haute ecole rider: That was actually supposed to be Saya's shield that she parried with! How did I miss that one? We will eventually see Saya in action. I can say that it should prove interesting.


Acadian: Yep, only Teresa could envy an old codger like Mad Josse. But at least she appreciates some of the finer things about civilized life.

Most of that gripping line just flowed out naturally as I typed. I am glad it works. See, Vincent can be honestly funny at times!

I laughed at your comment about Laberius. I am sure you know already that Pappy is not going to let him anywhere near the fighting!


McBadgere: Isn't Josse a fun character? I used to love Grizzly Adams when I was little, and he is purely (and I am sure obviously) inspired by Mad Jack.

Those Winged Twilights are in Morrowind, so you might want to try out the game sometime. You can summon them, although they are one of the highest level critters you can, so you have to wait awhile to get that powerful.

Yay, another thumbs up for Vincent's haft! That was a fun exchange to write.


King Coin: Drop your pricks was indeed my way of getting around the forum filter. I wanted to use the original, with the word that rhymes with socks. I am glad prick does not get censored.


Grits: Teresa's low self esteem is so her is it not? That is one of those things that just naturally came out as I wrote the scene. Teresa can always find a way to think less of herself.

I never thought of Laberius' name as being vaginal! I just picked it from a long list of Roman names I have from my Rome Total War days. Maybe I should have went with Labienus instead? Or Vulvus?


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found the guild waking up for the morning and gathering for inspection. Teresa revealed the extra potions she had made for everyone, and passed them out among the group. Pappy also put the new battlemage to the test, and found that she did not panic or lose her temper when pressed. Saya also showed off by summoning a Winged Twilight, a Daedra race that serves Azura.


Chapter 43.6 – Hand of Fire

Finally Pappy led them from the guild hall and out into the street. Rather than take them straight to the North Gate of the city, he lead them west down Lady Street. In moments the Lucky Old Lady rose up before them, and Teresa lined up with the other fighters to kiss the bronze statue of the old woman.

"What on Nirn are you doing?" Their new battlemage stared at the mercenaries through raised eyebrows.

"Kissing the Lucky Old Lady is a Fighters Guild tradition," Ancondil explained. "We always do so before every contract."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll pucker up," Vincent chimed in.

"You just might get lucky if you do," Chance winked at the Dunmer. He leapt up to the statue. Wrapping both of his hands around the old woman's head, he gave her a long kiss on the lips.

After the Redguard clambered off the base of the statue, Teresa took her turn kissing the Lady's skirt. She was followed by Tadrose, and the remainder of the fighters. Even Mad Josse stepped in to lend his lips to the affair. Only Saya and Laberius abstained, in spite of further chiding from the guild members. Or perhaps because of it?

Returning back to Silver Avenue, they made their way north to the gates. The city slowly crept to life around them. Carts made deliveries of fresh milk and bread, and scattered pedestrians moved to and fro. Teresa looked for Gaius Prentus at the gatehouse, but there was no sign of the guardsman as the guild marched through the miniature fortress.

"I expect everyone to keep both feet on the bridge," Pappy grumbled from the head of the column. "You hear that Teresa?"

"I only jumped off once!" the forester exclaimed.

"Teresa…" Pappy rumbled again.

Teresa pouted. She noticed that Chance turned to face Saya, who walked next to him. The Redguard held up two fingers on his hand, and silently mouthed the word "twice". The Dunmer held up a hand over her mouth, but the wood elf could still hear the trill of quiet laughter escaping from her ebon-rouged lips.

Teresa felt her face flush with warmth, and she stared down at the wooden boards of the bridge as they passed by underfoot. A comforting hand made a home over the small of her back, and she looked up to find Tadrose hovering beside her. Teresa fought the urge to snuggle close and lay her head upon the slightly taller woman's shoulder. Instead she simply allowed herself to smile faintly, and basked in the comfort of the vice-commander's touch.

Beyond the bridge, they found a line of wagons queued up along the Green Road. Several men on horses rode back and forth around the vehicles. They were clad in mail armor and were armed with lances, and carried either a mace or sword as a sidearm as well. However, their garb was not nearly fine enough for them to be knights such as Valerius. Nor were their mounts anywhere near the quality of the Colovian's coal black Falkreathean steed. Teresa imagined that they were mercenaries, hired to guard the train of wagons.

"This is our ride you meatheads." Pappy gave the hand signal for a halt, and the group gathered around him. "I've worked a deal with the leader of the caravan. They'll take us north as far as the mine, and in return we'll help defend the wagon train. Now I don't expect anything to happen on the first day. Lately things have been quiet this close to the city. So just hop on any wagon you want. We'll take turns on watch tonight, and tomorrow morning I'll have specific assignments for you all. Those of you who have horses, mount up and join us."

Ancondil, Valerius, and Laberius went to the Bay Roan Stables, and returned with their respective steeds. Ancondil rode his blue roan Glacier, Valerius his high-stepping Fidelis, and the Lady's agent sat upon a tall white mount whose breed Teresa could not identify.

Mad Josse stood nearby with his mule. In the full light of day, Teresa finally recognized the brown skin and white muzzle of the animal. Now she remembered where she had seen him - and his master - before.

It had been at the end of Sun's Dusk, when she had gone seeking the comfort of a tree after Marius' death. The old Breton had made quite the scene in the middle of the street with the mule - named Number Seven as Teresa now recalled. Seven had stopped in the middle of the road and refused to budge another inch, much to the ire of Mad Josse. Teresa was thankful that she could not remember even half of the profanity that the Breton had leveled upon the recalcitrant mule. But Number Seven was not being stubborn today. Teresa imagined that he was glad to be out of the city and stretching his legs.

