Teresa of the Faint Smile, Adventures of a Stringy Bosmer Options

[mALX]

Thank you for the trouble you went through so I could see the pics, I appreciate that.

The scenes between Teresa and Tadrose are a joy to write because they allow me to show that awkward uncertainty in Teresa.

That awkward uncertainty is one of the most endearing qualities about Teresa (out of the many facets that make her a joy to read).

the dark features of Tadrose Helas blossomed in her memory, and any romantic thoughts she might have had for Parwen wilted from the comparison.

I loved this. Teresa's feelings for Tadrose have moved to a deeper level that goes beyond the physical attraction. She is experiencing her first steps into what that means by walking away from the possibilities with Parwen. That makes the fear of Tadrose's possible rejection feel that much more like the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over her ready to tear her if she makes a move towards or away from Tadrose. As exciting as it may be to think of Tadrose's feelings being reciprocal, I still find myself holding my breath with nerves that she may not be and Teresa could be hurt.

AWESOME WRITE !!! (as ALWAYS !!!)

[Ceidwad]

Some nice descriptive touches here. I enjoyed the comparison of the Bravil guild hall with the Skingrad one. Clearly not all guild halls are created equal. I had assumed in my roleplaying that the FG and MG built their guild halls from scratch, but actually your explanation accounts for the disparity much better. (for a Mages' Guild example, compare the lack of food in the Cheydinhal guild hall with the copious amounts available in Chorrol.) It makes more sense that the halls might have had previous owners, I think.

[Olen]

Finely crafted as ever. Parawen is exactly the character who was required, she fills so many purposes. I'm not up on Valenwood lore (what I have heard seemed a bit silly (the green pact for example)) so I'm looking forward to replacing the cannon with the TF version which from what I've heard sounds fascinating. I wonder when she'll find time for a quick trip there.

She also seems to be exactly what Teresa needs. She isn't shy, and wants to enter the tourney so in many ways is opposite. But she's also an archer and a bosmer. I wonder if some of her might rub off on Teresa, and what she'll do when she realises what's going on between Teresa and Tadrosa, as I'm sure she will. I suspect, like other things about her, it might horrify Teresa, but be exactly what's needed...

And as for the shopping... I'm looking forward to it, but is Bravil ready?!

[Grits]

From 34.3: I love the way Tadrose handles Teresa’s attempt to whine, firmly but gently. Then she offers the kind of encouragement that Teresa can believe, and remember. If she wasn’t too distracted by her touch. Yay Tadrose!

From 34.4: I loved Parwen’s description of Valenwood. Skingrad is such a city of stone, it would be hard for a wood elf to love it. Then, yay, shopping coming up next! I’d much rather read about it than go myself.

[ghastley]

I'm staying out of this, because if Gudrun notices shopping going on without her.......

[Lady Syl]

Chapter 2b--I like that you added some of your own dialogue, and that you didn't stick to the dialogue in the game. It's much better with your own additions. I also liked how you described the strange sense of greatness you get from the Emperor--he was certainly no ordinary man, apart from his title and position...

"Eeep!" Teresa squealed, and fell on her backside as she tried to jump away. This gave me such a comic image, making the little wood elf Theresa seem almost mouse-like--in a cute way, of course!

(And those men who say they'd rather sleep with a horse than a Bosmer--they really don't have a clue what they're missing out on! )

This post has been edited by Lady Syl: Apr 12 2011, 09:01 PM

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: I have decided to make all the bows from Valenwood composite bows. After doing some digging around, I chose the Hunnish Bow in particular. Even though that was too big to use with the gorytos of the Scythians/Sarmatians. I am using a little creative license to have the bow still fit in one. When Teresa and the other fighters make their qualifications, we will learn more about it, including some pictures.

I have been entranced with steppe nomads for many years now, especially the Scythians and Sarmatians. Back in my Rome Total War days people called me The Lady of the Plains, thanks to how well I used them. I recall there is a quote from the Old Testament where someone says that "Scythians quivers are like an open grave" A reference to how they ravaged the Middle East in the 7th Century BCE. I would not call them the bad old days though. Women still have not quite gotten to the same level of equality that we had back then. It is ironic how the so called "barbarian" cultures were much more liberal in outlook than those of the "civilized" Romans and Greeks.

