cold, beneath the hands of this monster who ruined my life?

The Khajit clicks his tongue as he examines me under him, raising a brow at my disobedience. It would never fail to surprise me how calm he was, even in situations like these.

"I thought we talked about this."

Kneeling, his paw hovers over my face and, while frightenedly staring at his face, I jerk away from his fingers.

"Either you obey me, or he's going to pay, remember?"

The cat's voice is quiet and intimidating, making my blood freeze. His electric blue eyes stare deep into mine and, out of reflex, I wince when he lifts his hand again.

Ignoring my disgust, his paw pets my cheek roughly. I turn my head and avert my eyes, not wanting him to see the tears forming in my eyes, nor the desperate hopelessness in them.

"See, is that so difficult? You can be a good whore if you want to."

White, hot rage suddenly fills my body, and unable from stopping myself, I turn around and glare, nearly spitting my response back at him. Curse my temperament and all the impulsive decisions that come with it. 

"If you think I'll marry you, you're delusional. I'd rather slit my own throat."

I emphasize every single word heavily and, while holding eye contact, slap his hand away from my face. Before my hand even meets his, I realize what a mistake I've just made. 

The smirk falls from his expression and his jaw tightened visibly. I bite my cheek to refrain from saying anything more. I'd already done enough damage. I would pay for this.

A sigh leaves my lips as the man moves back from me. Swallowing heavily, he massages his temples and then, without a warning, swings a punch right into my face.

I groaned as the back of my head hit the wall and, feeling dizzy, I look up at him again just to see another fist fly towards me.

I shoot up from bed, breathing heavily. Sweat has dampened the back of my shirt, making it cling to my skin uncomfortably. The cold night air from the open window hits the moist areas and shivers run down my body at the sensation.

Just a dream, just a dream. I'm safe, I'm alright.

Repeating these mantras for myself, I push back my covers and stand up, hissing as the cold floor hits my feet. 

My steps carry me to the window, restlessly gazing over the city lying before me. Riften is beautiful. Especially at night. It might smell like piss, fish, and leather, but it had a certain charm. I mean, I didn't come here for nothing.

Trying to calm myself down, I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing my sides to get warmer. The spring air is still cold at this time and it'll take a few more weeks for it to warm up completely.

I still remember when I arrived at Skyrim. A ship had brought me from Solstheim to Dawnstar. Compared to Solstheim's endless, hot deserts and warm beaches, the cold, frozen land of Skyrim had seemed like the last place I wanted to be.
And Dawnstar with its nightmares and cold, rude inhabitants certainly didn't make me feel better.