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

[Colonel Mustard]

And that entire affair would have no doubt been much, much easier if she hadn't had to drag that damned civvy along...

I loved this entire chapter; excellently constructed, paced and orchestrated action scene. Just out of interest, what was the big, skinned monstrosity the necromancer called up? Some kind of ultra-powered zombie, or is it a different kind of undead creature? Oh, wait, lemme guess! Flesh Atronach! Because if so I've got to be a massive pedant and say that it isn't actually undead but an Atronach made from the element of Flesh (as opposed to Fire, or Frost). And then I will shut up, because nobody likes a pedant.

[SubRosa]

...Just out of interest, what was the big, skinned monstrosity the necromancer called up? Some kind of ultra-powered zombie, or is it a different kind of undead creature?...

I am glad to mentioned that! I forgot to put up a pic of the skinless beast. Or at least what inspired it, since the one in the story is not exactly the same in terms of abilities (as in no strength drain). Check the link back in the story.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 12 2013, 06:48 PM

[Colonel Mustard]

...Just out of interest, what was the big, skinned monstrosity the necromancer called up? Some kind of ultra-powered zombie, or is it a different kind of undead creature?...

I am glad to mentioned that! I forgot to put up a pic of the skinless beast. Or at least what inspired it, since the one in the story is not exactly the same in terms of abilities (as in no strength drain). Check the link back in the story.

Oh, a bonewalker! Nice touch.

[Acadian]

It seems Pappy has some of his fighters detailed to protect venturing locals. Since they’re not going public with the necro-threat, Teresa gets stuck with a mage who thinks she’s being paranoid. How did I know this was not going to go well?

‘If he had not been so damned male, she knew that she could have talked him into waiting outside while she did her reconnaissance.’
I smiled at the truth herein. I’m glad Teresa was able to finally coax him into leaving to ‘get help’.

‘A mage could only command one summoning at a time after all.’
We learn here that this aspect of summoning in TF resembles the same limits we see in game. I agree that it makes sense.

‘The Bosmer imagined that was why the necromancer chose to use that element, as it would not harm her own slaves.’
It does indeed make perfect sense that necrodudes would favor frost magic for the same reason Teresa surmises.

Whew! That was close! Anutwyll clearly is being used as part of whatever Jalbert is up to.

‘Teresa was thankful that he was not a real bear - like Barenziah - but rather a symbolic representation brought to life by magicka. Otherwise she could never live with the terrible suffering he had endured on her behalf.’
How does one deal with the potential of ‘getting attached’ to a summon and becoming reluctant to see it harmed? Your solution for Teresa is both elegant and effective.

Nits:
- ‘Teresa drew Ravenfeeder from its chitin gorytos, and followed it with an {a} swallowtail-tipped elven arrow.’
- ‘Teresa shoved Carandial back into the entry hall, and felt her fleet {feet} slide out from underneath her.’

[Grits]

"I can hold my own," the Altmer straightened to a height that towered over Teresa's smaller Bosmer form. "I am a graduate of the Arcane University after all."

I like the way Teresa handled Carandial. That could have turned into quite a pissing contest. At least he didn’t charge in ahead of her.

This episode goes with my all-time Teresa favorites! The projectile dual across the summons melee was genius!

I particularly loved the grizzly, from the use of the scroll all the way to Tersea’s reflections on his nature.

Wow, this was such an exciting update!

[King Coin]

The mage nodded, and Teresa saw him swallow hard.
Knowing what we know, I’m glad Teresa’s paranoia it rubbing off on this mage.

If he had not been so damned male…


She would have to withdraw, and return with greater numbers.
Are these fighter guild members, or sand people?

This little expedition wasn’t bad until the damn elf opened his mouth.

It was a relief when Carandial finally listened. Now that the summons are occupied, it’s time to put down that necromancer! The Well was a great touch, I hadn’t thought of Teresa’s connection and the wells.

That was too close. I was wondering what was going to happen there!

[mALX]

*

Carandial had me laughing arguing with Teresa! Urk, I read Grizzly and thought the screenshot would be a cute bear - that skinned creature in the screen was uuuugly!

I absolutely LOVED this dungeon crawl! With Carandial's bumbling messing her up, your descriptions, and the sheer fact that the reader genuinely had to worry with Teresa on whether she would make it out of there alive! Amazing Write, and I have to agree with Ghastley on that "Jalbert" line - that was a real freeze-frame moment, and you captured it like a genius! Absolutely spectacular episode!


