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Chorrol.com _ Role-playing _ Lost Knife Playground

Posted by: Grits Sep 15 2013, 03:27 AM

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The Lost Knife Hideout Adventure

Here we have the expedition from the Wobbly Goblet Inn to Lost Knife Hideout across the border in Skyrim. The plan was hatched in the Goblet somewhere right around http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5320&st=784.






Posted by: Grits Sep 15 2013, 03:28 AM

Darnand

They made camp in an old troll hollow overlooking a broad valley. A rocky cliff rose unevenly into hills above, and the overhang would shelter them if it rained and yet not trap the smoke from their campfire. Tall fir trees clustered around the cliff’s base, scattered more thinly as the land dropped away to the valley’s open meadow. A thin stream of water fell somewhere over the rocks nearby. Darnand could see where the creek snaked out into the valley. Snow lay on the opposite hills in the crevices where the sun wouldn’t reach, even though flowers bloomed in the meadow.

Trolls pick the best places to lair, he reflected. I suppose because they can.

The sun had set somewhere behind the hills. Mid-level clouds blanketed the sky, lit blood-red from below. He wondered if it might snow. Skyrim’s seasons and weather remained a mystery to him.

Darnand spent a moment poking around the back of the hollow, looking for trouble. He found none. The discarded bones and litter had fallen nearly to dust in some places, and he could not detect a trace of rotten meat or pungent troll dung. Unidentifiable metal plates and weapons had gone to rust. This site had been abandoned for a long time. Nothing was left to sustain even the smallest of vermin. Still, he would place his bedroll way out at the edge.

He dropped his packs and began to gather fallen wood. No matter what their final division of labor, they would surely want a fire.


Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 15 2013, 05:01 AM

Kayla grinned widely. Ever since they crossed the border and bought supplies at Helgen, she'd been grinning the whole time. Her banter was playful, her steps light, and when she saw snow on the ground back in Bruma, it was all she could do to not kiss the ground. She saw Darnand gathering wood and bit her lower lip, her eyes light with mischief. She discreetly rolled a ball of snow in one hand and tossed it at Darnand, the snowball hitting him square in the shoulder. She laughed, covering her mouth and waited for him to retaliate. She saw the others in the distance, trudging up behind her.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 15 2013, 06:00 AM

In the wilderness, away from the campsite, Vera’s ears pricked forward and caught what her eyes could not see—the thumping of an owl’s wings in flight, the high-pitched cries of recently-awakened bats swooping in and foraging for insects in the chill dusk-filled air.

It was the busy rush of the hunters and the hunted, predators and prey, silent until the end. The death cry of a baby bird, taken in sleep on the nest by a marauding hawk, rocked her ear. There was a cut-short cry of a rabbit dying in the talons of the same owl from before that followed. Those and many others were captured by her senses in an unending variety of sounds of nature.

She also smelled many things around her; honey within a beehive just a few feet away from her head, or the smell of rotting fish being devoured by mudcrabs just down the river. She also scented a deer nearby; its musk as detailed as a spoken word, but that was game she didn’t have the desire to hunt at the moment.

Vera admired the sounds and the smells, savoring the familiar landscape of the north once again. She continued onward with a sack hanging over her shoulder that held three dead rabbits and a pheasant she personally killed an hour ago.

But that wasn’t enough. There was still one more pheasant to go, and this would be relatively easier, as it was being hunted by something else.

From afar, hidden behind a bush, she could see a red fox chasing a pheasant and before the avian creature could make flight, the fox was able to drag it down.

Vera casually left the hidden position and walked over to where the fox was. The creature, too occupied with the flapping animal in his mouth, paid no immediate attention to her until she was just a few feet away.

The fox, spooked once he spotted her, went into a full run. The presence of a superior hunter was so great that it left the injured pheasant behind.

Before the bird could run she put an end to it swiftly with her blade. They were naturally poor-sighted at dark, and with the dangerous animals about she knew it was already good as dead. The fox, on the other hand, could find something else to hunt. He had all night.

You'll have to make due with what the wilderness throws your way, Vera murmured inwardly.

After killing the bird, Vera filled a bottle with fresh water from the river, and then scoured the area and plucked away a family of jazbay grapes from a bush, holding them by the handful. She stored them away in her satchel instead of mixing them with the fresh game in the sack.

She was sure the emperor wouldn’t mind her taking these from the land, now. Those ridiculous laws held no power in this day and age. Now she could use them as appetizers. The ironwood nuts too, undoubtedly, was a great and easy snack that she was able to retrieve from the trees.

The sun sank just below the horizon and night was sometime away. Vera knew she had to get back to the group soon enough, after all, she was paid a great sum just to be present to make sure no outlaws or bandits would assault the group or anyone would get fatally wounded.

But in these lands it wasn’t just men and women with arrows and steel that could pose a threat. It was the wildlife, too. Sabrecats, bears, trolls and other natural creatures.

This much was certain to Vera, who headed on the trail back to where Darnand and the others had set up a makeshift camp. It was just in the Cliffside. Not only would it protect them from the snow or the rain, it would also serve as a high-point lookout.

There she also had a view of the miles-long distance; she saw high peaks, standing white-pure and unapproachable as a dream. The tall precipices mantled in rock and blankets of snow. She remembered the last time she was there. The moving sun sometimes cast rainbows and at other times, the peaks were covered with storm clouds or draped in morning mist. Then, the fog was naturally burned away by the light of the sun after eight in the morning.

The valleys were like bowls of flowers set in the snow that upon a certain time slowly turned to green in the long, summer days then brown with thick, rich leaves in autumn when the cold winter of the heights came down and reclaimed them.

All this she remembers when returning to the peak where the Breton and the others were. Along the way she came across a pack of wolves who set up territory nearby, six of them following each other until the alpha wolf stopped mid-stride and saw Vera’s fully ebony-armored figure walking in that direction. They didn’t attack, nor did they flee, instead they stared curiously as she carried a bag of meat over her shoulders.

Vera stared back at them and there was a kin-like moment in that communication of the eyes. She knew they wouldn’t bother the others, as long as she was there. They weren’t going to seek out a quarrel with people. They’d sooner pick off cattle and sheep from unsuspecting farmers than stalk a group of people camping out in the Cliffside.

One of the wolves howled, and the other sniffed with a whimper that followed shortly.

"Oh there's plenty for you out there, too." Vera said with a bare smile to the wolves as she walked twenty feet away from them. "You'll just have to work for it."

The huntress climbed up the steps of the hill and trekked into the path that led where the others were. She arrived just in time to see Kayla toss a snowball at the Breton.

She didn’t say a word as she passed by the woman and the targeted man. She needed to put the luggage down and get a fire started. Personally she'd eat the food raw. Making a fire did draw unwanted attention at times, but if they wanted to sacrifice a bit of safety for comfort, that's fine by her. She's not getting paid to sit around eating, that's for damn sure.

The Imperial sat down and pulled away the dead rabbits and pheasants from the sack, and set them all aside near the cave wall. Each of the furry and feathered animals had arrow holes in their body, marking the reason for their demise. Except for the last pheasant.

She took her gauntlets away and began skinning the rabbit with her bare hands. Everyone else could take the hint to build a fire. She could see the Breton had already started before he was interrupted by a snow-ball to the shoulder.




Posted by: King Coin Sep 15 2013, 06:48 PM

Aravi was happy to be back in Skyrim. The cool mountain air felt lovely on her skin where it managed to penetrate her short but thick fur. She wore simple, but tough leather armor. It was more comfortable than it was protective. Tomorrow her Elven set would be used.

Darnand found a great place to make camp. It was clear it used to be a troll den, but the troll has been long gone. Yet the scent of the fearsome beast had prevented other animals from claiming its former home.

It had been some time since Aravi traveled this area. She recognized a few of the mountains nearby by sight if not by name. She knew they were nearing their target. She guessed that it was at the base of the mountain they were on.

Darnand already set about gathering firewood. Vera arrived with some small game. So far she and Kayla have been civil. Aravi was worried when they left. She had meant to tell Kayla that Vera was going with them again, but didn’t get the chance. She was not pleasantly surprised.

They will be fine, Aravi told herself. Vera wasn’t Aravi’s first choice either, but the woman was skilled. Aravi was sure the woman would not cause any problems since this was a paying job.

Aravi looked around, looking for something to do. Darnand was gathering firewood and Vera had already returned with the meal. Aravi started clearing space for a fire. Aravi saw Kayla scoop up some snow and eye Darnand. Her aim was true and Darnand was hit with a snowball.

Aravi smiled and scooped up a pair of snowballs of her own. She interrupted the Altmer’s laughter with a snowball in the back of the neck. Unless her clothing was tightly fitted, she will have bits of snow running down her shirt. Aravi smiled sweetly at Kayla and hid the other snowball behind her back. Retaliation would be at hand, and Aravi was ready.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 15 2013, 07:01 PM

Kayla's eyes went wide as the cold ice slipped down the back of her clothes. She jumped rigidly, holding back a shriek.

"Gah! Aravi!" She squeaked, turning to look at the Khajiit. She grabbed two handfuls of snow and instead of packing them into a ball, flung it wildly at Aravi, missing her entirely. Kayla cursed as she saw the snowball behind Aravi's back and quickly packed a ball of her own, flinging it at Aravi, laughing. It hit her midsection, and Kayla covered her face and waited for more ice, giggling like a child.

Posted by: Grits Sep 15 2013, 08:15 PM

Something thumped into the back of Darnand’s shoulder. He glanced around, more curious than alarmed. If it had been an arrow he would be on the ground.

Bits of packed snow dribbled down his side, already melting. He felt an instant of nostalgia for his last trip to Skyrim. His traveling companion had never tired of the snow.

Then he glanced around with narrowed eyes. Vera was busy skinning game. Aravi was hiding her hands with a look of sweet innocence. Kayla covered her mouth with one hand, eyes alight with laughter. It was the elf.

Darnand dropped the logs and bolted for a snowbank. He heard Kayla’s shriek as he scooped up a double handful. “Gah! Aravi!” she cried.

When he turned he found the Altmer engaged with the Khajiit. A grin stretched his features. It is on.

Any of a host of spells would give him an advantage in this fight. Darnand knew how to increase his distance through a strengthening charm, improve his accuracy by fortifying his agility, or simply use telekinesis to send the soggy missiles exactly where his mind directed them. However he already felt like a lad in the company of warriors surrounded by these highly skilled women. This was no time to flaunt his magic.

Thankfully he had his boyhood in snowy Chorrol to fall back upon.

Darnand expertly packed a snowball and sent it flying at Kayla’s back. He had a second one in the air before the first one reached her. “Fear the mage!” he called out, laughing.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 15 2013, 08:25 PM

Aravi turned away from the double handful of snow Kayla flung in her direction. Nothing but a few tiny clumps hit her, the majority flying wide.

"Fear the mage!" Darnand yelled as he pelted snowballs at Kayla.

Kayla's ineffective retaliation, along with Darnand's very effective retaliation on Kayla made Aravi choose a new target before releasing her last snowball. She took careful aim past Kayla and sent her snowball flying for the mage.

She bent down quickly armed herself with another pair of snowballs.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 15 2013, 08:38 PM

Kayla squealed and laughed as more snowballs hit her. She saw Aravi take aim for Darnand, and scooped up more snow and packed it tightly and flung it at Darnand, missing him completely and hitting the snowbank he was hiding behind. She ran for him, kicking up bits of snow and tackled him, pinning him on the ground by sitting on his hips.

"Aravi! Quick! Snow in his pants!" She laughed.

Posted by: Grits Sep 15 2013, 09:02 PM

Darnand straightened up with dripping snow in hands only to take a snowball full in the face. He spluttered and shook it off while packing his next round. Kayla stood giggling with her face covered. Aravi bent to the snow, busy preparing her next volley.

He chucked another one at Kayla to keep her occupied then bent to fill one arm with snowballs. Aravi’s aim was deadly. Let us see how she handles a moving target.

When he straightened again his vision was full of charging Altmer. Kayla tackled him to the ground, pinning him by straddling his hips.

“Aravi! Quick! Snow in his pants!” she called.

Darnand responded with all of the grace he could muster. He cried out for help and began to buck wildly in an attempt to heave her off. “Gaah, not the pants! Salyan! Vera! Where are you, Imperials?”

He realized that though trapped he was not without recourse. One hand yanked at Kayla’s neckline. The other stuffed his snowball down her top.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 15 2013, 09:57 PM

Kayla tackled Darnand and had him pinned. “Aravi! Quick! Snow in his pants!”

Aravi dropped the two meager snowballs she had made and raced over to where Kayla and Darnand were struggling in the snow.

When she was close, she gathered an arm load of snow and dumped the whole thing on top of both of them. She laughed aloud at the two of them. I’m acting just like a child!

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 15 2013, 09:59 PM

Kayla's eyes were wide with horror as the snow seeped into her clothing beneath armor.

"Darnand, NOT THERE!" She screeched, trying to fish the ice from her top by leaning over Darnand and scooping it out. She rolled onto her back and shivered after Aravi dumped snow on them, then laughed hard. She grabbed a handful of snow and with a wicked grin, stuffed it deep into Darnand's trousers.

"Now we're even." she laughed.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 15 2013, 10:07 PM

Aravi held a pair of snowballs threateningly over the two, a wicked smile on her face.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 15 2013, 10:19 PM

"No!" Kayla laughed and kicked Aravi's legs from under her. Aravi landed on the soft snow and Kayla tickled Aravi's ribs, laughing hysterically.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 15 2013, 10:28 PM

Kayla reacted quicker than Aravi expected. “No!” Kayla yelled while laughing. Aravi went from standing over the two, to lying in the snow next to them within the blink of an eye.

“Oof.” The wind was knocked from her lungs as she collapsed in the snow. Before she could scramble to her feet, Kayla had her pinned and was tickling her under her armor. Aravi laughed and squirmed, unable to dislodge the much larger woman. Her wiggling only seemed to work snow into her clothes. “Stop!” she yelled while laughing.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 16 2013, 12:04 AM

Kayla laughed and let Aravi up.

"Okay, we need a fire. I'm freezing." She helped Darnand and Aravi up, both flying up as she pulled them to their feet. Kayla helped gather wood.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 16 2013, 12:32 AM

Aravi let herself be hauled to her feet by Kayla. She brushed the snow off of her clothes. Snow had worked its way between the leather and her fur, creating cold wet spots.

"We are going to need a fire now," she said, shivering. She might even change out of her wet clothing into something dry.

She looked over at Vera, who was diligently skinning the small game she caught. Aravi stooped to the ground and balled up some snow. She threw it at a high arc, and it splatted on the ground next to Vera. She gave the other woman a tight smile and joined the others gathering firewood.

Between the tree of them now, they quickly collected enough wood. Darnand used a weak fire spell to start the fire, and they soon had a strong blaze going.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 16 2013, 07:26 AM

A little way behind the group, Salyan laughed as she saw the impromptu snowball fight break out between the others. She hung back a little until it died down as swiftly as it had begun, worried about getting her lyre wet and potentially damaged, and she instead helped gather and stack the wood for a fire.