In the meantime the wood elf and the others on foot swarmed over the caravan. Teresa and Tadrose clambered aboard a wagon loaded down with barrels. The carter driving the vehicle explained that they were ripe Bravilian apples he was hauling to the Imperial City, and warned her and Tadrose not to let their fingers wander among his produce.

Tadrose only smiled at the Nibenean's remark. But Teresa could not help but remember the previous spring, and how an apple that she had found in a refuse pile had changed her life forever. Because of that apple, she had witnessed the death of a spy, was thrown in prison for his murder, met the Emperor, and carried the Amulet of Kings to the Grandmaster of the Blades. How different might her life have turned out, if she had not gone into that alley looking for castoff produce?

True to Pappy's words, the journey north was uneventful. There was not a single troll in sight, nor bandit, or even fugitive lich. The caravan moved slowly, and Teresa imagined that they could walk just as fast as the heavily laden wagons. In fact she saw Mad Josse doing just that near the end of the column, with Number Seven in tow.

Still, Teresa kept her feet in the wagon, for that let her sit beside Tadrose. She was glad for the Dunmer's company, even though with the carter right next to them they had no privacy. Still, they at least had the chance to hold hands for much of the way, in spite of the stares of the driver.

The next morning Teresa found herself and Tadrose split up, as Pappy had specific orders for which wagon each was to ride in, based upon their abilities. Teresa found herself in a wagon loaded down with crockery, driven by an Argonian who had little use for pleasant conversation. She spent her time watching the trees instead, ready for danger.

For by this time the villages they passed were no longer ringed by simple wattle fences meant to keep livestock in. Now they were fortified affairs, warded by ditches, dirt ramparts, and stockades of heavy timber. Pappy had warned them that attacks on these villages had increased in the last few weeks, and Teresa imagined that was why she saw few peasants outside of their walls. Those she did see were often shadowed by armored men wearing the surcoats of the Bravil City Guard.

Well, Teresa thought, at least they are finally earning their keep and doing something useful for a change. She imagined that did not sit well with many of them. Certainly not the ones used to collecting money from gangsters to look the other way. There was little need to bribe guards stationed in farming villages after all.

Near midday, the quiet ride was interrupted by shouts from the front of the column. Teresa heard the hoofbeats of galloping horses, and saw Valerius flash by in his glowing armor, lance held high. As the Argonian brought his wagon to a halt, she leapt to her feet in the cab and stared across the tops of the vehicles before her. At the same time her bow sprang from its gorytos, and an elven swallowtail found its way to the nock.

She saw something happening near the head of the column, just beside the second wagon. There were men from the caravan there, fighting something she could not make out. All she could see was dark fur. Then the men fell back, and Teresa had her first good look at it. It was green and yellow, and its arms and legs ended with hooked claws. There was no mistaking it: a troll. As she watched, it beat its chest with oversized arms, and opened its jaws to trumpet a roar of victory.

Teresa raised her bow, only to lower it a moment later. For Valerius had galloped between her and the monster, lance now couched under his armpit. A moment later its point tore through the troll's flesh and bone as if it were naught but linen, and the beast fell to the cobblestones with a great rent in its chest. The footmen surged forward again, and their weapons rose and fell as they crowded around the downed beast.

Teresa sheathed her arrow and bow, and sat back down. While she was glad the monster was dead, she only wished that she could have been closer, so that she could have put an arrow through its heart…

"You have done our guild an excellent turn by recommending Sir Nasica to our ranks." Teresa turned to find Ancondil beside her, sitting atop his Quarter Horse. The Orisimer was clad from head to toe in his bronze Dwemer armor, and he balanced his heavy elven war hammer across his saddle before him with one hand. "He has certainly proven his worth today."

"Let's hope he is the last one who has to today," Teresa said. "Although I am sure we will all have that chance soon enough."

Ancondil nodded, and made a gentlemanly gesture of tipping the brim of his helmet to Teresa before riding back to his place in the column. They were on their way soon after, and Teresa had the simple satisfaction of finding the rest of the trip as uneventful as she had hoped for.

They camped outside of the village of Snorscombe as night fell, with the wagons of the caravan formed into a protective laager. Many of the villagers came out to meet them, accompanied by several city guardsmen. Teresa saw Pappy move to speak with the latter, and was not surprised by the animated discussion that followed. They were too far away to hear, but there was no mistaking the angry gestures made by their commander, nor the dark expression on his features.

"Looks like Valerius was right," Vincent's voice rose from behind Teresa. "The city guard is sitting this one out."

Teresa turned to the young Breton. Clad from head to toe in steel plate, an arming sword hung from his hip, and a shield was slung over one of his shoulders. Over his other shoulder he carried a pack and bedroll. Teresa was thankful for her Thieves Bag, which was large enough on the inside for her to carry all of her belongings, and small enough on the outside to not be cumbersome.

She followed the Breton to where the other members of their guild were gathering to set up camp. She barely had time to sit down with Tadrose when Pappy reappeared, followed by one of the villagers. The second man was in his forties or fifties by the peppering of grey in his otherwise black beard, and he wore the simple, dirt-stained garb of a farmer.

"Don't get comfortable Teresa," the Colovian said. "I've got a job for you."

Teresa rose to her feet and followed the guild commander away from the gathering of her comrades. "I need you to scout out the way ahead tonight. The mine's only a few miles from here, so we're going to be in action tomorrow. I need to know what's out there tonight. Verrius here knows the ground, so he can give you the lay of the land."