This guy in Hungary makes composite bows according to the old styles, both with modern materials, and the old-fashioned way. I am so tempted to buy one. This is a fascinating article about some composite bows that were actually uncovered in western China.


Thomas Kaira: Teresa has yet to wrap her brain around the idea of the other archers being competition. She is still getting used to the idea that she will be competing herself!

I decided to make Troll's blood have healing effects to start with. It seems so obvious, since they regenerate. I went with the blood instead of the fat simply to be kind to my characters. Draining the blood from a corpse has to be much easier than cutting out all the body fat!


Acadian: You have thoroughly dissected all of my intentions in the previous episode. Ready to hit the stores?


mALX: Teresa is indeed getting in way over her head with Tadrose, now that no one else can hold a candle to the Dunmer armorer.


Ceidwad: The halls are all so very different between cities, that I figured most were not built to order by the FG, but rather just taken over from previous owners. Be they former mansions, shops, etc... Otherwise I would imagine they would be more similar to one another. Plus, this gave me a good way to relate some of Bravil's history, concerning the silver rush days, and how it all went bust.


Olen: Bethesda does not tell us much about Valenwood, and as you noted, a lot of it is silly. So I have had to do most of it from scratch. I got the idea for the golden sila trees from the way that elven weapons tend to have golden-colored wood handles. The rest kind of flowed from there. We will eventually learn a bit more when Teresa gets some Valenwood-made armor, although not in this chapter.


Grits: Whining will get you nowhere with Tadrose! Given that Tadrose did touch her, I doubt that Teresa cares if she forgets what she said or not!

I have always disliked Skingrad, because of its architecture. The buildings are all of stone, and crowded in on one another. It feels claustrophobic to me. I feel sorry for the wood elves who have to live there. It is no wonder Glarthir went nuts!


ghastley: Let's go shopping with the bears! That will clear out those crowds on Black Friday!


Lady Syl: Those first few chapters where the TF follows the tutorial dungeon were the most difficult to write. It felt so constraining. I was almost as relieved as Teresa was to finally get out of the sewers and under the light of the moons.

Teresa falling on her butt was one of my favorite scenes to write! Mouse-like is exactly the image I was going for with the early Teresa. From such humble beginnings, she makes a great journey.


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: In our last episode, Teresa met Parwen, another wood elf archer in the Fighters Guild, who has come to Bravil for the tournament. Next, shopping!


Chapter 34.5 - The Tournament Of Archers

Since they were nearly the same height, Teresa loaned Parwen a spare chemise, bodice, and skirt. Yet there the similarities between them ended. For the older elf's chest nearly erupted from the low-cut top, and her hips threatened to burst the seams on the skirt. Now that was what a woman was supposed to look like, Teresa thought sourly, as opposed to herself.

Magnus was working his way down the sky as the two women made their way through the North Gate and across the wide, wooden bridge over the Larsius. Sprawling along the Green Road west to Silverbridge was a sea of tents, lean-tos, and other shelters. Some were large affairs that would have fit over a dozen people. Others so tiny only one might squeeze within. It was a veritable city of tents, and seemed to nearly swallow up the livery that sat beside the bridge.

Turning to her right, Teresa saw that the great parade ground that stretched away to Niben Bay was now closed off with a wattle fence and packed with more tents. At the far end of the sea of canvas structures rose a great wooden amphitheater. The beams and braces holding up its seats were in clear view, like bare bones, so obviously it had been built in a hurry. Or it was not intended to be permanent.

They found that entry was through several gates, and stood in line to wait their turn to get inside. Several men in the mail armor of the Bravil City Guard waited at the entrances, or prowled among the queues. So this is where the soldiers who normally patrolled the lake side walls must be, Teresa imagined. Looking away from them, Teresa noted signs posted at regular intervals along the fence.

