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> Old Habits Die Hard Part Five, New habits? Or just old ones recycled?
haute ecole rider
post Feb 4 2011, 03:26 PM
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Joined: 16-March 10
From: The place where the Witchhorses play



It's now time to start a new thread for Julian of Anvil. Now that she returns to her hometown, it's rather appropriate to start a new thread to celebrate!

Thanks to all who have read and posted input on Julian's story.

For those coming in late, if you've got the time, here are links to the previous threads:

Chapters One through Seven
Chapters Eight through Thirteen
Chapters Fourteen through Eighteen
Chapters Nineteen through Twenty-two

I hope you continue to enjoy this story as Julian works toward the inevitable conclusion!


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haute ecole rider
post Feb 18 2011, 04:56 PM
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Joined: 16-March 10
From: The place where the Witchhorses play



@Olen: Yes, I assure you, all the conformation traits Julian spotted in Blanco are desirable, especially in a saddle horse. As for ‘study’ vs. ‘studying’, it may be a Midwestern dialect here. We often complain that we’ve ‘got so much studying to do to pass this course!’ So that’s what I went with.

@TK: I would normally not write a sentence like the one you pointed out, but as many people in conversation don’t edit themselves, and this is part of Carahil’s dialogue, I decided to leave it be. And I’m a bit envious of Clesa too. That Blanco is something else! I actually modeled his behavior after a Morgan stallion I knew that was full of mischief.

@SubRosa: I’m not really certain that Gweden Farm is actually haunted the way Benirus Manor is. I think it’s called ‘haunted’ mainly because of the deaths that occurred there thirty years ago. I’m glad you enjoyed Blanco too.

@Cap’n H: Why do I have Robert Duvall taking a deep breath and exclaiming “God! I love the smell of napalm in the morning!” going through my head since reading your comment? As for Benirus Manor, it’s just not Julian’s style.

@Acadian: I agree that this recommendation is the only one with the Guild’s welfare in mind, not the personal tush of the chapter head involved. And you might win that bet!

@Grits: I stand with you in your disappointment in being unable to go back into that house. That alone is one reason I’m considering installing a second hard drive in my Intel Mac, putting Windows 7 on it, and buying the PC version of the game. I’d love to be able to tinker with Gweden Farm and make it Julian’s farm! Restorations will have to wait, though. Julian’s got to save Nirn and get an education, in that order, first! As for Blanco, I don’t think you’re so far off the mark there --

@mALX: Ah, no. biggrin.gif

I really struggled with this quest. After all, according to the script, success hinges on the PC being anonymous to other members of the Mages Guild. Yet Julian has quite the reputation by now. How can she maintain anonymity with that white hair, height and grey-green eyes? I ended up borrowing a little from Robert Ludlum, John LeCarre, et. al.

******************************
Chapter 23.8: Brina Cross Inn

“Hail, Hero of Kvatch!” The barkeep greeted me when I entered. I nodded sheepishly at him and scanned the common room. A Breton woman and an Imperial man sat together at a table near the counter, murmuring softly between themselves. An aged Altmer woman, resplendent in blue velvet, turned from holding her hands over the fire to regard me. Next to her, I recognized Pollus seated by the fire and nursing a tankard of ale.

The Breton woman looked up from her conversation, then nodded at her companion. She stood up and approached me. “Hello, friend!” she greeted me. Though her voice was light and airy, and her youthful face seemed welcoming enough, I caught the hard look of a warrior in her brown eyes. Arielle Jurard? “I take it you are Julian of Anvil?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” I responded. She leaned slightly toward me and whispered, “Carahil sent you, didn’t she?” She saw something in my gaze and straightened up. “I’m glad you’re here, Julian!” She resumed her normal voice. “We’ve been in need of an escort. Are you headed east along the road by any chance?”

Arielle Jurard. She’s trying to tell me something. I decided to play along. “Yes, ma’am.”

“We’d like to pay you to accompany us as far as Skingrad,” the Breton woman continued, as the Imperial man joined her to stand before me. “I’m Arielle Jurard, and this is my partner Roliand Hanus. We’re merchants with gems intended for the Skingrad court.”

“We’re prepared to pay you five septims for your work,” Hanus volunteered.

“When do you wish to leave?” I asked, still playing along. Undercover? As myself? Unless I change my hair color, it’s now impossible to go unrecognized.

