Buffy the Bowgirl, Book 1, Thread 4, Do You Know the Way to Kvatch? Options

[Ceidwad]

I enjoyed this chapter. Some great bits of detail. Buffy was very wise to politely decline the offer of a drink from a strange assassin, especially when we take into account her previous encounters with alcohol! And of course, Acadian's intervention was also sound.

Buffy will have to be careful around this athletic, apparently charming fellow Bosmer in future, specially if she keeps glancing at his posterior. Savlian is destined to be her match!

[haute ecole rider]

Buffy's dependence on Superian for an accurate assessment of Aradroth's motives is quite charming! The fact that she listened carefully to the mare tells me that their relationship has grown very tight indeed.

And I'm glad Superian did not treat Aradroth as a male version of Frau Blucher, or else this would have been a very short and much less enjoyable chapter!

[Winter Wolf]

I...am....in shock....

That is without a doubt one of the best chapters you have written. And I am not just saying that because of some stupid attachment I have to Aradroth, I am saying that because you have have had to juggle some much within the context of the story, and still pulled it off beautifully.

How easy it would be to make the meeting come off as silly and contrived, rather than stay faithful to both characters and allow each to reach a lovely impasse. The scene worked great in the oudoors (outback ) rather than indoors, and the poison and bow lesson was something they both learned from. Of course, it was great to see that our lovely Buffy held back on giving all her poison knowledge and retained a 'card up her sleeve.'

Bonza!
Tuckerbag!!
And a cute butt!!!

Dont tell Haute....

[Destri Melarg]

Buffy was very wise to politely decline the offer of a drink from a strange assassin, especially when we take into account her previous encounters with alcohol!

Not to mention her experience with 'bonza views' and open bodies of water. Thank the Nine there wasn't a waterfall nearby!!

I agree with mALX, moving their encounter to the open air gave it that intangible something that was missing before. As a reader I was left with the impression that these two could develop a genuine affection for the other. Maybe it's Buffy's trepidation at the start of the chapter that seems to dissipate as she gets to know him, but it is something that I didn't get when she had him over for dinner.

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Mar 20 2011, 10:34 AM

[SubRosa]

Of course, I wasn't exactly known for wise choices.
This brought a faint smile to my lips.

Teresa would not mind a bonza view of a certain Blond Bravilian Bowgirl! Like Destri said though, too bad there are no waterfalls in the city though...

I enjoyed the bit of verbal sparring between Buffy and Aradroth, as she made it quite clear that she knew his exact profession, not to mention his own very astute tit for tat. The later alchemy lesson was just a gem. As Aradroth said, we are in the presence of a virtuoso of the mortar and pestle. And finally a nice little gem of Aradroth's own with his bow silencer. Just the right thing for an assassin to know.

And at the very end, do we see a glimmer of a heart in Aradroth? Or might that just what the cunning "I am a coiled snake" assassin wants Buffy to believe...

[MyCat]

She's slowly cracking his shell, is she?

This part conjured an amusing image of a swimming Superian, but a nit -- there seems to be a word too few or too many: "If I cast a spell for you to run atop the water without me along to keep track its duration."

[TheOtherRick]

Rick- Thank you for your kind words as you bravely continue catching up with us! After the tourney, I promise to slow our pace some. With so many stories posting so quickly, I think that will be a prudent improvement.

Please don't slow your pace on my account. I will catch up eventually. It may take a while, as the onset of spring will mean more work and less time to read for me. I'll just keep chipping away at it.

Ch. 14 - What a great scene! I really liked the touch of the Battlemages having to hold their spells until they were sure of Buffy's location. Perfect!

Ch. 15 - A nice relaxing recuperation in Anvil. I think I may have *perked* as much as SubRosa did when Buffy was asked to lift her blouse. Shame on me... And then the overheard conversation about Bosmer females was rich...perfect Buffy.

Ch. 16 - Equestria and The Valley of Horses... Although I am not familiar with its origin, I like it. It is always so cool when authors bring in non-game additions. The imps (in agreement with another comment of the time) were a stroke of genius. Then the description of Raminus Polis. This line caught me...Like all round ears, he would have a short life span, and I estimated his to be over half complete....how perfectly Elvish!