Once it started burning, helped by a spell from Darnand, Salyan took a seat on conveniently placed treestump, pack at her feet. She took stock of the group; Darnand and Aravi were the two she knew best from their group, and it had been Aravi who had invited her along. She liked them both, Aravi's innate friendliness and Darnand's pleasant nature meaning she got on well with them. From what she had managed to learn about Kayla, the Altmer seemed alright, though she needed to speak with her more to learn for certain. The only unknown factor was Vera, the bounty hunter that Aravi had hired along for the expedition. There was something about the woman that left Salyan leery of her, something distant, cold and aloof. It was not something about her that was necessarily cruel or evil, but it left Salyan feeling wary of her all the same; it was a talent she had picked up at home, where a misstep over an arbitrary line could risk violence. It was not the same, but Salyan got the feeling that if it benefited her, Vera would not hesitate to abandon them or pursue her own goals. Perhaps she was just being paranoid, but it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on her.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 16 2013, 06:22 PM

Vera looked behind her at the commotion and saw that Aravi, Kayla and Darnand were involved in a playful confrontation that resulted in snowballs being tossed at one another. It went from loud to louder even when the two women held down the Breton and filled his pants with snow. The Imperial woman sat that one out, and Vera noticed she had her instruments with her. Perhaps this was the reason she didn't want to get involved, that or she was like Vera and didn't want to get involved in the child-like fun the others were having simply because she didn't feel a reason to.

She turned away as the Breton called for the help of the imperials. A snowball landed somewhere beside her, thankfully, not in the back of her head. She turned to see who the thrower was and saw Aravi standing not too far off. She offered Vera a smile and joined the rest for firewood. It was obvious she was enjoying herself and Vera had no issue with that. Everyone had a way of doing something they like at their leisure. She was no exception.

She grabbed a dead rabbit, poked its bone through his hind leg and began peeling the fur off its skin. She pulled the skin apart with ease and set the unwanted pieces aside. Vera picked up the pieces of wood she made into sharp skewers, and grabbed the snowball Aravi had thrown near her to use it to moisten the wood before using it for the flames. The fleshy remains of the rabbit was then skewered to be roasted in the fire. She set it aside near the stone wall.

She waited until the others began a fire and skin the rest of the animals as they searched for more firewood. She was beginning to get hungry but she was willing share he meal with everyone else. There was more to go around.

The spoils of a kill should never go to waste. She’d be giving the dead creatures a bit of dignity by eating them and not letting their remains go to waste. Even their pelts could be used for something.

The fire had begun when Darnand cast spell against the wood and the entire thing was set ablaze. Vera picked up the fattest of the impaled rabbits and sat by the fire, placing the red rabbit just above the crackling fire, spinning the meat around as the flames licked the meat with its heat.

“If you’re hungry there are pheasant and rabbit over there,” she pointed at the side of the wall where she placed the impaled skinned animals standing along the wall. “There’s no salt . . . you’ll have to make due however you can.” She said this to no one in particular as the meat was just well enough to eat. She brought the partially cooked meat to her face, blew against it, and bit into it.

Just in the distance of the peak the wolves began to howl to each other and sing.

Posted by: Grits Sep 16 2013, 11:27 PM

Darnand shook the snow out of his drawers as soon as Kayla let him up, turning his back for the sake of decency. It would not do to get his balls out in front of four females, even if one had just practically juggled them.

Vera had the game ready to cook. Darnand nodded his appreciation, taking a skewer to prop over the lower flames. He dug in his pack, producing a round, wooden salt box. The lid was held on by a single pin tightly enough to stay dry when closed. It swiveled aside when twisted in the hand.

“Seasoning,” he said, placing the box where anyone could reach it.

Next he retrieved a pressure vessel of Dwemer make. It held a stew of potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and peas already sliced for fast cooking. He added a small amount of water and clamped the lid back on.

“This should be ready by the time the meat has cooked,” he said. Pressure would make the vegetables cook more rapidly than possible with simple boiling. The pot would need to cool again before he would be able to get the top back open, but a judicious use of Frost accelerated the process. He made it thick enough to be eaten from even a shallow bowl or plate in case anyone had packed lightly.

“It will be good to taste a meal of proper game,” he said to Vera. “I travel most often with another who is not a hunter. We dine haphazardly on whatever creature last tried to make a meal of us.”

The mercenary had kept up her reserved, professional manner. Darnand respected her choice. Abiene had offered little information when he had questioned her about Vera. Only that she had joined Aravi and Kayla in a vampire hunt, and all three of them had returned. That and Aravi’s judgment in hiring her were enough for Darnand.

Wolves began their night song across the valley.

Darnand opened a bottle of wine, took a swig, and passed it to Salyan. His lack of armor or weapons gave him extra room in his pack, but dragging a set of travel goblets to Skyrim seemed excessive. He had left them with the rest of his things at the inn.



Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 17 2013, 12:13 AM

Darnand had produced some dwemer contraption that boiled the vegetables he brought along with him for the trip.

Vera's strong teeth ripped into the meat. She had good teeth. Strong hands, too, that she would use to crack open the ironwood nuts.

She didn't look directly to the Breton as she twisted the meat so that the fire could devour every inch of it before she would. "Aye, that's how it works in the wild," she responded. "You either kill or be killed. Always feels good to be on the winning side." She grinned. "No meat better than the meat of the wild, I can tell you that much."

She couldn't discern much from the man other than the fact that he had scholarly air about him. His friendship with the two women suggested they've met before. She could tell he wasn't the most social creature in the pack.

The night whispered chilly winds over her and despite sitting next to the flames, she felt the nip of the cold over the nape of her neck and her ears. She had the opportunity to bring Lycus' black overcloak. She knew he wouldn't have a problem with her taking it. It would serve to keep her warm.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 17 2013, 02:51 AM

Aravi saw that Darnand had the usual cooking gear. The times she had traveled with Darnand and Jerric, she learned that they almost always brought the means to make a good meal. Her pack carried the necessities and little else. It made camping with their group especially enjoyable knowing that there was cooked food. Though there were times where it was better to not ask what was in the stew…

Wolves started their howling already. A shiver went down Aravi’s spine.

Aravi took one of the rabbits Vera offered. “Thanks Vera,” she called and then went over to where Salyan was sitting. The woman was sitting on a stump near the fire. Aravi chose a spot on the ground and started to slowly roast the meat. To Salyan she said, “would you like some of this?” indicating the rabbit.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 17 2013, 03:29 AM

Kayla sat herself next to Darnand with a grin, crossing her legs and pulling out some fresh herbs from her pack. She grabbed a rabbit, nearly cooked, and sprinkled the herbs onto it. she set it back to cook and leaned back on her hands and sighed.

"This brings back memories," she said to Darnand in a low voice. "I was once traveling with a friend of mine, beautiful mage woman. We were tracking a particularly elusive group of vampires." the herbs began to smell good, and she set them out for anyone who wanted them. She leaned back and leaned a little closer to Darnand.

"It was a particularly chilly night, and the snow had nearly buried us. I think that's what the vamps were counting on. They don't need heat to survive. We did. We made a snow shelter, but it wasn't enough. Anyways, a snow troll had ripped my pack from me and tossed it over the mountain in a frenzy. All of my warming potions, herbs, everything, went with it. But she was smart. After we killed it, she was brilliant, by the way. I had never seen a wall of fire before. She was a, think the proper term is pyromancer? She could make flames envelope her target and burn them to a crisp."

The rabbit sizzled and popped, and Kayla turned it over.

"We had to huddle very close that night. Cheek to cheek." She leaned closer to Darnand, a mischievous smile on her lips. "And I was wondering if all mages were...good with their hands, like she was." She bit her lower lip briefly, then leaned back and laughed. She enjoyed teasing him, and by the red in his face, he had caught her drift.

Posted by: Grits Sep 17 2013, 02:23 PM

Kayla leaned in and related the tale of one cold night she had shared with a beautiful woman. Darnand felt himself flush at the teasing. He knew he was supposed to infer the sexual meaning and respond in kind, but such banter did not spring readily to his mind. He doubted that an anecdote about cuddling up with a hairy Nord under similar circumstances would hold much charm. Nearly freezing to death while an icy beard tickled his neck was not among the memories he wished to keep, much less share.

Instead he addressed the part of Kayla’s remark that interested him the most.

“Indeed, I would refer to your partner as a pyromancer,” he said. “The spell you describe sounds like Wall of Flames, which is taught to destructionists at the Expert level by the College of Winterhold. When I was last there we lacked sufficient funds to complete my training. I have created the effect on my own since, but attempting it is…” Darnand winced at a memory. “Far from safe.”

I could make an innuendo regarding the differences between hand-casting and using one’s staff, he thought. A flush heated his face again. When the Deadlands freeze over.

He brought a Fire Shield to his hand and shifted the pressure cooker in the edge of the blaze.

“I have apples,” he announced, thoroughly flustered. Instead of palming his face Darnand gestured to his pack. “If anyone should care for one.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 17 2013, 09:28 PM

Seeing Darnand squirm brought endless joy to Kayla. It was rare that she got the chance to tease someone more reserved than she, and to see him blush and look away tickled her. She was a bit disappointed he didn't flirt back, but beggars can't be choosers, and she was a beggar in the sense of receiving male attention. The past few days had been the most she'd received attention since leaving Skyrim.

But she was back in her homeland, and that made her happy to the point of giddiness. The waning day coupled with the warm fire made for what could be a wonderful evening. She saw a torchbug light up a short distance away and smiled.

"I missed Skyrim." She said to Darnand, reaching over and taking an apple. she took a bite, and a bit of juice dribbled over the skin. She licked it up before taking another bite. It was sweet and made her mouth water.

"If you're cold," she said after swallowing her bite, "I've got some herbs that I chew that keep me warm. Frost Mirriam is good for that. I always keep a sprig or two in my mouth." She reached into her pocket and brought out parchment folded into a small envelope. Inside were slips of waxed paper with sprigs of herbs in them. She handed one to Darnand with a grin.

"In case those magickal hands of yours aren't enough tonight."

Posted by: King Coin Sep 18 2013, 03:28 AM

Aravi saw Kayla whispering to Darnand. She watched Darnand’s face turn a shade of red. It was pretty easy to see Kayla was teasing him. Aravi decided to throw some oil on the flames.

“Careful Kayla, he might grab your rear, and none too gently either.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 18 2013, 03:33 AM

Kayla let out a bark of laughter and looked back at Darnand, who was now beet red. A wicked look crossed her face and she turned back to Aravi, laughing.

"Hey, don't threaten me with a good time, now!"

Posted by: King Coin Sep 18 2013, 04:46 AM

Kayla's mirth was contagious and Aravi couldn't prevent herself from smiling. She also enjoyed Darnand's expression.

"It's painful when he gets a hold of you, and he does it at the worst times. Consider yourself fortunate you don't have a tail either."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 18 2013, 09:15 PM

"Oh, he plays rough, huh?" Kayla looked at Darnand, a huge grin on her face. "You know what they say, the quiet ones are the most fun!"

She threw her head back and laughed and took another bite of her apple. Just to punctuate her teasing remark, she ran her hand gently over Darnand's, batting her lashes. She enjoyed seeing him so flustered, especially knowing that he'd never return the flirting or shoot an innuendo back at her.

She then reached over and gently touched his cheek. "You're a good sport, Darnand. Most mages I know get flustered to the point of anger and say something about roasting my insides." She grabbed the bottle of wine as it was passed to her and took a few gulps. It didn't look like anyone else was interested in drinking it. She took the rabbit off of the fire and waited for it to cool so she could eat.

Posted by: Grits Sep 19 2013, 03:54 AM

Darnand snorted as the women teased him. It was all in good fun. He gave Aravi a shy smile, relieved that she was able to see some humor in their tail-pulling history.

He renewed his fire shield on one hand and pulled the pressure cooker from the coals, then cooled it with frost from the other hand. The lock pin clicked down as the pressure inside eased. He opened the lid and began ladling out servings of savory vegetable stew.

“Please help yourself,” Darnand said. He sliced off some pheasant with his belt knife and laid the chunks on his plate next to the stew. Then he sat back and began to eat, blowing on the steaming food to cool it rather than using a more arcane method. He doubted that Vera would be amused if he accidentally shot cooked vegetables across the fire at her during dinner. Or ever, he amended.

The pheasant was tender, the meat generously basted by the bird’s autumn fat layer as it cooked. Darnand gave Vera a grateful look. He knew the hunter would not need an explanation, though he was not certain that she had noticed his appreciation.

Darnand balanced his plate on his knee and took another swig of wine before he passed it.

“Should we discuss tomorrow’s plan?” he said to the group at large.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 19 2013, 04:42 AM

Vera remained seated near the flames the whole time with ears out to the world rather than the laughs and teases of the giggling travelers.

She finished her last pheasant while the others ate their fill. Darnand had just completed his work with the steamed vegetables and passed them out so any hungry volunteer could devour them. Vera was among the first to pick out her desires greens.

She cast one quick glance at the subject of the women's teasing and caught an appreciative expression on his flushed face. It was clear he was enjoying the food, as were the others and was giving her his gratitude through a show of emotion.

Vera nodded once and passed the wine bottle to another as it reached her. Right now, she wouldn't touch wine. Nor Cyrodiilic brandy. Water was fine as it was. Fresh from the river, preserved in the bottle and seated just near her in case she felt the need to cool her throat.

The Breton averted the topic of playfullness with something a bit more serious. It was Vera's turn to be more appreciative, but she didn't nescessarily show it. He might have guessed it, as she was the first to respond to his question.

"You'll be going in the caverns," Vera noted as she began cracking the ironwood nuts she collected from her pockets. She cracked them with her back teeth, and threw away the shells into the flames. "I'd choose to stay on the high ground if there is any. I'll keep an eye out while you do whatever it is you're doing."

She kept her eyes away from the flames, as she was seated a bit closer to the shadows. She knew the effects light had on her eyes and she wasn't enthusiastic to find out one of them even getting a hint of her oddity. She wasn't playful or joyous as the rest of them. Life had scorched such joy and felicity from the days of her youth. This was somewhat normal, though, for any other mercenary out there and she was glad she wouldn't have to force a charming smile or embrace others around her. She'd have to keep her temper in control.

And it takes great effort.

"You're all capable of killing animals," she noted, looking specifically at Aravi. She's hunted the undead. What's a furry beast to her? "I'll keep my attention focused on anything potentially dangerous. Trolls or outlaws that's taken residence in the caverns." She looked out into the valley. "Its the outlaws I'm concerned about."

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 19 2013, 08:54 AM

Salyan smiled as she enjoyed the banter that passed between the group, and once the food was ready, tucked in to the meat and the vegetable Darnand had prepared in his pressure cooker.

"I'd choose to stay on the high ground if there is any. I'll keep an eye out while you do whatever it is you're doing."

Salyan nodded at Vera's plan, and at her comments about worrying about outlaws; animals could be vicious and dangerous, but at least they could be outsmarted without too much difficulty. Mortals, on the other hand, were an eternally unknown quantity, and that made them particularly dangerous to fight against. At least this was going to be taking place on good old-fashioned Nirn; some of the expeditions that Salyan had been on in the Isles had encountered things far worse than bandits or mortals.

"If we're discussing plans," Salyan added. "I have an idea or two of my own. Kayla and Aravi, you two are clearly the best people we have in our group for front-line fighting, so I think it would be best if you were the vanguard. Darnand and I can stay further back and provide support; I can bolster your fighting abilities or disrupt large groups of enemies, and I'm guessing you, Darnand, are probably the sort of mage who's good at throwing fireballs about. Vera, you can watch our backs and keep to the higher ground, and provide long-ranged support with your bow. Also, watch Darnand and I, too. I'm not much good in a close-up brawl and Darnand, you're a mage. I don't need to go through the stereotypes, I'm sure."

She made that final comment with a smile, just to show that it wasn't meant seriously.

"This is just going on times when I've done this sort of thing before," Salyan said. "But if anyone has any other ideas I'm happy to hear them."