“In the morning, an hour past dawn,” Jurard responded. “Will you escort us?”

“Yes, I will,” I answered. Jurard smiled brightly, but that hard edge still remained in her eyes.

“Excellent! Rent a room from Christophe tonight, get some rest! We’ll pay for your dinner and drinks if you’ll join us!”

“Let me get the room first,” I said. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” As the pair returned to their seats, I caught the assessing regard from the Altmer woman. Pollus regarded me thoughtfully over his tankard. I nodded once at him in greeting, surreptitiously sending the military signal to hold position. His eyes returned to his ale in acknowledgement.

Christophe smiled at me when I approached the bar. “What will you have, friend? Food? Drink? A bed for the night?”

“Whatever’s on the fire for dinner,” I answered, “anything hot to drink that’s not alcoholic, and a bed.”

“That’ll be thirteen drakes,” Christophe said. I counted out the coins and laid them on the counter between us.

He swept them off into his hand and pocketed the money. “Terrific!” he turned for the big soup pot simmering behind him. “It’s ham stew with peas and carrots,” he continued over his shoulder as he ladled something steaming into a wooden bowl. “And would hot spiced cider be good for you? Otherwise I’ve got klah.”

“Cider’s fine,” I accepted the bowl and pewter spoon from Christophe. He wiped a pewter tumbler with a towel and set it on the counter before me.

“You’re going to escort those two merchants?” he asked as he poured the cider. I nodded. “We used to get a lot of merchants through here, but that was before the deaths started occurring. And when those two Oblivion Gates opened, I’ve hardly had any business at all!”

“Deaths?” I repeated when he set the pitcher down.

Christophe straightened up. “I don’t like to talk about them, it’s bad for business.” He placed a key next to the bowl. “Here’s your room key. It’s upstairs, last door on the right.”

“Thank you, sir,” I pocketed the key and collected the meal. The Altmer woman slowly and gingerly approached the table as I joined my new comrades.

“Did I hear you’re merchants?” she asked Jurard. “On the way to Skingrad?”

“Now we are!” Jurard’s voice took on a brittle brightness. “Now that we have a proper escort!” I glanced at her as I took the first mouthful of stew. I’m a proper escort? Why do I get the feeling that it’s going to be you protecting me, rather than the other way around?

“Aren’t you worried?” the Altmer asked, sliding a cool glance at me. My right hand twitched with longing to reach for Daedra Slayer at my hip, but I kept it on the table. Easy Julian, she’s just an old woman. “I’d be scared, if I were you,” she continued, her gaze flickering at Hanus before returning to Jurard. “What with all the recent deaths lately, I’ve been too terrified to leave the inn!”

“That’s why we waited for an escort,” Jurard nodded pleasantly at me. “I’m certain the Hero of Kvatch will be more than a match for what awaits us down the road!”

The stooping woman turned to me. “Do you know magic, Hero of Kvatch?”

“Julian of Anvil, and I know little restoration,” I chose to ignore the sarcasm I could hear in her voice. “I’ve always relied on my Legion training. It’s gotten me this far, ma’am.”

“Well, let’s hope it continues to serve you well, Hero!” the Altmer’s concern rang false. “I hear those killings have not been by blade or bow, but rather by magic!”

“Like half the daedra I’ve faced in the Deadlands,” I mumbled to myself. The Altmer drew in her breath sharply, then smiled broadly, her deeply lined face crinkling further.

“You’re right, of course! Well, it’s late, and I’m off to bed. Take care, all of you,” she included Jurard and Hanus in her well-wishes. “I’d hate to hear of more senseless deaths!” She turned and walked with care toward the stairs that led past the entry to the second floor.

“That’s Caminalda,” Jurard said to me. “She’s been staying here for the last several weeks. Typical stuck up Altmer.”

“I’ve met more nice Altmeri than stuck up ones,” I remarked, glancing over my shoulder to see the last vestige of blue velvet disappear around the corner. “But Caminalda certainly fits the stereotype.”

Hanus chuckled into his tumbler. “You got that right, ma’am,” he mumbled.

“Did you get the room?” Jurard asked. I nodded silently. She laid a few coins on the table and pushed them across to me. “That’s for the food and drink, as well as the room. Do you have a map?” Now she lowered her voice. “When Carahil sent a message that she had someone coming to aid us, someone new to the guild, we thought we could have that person masquerade as a merchant, and we would ambush the mage. But since it’s you -“

“You’re too recognizable,” Hanus added softly as I drew my map from my belt pouch. “No one would believe it if you claimed to be a merchant.”