*

[Silver Dreamcatcher2525]

I really enjoyed reading the last few chapters, the last chapter was very gripping.

[McBadgere]

Always liked this Ayelid ruin place...Thing...

Mind you, I like Ayelid ruins in general...Sooo pretty...

There is much to love in this part...As ever, the character stuff is amazing...The fight scenes are wonderfully rendered...Sooo much to admire...

This..

"Grizzly." The parchment fell to dust in Teresa's fingers, and a wide disc of blue energy formed in the air before her. It fell to the floor a moment later, leaving a massive bear in its wake. He took a moment to shake his great bulk, as if to fling water from his fur after emerging from a river. Then he let loose a long, ragged bellow from his throat and started down the corridor.

The idea of the bear shaking off the goo of that place from whence it came was goosebump inducing...

Definately a fave chapter overall...

Although...And I've never done this in your story before...

This line here...

A mage could only command one summoning at a time after all.

Feels like - to me, at least - like she may as well be looking out of the page and shaking her finger as she "says" it...If, as in the games, you can only command one summoning, then it's something wouldn't need mentioning...The previous bit where it says the Raven was dispelled when the bear arrived was explaination enough, I thought...

If it's a dig at other people's overcooking their magic then fair enough... ...But that's up to them...

Otherwise, everything else is perfect... ...

Loved it!!...

Loved it I tell ya!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[SubRosa]

ghastley: The raven unsuccessfully pecking out the skeleton's eyes sort of wrote itself as it happened. Like Teresa's musing that stabbing it up into its empty skull would do no good either.

I meant "he had endured", because the bear suffered serious injuries fighting for her. Teresa's musing is simply upon the fact that he was not a real bear plucked from some forest glade, and then sent back again with his wounds after she was done with him. Rather he is only real in the sense that he is a symbol temporarily given physical form through magic. Once the spell ended, he would lose that body, and those injuries, and return to being an insubstantial idea.


Colonel Mustard: It certainly would have gone smoother without Carandial. Teresa would have gone back to the FG, put together a posse of armored fighters, and then they all would have gone in as a team. But then again, Carandial was the only reason that Teresa was there in the first place.

I went with the Bonelord because I wanted the necromancer's (necrowomancer's?) summoning to feel really menacing. A plain old skeleton or zombie would just not cut the mustard (no pun intended!). Since I wanted a big tussle with summoning vs. summoning, something insubstantial like a ghost or wraith would not work either. So once again I looked to another game in the series for inspiration.


Acadian: I kind of imagine it was all Teresa's idea to accompany Carandial to the ruin. Though it could just as easily be Pappy's.

I originally went with the necro using frost magic simply because it tends to be the red-headed stepchild of the destruction elements. OTOH we tend to see a lot of lightning users, and fire users. It was only as I was writing it that I realized that since undead resist frost, it was the perfect element for a necro to use, since it negated the danger of friendly fire.

Thank you again for the editorial eye. I have gone over these segments a dozen times. But those little ones keep slipping by. They don't register on the spellchecker, and I have read the same text so many times I just do not notice them. Which of course is editors exist in the first place!


Grits: Carandial was fun to write there. On the one hand he does have some impressive magical credentials. Plus of course he has that manly testosterone that tells him he is a wimp and a loser if he does not fight the good fight. OTOH, as Teresa points out, he is clearly out of his depth in an actual fight.

The grizzly was fun to bring back. I went with him this time because we have been seeing a lot of summoned elemental types lately, not to mention Kiriteki. We have not seen a summoned animal since the Battle of the Imperial City. I also wanted to have that battle of the titans in the corridor, and something big like a bear was just perfect for that.


King Coin: You had me cracking up over the sand people! I can just imagine Mad Josse telling someone: "These tracks are side by side. The Fighters Guild walks in single file, to hide their numbers..."

I almost forgot about the Ayleid Well outside the ruin too. I had to go back and add it in during one of the later edits. The extra magicka worked out perfectly too, as it gave Teresa just enough to get two uses of her Burning Hand, plus one big heal at the end.


mALX: Surprise on that pic! Awww, but its a cute undead monstrosity...

I did want the battle in the ruin to keep people glued, and seem like a real threat. We have seen Teresa put down some really impressive foes lately, from gangsters to liches. Carandial's well meaning, but ham-fisted 'assistance' helped reinforce that Teresa was still vulnerable, still in danger, in spite of her now well-honed abilities.


