Bats, a black wolf, and then a troll make for a very adventurous sojourn into the yews. And now Faith and Dere are paired up instead one stalking the other. As h.e.rider said, I can't wait to see where this is going. Great installment!

Lovely description of the Ancient Yews. It really comes across as a dark, foreboding place. With a thunderstorm to punctuate the creepiness no less! I take it that it is a mod? In any case, it is good choice in the name. The yew is the tree of death, as it is poisonous. Hekate was said to put slips of yew her cauldron.

I figured that critter was a troll. Only a giant, dinosaur-size one! And now it looks like Derelas has found himself in quite the adventure!

Again, I am left wondering about Faith's true motivations. At best she could be a creepy stalker, as she is following Dere around Cyrodiil. But I do not expect the best. Rather I have a creeping sensation that she is working for Mannimarco...


nits:
The longer I spent in within,
I think that in is a holdover from a previous edit.

“Having an early dinner {with} some new friends,”
I think you wanted a with where I inserted it above.

Our feet took us through bramble thickets with treetops so thick no rain could even hope to penetrate their suffocating, tangled branches and tiny clearings where saplings had mysteriously managed to take hold, their roots drowning in the torrent from above.
This is a really long sentence. You might want to think of breaking it up into two, around the point of the tiny clearings.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 19 2011, 04:54 PM

Mod.

As you can see, I didn't choose the name, but it was fitting enough that I decided to keep the one that already existed.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 18 2011, 11:45 PM

A delightfully foreboding place, full of danger. This was fun to read. I liked how the troll yielded to the torch. So it looks like the odd couple will be stuck with each other for a time. What a neat setting for some mystery!

Hey, nobody needs to know about your bet. That's why I said PM me, and we can talk about splitting the haul later

Impressive use of topography here. i don't meant that to sound belittling, because i seriously meant that the environment you describe and utilize is amazing. The one thing I always hate about shows or movies filmed "in the woods" is that they only ever film in apple orchards, and that actual wilderness is a much rougher and more treacherous place than many will acknowledge. I've seen people seriously injured while hiking because they didn't give their due attention to their surroundings.

This chapter worked great on many other levels as well. The frantic chase followed by seeking shelter, coupled with the fact that trolls would recognize and fear something that is so harmful to them, is a great sequence.

@rider: We shall take yo to the farthest ends of the earth... and back again. In the meantime, though, we are definitely not having a usual Elder Scrolls solo adventure, as I'm placing heavy emphasis on this forest bringing about character growth for both of them. Treasures will be few and far between, most likely, what is there to find in a dank, deadly yew forest, after all?

@mALX: Many thanks. I strive for my descriptions to be as immersive and enriching as I can possibly make them. Thankfully, I have a decent vocabulary, so that definitely helps.

@Rick: [cliche]Don't worry, Danger is his middle name![/cliche]

@SubRosa: That's your optimism? Still seems mighty pessimistic to me, perhaps Faith could be on the good side, you know? Anyways, I do like myself a female lead with mysterious intentions, so I'm glad that she is indeed a mysterious person to you.
Nits be picked.

@Acadian: A very mysterious place indeed, the Ancient Yews. We shall see many of the secrets it holds over the course of our little adventure.

@Mjolnir: I live in the wilderness, so I have plenty of experience walking riding such dangerous terrain. Indeed, the untamed wild can be quite treacherous, and I've seen enough on my trail-rides to come to have a great respect for just how treacherous they can be. Terrain is also a less-explored way of adding danger to a scene, so I'm glad it worked out so well.
PS: I wonder how long I can go before I run out of nicknames for you?

@all: Thank you all for your continued support.

next: Time for a bit of spelunking...






“This is not going to be an easy journey,” Faith mused, warming her hands on a small fire constructed from wooden torches, lighting the tiny antechamber in its flickering orange glow. Bedrolls had been laid out to one side, for Faith was quick to declare that we would be staying here for the night. “To make sure that troll doesn’t come back,” she told me.

“We’re going to need to check this cave, then,” I replied to her desire to stay. “Who knows what could be living in here besides us?”

“Indeed,” Faith replied, giving her dagger a brief pull to unsheathe it slightly. After a quick inspection to make sure no blood had dried onto the silver blade, she then returned it to its sheath. “Now that we have a fire going, it should be safe enough here, though we are going to need to take sleep in shifts.”

“Should we go together to look around?” I then asked.

“No,” she returned bluntly, “I can move far quieter on my own. Besides, I need you to watch the camp and keep the fire from going out.”

“Very well,” I replied, a mild hint of dejection in my voice, though I could see her point. “Just try not to bring anything back with you if it isn’t shiny, okay?”

Faith responded by rolling her eyes before turning towards the deeper shadows of the cave behind us.




----





Nothing dampens his spirits, Faith thought. She then surrounded herself in a bright green mist with a whispered incantation and watched as her hand faded to become one with the rocks. Good for him, but it does tend to… grate after awhile. Sometimes it’s best to know when to just hush up and let the people who know what they’re into get the job done. Oh, well… that’s a Bosmer for you. Isn’t it ironic how they can hardly ever see the forest for the trees when they’re inside of one?