Great reading is the result of great writing...Fantastic man!

[Grits]

The very frank discussion followed by the extremely tricky alchemy lesson shows tremendous poise from Dame Buffy. That was some skillful elf handling. Then Aradroth comes up with the tassels for Slayer and a genuine smile. This looks like a friendship between equals in the making. I absolutely adore this episode.

It seemed that the only interests Aradroth and I shared were lethal ones.
Not if he also checked out your butt.

[Acadian]

In our last episode, Buffy nervously joined her rescuer, Aradroth, for lunch at his day camp on the Niben. There, she confirmed he was an assassin without him admitting it. She did manage to get him to open up a little as they discussed poisons and bow string silencers. The two elves learned enough of each other to coexist with an aspect of mutual respect. It seems Buffy is prepared to accept Aradroth as another member of her eclectic Bravilian family.

mALX- Thank you. I hadn't really thought in terms of the elements, but I suppose there may have been a touch of fire and ice here. We worked very hard to balance Buffy's questionable prudence regarding her own safety with her nurturing desire to offer a hand in friendship. The influence of her experience with the initially dangerous and snarling Mazoga was strong here.

King Coin- Buffy will never be able to change Aradroth's nature, but the dark assassin does indeed have at least a small touch of elfinity (sort of like humanity). Thank you.

Thomas Kaira- Thank you. The bowgirl's stones aren't big enough to tell the little elf that his hair's a mess. She figures she pushed her luck with Aradroth pretty hard already. Thanks for the nit so I could fix it!

Ceidwad- Thank you! Cold, slate-gray eyes, unruly mop of brown hair, cute little butt - yup, that sums up the small elf in black! I don't think Buffy's hero in a headband up at Kvatch need worry however. In fact she'll confirm that near the end of this next episode.

Rider- Thank you so much for highlighting how much Buffy depends on Superian. She knows her judgment is sometimes clouded by her hair color, but she's smart enough to listen to her precious black mare. If only she would listen to Acadian as well. . . .

Wolf- With Buffy's quirky and questionable judgment on full display in this past episode, your words are soothing indeed. She knows that Aradroth's nature will never permit the intimate friendship Buffy has with such Bravilians as Daenlin, Kud-Ei or Ardaline. Nevertheless, she and Aradroth now share some trust and respect.

Destri- A nearby waterfall would certainly have meant trouble! I'm delighted that you endorse our use of the outdoor setting this time around. We tried to 'show' her decreasing trepidation in layers and I'm glad it seemed to have worked.

SubRosa- I'm so glad you enjoyed the verbal dueling between Buffy and Aradroth as they sorted each other out! Buffy won't forget the assassin that came to her rescue, and Aradroth won't forget the mystic archer that reached out a nervous hand in kindness.

MyCat- Thank you. I wouldn't expect the assassin to soften much more than we've seen. I'm glad you liked the image of Superian possibly having to swim ashore. Buffy normally pays close attention to the spell's long duration so she can dismount on the water surface and recast as necessary. The mare enjoys water running, but without Buffy along, would no doubt end up swimming at some point. I reviewed the sentence you referred to. Not only was it missing a word, but it was awkward as well. Fixed, and I thank you for pointing it out.

Rick- What a delightful walk along memory lane you are providing for Buffy and I! I thank you so much for sharing your impressions as you catch up with us!

Grits- Thank you for those delightfully encouraging words! Poise and skillful elf handling - Woohoo! We are so humbled. Buffy is just thankful for her University education, time spent at Court Leyawiin and her experience gained through poor judgment that combine to help her with verbal encounters.

* * *

89 The Tournament of Archers, Part 5- Daenlin and Buffy Qualify

With one arm linked in Daenlin's, we threaded our way among the merchants, visitors and pickpockets that filled the streets of Bravil. I remarked, "It's still early in the day yet can you believe all these people filling our quiet town? How exciting. Oh look, that merchant sells nothing but shoes!"