Posted by: King Coin Sep 20 2013, 03:26 PM

Aravi ate quietly as the others discussed a plan of action. She was particularly relieved when Salyan presented her plan. The bard was the only one here she hadn’t fought with before. Salyan was powerful with her magic, that was clear to Aravi, but using it under the threat of injury and death was another thing.

“I like this plan, but it might be too narrow in places for all of us to stay together and be effective. We may have to split up when we get in. I hope that is not the case however. Also keep this in mind while we fight: be sure to allow Darnand to cast a soul trap spell on any beasts before delivering the killing blow. That’s what we are here for. I have an enchanted dagger for soul trapping as well, but I will only use it if we are forced to split up.”

Posted by: Grits Sep 20 2013, 05:07 PM

Darnand listened to the ideas passed around the fire.

He smiled back at Salyan. “You are correct in your assessment. My cloak carries a mild Frost Shield enchantment, but it is intended to ease the discomfort of travel, not stand in as armor. It is not enough to turn a blade or prevent dismemberment. As you suggest, I shall maintain a distance so that I might cast the soul traps without coming under immediate attack. I will use a spell with a long duration, so accuracy will be important. I do not want to waste magicka.”

Darnand scraped his plate into the fire to clean it. Then he wiped his utensils and put them away as he spoke.

“Aravi and Kayla, I will not use fire while you are engaged at close range for fear of hitting you. If you need support I will summon a dremora. I must warn you to remove yourself from the fight if I do so. He often attacks indiscriminately once the initial threat has been eliminated. I will only summon him under great duress.” Which contributes to the lack of control, he thought. “And of course my fire spells will aid your strategic repositioning, if such should be required. On the subject of friendly fire, I should explain the soul trap. If you find yourself caught in the effect for some reason, do not become alarmed. It takes tremendous power to trap a human’s or mer’s energy in this manner. Even if you should… er, expire while the spell is upon you, your soul will not be trapped in any gem that I carry.”

From the looks on the faces around the campfire Darnand speculated that he might have shared too much information.

He nodded at Aravi. “It is good that you have an alternate means of setting the soul traps.” On a dagger, for the love of Mara! he thought. Running up to an angry creature and poking it with a short blade might secure the attention of Sheogorath.

But Aravi was an experienced warrior despite her delicate appearance. Instead of expressing the concern he felt for her safety, he gave her a little smile. “I recall your speed and great agility in battle,” he said. “Your two blades move faster than this Breton’s eye can follow. It is good that our results will not be diluted if we should need to separate.”

Darnand glanced at Vera. He agreed that she should remain apart to provide clear perspective and ranged support with her bow. The rest of them should be able to take down even the strongest animals with cooperation and planning. It was the more responsive threats such as bandits that posed the greatest danger to them. Having a professional killer watching their backs would allow them to focus on the conflict at hand without being caught by one they failed to see coming.

He finished stowing his gear and looked around. Folk were often tempted to stay awake sharing stories in the warm intimacy of a campfire. Darnand was admittedly not a gregarious person, and he felt that they had enjoyed enough of that already. “Shall I take the first watch?” he said.



Posted by: King Coin Sep 21 2013, 04:05 PM

“I also ask you don’t bring out your atronach either Darnand.” Aravi remembered that particular daedra with dislike. They shouldn’t have to worry about Darnand’s fire either, as long as they stick together. If we are forced to split up, then I will be concerned. Despite their friendship and some successful adventures since, their first meeting was very rough. When he talked about the soul trap spell, she was inwardly relieved but tried to not show it. Based on things Darnand had said, she wouldn’t be surprised if he did have a black soul gem. Capturing the soul of one of their party was something she didn’t want to risk.

“Shall I take the first watch?”

Aravi nodded. “You can wake me for the second watch.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 21 2013, 09:19 PM

"I'll take third." Kayla offered. She was already cleaning up her food and unrolling her sleeping bag.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 22 2013, 03:57 PM

"I'll have the fourth, then," Salyan added. She began to clean her plate, using a chunk of snow as both a brush and water at the same time. As she finished that, tucking it away in her pack and unrolling her own bedroll, she nodded over to Vera. "My thanks for the food, Vera. It was delicious."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 22 2013, 07:57 PM

Little happened through the night. Darnand took first watch and reported a clear night, as did the rest. The lights of dawn soon peeked over the horizon, and Vera, ever watchful, began packing up, rousing the rest of the group. they cleaned up camp, scattering the ashes of their fire and giving little sign they were there. They all slid into their armors and trudged forward with Darnand pointing the way, his nose in his map. Kayla occasionally had to pick him up by the shoulders to keep him from stumbling over a fallen log or errant rock, and Aravi nudged him towards the cleared pathways instead of the brush that lined the dirt paths.

The sound of roaring water filled their ears, and the scent of cold, clean water wafted to their nostrils. The mouth of a cave, small and unassuming, peeked into their sight. Darnand folded his map. Kayla opened her bag of potions and let everyone look inside.

"I've got invisibility potions,, healing potions, poisons, and," she looked at Darnand, "Dispel. Aravi told me you can get a little trigger happy. happens to the best of us." she said reassuringly.

"There's a few magicka boosting potions, too. Don't be alarmed by the small sizes of the bottles. I've concentrated them into a potent, but small vial. The weaker potions are for surface wounds, the stronger ones for internal damage. take what you think you'll need. Aravi, I made a special potion for you.' She handed Aravi a bottle with yellow liquid in it.

"Rally potion," she whispered with a smile. "In case there are spiders." She made her fingers crawl up Aravi's arms and laughed a little. "Drink it if there are."

"Alright, anyone else have anything to add?" She left the bag open for them.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 23 2013, 12:33 AM

Morning had come and Vera spent most of the night awake. She'd had a good rest before coming and even if she didn't, she doubt she would sleep. She's had a lifetime of insomnia.

The trip to the cavern was quiet and uneventful. It wouldn't remain like that for long, though. Things always go bad. But she was prepared, just as the others were.

She was fuhttp://oi47.tinypic.com/nr0f4g.jpg. Her gauntlets encasing her hands, her black boots covering her feet and strong legs and her belt safely secure around her waist. Sported on her back was a bow and a quiver full of arrows, deep in her boot was a vicious knife, easy to reach and to pull out. She placed her http://oi50.tinypic.com/332nkgm.jpg over her head. It would serve to preserve her identity amongst thieves and bandits, and though she was aware the group had seen her face, she still wouldn't flaunt her looks to her enemies in Skyrim who knew her under a different alias.

As far as she's concerned she was still a wanted woman in the Reach and in Riften. But in the end, she planned on leaving no survivors or taking any prisoners. She couldn't say the same for the others, though.

Kayla had her potions and poisons; healing, invinsibility, and a special potion for Aravi.

She didn't need any. There were few abilities in her disposal that included blending in with her surroundings and become invisible to the naked eye. But she learned to not be too dependant on that power alone. She'd stick to the high grounds and the shadows. Besides, they need the potions more than she does.

More for them.

She checked and rechecked her arrows once more, seperating the different pointed ones. Some would work better against steel plate, others wouldn't. Some were made just for piercing soft flesh and to penetrate armor.

"The cavern inside might have multiple levels. If we're splitting up I want to know who is going with who."

She put an arrow in her quiver in the back before adding. "Who's going to need me to watch over their backs?"

She doubted some of them would even need her assistance, but she didn't come this way for nothing. She expected to be vigilant over someone or two people in the caverns. If the group split up, then she'd have to focus on one.

Some of them were capable. Aravi and the high elf. She didn't know much about Darnand other that he was a mage and the other Imperial girl could inspire the others to fight while she remained away from the heat of battle. If anything, she can whack a troll alongside the head with her lute if things went bad . . .

Vera almost nearly smiled at that.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 23 2013, 01:01 AM

They woke early, before Magnus appeared over the horizon. Aravi dressed for battle rather than comfort today. Frost covered the ground and it was especially cold changing into her Elven armor behind a thicket, rather than changing near the fire. She took the chill over appearing almost naked in front of her friends. When the camp was packed and everyone was ready to travel, the first rays of light were just filtering into their den.

When they arrived at the cavern, Kayla presented a bag of potions for everyone to take from. She approach Aravi with a special potion. What’s this?

Kayla told her what it was, and playfully made her hands crawl up Aravi’s arms. She smiled nervously and put the potion where she could easily get to it. I hope I don’t need this… With a sinking feeling, she knew she probably would. “Thanks,” was all she could say. Anything but spiders…

Aravi took a couple of healing potions and a few stamina potions. She has restoration magic for wounds, but stamina was something she didn’t know how to replenish yet without potions.

Vera wanted to know who she was going with if they had to split up.
“You would go with me. Darnand and Kayla can go together. Salyan, it’s up to her who she goes with. If it’s just the two of us, then we’ll use stealth as much as we can.”

Aravi wasn’t about to let Kayla to go with Vera. The two of them might come to blows…

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 23 2013, 11:50 PM

Kayla nodded. "I can go with Darnand." she handed Darnand a potion vial with a thick bluish liquid in it.

"Here. it completely restores your magick. all of it, no matter how much is spent." she handed another to Salyan.

"In case something happens to me. Vera and Aravi both know how I attract sharp objects to my organs." Her mouth twitched slightly at her own morbid joke. She had a bad feeling suddenly, and wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. that they took advantage of her potions.

"I can stay up front and silence our footsteps, Darnand. Take an invisibility potion if you want. I hear it's large in here, and in case there are any bandits high up, or creatures that can throw rocks-" She rolled her own eyes. "-I'll take the brunt of the damage. Okay?"

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 24 2013, 01:14 AM

Here we go. The partnership time.

Vera long ago decided that this was the worst part of the job; working with others irritated her; she had always been a lone worker. Part of this to blame was the reason other people tended to screw up when coin was to be made.

But time again she reminded herself that working with Aravi at least wouldn’t be bad. She knew the woman wanted her in the team out of necessity rather than any other reason. She and Kayla were friends, and so were Darnand and the new woman, Salyan. But her? She was wanted for her skills, not for her to abilities to throw snowballs or do group hugs in the midst of something important. But what does she know? She had no childhood, and if she did it was just as vague as remembering a dream that happened years ago.

She was just along for the ride and of course to get a fat coin purse by the end of the journey. The other half of the pay, anyways and this suited her just perfect.

She learned that she was going to be working alongside Aravi while Kayla, (unsurprisingly considering their conversation last night) would go with Darnand.

Though she didn’t think too much of it Vera suspected the reason. Kayla must hate her. Perhaps for drowning that absent-minded thrall back at the cavern's entrance and giving her a word of warning that she should kill or risk being killed. If that was why she clenched her fists so loud that Vera could hear it, then that must be part of the reason.

This was one of the reason she hated working with others. People spent too much time brooding about the past grievances, keeping old scores. Holding grudges, and grudges that were born out of non-sensible feelings. That kind of emotion always interferes with true rationality.

She never held much grudges, not unless her pay was being personally affected. She knew how some men were with their coin; it was a characteristic of greed and a tight-fist. There had been times when she'd needed to take extreme measures to get paid for the completion of a task, and even when she did she was given a low pay or sometimes, none at all. Those same times she’d been threatened to leave the area, empty handed, or face the steel of a handful of loyal bodyguards or housecarls.

In that case, keeping score was more than just a petty feeling. It was necessary. She doesn’t work for free and payment either had to be in blood or coin. If word got out that she was betrayed with no qualms, then she was no longer a woman to be feared and a woman that was not feared was not respected, and that led to others not hiring her. When buisiness was damaged, things had to be taken to violent levels.

She didn’t doubt one bit Kayla would be bold enough to try something. She’s good at reading people and despite the woman’s puerile behavior she was quite dangerous. She knew sticking with Aravi would be the best idea.

Kayla was Aravi’s friend and she’d rather not get into a deadly confrontation with her. Bad for business, and a considerable sum subtracted from her pay. Considerable sum meaning every last septim.

If they weren’t friends, and if Aravi didn’t have any connections with the Altmer woman then it didn’t matter. If the woman retaliated for whatever emotion-based reason that was the highlight of a typical woman, she’d do whatever she could to escape the place alive, leave the adversary’s body for the wolves.

She couldn’t fault a woman for being angry, though. She had her own weaknesses as well. The random anger problems, the uncontrollable rage and fury.

I’m still working on that, Vera said in her mind. Lycanthropy takes a toll on one's mind. When one walks hand in hand with the beast, things always goes wrong and turn violent. Always.

Right now she just hoped nothing would go wrong. As long as they keep their mouths shut and she holds her own tongue, there is nothing to worry about.

Kayla passed on the potions to those who wanted it, but Vera took no part. Part of her mind came across the idea that the woman might be brave enough to try and poison her.

That would be something, Vera mused. Poisons don’t do much damage to lycanthropes unless they have essence of nightshade and wolfsbane. Then she wouldn’t choke to death but her organs would burn and her ribcages would weaken until the point of breaking.

But she’s more nord than anything, so that wasn’t likely.

Her thoughts and her head focused on Aravi. The woman’s skill was prodigious for one so thin. She was a huntress herself; killing vampires in a trade, perhaps getting paid for it.

Though this wasn’t what interested Vera. It was something else. Something she’d discovered the night she first walked in the Goblet and the woman was sitting down eating, wet from the rain.

"You should go ahead first," Vera said to Darnand behind her helmet. Her head turned to Aravi. "Ready when you are."

Posted by: Grits Sep 24 2013, 03:44 AM

Darnand led the way to the cave, expertly guided around several obstacles by Kayla and Aravi. Annoyingly the fallen logs and gigantic trees did not appear on his map along with the lines indicating settlements and terrain. He was working on an enchantment that should do the trick, but so far it had not been successful.

He gave his map a little shake. Dammit. Perhaps a stronger charm of Clairvoyance…

“Herk!” Darnand popped back up to his feet again, brushing off a knee. That rock came out of nowhere. He reached back and tugged his staff loose from where it rode across his back, carrying it in one hand for balance like a walking stick.

“This carries a shield enchantment,” he remarked to Kayla. “Though I should not like to test it against a troll.” His eye ran over the numerous scrapes and gouges carved through the scorch marks and into the wood. Each held a violent memory. Darnand kept his body fully healed and free of blemishes as a testament to his own skill and Abiene’s. These were the scars that reminded him of the fights he had barely survived.

The song of falling water confirmed what his map had already told him. They had arrived at the cave system. He folded the parchment and put it away.

Vera sorted her arrows at the cave’s entrance. Her armor appeared to made of pure midnight, and her face was concealed by a full helm. It was slightly unnerving to look upon. She asked how the group would split up if such became necessary.

Darnand glanced over at Aravi. He had fought at her side, or more accurately somewhat to her rear, and she knew his capabilities. She had also witnessed his mistakes. He awaited her judgment.

Aravi indicated that she would accompany Vera while Kayla paired with Darnand. Salyan would choose her path when the time came.

Kayla handed Darnand one of her highly potent potions. “In case something happens to me. Vera and Aravi both know how I attract sharp objects to my organs.” Her laugh held an edge.

Darnand tucked the small vial into the bandolier across his chest, nodding with respect and appreciation. He possessed a vast reserve of magicka thanks to the stars that blessed his birth. His own potions could not refill it, but he knew that Kayla’s could. That reminds me…

“I was born under the Apprentice,” he told her. “I have taken measures to alleviate the condition, but I am still cursed with a weakness to magicka.”

Darnand shot Kayla a quick grin. Truth be told, anticipation always brought the kind of energy best released in solitude or in a fight. Today there would be no need to seek out quiet time behind a sheltering tree trunk.

“Shall I cast a charm of fire resistance upon you?” he asked her. Instead of the reassuring flicker of a Restoration spell he brought a small tongue of flame to his palm as a jest.