As she cast another green spiral around herself, the entire cavern ahead became brilliantly visible in a deep blue veil upon her eyes. The passage twisted its way downward into Nirn’s infinite depths. Stepping quietly, but deliberately to avoid prying ears, Faith slowly made her way forth.

After many a dark moment, a rapid scuttling bristled upon the Dunmer’s pointed ears. Cacat, she thought, spiders. She slowly turned the corner, and her fears were confirmed. Two massive arachnids, both easily the size of a chicken, skittered along the moist stone floor, venom dripping menacingly from their rapidly clicking pincers. Faith repressed a shiver, she hated spiders.

Within but a few seconds, the two spiders’ days of skittering legs were ended by two feathery shafts in their hairy abdomens. Grinning faintly to herself, Faith grabbed a small empty bottle from her pocket and brought it to the pincers of one of the arachnids. Devastatingly poisonous, especially when combined with Nightshade or Peony. Also quite valuable, she recited to herself in her mind as the venom slowly dripped into the tiny flask. Once satisfied with the amount, she sealed the glass vessel and shifted her way past the curl-legged corpses.

One brief moment later, the small corridor opened into a massive cavern. Within its black depths rendered clear as day in the blue veil of Night-Eye, Faith could make out many animals… they looked like boar. Wow, we might actually be able to eat well tonight, Faith thought as she drew another bronze-tipped arrow from her quiver.

As she slowly drew the silk string of her bow to her ear, a low roar quickly made Faith do a double-take. She then investigated the shadowy corners closer for the source of the noise. It was a massive brown bear, who then proceeded to yawn loudly, stretching its forelegs out in front of him as his voice echoed throughout the stony chamber.

Perfect, Faith thought, slowly easing the tension from her bowstring. No fresh meat this time, it seems. That damn bear will smell the kill before it even strikes the ground.

At that point, something very odd struck the Dunmer hunter, those boar were not being very subtle about their presence, so why wasn’t that bear defending his home? As quickly as the thought crossed her mind, a new beast crossed into Faith’s vision….

Wait, that’s no beast… is that a person? What in Azura’s name is she doing down he… is she petting that bear?!

Faith vigorously shook her head, convinced that her Night-Eye must be conjuring images… but the Amazonian woman remained ever present. Finally assured that it wasn’t her imagination, the Dunmer then proceeded to slowly back away, utterly stunned by what she just witnessed.




----




“You are not going to believe this,” Faith said, announcing her return in a low, quiet voice that made me jump. “There’s someone already living here.”

“Someone?” I asked, wondering what hidden meaning she must be placing into her words. People don’t live in caves… at least, not in any place I’ve known.

“Yes, it was definitely a person,” Faith replied, “with a pet grizzly, to boot.”

“You’re not trying to yank my chain, are you?” I quickly returned. Perhaps it was possible for people to live in caves nowadays, but I knew it was impossible for them to keep an actual pet bear… unless they were a powerful mage. And why would a mage of such renown want to live in the middle of nowhere? Wait, scratch that, I think I just answered my own question. “Sorry, don’t answer that,” I quickly added.

“Anyways, she seemed to be deep enough inside that we should still be able to stay here for tonight,” Faith then began to reason, “We’ll just need to keep the smoke outside and the noise as low as we can. I really hope you don’t snore.”

“I’ll be sure to ask if we’re still alive in the morning,” I replied, collecting a travel ration from my pack. “I’ll take the first watch.”

“Trying to be noble?” Faith then asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I’m just trying to be a team player,” I rebutted. “Besides, you need the rest more than I do right now.”

“And your reasoning for that is what, exactly?” Faith continued, now with her other eyebrow raised.

“Because of my birthsign,” I explained, “the Steed. Believe me, it was a good run, but it didn’t tire me out nearly as much as you might think.”

Faith then moved to stoke the fire. The light of the dancing flames licked her face in their gentle glow, one that her eyes did not return. Her energy was clearly spent, and she definitely needed the sleep, despite her insistence that she didn’t.

“Look,” I continued, “You’re obviously the more experienced adventurer here, so I think keeping you rested is pretty damn important. I’m not trying to be noble, I’m trying to keep things in perspective. If we don’t stop arguing with each other over who does what, we’re both going to end up troll-food come tomorrow.”

“I know,” Faith replied, holding up a hand to stop me. “I just find it hard to trust someone who’s never been someplace dangerous in his life...”

“And your point is what exactly?” I cut her off, “You, of all people, should know that you can’t think straight when you’re tired, which you are.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who needs protecting here,” Faith retorted, her voice beginning to rise, “I didn’t get us into this mess in the first place.”

“This is childish,” I sighed, shaking my head, “I know you know that you’re exhausted, I can see it in your eyes. You really need to put the superiority complex aside for a minute….”

“This has nothing to do with superiority!” Faith argued, voice rising further, “This has to do with keeping us alive.”

“Which I’m trying to say you can do that much better if you’re rested!” I countered, growing exasperated. Why did she have to make this so difficult? We’re arguing over who gets to sleep, by Mara’s sake!

“Fine!” Faith then snapped, making a beeline for her bedroll and tossing herself in to look towards the wall. “We’ll do it your way then. Gods preserve us that we may make it out alive!”