"Guard your coin purse and stay close," the Bosmer said with a chuckle. He gently, but insistently, maneuvered me past the many vendors and tarp-covered stands offering all kinds of wares. "We're shooting this morning."

I whispered over my shoulder, "I'll be back!" to the shoe vendor as my escort dragged me along. "Daenlin, tourney eliminations just started. We have three days to qualify, you know." My head was on a swivel at all the new sights that had sprung up, seemingly overnight.

Passing the Fighters Guild, we could hear the unmistakable sounds of archery practice behind the building. Daenlin smiled. "Seems like the local guild commander has his archers working hard back there. It'll be interesting to see what kind of contingent the guild puts up for competition this year."

The area outside the city gate had sprung its own share of tarps, tents and temporary merchants all drawn to our town by the tournament of archers. In fact, the stables seemed out of place now in the middle of what had become a festive tent city.

The tourney grounds were crowded with men, mer and beastfolk that were shopping or making their way into the large newly-built seating areas. The reviewing stands were of wood but resembled seating in the Arena, as each row was elevated above the one in front of it.

Near the shooting area, we found the judging station beneath a white tarp that was punctuated by broad red stripes. In one of three chairs behind a small table sat a rather official looking Imperial. "Here to register?" Apparently taking his answer from the bows and quivers on our backs, he continued without pause, "I presume you've read the rules of competition and have the required entry tribute?"

Daenlin nodded. We each counted out a stack of septims and signed the tourney book. Our gold went into a stout chest that fell under the watchful gaze of a nearby guard.

"Let me just review the highlights then." The judge then recited, "Your qualification round consists of three flights of three for a total of nine arrows and a maximum score of ninety. The first flight is untimed at medium range. The second flight, at the same range, is a rapid-fire event limited to thirty seconds. The final flight is untimed against a long range target." The Imperial paused for a short breath and continued, "All arrows must come from your quiver or arrow bag; no pre-staging in the ground by your feet is allowed. The top ten archers over the next three days will advance to the finals. Good luck."

"You first, Master," I said to Daenlin.

He winked and replied, "Age before beauty," then stepped off toward the firing line.

"I'm Sinia, one of the line judges," I overheard as Daenlin approached the Redguard. She smiled and pointed down range. "There's your target, whenever you're ready."

Daenlin nocked an arrow to the Bow of Infliction. Even depleted of charges, as the competition safety rules required, it was the most beautiful bow I had ever seen. His style was smooth and effortless, reflecting decades of experience. Three arrows soon adorned the ten ring of his target.

My master was a hunter, and rarely required to shoot rapidly. I was therefore not surprised to see him drop three points on the rapid-fire event that followed.

During the final long range untimed event, Daenlin again demonstrated why he was the reigning champion.

The Redguard smiled at the old Bosmer. "That was some impressive shooting, Champion. Your score is eighty seven out of a possible ninety points." She then pointed at me and called out, "You're next, young lady."

I approached the firing line as Daenlin stepped away. Our smiles lingered and callused bow fingers briefly touched as we slowly passed each other.

As I slid Slayer from my back, it seemed odd not seeing the gentle red glow appear to let me know it was charged with magic. Compared to the Bow of Infliction, Slayer was very plain - not beautiful by any definition. The bow which had kept me alive through many encounters though, was light, powerful and true. I drew the first arrow from my quiver.

I had no trouble hitting the center of the target with all three arrows on the first flight.

Sinia placed her hand on the small hourglass, looked at me and nodded. She would begin timing the second flight as soon as I touched the tail of my next arrow. I had plenty of practice shooting under pressure, even though I sometimes got flustered and resorted to using magic instead. My right hand reached over my shoulder.

After I quickly fired three arrows, the target line official called back the score, "ten, nine, nine."

Tossing a pinch of dirt into the air, I noted the direction of the light wind. This final target was farther away, but the flight would not be timed. My master the hunter, and his apprentice the sniper, were both good at long range. I was potentially a point ahead of Daenlin.

I nocked my first arrow and pulled some tension on Slayer's bowstring. Concentrating on the target, I magically snapped it into enhanced focus. After carefully determining my final aim point, I controlled my breathing, drew the bowstring to my ear and released it. With my enhanced view, I was instantly gratified to see a bull's-eye. I managed to repeat this for a second ten. Just before drawing full tension on the final arrow, I eased my aim point slightly off center to the right.

