The dreugh squeezed the last of Ahnaressu's breath out. He was drowning and he knew it. His sword was at the bottom of the underwater cavern now, having dropped it. He knew he would speed up his death by struggling, but he had no other choice. He decided he would rather die with air in his lungs than with water. He tried his best to wiggle out of the druegh's grip, but it was not successful. The boy let go of the claw that held him and grabbed one of the tentacles of the druegh's bottom half. That only made things worse. His neck was bleeding from the claw's grip. He struggled for air, and couldn't even get in a position to gulp water. Unconsciousness threatened to take him.
Valnor decided to let his men rest for a week or so. All the traveling was not good for morale, much less his numbers. He organized large hunting parties to kill beasts for meat and to scavenge for fruits and vegetables. Valnor figured that a feast was in order not only for morale, but because many of the men had not eaten in two days. No fighting had occured, and the men were restless. He large dunmer hoped a feast would cure it.
Ahnaressu was out of choices. He would die. He closed his eyes and hoped it would pass quickly. It didn't. Something hard smashed against his face. He opened his eyes to see the other dreugh in front of his face. The dreugh slapped him again. Ahnaressu fought hard against it, but the rage was coming. The young dunmer's right hand shot out, his thumb dug into the dreugh's right eye, and the dunmer's index finger was inside the dreugh's left eye. The dreugh let out a gurgling sream, and swam away, its arm covering its face. Ahnaressu smiled a pefectly wicked smile.
The Urshilaku had been in their new location for quite awhile, and wer aching to get back to their usual site, even though they still feared an attack from the rogues. Nibani Maesa and Sul-Matuul had talked many times, and after much objection from Nibani, the ashkhan decided to go back, but told Nibani that the tribe would be more alert to an attack, and would be prepared to deal with it appropriately.
"Why leave these defensible walls?" Nibani asked.
"You know as well as I it is hard to come by food around here. I think we need to be alive to handle an attack." Sul-Matuul argued. "We were only defeated last time because we were caught by surprise. Next time, we will be ready."
Nibani only nodded. Knowing that the ashkhan only did what he thought was best for his tribe.
The dreugh struggled, but it did not seem to disturb Ahnaressu in the least. The claw still held him firmly, but Ahnaressu's fingers held firmly in the creature's eyes. The dreugh's grip relaxed, And Ahnaressu pried open the claw and shot up for a small air pocket. He went back under, feeling refreshed. The young dark elf went to the bottome to grab his sword before running the cringing dreugh through. The hardest part of his job seeming through, Ahnaressu swam back to the intersection and took the only tunnel he hadn't so far.
Ahnaressu came up into a small cavern, and the only way in or out was the underwater tunnel. He saw a dunmer priestess with soaked and tattered robe. She was huddled in a corner shaking. Ahnaressu could not tell if it was from fear or the cold. Ahnaressu felt embarrassed that he didnt leave his clothes on, but he got over it quick, knowing some things were more important than others.
"Are you alright?" Ahnaressu asked.
The woman looked up, noticing him for the first time. She did not answer him.
"I talked to your daughter." Ahnaressu stated flatly.
The woman's face lit up. " Let us leave, then."
Ahnaressu almost agreed, before he remembered the surviving dreugh. "Wait here. There is a dreugh out there that I have to take care of first."
The woman smiled. "Thank you."
Ahnaressu nodded and dove back into the water.
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"Its when murder is justice that martyrs are made"
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