I needed some air. Taking my still yet to be eaten travel ration, I made my way to the mouth of the cave and found a seat. Faith was obviously not thinking straight; she was so engrossed in protecting me that she didn’t seem to care about protecting herself. Despite the fact she probably wasn’t going to talk to me for some time, I was glad she finally saw reason. As the shadows of the forest became complete with the last rays of an unseen sun dipping beneath the land for its long slumber, I wondered to myself if all women could be this stubborn.

I gave my head a quick shake, putting the thoughts out of my mind. She’ll come round, sometimes it’s just best you let someone seethe. All I could hope for now as that she would be willing to put our differences aside come tomorrow and just concentrate on leaving this place.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 21 2011, 11:36 PM

Ewww, spiders! Yuck. An interesting little cave-dive by Faith, with some intriguing discoveries.

What in Azura’s name is she doing down he… is she petting that bear?!
Sounds like Teresa made a crossover into the DF!

Finally, an amusing little argument, ending in the infamous "F" word! Poor Derelas, that is what he gets for letting the stalker chick tag along with him!


nits:
Nothing dampens his spirits, Faith thought to herself as she surrounded herself in a bright green mist with a whispered incantation.
This sentence runs out a bit. You might think of splitting it into two sentences, like this:
Nothing dampens his spirits, Faith thought. With a whispered incantation, she surrounded herself in a bright green mist .

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 22 2011, 02:21 AM

That cave-woman makes me think of Ayla and Baby. Hmm . . .

Anyway, I enjoyed the brief peek inside Faith's mind as she explored the cave. Ugh, those spiders sounded disgusting, much like Shelob.

I see you fixed the sentence Sage Rose pointed out. It reads much better now.

And I want to see what happens next!

An interesting setting and some fine character development here.

I liked Faith's use of some cave diving magic.

The woman with the bear is very intriguing!

Here, let me help you out. My birthday is the Third of Second Seed, so which movie featuring a hammer-wielding leader of awesomeness comes out just a few days after? Score!

There's a hammer in The Elder Scrolls that keeps showing up.

Translated to Latin, it reads "Dux Malleus." ('Dux' was a generic term for 'leader' with no set rank or station attached.) Since that gives us the English 'Duke' we simply need to see what comes out ON my Birthday (Double Score!). The fact that I am fond of destruction-magic-overkill, or 'nuking', adds to that...

Shorten 'Malleus' to 'Mal.' Add that to 'Captain.' Add the wonderful and unbelievably awesome Nathan Fillion for a role that was too popular, but cut too short...

Heck, Nathan Fillion!

AND, his current character on TV.

...Oh, and a Buffy-verse role of said actor that was just plain creepy (maybe we should let Acadian have that one).

I'm sure there's more, but now you've got (1,2,3...6) at least six more installments before you have to think up some more. Incidentally, we could start a game called "Six Degrees of Captain Hammer's Nicknames." I wonder if we can incorporate a Bacon-index in it somewhere...

But I digress. On to the post itself.

Are the spiders added by a mod, and if so, which one? I keep some Daedra Venin for it's poison effects, but after finishing the main quest I lose the ability to harvest more and end up relying on the Arch-Mage's chest of duplication for more.

The argument itself was well done, and I found myself recalling a number of times when I foolishly believed in the truth of the f-word. Poor Derelas. May he find the way to see the truth past the words.

I suspect the bear-hugger's last name is Draconis, lol. I'm surprised Faith's shouting didn't rouse her to come attack the two of them! Great Chapter !!! Derelas really seems to be coming into his own now !!!

Great bit of character building. These two are going to be a joy to follow. My guess for the cave-dwelling bear-handler is her name starts with an Sprig and ends with a gan. I suspect that the spiders might be modded? Only because I have never seen one. Either way, I am with SubRosa on this...YUCKO! I detest spiders!

Looking forward to the next installment...

@SubRosa: There be plenty of creepy-crawlies out there for you in this one. If you would wish it, I can warn you in the future if there might be some arachnophobic segments so you can be prepared for them.

@rider: Have you been reading dirty literature again? Naughty Haute!

@Acadian: The bear-woman is rather central to this set of chapters, as you will soon find out.

@Volendrung: The mod in question is MMM. If spiders freak you out, you can also turn them off if you wish. Yes, the F-word (as I learned in middle school) definitely contains hidden, but obvious meaning. Never trust a man or woman who uses it too much.

@mALX: Have you been eavesdropping on my PMs again, you minx?

@Rick: Again, if enough people wish it, I will post warnings for when there is a spider-heavy chapter in the works. Please let me know if I should.

@all: I believe it is time we brushed up on a bit of the lore involved in this story. I did my best to ensure it would connect and play nice to all the other Bosmeri stories already posted, so I hope you enjoy it.

next: We meet two new very important figures... and a bear.






*ROAR*

My reverie of boredom was shattered by a glass-shattering guttural noise. I turned to a paralyzing sight. A giant bear was stood upon his hind legs, dwarfing the ashen-skinned woman who’s hand now instinctively swung to her hip for her blade.

“The nature-hater has slain our kin. Teddy will eat sweetly tonight!” a cackling voice rang through as the bear came crashing back to all fours. The sheer weight of his landing caused Faith to stagger back skittishly. With another loud roar of indescribable rage, the great mammal swung his paw upwards, claws gleaming in the fire’s dying glow.