Kayla continued, speaking of stealth and the need for caution. She told him she would stay in front and take the brunt of the damage.

“All right.” He looked up at the elven warrior, completely serious again. “If your blade carries an enchantment I might have opportunity to cast a curse of weakness that would strengthen its effect,” he said. “Call out if you would like a ward cast over you, or a rapid healing spell. I have little defense, but I am capable of casting an array of spells under pressure.”

Darnand removed his cloak and set his pack aside at the entrance. A casual observer wouldn’t see it there, and a thief wouldn’t bother with its contents. He lifted a fold of his robe. “I wear little metal, but a spell to silence our steps would be most welcome. If we should come under fire from above I will cast my traps as quickly as possible and then shoot concentrated flares.” He held his hand palm forward and made a short gesture to demonstrate.

Vera’s helmeted head turned from Darnand to Aravi. The mercenary was ready to get the job done.

Darnand glanced over at the pool next to the cave’s entrance. He imagined rinsing the sweat from his face later. How cold it would feel. He centered himself with the thought of after.

Darnand glanced at Aravi. He told her with a look that he was ready.



.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 24 2013, 10:24 AM

Salyan was awake not long after the first fingers of dawn tickled the horizon, clambering out of her bedroll and rubbing her eyes. She dressed, pulling on the set of light leather armour she wore in such situations. With the breastplate pressing her far-from-ample bosom flat, she could have been mistaken for a boy by a stranger.

Her dagger was placed in her belt for easy access, and she made sure the two waterskins filled with concentrated magicka and healing potions were in easy reach. A couple of vials of antidote against poison were at her belt as well; she had learned that lesson from forays into Elytra nests back home on the Isles. Finally, she took the time to tune her lyre, as making sure the pitches were correct was absolutely essential for spellcasting correctly.

Trekking through the forest, Salyan took in what sights and sounds she could as they walked, listening to the birds chirrup and chatter, enjoying the sight of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy and beaming through the pine trunks.

Their arrival was greeted with the booming hiss of falling water, from a waterfall on the far side of a pool by the cavern's entrance. Vera was busy sorting her arrows, and Kayla and Darnand were exchanging potions and words.

“You would go with me. Darnand and Kayla can go together," Aravi said. "Salyan, it’s up to her who she goes with. If it’s just the two of us, then we’ll use stealth as much as we can.”

"I think it might be best if I went with you and Vera, Aravi," Salyan said. "Unless Vera is also a mage then you two won't have a strong magician on your side, and I can help you with magical support. Plus I'm not too bad at moving quietly, when I need to."

Posted by: King Coin Sep 25 2013, 12:00 AM

Aravi watched as Kayla distributed more of her potions. Oddly enough, Vera didn’t take any of them. Doesn’t trust her maybe? This worried Aravi, but she kept it off of her face. If her ears or tail showed any discomfort, she hoped others would just assume it was just anticipation of what was within. Hopefully this won’t affect either one’s ability to fight.

Salyan said she would go with Aravi and Vera. Aravi nodded to her.

“Neither of us are mages. Good to know you are quiet as well. I occasionally use a muffle spell when I’m worried about making noise.”

Everyone seemed like they were ready to go inside.

“Ready when you are,” Vera said from behind her black helm. She was encased in heavy plate armor made from incredibly strong ebony. The helm totally protected the other woman’s face, only her eyes could be seen within the visor. Aravi’s husband wore an ebony breastplate as well. He didn’t wear a helm though; none would fit on his head.

Darnand also indicated he was ready to go. He was in his usual robes, and not for the first time she wished he would wear something armored over his chest at the very least. At least Salyan was wearing something protective.

Kayla was in her new chitin armor that she received from the Dunmer merchant. It looked like it would serve her better than the leather she wore on their last outing. Hopefully her organs won't attract too many sharp objects, Aravi thought when she heard Kayla's gruesome joke.

Aravi’s own elven armor gleamed in the sunlight. It showed scratches in places where it turned aside a weapon or claw. She put her open faced helm on. It was shaped to resemble an eagle, its wings folded down covering her cheeks. It was one of the few that fit her well, and a blacksmith put holes for her ears. She wore a pair of leather bracers. Her feet were wrapped in the cloth strips she preferred, leaving her toes uncovered.

She looked at them and said, “well, shall we go in?”

She walked forward and inside the mouth of the cave.

Inside, the floor sloped downward slightly. She walked silently a short ways. The smell of dried blood hung in the air, and her night vision allowed her to see discoloration on the walls. There were no bodies however, and she got a sinking feeling.

Kayla was close behind her when she looked back.

Posted by: Grits Sep 25 2013, 03:25 PM

Darnand stepped into damp darkness. A stream flowed past on the left, covering the noise of his feet. From the sound he could tell that the space opened up ahead.

Light from the entrance showed him solid footing. Skyrim’s ubiquitous cave fungus gave off its pale, sickly glow, but he would need more than that to see ahead. A Khajiit and two mages would have their own solutions, but he wondered what Kayla and Vera would do for light. If they lit torches he would save his potions and magicka for later.

Kayla is an alchemist, he remembered, glancing at her strong back. She will likely use a potion. And of course many adventurers know the Candlelight spell.

Darnand reached for his staff to be certain of his footing in the meantime. There was no smell of animal waste. He took that as an encouraging sign. Whatever had left the bloodstains must have been carried off and devoured elsewhere. Perhaps the killer was smart enough not to lair in the doorway. Intelligent predators carried more magicka to fill his gems.

He touched his shoulder bag, belt pouch, flasks, and bandolier out of habit. He had learned that under stress his muscles reached for where things had been most often, so it behooved him to maintain the same arrangement.

In a few more steps he could see the straight edges of manmade clutter. Probably crates and boxes, maybe a table. Perhaps a staging area , he thought. This would be a good place for smugglers. It is not surprising to see that someone else has been here.

He hoped that those who had dragged in the crates had also left their blood here on the walls and floor. Killing bandits would not further their goals. Killing whatever ate them would. He wondered how long ago violence had occurred.

A little light would reveal more.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 26 2013, 12:19 AM

In the wake of Kayla and Aravi, Salyan glanced around the entrance of the cave. The walls were slick with damp, as if they had entered the womb of some sleeing stone goddess of immense scale, the stone squamous with a scabrous stubble of grey-green lichen. In the distance, she could hear the roar of falling water from some far chamber.

She scanned the entrance, looking for any signs of what the inhabitants might be; the cluster of furniture at the entranceway (most likely a post for sentries and guards) indicated human habitation, but the spattered blood showed that something else had tried to take over. Whether or not they were successful was impossible to tell just from what was at hand.

"Vera," she said. "You're a seasoned and fearsome huntress of beasts and men alike; any guess as to how old these bloodstains are?"

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Sep 26 2013, 01:57 AM

Kayla cocked an ear in the darkness as she walked a little ahead of Aravi. She knew Aravi could see in the dark, and were she to run into something, Aravi would let her know ahead of time. Besides, the point of this was to get her eyes adjusted to the dark. Creatures could see in the dark, but most humans and mer couldn't without the aid of a spell.

She gripped the hilt of Dawnbreaker, her sword dull and lifeless without the presence of undead around. She was relieved. After all, what good was she is she blinded her comrades?

The walls were slick with slime, and Kayla wiped the slippery liquid off on her armor absently as her eyes adjusted. she thought a ball of light would be unwise, as the light would carry down the tunnel, if it was short enough, and alert others to their presence.

The roar of the water that carried into the cave echoed loudly off the small tunnel walls. Kayla reached into her pack, the light of the tunnel still lighting her path. She downed a potion to help her see in the dark as the others spoke. She heard Salyan ask a question, but didn't hear an answer as a familiar, chilling sound reached her ears, over the sound, barely, of the rushing water. The clicking of mandibles, rubbing together hungrily made her stomach drop.

Charrus.

She searched around to see where the sound could be coming from, but saw none. She shook her head. Couldn't be. We're not deep enough. It's too light this way.

Then she remembered the stories she'd heard coming from Skyrim to Cyrodiil about Falmer attacking above ground, striking out against the hated man and mer who had not been cursed by the Dwarves. There could be a few Falmer living closer to the surface than normal. It was possible. Unlikely, but possible.

She'd battled Falmer and Charrus before, and alone as well. But she wasn't sure about the others. She decided to warn them. She tied her bag up and took a few steps then stopped. She felt odd, like she was being watched. She turned around to see nothing. She walked closer, keeping an eye behind her.

"Hey, everyone. I think there's Falmer down here." She said in a hushed tone. She set the bag of potions on the ground next to Aravi. "I'm not sure what everyone knows about them, but-" Something flickered in the corner of her eye, to her right, and she turned to see a pale, nude, bloodless-looking being with a noseless face snarling on the other side of the small river. It had an arrow nocked, and was ready to fire. straight at Vera.

"Move!" Kayla pushed Vera out of the way, the arrow missing her chest by several inches. In retrospect, the arrow would have glanced off the woman's armor with no problem. But Kayla wasn't thinking about that at the moment. Another Falmer had appeared next to the other, an arrow nocked straight for Darnand. Kayla picked the Breton up and twirled him around her, pressing his chest against hers.

Then things felt even more odd.

She let go of Darnand in time to see an arrowhead sticking from her chest, the Breton clear from the point. Time stood still as she took a step backwards, a confused look on her face as she looked at Darnand.

"Are you okay?" She mumbled to him before she felt nausea take over. She felt light, like if she fell over, she'd float away. But when she fell backwards, all she felt was the cold shock of the ice water as she floated downstream.

My potions, She thought numbly. She shook off the thought, right before she floated off. She felt nothing as her body was carried downstream and over the falls.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 26 2013, 01:55 PM

"KAYLA!"

It had been sudden, the moment when an arrow sprang from Kayla's back, biting into it like some murderous parasite, and for a split second Salyan froze, first instinct to rush after the Altmer before she could come to more harm. An arrow slicing through the air past her shoulder cut her back to reality, and she raised her lyre; she sent a bolt of magickal energy towards the two pale, scuttling things that were sniping at them with bows and arrows, an angry buzzing snippet of arcane sound that that hit one of the archers. With a shriek of rage, it drew a dagger and leapt at its fellow, the two of them caught in a sudden, frenzied struggle.

Salyan scrambled to the edge of the stream where she had seen Kayla fall, crouching next to it in case of more concealed marksmen and scanning along it to try and see where she was. The Altmer was nowhere in sight.

"Sheogorath's beard!" Salyan cursed. "I can't see her!"

Posted by: King Coin Sep 26 2013, 11:53 PM

Aravi was looking the wrong way when it happened. Kayla walked past her, but her eyes remained behind, watching the others as they came up behind.

The clicking sound reached her ears. The one she dreaded. Charrus.

Kayla heard it too. The giant bugs weren’t a concern yet. Kayla would give them plenty of warning if the creatures saw them.

The others filed past, and Aravi waited to be sure nothing followed them in.

She heard Kayla whisper, and then shout. Salyan yelled her name. Aravi looked up and drew her short bow. Falmer. She pushed the concern for Kayla out of her mind, that can wait until they were done. If someone was injured already, they could still go back to camp.

A streak of bright magic left Salyan’s lyre and turned one of the two Falmer against its ally. She loosed an arrow with a wide head against the one that appeared healthiest. It struck the creature in the thigh and caused it to fall. The other was dealing with knife wounds. She drew another arrow and shot. This time, she knew how high to elevate her aim and the bleeding Falmer was hit in the chest. Perhaps the one that fell survived and Darnand can trap it before it expires.

“Anyone see any more? What about the Charrus? Are they coming?”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 27 2013, 01:05 AM

"Vera," Salyan said. "You're a seasoned and fearsome huntress of beasts and men alike; any guess as to how old these bloodstains are?"

Vera crouched and ran her gloved finger over the red stain, bringing it up to catch a whiff of it despite the helmet concealing her face. She had to admit her armor had its uses. Being in the darkness was no bother to her, but her eyes had a habit of glowing when light shun on her eyes.

The stygian darkness was just as clear as day to her. She could see every drop, every plant in a shadowed area and just about every small insect that crawled and scattered away from the presence of the humanoid giants.

She got to her feet, ready to give the other Imperial an answer until amidst the drops of water, the rushing current, the sounds of what seemed to be large insects was a familiar sound. Music to Vera’s ears, yet nothing pleasant about it in this case.

An arrow ready to be fired. Aravi didn’t have any arrows ready, nor did anyone in the group carry bows. Vera’s ears turned her head over the other side of the river where she spotted a gangrel-looking creature hunched down that was pale as the snow and without clothes. It wasn’t its monstrous face or the lack of any normal eyes . . . but rather the fact that it was pointing an arrow.

At her.

Damn Vera murmured.

She reached for an arrow but was interrupted by a heavy shove.

“Move!"

Vera fell over, as did the arrow that nearly missed her. The next occurance happened like a blur but Vera registered it all as she jumped to her feet with surprising speed. Kayla jumped in to save Darnand from another arrow, one that found its unintended mark.

All she saw was Kayla standing there, a look of confusion on her face. But it wasn’t as shocking as the arrowhead sticking out from her chest.

This isn’t good, Vera thought.

Salyan thought the same and acted upon it. From her own instrumental tool that Vera now realized was a weapon, the bard sent out a jolt of magicka toward the two creatures and in a blink they were not upon the group but upon each other in a frenzy.

Aravi took one out. The other was also hit. Its death unconfirmed.

The khajiit asked a question and Vera’s ears made her nod.

“Yes,” she said bluntly. “I hear them.”

The shouts from her comrades and the two fighting Falmer, as well as the smell of fresh food, was all leading them to their location.

Vera prepared her arrow and turned to the scurrying sounds of insects. They were the size of large dogs . . . dogs with six legs, mandibles and a body almost like that of a centipede.

They were both disgusting looking and deadly up person. Vera would never understand why her and Lycus enjoyed the meat so much . . .

Vera looked over the edge where Kayla had fallen and she considered diving in the water or climbing down to rescue her. But with the Charrus on the way, she didn’t make it an option.

Better to have one fallen ally than two more. Kayla’s fall was regrettable and even though she wasn’t sure if she survived or not it was still unfortunate. She was a gifted fighter and one extra arm is always better.

Yet, she welcomed the challenge. After all, this is what she’s being paid for. No one said it was going to be easy.


Posted by: Grits Sep 27 2013, 04:07 AM

“Kayla!”

Darnand’s fingers closed over air as she toppled back into the river. He dropped to a knee to provide a smaller target while he downed a nighteye potion. Ward magic hummed in his left hand. His eyes searched the water.

The Falmer and their chaurus immediately reclaimed his attention. Salyan took the archers out of the fight. Darnand prepared the soul trap.

Though twisted and foul, they are still mer. He cast the spell at the chaurus instead.

Poison arched out in a stream, hissing against his hastily raised Ward. A few hot droplets made it through, but most of it splashed to the ground. He ignored the burning on his hand and throat.

Fire was his favored method of dealing with chaurus. Sheets of flame and some hearty explosions. But that would temporarily blind all of them and bring the rest of the colony down on their heads. He doubted that these two lived alone. Their best hope for recovering Kayla lay in their presence going largely unnoticed.

Diving over the waterfall into a Falmer nest would also be ill-advised, likely resulting in two dead adventurers rather than rescue.

The cold water will slow her bleeding. For now she is out of our reach.

Chaurus were deadly with their slashing mandibles and poison spit. But their heavy chitin exoskeleton made them slow. Even Darnand could dodge them at close range.