The farmer squatted down, and began drawing in the dirt with a stick. Pappy and Teresa went down on their haunches as well, and formed a circle around the crude map that the farmer scratched out. He started with a dot, and then drew a line that curved away from it. "This is Snorscombe, and this line is the Green Road," Verrius explained. Then he drew a second line that ran parallel to the first, and ended it with an 'X'. "This is a dirt road that runs off the Green 'bout three miles up. It goes for a mile, then ends at the mine."

"What's the land like?" Teresa asked. "All forest?"

"Up until the side road it 'tis," the farmer said. "Still trees there, but gets real rocky and starts to rise up into hills on the side of the mine. On the south side of the Green Road it drops down slow and steady, into a big basin that runs all the way down 'ta Bravil."

Teresa imagined that all the water must then flow down to the Larsius River. She could use the direction of the flow to help tell her directions. "Any other settlements?" she asked.

"Nay," Verrius shook his head. "Not till the Inn of Ill Omen. That's a good day and half's ride west o' here, three on foot."

"I expect the most activity to be on the north side of the road," Pappy rose to his feet. "That's the side the mine's on after all. By now they must know about the village here, so they might try an attack tonight. So keep an eye out for war parties."

Teresa took one last look at the map, and rose to her feet with a nod. "If there is anything out there, I will find it," she vowed.

"Alright, go grab a few corn dodgers first." Pappy grinned. "I don't want them hearing your stomach growling in the dark."

Teresa almost smiled faintly at the guild commander's remark. She walked back to the other members of the guild, who had built up a roaring campfire by now and were cooking stew over it. Tadrose had a loaf of warm cornbread out, and broke off a handful for Teresa when the wood elf sat down beside her.

"Scouting mission?" the vice-commander asked. Teresa nodded as she unceremoniously dug into the food. She knew that Nerussa would be disappointed by her haste. But there was no time to be elegant. She had work to do after all, and the rest of the guild was depending on her doing it right.

After wolfing down a quick meal, Teresa rose to a chorus of well-wishes from her comrades. Tadrose rose with her, and surprised Teresa by giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. The forester felt her cheeks grow hot with color, and wondered what the rest of the guild might be thinking. But before her embarrassment could betray her, Vincent's latest one-liner rose from the assembled fighters.

"Hey, who knows what monster eats the fastest?" the young Breton said. "The goblin! Get it, gobblin'?"

Teresa shook her head along with the chorus of groans behind her, and smiled faintly as she made her way into the gathering darkness.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 12 2012, 03:42 AM

Gobble Gobble! What a groaner! Wonder what Mad Joss thought of that one?

Pappy shows his leadership skills and experience once again by having Teresa scout things out ahead of time. He must have a great deal of faith in Teresa's ability to navigate forests at night. Those places can be quite dark at noon, let alone at midnight!

Loved the description of the way north, up the Green Road. Just enough detail to give us a sense both of passing time and scenery, but still not too much to be tedious.

No nits this time! Just pure, unalloyed enjoyment and fun!

Hah! Stopping at the Lady for some good luck. If only they knew what was beneath.

And everyone gets a laugh out of Pappy’s comment about the bridge. Naturally, Teresa turns red.

Nice! They get to ride to the mine instead of walking. Do they have transportation for the way back? Wagons might be handier then if someone’s injured or even dead.

The fortified villages are foreboding. I’m glad they encountered a troll, bandits or even goblins would mean another attack.

I found it funny that Teresa thought of Nerussa while she ate her hasty meal. There is a time and a place for everything.

Gobblin’! Oh, Vincent.

A caravan, how fun! I love the descriptions of the villages with their different fortifications. You give Bravil County a wonderful frontier atmosphere.

It was neat to get Teresa’s wagon top view of the troll fight, plus she had a good angle on the knightly horseback action. I thought it was a good sign that she thought about killing the troll rather than about her insecurities.

Scouting mission! Teresa has animal and tree friends in the forest, so I’m looking forward to this.

This post has been edited by Grits: Jun 10 2012, 12:38 AM

Even though I well remember Teresa’s first encounter with Number Seven, it was a delight to have her review it for us! And I see you snuck in a perfect reminder of valiant Marius’ bloody death, taking us right back to Teresa’s scar-producing troll battle at the Bravil gate.

Ooh! And a great tiny review of the forbidden apple that drew Teresa into the Main Quest!

What a wonderfully interesting caravan trip through part of County Bravil!

I agree with Grits that Teresa's reaction to that troll bodes well for our stringy forester and the progress she's made since her injuries.

Pappy has picked exactly the right elf for a night advance reconnaissance! Give her some cornbread and a kiss then send her out. She’ll find ‘em!

The ‘Groaning Goblin’ sounds like a perfect name for a tavern, no?

Nits?

"I've worked a deal with the leader of caravan.”
I know it’s dialogue, but did you intend for Pappy to omit any sort of clarifying word prior to caravan? Perhaps, ‘this caravan’? Forgive and ignore if, after review, it is written as you intended.

’Because of that apple, she had witnessed the death of spy,’
Similarly here, did you want an ‘a’ in front of ‘spy’?

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jun 10 2012, 01:31 AM

Noooo, surely not... ...

An excellent chapter!!...

Loved the bit when they came out of the guild hall and kissed the bronze lady... ...I think I'd have abstained too... ...

Nice scene to do with the caravan ride...Loving the idea of Josse and his mule...I think he's my fave character so far... ...Definately love him...Don't remember Grizzly Adams very well...I know I watched it, just not as often as Gentle Ben... ...

Aaamywho...

Loved it, looking forward to more...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

I keep liking the way you make the world so much larger than the game allows. Having the team need a ride to the village, (which would be a few minutes walk away in-game) is just perfect.