“STOP!” I cried out instinctively. I then watched in utter amazement as the bear gave pause, turning to blink in my direction. Then, miraculously, he lowered his paw to the ground and stood stark still. A young woman dressed in furs then appeared from around the creature’s hindquarters, a look of confusion upon her shadowed face.

“The Tree-Lover has commanded Teddy still,” she began, her voice matching her face, though oddly bearing with it no vestiges of insanity. “Why does he deny me vengeance?”

“Vengeance?” I repeated bemusedly, my eyes darting to Faith. She had done a very good job of turning herself into statue, as she was now standing just as still as that bear. She still hadn’t bothered to even lower her dagger.

“My darling scuttle-bugs,” she replied tearfully, “They were murdered by this one’s feather-bolts and robbed of their glitter!”

“Wait, those giant spiders were your pets?” Came Faith’s astonished voice at last.

“Be silent, Ash-Breather,” the strange animal-woman snapped coldly, “you are a thief and a murderer. You deserve not the life that was given to you.”

A low growl was beginning to emanate from the bear’s raised hackles, informing me that he was fast losing interest in his complacency. I would need to think fast if I wanted to keep things from becoming any messier.

“Listen, miss,” I began feverishly, desperately racking my thoughts so I might head off the woman’s rage. “She obviously didn’t know those spiders meant something to you. We’re just two travelers lost in the woods, driven into hiding by a troll. Believe me, we want to leave here as much as you want us gone.”

“Someone must pay for my scuttle-bugs!” The woman cried out. “Their glitter is robbed! They have no hope for survival in the next world!”

“Glitter?” came Faith’s bemused response, “what do you mean, glitter?”

“Their venom, you fool!” The woman almost screamed back, pointing an accusing finger at the Dunmer, “How do you expect a spider to survive without venom?!”

“Here,” Faith quickly and somewhat fearfully replied. She pulled a small, glass flask out of her pocket, “Their venom is in here. You can have it if you want it.”

“Did I not tell you hush?” The woman scathed, sending Faith’s jaw snapping closed once again. The bear-woman then approached Faith slowly, a hand reaching out for the bottle. When Faith made no protest, she snatched it from her hand and clasped it lovingly in her own. She then turned back to me, the fires of anger in her eyes now dispelled.

“Perhaps the Ash-Breather has some humility,” she said, gently caressing the bottle of venom. She then slipped it into the folds of her furs and turned to face me. “Very well, Bosmer. I will let her be… for now.”

“Wait, that’s it?” I then asked apprehensively.

“Not in the slightest,” she responded, “But if you wish it, she will be spared.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my body fighting the urge to soar away with difficulty as the bear retreated into the shadows. Now that I wasn’t so focused on that furry monstrosity, I could get a proper look at the woman who commanded his respect. Her hair was long and brown. She wore it lank and though it bore no sophisticated styling, was not unkempt. Her deep brown eyes seemed to bore into your soul with their intense gaze, one I was fairly certain kept that bear docile. Her face bore no markings of age, and her body was well toned and bristled with feminine strength.

“My name is Sibylla Draconis,” she then introduced herself to me. Her voice now much calmer and more concise. “I am a shepherd to the many creatures of Kynareth in these woodlands. I have devoted my life to His will, and so bear no worldly possessions one might call ‘civilized.’”

“Well met, Sibylla,” I returned holding my open hand forward with my palm facing her in the traditional Bosmer greeting. She then reached forward in the same way and touched her hand to mine, thus declaring herself friend. “I hope you can forgive the misgivings of my friend here, she does tend to think with her tongue before her brain.”

Faith responded to this with a blatant scoff, but earned a chuckle from Sibylla.

“Anyways, what brought you up here?” I continued, “Did you hear the argument?”

“Teddy heard,” Sibylla replied, returning to the bear’s side and leaning up against his massive hindquarters, “And when we were on the way up I found my darling scuttle-bugs… well, you call them spiders, had been killed. I don’t like that word, by the way, ‘spider’,” she then veered off, her gaze drifting. “Too vicious, too fearful a word.”

She then turned back to me. “I apologize, I may have come off a bit loopy when we first met,” she turned her gaze downward. She might have been blushing from embarrassment, but it was hard to tell by the dimly flickering light of our small fire. “I tend to get that way when people kill my woodland creatures.”

“I understand,” I replied, “it’s hard to lose a pet.”

“As it is your family?” Sibylla then revealed, quietly so that only I might hear her words. Her response startled me half to death. She knew?

“How do you know that?” I asked indignantly, shock heavy on my tongue.

“It would seem your guide deigned to tell,” she responded. “He must have been expecting us to meet.”

“My guide?” came my confused reply.

“Your spirit guide; every Bosmer has one.” She explained, “Usually they take the form of an animal such as a raven or lion, but you can occasionally find a few with a human guide, though they are rare.”

“So who is mine?” I asked.

“Does your birthsign not tell all?” She responded in a mysterious tone.

“The Steed?”

“Equine,” Sibylla corrected, “Spirit of the Horses. He has blessed you with his heart and lungs, and to this day has guided your footsteps. I believe he wanted us to meet, what else might have drawn you here into this accursed grove?”

“How did you speak to him, then, if he is my guide?” I then asked, still very perplexed. My gaze met Faith’s and she seemed to be just as lost as I was over all this.

