Disclaimer: "Oblivion" is not mine, characters you do not recognize were created by me for the purposes of this story. This is writen for my enjoyment and that of the readers, not compensation from the games' creators. Thank you for reading! - Fallon.

Chapter One

Ilmeres groaned as his captor pulled on the chains that bound his wrists. He was tried, hungry and could not remember the last time he tasted the sweetness of water. He missed his home in Mournhold in the dunmer province of Morrowind and the smiling faces of his friends.

He hung his head and tried to ignore the physical pain that was pulsing through his body. His thoughts returned once again to the dark maiden who often haunted his dreams. She was the promiscuous daughter of a noble who was looking to anger her father in whatever way she could. Ilmeres fell for her lusty smirk without a second thought and she welcomed him into her bed with open arms. Her father had caught them and promptly spent a month torturing Ilmeres before selling him into slavery. He remembered how is heart ached as he was led away in chains from everything he had known and held dear.

The caravan he had called home for the past year was passing through the Imperial City after having sold and acquired new slaves. Once again, Ilmeres had not been sold and would have to endure more torment from the fat Imperial pig that "owned" him. The Breton who was chained in front of him during his head and whispered. "Piggy says we're going to Skingrad; know that place dark elf?"

"No, but I'm sure it's the same as every other shit hole we are paraded into." Ilmeres spoke coldly to the Breton. In the beginning, he had tried to be kind to the other slaves, but they came and went so fast he didn't even bother learning their names any more.

Ilmeres shivered as a chill gust of wind hit him. Piggy, the slave keeper, didn't allow the slaves more clothing than needed; being far too cheap to spend even three gold getting long pants for the each of his slaves. Ilmeres had only a tattered loincloth and leather shoes that had seen better days. His silver hair now reached his shoulder blades, having not received attention for longer than Ilmeres cared to remember.

Every slave who joined the carrivan dreamed about being sold and getting away from Piggy. But Ilmeres had little hope that anyone willing to buy a slave would treat him any better than Piggy.

His life had become a waiting game and he was damn tired of it all.

The citizens of Skingrad awoke to greet the morning, leaving their homes to begin their daily chores. Ariella Artoria had already been awake for hours, reading the books her father had left her in his will. She sat quietly in her chair near the fireplace of Rosethorn Hall, allowing herself to root through the memories of her past. Her father, Ertius had been a successful and influential merchant and had moved his family from city to city over Tamriel. He had died six months ago returning from a trip to Morrowind, the same trip that had taken the life of her husband.

Tears weld up in Ariella's steel blue eyes and she played with the wedding ring she still wore on her finger. She had never felt so alone in her entire life.

She bit her quivering lip and brushed the tears away, putting her book down and fetching her coin purse. She found what she was looking for near the doorway and looked at her family portrait on the wall. In it, she was still a girl - oblivious to the cruelty of the world. Her father and mother smiled back at her from the picture and her brother and sister looked just as they were in her memories.

Ariella shut the door firmly and locked it securely, double checking to make sure the bolt had slid into place. She strolled down the stone road, smiling at the merchants who pushed their goods at her. It was the beginning of a new week and that meant everyone was out trying to make a living. She approached the huge statue of a horse and rider and began to pick the flowers that grew underneath. Her mother was a skilled alchemist and had taught her the basics at a young age. After her mother died, she was left to teach herself.

Ariella bent and snapped the stem between her fingers as a group of rowdy people came down the street toward her. She approached them as they came to a stop, pushing her way through the crowd of curious people to get a better look. A slave master and his "stock" stood in the center of the crowd.

The master was the filthiest Imperial she had ever seen and had a least ten slaves chained together and kept in line by huge Nord guards. Not surprisingly, he had a few Argonaians and Khajiits, a Breton man and woman, three Bosmer woman and...a dunmer man.

"Ladies and gentleman, I bring you the finest slaves money can buy!" The slave master breathed in heavily. "Whether to tend your crops or warm your bed, these slaves are worth every ounce of gold." He coughed into a cloth he pulled from his sleeve and motioned for the Nord guard to pull the Argonians forward. "Strong and determined, these beasts will serve their master well; 500 gold each."

Ilmeres stood sternly, listing as Piggy praised the quality of his stock. He watched as one of the Argonians was sold to a city guard and the bosmer girls went to a woman named Tamika who needed the extra hands for her vineyard. They were lucky and Ilmeres knew it. Many of the attractive woman who came through the slave caravan met far worse fates.

Piggy finally approached him and roughly grabbed his sore wrists. "Here is my finest specimen, a dark elf from Morrowind. A perfect bodyguard, he can break a mans' skull with his bare hands!"

Ilmeres sighed quietly, wondering where Piggy had gotten that idea. The crowd seemed pleased though and began to whisper amongst themselves and point at him. He glared at them through the silver hair that obscured his face and saw a young woman with dark red hair he had not noticed before. She was short and curvy, with wide hips and full breasts that filled out her blue velvet dress beautifully. She was too pale and a little overweight, but he was curious none the less. His hands bound in front of him tightly, he tilted his head to get the hair out of his eyes to get a better look a the girl.