He cast a charm of poison resistance, hoping it would reach the others. The surviving Falmer yanked the arrow out of his leg, but Darnand saw no healing spell surrounding him. He dragged himself backward and then flopped to his side.

That one will bleed out.

He kept a Ward ready in his left hand and moved out of the way.


Posted by: Colonel Mustard Sep 28 2013, 12:45 PM

Glancing up from where she was crouched by the stream, Salyan saw more trouble approaching in the distance. Armoured in carapace of slick blackness, chittering and slavering mandibles belying their vicious intent, a pair of insects were scuttling towards them, movements undulating and slick as if they were formed from oil and malice. Where she was crouching by the stream, Salyan knew that she was exposed to the creatures, whatever they were, and as much as she wished to find Kayla as swiftly as possible she knew that the beasts would cut her to ribbons if they caught her alone.

Scrambling back, Salyan darted to the rear of the small party, putting Vera and Aravi between her and the entomous nightmares that approached. She called upon her reserves of magicka, plucked the right notes and began to sing a wordless song, one that would grant strength, endurance and courage to her three companions.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 29 2013, 03:50 AM

“Yes, I hear them,” Vera answered Aravi.

Damn damn damn! She hated charrus nearly as bad as she hated spiders. Instead of staying in the rear where she was, she moved up where the others have gathered. Where’s Kayla? Cold dread shot through her momentarily. Darnand and Salyan were near the waterfall, before Salyan turned and ran behind her and Vera. She heard the other woman stop and begin playing and singing.

Darnand’s magic shot out and revealed where the charrus were for Aravi. She recognized the soul trap spell and aimed her bow at the one he hit. Her first arrow skidded off of the top of the creature’s tough chitin. She hissed in frustration and aimed lower. It’s getting too close, two shots and if it isn’t dead, swords.

Posted by: Grits Sep 30 2013, 05:45 PM

Aravi’s arrow bounced off the chaurus chitin and clacked into the wall. The two creatures scuttled closer.

They have already been domesticated by the Falmer, Darnand thought. Perhaps I will be able to control their minds.

Darnand decided not to risk further injury to his teammates. He cast a Command spell at the closest chaurus, causing it to turn and attack its mate. The beasts knew their own weaknesses. The attacker’s razor sharp mandibles bit into the soft place between the other’s armored plates. After a moment’s struggle one ceased its movements. An eerie note from inside his pack told Darnand that its energy had been successfully captured.

He cast another soul trap at the survivor. It reared up, exposing its underbelly. Its jaws opened as it made its chittering challenge.

“There,” said Darnand. There’s your target.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 1 2013, 02:39 AM

Darnand’s spell announced the death of the first charrus at the jaws of its former ally. Darnand threw another soul trap spell just as Aravi was drawing back her fourth arrow. The other charrus reared up when Darnand’s spell struck it. She didn’t have time to wonder why; she took the opportunity for a shot at its lightly armored belly.

The arrow struck as the creature was coming down on its legs, but Darnand’s soul trap let everyone know that it was dead.

Aravi stool and listened a moment. There was not a sound, save for Salyan’s lyre and voice. When that stopped, she was hit with her own nervous energy. A slight tremor went through her arms. The song must have been fortifying her. Without it, her body’s own devices took over.

She stalked over to where she saw the falmer fall. It was weak but still alive, and demonstrated that by snarling at her as best it could.

Aravi went to Darnand and took a soul gem from his pack, then went back to the creature. She kicked a crude dagger from its hand and jabbed her own under its jaw. The enchantment bound its life energy to the gem in her other hand.

The last one dead, she went back to her companions and handed Darnand the filled gem.

She looked at the rest of them. In a soft voice she asked, “where’s Kayla?” Her voice faltered before she could ask did she die?

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Oct 1 2013, 11:35 PM

The battle unfolded quite pleasantly, as no one was injured save for Kayla. Vera found herself somewhat inspired ever since Salyan began playing her instrument and singing a song sans words. She wasn't sure why at the start. True, men and women felt braved when marching into battle at the sound of battle-drums and the call of their commanders but this was a different kind of song altogether.

It didn't matter. She felt far more a better fighter than she did when she first arrived.

The monstrous insects were finally killed with Aravi and Darnand showing splendid teamwork. One of the chitinous creatures rolled over and Aravi delivered the killing blow, trapping its soul in the gem she held in her hand.

Vera hated to admit it to herself but she began to have a growing sense of curiosity as to why exactly they wanted the souls of these creatures. Not all of them had enchanted weapons or jewerly from what she can tell.

She handed the filled gem to the Breton and then with a look that expressed worry and dread, she asked the whereabouts of Kayla. When no one spoke right away, Vera cast a fleeting glance over the edge where the Altmer had fallen.

"She gone," Vera said. There was a chance, a slight chance, that she did survive and is drifting off in the frigid water. If that were the case then she didn't have much time to live. Either the water kills her after preserving her bleeding body for a moment or the cavern's carnivorous dwellers get to her.

She approached Aravi, face and expression hidden. "I know she was your friend. If you want to send someone to go find her . . .," her voice trailed off and she looked back at the edge where Kayla was last seen standing. "She may have a slim chance of survival."

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Oct 2 2013, 04:28 PM

The battle managed to conclude without further loss of blood on the side of the adventurers, Darnand's magic and Aravi's bow proving sufficient to deal with the abominable insects that they had encountered. The two insects now lay dead, stinking black ichor drooled from their wounds, viscous and noisome, no longer a threat.

"I know she was your friend. If you want to send someone to go find her . . .," Vera began, before trailing off. "She may have a slim chance of survival."

Salyan looked at the stream and the falls that Kayla had toppled down. There was, she noticed, an incline by its edge, a slope that might give relatively safe passage to its bottom.

"I say we should look for her," she said. "If it was any of us who'd fallen instead she'd be searching for us already."

Posted by: Grits Oct 3 2013, 03:15 AM

Darnand held the warm gem in his hand, struggling to keep his jaw from dropping. If a Falmer’s soul energy could be trapped so easily, they must have degenerated to the point of becoming animalistic. The other possibilities made the back of his neck prickle. An entire race outside the grace of Arkay…

He tucked the filled gem into his bag and handed a few empty ones to Aravi. With Kayla possibly bleeding to death down in the black water this was no time to ponder theology. It would be wasteful not to capture their dying magicka. Falmer souls held a great deal of power.

The others suggested what was also on Darnand’s mind. He moved to the sloping path. The sound of multiple waterfalls beyond suggested a large, open cavern. As his eyes adjusted to the glowing mushrooms along the far walls he found himself in awe of the sight.

“My spells of life detection will not reach the limits of that space,” he said. “I can walk on the water with a spell once we get down there but we should expect that the cavern is occupied. I should not like to get caught out on open water with no cover. It is too cold to simply drop below the surface and use a water-breathing spell for more than a few moments. And once we have recovered Kayla, we will need to warm her beside a fire.”

They would need to secure the area. There was little point in fishing Kayla out of the water only to have her shot again at the lake’s edge.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Oct 3 2013, 03:31 AM

Silence roared.

Energy swirled, hot and flaring, around her body as she was carried towards...what?

Darkness.

She thought her end would be bright, brighter than all of the suns and stars, burning the impurities away, scathing her body as she begun anew. Instead, she ducked and dove, tumbling, twirling, as if her body was being tossed from the hands of two giants playing catch.

She suddenly felt a tug as the white hot energy became cold and cruel, stifling her breathing. She choked, clawing at her throat as her limbs became heavy, the air thick. a quick inhale told her she wasn't breathing in air as she tried to claw her way up to the surface of the icy water. She'd never learned to swim, and never thought she'd needed to know.

Her boot hit the bottom of the underground lake, and with all of her strength, pushed up with both feet as firmly on the bottom as she could. Making her body a point, she rocketed to the surface, sputtering and choking when she broke through. The deafening roar of the waterfall covered up any sounds of her muted struggles as she struggled to keep afloat. Her armor was light, but her boots were not. Her sword was not. And bogged down with water, she sunk several times.

Determined, she finally made it to the water's edge. She pulled herself up onto the shore, her arms shaking from exertion, her gasps audible only to her. She lay on her back, shivering, gulping in air like a fish gasps for water. Too exhausted to move, she lay there, motionless, her chest rising the only movement.

She finally mustered up the will to reach for her potion bag, only to find it was gone. She briefly remembered she had set it down next to Aravi. At the memory, pain flared in her chest, and she felt along her chest for the arrow. It had pierced her lung, right below her left breast. She remembered that she had small vials tucked away in her pockets. With shaking hands, she reached into her left pocket and pulled out a vial. She tried to muster the magick to light a spell to see, but nothing came. She was too tired. she briefly tried to identify the bottle's contents by feeling the bottle, but again, nothing. With much trouble, she uncorked the vial and drank it, hoping for the best.

Luck was with her as the tissue inside her began to mend, and Kayla yanked the arrow out of her ribs. She clenched her teeth to bite off a cry of pain as she tossed the arrow aside. She was thankful there was no poison on the arrow.

She debated on moving. Out in the open, where the Falmer could "see" and she couldn't, she was vulnerable. But hiding would hinder her allies from finding her. she bit her lower lip in thought. Falmer couldn't see, but her friends could. Knowing Darnand and Aravi, they'd have spells or use their normal nighteye to see.

Taking her finger, she drew an arrow pointing in the direction she was going to head. When she went a few feet, she did the same. She continued in the manner until she hit a tunnel. Judging by the decline, it went lower. She hesitated, then turned. Her legs wobbled and gave out, and she tumbled downwards, letting out a brief cry of pain as a sharp rock bit into her thigh. She heard hisses and the unmistakable clicking of mandibles. Kayla drew her sword, panting, and lit a weak light spell. There was only one Falmer and charrus.

She would be fine.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 4 2013, 02:28 PM

Nobody spoke for a moment. Then Vera answered Aravi’s question. “She’s gone.”

It hit her like a physical blow. Her breathing felt constricted, and for a few moments while the others talked, she struggled to calm herself. Vera offered to look for her. Salyan spoke next, saying that she desired to look for Kayla and pointing out she would be searching already if anyone else had gone over.

She would, Aravi knew.

Darnand offered his spells to search, but also pointed out some difficulties that he would face with them.

Aravi’s breathing returned to normal, and she felt she could finally speak. “We are going to find her.” And if she’s gone, then we will bring her out. She loathed the idea of leaving her friend’s body in the cave to be eaten by vermin.

She turned and followed Darnand down the path and saw a massive chamber ahead. It was filled with water, with a narrow strip of stone high above it, leading deeper into Nirn. A small island was in the middle with a path to the water level. She reached Darnand and held a hand out to prevent him from going forward with her. She wanted a look without another person tagging along. Perhaps this time they would surprise the enemy and not the other way around.

She sneaked forward on silent feet. She skirted the edges of the walls, keeping her body in the deepest shadows, but keeping careful that her armor doesn’t scrape the rough stone.

She reached the edge of tunnel and looked around the chamber. A waterfall was on the far side; its noise would help them go undetected even longer. The ceiling rose high above her head. Lumps hung from the ceiling that gave Aravi an unsettling feeling. They didn’t look like rocks… What are they?

Another walkway was overhead and followed the edge of the chamber. She could see falmer up there. This could be tricky. At least three of them up there.

She returned to the others in the tunnel and told them what she found. Including the strange lumps. Perhaps someone else had seen these before.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Oct 5 2013, 05:39 PM

Kayla's limbs dragged as she huddled near the fire the now dead Falmer had made. She needed fuel, food, and she had no idea what could be eaten. She had nothing but potions, and she'd left her warming potions in her pack. Were she to venture deeper, she would have to kill the inhabitants, and render their expedition moot. She decided to make her way upwards.

As soon as she was warm. She peeled off her armor and set it near the fire to dry. The top layer of her skin was numb, and her lips were blue. She shivered, her body trying to keep warm. She thought about slipping her undergarments off as well, but they were light and airy, meant to not overheat under armor. The fire had been built inside a tent made of a material that Kayla didn't want to think about, and the area was warm. She would be dry in an hour or so.

Hopefully her friends would find her by then. She lay back, her head against a rock, wishing for a blanket. Instead, she rubbed her chest and arms and stomach with her hands, hoping the friction would warm her skin.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Oct 9 2013, 10:35 PM

"Strange lumps?" Salyan asked, in response to Aravi's report. "I can't say I know anything of the kind; you were certain they were alive, though?"

She shrugged.

"In any case, if we keep an eye on those we can easily deal with just three falmer," she said. "And the sooner we fish Kayla out, the better; that water looks freezing."

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Oct 10 2013, 09:04 PM

Aravi was as silent and nimble as a housecat and Salyan remained behind along with Darnand. Vera barely spoke as they trekked through the dark interior of the caves and while Aravi set her gaze up, Vera looked down. Bootprints.

Not from Aravi, as she had a different set of boots than these. These left a kind of marking that couldn't of been made by metal . . . she can tell that much from the strands of fur sticking out of the mud.

They weren't the only people in the cavern.

Vera pulled an arrow from her quiver after Aravi notified her of the lumps. She followed the movements of the Falmer just above the walkway. The snow-white monstrous mer were oblivious to their presence and there was no telling how long they would remain that way.

There were only two options; remain hidden and fetch the other Mer or kill the three falmer. Vera chose the latter. If they didn't pose problems right now they would later and she was here to make sure not a single threat was left breathing or at least moving.

She turned her head over to Salyan. "They are so easy to deal with. It is better to take them out now than to do it later when they've alerted the entire cavern."

She set her arrow for a shot but didn't pull back. She looked over at Aravi. "I can take two arrows from my quiver and kill both of them. I don't want to risk the third jumping into the water . . . give the one in the far right my regards?"


Posted by: Grits Oct 12 2013, 03:19 PM

Darnand knelt on the raised path, watching Vera and Aravi prepare to kill the three Falmer. His spells told him that the lumps on the ceiling high above were living creatures.

He had no idea what they might be. Chaurus reapers were one possibility, but they nested in crevices. He had never seen them hanging like bats.

Giant bats? In the dark he didn’t try to hide his shudder. At least they are not spiders. A moment’s contemplation brought other possibilities to mind. One didn’t need wings to reach that height. All manner of horrors might creep upside down along the rocky surface. Anything that high would be safe from the Falmer and their chaurus. But if the creatures were carnivorous and untamed, the Falmer would not allow them to live in their hive.

Darnand brought his spells to mind and hand. Stealth demanded that he refrain from casting the soul traps until the Falmer noticed them, and by then it might be too late to capture their dying energies. Still, he would be ready.

He also prepared the spell that fortified his magicka and hardened his skin. That arrow had pierced Kayla as if she had not been wearing armor. He did not wish to share her fate.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 13 2013, 05:29 AM

"Strange lumps? I can't say I know anything of the kind; you were certain they were alive, though?"

"I have no idea. It doesn't look like any natural cave formation that I have seen. Maybe some kind of fungus?"

Nobody else had any further insight as to what these could be. Maybe it is nothing...

They moved forward without further debate. Aravi lead the way again with Vera close on her heels. Darnand and Salyan stayed farther back, but within easy earshot.

"I can take two arrows from my quiver and kill both of them. I don't want to risk the third jumping into the water . . . give the one in the far right my regards?"

Aravi nodded and set an arrow to her string.

Her arrow was released half a second after Vera's first arrow. The mercenary barely paused for a breath before her second shot was out. Aravi drew another arrow from her quiver, but found no targets. Aravi briefly marveled at the mercenary's speed and accuracy with the bow.

Her eyes followed a shape falling and hit the water with a splash. She cringed at the noise and pulled the arrow she had in hand to her cheek. She didn't release when there was no movement in the water. The target was already dead. It was one of the falmer from above.