Silver Dreamcatcher2525: Hi Silver! Thanks! This was my biggest scene of the chapter, so I wanted it to really be exciting. I also wanted to show the threat the necromancers posed. We have been hearing about the danger they pose for a while now, but have not seen it. That last scene was a way to remind everyone just how deadly they are.


McBadgere: My reasons for Teresa's musing about the reasons for one summoning per mage have nothing to do with anyone else's writing. Does someone else do it differently? If so, I was not aware of it. I gave it a few sentences to explain it to the readers. Not everyone who reads this plays the games. I get emails from folks who found the story from my Witch website, and they do not know anything about how Oblivion works. In my own experience too, I was reading Morrowind fiction years before I ever played that game, or knew the ins and outs of its game mechanics. So there were things in those stories I only understood because the author explained them.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa shepherding Carandial to Anutwyll. However, they found the ruin inhabited by a necromancer, and a ferocious duel ensued between her and Teresa. In the end Teresa triumphed, but was forced to withdraw from the ruin and wait for reinforcements before venturing deeper within. Our next segment picks up after the ruin has been cleared by the Fighters Guild.


Chapter 45.6 – Shadow Dancing

Teresa sat in a chair before one of Carandial's former work tables. Now it was covered in parchment maps of the city and castle. Looking out across the huge chamber, she watched Pappy as he looked through the barrels and sacks clustered near one of the columns that held up the vaulted ceiling high overhead. Her eyes moved away, to the two bedrolls that were rolled out on the floor against one wall. From their rumpled surfaces, and the cups and jug of wine near them, it was plain that both had been in use. Then her gaze went to the pile of rolled up bedrolls nearby. Clearly the two necromancers living here had been expecting company…

"Well, they have enough food laid up here to feed two necromancers for months. Or eight of them for weeks," Pappy said. Then he lifted a human arm bone from one barrel. "Either these are leftovers, or they were planning on making more undead."

Teresa nodded, and her eyes slid across the broken bones and rent bodies of the other animated dead they had found within the ruin. She was thankful that she had indeed waited for help to arrive. For even though no other necromancers had been present, there had been plenty of undead lurking within the ruin.

Both she and the guild commander looked up at the sound of footsteps in the gallery above. A moment later Tadrose appeared with Kud-Ei in tow. Like Pappy, the vice-commander was clad in ordinary clothing. Also like him, she carried her sword. The Argonian guild magister wore a plain blue Mages Guild robe, and her tail swished out gently across the stones behind her as she walked along the gallery. The pair vanished down one of the side passages a moment later, and Teresa knew it would take them a few moments to make it down to the main chamber where she and Pappy waited.

"We must make haste," Tadrose said when she finally did step into in the vast room. "I told the city guard that we need Kud-Ei to disarm a magical trap, but Ancondil and Valerius cannot keep them out of here for long."

"This one does not like all of this sneaking around Commander Vitellus," Kud-Ei said in a raspy voice. "If there were truly necromancers here, the proper authorities must be made aware."

"The count doesn't want to be aware." Pappy walked over to where Teresa sat, and motioned Tadrose and Kud-Ei to join them. "In fact, we believe there is an agent of the necromancers at his right hand."

"The vice-commander has appraised this one of the situation," Kud-Ei said. "But surely there are other avenues to explore? What of the Elder Council, or the Imperial Legion?"

"That would take too long," Pappy said. "We have to move fast. Teresa, show it to her."

The Bosmer handed Kud-Ei a letter that she had discovered among the other papers in the necromancer's possession.

"'O' great and powerful lord," the Argonian read aloud as her eyes scanned the page, "our asset is in place, and the operation is ready to proceed to the final phase. Once the reinforcements arrive we shall begin. By the time you read this, Soul's Rattle will be ours, and we-"

"That's as far as she got," Teresa said. "Carandial and I must have come in while she was writing."

"Now look who its addressed to," Pappy added.

The guild magister turned the sheet over, and gaped at the name she saw written there. "The King of Worms!" The Argonian's fingers tightened on the letter, and crumpled half of the parchment before she could stop herself. "And he wants Soul's Rattle? Blast it! This one should have seen this!"

"What?" Teresa asked. "Do you know what this Soul's Rattle is?"