From the target line, I heard, "ten, ten, eight."

"Eighty six. Nice shooting," said Sinia. The Redguard then lowered her voice and added, "I'm sure that score will get you into the finals. Congratulations."

As I joined Daenlin near the reviewing stands, he eyed me suspiciously. "What happened on that final shot?"

"Something got in my eye at the last moment. Are you proud of me though? I shot almost as well as you did!" Without giving him a chance to pursue it, I added, "Are you hungry? I'll get us something to eat, then we can sit here, enjoy an early lunch and watch some of the qualifications."

Wonderful smells beckoned me toward a smoky tent with its front panels tied open.

"Well, Milady, what suits your fancy today?" The ruddy-faced Imperial grinned enthusiastically. "I have some savory boar sausage flavored with sage? Perhaps a piece of this fresh Niben slaughterfish, grilled with butter and a delicious selection of herbs?"

"They both sound wonderful. I think I'll have some of each." I then added cheerfully, "Oh, and a loaf of bread with two bottles of ale please."

A few minutes later, Daenlin and I were clinking bottles to congratulate each other on shooting well. Between mouthfuls, he filled me in. "Schlera Sestius registered while you were gone. Riveus also signed in."

I had met Schlera when passing through Pell's Gate. The dark haired Imperial was a fine archer, but I shook my head as I watched her. "Daenlin, if you ever see me wear a mithril cuirass with a long skirt, will you promise to shoot me? How's she doing?"

Daenlin chuckled. "Well, she's dedicated, but not gifted. I suspect she'll qualify though. Say, this fish is really good."

"So is the sausage," I replied, then turned my attention to Riveus. The Imperial was a forester for the Legion and assigned to County Bravil. Daenlin and I encountered him routinely while hunting. The ladies liked him. It was easy to see why, with his rugged good looks and clear blue eyes that fairly sparkled. His blond hair was tied back in a queue, and he was dressed in a green forester shirt with leather greaves and boots. A white silk scarf was jauntily draped around his neck. The dashing Imperial certainly did not suffer from Schlera's lack of fashion sense.

What did I know though? Seeing the handsome man reminded me of another member of the Legion - one who wore the white and black surcoat of Kvatch, filthy with smoke, blood and the innards of countless Daedra. No white scarf adorned the man with the heart of a lion - just a black headband soaked with sweat and blood.

I willed myself away from the dark sky of Kvatch, and back to the cheerful sunshine next to my friend and master of the bow. I wanted, even if just for my short time in Bravil, to be a carefree young elf.

We watched Riveus shoot long enough to get a feel for his style. Although not a master, he was a solid and consistent archer.

With our lunch finished, Daenlin turned and pointed toward the merchant tents. "Look, Buffy, it seems both Tamika and the Surile Brothers have set up displays. I expect both wineries will do quite well here over the next few days. Let's split up for an hour or so to do some shopping. Then we can meet by the winery tents and head over toward Bloodmayne Cave for some target practice away from prying eyes. How's that sound?"

"Shopping?" I chirped.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Mar 23 2011, 05:16 PM

[ghastley]

So Imelda Buffy might be shopping for some shoes? It must be the season for it. Get some for Superian while you're in the mood!

I like the way Daenlin knows she's holding back in this round. It will be interesting to see his viewpoint in the later rounds. And I just noticed a subtle change in her scoring this time, getting an eight, instead of seven on that last shot. Hmmm

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 22 2011, 04:25 PM

[King Coin]

Alright qualification! Good thing Aravi has 3 days to get back to Bravil!

I suspect Daenlin will be talking to Buffy about that last shot later on.

[mALX]

WOO HOO! Buffy throwing her game to keep Daenlin in the Tourney !!! Then the Buffiest moment comes:

"Shopping?"

You excelled your own self on this Tourney, and that was hard to do - LOVE THESE CHAPTERS !!!!

[haute ecole rider]

Oh look, that merchant sells nothing but shoes!"

