Reborn ~an Alduin Love Story~

A Chance Encounter

Sizaan awoke the next morning to the soft hum of Arngeir's meditation. As a child she had found it soothing, a subtle lullaby to see her off to her dreams. But now it only served as an alarm to awake and greet the sunrise. They exchange a brief nod of acknowledgement before Sizaa went behind a changing screen to adorn her fur armor and ebony bow she had received as a gift from her friend Acyline, Master of the thieves guild.

She remembered the first day they had met four years prior. Acyline was only just learning the ways of becoming a thief and decided to try out her new skills on the legendary Greybeards of High Hrothgar. Her prize was to be one of their robes and as luck would have it she chose Sizaan's wardrobe. Sizaa had caught her in the act but allowed her to escape with it. She later told Arngier she had lost it adventuring in the woods around the mountains who only sighed and gave her another. Acyline visited her multiple times since teaching her basic thieving skills like lockpicking and pick pocketing. She also told Sizaa many riveting stories of her travels across Tamriel that only served to fuel her curiosity of the world.

"You are leaving again today?" Arngeir had finished his mediation and was standing beside the screen, his back turned respectfully.

"Yes..." Sizaan sighed tired of hearing the lecture of the dangers of the world.

"The world is treacherous. It's safer if you remain here in the temple." His tone was stern but Sizaa knew he wouldn't truly try to stop her, he never did.

"That is the life you would have for me? Remain here forever away from the rest of humanity? One day I will have to leave and find my own way in life, I just hope you can understand when that time comes." And with that she left High Hrothgar, traveling down the strunmah in search of new alchemy ingredients.

The sun had just begun to awaken as she took her first steps outside, casting bright rays of gold across the shadow of the dawn. A crisp breeze blew at her braided hair, pulling strands loose and flying them wildly around her face. The cold wasn't new to Sizaa but it still made her morning eyes water. By the time she reached the base of the mountain the wind had subsided and the sun was higher in the sky, setting the autumn leaves aflame in color. These were Sizaa's favorite moments. Natural, not meditated calm, true serenity.

"Drem yol lok, Kulaas." Sizaa gasped, dropping her apothecary satchel and spilling her findings on the ground. She didn't need to turn to know who was behind her. A voice like his: gruff and masculine with an accent unlike any other, was unmistakable.

"Alduin you startled me." She sighed picking up the fallen ingredients. Alduin lifted a blue mountain flower from the pile and held it out to her, smiling as though the small act of kindness somehow made up for causing her to drop them all. She took it from him without meeting his eyes.

"That was not my intent, Kulaas. What is it you are doing out here alone?"

"What I was doing was my own concern." Sizaan didn't know why she was so curt towards him when he seemed pleasant enough. But something about him made her skin crawl. "What is you're doing here, World Eater? Shouldn't you be off plaguing humanity?"

Alduin chuckled darkly, turning his gaze to the sky as if some sort of answer could be found there, just beyond the clouds.

"Why do that when I could have much more fun here, bothering you?" The thought of what his idea of 'fun' could be sent a shiver down her spine. Alduin reached towards her, attempting to brush back a piece of hair that had fallen in her eyes but she flinched out of his reach. She stood and not knowing what else to do fled up the mountain.

In her panic of escaping him she wasn't thinking to avoid the creatures that lingered along the path. One such creature being a very agitated frost troll. Before Sizaa's mind could register what was happening a giant claw slashed through the flesh of her side. Blood flooded from her wound, dyeing the ground a sickening red. Everything became a blur of white fur and snow as she felt herself being dragged into its lair.

"Sizaa?" Alduin had pursued her to find her blood trail leading into the cave but he couldn't see beyond the entrance.

"Alduin..?" Her voice was faint, a whisper of a whisper crackling through the artic wind.

"Sizaan!" His voice was frantic, afraid for her life. By why would he be? The troll had done nothing more than what he most likely had planned for her. His red eyes glowing in the shadows were the last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her.