...a wagon loaded down with crockery, drawn by an Argonian ... - did you mean "driven"?

As has been noted, Teresa has the forest on her side in her scouting mission, and trolls are in more danger than she is. I wonder if she'll meet any bears?

haute ecole rider: I know what you mean about forests at night. My father lives in the backwoods of Michigan - "Up North" as we call it down here in the D. Without all the streetlights and house lights that we city folk are so used to, it gets pitch black at night. Especially if it is raining or overcast. In the winter it is not as bad, becuase the snow reflects the starlight, and there are no leaves on the trees. I was driving up there one night in the rain, and literally all I could see was the road in front of me. It was like an impenetrable black curtain had been pulled up right beside the road.


King Coin: I think most people would be a little daunted by kissing the Lucky Lady. It just sounds so ridiculous, that who would not think it is some kind of trick to embarrass them? In the TF there is nothing underneath it though. I never thought it made any sense to me that the statue that gives you good fortune would be the entrance to you know what.


Grits: I used that transition of simple wattle fences to ditches and timber walls to show how far away from the city they were moving, and how far out into the wild they were going. Fortified villages are something that fantasy movies and novels seem to always lack, for reasons which escape me. But it does not take any special engineering effort to dig a ditch and throw all the dirt up on the inside to build a rampart (a six foot ditch plus a six foot rampart means twelve feet an attacker has to scale). Making a wall of wooden timbers is not beyond the capacity of peasants either. Just cut down some trees, strip the branches, and stick them in the ground. It is a lot of hard work of course, so people who live in safe areas where nothing happens would not need to go to all that trouble. A simple wattle fence to keep their chickens and goats from wandering off is all they need. But when people live in areas where they know monsters / raiders lurk, why would they leave themselves with no protection?

Ever since Valerius joined the FG, I have been dying to show him in mounted action. I guess it is just the romantic in me. After all, who can resist a knight in (literally) shining armor lancing down a foul beastie?


Acadian: I figured most people would remember Number Seven and Mad Jack from Teresa's first sighting of them. But I wanted to refresh the memories of those who did not. Not to mention finally have the recognition dawn in Teresa's own head. Likewise with the apple and how Teresa started out this whole business. It was such a long time (and amount of words) ago, that it is easy to forget that if not for that strange quirk of fate, she would be living a very different life now.

The Groaning Goblin is perfect for a tavern! Especially with all of Oblivion's beer-loving goblins. Quite right about those nits. They slipped past my editorial nets.


McBadgere: That's funny, because I never watched Gentle Ben. I see there were a couple of t.v. movie remakes with Dean Cain though. I might try watching them.


ghastley: In the TF the mine is about 40 miles from Bravil. Like you said quite a change from the game! It is a long way, especially since most of the FG do not own horses (or know how to ride). So hitching a ride on a wagon train was ideal for Pappy. Likewise, for the caravan, as they got a bunch of free guards. Teresa won't be meeting any bears in the forest, but she will find something else just as welcome.

Doh! the Argonian was supposed to be driving the wagon, not pulling it!


Previously On Teresa of the Faint Smile: Our last episode saw the members of the guild joining a merchant caravan heading north along the Green Road. Aside from a single encounter with a troll, the two day journey to the village of Snorscombe - the final settlement along the road - was uneventful. They camped out there as darkness fell, and Pappy sent Teresa out to scout the way ahead, as the Lady's mine is now only a few miles away.


Chapter 43.7 – Hand of Fire

The nighttime forest was black as pitch. The only natural light came from the stars and moons, and little of that filtered down through the canopy of leaves overhead. Teresa was thankful for the night eye goggles that lit the world to noon-day brightness for her. Without them, she imagined that she would be walking into the trees rather than around them.

But thanks to her goggles, seeing was not an issue. Nor was navigating through the trees and brush. The branches seemed to bend around her as she moved between them, and even the fallen leaves were silent under her feet. She was a shadow in the night, leaving no more sign of her passage than the wind.

It had been a quiet trip for the first few miles. Then she encountered her first goblins. There had been two of them, sitting upon the peak of a prominence of rock that jutted over the tree tops. Teresa imagined that they had a good view of the Green Road from there, probably enough to see travelers from over a mile distant.

The wood elf had passed them by without even a whisper. Her mission was to scout, not to kill after all. Leaving a trail of dead goblins behind her would only alert the others to the presence of her guild. She knew that was the last thing Pappy wanted. Surprise would give them an advantage in their first engagement with the monsters. Teresa knew that her guild commander would make the most of it, so long as she gave that edge to him.

Soon the rattle of metal and clunking of stone came to her tall, wood elf ears. Then the wind shifted, and the smell of woodsmoke was sweet in her nose. Creeping forward with extra care, she found a break in the forest. Within the clearing was a crude encampment of several hide tents pitched in a circle around a fire. Radiating out from those were numerous lean-tos made of tree-branches, arranged with no order at all.

A few goblins stalked between the sleeping places, but most lay beneath the poorly arranged shelters. They wore nothing but simple loincloths, and carried stone daggers or spears. Her eyes gravitated to the center of the camp, where a goblin clad in over-sized mail was screeching at another. The mail-clad goblin's face was painted with the imprint of a black hand that splayed across his features. Teresa now saw that he carried an arming sword of mithril, which he brandished with both hands like a greatsword. The other goblin scampered away, and vanished under one of the lean-tos.

That must be the war chief, Teresa reasoned. As much as she hated to admit it, he was just as Saya had said he would be. That meant that this was a war party. But what were they doing camping at night? Shouldn't they be raiding something?