"Guard your coin purse and stay close," the Bosmer said with a chuckle. He gently, but insistently, maneuvered me past the many vendors and tarp-covered stands offering all kinds of wares. "We're shooting this morning."

I whispered over my shoulder, "I'll be back!" to the shoe vendor as my escort dragged me along.

I loved this the first time around, and love it even more the second time! Nothing like this scene to remind us of Buffy's well-developed fashion sense!

And cue the music from The Adventures of Robin Hood! I'm looking for Errol Flynn now!

[SubRosa]

Oh look, that merchant sells nothing but shoes!
This was one of my favorite quotes from BF 1.0! I am so glad it made the transition to 2.0.

Daenlin shows why he is the reigning champion of the tourney for what, seven years running? I feel sorry for the archers who have to compete with that! Buffy shows that the acorn does not fall far from the tree with her own shooting of course. How sweet of her to purposely throw her last shot so her "uncle" Daenlin keeps the lead! Very female of her.

Daenlin, if you ever see me wear a mithril cuirass with a long skirt, will you promise to shoot me?
Another of my favorites! I always think this when I see Schlera in the game!

A fun morning at the tournament, with a tasty meal and good company. I hope that Buffy can indeed spend a few days being a carefree young elf. Somehow I suspect that life will throw her a few curves, as it always does!


nits:
The ladies liked him and it was easy to see why with his rugged good looks and clear blue eyes that fairly sparkled.
This runs on a bit. I think it could use one or two commas is all. Or perhaps even break it into two sentences:
The ladies liked him. It was easy to see why, with his rugged good looks and clear blue eyes that fairly sparkled.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 23 2011, 04:39 AM

[MyCat]

Buffy is just so Buffy in this! She should have been more subtle in throwing the archery competition though, Daenlin has to have noticed.

Alas I saw no nits. Actually good too, they itch.

[Linara]

Blast, I keep missing these. Anyway, very nice. Having never read Buffy 1.0 , the tournament is all new - and exciting. Aradroth is also turning out to be in interesting character.

[Destri Melarg]

I'm gonna quote this one more time:

I remarked, "It's still early in the day yet can you believe all these people filling our quiet town? How exciting. Oh look, that merchant sells nothing but shoes!"

This is pure Buffy in my mind. Everything else vanishes in the glow of unexplored shoes!

He winked and replied, "Age before beauty," then stepped off toward the firing line.

Or as Dorothy Parker once retorted: ‘Pearls before swine.’

Now this is Buffy at her absolute best. She refuses to show up her master in the tournament by purposely qualifying one point behind him. Knowing Daenlin, nothing would make him prouder than to lose to his own student. How does the old saying go? It is the poor teacher whose student doesn’t surpass him. Having seen Buffy use her bow countless times during her odyssey, I can say for a fact that Daenlin is not a poor teacher!

[Grits]

I’m late to the party, but I wanted to say how much I am enjoying the festival atmosphere in Bravil! I would think that Daenlin will be pleased on the day that Buffy surpasses him, but I expect that it would not please Buffy at all to do so. I feel the same way about a cuirass worn with a long skirt. That is a capital offense. Daenlin has made one big mistake in this episode. He has only given Buffy an hour for her shopping!!

[Acadian]

In our previous episode, Daenlin and Buffy each fired their qualification round early on the opening day of the tournament. It seems there will be three days of qualifying, after which the top ten shooters will advance to a final day of competition. The pair of elves then enjoyed some lunch in the reviewing stands as they observed some of the other contestants shooting.

ghastley- Thank you! With that silly shooting stuff out of the way for the morning, Buffy gets to go shopping next!

King Coin- Oh, I hope Aravi makes it back to Bravil in time! Thanks!

mALX- Gosh, I'm so glad you are enjoying the tournament! Thank you!

Rider- I'm so humbled that both in 1.0 and now again in 2.0, you mention our tournament in the same breath as such fabulous images as Robin Hood and Errol Flynn! Thank you!