"Aye," the guild magister nodded. "Ten years ago a band of adventurers ventured into the Crypt of Hearts, far away in High Rock. This was after the Warp in the West, when Mannimarco had ascended to godhood, either wholly or at least in part. After fighting their way through the defenses of his old lair, the adventurers found a creature within calling itself the King of Worms and slew it. Afterward they split up the treasures and went their own ways."

"Dagail went to Leyawiin, where she became the magister of the guild hall there. Until recently, she was able to keep the Bloodworm Helm out of dangerous hands. Ulliceta gra-Kogg went to Orsinium with the Staff of Worms. She disappeared a year ago after she was revealed to be a necromancer. Trebonius Artorius went to Morrowind, and in time rose to leadership of the guild in that land. He was slain in a duel with another wizard however, and the Necromancer's Amulet passed out of all knowing. The last of them was Lord Regulus Terentius. He brought a sword named Soul's Rattle back to Cyrodiil with him. Soon after his wife died under mysterious circumstances, and he became a drunkard."

"The count's sword is a necromantic artifact?" Tadrose gasped. "Sweet Mara! How could we not have realized?"

"Count Terentius has never allowed anyone from the guild to examine his sword," Kud-Ei explained, "not even his own court wizard. In fact, he will let no one near it. Not even his pages are allowed to handle it. There were many magical items recovered from the Crypt of Hearts. There was no way to know that his sword was indeed one of the King of Worm's artifacts, rather than just another enchanted blade. Until now."

"We have to get that sword before the necromancer's do," Pappy said.

"This one disagrees," Kud-Ei argued. "We must warn the count. He is in danger, and his entire court. He must be persuaded to move the sword to a safe location, such as the vaults of the Arcane University."

"He won't do that," Teresa shook her head. "We tried talking to him already. He won't listen to a thing we say. That asset the necromancers have in place has him wrapped around his little finger. But from what I've heard, he'd be just as bad without their spy pulling his strings."

Tadrose nodded along with the forester. "I agree with Gaius and Teresa. You said yourself that the count will not let anyone else near his sword. If it is a necromantic artifact, he might not be capable of parting with it. Teresa and I handled the Bloodworm Helm for just a few moments, and it was the most unpleasant thing I have ever felt. If he cannot let go of it, there must be something binding him to the blade."

"Perhaps, but what these ones are suggesting is…" Kud-Ei murmured.

"Illegal," Pappy said, "unethical, perhaps even treason. But if we don't get that sword and take it away from here, a lot of good people in Bravil are going to get killed."

"Look." Teresa lifted a stack of the maps on the table beside her. "They have drawings of the castle, with the positions of each guard marked. They have street maps too, guardhouses, troop complements. We killed a small army of undead in here. They are going to attack the castle, and it will be a bloodbath."

"But surely things have changed," Kud-Ei argued. "Now their base has been destroyed."

"One of them is still out there," Tadrose said. "He must have been in the city when Teresa came in. With the city guard standing around outside, he knows that we have taken Anutwyll by now. Teresa has faced him before. He will not give up."

"That's right," Teresa said sourly. "I know this fetcher. He'll regroup, find a new base, and go after the sword. He has to. Can you imagine going back to the King of Worms empty-handed?"

"We know he has reinforcements coming already," Pappy said. "So all we've done here is push their timetable back. We need to move while we still have the initiative and beat them to the punch. Then we'll make sure everyone knows it was stolen. That's the only thing that will stop them from attacking."

"Surely we can assist the city guard in rooting out this Jalbert and his confederates?" Kud-Ei argued.

"In a city of twenty thousand people?" Pappy said. "That will take time. Too much time. Let's not forget their spy in the castle. Anything we do aboveboard, he's gonna pass along to Jalbert. The necromancers will be one step ahead of us the entire time."

"I hope you are not suggesting that we murder this man you take for a spy?" Kud-Ei's expression barely changed, but from the way the bony ridges around her eyes rose, Teresa could tell that the Argonian was aghast. "This one shall have no part in such a thing!"

"Nay," Tadrose shook her head. "We thought of that. It would get us nowhere. The necromancers would still go ahead with their plans, and the count would probably be more convinced than ever that it was all the doing of Khajiit rebels."

The Argonian slumped her shoulders in defeat. "So what is your plan?" she finally said after long moments.

"We'll steal the fetching thing!" Pappy turned to the Teresa. "Do you think you can sneak into the castle and get it?"