She stood frozen, listening to every little sound she could, wondering if anything else heard the splash in the water...

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Oct 13 2013, 01:20 PM

The splash echoed around the cave, and high up the noise reached the ears of creatures clinging to the rock ceiling. Sensitive instruments, attuned to hear a range of frequency most things would find inaudible, the noise was picked up with ease.

Eyeless heads, crowned with curling horns, swivelled from where they had been tucked between hairless chests and slick rock, turning at impossible angles. A series of clicks, at a hypersonic frequency that other creatures could not hear, sounded out, and judging from the sounds that were returned to them, the nightmares clinging to the cave roof came to a conclusion; prey, four of them.

There was a swift and silent unfurling of bodies; roundish grey lumps unfolded into a membranous wings of pale grey, two metres in their span, and long tails uncurled, tipped with dagger-sized spikes of envenomed bone. Their bodies were devoid of hair, pale and milky, thin but sinuous with flight muscles. The claws on the elbow of their wings and on their legs gripped at the ceiling, equally adept at holding onto slick rock or rending flesh, as they scanned one last time.

Satisfied that their prey was in optimal position, the seven cavern ghasts clicked a signal to each other and swooped down to attack.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 15 2013, 04:54 AM

Her ears strained, but she heard nothing... Wait, what was that? Something like -

Something slammed into her breastplate, hard. She found herself looking up at the cavern ceiling, gasping for breath. She could see shapes fly over her before a wave of nausea overtook her. There was a burning in her chest. She propped herself up and looked. A piece of a barb was sticking out of her chest. Later, she would reflect that her next action was very foolish, but at the time she wasn't able to think.

She took the barb and pulled it out. It left a hole in her armor. A small trickle of blood showed that it broke her skin, but the moonstone plate took most of the damage.

What was that? She thought as she got back to her feet and armed herself with her swords.

A second wave of nausea almost brought her to her knees, but she remained standing.

"I... I think I've been poisoned."

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Oct 17 2013, 08:16 PM

Salyan

There was barely time to react before the shrieking forms of several creatures, winged and hideous, swooped down on the roof of the cave towards them. Acting on instinct, Salyan stepped back and unleashed the one destruction spell she knew, Thunder's Tongue. A booming wave of sonic force echoed up from her, knocking two of the swooping shapes off course and sending them reeling and tumbling, recovering in midair but their momentum lost.

She didn't see what happened to Darnand or Vera, but she saw one of the flying creatures swoop by Aravi. The khajiit toppled as it lashed out with a long, prehensile tale, doubling over and clutching her stomach. Salyan staggered back as one of the creatures slashed at her with curved claws, the natural weapons scoring a line across the hardened leather shoulder pads she wore, and she scrambled forwards towards Aravi, the khajiit still standing.

"I... I think I've been poisoned," she managed to gasp out.

Salyan swore, and glanced over to Darnand and Vera, then checked the air to see whatir the attackers were doing.

"Does anyone have a cure poison potion?" she asked. "Anyone?"

Posted by: Grits Oct 18 2013, 11:57 AM

The creatures’ wings snapped open as they dropped from the high ceiling. They swooped down to attack.

Darnand’s life detection spell adjusted almost without his conscious effort, defining their forms with a pale glow rather than the indistinct blaze that had betrayed their presence at a distance. The creatures split off in a formation that suggested they were communicating. Good. Intelligent creatures yield more magicka. I did not come here to capture the souls of skeevers.

His soul trap met one and clung like a dark mist. Darnand cast his protective spell as he dove out of the way of its claws. The spell hardened his skin against the impact when his shoulder met stone floor. He rolled up in a crouch, staff ready for defense.

An explosion of sound echoed through the cavern, answered instantly by shrieks from the ghastly creatures. Salyan. Circumstances allowed only a grim smile in appreciation. Darnand swung his staff like a club as a bat-thing whipped its tail at him. Bones crunched. The barb sliced through his spell and robe, barely grazing his skin. The creature plummeted out of sight to the water below.

Aravi stood with a sword in each hand, her stance oddly rigid. Darnand heard Salyan ask for a poison potion.

The skin along his side began to tingle. Dammit.

The remaining monsters circled at the far end of the cavern. Within moments they would resume the attack. The hum from a soul gem announced that at least one was out of the fight. He cast another trap while he readied his next defense.

Darnand braced his staff against the ground and closed his eyes to help himself focus. His free hand made a gesture that allowed him to reach into the Void. His flame atronach waited there.

She roared through in a rush of heat and light. Joy and fury were the same to her. Darnand steeled himself against the contact with her mind.

Burn, she whispered. Or perhaps they said it together.

Darnand heard her start to throw fireballs as he closed the distance to Aravi.

“I know a spell,” he said.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Oct 18 2013, 08:27 PM

The Falmer weren't the only thing that went down. Vera had her share of fighting winged beasts . . . beasts like imps. That was about it. Nothing prepared her to face a bunch of fast gargantuan bats that happened to fall from the ceiling as if the invisible jaws of oblivion decided to belch out these nefarious creatures.

She didn't have time to react even with her quick agility and knack for being prepared. In all her research, all of her experience in the field she had never came across them before. Everything was a blur. She heard shrieking, flapping of wings and she saw Aravi standing in one position in a moment, and then she was on the floor on the next second with a barb sticking from her chest.

Vera's heart sunk to see Aravi in that horrific situation. She seemed wounded. Hurt and in pain and that in turn made Vera feel just the same. She had a growing sense of fear amidst her concern to duck and avoid the incoming onslaught of the winged cretins and that was for Aravi's safety. Afterall, Kayla might have died and she wasn't willing to let Aravi slip into death just yet. She couldn't. How else would she get the rest of her payment? Unless Darnand was willing to bend his ass in the cave and with some unknown arcane magic, squat and produce gold, she would have risked her life for a cheap pay. And she hated cheap pays.

But the one thing she cared more about money was Lycus. Lycus wasn't around, so what's left now was her own life and that was much more important.

There were four of them fighting and just then Vera thought she saw a fourth person. If she can call a female-looking humanoid figure with a flaming body a person at all. It didn't take long for her to realize the mage summoned an atronach but it did take her long to register the force of impact that sent her reeling into the cavern wall. Her head felt light. It wasn't just the force of the hit but the fact that her helmet fell of her head.

Her bow fell from her fingers and she scrambled to retrieve it when another flap of wings came behind her after Darnand unleashed a fire spell that spread the beasts throughout the cavern. Instinctively, she rolled over to her side just as it flew over her with its tail ready to pierce her back. It missed her miraculously by just a few inches before it flapped away.

Vera rolled over again and grabbed her bow as if it was a part of her own flesh and blood. She looked to the cavern ceilings and with her vision of a predator she searched for the creatures that considered her prey. She aimed, she loosed and she felled one of the beasts.

Her victory was short-lived when more of them swept down at her. Loosing three arrows at once was impossible, so the only possible, the only logical thing to do was run. And she did. She leapt to the ground and decided that her helmet would be the best bet in protecting her. Without it, so would go unconscious if the creature so much as hit her. Or worse.

As she ran to grab it while Salyan asked for a potion, there was the force of impact once again. It felt like a boulder with wings hitting her. The pain was bearable, she's been through worse. Pain from a cut was small to one who experiences the shifting of bones and organs and the tearing of skin throughout the entire body.

The only thing unbearable as she got to her feet again with ragged breaths was that she tasted blood in her mouth and a moisture seeping from her head. She felt the blood. She smelled it. Her own infectious lycanthropic blood. But what she saw, though.

What she saw was a parted version of her own perfect vision. She saw Darnand, Aravi and Salyan but on one side. It was as if she held a hand against one eye while the other remained opened and unveiled by the hand. Except her bloody hands were struggling to even reach for her helmet and they were nowhere near her face.

Next came the physical and mental pain and the knowledge that her left eye was struck and . . . and lost part of her sight. She didn't dare touch the wound but she knew her eye was a bloody mess. She clamped her jaws and began to breath heavily. This wasn't good for her. This wasn't good at all.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 19 2013, 06:33 PM

She heard the unfamiliar, but recognizable sound of Salyan’s magic. She heard the familiar sound of a summoning. The crackle of fire, and the sound of destruction magic let her know that Darnand was fighting. Vera’s bow snapped. On top of all of this was the sound of flapping wings and high pitched shrieking of these new enemies.

She couldn’t spare her friends more attention than this however. The poison coursing through her veins was taking its toll on her petit body. She felt weak and nauseous. It took her strength to remain standing, with her swords up to ward the creatures off.

One swooped at her, tail extended forward to lance her body. She slid out of the way and whirled her swords. The creature crashed with a shriek, minus its tail. Before she could confirm its demise, her sickness brought her to her knees. She breathed heavy, hoping that she wouldn’t vomit. I’m going to die if I can’t defend myself. A chill went through her. She was a liability to the rest, until she was cured. A banging of metal told her that Vera wasn’t faring well either. This disaster was only getting worse. What did I get everyone into?

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Oct 22 2013, 12:14 PM

Shrieking and howling, the remaining bat things flitted back up, reforming themselves into a fresh wing in readiness for another swooping attack. Somehow, Aravi had kept her feet, had even killed one of the things, but it was clear the khajiit wouldn't last, while a flame atronach had sprung from thin air, probably a conjuration from Darnand and one Salyan was grateful for. Vera was struggling with her helmet and Salyan thought she could see red on the hunter's hands, but it was impossible to tell for sure.

Salyan saw the creatures rallying to swoop again, and sent a frenzy spell hissing and snarling towards one of them. It hit, and the wing lost cohesion for a few moment as the beasts turned on the member of their pack that had suddenly attacked them. It would buy them a few moments, and Salyan fumbled at her belt, downing a magicka restoration potion in preparation for more spellcasting. She kept her eye upwards as she moved towards Vera, to see if she could help or at least keep her out of harm's way; if Darnand needed time to take the poison from Aravi's wound, then it would be only her and the mage's atronach watching the enemy.

Posted by: Grits Oct 22 2013, 11:08 PM

Darnand gulped Kayla’s magicka potion as he closed the distance to Aravi. He let the cap and vial drop to the ground as was his habit during a fight. As promised the powerful potion filled him with a surge of magicka.

Aravi was on her knees, ears pinned back in distress. Salyan had moved to assist the wounded Vera. The bard’s spell brought the enemy’s number down to three.

I shall first prevent the poison from further damaging Aravi, Darnand thought. They will not target us as long as my atronach defends—

His flame atronach twirled away past Salyan and Vera, tossing lazy fireballs as she went. The creatures angled their wings to avoid them. Their hideous heads turned as one toward the vulnerable Khajiit.

Traitorous wench. The flame atronach offered no reply. Darnand knew that while his gratitude was repugnant to her, she relished his anger. At least she has not attacked me. Yet.

Darnand dropped his staff and slid in to kneel behind Aravi, careful of her naked blades. “Trust me,” he said into her ear. His left arm locked around her armored waist, pulling her back against his chest. Fire leaped up from his right palm with only the slightest encouragement.

He stared past Aravi’s head at the attacking creatures. The closest began a swooping dive that would bring its barbed tail into position. The two behind banked their wings to bring their clawed feet into play. Now.

Fire erupted from his hand into a storm around them. Darnand poured his magicka into the blaze, whipping it into a circling cloak. The wind it generated blew his hair into his eyes but the heat did not harm him. As long as Aravi stayed in position the cloak would protect her, too. He noticed she had drawn her tail in and tucked it against her body. Thankfully he had not knelt on it.

Darnand could barely hear the screams from inside his roaring fire. Something was dying out there. He couldn’t tell how many.

“Aravi,” Darnand said, keeping his voice calm. “Please do not move. I would like to stop the poison. Then we can discuss how to heal the damage.”

Crouched inside the inferno, he cast the spell.


Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Oct 23 2013, 02:33 AM

Kayla's body trembled. Her skin prickled, the fine hairs on her body raised and standing at attention, despite the continuous and vigorous attention Kayla paid to warming her skin. She was so cold, her hair ached. The fire did a lot to help, but she was chilled to the bone. In these few short moments she had been there, she had been thinking.

She crawled to her armor, slowly with an aching body, and turned it inside out. It was still freezing, the water still dripping from it. She tried her best to wring the armor of the water, the water running down her arms and splashing onto the ground. Her teeth chattered loudly and new shivers wracked her body. Her thin, strong frame trembled harder.

Her stomach growled, and she looked around the tent, huddling closer to the fire. She propped her armor up, leaving the stiff chitin pointing away from the fire and the cloth inside towards the heat of the fire to help dry the inside. She ran her fingers through her damp hair.

Never again will I turn down a hot bath, she thought. I'm gonna have myself a large meal when I get back to-

Her thought was cut off when she heard a soft shuffling on the outside of the tent. She froze, quieting her ragged breathing. her exhausted body tensed, her senses alive again.

She heard a soft hiss, and the shadow of a Falmer danced on the wall outside. A second later, a pale, wretched monstrosity entered the tent, its steps careful, head cocked upwards, sniffing the air. Kayla held her breath, and for a moment, as the head turned towards her, her heart pounded so loud, she thought the Falmer would be able to hear her. When it turned out of the tent and crept away, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She quietly crawled over to Dawnbreaker and reached for it. She let out a gasp of surprise and pain when a hard object hit her cheek, then a slash of pain ripped across her face. She fell backwards as a cold hand gripped her throat and threw her onto her back.

She saw the blade coming. The creeping Falmer had nothing on his person besides the dinky dagger now pressed against her throat, and his loincloth. But the combination of exhaustion and the putrid stench of the Mer's breath made her want to vomit. The Falmer held her there after assessing she had no weapons in her hands. Blood dripped from the scratch on her face, though none got in her eyes, luckily. Three angry gashes from the Falmer's ragged claws screamed in anguish from her left cheek to her chin, missing her lips.

She began to look for an escape. She'd heard of adventurers coming back with tales of Falmer thralls, human and mer brainwashed to serve the twisted creatures. She didn't plan on allowing that to happen. She knew better than to wrestle the dagger from the creature. Her best option was killing in one blow. Unfortunately, that was also her noisiest option.

She took a deep breath and summoned a fireball, a new rush of will and magick coming to her aid.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 26 2013, 01:10 AM

Trust me.

Aravi didn’t hear Darnand approach, so his voice in hear ear was a surprise. His arm slipped around her and pulled her close. What-? Her fevered mind wondered before they practically ignited. Fire leapt up around them, blinding her to what was around them. She curled into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut while the inferno raged around them. The sounds of pain and dying creatures penetrated her mind.

“Aravi,” Darnand said, keeping his voice calm. “Please do not move. I would like to stop the poison. Then we can discuss how to heal the damage.”

She nodded, but kept her eyes squeezed shut.

She felt his magic go to work on her, removing the poison from her body. Her strength was returning, the nausea receded. Her eyes came open. Darnand’s fire still whipped around them, but it was no longer overwhelming to her. She pushed herself to her feet, her swords braced against the ground. She wasn’t feeling healthy, but she felt more and more functional as Darnand’s magic flowed into her.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 29 2013, 05:00 AM

The flames of Darnand’s fires receded, leaving an afterimage in Aravi’s sensitive eyes that temporarily blinded her.

Thankfully, luck seemed to be on their side this time. No shrieks of enraged flying… things could be heard. Not even the rustle of a wing.

Darnand must have timed it right. Divines know, he saved me.

His magicka cleansed the poison from her body. His fire killed the remaining creatures.

As her vision slowly recovered, she saw Vera kneeling on the ground, her hands on her face. A chill swept through Aravi when she saw blood dripping from Vera’s fingers. It’s her eye.