SubRosa- Thank you. Buffy will truly feel her work is done if she can get her red-headed Bosmeri sister to blossom a faint smile upon passing a footwear boutique! You're right. Buffy simply wants Daenlin to win 'his' tournament (yes, seven years now) and for her to shoot well enough that he is proud of her. Thanks also for helping me to improve that one sentence you mentioned.

MyCat- Thank you! You're right; Buffy didn't do as well as she would like at being subtle. She had to make sure she was shooting well enough so Daenlin would be proud of her. By the time she was comfortable with that, she only had one shot left to work with and found herself ahead of her master. She truly can't make shots go exactly where she wants and was trying for a seven or eight, hoping Daenlin would attribute it to either the longer range or nerves. As you can see, Daenlin is suspicious though.

Linara- Thank you! I am also having great fun reading Maya's voyage of discovery. I (and Winter Wolf) are glad you're finding Aradroth interesting. He'll never be a fuzzy bunny, but he will be a part of Buffy's Bravilian family.

Destri- Your comments warm my heart. The shoe shop is a simple reminder that, despite the dangers of her world, Buffy is a young elven girl. As you know, I revel in the concept that Buffy's story is a simple one that can hopefully be likened to comfort food. Your take on Daenlin is spot on. What it would mean to him to have his precious apprentice exceed him is a lesson he has yet to teach Buffy.

Grits- Thank you. I am so thinking of a Renaissance Fair that ate Bravil! We know Buffy's take on the tourney, in that she figures Daenlin winning it again is very important to him. Despite how comfortable she and Daenlin are together, she doesn't have a clue about his true perspective on the tournament. You and Destri do though. You're also very right about a cuirass and a long skirt; that is so Second Era! Okay, let's see how much damage Buffy can do with only an hour to shop.

* * *

90 The Tournament of Archers, Part 6- Power Shopping

Wandering through the confusing maze of merchant tents and vendors that filled the tournament grounds, I found myself staring up at a wooden sign that read 'Olaf's Fine Armor'. Curious, I parted the yellow and white flaps and slipped inside. Cheerful lantern light illuminated the roomy tent. Several tables and simple wooden mannequins displayed a variety of armor.

Hidden among the impossibly massive sets of mail and plate, one delicate cuirass caught my eye. The black color seemed to almost absorb light, but it was delicately embellished by ornately scrolled designs of a gentle golden hue.

The rounded shoulder pieces were of some type of plate with vertical flanges rising atop each. These stylish little wings were apparently to arrest shoulder blows before they could reach the wearer's neck. The thin breast plate was clearly forged to accommodate a woman. The rest of the cuirass was mail. The links were so fine that they appeared to form a supple cloth of black steel. Most notably, the armor was cropped right at the narrowest part of the waist, offering no trailing sections of plate to protect one's hips. Upon closer examination, it felt exquisite under my fingers and surprisingly light.

"Ah, Olaf sees you have quite the discriminating eye, Milady." The booming voice came from a mountain of pure Skyrim that now stood beside me.

"This flimsy thing?" I frowned dismissively, gesturing at the gorgeous armor. "It doesn't look as if it could stop the bite of a sewer rat."

"I see." The Nord's blue eyes sparkled in challenge as a smile creased his weathered face. "It's made for she who needs to be nimble, silent and unseen." Raising a shovel-sized hand to rub his chin, the smith measured me with his eyes. "I believe you may be just petite enough that this one of a kind piece of exquisite craftsmanship might fit." Lifting an eyebrow, he added, "Of course, I can see you wouldn't be interested in trying it on though."

"Well, I do have an hour to kill before I rejoin my archery master." I shrugged, trying to mask my enthusiasm. "Why not?"

A few moments later, I had drawn a curtain around what sufficed as a changing area. The beautiful cuirass fit perfectly, as if it were made for me. "What do you call this ugly thing, anyway?"

"The adventurer who sold the cuirass to me said its name was Night Shadow," came the Nord's reply. "Obviously of elven origin, its exact history is a mystery."

I slid the curtain open. From the sound of air slowly escaping Olaf's pursed lips and his widened eyes, I gathered the armor looked pretty good on me. It certainly clashed horribly with my tan buckskin greaves though.

