Ahnaressu's Travels Ch. 6 Options

[Dantrag]

Ahnaressu walked through the camp as usual. The common glares he got no longer bothered him. He knew he was not of the tribe and never would be. He carried his last two buckets back to the camp, and made his way towards the old yurt he and Relgar now called home. The door to his yurt was quickly blocked by a young ashlander, about a year older than Ahnaressu. The older ashlander, named Yas, was obviously trying to prove something to his friends because another group of young ahslanders were about ten feet away, watching and laughing. Ahnaressu knew Yas wanted a fight, and Ahnaressu had no time for such stupidity, especially with his little brother standing beside him.
"What do you want?" Ahnaressu asked rather rudely.
"You to leave."
"What?" Ahnaressu asked incredulously. "Surely I have done nothing to offend you." He said with mock respect.
The only response Ahnaressu got was a swing from Yas. Ahnaressu dodged the blow, and in the same motion, pushed Yas away and calmly walked back in his yurt.

Valnor sat by the fire with his three companions. None of the three dared disturb Valnor and bring him from his thoughts. Valnor's thoughts were not those of defeat, but of revenge. He formulated plans to raise another army, tactics to use, and most of all, he thought of how to replace Nyph. Nyph was brilliant. Even if he was wrong, he presented another point of view so that Valnor could see his own plans in a different light, allowing for corrections. Valnor and decided to spend another few years buidling another army. A larger and more effective army.

Ahnaressu decided that Yas was right. He did not belong here. He could hope for no relationship with any of these people beyond getting their water. With that thought in mind, Ahnaressu packed his things. He put his sword belt on, and put his dagger inside his overcoat as usual. He held Relgar's hand as they walked out. Ahnaressu headed south towards the next camp - Erabenimsun.

After about a week, Ahnaressu and Relgar were nearing the last known location of the Erabenimsun camp. As he walked in a valley, he noticed a strange figure lying down on the rocks. As he neared it, Ahnaressu noticed it was a dark elf. The young dunmer quickly went to work making splints for the man's obviously broken arms and legs. Ahnaressu had no idea that who he was helping was one of the main causes of his mother's death.

Nyph awakened in a strange place. He was sitting under a makeshift lean-to made of guar skin. The assassin looked around to see a small baby accompanied by a young teenager. He started to move, but the splints on his arms and legs would not allow it. (As if he could move without them!) Thankful for the rescue, he wondered which god it was that answered his prayer. He made a silent oath to mend his ways and follow this god if he found out which one it was. Send me a sign. he thought.
Just as he thought that, the dark elf in his teens walked up to him and said with concern "Thank the ancestors that you are alive!"
"There's my sign, I guess." Nyph thought. Almost disappointed that he vowed to uphold the ashlander customs. He would uphold the vow anyway, mostly because he was grateful to the ancestors, but also because he had heard of the penalties given to mortals for breaking vows.

Ahnaressu gently put Nyph's head back onto the ground and silently said "You need more rest." Nyph did not argue, for he was already feeling pains from his limbs and sleep was a good way to ignore it.

Valnor began his search for an army in the grazelands. There were quite a few of the oucasts in that area. Valnor knew it could not possibly be as large as the first, but he figured he could hire mercenaries just as he did with the orcs in his old party. His current army consisted of fourteen including himslef. He already had four, and the other ten had been difficult to obtain. It had taken two weeks for the number to reach fourteen. A good time, but it would not stay at that pace. Valnor knew that this ordeal would take years, but he was willing to be patient. Revenge could wait.