Teresa moved around the campsite after taking the best count she could of the goblins within. She found the Green Road less than a hundred paces away, and the side road to the mine soon after that. The wood elf realized that the goblin camp was situated in the angle between the two, and imagined that it would be the perfect spot to ambush anyone traveling on either.

Scampering across the dirt road to the mine, she continued her surveillance of the land. She had not gone very far when the croaking of a raven brought her to an abrupt halt. Her gaze followed the harsh sound, and she found the bird nestled in the branches of an oak tree overhead. Yet it was the tree's other occupant that caused Teresa's eyes to widen with surprise.

It was a man clad in leather armor from head to toe. An unstrung Imperial Bow was slung over his shoulder, and a bag full of arrows hung from one of his hips. An axe hung from his opposite side, and a long knife was strapped pommel-down across his chest. He was leisurely perched in the branches, or at least he had been until the raven had leant his voice to the night air. Now his head scanned to and fro, and with one hand he tried to shoo the bird away.

"Riveus?" Teresa whispered. "Is that you?"

The man in the tree turned his attention from the bird to the ground below. Ironically, as soon as he did the raven flew off in silence. Teresa stepped out in the open, realizing that without magical aid, he would be hard-pressed to make out her features in the gloom. He made barely a sound as he slid down the branches and planted his feet in the soil before Teresa. He moved his hand away from his axe as he peered closer.

"Teresa of the Faint Smile?" the Colovian whispered in reply. Now Teresa could clearly see the Imperial Dragon emblazoned upon the leather of his cuirass. "Well I'll be! For a moment I thought you were a ghost. You know we're in the middle of a whole tribe of goblins don't you?"

"Aye," Teresa nodded. She bit her lip at the man's remark about her ghostly white skin. Still, she took a step closer so the fair-haired Imperial could see her better. "They are the reason I am here. But what are you doing out here?"

"There's too many of these buggers for me to fight," Riveus admitted. "But I can at least warn travelers off. They've got an ambush set up back the way you came. Anyone who comes down the road is going to walk right into it."

"How would you like to do something about that?" Teresa asked with a faint smile.

* * *

The look of surprise on Pappy's face fought with one of anger when Teresa returned from her scouting trip much earlier than expected. He was rising from his position around the campfire to level an accusatory finger in the wood elf's face, but stopped abruptly when he saw the blond-haired and blue-eyed Imperial Forester behind her.

"Riveus!" the guild commander barked. "Well I'll be a spotted snow bear! Come and have some ale, and tell us what the Daedra you are doing out here."

"I've been keeping an eye on those goblins," the Colovian said as Chance handed him a mug of amber liquid. "But Teresa tells me that now I can do more than just watch them."

The wood elf slid down beside Tadrose, and accepted a similar mug from the Dunmer. She was pleasantly surprised to find that this one contained shein however. Teresa smiled as the tangy comberry wine slid down her throat, and leaned against all she ever wanted in the world.

"Damn straight you can." Pappy declared. "We're here to send those little fetchers to Oblivion. We could damn well use another hand."

"You have it," Riveus spat into the fire. "I've been itching for it ever since I got here and saw what those bounders did to the miners."

"It was bad then?" Laberius Maesa asked from his position between Ancondil and Valerius.

"Many of the miners that were outside got away," the Imperial Forester explained. "I talked to some afterward. But most were trapped in the mine, with no way out. The ones they didn't kill straight out, the goblins put up on crosses. They didn't even wait to get them off the crucifixes before they started carving some of them up. I did all I could, and put them out of their misery. That got the greenies furious. They chased me through the forest for an entire day."

Teresa winced as the description of what the goblins had done to the captive miners, and noted that Laberius had gone as pale as she was naturally. Mad Josse did not say a word, but by the flinty look in his eyes, Teresa could see that the Breton was tallying up the scores he had to settle for his nephew.

Pappy went on to question Riveus and Teresa about the layout of the ground and disposition of the goblins. A glow came to the commander's eyes when the Imperial Forester told him about the ambush the goblins had set up near the road.

"Even better than I had hoped for," he murmured. The middle-aged Colovian stroked the stubble on his chin with one hand, and stared into the fire. "Yes, I think that will do nicely."

"What is it Pappy?" Vincent asked. "Are we gonna hit 'em?"

"You remember Rule Number Two don't you?" the guild commander cracked his knuckles with a wolfish smile.

"Never pass up an opportunity!" Vincent grinned back.

"Riveus says these fetchers are trying to keep a daytime cycle to hit travelers on the road, and Teresa saw more than half of them asleep." Pappy explained. "We'll wait a few more hours for them all to sack out. Then we'll go pay them a little bedtime visit."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jun 16 2012, 06:55 PM

My, my, things are kinda quiet today! I've been away since Thursday afternoon and just now am settling down at my computer, only to find that no one has posted on your latest all day!! Hey! Hello?? I know Acadian's away, but what about the rest of you??

Anyways.

Loved the nighttime forest, the goblin ambush, and the brief insight into goblin behavior you gave us. I find those creatures utterly fascinating and wish Beth had done more with them. On the other hand, maybe that's on purpose so we writers can have something fun to write about!

And Riveus! So good to see him again. And Teresa not only gives him a faint smile, but an opportunity! Of course he went back to Snorscombe with her. And of course Pappy's glad of his intelligence (the military kind, though I imagine the natural kind is as much appreciated as well) in addition to the extra weapons.

And now let's see what Pappy and the Fighter's Guild make of Riveus's observations! I'm really looking forward to this one!

