Reborn ~an Alduin Love Story~

Wolves

Sizaan awoke the next morning alone in the room. She called for Alduin but received no response. Where did he go? She stumbled out of the room to find the inn empty, aside from its keeper. He greeted her with a smile as he dusted off the counter top with a torn up rag.

"Bout time ya woke. It's already mid day."

"Mid day?" She frowned. Why hadn't Alduin woke her? Was he really so upset over what she had said that he left her there alone? "Did you see where the man I came with left to?"

"Hmm can't tell ya where he went but he left last night, shortly after ya fell asleep. Brooding fella, just stormed out into the cold without a single word to anyone."

"Oh...well thank you anyways."

"Aye." Sizaa returned to her room to grab her bow and arrows before exiting the inn, searching for anyone who may have seen where Alduin went. She wouldn't have tried, believing she was better off without him, but she was honor bound to stay with him until her charge was completed as his Vahlok. And she wished to apologize. Not only to him but for her teacher Arngier. She could still hear his words scolding her for her loose tongue:

"The voice is whorship; follow the inner path; speak only in true need."

She had heard that so often growing up it became a cliche. A running joke that was no longer funny or even remoting amusing now that she recognized it's wisdom.

"Morning Miss," the guard she had run into the night before smiled, waving to her as he passed.

"Excuse me...were you on duty last night?"

"Aye I was.." he paused on his route, turning to give her his full attention.

"Did you happen to see which way my companion was travelling? The tall man with the.."

"Dark hair? He went off thata way, just before my shift ended." He was pointing over the bridge that lead out of the village. A bridge that lead somewhere Sizaan had only been when she was but a baby and could not remember. When she was a different person in a life she never got to know with parents she never got to know. She began to wonder if now that she's left the monastery would she find her parents one day and find out why they had left her.

"Thank you sir-"

"Ivan. Names Ivan. If you plan to follow him you watch yourself, this land is an unforgiving one and will swallow up a young girl like you in a heartbeat."

"Thank you, again. I'll keep that in mind." The guard named Ivan nodded before returning on his path around the village. His warning hadn't frightened her in fact it excited her. Such danger, such adventure. Something she hadn't considered before. Before she realized it she was on the path headed gods know where in search of her charge, the dovah Alduin.

Hours of walking passed before she realized she was completely lost in a wood she had never know.

"Hello! Any one out here?" Her voice echoed through the trees, disturbing a flock of crows. Suddenly a howl erupted from behind her, follow by multiple growls. "He-hello?" Slowly she turned around finding herself surrounded by wolves. One lunged for he'd and she launched herself into a sprint, drawing her bow.

She tried to run faster but aiming while moving was nothing like shooting tankards off a mountain ridge from one position. The wolves swarmed around her, closing in faster than she could shoot them down. She dropped the arrow she had knocked and focused her attentions on running but she wasn't used to the terrain like the wolves were. Every few steps she stumbled on something different slowing her pace comsiderably. She could feel the creatures breath on her legs as it tried to bite down but she kicked it away just in time.

"Fus...ro dah!" She shouted, blasting them back through the air. A few remained stunned on the ground but most recovered quickly and sprung back into pursuit. Sizaa began to panic realizing she was quickly running out of energy and there wasn't much more terrain to run before they would reach the ledge.