“Why don’t you ask him?” was her only reply. I had to restrain rolling my eyes with immense difficulty. How was I supposed to know how to communicate with someone who, until now, I didn’t even know existed?

"Really now, it’s a lot easier than you think," I jumped almost a foot into the air when I heard the response. The voice sounded so familiar, faintly nagging… no, more like a mild whinny behind the vocals. This must be him.

"Equine," I thought, "is that you?"

"Yes, it is," came the response. "I believe this is not the first time we spoke, as well."

My mind streamed backwards. A dead Khajiit, blood spilling upon the sun-kissed stone road. The keen steel edge in my hand bathed in the weeping red sorrow of stolen life. The feeling of my very soul being rent in two. "I remember," I told him.

"Very good, and it would seem you have," Equine returned. "I hope you’re visit to Cheydinhal was fruitful?"

"I got what I went there for, so I would believe so," I answered. Even if it was a rather unpleasant stay. Silence then followed. Faith was still rooted in place, likely extraordinarily confused as to what was going on. Sibylla, on the other hand, was smiling.

“See?” she broke the silence with a voice filled with approval, “He always listens, you need only ask.”

“That was incredible,” was all I could muster up in reply, my voice still rather shaky. There was still one question on my mind for Equine though: 'why did Sibylla allow Faith to live?'

"You may think her not much more than a creepy stalker right now, but she is much more than that," Equine quickly responded. "Things will become clearer once you leave the Yews. Sibylla knows this, as I have told her just how important she will become to your life. She respects those who love and live with nature."

“Now come, both of you,” Sibylla then commanded. “If you are going to live to find your way out, you will need my assistance.” I was quick to follow, but Faith still needed some time to figure out she wasn’t a stalagmite before she came along.




----




“You can rest in here for tonight,” Sibylla directed us to lay our bedrolls down by the fire built within her cavernous living chamber, smoke streaming through a small hole dug into the ceiling nearby. “We will discuss your travel options come morning. Oh, and by the way, Ash-Breather,” she turned to Faith with a scathing look in her eye, “try not to kill any more of my flock while you are here.”

“I resent that name, you know,” Faith mumbled to herself, dropping her bedroll. Sibylla ignored her. She proceeded to continue her silent treatment as she flung herself into the folds. I however, couldn’t hope to sleep, not with all the questions I had for my newfound guide. Why did you want me to meet Sibylla? Did you have anything to do with me coming to Cyrodiil? Does this have something to do with my parents? And what about those strange dreams with the red-eyed man?

"Calm yourself, young Elf," came the soft whinny of Equine’s voice in my head, "you have twelve human lifetimes ahead of you still. We have always been connected, but you rarely found the moments where you would actually reach out and speak to me. I guided you to Sibylla so you might understand our link better. It is very important that you do."

"Why didn’t my parents tell me about you," I then asked. "Why did they keep your existence from me?"

"They didn’t. They were taken from you before they had the chance to forge the bond."

"What do you mean, forge the bond?"

"Our bonds are forged through the hunt," Equine explained, "When a Bosmer makes his first kill, he opens the door to his guide. You’ve done this already, with the Khajiit. Most do not meet their guides for the first time until they are of twenty-five years upon Mundus. The First Hunt is a rite of passage for all Bosmer, opening the doors to their guides and showing the world that they have grown. I do regret that this opportunity was stolen from you, but I am glad you found your way to me nonetheless. Even if it was by a path most might never follow."

"And what did Sibylla have to do with that," I then wondered. "How did she communicate with you if you’re my guide?"

"Nothing," Equine responded, "she just… showed you the way. Her affinity with Kynareth makes her a friend of Y’ffre. In fact, Kynareth is Y’ffre, or rather the Bosmeri version of Him; all Tamrielic deities take the form of the Aedra. I can speak to her through him, and that is also how she knows my name."

"And she can hear you? I thought the only people who can hear the guides were their Bosmer companions?"

"We are not exclusive, we simply choose one to follow. Any can communicate with us if they wish it. By the same coin, we may communicate with any we wish. However, only those who understand the ways of nature, such as Sibylla, might understand our words. To others, we simply sound like any other animal."

"Just one more question, then. What about the red-eyed man I’ve dreamt of since my arrival?"

"Ah, that I know nothing about, but that Sera Dresdan is deeply involved. As I said, bear with her until you have left the Yews. Things will become clearer then. Sleep now, Derelas of Elder Root. You need your rest as much as she does now."

________________________________________________________________________________



Post Script: Kynareth is normally depicted as being female in the game, but not here. Kynareth is male in this Fic, and this is due to my specific lore that all of the Tamrielic deities that have been created by the races of Mundus refer back to the eight Aedra who created Nirn.

However, if you would, the gender of Kynareth will actually be disputed in this fic. Nature lovers, such as the Bosmer and Sibylla, depict Kynareth (AKA Y'ffre) as male. The Imperial sect (I refuse to call it the Imperial cult), however, depicts Kynareth (incorrectly) as female.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 25 2011, 05:55 AM

Ash-Breather
A good epithet!