But what were they doing camping at night? Shouldn't they be raiding something?
I’m with Teresa. Never heard of them camping above ground. They must be a good distance away from home cave if they are camping above ground.
Or have a wonderful ambush laid as it turns out.

The raven is still watching out for her. Riveus? Who is that?

The treatment of the miners was worse than I expected from goblins. I expected them to kill them, but to put on a show as well. Did the miners do something to them?

I’m looking forward to the nighttime attack.

Yikes, the goblins really are vicious monsters here. How neat that a raven was watching out for Teresa.

Riveus of the Tournament of Archers! A nighttime raid on the goblin camp sounds like a great idea. Afterward there will be fewer to fight underground. I’m looking forward to hearing Pappy’s plan!

‘The branches seemed to bend around her as she moved between them, and even the fallen leaves were silent under her feet. She was a shadow in the night, leaving no more sign of her passage than the wind.’
Neatly put, and exactly what I would expect from our wood elven forester now that she is unleashed into her own element.

‘The wood elf had passed them by without even a whisper. Her mission was to scout, not to kill after all. Leaving a trail of dead goblins behind her would only alert the others to the presence of her guild. She knew that was the last thing Pappy wanted. Surprise would give them an advantage in their first engagement with the monsters. Teresa knew that her guild commander would make the most of it, so long as she gave that edge to him. ‘
Oh I like this! Teresa has done more that make elven oogles at Tadrose during her time at the guild. Here she shows us how very much she’s listened and learned about belonging to a well-lead and trained guild.

Good how you augmented what she saw with the sounds and smells of her surroundings.

‘But what were they doing camping at night? Shouldn't they be raiding something?’
A perfect injection of humor, done with your characteristically delicate touch and flowing quite naturally from the situation.

For KC: Riveus is a bit obscure, so don’t feel badly. Grits is right: He is a Legion Forester assigned to County Bravil that SubRosa and I created. He was first referred to in BF when Buffy made sure someone in authority would learn of the immobilized Rufio and arrest him at the Inn of Ill Omen during Buffy’s storyline, ‘Dancing with Darkness’. Riveus was then featured again in both TF and BF during the Tournament of Archers. He is a golden boy, looker and lady’s man, but a fine archer and forester. For SubRosa: I am so pleased to see dear Riveus once again.

"How would you like to do something about that?" Teresa asked with a faint smile.'
Hee! This brought a faint smile to my old face. There’s good reason we call her what we do!

"I've been keeping an eye on those goblins," the Colovian said as Chance handed him a mug of amber liquid. "But Teresa tells me that now I can do more than just watch them."
Eeep! Knowing the trickster Chance, I certainly hope that ‘amber liquid’ he gave Riveus is ale or shein!

I’m looking forward to Pappy leading a night assault on the greenies of the Black Hand tribe!

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jun 23 2012, 03:29 PM

haute ecole rider: Bethesda really does not tell us much about any of the critters in the game. For that matter, they do not tell us much about the playable races either. Tamriel is a huge blank slate for us to fill in.


King Coin: As others have said, Riveus is an Imperial Forester who has appeared in the BF and TF, mostly in the Tournament of Archers. He is the one who shot before Teresa in the finals, and ended up scoring just ahead of her as well.

I am writing the goblins as being unremittingly evil because I always imagined such creatures are. Plus in the game they have cauldrons filled with skulls, and more skulls hanging from the ceilings. So even just from the game alone, they strike me as being not only vicious, but they type to show off their victims as trophies.


Grits: Keep your eyes peeled for those ravens. We will be seeing more of Teresa's forest friends later in this chapter.

You have Pappy's intentions down to a tee. Gobble them up a little bit at a time until there is nothing left.


Acadian: I knew you would enjoy the surprise of seeing Riveus once more. That is why I did not say anything about him beforehand. He was a fun character to include in the TOA, so when I had the opportunity to use him again, I just could not resist giving him some screen time.

Teresa has indeed learned quite a bit from her guild commander. She is a far cry from that newbie adventurer who nearly got herself killed by a ghost in Castle Magi. Compared to many of the others in her guild now, she is a seasoned veteran. She has not been at it for long, but she has seen a lot of action. Still, even she can make mistakes...


Previously On Teresa of the Faint Smile: In our last episode, Teresa performed a night time scouting expedition. She found that the goblins had set up an ambush ahead of them on the Green Road, and had lookouts stationed before their main position. She also found Riveus, the same Imperial Forester who had scored one place before herself in the Tournament of Archers. Riveus had been spying on the goblins since they had taken over the mine, and was more than glad to join Teresa and the Fighters Guild in their task to wipe them out.


Chapter 43.8 – Hand of Fire

Teresa crouched behind the pale trunk of a birch tree. Cautiously, she peeked around it to view the jumble of rocks before her. The massive stones rose nearly a hundred feet above the forest floor, and atop its peak stood a pair of small, hunched over figures. As she watched, one leaned back and stretched out its arms to either side. Then after long moments it hunched forward again, and began a slow lope around the crown of the hill.

Teresa fitted a swallowtail to the nock of her bow, and slid out from behind the tree trunk. Going down on one knee, she raised her bow and pulled the string back behind her ear. She felt the fletchings of her arrow beneath her chin, and sighted in on the moving goblin. With an effort of will, she breathed deeply and slowly, as if it was just another day at practice behind the guild hall.

"The archer must learn to feel the flow of divinity around him, just as if he was standing in a river and feeling the water rushing past his legs," Daenlin's words came back to her. "All of us are connected by the divine energy we share. Feel those strands that bind us, and you will not need eyes to shoot. Simply allow your arrow to sing along that thread."