To all who shall see these presents, greeting. Know ye that Count Regulus Terentius welcomes you to the fair waterside city of Bravil, and publishes the following information, that ye may more fully enjoy the Tournament of Archers:

There shall be a three day qualification period, from the Thirty First of Hearthfire to the Second of Frostfall. During the qualification period, desirous contenders shall each shoot one round. For this tournament, a round comprises three flights of three arrows each. The first flight is medium range, slow-fire. The second flight is medium range, rapid-fire. The third flight is long range, slow-fire. On the Third of Frostfall the top ten archers will appear before the judges, and each shoot three rounds. So shall be chosen the Champion Archer of Cyrodiil.

Then it was their turn to enter, and Teresa found that they had to pay a quarter drake to pass through the gates. In turn their hands were stamped with green ink, so that they might freely enter and leave for the day. Teresa imagined that they changed the color of the ink every day, so that someone could not pay once and be able to enter for all four days. Now she began to see how the tournament was funded. As she and Parwen stepped into the vast city of tents, she wondered if the merchants also had a pay a fee to be there as well? Or if they gave a portion of their profits to the tournament?

Either way, she imagined that the promoters must all be rich. For the fairground was packed with mortals of all races. It was true that most were plainly commoners. But as she noted to Olava during the blessings, the farmers were all now well-paid from their fall harvest.

Everywhere she looked people were buying things. Clothing, jewelry, weapons, scrolls, potions, paintings, everything under the sun. In addition to the regular merchants there were fortune tellers, masseuses, actors, mimes, and musicians. Finally the smell of food competed with that of unwashed bodies, and she saw that every so often a section of the tents was given over to hot food stands like those of the Imperial City, only of wood rather than stone. She saw a mix of everything, from Imperial beef, sausages, and dumplings, to Redguard wraps, Khajiit refried beans, Leyawiin shrimp, Dunmer ash yams and kwama eggs, and more cheeses than she could put a name to. Everywhere she looked, there was something new to see and smell.

"This is just amazing!" Teresa breathed.

"I know," Parwen agreed, having to nearly shout to be heard over the noise of the crowds. "That's why I always come to these things. I never come close to winning. But I don't care. It's worth it just to shop!"

That made Teresa wonder. Parwen was clearly a veteran of the guild. Yet she did not think she could win? The thought of losing clearly gave the other Bosmer no concern, even with all the people who would be watching, and even more reading about it in the Black Horse Courier.

And why should it matter? Teresa asked herself. It is not like it is for real. Parwen was not going to die if she missed a target. Maybe Tadrose was right. Maybe there really was nothing to worry about? This was all just practice in the end.

"Take a chance on The Warlock's Luck!"

The strident voice caused Teresa to turn her head. She found that the source was a youthful-looking Altmer in a small kiosk. His hair was dark red, and brushed back from his forehead in a pronounced widow's peak. Arranged on the velvet-laden table before him were scrolls, potions, rings, a mortar and pestle, and several books. Lining the simple wattle walls behind him were more of the same.

Standing further back in the kiosk was a woman. Teresa imagined that she might be a Breton from her sandy-brown hair and eyes. Yet she was taller than most Breton women, and not as slight. So she might have been at least part Nord for all Teresa knew. Like the Altmer, she was dressed in ordinary flax, albeit clean and neat. Unlike him, she did not seem at all enthusiastic about the fair.

Her interest piqued, Teresa walked over. That is when she recognized the banner over the small tent. The Warlock's Luck was a shop on Riverwalk. She passed by it every time she made her morning run, not to mention every time she went to the Mages Guild. Yet she had never been inside.

"Welcome gentle ladies!" the Altmer cried as Teresa stepped up, Parwen hovering behind her shoulder. "I have everything magical under the sun, and all at reasonable prices. I have potions that can make you irresistible, scrolls that will let you summon salamanders of fire, undines of water, or sylphs of the air. I have heatstones, coldstones, and glowstones; all sorts of stones in fact!"

Teresa looked it all over. Most of it appeared to be the same ordinary things that the Mages Guild sold to people to make daily life a little easier. A moment later Parwen was tugging on her arm, and before she could say anything, Teresa found herself dragged into a dressmaker's tent next door.