I am a shepherd to the many creatures of Kynareth in these woodlands. I have devoted my life to His will,
His ? Kynareth is depicted as being female. Was another deity supposed to be in there as well? Or did you give Kynareth a sex change? Ahhh, I see you did in a manner of speaking, along with a name change, at the end.

Quite a bit going on here, with Derelas meeting not only the bear-girl, but also his fairy godfather.


nits:
You may think her not much more than a creepy stalker right now, but she is much more than that, Equine quickly responded. Things will become clearer once you leave the Yews. Sibyilla knows this, as I have told her just how important she will become to your life. She respects those who love and live with nature.
I think you meant for quotation marks in the dialogue here?

Really cool chapter here. It keeps the hook firmly set, and I am certainly not fighting being reeled in!

mALX gets the kewpie doll for the correct guess on the bear-hugger's identity. I was way off!

WTG with the Lore! I envy those that are Lore savvy. I am so Lore-illiterate that I am constantly using the UESP Wiki for reference.

nits -

...well, you call them spiders, had been killed. I don’t like that word, by the way, ‘spider,’” she then veered off, her gaze drifting.
This should be 'spider',"

The other nit was already pointed out by SubRosa. Except that instead of quotes, I believe that Italics should have been used for Equine's words.

This brings me to another point, and this is a personal point only, as I am no expert in writing by any means. You have used Italics for several different things. They have been used for dream sequences, for the thoughts of both Faith and Deetsan in scenes that dealt with them, and for entire scenes dealing with the evil side story going on.

I assume that the conversations that occur between Derelas and Equine happen via telepathy, and that Derelas is not speaking aloud. A less confusing way for this to happen might be using Italics for Derelas' side and a different font for Equine's side. Or a different color. Again, this is only a personal preference, but I tend to associate Italics with the uses that you have already used, and now we have a new one. Just food for thought.

--------------------------------

EDIT - I'm reading too many stories...LOL. I have corrected 'Felisa' to 'Faith'.

This post has been edited by TheOtherRick: Feb 25 2011, 01:59 AM

Remember 'Til Death do we Part? I am not throwing a new use for italics at you, I am recycling one that has already been used. I will consider changing this if people start getting confused as to who is talking to whom, but I'd prefer to leave it as it is for now. If I do change it, I will likely be Italicizing Dere's thoughts, as well, because I reserve font changes for writings within the writing.

EDIT: I've tried a few things, the fonts will need to remain italicized due to the fact that the conversation is occurring through telepathy, and that adds a problem. Most of the fonts available on this board look too much alike when italicized to make any sort of difference. I tried single quotes, but that was too subtle...

I'm going to try italicized quotations now, that might be the best option.

EDIT AGAIN: I've switched to italicized quotations for Equine and Dere. This way I can play things out like regular dialogue between them, but the italics mark that the conversation is occurring telepathically. Hopefully that should clear up any confusion.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 25 2011, 05:56 AM

Very interesting to read. And enjoyable. I particularly liked the manner of speech you infused Sibylla with; it seems perfect for her.

And Derelas gets a spirit guide!

'I was quick to follow, but Faith still needed some time to figure out she wasn’t a stalagmite before she came along. '
Wonderful comparing Faith to a stalagmite!

On Dere's communication with Equine, it seems they both communicate telepathically to each other. Take some time and fiddle with things if you like, get opinions from readers. There are surely many options. I think the important thing is consistency, which I'm sure you know. I followed things fine, but my elf is very used to having a voice in her head too, so you may not want to listen to us. Lol.

Regarding lore for fan fictions. I think the beauty of fan fiction is to modify the TES world as you see fit. Most of us (very much including you) do so in a way that makes sense. Where it varies from 'by the book' TES lore, we explain within our story, then remain true to it. For example, you will never ever hear a reference to the Green Pact in Buffy Fiction, nor in Teresa Fiction for example. Both of us simply reject the concept and do not paint it into our characters' worlds. I do not recall any reference to spirit guides in TES lore yet, delightfully, we find them in Derelas fiction and Teresa fiction. Buffy will someday learn of her 'totem' stolen straight from 'Clan of the Cave Bear', not TES. I am certain that TES lore does not provide for women whose fate has been touched by Azura as vampire slayers either. I think all our stories are richer for this type of wonderful seasoning as we each cook up our own recognizable, but unique TES world. You will certainly never receive a complaint or nit from this reader for tweaking TES lore to suit your story.

4 down, (n) to go!

Sorry, I'm starting a little tally for the nicknames now, since this seems like it could be fun.

But on to the introduction of a quadrupedal spirit guide, and mistress of the forest. I found your introduction of Sibylla entertaining and original, and it wouldn't have been complete without her alternative viewpoint on the natural world. Particularly the "Scuttle bugs" and their "glitter." That's hilarious.



How long till she gets her payback for that one? Again, I'm offering my role as bookie...

I've read the conversation between Dere and Equine's in your different formats. While I agree that the font choice is limited to "more left or more right slanted italics," might I suggest a color change. Say, brown, dark green, or dark blue?

Experiment, see what works in the "Preview Post," and go with that.

This post has been edited by Captain Hammer: Feb 25 2011, 05:35 PM

This is absolutely my fave chapter of all so far, and that is saying a LOT that it overcame the chapter where he made his first kill. Your creative imagination is beginning a dance now, I can't wait to see where it leads us !!! AWESOME WRITE !!!!!!!

