Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

136 2. THE ELDER SCROLLS CHAPTER 2: DAGGERFALL
[30.8] King Edward VIII
King Edward, Part VIII
by Anonymous
Chapter 8: Wilderland
The journey through Valenwood was pleasant. The weather held fair for the most part, with
sunny days and cool nights. Bright leaves of scarlet, crimson, gold and green drifted down to
form a carpet beneath their horses' feet. Valenwood was very different from the somber, steep
forests of High Rock. When they reached the northern border, Edward, looking back, saw that
the trees were mostly bare, shorn of their glory. Before them lay a wide green land of rolling
hills with only a few stands of trees. It seemed to spread on forever.
"This is Wilderland, Edward," Moraelyn said. "Be on your guard. It seems a pleasant land, but
no king's writ runs here. Each man's hand is against every other's and there are worse than
men. All the races of Tamriel meet here, and clash, save thine, perhaps."
They journeyed for some days more with small incident, save one for a band of Khajiit raiders
that crept up on their camp by night. These were easily repelled. Silk slew one and the rest ran
off yowling. The gentle wood elf girl, Willow, lobbed fireballs after them. There were no
roads, just small paths that criss-crossed one another and seemingly led nowhere.
After two weeks of steady riding they came to a bowl shaped place in the hills where the land
was tilled. The fields looked fair and were stacked with harvest, but the folk were dispirited,
ragged, and unfriendly. Questions about inns got only shrugs and puzzled looks. Armed bands
challenged them at times and demanded to know their business. When Moraelyn said they
were bound for Morrowind, they were told to pass through quickly and mind they stole
nothing.
"Passage is all we wish," Moraelyn said quietly.
"Someone should teach these folk manners," the usually placid Mats growled.
"Thou mayst stay and open a school of etiquette, if it pleases thee," Moraelyn said, "I fear my
life's too short to teach the lessons these villains require. Still, I like not the look of the sky; it
looks even more evil than the folk. I think we'll try our luck in the town."
The town was surrounded by a palisade of wood and had a stout gate. Guards looked them
over and refused them entrance. "None but humans enter here, elf. Take thy rabble and
begone."
"I see. Ali, Mats, Edward, thou seemst to qualify for the hospitality here. The rest of us will
shelter elsewhere."
Aliera announced that she would see them all blown back to Firsthold by the storm before
she'd step within these gates. So they circled the town, passing a moat with stone walls within