The next time Nyph woke up, he saw the young dark elf studying notes with alchemical tools and ingredients beside him. Nyph watched as the boy crushed up thw two ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Nyph was not in any way familiar with alchemy so he just watched as the boy did complicated measurements and used different tools to put the mixture into a bottle.
The boy noticed him and siad "Drink this. It should heal you a small but at least."
Nyph drank the mixture, and at once felt his bones mending, and the pain was lessening. But suddenly, the healing potion stopped working. Nyph knew it was just a lesser potion, not some devious plan to make him suffer longer.
The boy said "I will be making more until you completely heal."
Nyph nodded his thanks.
"What's your name?" the boy continued.
"Nyph," the injured man replied. "Obviously I am in your debt."
Ahnaressu waved the thought away with his hand. "I am Ahnaressu and you owe me nothing."
Nyph smiled, and closed his eyes once more.

[Dantrag]

Ahnaressu liked his trainig with Nyph. While Nyph was more of an assassin, he was also a formiddable foe at head-on combat. Nyph did not use brash, over-aggressive tactics, He would quickly dart in for a strike, and quickly get back out of range.

Nyph reached to one of the two daggers on his belt, leaving him with a dagger in each hand. He tosssed the one he just pulled, while simultaneously dodging an uppercut from Ahnaressu's padded sword. Ahnaressu ducked from the throw, making a mental note to be more wary of the projectiles. Ahnaressu made a feint right with the shortsword in his right hand, and when Nyph went for it, dodging left, Ahnaressu smiled and hit the assassin the the flat of the blade. Or so he thought. Somehow, the young boy ended up on the ground. It had taken that long for the young ashlander to register the move in his brain, but Nyph had deftly ducked under the blow, while in the same movement, swinging his leg out to trip the boy.

Ahnaressu looked in horror as Nyph slowly put his shining, black dagger at his neck. Ahnaressu, not knowing the assassin's intent, did, nothing but slowly slip the practice padding from the blade of his shortsword.

Nyph knew full well what he was doing. He was tired of the wretch that seemed to hold him prisoner. Those vows he made, not made out of any real piety, but out of the sudden realization that he was alive. but this boy, with his good deeds seemed to mock every aspect of the life Nyph had lived for so long. He could not do it though. He could not kill the boy that saved his life. The assassin did have certain moral values, as twisted as they were, and killing a defenseless boy that saved his life was one of the few things he saw as wrong.
Trying to make an excuse for his actions, Nyph smiled and said, "a real foe would not hesitate to kill you. Do not stay on the ground for long."

Ahnaressu lay in his bedroll with his younger brother, thinking of the strange actions of Nyph. Deciding not to let his imagination scare him, he promised himself to speak to Nyph about it in the morning. Sleep came with the same dream...again.

Nyph shot up, awakened by a sound coming from behind him, he looked and saw Ahnaressu and the baby Ralgar sound asleep in their bedroll. Continuing his scan of the area, Nyph spotted a familiar form. A large dunmer walked into the camp, not noticing Nyph for who he was, began a motivational speech - obviously done many times before.
"They have exiled you, as they have me. together we can end the tyranny they have over their tribesme-"
"Save it." Nyph interjected playfully.
"Nyph?" the large dunmer asked in surprise.
"Yes, Valnor, It is I."
"So....you're...not...."
"No. I am not dead."
"Join us again my friend! I am raising yet another army, for we were crushed by the Erabenimsun - as you surely know."

The offer had Nyph back on his heels. Nyph knew he had not changed.His weeping and sudden vows to uphold moral values were merely out of gratefulness for his life, he had never actually meant to change, he only thought that he had. Nyph accepted and stole away with Valnor, leaving Ahnaressu to his sleep.

Nyph thought that Ahnaressu was asleep. Ahnaressu had heard every word of the short conversation. And he saw the dunmer. The one in his dreams...that could only mean that this was the man that had led the rogues to the destruction of his family. The conversation betrayed that, but the dunmer confirmed it. Determined to get back at them, Ahnaressu packed his things to investigate. The Erabenimsun had destroyed The large dark elf's army. The dark elf's army had destroyed his family. Ahnaressu would destroy Valnor and even Nyph. If it took months, years, or even until his dying breath. Valnor would die. Slowly.