Teresa turned back to the maps spread out before them. She stared for long moments, but knew the answer before she had even looked at them.

"I don't think so," she said. "But I know someone who can."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 23 2013, 08:18 PM

[Acadian]

What a wonderful tale you are weaving with this necronovella, by blending aspects of the familiar with your own logical and potent imagination. And, by Mara, you have certainly jacked up the stakes here! A tantalizing theory as to why Count Pompousness turned from champion to worm. I’m fascinated, and drawn to the edge of my seat.

Nice to see Kud-Ei as a straight arrow. She’d do anything for her girls, you know. Well, short of murder and such. I’ve always adored Kud-Ei.

Stealing the sword makes sense. As far as who Teresa recommends for the task, I have what I believe to be a good guess. I shall PM it to you, and hope others discretely do the same. Once Teresa reveals her recommendation for the sneaky task, you can reveal if any of us got it right and the winner(s) get cookies! Woot!

[Grits]

I love the story behind Soul Rattle! Bravil’s local drama gets Tamriel-wide scale, and the count gets a lot of blanks filled in by just one sentence. That was great!

"This one disagrees," Kud-Ei argued. "We must warn the count. He is in danger, and his entire court. He must be persuaded to move the sword to a safe location, such as the vaults of the Arcane University."

I love your portrayal of Kud-Ei. I can just hear her suggesting her guild’s vault would be the safest place for a necromantic artifact.

Now who does Teresa have in mind for some thieving? Hmm…

[ghastley]

... A tantalizing theory as to why Count Pompousness turned from champion to worm. ...

This raises the scary prospect of your having to create a new personality for the Count, if they remove the influence of the Soul's Rattle (and he survives).

Like everyone else, I'm curious about her selection for thief. Someone she thinks is good at it? Someone she considers expendable? Hmm indeed.

[King Coin]

Ah, looking through what the necromancers left… this would hopefully be interesting.

Ugh, they keep the body parts in the same place they eat and sleep.

Kud-Ei! I liked the Argonian voice in Oblivion. She doesn’t seem to appreciate the gravity of this situation. I like how difficult she is to read, even when she is experiencing strong emotions.

Heh, I thought Teresa could get in. She likes doing a ghost impression a lot.

Who's the thief!?

[Colonel Mustard]

The guild magister turned the sheet over, and gaped at the name she saw written there. "The King of Worms!"

Called it!

The Guilds definitely aren't going to get no help from Count Terentius, then, seeing as the King of Worms has him wrapped around his little finger thanks to the sword and GrimaDrels. The fact that the Count himself was one of the adventurers who killed the King of Worms was a good way of showing just how far he's fallen from the hero he once was, and of placing just when the rot set in as well.

Now who will be this thief, I wonder...

[SubRosa]

Acadian: A necronovella! I had not thought of it that way, but it hits the nail on the head nicely.

Poor Kud-Ei. I bet she wishes Pappy had not brought her into any of this! Her conscience does not much like all this sneaking around and stealing things. But that loyalty of hers trumps her law-abiding nature in the end. Like you said, she'd do anything for her friends.

I believe the title of this new chapter will make it clear who Teresa's go to thief is. If not the text within.


Grits: The story of Soul's Rattle was fun to write. Especially because it uses so much of established Oblivion and Morrowind lore (all the adventurers are in the games). Like you said about the count too, it tells us a lot about why he is the dastard he is today.


ghastley: Losing the sword probably won't be such a good thing for the count. At least in the short run. But there is the old saying that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before pulling yourself back up. That might be just what the healer ordered for him. It certainly would be interesting to see him with a different personality, perhaps wiser from his tribulations?


King Coin: I forgot to mention on your pic thread, your new avatar by the DeviantArt girl is incredibly adorable.

I figure necromancers probably aren't too picky about mixing their food and working materials. I can just imagine them as being like serial killers IRL, keeping body parts in the fridge next to the lettuce and tomatoes.

Teresa is quite a good sneaker, but she realizes that a job this big - breaking into a count's castle - will take a lot more than just being sneaky. It is the top end of the thieving world, like robbing a casino IRL. She just does not have the experience that certain other people have in doing that.


Colonel Mustard: You did call it on the KOW. I was grinning when you said that before. I like when readers can figure out what is going on behind the lines. It makes me think (hope) that I am getting it right in my writing. And as you called, our conspirators are not going to get any help from the count in this! Not that he is very helpful in most situations...


