The First Day
Valarie awoke to a bitterly cold morning, her body shivering uncontrollably. She pulled the ragged furs tightly around her body as she sat up. The dawn was coming, and she had to hurry. She stood and took a brief glance around the Stormcloak camp before looking up at Meridia’s temple. Valarie moved with purpose, discarding her furs and wiping off most of the hay that hung on her dirty clothes before combing her fingers through her hair.
She quickly tucked the furs away on the hay bedding inside the small tent before gathering her pack. She walked over to the friendlier horse whom she called “Spots.” She gently patted him on the nose while offering him one of her apples. She laughed as Spots snorted and began pushing her away with his head. “Ok, ok,” she said. “I am going already!”
Valarie quickly made her way from the camp to the stone path above. The young woman moved with grace and speed, quickly reaching the intersection with another stone path leading past Meridia’s temple. She ran up the path and veered onto the trail toward the temple, smiling to herself while ducking under the stone archways. She climbed the final stairs to Meridia’s statue. “Hello, mother,” she said while sitting down on the left side of the statue.
Joy filled Valarie as she watched Magnus crest the Sea of Ghosts on the horizon. “It’s so beautiful, mother,” she exclaimed! The sky began lighting up with various hues of pink and orange. Valarie then spent an hour talking to her mother before beginning her chores. For several hours, Valarie cleaned away the underbrush surrounding the temple.
She came upon the door to the temple and once again pulled on them. As always, they refused to allow her entry. “Mother, when will you let me inside?” she asked.
“Not yet, my child,” came the reply. “But soon. You are almost ready to enter.”
“Yes, mother,” Valarie said, almost pouting. “I will be patient.” She then walked around the temple to the stone wall nearby and sat, staring at the writing. Again, one of the words began to fill her mind. “Su,” thought Valarie. “Whatever do you mean? And why do you whisper to me?”
“Ok, enough of that,” she said to herself. She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and began walking up the hill away from the temple. She laughed as the rabbits darted around her as she picked snowberries. She quickly came to another stone path and began walking down it, her eyes quickly looking around. She walked with haste toward a cave in the side of the mountain. She overcame her innate curiosity once again and gave it a wide berth.
The temperature became noticeably colder as she continued on. She walked through the snow and began climbing up some boulders. She crouched down once she reached the top of the boulders, her eyes darting all around. She smiled to herself as soon as she saw the white fox. She took off her gloves to ready her spell and immediately felt the freezing air. She had to be quick, as her fingers were already beginning to go numb.
Without another thought, she pointed her hands at the unsuspecting fox. Two shafts of light erupted from her hands and struck the animal, killing it almost immediately. Valarie replaced her gloves and quickly ran over to the fox; picking up its lifeless body. “Poor thing,” she whispered. “You are free from this harsh life, though. And your body will offer life to me.” She then gently placed the fox in her pack. It was too cold for her to prepare the body here. Looking around, she saw the carved stone altar and quickly approached it. She knelt down beside it, tracing her fingers over the carvings. “Meridia,” she said, “help me to understand.”
Suddenly, light sprang forth from the altar and shot up into the daytime sky. “Look to the stars in the sky, my child. You can now begin to understand their forms,” came a voice.
“Thank you, mother!” exclaimed Valarie. She stood up and began her trek back to the Stormcloak camp. Immediately, she noticed that her body seemed to easily move faster than usual. She smiled to herself. “Thank you, mother!”
On her way back down the stone path toward the camp, she noticed people coming. Valarie quickly left the path and crouched down behind some bushes. As soon as she could make out the forms better, she chuckled. “It’s the feisty elves,” she said to herself. “I’ll just hide here until they pass.”
After a few minutes, the Thalmor disappeared from her sight up the path. She quickly returned to the path and headed down toward the camp. A rumble in the distance caught her attention, and she turned her eyes to the sky. “Great,” she muttered. “It’s going to rain.”
She reached the camp and immediately headed over to the small tent. She rearranged some stones and built a small campfire. She then removed the fox’s body and began to dress it—readying it for skinning and harvesting. After a few hours, she had some meat cooking on the fire.