“I’m sorry,” we put our heads together over the map in an appearance of consulting on the route for the morrow. “But it seems to me that you made a rather effective change of plans. Any idea who the mage might be?”

Jurard shook her head. “It could be anyone from that Legion soldier,” she nodded at Pollus still nursing his ale next to the fire, “to Christophe, even the stableboy!” She regarded me thoughtfully. “But with you as escort, we can still ambush him.”

“You might be escorting me instead of the other way around!” I whispered softly into my stew. Jurard chuckled, that hard edge in her eyes softening a little.

“You didn’t join the Mages Guild for a joke, I don’t think,” she responded softly. “I’ve heard stories of your summons. I believe you can now call up a flame atronach?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I matched her quiet tone. “She’s saved my keister more than a few times.” I shook my head. “But I’m still slow to cast spells. It’s not second nature to me yet, not like my blade is.”

“Then it should be good practice for you tomorrow,” Jurard smiled at me. “And I believe that’s a fire enchantment on that blade of yours?”

“Yes, ma’am, it is,” I nodded. “It should give me the slightest edge against that mage.”

“Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of an enchanted weapon,” Hanus advised me.

“Well, that’s it for now,” Jurard leaned back, resuming a normal tone. “We’ll start out an hour after dawn tomorrow. Till then, sleep well!”

“Thanks,” I replied as the pair rose from the table and headed away. As they disappeared upstairs, Pollus rose ponderously from his seat and walked over to me with a soft clanking of his plate.

“Hello, Julian,” he greeted me quietly. “I see you’re working.”

“A job for the Mages Guild,” I answered. “More than that I can’t say. Sorry.” I waved at the seat just vacated by Hanus. “But I thought you were going to return to your patrol?”

“Soon,” he nodded. “My captain wants me to hang around until that rogue mage has been caught.” His gaze sharpened on me. “I presume it’s not you, Julian.”

I smiled and shook my head. “I’m certain it’s not you, either, Pollus.”