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa and Pappy in Anutwyll, after having cleaned out a small army of animated dead there. They were joined by Kud-Ei and Tadrose, and revealed to the guild magister that the recent troll attacks, goblin takeover Lady Scaurus' mine, and the ogres in Wenyandawik, were all part of a plot by none other than the King of Worms himself. Thanks to a half-finshed letter they found, they also learned that the target of the necromancers was a sword called Soul's Rattle. Kud-Ei recognized it as the Count of Bravil's own sword, and concluded that it was in fact an artifact of Mannimarco, as it was taken from the Crypt Of Hearts by the count years ago, when he was a questing knight. The three mercenaries then talked Kud-Ei out of telling the count, and enlisted her aid in a plan to steal the sword before the necromancers.


Chapter 46.1 – Methredhel's Eleven

18th Evening Star - 22nd Evening Star 3E433

"Have you seen the uniforms yet?" Dynari snickered. To reinforce her words, the Imperial walked over to a box on the table and reached inside. A moment later she drew forth a black one-piece bodice and skirt and draped it over her lithe frame. Smoothing the linen down with one hand, she dramatically illustrated how far above the knee the outfit stopped.

"Irlav Jarol, you dirty old man." Methredhel tsk-tsked as she looked up from the maps spread out on the rug before her. The living room was a simple affair, dominated by large potted plants that rose in the corners, and simple, but sturdy furniture. A woodland tapestry hung from one wall, and the single, large window allowed the afternoon light to spill through the room like a waterfall.

Screenshot

Now Methredhel frowned as she continued to study the tiny uniform. "There won't be much room to hide a set of picks in there."

"I still have that hollowed out horker tusk..." Dynari winked.

"That would probably be more exciting than a night out with Jair!" The Bosmer thief shook her head ruefully. "That's the last time I date a Redguard… I thought they were all supposed to be…"

Methredhel's words trailed away as a flash of red fur caught her eye. She turned her head to follow the vision, and saw her fox spirit pad to the front door of the apartment that she and Dynari shared. The fox paused there, and stared back into Methredhel's eyes. It almost seemed to wink at her. Then the spirit guide stepped forward, and vanished through the wooden surface of the door.

"What is it?" the Imperial thief asked.

"Hmmm," Methredhel murmured as she rose to her feet. She stepped lightly to the door, and a soft rap came to her ears as she reached for the knob. The Bosmer shot Dynari a look. The Imperial dropped the maid's uniform and darted to the house plans spread out across their floor. Gathering them all up, she quickly hustled off into the bedroom.

Methredhel turned back to the door once Dynari had vanished from sight. Who could it be? The safecracker that Armand had contacted was not due to arrive for hours. No one else was supposed to come to the planning session. Could it be the Imperial Legion? No, they did not knock. They would have kicked in the door instead.

Still, her fox had not given her any sign of danger. In fact, her wink had felt more like a friendly tease, that something special was coming. A second knock rang out against the frame, and the Bosmer finally turned the lock open with a click. She cautiously opened the door, and gaped at who she saw outside.

"Hello old friend."

"Teresa!" Methredhel cried. The Bosmer threw her arms around the pale forester and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I had no idea you were coming back to the city. Are you here for Saturalia?"

Screenshot

Methredhel could not keep the grin from her features. When she finally stepped back, she noted that her sister wood elf was clad in her Valenwood armor, and carried her Bosmer bow sheathed in the combination case and quiver that hung from one of her hips. Teresa looked as if she was ready to leap into a battle, rather than visiting an old friend.

Then Methredhel's eyes moved to the human who stood behind the red-haired forester. She was tall for a woman. Given her long, sandy brown hair and almond-colored eyes Methredhel took her for a Breton. Her brown cloak fell open to reveal a simple, but rugged outfit of similarly colored bodice, pants, and boots, complete with built in leather padding. If not for the white staff that leaned against her shoulder, Methredhel would have taken her for a rogue of some sort. The thief stared at the hunk of crystal that was intertwined within the forks of wood atop that staff, and saw tiny motes of light floating gently from its lustrous surface. Now that is not something you see everyday, she mused, not even in Mages Guild staves.

Screenshot

"This is Aela," Teresa said, following Methredhel's gaze. "She's a friend."