Valarie walked into one of the camp’s large tents where the injured were placed. She pulled off her gloves once again, said a brief prayer to her mother, and began healing the injured soldiers. “Good,” she thought to herself. “There are only three tonight.” After a few minutes, the soldiers were feeling much better and thanked her. She ducked out of the tent, heading out into the twilight and back over toward her campfire.
“Valarie,” called one of the guards walking over to her. “It looks like rain tonight. It will be a cold rain, too. You should join me so we can keep each other warm.”
Valarie frowned and replied, “I will be fine.”
The guard continued toward her, saying, “I really think you should. After all, it is a way to repay us for letting you use our camp.” He reached out his hand and placed it upon her shoulder. “You will enjoy it, I promise.”
Suddenly, out of the growing darkness, another form appeared. A hand reached out and lifted the guard's hand off of Valarie’s shoulder. “You dishonor us all,” said Istar Cairn-Breaker. “Leave her be, or else we lose her healing. Get back to your duties, or by Talos, I will treat you as a deserter.”
The guard quickly returned to his duties without saying a word. “My apologies,” he then said to Valarie as he handed her a fur blanket. “Use this to help fight off the chill tonight. If you have any problems, let me know. And thank you for all your help, Valarie.” With that, the commander of the camp returned to his tent.
Valarie turned and went back to her campfire. She pulled the new fur over her body and sat down to eat her dinner of fox and snowberries. She suddenly felt the cold breeze increasing as the cold, light rain started falling.
Roleplaying Elements:
She often spends time at Meridia's shrine, and she is devoted to her.
She often tends to be cautious of people, unless they are hurt or in need. Animals are more predictable.
She currently sleeps at the Stormcloak camp near Meridia's shrine. She helps them, and in return, she can sleep in the little, hay bed tent on the edge of camp by the horses. However, she is not a Stormcloak (nor allied to them).
She is generally cheerful and good-spirited, though she is still young and can act a little childish.
The First Day
Valarie awoke to a bitterly cold morning, her body shivering uncontrollably. She pulled the ragged furs tightly around her body as she sat up. The dawn was coming, and she had to hurry. She stood and took a brief glance around the Stormcloak camp before looking up at Meridia’s temple. Valarie moved with purpose, discarding her furs and wiping off most of the hay that hung on her dirty clothes before combing her fingers through her hair.
She quickly tucked the furs away on the hay bedding inside the small tent before gathering her pack. She walked over to the friendlier horse whom she called “Spots.” She gently patted him on the nose while offering him one of her apples. She laughed as Spots snorted and began pushing her away with his head. “Ok, ok,” she said. “I am going already!”
Valarie quickly made her way from the camp to the stone path above. The young woman moved with grace and speed, quickly reaching the intersection with another stone path leading past Meridia’s temple. She ran up the path and veered onto the trail toward the temple, smiling to herself while ducking under the stone archways. She climbed the final stairs to Meridia’s statue. “Hello, mother,” she said while sitting down on the left side of the statue.
Joy filled Valarie as she watched Magnus crest the Sea of Ghosts on the horizon. “It’s so beautiful, mother,” she exclaimed! The sky began lighting up with various hues of pink and orange. Valarie then spent an hour talking to her mother before beginning her chores. For several hours, Valarie cleaned away the underbrush surrounding the temple.
She came upon the door to the temple and once again pulled on them. As always, they refused to allow her entry. “Mother, when will you let me inside?” she asked.
“Not yet, my child,” came the reply. “But soon. You are almost ready to enter.”
“Yes, mother,” Valarie said, almost pouting. “I will be patient.” She then walked around the temple to the stone wall nearby and sat, staring at the writing. Again, one of the words began to fill her mind. “Su,” thought Valarie. “Whatever do you mean? And why do you whisper to me?”
“Ok, enough of that,” she said to herself. She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and began walking up the hill away from the temple. She laughed as the rabbits darted around her as she picked snowberries. She quickly came to another stone path and began walking down it, her eyes quickly looking around. She walked with haste toward a cave in the side of the mountain. She overcame her innate curiosity once again and gave it a wide berth.