The forester's jaw nearly fell to the grass when she looked at the elegant gowns of velvet, lace, and silk that hung from the wattle walls. There were Redguard crop tops and belts made of coins, short Dunmer skirts and matching silk hose, Imperial corsets of leather, lace, and brocade; chemises and bodices, longer Imperial skirts, everything imaginable.

She wondered what Tadrose would think if she saw her in such clothing? Would the Dunmer like what she saw? Would she find her irresistible? Or would she need one of the Altmer's potions for that?

"Well good afternoon ladies. The gods must indeed be smiling, to have sent two such lovely daughters of the forest to our fair city." Teresa and Parwen both turned to see the author of the voice standing in the open doorway of the tent. He was a Dunmer, with long, dark hair tied in elf braids to either side of his ears. He was dressed in soft blue velvet that was decorated with cloth of gold. A sapphire ring sat upon one of his fingers, and he held a staff in one hand that Teresa could feel brimming with magicka from even where she stood.

Screenshot

"Please allow me to introduce myself, if I may be so bold." The dark elf did not so much step forward as sweep across the intervening space. "I am Fathis Aren, Associate of the Arcane University, and Court Mage of Bravil."

Teresa tried to say something, but found that her tongue was a stone in her mouth. What on Nirn was she going to say to a man like that! She was stunned that he would even notice her at all.

That is when Teresa realized that she was not the one who the Dunmer was staring at. Rather the court mage's fiery eyes were taken up by Parwen's curves, which Teresa again noted were nearly bursting from her bodice and skirt.

"I am Parwen, archer of the Fighters Guild," the older wood elf said, "and allow me to introduce my friend Teresa, also of the guild."

"I am honored." Fathis reached out to take Parwen's hand, and elegantly bowed to kiss her fingers. "You must be new to Bravil, for no man could miss a lady as striking as yourself. Perhaps I might be of some service? I should consider it my duty as a gentleman to provide an escort to the sights and sounds of the City of Mara."

"I should indeed look forward to that good sir," Parwen's voice suddenly shifted from her earlier, down-to-nirn manner to one of formal polish and grace. She stepped closer to the court wizard, and let him slip his free arm around her own.

"Parwen!" Teresa whispered, stepping closer to take the older elf by the other arm and tug her away. "That's Fathis Aren. I've heard about him. He's notorious for his affairs with women."

"Oh you silly girl," the other elf whispered back through smiling lips. "I don't want to buy the stallion, just ride him for a few days!"

With that Parwen turned back to the Dunmer. Within moments the pair went out the door of the tent and vanished into the street outside. Teresa stared after them in amazement. Parwen had just abandoned her to walk off with a man she didn't know!

And why shouldn't she? Teresa thought to herself. Parwen was a grown woman. She clearly knew what she wanted, and what to expect. Just like Nerussa. There was no reason for Parwen not to take her pleasures where she found them.

And no reason for her not to do the same with Tadrose, Teresa thought. Except of course, that the dark elf was probably not even slightly interested in her that way. She would just make a fool of herself if she tried. Just as Ancondil had the first night Teresa had met him, and she had done herself the next day with Ardaline. Of that Teresa had no doubt.

Teresa sighed. Why did love have to be so complicated?

The forester made her way back to the entrance of the fairgrounds. She really did not want to explore the tent city alone. She knew that Ardaline would soon be finishing up for the day at the Mages Guild. Perhaps the Altmer alchemist would join her? Then the two of them could return to the dressmaker and get down to the serious business of trying on clothes.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 13 2011, 05:23 PM

[Olen]

That's just not fair, you promise shopping then Parwen turns out to be as easy a mark as Fathis and Teresa doesn't buy anything...

I like your description and the reality of the whole thing. It is funded, of course but it's a detail which adds a lot and could esily be missed. It felt like a fair too, lots for sale and most of it not really worth looking at. Still she found a few shops, the local ones having a stall makes perfect sense again.

Clothing, jewelry, weapons, scrolls, potions, paintings

A clever little morsel of characterisation there, that she picks out those things sort of shows what's going through her mind. I suspect a chapter ago weapons might have come higher but certain thoughts are growing and clothing and jewelry are suddenly more important...

