Father to son: past times

"Father, tell me the story of our ancestor..."

"But, my son, you've heard it so many times already..."

"Please, once again..."

"Well, since you seem to like it so much...

It was a long time ago, when the all the Dark Elves were united under the common flag of the great Empire of Morrowind. Now that empire is no more, for we are divided in many small nations, and just the land and our memories retain the reminiscence of that magnificence. Those were times when a person could show what he was reallu worth and receive the deserved commendation and tribute. And thus happened to Tenkor, founder of our house...

He was but a simple soldier in the imperial army, detached with the troops patrolling the western borders. The situation there was quite difficult: the territories he was assigned to had been taken from the dwarves (who then inhabited some part of the region now called Skyrim) just some decades before, and those pitiful creatures still claimed to have rights on them: they were even determined to get that piece of land back using the force. Unfortunately, the situation was complicated by the fact that at the southern borders those slimy Argonians (who have always been a nuisance, for all these centuries) were proving to be a thorn in our side more than usual, and the Emperor had to send the majority of his army to block them. Needless to say, just a small contingent remained to stand against the dwarves' offensive; on the other hand these small forces were aided by the land itself, for the only way in was a mountain pass, very easy to defend with a few good men.

Anyway, our forefather Tenkor was not among them: his role was that of simple messenger: he had to carry dispatches to and from the nearby towns for supplies and the like. It was during one of these trips that he was blocked by a storm. Here in Morrowind storms can be deadly, so he was forced to find a shelter, and quickly: fortunately, amidst the thick rain he was able to spot a cave not very far. He made for it as soon as he could. He resolved to stay there until the storm passed and sat down in a corner to wait patiently...

After a while, in the thundering noise of the rain, he was able to make out a different sound: there was some sort of pattern in it... it couldn't be something natural... but, most important, it came from inside the cave. He tried to track down the source and advanced in the darkness of the cavern: his red eyes could see even if it was pitch black, and after some steps he made out some oaken beams sustaining the ceiling: an old mine! Now he remembered: the dwarves had just begun to dig it when his fellow dark elves drove them away, a few decades before... but what about the sound? He went deep down the abandoned mine, but it didn't take long before he discovered where it was coming from: from beyond a wall, a regular clangour came, sometimes mixed with... voices??? He concentrated on it and he could distinguish some low pitched voices grunting something he could not understand in a guttural language... then he realized: DWARVES!!! They knew of the abandoned mine's existence and they were taking advantage of it, digging a tunnel beneath the mountain (something they are very skillful at) while some soldiers engaged the dark elves in worthless skirmishes. It wouldn't take long before their pickaxes could pull down that layer of rock, so that they could swarm on the unaware dark elves from behind!!!

There was no time to lose: Tenkor hurried out of the cave, not caring about the rain that was hindering his advance. Luck was on his side, though, for the storm was waning. He arrived to the camp and asked to see the commander of the detachment at once, claiming he had news of the utmost importance and gravity. He referred what he had seen and heard and the officers consulted to decide which steps they would take against this new menace. The commander opted to provoke a cave-in and foil the dwarves' plan. Tenkor was still there, unnoticed, and intervened: he proposed to turn their enemies' actions against them by organizing an ambush for those who were meant to ambush them, then using the tunnel they had built to  arrive directly to their camp and raid it, since the dwarves weren't certainly expecting an attack. The commander looked at Tenkor, then nodded and instructed his officers to follow his plan.

It was a formidable victory: the dwarves were routed with but a minimum loss of dark elevs' lives. Tenkor was given full credit for his crucial contribution. As a commendation, he was granted an audience with the Emperor, who invested him with the noble rank of chevalier, but this was only the beginning: he helped the empire in many ways throughout the years and founded the house that still today bears is name and whose members are proud of their lineage. Later in his life, when he ahd mastered many skills and gained vast knowledge, he embarked on a mysterious and dangerous quest... he was never seen again...

... and this is the story of our ancestor Tenkor. Did you like it, my childe?"

"Father, I swear that, when I grow up, I will train and practise to be like him" said the kid, with a light of awe gleaming in his eyes.

"Yes" said the father with a smile "I know you will, Darak..."

* Writer's note: this story might seem a bit unusual, but the heritage of Darak will have a great deal of influence during his life... but that's another story ;-) *