[Indent] Imperial City ransacked and made ruins, I fled in new boots with my familiar in tow, And then an unfamiliar face came to my side, Became a friend over time, A river was crossed in a boat filled with holes, I felt my robes tear and unravel, Thread by thread over time - slow. To a camp with a fire, Matron by my side, I cried that night. A hike to a camp with a young princess, She was me, Eyes blue and hair was fair and I carried her in my arms, To her safety and I should have stayed with her, Although. Soldiers weeping for their mothers, Wounds seeping blood onto wet ground, The smell of iron and piss and war, But something else loomed over, Leather and steel. Another fire I abandoned, Silent screams in the night, Who am I becoming? The threads continue to pull free. A golden coast, The smell of salt and sand, Alto wine in hand, I chased the darkness, Eyes of obsidian I wanted for myself, My robe was torn from my back. To the temple to pray, I rejoice at the sight, Of a man stooped low, Denied a blessing, I bless him instead. More chaos and madness and I'm thrown to the ocean, Everything left behind, The abyss might swallow me, But there are eyes of coal fixed on me, I am burning for them. A reunion and a dinner which I shall never forget, Finding myself in the embrace of a shadow, He unravels for me too, I take the threads and find a place for them, We become entwined. The Dwemer dies in our care, Blood must be given back, First the Nord, And then me, Flesh to steel to wood, I never leave that room. My Knight, He loves me. A celebration, But there is nothing to celebrate, My love tells me things, Threads unravel again, Memories of his I wish I could cast into the fire, A woman like me. Once again I am taken, This time I'm not alone, I fight back, It's okay if it's not me. Who am I now? What is left of me? Insecurity and fear tug at me once more, There is little left to give, A battle between demons, A dance with death, I made a mistake, I pay with everything. There is nothing left of her, Something else takes her place, A maelstrom at Dawn, His lover, We fix ourselves, Tie our limbs in knots through the night. For my love, Everything must be done, I bottle vigour and bravery, We storm the palace, I his shadow, He is not alone. Threads are gone, All that remains is me, Hard as steel, Fierce as a dragon. I am not alone.[/indent] Raelynn reads her poem back to herself and rolls her eyes, immediately tearing the page free from the journal. She abruptly scrunches it and tosses it into the flames; "fucking stupid."