What I really liked was:

And no reason for her not to do the same with Tadrose, Teresa thought. Except...

She's just watched Parwen accept an invitation and has accepted that trying is as big a part of the archery as winning, but there's still the 'except'. It's very Teresa, she's far more firghtened of being rejected by Tadrose than she is of zombies. Parwen worked well to really bring this out and her internal thoughts suggest that sooner or later she'll try...

I'm still betting after her competition...

[haute ecole rider]

"I don't want to buy the stallion, just ride him for a few days!"

Maybe that's what Julian should have done!

Again it feels like a Renaissance Faire, with tents full of eye-popping shtuff that are priced higher than the clouds, and I can smell the street food already. Dang! And it really feels like spring, both in your fiction and here in RL, which makes your descriptions come even more alive.

Poor Teresa - it's clear which way Parwen bends!

[Destri Melarg]

Chapter 34.4

Parwin indeed makes Valenwood sound like a wonderful place. Teresa should be wary though, I saw no mention in there of Wild Hunts and cannibalism!

As the other woman pulled the boots from her feet and tossed them aside, Teresa wondered if she might enjoy the poetry of Sappho . . .

Or the poetry of Teresa?

Then the dark features of Tadrose Helas blossomed in her memory, and any romantic notions she might have had for Parwen wilted from the comparison.

I guess we can assume from this that Nerussa has been relegated to the ‘pleasant memory’ section of Teresa’s psyche!

Chapter 34.5

“Oh you silly girl,” the other elf whispered back through smiling lips. “I don’t want to buy the stallion, just ride him for a few days!”

Go Parwen! I am sure that Fathis will attest to the fact that sleeping with her is better than sleeping with his horse (er, no offence Superian . . . and Blanco)!

I imagine that this ranks as Teresa’s second most mortifying moment, right below walking in on Nerussa in flagrante delicto!

[mALX]

You did a wonderful job on Fathis, and an amazing makeover of him as well !!! Teresa's reaction when Parwen waltzed off on his arm was odd, but she pulled herself together nicely very quickly.

You know I have to quote this, my fave line of the episode, lol :

"I don't want to buy the stallion, just ride him for a few days!"

Hilarious line !! Awesome Write !!!

[Thomas Kaira]

They have said it before, so I will say it again.

"Oh you silly girl," the other elf whispered back through smiling lips. "I don't want to buy the stallion, just ride him for a few days!"

*whistle of slowly decreasing pitch* *CRASH!*

That had to sting.

At least Teresa handled it well. Good that she knows that when a woman has made up her mind, it's nigh impossible to change it (as she very much understands).

[Acadian]

What a wonderful job of capturing the renaissance fair feel of the tourney grounds! You very smoothly provided us some details about what might make such an event tick, from charging admission to charging vendors to even the timing to coincide with fall harvest flush pockets. And such a wonderfully tempting array of foods!

Having Ungarion (and his assistant) operating an annex to his magic shop was fun to see, as was Teresa's enthusiastic reaction to the dress shop.

Again, you use Parwen to provide a fabulous contrast. From her voluptuousness to her cavalier attitude regarding the competition to her willingness to waltz off with an attractive pair of red eyes.

"Well good afternoon ladies. The gods must indeed be smiling, to have sent two such lovely daughters of the forest to our fair city."
The dark elf did not so much step forward as sweep across the intervening space.
These two passages brilliantly capture Fathis. He does have a thing for wood nymphs and is smooth enough to float across the ground!

And finally, Teresa pulls at our heartstrings with her bewilderment over the complexities of love. This was beautiful!

[Ceidwad]

A very colourful description of the Tournament of Archers!

I particularly like your portrayal of the event as a gathering of cultures, for example:

She saw a mix of everything, from Imperial beef, sausages, and dumplings, to Redguard wraps, Khajiit refried beans, Leyawiin shrimp, Dunmer ash yams and kwama eggs, and more cheeses than she could put a name to. Everywhere she looked, there was something new to see and smell.

and

The forester's jaw nearly fell to the grass when she looked at the elegant gowns of velvet, lace, and silk that hung from the wattle walls. There were Redguard crop tops and belts made of coins, short Dunmer skirts and matching silk hose, Imperial corsets of leather, lace, and brocade; chemises and bodices, longer Imperial skirts, everything imaginable.