Teresa stared at the goblin, and tried to feel that connection between the two of them. Yet no matter how hard she tried, those mystical strands which the master archer had spoke of eluded her grasp. She tried to calm herself, to keep from growing frustrated, and continued tracking the goblin as he moved. Finally he came to a stop, and sat down with his back to her.

"Now," Pappy's voice was a low hiss in her ears.

Without thinking, she loosed. The loud snap of her bowstring was joined by a lower note, as Riveus fired his Imperial Bow from the other side of the birch. Teresa held her breath as she watched the two arrows dart through the night sky. They would have been completely invisible in the blackness were it not for the night eye goggles she wore. Instead she could see them clear as day as they darted across the sky to snuff out the lives of the two goblins.

Teresa dared to breathe again when the creatures slumped over and lay still. She tucked her bow back into the chitin gorytos at her hip, leaving it strung. A glance at Riveus showed him also stowing his Imperial Longbow across his back. Rising to her feet, she felt one of Pappy's strong hands on her armored shoulder.

"Good shooting," he whispered, "the both of you."

The guild commander did not wear his usual iron mongery of legion plate and orcish scales. Rather he was clad in nothing but his padded under suit. But he still carried his ancient Nordic sword at one hip, and a long, triangular-bladed dagger at the other. The Colovian turned to the other members of the guild crouching in the brush behind him, and motioned them forward.

Like Pappy, most of them wore no armor. Only those with light panoplies, which would make little sound, still wore their full gear. Tadrose and Storm-Tail were among those, with their whisper-quiet elven armor, and of course Riveus in his leather. Teresa herself naturally wore her miran-talurn armor, and made even less sound than the wind as she moved out at the head of the column, the Imperial Forester at her side.

No one carried a light. Teresa knew that they were all using her night eye potions to see in the dark. Just as they had her shield and shock shield potions to protect them in the upcoming battle. If indeed there was a battle at all, and not the slaughter that Pappy had planned upon.

The two archers fanned out to either side, but not so far as to lose sight of one another. At first they stepped quickly, creating a gap between them and the rest of the guild. Then they slowed to a steady pace, and Teresa trained all of her senses upon the forest around her.

All was silent and still. The night air was cool and crisp, invigorating her lungs with every breath. A glance back revealed Storm-Tail rising up the rocky slope. She imagined that Pappy had sent the young Argonian to check on the goblin sentries, to make sure they were indeed dead. He would have to move quickly to catch up with the rest of them afterward. But if Teresa had learned anything about Argonians, it was that while they were normally slow and placid, they could move with blinding speed when they wished.

Soon she came to the goblin camp, and Teresa sidled up to the edge of the clearing and took a good look around. Even more goblins were asleep than before, including the heavily armored war chief. She only saw three of the creatures moving about the edges of the camp, and imagined that they were sentries.

It was strange to see them sleeping at night. Even Saya had remarked that they preferred to make their raids in the dark, and hide from the daylight. Teresa wondered if the latter was the reason for all the makeshift shelters? Were they meant to protect them from the light of the sun, which they appeared to loath? They must have been very eager to spring their ambush on unwary travelers, to subject themselves to such discomfort.

Teresa signaled Riveus to wait and continue observing the camp. She was thankful for the hand signals that Pappy and taught her and the other members of the guild - the same used by the Imperial Legion. For without them communicating silently would have been impossible.

She turned from the camp and crept back through the brush to meet Pappy and the others. They came to a halt while Teresa made her report. Her eyes lingered on Tadrose's frame for a moment as she spoke to the commander. Then they flicked around the rest of the guild. She noted that Storm-Tail was indeed among them once more, taking up the rear.

Now Pappy motioned the others forward. "You all know the plan," he whispered. "Sneakers go forward, the rest of us wait in support."

He pointed to Teresa, Tadrose, and Storm-Tail, and gave them the signal to advance. The rest of the guild drew their weapons and followed. They spread out in a wide line behind them, and halted at the edge of the trees while the trio two went into the camp.

Teresa stayed in a low crouch, her eyes riveted upon the goblin sentries. Using the lean-tos for cover, she melted into the shadows whenever a goblin turned her way, and darted across the open spaces when their backs were turned. She saw the others doing the same, and a glance back at the tree line revealed Riveus waiting with his bow ready, body pressed against the trunk of a maple for cover.

The Imperial Forester was their backup, in case one of them failed to silence their assigned sentry. Teresa hoped that they would not need his arrows. For if the sound of his bow woke the sleeping goblins, things could get very bad. By now Tadrose, Storm-Tail, and her were spread out through the camp. They would be quickly mobbed if all the goblins were to awaken at once.

Teresa's target was at the far side of the encampment, so she was the last in position. After a quick hand signal to the others, she drew one of the mithril daggers from the rig across her chest. She held it low, behind her body, so that its blade would not glint in the starlight. She sidled up behind her sentry, and rose to her feet. Clamping her left hand over the goblin's mouth, she yanked the lookout's head back, exposing its bare throat to the stars. At the same time she drove her knee into the monster's back, pulling it off-balance. Her mithril blade sank into the bare flesh of the goblin's neck an instant later. The point drove up into its brain, and the goblin went limp as ragdoll.

The dead weight of the creature was heavy in her arms, and Teresa was thankful for the strength enhancements which her armor and thumb ring bore. She quietly eased the goblin to the ground, and looked back up to see Tadrose and Storm-Tail doing the same. A glance to either side revealed goblins sleeping soundly just a few paces away, completely unaware of their presence.

Pappy's plan was working.