The temperature became noticeably colder as she continued on. She walked through the snow and began climbing up some boulders. She crouched down once she reached the top of the boulders, her eyes darting all around. She smiled to herself as soon as she saw the white fox. She took off her gloves to ready her spell and immediately felt the freezing air. She had to be quick, as her fingers were already beginning to go numb.
Without another thought, she pointed her hands at the unsuspecting fox. Two shafts of light erupted from her hands and struck the animal, killing it almost immediately. Valarie replaced her gloves and quickly ran over to the fox; picking up its lifeless body. “Poor thing,” she whispered. “You are free from this harsh life, though. And your body will offer life to me.” She then gently placed the fox in her pack. It was too cold for her to prepare the body here. Looking around, she saw the carved stone altar and quickly approached it. She knelt down beside it, tracing her fingers over the carvings. “Meridia,” she said, “help me to understand.”
Suddenly, light sprang forth from the altar and shot up into the daytime sky. “Look to the stars in the sky, my child. You can now begin to understand their forms,” came a voice.
“Thank you, mother!” exclaimed Valarie. She stood up and began her trek back to the Stormcloak camp. Immediately, she noticed that her body seemed to easily move faster than usual. She smiled to herself. “Thank you, mother!”
On her way back down the stone path toward the camp, she noticed people coming. Valarie quickly left the path and crouched down behind some bushes. As soon as she could make out the forms better, she chuckled. “It’s the feisty elves,” she said to herself. “I’ll just hide here until they pass.”
After a few minutes, the Thalmor disappeared from her sight up the path. She quickly returned to the path and headed down toward the camp. A rumble in the distance caught her attention, and she turned her eyes to the sky. “Great,” she muttered. “It’s going to rain.”
She reached the camp and immediately headed over to the small tent. She rearranged some stones and built a small campfire. She then removed the fox’s body and began to dress it—readying it for skinning and harvesting. After a few hours, she had some meat cooking on the fire.
Valarie walked into one of the camp’s large tents where the injured were placed. She pulled off her gloves once again, said a brief prayer to her mother, and began healing the injured soldiers. “Good,” she thought to herself. “There are only three tonight.” After a few minutes, the soldiers were feeling much better and thanked her. She ducked out of the tent, heading out into the twilight and back over toward her campfire.
“Valarie,” called one of the guards walking over to her. “It looks like rain tonight. It will be a cold rain, too. You should join me so we can keep each other warm.”
Valarie frowned and replied, “I will be fine.”
The guard continued toward her, saying, “I really think you should. After all, it is a way to repay us for letting you use our camp.” He reached out his hand and placed it upon her shoulder. “You will enjoy it, I promise.”
Suddenly, out of the growing darkness, another form appeared. A hand reached out and lifted the guard's hand off of Valarie’s shoulder. “You dishonor us all,” said Istar Cairn-Breaker. “Leave her be, or else we lose her healing. Get back to your duties, or by Talos, I will treat you as a deserter.”
The guard quickly returned to his duties without saying a word. “My apologies,” he then said to Valarie as he handed her a fur blanket. “Use this to help fight off the chill tonight. If you have any problems, let me know. And thank you for all your help, Valarie.” With that, the commander of the camp returned to his tent.
Valarie turned and went back to her campfire. She pulled the new fur over her body and sat down to eat her dinner of fox and snowberries. She suddenly felt the cold breeze increasing as the cold, light rain started falling.
Roleplaying Elements:
She often spends time at Meridia's shrine, and she is devoted to her.
She often tends to be cautious of people, unless they are hurt or in need. Animals are more predictable.
She currently sleeps at the Stormcloak camp near Meridia's shrine. She helps them, and in return, she can sleep in the little, hay bed tent on the edge of camp by the horses. However, she is not a Stormcloak (nor allied to them).
She is generally cheerful and good-spirited, though she is still young and can act a little childish.