Aravi went to her and kneeled. “What happened? How bad is it?”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Oct 29 2013, 06:14 PM

Vera removed her hand from her eyes and it still felt as if the hand was there. There was no vision from that injured eye. She couldn't see. She was blind. At least she wasn't a cripple.

Salyan came to her, evidently knowing something was amiss with the Imperial huntress. Soon after Aravi followed, and knelt down to ask what had happened and how bad was the condition of the injury.

She kept her head down while her ears tried to pick off the sound of the monstrous bats. She heard nothing at all. Darnand and his spells must have made short work of them.

She blinked and the pain flared in her skull. She winced and breathed, nearly touching her wounded eye in hopes to stop it. It was agonizing.

Vera looked up to Aravi to reveal her left eye. It was black and bloodied and instead of one perfect member like the other, it was just a mass of scarred tissue with yellow within. By all means, her left eye was gone. "I'm can't see with this eye."

She wasn't too worried, though. Not as much as she should be. "It'll be fine," she said, with a hopeful voice.

Though she's never had this sort of injury before, she wasn't certain for sure. Scars and cuts often healed with time. Flesh wounds knit themselves closed only if she was in her other form. If she was injured in that form, and she consumed another person . . . she would be healed. But now . . .

Now only a powerful spell could restore her eye, but with time she could fix this. There were other things to worry about. "We must press onward."

Posted by: Grits Oct 30 2013, 01:00 AM

Vera sounded optimistic about the state of her injured eye. Darnand was no healer, but it seemed quite serious to him even at a distance. Unfortunately he had no expertise to offer beyond what a simple spell or potion could do. Seal the skin over the socket and stop the bleeding. Between the three of them he was sure that Vera, Aravi, and Salyan could more than handle it. His regret over her loss would have to wait. He pushed those thoughts aside until later.

“I see a way down to the water,” he said, pointing. “I shall search for Kayla.” He cast his water strider spell as he jogged down to the water.

His spell made the lake’s surface feel springy. He moved carefully so as not to trip over the small waves caused by the waterfalls. Life signs glowed under the water when he renewed and strengthened his detection spell. None of them could have been Kayla.

Slaughterfish, he realized when they began to surface and bite at his feet. Wonderful. He quickened his pace.

After the search he rejoined the group.

“She is not within this cavern,” he said. Then he pointed toward the far side of the cavern where a raised walkway led to tunnel-sized openings. “I expect she has been washed into an underground river in that direction, either alive or dead. I found the opening under there. Even the surface current is strong. Additionally if her body was still here in the water, the slaughterfish would be gathering to feed. They are not doing so.”

Darnand sent a longing glance at the cave-flyers’ corpses. With Kayla missing he would not spare the time to examine the bodies.

He looked to Aravi for direction.

Posted by: King Coin Oct 31 2013, 12:01 AM

Vera reacted to Aravi’s voice and looked up at her. She moved her hand from her face, and Aravi couldn’t help but flinch. Vera’s eye was destroyed.

“I can't see with this eye. It'll be fine.”

Darnand announced that he was going to search for Kayla. Aravi nodded to him and turned back to Vera.

“We must press onward.”

“We must. But I don’t know if you should come with. Your eye is gone. Nobody here knows the magic needed to repair an injury like that. My magic would seal your wound, which would only guarantee the total loss of your eye.”

Darnand returned and reported he didn’t find anything to indicate Kayla’s whereabouts. Dead or alive.

Aravi sighed. This was a catastrophe. Her better judgment told her to turn around now. A member was lost, another seriously injured. I can’t leave Kayla without knowing.

“Anyone that wants to turn around now, may do so, but I am going to find Kayla.” She looked at Vera. “I can’t make you leave, but you risk much if you remain with me. You will be at a disadvantage in any fights, and you may not be able to repair your eye if you wait.”

Posted by: Grits Nov 2 2013, 01:01 AM

Darnand nodded his agreement. “We shall go forward.” He moved along the raised walkway to the passage beside the waterfall. Spray had made the ground slippery with mold and moss. His night-eye spell showed him a lookout perch above the entrance. Empty of significant life signs. Surely this was once a bandit stronghold of some kind.

Sprung trip wires and a rickety wooden platform trap inside confirmed his suspicions. The Falmer who lived here now had their own security devices. They had not reset the ones they had found. Darnand shaded his eyes against the glare from glowing mushrooms along the walls, no doubt seeded there by the Falmer. The twisted mer had no need of the mushrooms’ light, but Darnand had seen the fungus used for food and in potions.

The path turned back on itself. Darnand could see the upper lookout with the waterfall ahead, but it was the wooden platform and corridor above and behind them that claimed his attention. Webs glistened along the floor and walls. Eggs sacks clustered thigh-high near the doorway, and oblong shapes wrapped in white silken strands hung from the ceiling. Desiccated skeever corpses lent their characteristic mustiness to the air.

Darnand could see one large life sign beyond the web-festooned doorway.

He leaned forward to speak quietly to Aravi. “Spiders. I can see that there is one of significant size, and they are usually attended by their young. It is impossible for me to determine how many. Shall I investigate?”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Nov 3 2013, 01:55 AM

Vera now began to feel the foreboding whispers that she may just lose that eye forever. No one there knew the healing spell that would restore her sight, and even if they did it would result in it being permanently damaged. A flicker of doubt registered on Vera's eyes as she looked at the khajiit woman. The spell she used to heal herself completely was not within her power, for she had used it hours ago while trekking through the wilderness.

How much time is too much time? Her wounds often closed themselves, and any cuts or bruises lingered for a few minutes. Something as dire as the loss of a limb or sliced bone took much more dramatic efforts to heal.

The huntress sighed with frustration and bent low to pickup her helmet, though she didn't put it on. It would only hinder her vision even more and she was in no position to put herself in a more weakened state. She turned to Aravi as she followed Darnand but she kept considerable distance from him. She was losing some blood and if so much as a few drops somehow gets in contact with any of his open cuts, he'll be infected with Sanies Lupinus.

She didn't think a mage like him would go a day without curing any diseases or treating infections. She didn't want to take the chance, though. Some gifts aren't meant for others and as far as she's concerned, she's never passed her condition to anyone yet.

He doesn't want what I've got, Vera told herself.

"We had a deal," she said. "I'm honoring that agreement. I'll fight for you until I get my pay. As long as I am breathing, you hired my whole self for the task. I can still fight . . ."

Ever the headstrong woman, she kept pace with Darnand and walked beside the waterfall. She reached out to the cold water and allowed some to gather in her hand before drinking some of it. The cool liquid felt refreshing.

Darnand walked ahead, inspecting the cavern around him. Eventually he stopped and notified Aravi of spiders somewhere in the cavern. She was aware Aravi hated spiders. She remembers quite well what transpired back in Cyrodiil. She was certain she would sent the Breton or Salyan to investigate.

As of right now she's not as useful as before. Her damaged eye was a great downside. She knew she had to find a way to heal herself that same day otherwise she'll lose one of her most valuable members and she didn't think there would be any fresh corpses to dig into and use their hearts as healing.

With the company of the three, she couldn't possibly raise the option. They'd kill her on sight if she so much as began to carve a dagger through some poor sod's chest.

Damn bats, she murmured inwardly. Flying bastards.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 6 2013, 02:31 AM

Darnand went ahead to look while Aravi spoke with Vera. The damage to the woman’s eye was a frightening sight to behold. It was another gruesome reminder of what they risked. A reminder of what they all did. Their enemies, past and present, deserving or not, lost more than an eye.

Vera retrieved her helmet with a sound of frustration on her lips, but didn’t put it back on. Aravi began to think this meant she was turning around.

“We had a deal, I’m honoring that agreement. I’ll fight for you until I get my pay. As long as I am breathing, you hired my whole self for the task. I can still fight . . .”

That’s more like what I expected.

“Spiders. I can see that there is one of significant size, and they are usually attended by their young. It is impossible for me to determine how many. Shall I investigate?”

She froze immediately. It felt like one of the creatures was crawling up her spine. Fetch. She wiggled to be rid of the phantom spider. Why did it have to be spiders? She reached for her bow. The farther away she was, the better.

To Darnand she said, “Yes please. I suppose we wouldn’t be able to go around them?”

Posted by: Grits Nov 7 2013, 10:29 PM

“It is likely that they have nested in a closed portion of this cave system, so we could quietly pass them by and search further on for Kayla. However I would prefer not to leave them at our backs. Perhaps a command spell to turn the largest one on the others? They might do much of the work for us.”

Darnand glanced around to see if Salyan would volunteer her lyre. He intended to trap the energy of as many as possible while they were there.

“And of course I shall finish the survivors with fire.”

Posted by: Grits Nov 8 2013, 02:27 AM

Darnand worked his way cautiously through the webbing, cutting the thick supportive strands with his belt knife when he needed more room. He had once had the opportunity to observe a nest of the beasts for two days while trapped inside a Dwarven ruin. Now he considered that time well spent, for he readily identified which sections were sticky and which were dry. The spiders were able to fold and angle themselves through the narrowest openings. Though he was smaller, he needed more room to get through.

And I should not like to get stuck during a possible rapid egress.

Something tugged on his foot. Darnand’s heart stopped for a moment before he looked.

His shoe had gathered a mat of trailing silk and debris. Dammit. He managed not to fall into the webs when he yanked himself free.

When Darnand reached the end of the passageway, dim light from some unseen crevice above showed him the large, circular cavern. Life detection magic illuminated the beings scuttling within. He felt a crawling sensation along his neck. Though he had no pathological fear of spiderkind, he had a healthy concern about things that wanted to paralyze and bind him before sucking him dry.

Also, they looked creepy.

Darnand braced his feet and positioned his arms for casting. “Ready,” he whispered.

The frenzy spell impacted the mother spider in a splash of red light. She turned on her spiderlings with a vicious hiss. Darnand moved forward casting soul traps as she tore through the nest. She moved more quickly than he could work, but the constant hum from his bag told of energy filling the magicka gems there.

Most of the smaller spiders backed away in confusion, but a few fought back. The matriarch threw strings of venom from side to side as she thrashed in a frenzy. Black ichor splashed out of her wounds and the pierced bodies of her young. When Darnand stumbled over one, he realized that he had entered the nest.

The light was behind him. He had nearly passed through it.

The spider queen had backed two others into a deep alcove. Darnand watched her forelegs pump up and down as she shattered their exoskeletons and pulped their insides. He took a slow step back.

The big one let out a clicking moan. Her movements stilled, but she lived.

The frenzy spell has lifted. I shall try to make it quick. He drew fire into one hand and cast the soul trap. Then he shot a ball of flame at the grieving spider.

The gem in his bag sounded its note. Darnand turned to make his way back to the others.

A rustling sound filled the chamber, and shadows danced in the dim light from above. Darnand’s skin iced with panic as he looked up.

The mother spider had been as large as a covered wagon, and her young had ranged from sabrecat to wolf in size. Now a dozen of them descended from where they had sought refuge in the webs above.

Darnand let out an involuntary howl and sprayed the webs with fire. Thin shrieks sounded along with hissing pops as the spiders began to burn. Venom shot at him, boiling into jets of steam in the blaze.

The dry sections of webbing ignited. Fire raced up and down the strands. The dried husks of old prey exploded as they caught. The cavern ceiling became an inferno.

Darnand ran.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 9 2013, 03:48 AM

What the…?

Minutes ago, Aravi watched Darnand disappear into an obvious spider lair. Now, cherry red light came from the nest. Flames licked the walls, and a very red Breton came running towards her and Vera. Sweat ran down his face, ash and spider webs clung to his robes.

She fought down her panic. Spiders are chasing him. Lots of them. The largest were the size of dogs rather than sabre cats, and most of them were burned to one degree or another.

An arrow appeared in her fingers without her thinking of it. The fletching tickled her whiskers as she sighted beyond Darnand. She hoped he didn’t think she was shooting at him.

Kayla’s potion. She should have drank some, now it was too late. She released her arrow at the spider closest to Darnand. Another arrow embedded itself into the one behind Aravi’s target.

Despite her eye Vera proved to be an effective, if slower, shot.

With Vera still shooting, Aravi put down her bow. A gulp of potion banished her fears. She saw them for what they were, overgrown pests. Dangerous only to the slow and unaware. I am neither.

She unsheathed her swords and placed herself between Darnand and the wave of legs and eyes. They could spit venom, but she ducked her head. The venom splashed onto her helmet. It was still painful and would need washing, but hardly debilitating.

The first one that leapt at her skewered itself on her sword.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Nov 9 2013, 01:02 PM

“It is likely that they have nested in a closed portion of this cave system, so we could quietly pass them by and search further on for Kayla. However I would prefer not to leave them at our backs. Perhaps a command spell to turn the largest one on the others? They might do much of the work for us.”

He glanced at Salyan, but she shook her head.

"I need to give this a quick tune," she replied. "Make sure its working at its best."

“And of course I shall finish the survivors with fire.”

"Sounds like fun."

Darnand disappeared into the cave, and as Aravi tended to Vera's injury Salyan looked to her lyre. She plucked the strings a few times experimentally, listening with intense care to the noise the delicately woven Madness Ore made. She made minute adjustments, altering the tone in the way that those who were not musically inclined would probably never hear. Casting spells through an instrument disrupted the tuning of an instrument far faster than simple playing would, and for the most effective casting, she needed it to be perfect.

Immersed in her work, she lost track of time until it was complete, and glanced up to see Darnand had not yet returned.

"Does anyone have any idea when Darnand-"

Whumph!

Pursued by spiders and a veritable inferno, the Breton in question was dashing down the tunnel. There were strands of web stuck to his robes and he looked slightly scorched, but the main issue were the spiders in pursuit.

Aravi and Vera drew and fired, and Salyan scrambled back as huge invertebrates approached, putting the two much better armed and armoured warriors between herself and the hungry predators. She thrummed the strings and channelled arcane energy into her lyre, loosing forth audiomantic energy that would boost the strength, endurance and resolve of her three allies.

Posted by: Grits Nov 14 2013, 03:16 AM

Darnand dashed past the archers and slid to a halt on his rear behind Aravi. He scrambled around to see a pursuing spider skewer itself on her blade. Others dropped in their tracks as they scuttled forward, finally overcome by their burns. Perhaps they are trying to reach the water.

Salyan’s lyre sang out. Darnand rose to his feet, feeling invincible. He raised his hands and strode back toward the spiders. Instead of more fire he blew them backward with bolts of lightning.

The angry light began to fade as quickly as it had flared to life. Most of the webs must have burned, he realized. There was little else in that chamber to feed the fire. Its roar became a fitful crackle.

The spider carcasses seemed pitiful in their burned and shriveled state. They look much smaller now. Darnand’s bruises and venom burns began to sting, but he had spent the last of his magicka. His wounds were merely annoyances. They could wait.

His life detection spell had flickered out, but he could not imagine any spiders had survived that inferno.

Darnand hesitated to approach Aravi. In her heightened spider battle state he feared a sword through the gut. Also she might not be happy about the way his plan had worked out.

“Is anyone injured?” he asked from a distance. He winced at the thought of Vera’s mangled eye. “That is to say, does anyone require healing before we move on?”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Nov 14 2013, 04:18 AM

Darnand voted to inspect the area while the three other women remained behind. Whether it was an act of bravery to impress the women or because he wanted to be helpful, she couldn't tell. Maybe he was curious and wanted to see what dark secrets the caverns had besides spiders and . . . those damned bats.

The very thought of them made her eye hurt.