To Olaf's amusement, I hopped about the tent, pivoting, crouching, and quickly drawing Slayer several times. The tiny links of mail seemed almost woven over their soft backing and made practically no noise. The cuirass afforded surprising freedom of movement. I wanted - no, I needed it. "Well, it doesn't offer any protection at the hips and these bits on the shoulders are rather clunky, but at least I can move in it and it does seem to fit." I stepped behind the curtain to remove the armor.

"I must say, it looks quite fetching on you, Milady. The haultguards atop each shoulder are to protect that pretty neck of yours," Olaf cleared his throat, "and as you have just so elegantly demonstrated, the lack of hip plating is to ensure unrestricted and quiet movement. Perhaps just the thing for a lithe and graceful she-archer?"

From behind the cloth barrier separating us, I smiled at Olaf's obvious flattery while removing the armor. I imagined how perfect the cuirass would look with the black buckskin greaves and boots that I had at home. "Well, I suppose I could be interested." Pulling on my flax blouse, I continued, "I'm sure, that since the armor offers such a low level of protection, it must be cheap?" After slipping both arms into my cropped vest of suede, I slid the curtain open. "Oh, by the way, my name's Buffy."

"Cheap?" Olaf frowned and shook his head. "Buffy, surely that discriminating eye of yours cannot miss the superb quality of elven craftsmanship so evident in this unique cuirass. I can't possibly part with it for less than a thousand gold."

"Why, I've seen horses and houses sell for less than that!" Although I knew that top quality armor could indeed fetch that kind of price, I was still taken aback and had no trouble mustering an attitude of chagrin. "No wonder this armor remains on display gathering dust. I thought perhaps you might be serious about selling it." I started to leave, hoping Olaf would stop me.

"Well, don't storm off now." The Nord's voice caused me to pause, then he slowly added, "I suppose I might have just a small amount of room to negotiate, especially since that armor looks like it was made for you. Nine hundred?"

Turning, I faced Olaf full on, looked up to his broad face and countered, "I was hoping for quite a bit less, actually." I batted my eyelashes at the Nord and smiled sweetly.

Olaf inhaled loudly and generated a convincing wince. "I'm such a pushover for a pretty young lady. I'll consider eight fifty, but that's as low as I can go."

"I appreciate your willingness to work with a girl of humble means such as myself, Olaf." I gently placed a hand on the rippling muscles of the smith's forearm. He didn't seem to notice the subtle emerald glow at the tips of my fingers. "I don't think I have that much gold. Are you sure you couldn't drop the price just a teeny bit more?"

It was clear that my spell had worked when Olaf cheerfully responded, "Why for you, dear lady? Of course, how does six hundred sound?"

"Oh Olaf, I could kiss you," I purred. "That is so much more affordable. There are some of other considerations though. Unless you intend to sell this armor to a child with breasts, I expect you realize that finding another woman that is both interested and fits into it is rather unlikely. Then there's the fact that even if I could struggle to purchase the cuirass, I would be broke. Worse," I lied, "I have no black greaves."

Shaking my head, I continued, "It would hardly be prudent to wear black armor without matching greaves," I shrugged my shoulders and widened my eyes as if stating the obvious, "don't you agree? I'm afraid five hundred gold is the most I could part with for this."

Olaf snorted. "Well, I'm certainly not going to throw in a set of black greaves for free!"

I narrowed my eyes and glared up at him.

After a moment the Nord shook his head and sighed, but a smile danced at the corners of his mouth. "By the Nine, Buffy. My purse is regretting you ever graced my tent. No greaves, but I will agree to five hundred for the cuirass. I assume you have that much with you?"

"Well. . ." I exaggerated a guilty grimace, "not exactly." I reached into one of my pack's outer compartments. "Olaf, I only have about four hundred in actual gold, but I have these two powerful healing potions. I assure you they're of the finest quality." I pressed them into a massive left hand and closed his fingers around them. "I made them myself and, because of the ingredients I used, they are remarkably light in weight as you can tell. Couldn't they make up the difference? Please?"

Olaf rolled his eyes, then slowly folded his arms across a broad chest and looked down at me with a frown.

