The Bosmeri Lullaby

Legends Don't Burn Down Villages

You know, frowning so much is bad for the complexion. Gives you wrinkles," I said to her as I sliced the corners of her mouth in an upward angles. She screamed in agony and wriggled, trying to get out of my hold.

"Are you ready to die, Grelod the Kind?"

I snapped awake, my breathing heavy and labored. I was in a tent, unsure of the reason why.

Then I remembered I was journeying with the other Dragonborn to see Ulfric and his men's trial in Helgen. We're somewhere in between Riften and Whiterun, and it had only been three days of travel. Oh gods, when are we gonna get there?

Hjarvis opened the flaps of my tent and handed me a wooden bowl of rabbit and venison stew. My stomach growled violently. I didn't realize how much nightmares made me hungry.

"Another nightmare, huh Ava?"

"Horrible ones," I replied as I stuffed my face with the soup. "And they vary. From things that's already happened to things that are supposed to. " I wouldn't say anymore. I don't want him inside my head, that's just too intimate.

I thought about the dream I had the other night. We made it to Helgen in the dream, and for some reason, Hjarvis was mistaken for a prisoner that tried to cross the border and right as he was about to be executed, a dragon black as the soul of a Daedra attacked, waking me from the dream.

What if that was Akatosh telling me that Alduin will show at Helgen?

My thoughts were cut short as my stomach lurched. I threw up every bit of stew I had beside the bed roll I was laid up in. Hjarvis jumped to pull my hair out of my face as I heaved the rest. What? Why did I just throw up the food?

"We can't eat cooked meat, you know," Hjarvis told me, after I finished. "I wanted you eat it cooked to see if you were lying to me or not. "

"Lying to you?? About what?" I demanded. "Why would I lie about being Dragonborn?! " He looked down, red-faced and ashamed.

"You can't really trust people nowadays.."

I scoffed. But he was right. People would slice your throat for a measly ten septims if given the chance. They'd sell you out for money, take your life for it, take you hostage, and I'm pretty sure a lot of attempts have been made on Hjarvis' life before. That's what I hate about this godforsaken province.

I apologized and sat back up. He handed me a raw rabbit leg and I set into it. Although I was partially Bosmer, I wasn't really accustomed to eating raw meat. My father always cooked when I was growing up, and he prefered meat cooked thoroughly. He was a fantastic cook, and mom was amazing at farming.

I finished eating the leg and followed Hjarvis out of the tent so we could take down camp and finish the trek to Helgen.

After we pulled up the campsite and put the fire out, I went with the housecarl to gather firewood for the next time we stop. I don't really remember her telling me her name. And man, she was beautiful. Her hair was long and black and it had the perfect length and curl to it. Her eyes seemed to give the sky competition on how bright and blue they were. Even though she stood to my shoulder, she was tall and slim. Her body curved and glowed in all the right places. She had war paint on under her eyes with a line angling down at an angle and on her lips, tracing down from her lips to her chin. She truly resembled a Nord by the way her face was built and how she held herself, proud and strong yet without vanity.

We walked about three minutes before finding the perfect tree. She handed me the axe and I started to scale the tree to cut the higher large branches. After passing a few down to her, I dropped the axe and climbed back down. We walked around, gathering leaves and dead limbs to help start the fire.