The Unbroken

Chapter I

In a small hamlet in the heart of Valenwood, a bosmer named Eizer was born to a young couple. Their first and only child, Eizer was raised with rigorous training from his very birth, learning to fight using bows, daggers and even just his body from the day he could walk, thanks to his father's insistence. However, along with his martial skills, he was also trained extensively in philosophy - never to take the life of another, beast, mer or man unless unavoidable. Just as he learnt to kill, he was taught to avoid it. And while Eizer was a very skilled hunter, often counting among the best the village had ever seen, it was his dedication to the preservation of life that made him stand out. He always killed the older marks, despite the tougher meat. He never once raised his hand against anyone, despite being an unmatched hand to hand combatant - to the amazement of his peers, he spent more time cultivating his farm then he spent hunting.

"He knows not the thrill of the hunt", his peers said. Eizer reflected that it was perhaps for the best that he didn't.

As time went on, it was apparent that Eizer was a capable leader, always calm and considerate - resolving fights without ever raising a finger. Not once had anyone seen Eizer raise his fists outside the training grounds. His wisdom, while unnatural for one of such a young age was a promising trait. However, thanks to his kindness, he was often considered docile, yet his had never been truly tested, so it was naught but a rumor raised by his detractors. As he came of age, he realized he'd come to think of his close friend Vaduel as more than one. She had constantly been at his side, tending to the crops, assisting in healing injured wild animals and rescuing others. When others had laughed at his apparent lack of courage, she had held his hand and helped him overcome his anger. He had grown to rely on her, and she on him. After consulting his now aged parents, he decided to ask for her hand in marriage. To his delight, she agreed enthusiastically and they were wed soon after. After a few years if companionship, he and Vaduel had moved to the elder's hut a little ways away from the village, after the aged elder's peaceful passing. Things were comfortable, and if the work was hard, it's fruit was sweet. Eizer managed the village with the compassion and wisdom many had come to associate with him. All until one fateful day.

As Eizer was returning from the village to his hut after a day of trying to resolve a dispute over whether children should gamble or not, he decided that he'd ask Vaduel to sip some wine with him tonight. However, as he approached the hut, he realized something was amiss. The door lay on the ground, torn from its hinges, and it was unnaturally quiet. He ran headfirst into the hut, to see it ransacked - everything strewn all over. Looters? Here? He ran to his bedroom, calling out for Vaduel, but nobody responded. Fearing the worst, he walked into the room, and almost buckled over and fell.

His beautiful Vaduel lay there, on that bed they'd shared so often...but she wasn't there anymore. Pieces of her dress, torn to shreds, littered the floor. Her blood had soaked into the sheets, which had been crumpled by her desperate grasp. She lay there, exposed and violated, a trickle of blood flowing from her battered lips. Her beautiful face, that he'd held so often in his hands, had been ravaged by multiple wounds, bleeding heavily. As he stumbled and crashed into the door frame, a flicker of light came to her eyes. Ryzoh collapsed on his knees, tears flowing freely from his eyes like a candle set on a forge. She tried to move her hand to hold his, but her arms were too badly bruised, perhaps broken. He moved to her and grasped her hand, as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

"I..I..." Eizer couldn't form words. His body shook with his sobs.

"Shh..Remember, remember our love. Remember me as I was, my love. Look not upon this day, and seek not the vengeance you desire. Remember me for what I was, Eizer. I beg of you...remember the woman who loved you so." Words barely scraped out of Vaduel's lips, each delivered with increasing pain, more distorted than the last.

Eizer inspected her wounds. Perhaps there was still something to be done - he could still save her. She had been stabbed many times in her abdomen, one of her legs was bent at an unnatural angle. Her breasts... he couldn't bring himself to bear the sight of the mutilation she had suffered. As he turned to look for medicine, he felt a tug on his hand. He turned back to look at her.

Under all those bruises, she was smiling at him. She shook her head softly, as if to dissuade him from his futile attempts. Her eyes connected with his, desperate to give to him the love her lips couldn't deliver anymore. As he stared at her, his mind numb, he felt her hand go slack. The light was in her eyes no more.

Two days later, one of the hunters came to ask Eizer why he had been absent, to find him unconscious, holding the hand of the marred, disfigured body had been his wife. He was carried to the village, where he was placed in the healer's care, as the whole village tried to accept the shock of what had happened.