She seemed strange and awkward, nothing like the dunmer maiden who had captivated him in Morrowind. Piggy grabbed a hand full of his hair and jerked his head back. Ilmeres whispered a curse to the man as his scalp stung.

"How much?" A burly Orc asked, a tankard of mead clenched tightly in his hand.

Piggy smiled. "10,000 gold. Including branding." He added the last part with a sneer as the Nord nearest him began a fire. Ilmeres clenched his teeth together. He had seen other slaves get branded with the mark of their new master and didn't want to follow in their footsteps.

The red headed Imperial woman stepped forward like a timid child and pulled out her coin purse. "Done, but I do not require the branding sir."

Piggy huffed. "W-Well alright miss, you have your slave...but no branding?" Ilmeres knew the man ejoyed inflicting pain but this surely cemented it.

The woman nodded and Piggy conceeded, pulling out the contract for her to sign to seal the sale. Ilmeres watched the woman accept the quill that was offered to her and sign the deed to his life. The Nord guard unlatched his chain from the others and jerked him forward roughly. Ilmeres felt his shoulder slip in the socket and jerk back roughly and he stiffled a scream.

"Watch how you treat my property Nord." The red headed woman warned, much to the surprise of Ilmeres and Piggy. The slave master corrected his guard, who handed the chain over.

Ariella felt strange leading the dunmer back to her home in chains. She was not sure what had possesed her to buy the poor man, but she could use some help around her home. Since her husband died, she had neglected tending to the aging Rosethorn Hall and it was getting to the point were she could no longer ignore it. She opened the door to her home and led the man in. Closing the door behind her, she let the chain fall to the ground.

He didn't move or rise his gaze from the floor. Ariella latched the door and timidly stood before the dunmer. "What is your name?"

"Ilmeres..." He answered, his voice cracking.

She thought for a moment. "Don't you have a last name?"

"Sadri." His response was cold and abrupt.

"My name is Ariella Artoria...how long were you in that caravan?" Ariella asked as she looked him up and down. She could faintly see the outline of his ribs as he breathed and his body looked worn.

"Roughly a year, Mistress."

She nodded. "My home requires repairs that I can not complete on my own; that is what I need of you. And there is of course, daily chores like tending the garden out back..."

Ilmeres nodded and raised his hands. "If you'll unchain me I can start, Mistress."

She pulled the key from her pocket and unchained him. Ilmeres rubbed his sore wrists and forced a weak smile to her in thanks. Ariella sat the chains to her side. "Do not begin tonight." She pointed to a door near the fireplace. "Your room is downstairs, there are trunks of old clothes for you to rumage through and a bathing basin that has a direct line from the well outside. Lairah is down there now and she can help you get situated."

"Who is Lairah, Miss?" He asked, unsure of how kind his new owner truly was. But then again, she had bought a slave so how kind could she be.

"She cooks and cleans for me, go see her now."

Ilmeres nodded and obeyed, opening the door and descending the stairs. He entered a dimly lit room with two beds divided by a screen. The bathing basin was tucked in a corner and opposite it were the trucks she had mentioned.

A Bosmer girl looked up from an old desk and smiled to him. "And who are you?"

"Mistress Artoria bought me, she told me to come down here."

The girl smiled and stood. Lairah's stomach was swollen with child and by the looks of her clothing, she had altered them to fit her growing waistline. Her brown hair was tied up so the tips of her ears poked out. "Bought you? So you are a slave?"

Ilmeres nodded and the girl took a step closer. "M'lady sure is strange." She chuckled and waved him closer to her. "Come, let's find you some clothes."

Lairah began picking through the trunks and Ilmeres watched her for a moment before joining. "Are you a slave?" He asked her after they swaped introductions.

She shook her head. "I was begging on the streets for months before I found my way here. She took me in and gave me a warm bed, even had that craddle made for my baby." She pointed to the craddle that was next to her bed.

Ilmeres accepted a green velvet shirt that Lairah handed to him. "Is it only yourself and the Lady here?"

Lairah nodded as she continued her search, determined to find descent clothes for him. "Her father died not too long ago, but that was before I came here. Her husband died along with him. She rarely mentions either of them to me, so I doubt she'll say anything to you...no offense." She smiled and handed him new trousers and shoes. "Get changed and then meet me upstairs, you can help me prepare dinner."

She hurried upstairs and he slipped out of his loincloth once he heard the door close behind her. He quickly changed and ran a damp cloth over his face to remove as much of the grime as he could. He found a lonely brush in one of the trunks and fought with the tangles in his hair until he was satisfied. Ilmeres felt much better then he had in a long time; with new clothes and a comb, he almost looked like a free man. He chuckled at the thought and hurried to find Lairah.