Lavendir

Cloudrest, Summserset Isles, 4E 196. 7th of Last Seed.

I lie on my stomach in the tall, sleek grass, with dagger in hand. Hunting has gotten easier, but I'm still learning. Teaching oneself survival skills is very much trial-and-error, and does not always end in success. The rabbit I've been stalking runs by, and I launch forward, managing to successfully pierce the furry creature in the stomach. It lets out a shrill squeak of pain and defeat, and I wince.
I have yet to desensitize myself to that.
Rabbits have been my sole kills, due to a dagger being my only weapon, and thankfully I have discovered that I am more intelligent than they are. Vallendrel crafted a makeshift bow not long ago, and we have been practicing but with little avail. We've quickly learned that training yourself to be a marksman is difficult without a skilled mentor. 
I take the rabbit back to the small fire that Vallendrel has constructed, and begin to skin the tiny carcass.

"What day is it, do you think?" Vallendrel asks, squinting up at the sun and attempting to block the sunlight with his palm.
I shrug. "It's Last Seed if I've counted correctly. Making room for error, I'd say it's likely between the fifth and ninth of Last Seed."

Our venture has proven challenging thus far, but we are still alive, which is what matters. Vallendrel firmly believes we're almost at the coast of Cloudrest now. Once we make it to the nearest dock, we can hopefully either hide ourselves away on a boat, or step on with our identities unknown. We've been avoiding heavily populated locations, due to the chances of Thalmor officials recognizing us, causing us to resort to trekking through the Summserset wilderness. Though, on a couple of occasions, we have passed through communities which have only had ten to twenty inhabitants or so. Neither of us have spoken to a soul who isn't the other since we left Faela.

"I'm going to quickly rinse myself down in the river," Vallendrel says, "keep an eye out for me, will you, Lav?"

I nod, beginning to roast the rabbit corpse over the small fire we have burning. "Do you want any of this?" I ask.

"It's all yours. I'll collect some water for us while I'm down in the river as well," he grins, picking up our flasks, "maybe even a few fish."

Our little camp is situated at the top of a bank underneath a clump of trees. We could have found a more discreet area, yes, but we can see anyone coming without fail. The river is within eyesight, just a quick jog downwards. I watch Vallendrel descend, his golden hair somehow remarkably intact, and his skin still dewy and soft. With my long, black, matted mess of hair, and my stubbled, scratched face, one would hardly assume we are brothers. Once he has made it to the river and begun preparing to bathe, I direct my attention back to the rabbit which I'm cooking. I'm not particularly fond of rabbit, but I haven't exactly had much else to choose from lately. I recently came to terms with the fact that I have taken access to all varieties of vegetables for granted for most of my life.

The rabbit is soon coming along nicely, and Vallendrel returns to our camp.

"I'll finish that for you, now you go rinse off as well," he offers, sitting cross-legged across from me, and still relatively naked.

A fact that is necessary for anyone living with me to know is that I will never turn down an opportunity to bathe, especially not these days. I oblige and head down to the river, looking back up once I'm down to assure that Vallendrel and I are within each other's eyesight.

Stripping my tunic, pants, and undergarments, I wade into the river. The deepest part only goes just above my waist, and I find a rock to sit on while splashing the water against myself. A few small fish brush up against my lower leg, causing me to jerk my ligament in reflex. I hate that slimy sensation. I scoop some water up in my hands and dampen my hair, running my fingers through it in an effort to de-tangle the current state that it's in. I take the time to cloud-gaze while I do so. The puffy clouds are changing and moving quickly, but I can make out a few things. A human form, a horse, a house, and something that could possibly be a pair of boots. Maybe a bear, though. Can't be certain.

"Val, did you catch any fish?" I call up, but fail to hear an answer. The wind has picked up, so I am not rather concerned. But when I look back up to the top of the bank, my heart drops into my stomach.

Vallendrel is gone.