A day had passed since before Eizer came to be, lying on a foreign bed in the dark. He rose, his mind refusing to accept what his eyes claimed to have seen. He staggered out of bed, and dragged himself into his clothes. Making his way out of the building, he rushed back to his hut, wanting to be held in Vaduel's arms once more, to find comfort from this nightmare. As he arrived at the hut, his spirit collapsed. The door was lying on the ground, as he'd remembered. He walked in, to see things strewn about, just like his dream. Still clutching hope to his breast, he walked into their room, but there was nobody on the bed, only bloodstained sheets. He could take it no more, he could take it NO MORE! It couldn't be true! It must be a dream, it had to be! He'd never done a thing to deserve this. It just couldn't be.

He woke to the sunlight pouring into his eyes, entering the room from the tattered remains of the blinds. It...couldn't be, could it? His beloved Vaduel..that image in his memory..it couldn't be her, could it? He gazed upon the sheets again. He gazed upon the blood again. He stood there, gazing upon that blood, as the shadows lengthened around him. Each moment was an eternity, an eternity of grief, of separation from his love, his life. Each moment an eternity of torment. Somehow, he found himself alive, breathing as the sun kissed the horizon. He would never kiss her again. He remembered the words she'd said, as she lay there, grasping his hands with whatever little strength she had left. Of all the things she could've said then, she chose to tell him not to pursue vengeance. He realized slowly, that inside of him, a wave had risen. A wave of fueled by grief, by anger. A wave of wrath, a wave that touched the very zenith in its enormity - it would engulf him, annihilate him, become him But she had asked him not to, of all the things he could be denied of, she had denied him justice. But now he couldn't give in to that wave. How could he? How could he betray her? He couldn't even comprehend that thought.

He forced himself to move, his movement stiff, like that of one bedridden for weeks. He walked through the house, his mind a haze. He gazed upon the walls, the floor...they held so many memories. Memories was all he had of her, now. He gathered some clothes, and picked up his weapons. As he walked towards the door that led outside, he realized he wasn't moving. He was just standing there, in the doorway, his body frozen. He closed his eyes, the image of her smile flashed before his eyes.

"Remember me."

His eyes opened, dull with defeat, yet clear with determination. He walked out of the house, and into the forest. This world held nothing for him anymore.

Chapter II

Dawn and dusk flew by uncounted as Eizer made his way ever deeper into the forest, his mind still clouded, his thoughts indistinct. His knowledge of the forest served to keep him alive, avoiding the more dangerous wildlife and picking food from the plants to eat, but he paid no mind to it - it was as if his instinct was working him like an automation to ensure his survival. He skirted around great trees, picking edible berries and fruit from various flora as he passed by. His feet sought to avoid the roots tangled with the undergrowth, his many years of training showing. But as his body made its way through the forest, his mind was lost. And so he went on, a mer whose soul itself had been torn to pieces.

Innumerable days past, as Eizer paid no mind to observing the passage of time. He was now well into the heart of the forest, where nobody ever strayed, but he showed no signs of stopping. His hair was greasy, with dirt, web and other unmentionables littering the now ragged, tangled mess. His clothes were in tatters, barely providing any protection or decency. His eyes were unfocused, but his body, though thinning and dirty, was relatively unharmed. His instincts had preserved him where his will had failed. Perhaps a part of him had already died and had passed into the great beyond. This shell of a man went on, dragging himself through the forest despite having no will to live.

As he rose from where he had collapsed from exhaustion, brushing dust off his face, he heard a little girls voice; it seemed to be crying. Believing it to be some monster trying to lure other creatures, his eyes suddenly focused. Perhaps he could find his end here. A release would be welcome. Perhaps.

As he followed the noise to its source, he was surprised to find out that it was indeed a girl who looked to be no older than ten. A little bosmer girl, deep in the heart of Valenwood. Confused, he approached her.

"What...?"

The girl paused for a moment, looking at him. Then she started crying even louder.

"What are you?" He dragged those words out of his mouth. They felt cold, alien. His voice felt like it had almost died. Perhaps it had. His mind had almost forgotten how to put words together. With some difficulty, he focused his mind and spoke.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? It could be dangerous. Where are your parents?"

The girl stopped crying. She looked at him, tears streaming down her little face. "You aren't going to eat me?"

Eizer was befuddled. Him? What? His mind struggled to think again, after all this time of inactivity. "Me? No. I don't eat people. Where is your family?"