Bravil really comes alive during the toournament!

[Grits]

It’s a good thing Parwen dragged Teresa into the dressmaker’s tent, it sounds like she will owe Teresa a new outfit with all of that bursting!

I love how you not only show us such a variety of food and fashion, but also tie each to a specific region or culture. I think Ardaline will be much better company. Far less likely to ride off on a stallion, and a better friend to chat with about that most important topic, Tadrose.

[King Coin]

9a - 10e

I really enjoyed these chapters. It was very fun to read even though this sequence is mostly traveling from place to place. I like the scale you applied to Cyrodiil, I always thought it was tiny in game. The descriptions of the farming communities and shipping outposts were great!

And a fighter's guild master named Pappy?!

[SubRosa]

Olen: Teresa would indeed sooner fight Dread Zombies than face Tadrose's rejection! Sooner or later she will try indeed, and I would not bet against you!


haute ecole rider: Julian did ride the stallion for a few days! But maybe she should have ridden a few other stallions too, like Carandial, or Burd...


Destri Melarg: Valenwood does sound quite prosaic from Parwen's lips. I enjoyed writing that, but at the same time it was very difficult as well. Since Bethesda does not tell us much about the place, and most of what it does is just ridiculous (such as that Green Pact nonsense).

I would like to go more into Teresa's current feelings for Nerussa, but there has never been a good place for me to do it. Rest assured though, you are not off the mark.


mALX: I have always been disappointed with the elves in the game. They are supposed to live for centuries, and elves being beautiful and young-looking is a standard of the genre. But most of them look so old in Oblivion. It ought to be the other way around. So while I was modding the game to make most of the people nicer to look at in general, I made the elves younger in appearance.


Thomas Kaira: I did have fun with that stallion line. I am glad so many other people liked it as well! Poor Teresa, makes a new friend and gets ditched by her the same day! That is being a teen alright!


Acadian: I of course drew heavily upon my own Ren Faire experiences in writing about the fairgrounds here. Keep looking for Ungarion and his assistant in future chapters. This was just an introduction.

And Fathis does indeed have a thing for Wood Nymphs does he not? Without a snow white Khajiit around to distract him, he tends to run rampant.


Ceidwad: I did make an effort to try to make the tourney as cosmopolitan as I could. I was not only drawing on my Ref Fair memories there, but of outdoor festivals in general, where there is usually food from all sorts of ethnicities.


Grits: Bursting indeed! I wanted Parwen to be a physical counter of Teresa, all curvy and busty, the woman Teresa wishes she could look like, but never will. I agree on Ardaline too. I cannot imagine her riding off on a stallion!


King Coin: The game is small, but it works for a video game. Otherwise like New Vegas, you would walk for miles and nothing would ever happen (this seems to be a common complaint). But 12 miles or so does not make a realistic province for fiction. So I had to buff it up quite a bit if I was going to make a believable world. I am glad it works.

You will be seeing a lot more of that FG Commander in the future! Keep your eyes peeled on that Vice Commander of his while you are at it. She will play a big role in the Teresa's life.


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: Teresa visited the tourney grounds with Parwen, only too be ditched by the other guild archer. Next she returns to the guild hall, and meets two more archers in town for the tourney.


Chapter 34.6 - The Tournament Of Archers

Magnus hung low over the western mountains when Teresa said her goodbyes to Ardaline and returned to the guild hall. She nearly crashed into Ancondil as she stepped up to the front porch. The Orisimer - usually clad in elegant velvet or silk - was now girded from head to toe in heavy Dwemer armor. Long bronze plates fell down his torso, and exquisitely carved pauldrons jutted from his shoulders. Smaller pieces etched with similar carvings encircled his arms and legs, and an elegant purple and blue skirt hung from about his waist. In one gauntleted hand he carried his war hammer. Its long haft was of golden sila wood, and it massive head of elvish steel, decorated with the image of an eagle's head.