Teresa moved to the nearest goblin and leaned down upon its chest. She clamped one hand over its mouth, and slid her dagger from one ear to another across its throat. Its black eyes burst open like pits to Oblivion, and stared deeply into Teresa's. The creature thrashed beneath her, and reached out to claw at her. The forester flinched her face away slightly to protect her eyes from the creature's nails, but still held the goblin firmly in her grasp. She wished that there had been room for her to yank its head back, like she had with the sentry. Then she could have stabbed up into its brain and killed it instantly. Instead she had to hold on to the monster until the last of its blood had trickled away, and it finally went still.

Teresa shuddered as she stared at the lifeless corpse beneath her. That had been so easy, she thought. Just a few minutes, and a life was snuffed out like a candle. It had been even easier to kill the lookouts on the hill, using her bow. They had never even had the chance to look in her eyes before she sent them to Oblivion.

Did that make her a murderer now? Did goblins count? Murder was what they were doing after all, was it not? Teresa crept up to another goblin, and stared at its chest as it slowly rose and fell. Did she have the right to so casually take another's life?

A glance across the encampment revealed that Tadrose and Storm-Tail were also moving among the sleeping goblins and slitting their throats. The dim coals of a campfire smoldered in the center of the camp, with an iron spit hanging over it. A ribcage was suspended by the metal rod, from which chunks of charred flesh still hung. It was not that of an animal, but rather of a human or elf. Teresa now noted other bones scattered around the fire: a skull, an arm, and a leg. There was no sign of the rest of the body.

Teresa's heart felt cold as steel as she pressed her knees down on the next goblin's chest, and sliced out its throat. Like the first, it also fought back. But it could not utter a cry through the blood that filled its torn windpipe, and this time Teresa was able to pin its arms beneath her. All it could do was shake, until it too went still.

Teresa continued on, making her way back toward Pappy and the others. Every few feet she stopped to kill another goblin under the early morning stars. She was moving to a new victim when the sound of footsteps made her stop and turn her head. Just behind her, at the center of the camp, she saw a goblin walking up to the fire. It reached and yanked a chunk of flesh from the ribs suspended over the hot coals. Then it stopped and looked around. The seared meat fell from the creature's fingers, and its mouth opened to scream.

A bow twanged in the darkness, and the goblin keeled over an instant later with an arrow buried in its throat. The monster clawed wildly at the shaft embedded in its flesh, and fell against the spit. The entire contraption tipped over with the goblin, and they fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

A flash of movement caught Teresa's eye, and she saw a goblin raising its head from the lean-to beside her. She leapt atop it, but a ragged screech issued from its throat before she could reach it. It pulled out a flint knife of its own and stabbed at her. She felt the stone blade hit her cuirass, and snap in two. Grabbing the goblin by the throat with one hand, she drove the point of her knife under the beast's armpit. She shoved it back down as its blood stained the ground beneath them. But it was too late, the camp was waking up around her.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jun 24 2012, 01:48 AM

It was a great plan Pappy came up with!

But even the best laid plans don't survive enemy contact.

I liked the brief moment where Teresa is struggling with the ethics of killing the gobbies in their sleep. I was glad she got over it rather quick.

Teresa was so true to form as she fretted and overthought her first shot. Pappy knows her well enough to understand she does better when she just shoots instead of thinking about it! What a great reminder of how she wrestled with the same problem during the Tournament.

Nice assassination of Teresa’s target sentry. I remember when Pappy taught her how to go up under the chin into the brain.

’Just a few minutes, and a life was snuffed out like a candle. It had been even easier to kill the lookouts on the hill, using her bow. They had never even had the chance to look in her eyes before she sent them to Oblivion.’
I knew the up close wet dagger work would trouble Teresa. Anonymous feathered death from the shadows at long range is ever so much more. . . tidy and comfortable – no eyes, no faces, no gurgling. It takes a different mentality (one that Buffy doesn’t have) to look your foe in the eye and deliver death by steel up close and personal. Nothing like seeing that human skeleton with some flesh still on it to help Teresa along. She certainly has the stones to be in Pappy’s guild.

Quoted for truth!


Nit: ’and made even less sound then the wind as she moved out at the head of the column,’
I suspect you want ‘than’ (for comparisons) here instead of ‘then’ (for sequencing events in time).

Forgive me, but I missed a few chapters(that means like 30 something) and ummm, are you in Skyrim now or still remaining in Cyrodiil?

Teresa's in Oblivion era Cyrodiil just following the end of the Oblivion Crisis. Rosa's Skyrim girls have yet to get an official story thread.

IRT the latest part.

I was a bit off in my guess of Pappy's plan, I was expecting Teresa and Riveus to sneak arrow shot all of them after taking care of the sentries. Though the late-night snacker would still have caused problems.

Hope things work out well for the three stealth specialists now really stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I was a little worried when none of the fighters had armor, but you said they took shield potions. Now when the inevitable goes wrong, they won’t be completely defenseless.

I was expecting the archers and a sneaky back stabber to take care of the three sentries. The snap of the bowstrings makes that impossible however. They have to go in close and kill them quick without allowing one time to shriek. This is going to be tense!

Teresa got it! Throat slitting is messy and dangerous, I was glad that she went for the brain when she could.

And there’s the alarm! The sneakers are going to be in hot water until they can rejoin the others. Awesome chapter!

I just loved every word of this episode!

If I had to pick out one thing that stood out the most for me, it would be Teresa’s observations about Storm-Tail and Argonians. In some ways he is as strange as the goblins, in the sense of being different from humans or elves.

I think this might be my favorite Teresa segment yet!

People should check out my story. It's just starting but I think people would like it. It's called Tamriel Reborn. Please check it out I'd be really thankful.