"I don't know. I walked into the forest to play and then I was here. I want to go home." She winced as she spoke, clutching her abdomen. Her hand came away red.

"What happened? Wait! Let me look at it" Ryzoh stumbled closer to the little girl, checking her abdomen, to find a gash from some sharp object, likely a claw or a rock. As his mind struggled to connect his train of thought, instinct took over. He pulled the rather beaten pack off his shoulder. He'd forgotten he had it..it almost felt like a part of him. Opening it, he took out some bandages. They weren't in prime condition, but they'd work. He'd need to clean the wound first, though. Make sure it didn't get infected. He remembered crossing a stream a while back - the fresh water would help. He was sure he could find it. Picking the girl up in his arms gingerly, he started walking.

"Don't speak, and don't move. We need to take care of your wound. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Eizer opened his pack, checking what he had inside. He had a little metal pan, but it would have to do. Foraying into the forest, he found some kindling. Luckily, he also found some herbs that he could simmer in the water that would help clean the wound. Sadly, he couldn't find any to reduce he pain. Well, he'd have to make do with what he had. Taking some water from the stream, he managed to light a fire. It would take a while before it was hot enough to boil water.

"Are you going to cook me?" The girl asked, his eyes wide with fear.

"Didn't I tell you I don't eat people? I'm just going to clean your wound and bandage it."

"Will it hurt? I don't want to hurt."

"Yes it will, but not much. I'm sorry, I tried looking for some herbs to help relieve your pain, but dusk is coming and I couldn't look very far." Eizer finished as he rose to put the pan on the crudely dug out fire pit. Well, his hands and stones could only do so well. He sighed, "Are you still scared I will eat you?"

The girl nodded. Eizer looked at her and smiled warmly. Or tried to, as his facial muscles seemed to have forgotten how.

"I won't eat you. I eat fruits and berries. Sometimes animals, like this rabbit that I somehow caught. Actually, that's what we're having tonight. It'll taste bad, since we don't have any salt or seasoning, but a full stomach should help you sleep."

Saying thus, he got up and soaked the bandages in the water. Then he went to work on the girls abdomen, taking care to not put her in more pain as he cleaned her wound.

"Do you want to go home?" Eizer wondered if he could do it. He remembered where he'd found her. It wasn't too far, as it turned out the stream passed fairly close to this are. Seems like he'd been following it upstream for a while - it must've been his source of water. He thought about it - her footsteps were small and light, and it hadn't rained in a while. However, seeing how torn her clothes were and how her arms were scratched, it seemed that she'd scraped through the undergrowth. He could use that, but it would be hard going.

He looked at her as those thoughts passed through his head, and saw her nodding.

"Well, now for food. Don't move too much, I'll bring it to you. We have to eat out of the pan anyway."

A few hours later, Eizer lay on the ground as the night chill settled in. He gazed at the clear sky, at the twinkling stars and the twin moons. It was a nice night, if somewhat chilly. Vaduel would've loved to walk with him tonight. Vaduel. His eyes misted over as he thought of her, her smile, the scent of her freshly washed hair. How she'd felt like she fit perfectly into his arms. She'd want this, she'd want him to take care of this girl. And so he would.

As he lay there thinking, the little girl crawled up next to him, holding on to him for warmth, Ryzoh smiled a bittersweet smile.

"What's your name?"

"Lillisa"

He turned around and held her, shielding her from the chill. Perhaps he couldn't die just yet.

He woke next morn, wondering if it had all been a dream. However, when he found the girl clutching his side, he couldn't help but smile in relief. Seeing another soul was...it awoke something in him. Something he'd thought dead.

He rose, washing himself and trying to clean off some of the dirt that caked him, and tried washing his hair. It didn't do wonders, but at least it felt better. As the little girl rose, he picked her up in his arms.

"You shouldn't walk yet."

Shouldering his pack, he went back to where he'd found her. Time to find her home. Who lived so deep in the forest anyway?

A couple of days and some false tracks later, he noticed that the trees were thinning. Perhaps a clearing? Or perhaps he'd reached the end of the forest. As he came out of the trees, he could smell woodsmoke, and noticed other signs of habitation. Before his eyes was a village of sorts. There were huts, and there were people. This was unexpected.