Screenshot

"Teresa!" the Orisimer cried in delight. "I feared I would miss you today."

"Well good thing you did, else I would be flatter than pita bread!" Teresa winked as she looked over the heavily armored mer. "Are you on a contract?"

"I have just finished one," the other fighter replied as he opened the door and stepped aside so Teresa could enter first. "Storm-Tail and I are taking shifts today guarding a diamond merchant. He is here from High Rock for the tournament. Tomorrow it will be Chance and Vincent's turn."

"Over at the fairground? I just got back from there." Teresa shook her head and stepped into the vestibule of the guild hall. Ancondil was ever the gentleman, she thought. Even though he knew that her desires lay with her own sex. "You have your work cut out for you. It's packed with people, probably half of them cutpurses!"

"Oh no, he is at Silverhome on the Water." The orc followed her into the hall. "He only sees customers by special appointment."

Teresa nodded. Now she understood. This was not someone here to sell to commoners, but the patricians. Teresa had not seen many of the latter at the tourney grounds, or on the city streets for that matter. But she did not imagine that such a merchant needed to deal in volume. One sale to a patrician would probably pay for the entire trip from High Rock, and then some.

"I must say I am famished," the orc went on as he headed for the stairs. "Would you care to join me for a repast once I divest myself of this armor and refresh myself?"

"I'm sorry, Ardaline and I ate at the fairgrounds." Teresa bit her lip, now wishing she had waited to return for dinner. "I can see what we have in the kitchen, and make you something while you take a bath."

"Oh that would be delightful Teresa," the Orisimer smiled from the staircase. "You are truly an Aedra among mortals."

"Don't say that until after you taste my cooking!" The wood elf cried, bringing a chuckle from the armored orc as he rose out of sight.

"Who's cooking?" Vincent's voice drifted from the sitting room. A moment later the Breton's head poked through the doorway, and his face fell when he saw Teresa. "Oh, more grazing. A man needs meat you know. How about you roasting up some good Colovian boar for a change? Or a big, fat, Bruma steak?"

The front door opened then, and a pair of orcs strode in. The first wore a Fighters Guild amulet over a cuirass that Teresa instantly recognized as being munition armor: iron that made up for its low quality with extra thickness. An unstrung longbow rose from his back, along with the long haft of a battle axe. His head was shaved, except for a single, long ponytail that rose from the back of his skull.

Screenshot

Behind him came a mer with nearly identical features as the first, so much so that Teresa imagined that they must be related. He wore his hair in the same fashion as Ancondil however. With a jet black mane falling from his ears down to his shoulders, yet shaved bare above that, except for a single, long ponytail rising from the back of his head. He did not wear armor, but rather went bare-chested, revealing a torso banded with thick muscle under his own guild amulet. A longbow also rose from his back, and he carried a long war hammer in one meaty paw.

Screenshot

"Make that two more steaks wench," the first orc proclaimed. Teresa instantly felt her ears grow hot, and curled her fingers into fists.

"And a couple of tall mugs of ale!" the second added. "That boat ride makes a man thirsty!"

"Get your own damn dead animals," Teresa hissed. Flames crackled from her fingertips, and she realized that the symbol for her Burning Hand spell was now firmly etched in her mind. She had not even had to concentrate to call it up, or her magicka. It had all simply happened by reflex, just as Pappy had trained her to do.

Teresa turned on one heel and strode from the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her limbs trembled from adrenaline. By Raven, she felt like she was in a fight! How had she let them set her off so easily?

"I see you got on our Teresa's good side," she heard Vincent say. A moment later she slammed the kitchen door behind her, and the rest faded into silence as she looked through the cupboards to see what she could make for Ancondil.

* * *

Teresa stood behind the guild hall, staring at the targets at the opposite end of the field through the lenses of her night eye goggles. She willed her hands to be steady as she drew an arrow and set it to the stave of her longbow. Drawing the string halfway back, she sighted in on one of the mer-shaped butts. In her mind's eye, the gray rings of straw that filled it turned orcish green, then she pulled the string back to her cheek and loosed.