"The Witch from that island?" Methredhel felt one of her eyebrows rise of its own accord. She glanced to Teresa and then back to the magician. Damn, she never would have guessed that the Breton had not been born female. But now that she thought about it, she noted the broader shoulders, the man hands, and the adam's apple…

"Well, any friend of Teresa is a friend of mine," Methredhel said. Stepping back from the doorway, she waved for both of them to enter. "I am glad to finally meet you Aela. Teresa has written about you. She says you are a graduate of the Arcane University."

"Yes," the Breton replied in a soft voice. "Teresa has told me all about you as well. But not about your friend in the other room. You can ask her to join us. We aren't here to cause trouble."

"In fact, I need your help," Teresa added. Methredhel noticed that the red-head was biting her lip. That was not good, not good at all. What kind of trouble was she in?

"Aren't you the one in the Fighters Guild?" Dynari stepped up to the bedroom's doorframe and leaned against it, arms crossed in front of her.

Screenshot

"Not today," Teresa replied coolly. Then her eyes turned back to Methredhel, and her voice softened. "Look, I know you're probably already planning a job for Saturalia, and I know this is all of a sudden, but-"

"I'm in," Methredhel said. "Just tell me when and where."

"Now." Teresa looked relieved. "I mean right now. The Time Dragon's claws are clicking away as we speak. It's only for a few days though. We'll have you back before Saturalia if all goes well."

"I'll start packing." Methredhel walked across the living room and passed Dynari as she stepped into the bedroom. Skirting the two beds, she walked to the dresser next to hers and threw it open. "Is there anything special I should bring?" she called back over one shoulder, "fancy clothes, anything like that?"

"I don't think so," Teresa said through the door. "Just your usual tools. If worse comes to worse, we can get you whatever you need once we are there."

"What are you doing?" Dynari hissed in a whisper. The human thief stalked beside the wood elf as she quickly threw some clothing into a traveling bag. "You can't just run out now. We've got the Jarol job in one week!"

"She's my friend," Methredhel paused briefly to look into the other woman's brown eyes. Then she went back to her packing. "That's all there is to it. Ten years from now when you come out of the blue and ask for help, I'll do the same for you. Besides, you can handle the planning. I trust your judgment. In a few days I'll be back and we'll pull it off."

"What if you're not back?"

"Then you take my place, and bring in an understudy for yours," Methredhel said plainly. "Carwen can handle it."

"Carwen?" the other woman rasped. "This is your job. It's your plan. I can't believe you're walking out now!"

"One day you will." Methredhel slung her bag over her shoulder and turned back to Dynari. She laid her hands gently on the Imperial's shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. "It's your plan now. You can do this. You're ready. Just have some faith in yourself. Oh, and make a sacrifice to Nocturnal too. It never hurts..."

Then Methredhel headed out of the room and stepped beside the two newcomers. She paused to look back at Dynari. "Shadow hide you friend," she said.

"Shadow hide you too," the other thief sighed.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Nov 16 2013, 04:22 AM

[ghastley]

Irlav Jarol, and maid's outfits? We're going to demand that piece of story as well.

You couldn't have picked a more appropriate thief than Methredhel. How does she rank in the TF version of the Thieves' Guild? I always got the impression that she was the mistress of plans in the standard one, the way she had roles in both Cristophe's and the Grey Fox's heists and diversions.

I recall that she flies through the door of the Allectus residence without missing a step when you follow her in that quest, so her lock-picking must be amazing. And if I've never noticed her sneaking, that must mean something, too.

[King Coin]

Oh I loved this one. I completely forgot about Methredhel! I was wondering who the thief was going to be. Her little fox spirit sounds like it has a personality of its own. Suits a thief too I suppose.

I'm sure it was heartwarming for Teresa to see Methredhel drop everything without a question to help her, without even knowing what she was going to be doing. They were friends for a long time.

[Acadian]

Nice to see Teresa’s old friends, Methie and Aela!

As ghastley pointed out, the Irlav/maid uniforms job revealed just enough hints to tantalize!

Then, KC nailed the centerpiece of this wonderful episode by noting Methie’s unhesitating willingness to jump into Teresa’s quest before even learning what the task involves.

And a new mystery. I wonder what Aela’s role in this operation will be.

[SubRosa]

Forgot to add.

"Hello old friend." is an homage to one of the best sci-fi shows to ever air on tv. Does anyone know which one?