Chapter III

To his surprise, Eizer was received with apprehension instead of jubilation when he returned the girl, the villagers eyeing him warily. Despite their appearances, however, he was given clothes and a room to stay. He had his first meal in ages, and it was one of the best meals he'd ever had. Yet it was also the worst meal of his life, for it was without her.

He soon found out the cause of the apprehension, as he was informed that the village was inhabited primarily by werewolves, though there were also normal mer living there. They had accepted Hircine for what she'd given to them - he'd heard it called curse, and he'd heard it called a boon, but these werewolves, they had something different to say. They believed it was what you made of it - and they had made it a gift here. They were stronger, hardier than regular mer, and thus they could work more - the village was rarely in need of anything. It was a small, secluded life they lived, but it was a comfortable one. Far away from civilization, they had little to fear of prosecution, and the forest was their playground. The regular mer relied on them for it - and this surprised Eizer, for he'd never heard of werewolves and mer coexisting. Yet here it was. Those werewolves were not only calm, they were also considerate - they didn't hunt for sport, but only for food. Despite their power, they didn't kill the greater beasts of the forest, sticking to regular game like elk and rabbits. They even farmed! It changed something in Eizer, to see those who he'd once known as little more than monsters live such a life.

He asked if he could stay with them, and he was accepted. Lillisa had nobody to care after her, for her mother had died in childbirth and her father had never been around anyway. She needed a caretaker, and they reasoned that if he tried running, they could catch him before he could get too far. However, Eizer had no intentions of running anywhere. In Lillisa, he had found someone to love, someone to live for again. Her smile lightened his soul, as he worked with the others in the village. He often cooked for her, and taught her what he knew of his crafts - cooking, using weapons and other skills he'd acquired. To his delight, she was learning rather quickly. Some nights, he would cry himself to sleep as he remembered his love, and wondered how happy she would've been if she were here. How happy he would've been.

It was on one of those nights that Eizer woke up to the sound of a woman's scream. He ran out of the house, only to see a few houses on fire. There was a number of men walking through the village, dressed in heavy plate. He happened to have come out as they had drawn close to his house, and as soon as they saw him, they quickly changed formation to surround him.

"Die, cur! We shall rid Nirn of your kind!" One of them yelled.

One of them, wearing a rather ornate chestpiece raised his sword at him "No longer will you terrorize these poor villagers. We are here to protect them!". Saying thus, he took a step towards Eizer, readying his sword.

"Wait! He isn't one of them!" Shouted a man wearing white robes. "Throw him with the others"

As they moved to grasp Eizer, he tried to twist free of their grasp "Lillisa...".

Then, several things happened in quick succession. As the man holding his arm turned, a shape flew from the darkness towards the armored warriors. Before Eizer realized that he had been freed, there were four werewolves fighting the men. Eizer quickly withdrew.

He looked around. Things weren't going too well for the village. Some of the houses were burning. He could hear crying, and there was smoke everywhere. In various places, groups of men were fighting werewolves, and they seemed to be winning. He saw as one of the men swung his sword at a werewolf and the werewolf howled in anguish, though it seemed to be a shallow wound. Silver swords?

His mind raced, but it was too much to take in. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of fighting draw closer.

"Lillisa.."

He drew towards his hut to make sure she was safe, but as he got closer, he saw a man toss a tinderbox towards it. It lit up too quickly - there was magic at work here. He ran towards the hut, but the man turned to face him. He was wearing chain, and carrying a greatsword. Locking his eyes onto Eizer, he readied himself. Apparently he'd taken Eizer for a werewolf - he had no choice but to fight.

The hut was burning fast, he couldn't spend precious time fighting this man, especially not without weapons. Unless he acted quickly, Lillisa would be burnt alive. Suddenly Eizer fell on the ground on his fours, his body shaking as if he was sobbing.

The man drew closer, curious to what happened. As soon as he came within his reach, Eizer rose quickly, throwing dirt into his eyes. As the man reacted to the stimulus, Eizer quickly moved to jab him in the throat - the one opening he'd seen. As the man buckled in pain, Eizer wrest his sword from his grip and landed a blow on his head with pommel, using all the might he could muster. The man collapsed.

Ryzoh rushed towards the hut, throwing the sword into the fire. "Lillisa!" He screamed, running inside the hut.

"Lillisa! Where are you?"

Eizer spun in place as he heard something creak behind him. As some dust fell on his face, he realized too late what was happening. The roof caved in on top of him, and his vision went black.