Planting both hands on my hips, I lifted my chin and returned his steady gaze.

Our staring match ended when a thunderous laugh bellowed from the Nord. "If I agree, will you then take the armor and leave? Before I go out of business?"

His giant right hand engulfed mine as we agreed on the deal.

With the results of my power shopping nestled in my pack, I slipped back into the sunshine. "Acadian, I can't wait to get that cuirass home and try it on with my black buckskin greaves and boots. Do you realize how much gold I just saved us?"

The paladin shared my cheerful mood, and his words went unnoticed in the crowd, "If you save us too much more, we'll be broke."

The smells of grass, mead and cooking now blended with smoke and incense to form an exotic tapestry of aromas. Every color imaginable was represented within the maze of tents, tarps and unusual wares on display. Strains of a delicate tune could be heard over the boisterous chatter and loud proclamations of merchants. I followed the music.

Between the two brightly colored tents sponsored by the big wineries was a dark-haired Breton seated before a beautiful harp. Mesmerized by the gentle melody, I lingered as her fingers deftly plucked the strings. I had been told that harps were inspired by stringed weapons such as the one on my back. I smiled, as I thought how beautiful Slayer's quiet tune was to me. Given the harpist's fine manner of dress and ornate instrument, I surmised that she was hired by the two winemakers to strum up business, as it were.

I thought about buying some Tamika's, but frowned as I remembered how light my coin purse had just become. Instead, I headed for the burgundy and gold tent of the Surile Brothers. Daenlin preferred that brand, and perhaps I would find him there.

I lifted the tent flap and slipped inside.

"It wasn't good enough for you to outshoot me, Daenlin. No, you wanted to steal Diana as well." The Imperial with beady eyes glared down at Daenlin. "You were no good then and you're still no-" He stopped upon noticing that I had entered the tent. His face remained reddened, but the venom in his voice changed to a tone of business. "Good day to you, young lady. You look like a wine fancier. We have many varieties for all budgets, but I suspect you are discriminating enough to appreciate a bottle of our vintage three ninety nine?"

"I'm with Daenlin," I declared as I sidled up to my master and proudly encircled his arm with mine.

"Buffy," Daenlin said coolly, "this is Reman Broder, an old. . . friend from Skingrad."

Any pretense at pleasantness left Reman's face. "So, you've found another young wood elf to carry your bow, Daenlin. What else does she-"

"Be careful, Reman," interrupted Daenlin with a tone that was both dangerous and commanding. "Leave Buffy out of this." His voice then softened as he continued, "Forty years ago you, I and Diana were best of friends - the finest archers in Skingrad." He shook his head sadly. "Both of us acted like rutting bucks though, competing and trying to force her heart to choose between us. Neither of us should have been surprised to find that one day she had simply taken her bow and slipped away." The old Bosmer sighed. "I came here to offer my hand, but I see now that time has done nothing to quell your bitterness."

I followed his cue, and we turned to go. As Daenlin parted the fabric for us, he looked over his shoulder and added, "I leave you with the hope that someday you'll realize the futility of ancient rivalries."

"This isn't over," Reman spat. "Not by a long shot."

* From Buffy's scrapbook: Screenshot

This post has been edited by Acadian: Mar 27 2011, 09:18 PM

[haute ecole rider]

What a delightful screenie! It really shows off what a beautiful piece that armor is, and how good Buffy looks in it.

I had to laugh at how she worked Olav down from 1K to four hundred! Yes, at this rate he'll be out of business! But I wonder how much he really paid for that armor? Heh!

And this was the icing on the cake:

The paladin shared my cheerful mood, and his words went unnoticed in the crowd, "If you save us too much more, we'll be broke."

QFT!

And the confrontation in the tent between Daenlin and Reman Broder was quite tense! I always liked Reman in-game, and was surprised the first time around to see him like this. Too bad a good friendship was ruined over a woman. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. But Diana's choice was a surprise, and I'm sure it was a surprise to them as well! If they fit the typical pattern, the two men likely could only picture two possible outcomes - she'll choose me or she'll choose him - but not that she'll choose herself!