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Posts in this topic
haute ecole rider   Old Habits Die Hard Part Five   Feb 4 2011, 03:26 PM
haute ecole rider   @Olen: It’s funny, but Skingrad seemed like a good...   Feb 4 2011, 03:41 PM
Grits   Julian has so much history here - after all, she w...   Feb 4 2011, 05:32 PM
SubRosa   I think someone else mentioned it recently, but it...   Feb 4 2011, 06:34 PM
Acadian   Congratulations on the new thread! Julian is...   Feb 5 2011, 01:17 AM
D.Foxy   Congrats on the New new new (counts on fingers)......   Feb 5 2011, 02:01 AM
mALX   Congrats on thread five !!! WOO HOO ...   Feb 5 2011, 06:09 AM
Captain Hammer   Ah, I finally get caught up through the end of Par...   Feb 5 2011, 06:41 AM
Thomas Kaira   Got a little behind there for a spell. Not for lon...   Feb 5 2011, 10:26 AM
Olen   Thread five... this is long, very long, but it doe...   Feb 5 2011, 03:42 PM
haute ecole rider   @Grits: You will see Gweden farm in an upcoming po...   Feb 6 2011, 07:48 PM
mALX   GAAAH! Are we finally going to see Julian in ...   Feb 6 2011, 08:10 PM
SubRosa   Wasn't duracell the one that Robert Conrad did...   Feb 6 2011, 10:56 PM
Thomas Kaira   I see you are serving Italian tonight! How a...   Feb 7 2011, 12:01 AM
Acadian   “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” a brown-d...   Feb 7 2011, 01:57 AM
Olen   She certainly eats well, I might have to take up b...   Feb 7 2011, 07:56 PM
Captain Hammer   Ah, the hometown hero's triumphant return. Wel...   Feb 7 2011, 08:23 PM
haute ecole rider   @mALX: Time for that cold shower again! And ye...   Feb 8 2011, 04:48 PM
Captain Hammer   Interesting dinner conversation. Finding out that ...   Feb 8 2011, 05:23 PM
mALX   GAAAAH!!! NO JULIAN !!...   Feb 8 2011, 07:17 PM
SubRosa   Rescuing housecats? I loved this, because in the g...   Feb 8 2011, 09:10 PM
Acadian   What a wonderful conversational segment - one of m...   Feb 9 2011, 02:32 AM
Thomas Kaira   This was not a suggestion for the menu in your st...   Feb 9 2011, 06:50 AM
Olen   Nice line, clever. Introduce what comes alter be...   Feb 9 2011, 12:16 PM
Grits   I really enjoyed this quiet conversation over dinn...   Feb 9 2011, 10:30 PM
mALX   I really enjoyed this quiet conversation over din...   Feb 9 2011, 11:10 PM
haute ecole rider   @ Cap’n Bam Bam: Yes, tenant clearing will be a li...   Feb 10 2011, 03:09 PM
SubRosa   Cap’n Bam Bam? Sounds like somebody's been wat...   Feb 10 2011, 06:35 PM
Acadian   What a treat this delightful story was! Despi...   Feb 11 2011, 01:37 AM
Grits   Alliteration! :lol: Little girl Julian ...   Feb 11 2011, 03:20 AM
Thomas Kaira   Are we contradicting ourselves, now? :P (Sorry, ...   Feb 11 2011, 03:44 AM
Captain Hammer   Cap'n Bam Bam? While a fan of the Flinstones m...   Feb 11 2011, 03:52 AM
Olen   That was quite a bit of building... as said actual...   Feb 11 2011, 07:07 PM
Thomas Kaira   Is fingerling a word you invented? It's perf...   Feb 12 2011, 06:20 AM
haute ecole rider   @SubRosa: I’m glad you enjoyed that little scene b...   Feb 12 2011, 05:01 PM
mALX   The memories are thick in Anvil, my fave: Julia...   Feb 12 2011, 05:50 PM
SubRosa   I carried it back to Relas, sticking my tongue out...   Feb 12 2011, 08:17 PM
Acadian   This had a wonderful natural flow to it and was a ...   Feb 13 2011, 03:13 AM
Thomas Kaira   Carahil as I remember her in the game was very sti...   Feb 13 2011, 04:26 AM
Olen   The referances to in game books were great, and ma...   Feb 13 2011, 09:34 PM
haute ecole rider   @mALX: I really enjoyed writing Julian as a child...   Feb 14 2011, 03:04 PM
Captain Hammer   Okay, two posts to comment on, with very different...   Feb 14 2011, 06:51 PM
ghastley   The "two thrones of white ash" struck me...   Feb 14 2011, 08:44 PM
haute ecole rider   The "two thrones of white ash" struck m...   Feb 14 2011, 10:39 PM
mALX   The "two thrones of white ash" struck ...   Feb 14 2011, 11:25 PM
Thomas Kaira   Homecoming indeed! I see a future very fitting...   Feb 14 2011, 11:06 PM
Captain Hammer   I always brought Corvus back before getting Allies...   Feb 15 2011, 12:32 AM
SubRosa   you’ll learn more about Jared eventually What, tha...   Feb 15 2011, 12:52 AM
Acadian   Anvil is beautiful and you present it well! T...   Feb 15 2011, 01:52 AM
ghastley   I don't know about this version of Milona Umbr...   Feb 15 2011, 02:07 AM