@SubRosa: As I explained in the PS edit, Kynareth is considered female by the Imperial sect, but male by the Bosmer and nature lovers (who refer to Him as Y'ffre). In reality, though, I consider the Aedra to be genderless. They are the immortal forces of creation and life. As such, like any god, they are above such petty biases. The Aedra are not living beings, but rather they are the manifestations of life itself. No one truly knows anything about them aside from them creating Nirn by Lorkhan's trickery, and what sphere of being they govern. They are a force, not beings, and as such are above the issue of gender.

@Rick: Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I hope the new format for telepathic conversation is a bit easier for you to read. If not, please let me know, and I'll think on it some more.

@Acadian: I was actually referring to yourself when I spoke of the spirit guides. "but you can occasionally find a few with a human guide, though they are rare." I very much consider a Bosmer's guide to be a part of their lore now, thanks to how well both you and 'Rosa manage them. I am also, as you noted, a big fan of modifying lore within the game, though I always try to maintain the Elder Scrolls feel to my lore modifications. You might find that heavily modding your game will make you a lot more flexible with changing things you don't like, as well.
And you too with the Auel books?! GAAAAAAH!!!

@Darth Maul: She's been living on her own for quite a long time, being that she is a druid. I tend to try to set the mood and idea of a character the moment you meet them, and I wanted to bring to the reader's attention that she was a bit off-key when it came to conversation, especially when emotions were clouding her judgement. Glad it worked for you.
Oh, and that is not a Star Wars reference (well, not completely), a maul is a type of large warhammer.

@mALX: You comments are much appreciated, as always.

@all: We are nearing our centennial post now. you have all been instrumental in keeping me going, and I think I may have finally hit my stride as a writer at this point. I hope to see my skills refined even further as I continue this, as I still have a ways to go yet before I will even consider myself on par with the veterans on these boards.

next: We're off again, on an adventure of extraordinarily mundane proportions.






“Move quickly southward, for the troll is bound to still be in the area,” Sibylla explained, fingering my map as she went. She had drawn several landmarks onto the parchment. The one she started tracing a path from was a small closed archway that she had labeled “Muck Valley Cavern,” meaning we were there. “Your path will take you west a small ways to avoid the river. Once you reach Mushroom Grove, turn southeast and continue until the sun’s rays darken. You will reach an old, ruined tower here,” she pointed to a small image of a castle tower. “You can wait for morning’s glow there, sheltered from the beasts of the woods.”

“And then after that, we should make the edge of the Yews by fall of darkness on the next day?” I inquired, retracing Sibylla’s directions within my mind’s eye and committing them to memory.

“If you pace quick and ride the breeze, yes,” Sibylla replied, “however, I would suggest putting at least a half-moon’s journey between you and the woods before you settle in.”

“So , about two hours, then?” Faith asked. Now that she was awake and alert, she had found her courage to speak once again. Sibylla eyed Faith with detest at her words.

“If you wish to be so mundane as that, yes,” she returned. “Now, Derelas, do you remember that prayer I taught you?” Sibylla then quizzed me.

“Though your life be taken,
To provide for our need,
Here it ends not,
For your spirit be freed,

Be in peace, my brother,
By wings of Y’ffre may you return to Him,
My body shall be your vessel,
And guide you to His waiting hands.”

“And don’t forget about the heart.” Sibylla told me after I finished my recitation. “You must give the wings and connect your spirit with his so he might find his way to the Everwoods. You remember how to do that, right?”

“Cut the heart from the body, draw two lines from eye to mouth on the head in the creature’s blood, then cut off a portion of heart… and eat it.” I finished, repressing a shudder at the last part.

“That is disgusting…” Faith butted in, pulling a face.

“That is tradition,” Sibylla retorted. “A time-honored Bosmeri ritual. If you wish to leave these woods alive, you would do best to keep the favor of the ones who watch them.”

Faith opened her mouth to argue back, but a throaty growl from Teddy made her reconsider. She closed it again soundlessly.

“Keep that spell I taught you on the front of your mind, you’ll need it if the troll finds you again,” Sibylla continued, turning back to me. “I know it’s not much, but trolls are guaranteed to leave you be if they know you have fire close by.”

“I’m sure it will be most helpful, as you have been,” I replied. “We should probably get moving now if we want to reach that tower before dark.”

“Indeed, you should,” Sibylla agreed. “Move light, but move cautious. If the troll returns, burn him. Safe travels, Bosmer.”




----




The first hours of our journey south passed in silence. The troll seemed to have gotten the message, though, because we saw not a glimpse of his matted, furry body. Faith was apparently still annoyed about what happened last night. This was reinforced by the odd clucking sounds she occasionally made with her tongue along with shaking her head.

“I gather you disapprove of Sibylla?” I voiced in annoyance after she did this again for the umpteenth time.

“You forget I’m not a druid, like you obviously are with your city-slicking ways,” Faith retorted snidely, voice heavy with sarcasm. “Ash breather… I’ll have her breathing ash if I see her again,” she then added under her breath.

“I’d tell you to lay off,” I then began in reply, “but… well, she did sick a bear on you.”