Teresa readied another arrow. But before she could shoot she heard the back door to the guild hall open and shut, followed by the sound of boots squishing on the damp turf behind her. Turning, she saw that the bare-chested orc was walking up to her. Again, the symbol of her Burning Hand leapt into mind. But this time Teresa was able to restrain herself from summoning her magicka to accompany it.

"I didn't know you're an archer," the Orisimer said. "We thought you were the porter."

Teresa turned back to her target. Without thinking, she drew the bowstring to full extension and fired. She did not re-aim. She just looked at the target and loosed. Afterward she blinked. The arrow rose from the exact center of the butt. A perfect shot.

"How in Oblivion can you see a thing out here?" the orc went on, not taking the hint that she was ignoring him. Teresa heard him step up beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him squinting through the darkness down the field. To Teresa it was lit up as bright as day. But she knew that without the magic of night eye, the field would be shrouded in darkness. The only natural light was that of the stars overhead and the occasional torch atop the city walls at the far end of the field. "Hey, is that a bullseye?"

"When I shoot, I hit." Teresa said, glancing back to the orc. He towered over her, practically bursting with muscles. This close, she could also smell the musky odor of his body. "Don't they have shirts where you come from?"

"Shirts are for ponces," the orc's eyes danced with mirth. "I'm Lum gro-Baroth," he said, extending a hand to her. "That was my brother Kurz back there. He's a mama's boy. That's why he wears a shirt."

Teresa could not help but to crack the ghost of a smile at the massive fighter's words. She looked down at his open hand. Forcing the symbol to her spell from her mind, she reached out with one gloved hand. It disappeared into his gigantic paw, and Teresa realized that he could probably crush every bone in her hand if he really wanted to. Yet his handshake was firm, but not painfully so, as Pappy's had been when she first met him.

Perhaps he was not so bad after all, Teresa thought as she turned back to the targets and loosed another arrow. He was making an effort to be friendly after all.

"If you're going to compete, why don't you practice with me?" she said. "We can set up some glowstones so it's easier to see."

"Well you're all right Teresa!" Lum grinned and slapped a hand on the forester's back. She nearly fell over from the force of the blow, and wondered what it would have felt like if he had hit her for real? "Kurz went out to the taverns already, but I'll go get my bow."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 16 2011, 10:25 PM

[haute ecole rider]

First impressions count. Or do they?

I see that you also used the 'shirts for ponces' comment. It's one of the things that makes Lum stand out.

Teresa may have become better at combat, but I see she still has trouble with her temper, especially when treated so summarily as the two brothers did.

And what happened to Ancondil's dinner? Or will that be answered in the next chapter? I'd hate to leave an Orsimer hungry!

[mALX]

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GAAAH! I didn't see a mod to make the races look better on your site! I have tried my best with the CS (including making everyone younger) and my Fathis never came out looking that good. If you upload the mod, will you give me a heads up? I'd like to DL it !!!

I'm intrigued by this diamond merchant, if it is a subplot I can't wait to see what happens !!


I like the name: "Burning Hand" spell - perfect nomenclature !!!

Teresa is surrounded by Orc in this chapter, lol. - I'm still wondering what Pappy is up to. Giving Fathis a run for his Septims? ROFL !!

Awesome Chapter !!!


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[Acadian]

What a fabulous job you do with the speech and mannerisms of Ancondil, and it is always a pleasure to see him. How can we not love him?

Nice aspect you bring in with the high end merchants and that they would do business differently - and have notable security requirements that could involve the FG.

And a fabulous introduction of Kurz and Lum as they step squarely into pissing off our wood elf! I'm so pleased that Lum has already begun to make amends. You have quickly made Lum likable, despite his initial misstep. Nice touches to have Teresa struggle with restraining her 'burning hand' symbol, as well as seeing her target in shades of orcish green!

Nits:
The Orisimer - usually clad in elegant velvet or silk - was now girded from head to toe in heavy Dewmer armor.
I think you want 'Dwemer'.

"I see you got on our Teresa's good side," she heard Vincent's say.
Looks like a casualty of final edits in the second clause. I bet you had 'she heard Vincent's voice say' and only partially made the change to 'she heard Vincent say'.