Grits   Chapter 23.5: Again I saw Vigge the Cautious in h...   Feb 15 2011, 03:24 AM
Olen   You show Umbranox in an interesting light, quite b...   Feb 15 2011, 12:57 PM
haute ecole rider   @Cap’n H: Thanks for the kind words. And not to wo...   Feb 16 2011, 04:02 PM
Olen   Another character, and Blanco certainly is one. Y...   Feb 16 2011, 07:14 PM
Thomas Kaira   Well, Carahil is indeed putting Julian's skill...   Feb 16 2011, 09:24 PM
SubRosa   I only meant the Sirens as a joke, as that farm is...   Feb 16 2011, 09:38 PM
mALX   I only meant the Sirens as a joke, as that farm i...   Feb 18 2011, 07:05 AM
Captain Hammer   Ah, dealing with ye' olde rogue mages. Giving ...   Feb 17 2011, 01:38 AM
SubRosa   Hm, I wonder if I can trademark that. "Exorc...   Feb 17 2011, 02:10 AM
Acadian   Another great episode with Carahil. I think she i...   Feb 17 2011, 02:56 AM
Grits   “Why would I buy it when I have an equally dilapid...   Feb 17 2011, 04:34 PM
Olen   Clever, I always thought sending a hero to be disg...   Feb 18 2011, 07:55 PM
Thomas Kaira   Very clever flip-flop on that quest, and quite log...   Feb 18 2011, 08:49 PM
ghastley   I'm left a bit confused as to how you're g...   Feb 18 2011, 08:53 PM
SubRosa   Undercover? As myself? Brilliant! Julian of ...   Feb 18 2011, 10:34 PM
Acadian   Hmm, I see Arielle's dilemma. Expecting some ...   Feb 19 2011, 01:28 AM
Captain Hammer   Because Napalm is like an applied version of Wiza...   Feb 19 2011, 04:50 AM
haute ecole rider   @Olen: Yes, I wanted to highlight the fact that Ca...   Feb 20 2011, 07:59 PM
Grits   Paralyzed by the weight of being is a beautiful de...   Feb 20 2011, 09:01 PM
SubRosa   The sun gleamed ruby through a misty sky This is a...   Feb 20 2011, 09:25 PM
ghastley   That all rings true from the times I've played...   Feb 20 2011, 11:04 PM
Olen   Interestingly this has never happened to me, and ...   Feb 21 2011, 12:21 AM
Acadian   A nice adaptation of the Anvil guild recommendatio...   Feb 21 2011, 02:46 AM
Thomas Kaira   Very nice, tense fight scene here. Crushingly eff...   Feb 21 2011, 07:42 AM
ghastley   I understand you are at complete liberty to chan...   Feb 21 2011, 08:26 PM
Thomas Kaira   Burden alone seems to just lock one in place, rat...   Feb 21 2011, 08:43 PM
haute ecole rider   @Grits: That phrase you quoted was a momentary fla...   Feb 22 2011, 05:03 PM
SubRosa   Excellent musings about the pros and cons of stall...   Feb 22 2011, 06:04 PM
Thomas Kaira   What a wonderful horse-filled chapter! My two ...   Feb 22 2011, 09:54 PM
Acadian   A lovely day at the beach. 'Again the walnut ...   Feb 23 2011, 01:43 AM
Olen   A good horsey section. Certainly it's an educ...   Feb 23 2011, 02:00 AM
Captain Hammer   Wow. I must say, I never had the problem of the Im...   Feb 23 2011, 03:29 AM
mALX   Thoroughbreds are trained like that for racing, en...   Feb 24 2011, 05:51 AM
haute ecole rider   @SubRosa: I’ll be glad to help you teach Teresa ho...   Feb 24 2011, 05:04 PM
SubRosa   Not a bad life for a male, when you think about it...   Feb 24 2011, 06:11 PM
Olen   Agreed with the A for effort, the hotel room is fa...   Feb 24 2011, 08:01 PM
Grits   Jared, that dirty dog. Waking up in the dark like ...   Feb 24 2011, 10:43 PM
Acadian   Methinks Morvayn is too harsh on Clesa. I think h...   Feb 25 2011, 01:35 AM
Zalphon   Methinks Morvayn is too harsh on Clesa. I think ...   Feb 25 2011, 02:45 AM
Captain Hammer   And so we meet Jared. Now, as a man, I find the i...   Feb 25 2011, 06:25 AM
mALX   So wait...because one boy at 17 years old was just...   Feb 25 2011, 07:27 AM
Thomas Kaira   Ugh... what a typical man. Hopefully that will dis...   Feb 25 2011, 08:02 PM
haute ecole rider   @Sage Rosa: Jared wanted privacy in his wooing, an...   Feb 26 2011, 09:00 PM
SubRosa   I was wondering if you were going to work the Sire...   Feb 26 2011, 10:17 PM
ghastley   Interesting shuffle-round of the skills. It's ...   Feb 26 2011, 10:50 PM
Acadian   Don't ever break into Julian's house! ...   Feb 27 2011, 03:03 AM
mALX   *** :O Poor Julian. No wonder she had never h...   Feb 27 2011, 03:19 AM
Thomas Kaira   Happy homecoming Julian! Wow, talk about a wel...   Feb 27 2011, 04:13 AM
Grits   This quest has never made sense to me in the game,...   Feb 27 2011, 02:21 PM
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