Grand Champion

Chapter 1

My family's always been poor, therefore, it's only been recently (since I've been allowed off on my own), that I've got to taste more exquisite dishes. Of course, that's not to say my father didn't bring back any good food; he did enough to keep food on our plates and now that he's gone it's my job. That's the one thing keeping me from the Imperial city, how will my family cope when I'm gone. They won't have anyone to sneak leftovers from the castle, and I couldn't live with myself if another family member got killed out in the wilderness... On the other side of things, that's exactly why I need to go, to earn them more money. I've managed to save an extra 1000 septims so when I leave I can give them half of that.

I woke up to the sound of my baby sister crying, she's been having nightmares ever since our father died . You can see it in her eyes, she's been through things a 7 year old should never have to. I shuffled over to her bedroll a few feet away from mine and just laid there holding her until her cries had died down. Our house was only two rooms big, there was a bathroom and the main room which contained our three bedrolls, a table and chairs, two wardrobes, a cupboard and a cooking pot that hung loosely over a log fire.

I laid out two plates on the table and set on them a loaf of bread and an apple before slipping into slightly more respectable clothes. I wore a quilted doublet gifted to me from Countess Valgar, along with some laced leather pants made by my mother and some quilted shoes gifted by the Chorrol fighters guild guild master, Vilena Dolton. I took the bucket off the table and filled it with water from the well outside that we shared with the other houses in the neighbourhood. As I was about to go back inside my best friend Joe Moses came out of his house with a bucket.
"Morning Mere!" He said walking towards me
"Good morning Joe." I replied.
"So," he said, wrapping the rope around his bucket, "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." I replied with a sad smile. Tomorrow we were setting out for the Imperial city, I'd already told the countess and was heading to the fighters guild as soon as possible. I waved goodbye to my friend and returned the now full bucket to the kitchen table.

As I walked toward the guild, I went over what I was going to say in my head. Eventually I decided I would just tell Vilena outright, and that's exactly what I did. It wasn't hard as she's known for ages of my dream to be the Grand Champion, so when I told her I'd be leaving she was very supportive, and even gave me two going away gifts! The first was a silver dagger, and the second was her old horse! I thanked her and left, barely able to contain my excitement.

As I made my way to the chapel I had a smile that quite literally reached from ear to ear.
"Why are you smiling so big Mere?" Denise asked me. I explained the gifts I'd been given and we proceeded to train. I loved hanging out with my friends and before I knew it we were sat up on the rock having a little picnic.
"You'll tell me if you meet any cute gay guys, right?" Brian asked me. I laughed and nodded my head as he gave me a wink.

I took the last bite of my apple and left for the oak where I was due to meet my mother and sister.when I arrived they were already there, I hadn't yet told them but I planned on taking us to the castle for lunch. I walked over to greet my mother and my baby sister, hugging them both and then taking their hands and leading them to the castle.
"Where are we going?" Lydia (my baby sister) asked whilst swinging on my arm.
"You'll just have to wait and see." I teased whilst speeding up. As we began up the hill my mother asked why I was leading us up to the castle, it was then I spilled about lunch.
"Sweetie, you didn't have to do that. On your day off as well! What's the occasion?" She asked.
"Nothing!" I replied, hoping she wouldn't ask anything further "Can a girl not do something nice for her family without there being an occasion!" My mother gave me a quizzical look but walked in anyway.

We laughed all through lunch, I hadn't seen my mother smile like that in a long time. The countess even let us take what we couldn't eat for leftovers! Together we walked around the forest and had dinner fit for an emperor until we finally fell asleep. Until they fell asleep. I was up most of the night writing a goodbye letter to my family (I hadn't the heart to tell them in person) and packing my things into a knapsack.