“How did you get her to stop, by the way?” Faith then inquired, abandoning pretense and apparently completely forgetting she was mad at me. “I know Bosmer can command smaller creatures to their will, but a grizzly? That’s unheard of.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know, either,” I returned, silently voicing the same question to Equine.

“You give yourself too little credit,” he responded, “You don’t yet know what you are capable of, and it is not my place to tell you.”

“Gee, thanks,” I voiced aloud, “very helpful.”

“Umm… who are you talking to?” Faith was looking at me with a raised eyebrow and a quizzical expression. I felt my face begin to burn, I hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

“Oh… uhh, my spirit guide.” I quickly replied.

“Oh, this again…” Faith scoffed unsurprisingly. “Listen, you can believe in whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take the word of some loony Druid at fa… WHOA!!”

As we passed into a large clearing, the first we’d seen in the past two days, a loud whinny announced the presence of a very startled wild horse. He then proceeded to rear. We both deftly jumped backward to avoid the thrashing hooves until he settled them firmly back down on the ground. With that, he turned tail and bolted, his gray mane tossed behind him in a fury of speed and he snorting his displeasure loudly.

“By the Gods,” Faith then softly exclaimed, clutching at her chest. “What is that horse doing in the middle of these woods… and all alone? And what are you grinning about?!”

My mind was not on the words spewing from Faith’s mouth, but rather on that horse. Somehow, I had a fleeting feeling how it got there, and could almost hear Equine laughing. “Show off.”

“It might do you best not to verbally assault my guide any more,” I told her. “He very nearly struck you down there.”

“I just can’t win, can I?” Faith returned exasperatedly, grabbing for the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Alright, I get it. I’ll let this go.”

“Good to hear,” I replied. “Anyways, do you think this is the clearing Sibylla told us about?”

“It’s got to be,” Faith quipped, pointing toward a large grove of mushrooms growing nearby. We then moved in for a closer look. Though rather small, their deep steel-blue complexion shone through the lush green grass with the rippling sheen of a small pond. One might almost see the sky through them if they looked hard enough.

“Steel-blue Entoloma,” Faith began reciting, kneeling down beside them. “Edible, but very hot. They also contain much larger Magicka pools than other plants; useful to alchemists.”

“You know, for an ash-breathing druid hater, you do seem to know your plants well.”

Faith responded by glaring daggers at me.

“Listen,” Faith began in a heavily aggravated tone, “I don’t care what that fetching woman says about me, but I do have a problem with her filling your head with the same dreck. Do you know what Ash-breather means? No? Well, figure it out! I’ve had enough of being ridiculed like I’m just some plant-burning, animal-slaughtering n’wah! Back off!”

With that, she stormed off. She left me standing alone, struck dumb, and blinking very stupidly as I wondered what nerve I had touched.




----




“Listen, I know this may be the last thing you want to hear, but I’m sorry.” It took me several minutes to muster up the courage to speak to Faith again after her outburst. When she was done ranting, she ran to the edge of the clearing and fell with her back against one of the yews, refusing to look anywhere near me. I don’t think I ever felt dumber in my life than I did now. Those words left me before I had a chance to even think of the implications. The sheer irony of this predicament was not lost on me either.

“Sometimes it just feels like the world hates me,” Faith then began to speak. She still refused to look at me, though, and didn’t seem to be addressing me either. “I stick my neck out at danger time and time again, and what do I get for it? ‘You’re a fool, you hateful Dunmer, you don’t deserve the life you have.’ Why do I bother with these people? If anyone doesn’t deserve to live, it’s those bunch of bigots down the way of Cyrodiil City. They don’t know what it’s like to live anywhere outside their marble mansions and pools of Septims….”

She then turned to look at me, and I was utterly shocked to see her purple-flushed face was streaked with tears.

“I thought you’d be different,” She continued, “that you would understand what it meant to be wronged by the world and never see another person give a cliffracer’s beak about it. I still want to believe that, but…I can’t see if I should anymore.”

Her words caused me more confusion than they did enlightenment. Different in what way? What exactly is she keeping from me? No… think before you speak, you foolish elf. The last thing she needs is to have her motives questioned right now. I sank to my knees next to her, “I meant no insult by my words, I didn’t know that ash-breather was really so bad a term.”

“It’s a lot like when someone calls you a tree-hugger,” Faith replied, wiping her eyes dry. “Do you like it when someone calls you that?”

“Not at all,” I replied, “I just… spoke before I thought. And don’t say what I think you’re about to say, I feel like enough of an idiot already.”

“What did you think I was going to say?” Faith then inquired, her eyebrows slightly raised, though this time not out of anger.

“Well, you know…” I began sheepishly, “about what I said about you when we first met Sibylla. How you speak before you think? I retract that, by the way, as I’ve proven quite well just now that applies much more to me.”

Faith responded with a light chuckle. “Oh, that. That didn’t actually occur to me, but now that you told me…” she finished, her eyes gleaming, this time not from tears. The impish grin spreading across her face certainly didn’t help matters, either.

“Save it for when we get out of here, please,” I requested, feeling my face growing hot once again. I then stood back up, offering my hand to Faith to assist her to her feet. This time, she took it.

“We can work out our differences later,” Faith said, agreeing with my silent thoughts. “We’ve lost enough time as it is. Now, which way did Sibylla say we go from here?”

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Feb 28 2011, 07:14 AM