What remained of her eye began to throb some more and she clenched her teeth and seethed, breathing a hiss through her helmet in a vain attempt to endure the pain. The growing discomfort only made her mind whirl and nothing else right now seemed stable.

Behind her helmet Vera was facing the direction Darnand went . . .

Maybe I should stalk- follow him.

She blinked one eye and it turned to Aravi.

How would it feel to chase a cat. . .

She looked at the human woman with her instrument. Funny . . . she doesn't smell like any woman I've met. But how fast is she? How does she taste . . .

She cleared her throat and averted her mind to something else. Anything else. These were dangerous thoughts she couldn't afford to have pumping through her mind right now. If she so much as embraced the whispers of the hunt . . .

Though her helmet shrouded much in darkness there was a bright flash and the sound of hungry flames tearing through the air. She whirled to the direction and heard footsteps rushing toward them. She didn't need to know it was Darnand.

He emerged with webs thick in his clothes and it appeared something beat her to the chase. Arachnids. A bunch of them. Aravi's must be pissing her garments right about now, but ever the tough feline she is, she made short work of them.

Vera felt empowered too. Her shots were more efficient; she took less time to aim and less time to pull another arrow from her quiver. Salyan's music was working wonders. She felled two spiders in a single shot and managed to injure a third before lightning from Darnand's fingertips roasted the rest.

It was quick.

Aravi seemed distraught, or at least seemed thrilled in the heat of combat. The other blond woman stood there with her lyre. Darnand inquired if anyone needed healing. Vera shook her head and headed off deeper into the caverns, leading the way.

I'm keeping my eye.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 15 2013, 03:19 PM

Salyan’s quit playing her lyre when the last of the spiders died. Between Vera’s bow and Darnand’s lightning, few of them reached her. Those that did, fared no better than the first.

Venom coated her armor like a thin veneer of oil, burning at her skin where it got through her fur. A drip ran down between her eyes. She caught it with a thumb before it could hit her nose.

Slowly, anxiety replaced her calm demeanor. Kayla’s potion was wearing off.

“Is anyone injured? That is to say, does anyone require healing before we move on?”

“No. let’s move before… let’s just move on.”

Vera took the lead, moving quickly. Aravi tried following, but the spiders! She jumped when one of the dead ones twitched a leg. Her heart hammered as she tiptoed passed the others.

***

Roughly crafted furniture, moldy sacks of food, and old crates were stacked in any place that could hold it. This place would have been well stocked, if the food wasn’t all rotten. She wanted to check the crates, but she didn’t want to delay looking for Kayla either.

The path wound over them going back to a waterfall. A crevice led somewhere deeper. Aravi pointed it out to the others in case they didn’t see it.

They squeezed into the narrow opening that went back a short distance before opening up again.

Aravi didn’t see the whole room. All she saw was Kayla, and the Falmer knife at her throat.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 16 2013, 04:05 AM

Though blind, the Falmer could still smell, still hear. It heard Kayla light the fire in her palm and pressed its knife against her throat, intending to slice it. Kayla rammed her hand into its mouth until it stopped. Blood steamed from the open maw, and she woulsnt realise untl later it was hers.

The Falmer dropped the knife and gagged, then began flailing. A look of concentration came over Kayla's face before the Falmer let out a pained gurgle. A hiss emanated from the flattened nostrils and Kayla quickly yanked her hand from its mouth, gasping in pain. She cradled her hand, glancing down to see deep, painful gashes in her hand. Several rotted teeth were stuck in the back of her hand. A bottom tooth has sliced the vein in her wrist. The Falmer fell over and writhed and convulsed in pain, the smell of burnt flesh making her gag.

She grabbed the knife and with a grunt, lodged the knife deep into its eye socket. A twitch, and it was dead. It seemed like hours, but the deadly exchange had taken seconds. Kayla cradled her hand and picked out the teeth, trembling in pain. Pained hisses came from her mouth through clenched teeth. She turned and Saw a familiar face, and her coldness, pain and near nudity were forgotten.

"Aravi! Aravi!" She slowly began to stand up, the cold stiffening her limbs still. She meant to give the Khajiit a hug.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 16 2013, 06:38 PM

Aravi was momentarily stunned. At first it looked that they had found Kayla alive, only to watch a Falmer slice her throat open.

But the High Elf wasn’t idle. Perhaps a creature with eyes would have reacted faster, perhaps this one was inexperienced, but whatever the reason, Aravi was thankful. Kayla drew fire into her hand and shoved it into the Falmer’s mouth, burning it from the inside. Then she lodged its own knife where its eye would have been.

Aravi rushed to her, the others close on her heels. The Altmer tried to rise, but Aravi gently pushed her down. She’s ice cold…

“Gods, I thought you were dead. Don’t try to get up. Did you break anything when you went over the waterfall?”

To her companions she asked, “Does anyone have a cloak with them? She’s freezing.”

She turned her attention back to Kayla. Her limbs looked intact to Aravi, but there could be damage inside that she couldn’t see. An angry red splotch on the Altmer’s chest showed where the arrow have been. Kayla had managed to remove the arrow partially heal the wound. She's so pale. Her almost nude body was covered in bruises, scrapes, and other minor injuries.

She called healing magic to her hands, bright golden light emanated from her palms. But she didn’t dare heal Kayla right away. Just like with Vera’s eye, there was some damage she couldn’t fix, and she had no way of directing her magic to specific wounds like a more experienced healer.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Nov 16 2013, 08:26 PM

Salyan winced in something approaching sympathy as Kayla shoved a handful of flame into the mouth of the falmer pinning her, holding it in place as it struggled before she slammed its knife into its eye. Even though it was an enemy, it still looked like a grievously painful way to go.

Aravi was by Kayla's side in an instant, addressing the arrowhead embedded in the elf's chest, summoning healing energy into her hand but unsure of what to do with it.

"Does anyone have a cloak with them? She’s freezing."

"Here," Salyan said, unpinning her own cloak from where it was held to her shoulder. She wrapped the waterproofed cotton around Kayla, grimacing as she felt the clammy chill around her shoulders. She glanced towards the other two. "Darnand, I don't know good at healing you are but I know you're good enough with fire to put a Sister of Immolation to shame; get some heat going, she needs to warm up, fast."

Posted by: Grits Nov 18 2013, 04:47 AM

Darnand thumbed open a vial of magicka potion and downed its contents. The sight of Kayla in the clutches of a Falmer had barely registered before she cooked its head from the inside. He gagged on the stench while Aravi and Salyan went to Kayla’s immediate aid.

“Kayla, will you permit me?” Darnand asked, kneeling beside the shivering Altmer. He proceeded without waiting for permission. First a spell to briefly weaken her to magical effects. Then he fished a small pouch out of his pocket.

“Just a few grains of this will warm you,” he said. “My spell will increase any magical effects on you for a short time. This, er, substance will make the fire feel much warmer. Here,” he extended the bag, “but be careful not to take too much. Oh, and, em, not to pry into your personal life, but…” Darnand fidgeted for a moment. He did not know how to politely inquire whether a freezing and bleeding near-drowning victim with an arrow wound had ever had a skooma problem.

“It’s moon sugar,” he blurted. “It may be addictive, but it works.”

Healing light filled his hand as his magicka slowly returned. While Kayla was weaker to magic he would only need his less potent spells. “I am skilled enough to close those wounds, and I can cleanse the Falmer… ugh from your hand. If you wish. But I recommend the attention of a true healer at the earliest opportunity.”

Darnand’s stomach churned, and his head felt light for a moment. Potion toxicity was a familiar condition, and he was pushing his limits with the amount he had consumed. He braced his fingertips on the floor until his vision cleared again.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 19 2013, 02:58 AM

Kayla took Salyan's cloak, but pushed away the moon sugar.

"I'm fine. Stop babying me. You forget where I'm from." That was the nicest way she could manage to refuse the moon sugar. "The fire is almost out, but there's one started in that tent over there." She pointed to the hut a few feet from them. "My armor and weapon is in there. I was drying it out when a Falmer came in. It surprised me. That's all."

She put her cold, uninjured hand on Darnand's shoulder. "Don't over-exert yourself, mage. You're no good to us sick."

I should talk.

"The only thing that I really need healed is my hand. Darnand, if you're willing and able, go ahead. I'd much rather not bleed to death." Her split lip pained her as she spoke, and she winced, but said nothing.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Nov 19 2013, 08:30 PM

Vera watched from a distance as Kayla took the Falmer's life. The sight only made her cringe. She's had enough of eye punctures today. But that wasn't the only important thing here.

She's not dead, Vera thought the obvious as the two females and the Breton flocked around a wounded Kayla. But not in a good condition. Looks like I'm not the only one that had my ass kicked today.

The huntress saw a bloody wrist, cold skin, the wound from the arrow and other signs that she would've been dead in a few hours if not for her efforts to live or the group's arrival to the scene. Salyan graced Kayla with a warm cloak, Aravi devoted her full attention while Darnand took the time to warm her cold skin and the narcotic of moonsugar. She's in good hands. There was no way she was going to die.

Vera stood by as they helped out Kayla. Her mind began to wander and her eyes did just the same, focusing on the small details of the cavern. She had to look anywhere else but an injured person. Though quite capable of defending herself, prospect of injury and something that seemed fragile at the moment inspired unwanted(or perhaps wanted) thoughts.

She circled around the area they were in, looking at everything and anything particular that caught her eye until she came upon the Falmer Kayla had just slain just a few feet from the group. Waiting for Kayla's allies to help her, Vera gently poked the dead creature with her boot. It didn't twitch.

It was dead as dead can be.

She bent low to inspect the strange creature before her, and tilted the knife still lodged in its eye back and forth until it squeaked. So . . . just how blind would it be if it were still alive? Twice blind?

She looked back, and Kayla was still being tended by the others. They're occupied still . . . and there's no danger around here. She turned back to the dead snow-creature, and with her index finger began making the knife dance while still in the Falmer's eye.

She sighed, shrugged and a cynical smile managed to creep in as she looked at the open-mouthed and very dead Mer. She pushed the knife again back and forth, quicker this time before stopping completely. "I know just how you feel. I've been there."

Posted by: King Coin Nov 23 2013, 12:03 AM

Darnand didn’t hesitate healing Kayla. Glad someone else knows more than I do.

“Let’s get her over by the fire, then you can heal her more Darnand. Someone help me lift her, I can’t get her on my own.”

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Nov 23 2013, 12:24 AM

"Here," Salyan said, looping her arm around Kayla's shoulder. Her and Aravi lifted, Salyan grunting with effort, and they half-staggered over to the fire, placing her down with care. Salyan took a few moments to place some more logs from the pile of spare lumber on the flame, poking it with the end of a blackened stick so that the flames might burn a little hotter.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 23 2013, 02:21 AM

"I'm fine," Kayla insisted, even as she struggled to walk with them. "Really. This isn't the first time I've taken a plunge off a waterfall into cold water. I'm just chilly." She couldn't mask the relieved sigh she let out as the heat of the fire touched her skin. She scooted closer, nearly in the fire before stopping. Her armor was steaming, the water being scorched off by the heat of the flames.

When Darnand came close to heal her more, she put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close to his ear.

"Thank you. I owe you. If there's something you can't heal right away, let me know. There are some healing potions in the bag I dropped. If anyone grabbed the bag, it will heal me." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled at him, then patted the spot where she kissed.

"You're a good man, Darnand. And I'm very sleepy. Once my armor is dry, hand me a stamina potion from it. It'll keep me going for hours." She drew Dawnbreaker to her side and rubbed the etchings on the hilt, it still sheathed. She smiled at Aravi and Salyan.

"Thank you. Even if this was just on your way down, thank you."

Posted by: Grits Nov 23 2013, 06:22 PM

Kayla’s quick kiss felt like ice on Darnand’s cheek, and her hand was even colder. Despite her insistence that she was fine, he was concerned for her safety.

His eyes went to the sword she pulled close in an almost protective gesture. The etchings on the hilt were not familiar, but they had a daedric look. He glanced away. None of my business.

Kayla’s bag must still be where she dropped it.

“I will go back for your potions, Kayla,” he said. “They are too valuable to leave behind, and it will be comforting to know that no dangers have crept up behind us.” Darnand doubted his healing skill. A flesh wound or broken bone was simple to repair, but he lacked the subtlety of a true artist in Restoration. Kayla might be better off healing the nerves and tendons in her hand with a familiar potion.

He jogged back the way they had come, keeping his steps light and searching the shadows for movement in the large waterfall chamber. The pack lay in shadow at the spot where Kayla had been shot. Darnand gave a quick thanks to Zenithar as he retrieved it.

The magical effects from his various spells and potions had unsettled him, but the feeling waned as he returned to the group. Perhaps Kayla would be ready to move on after one of her powerful restorative potions. Regretfully he thought it would take something else entirely to repair Vera’s eye. He knew a healer and a necromancer who could do it, but not without tremendous effort and supplementary magicka. And both of them were in Cyrodiil.

Darnand carefully placed the pack on the ground next to Kayla. “I saw no one,” he said. But the cave system had clearly become a Falmer hive, though its size was not yet apparent. That did not mean that no one else would come.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 26 2013, 05:33 AM

Darnand placed Kayla’s pack on the ground near them. Aravi dug into it until she found one of the larger vials marked with a healing symbol.

She showed it to Kayla. “Will this one be adequate? I think I saw a larger one towards the bottom.” She dug into the pack more.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 26 2013, 06:05 AM

"That's fine, that's fine. Look for a warming potion. I'd say it resembles green sludge, but my potions usually do. It has a red cork." Kayla's teeth chattered before she drank the healing potion.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 26 2013, 06:21 AM

Red cork? She saw a bunch of potions in irregularly shaped vials. Even with her improved vision, it was difficult for her to see with the deep shadows cast by the fire.

"I don't see any with a red cork, but this one is orange." She held the potion out.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 26 2013, 03:55 PM

Kayla gave Aravi a mock irritated look before taking the bottle.

"That's the one. Thanks Aravi." She held it up to the fire to better are the cork.

"Huh. Maybe it is orange." She pulled the cork off and smelled it. "Yeah, this is the one." She guzzled it's contents quickly. It would take a few minutes for the potion to start working, but at the moment they were out of danger.

For the moment.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 26 2013, 05:34 PM

Aravi watched and waited, seated quietly at the fire next to Kayla.

Inside though, she was far from calm. Kayla's alive! Aravi felt energized, it was like her friend was back from the dead. Her tail was twitching with nervous energy.

Kayla seemed to be recovering well, so she started to pay more attention to her surroundings. "How soon do you think you will be ready to move?"


Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 26 2013, 07:20 PM

"Physically, in the next twenty minutes. My armor is still wet." She felt on the inside of her armor for a moment. "With my armor still wet, the next hour or so." She stretched her long arms and arched her back, popping her shoulders and spine. She looked down at her left breast and sighed.

"If only it were true that scars were greatly revered in Skyrim. I'd be having men throw themselves at me. Look at this!" She pointed to the angry red splotch where the arrow had exited.
"Right next to the damn werewolf wound. I don't know how in Meridia's name I'm still alive."

Posted by: King Coin Nov 26 2013, 08:06 PM

“We aren’t leaving until your armor is in good shape.” Another hour. Not bad. She didn’t relish the idea of sitting in this cave for any longer than needed, but she wasn’t going to have Kayla walk around in this dangerous cave almost naked. None of her clothing would fit the much larger Altmer either.

Kayla examined her new wound and commented on its proximity to a werewolf wound.

Something deep within her stirred, as if it heard Kayla’s words. Gods. Not now.

Her own curse had been largely dormant, but every now and then, it had its way. It started pushing. It’s going to come out soon. Within a week, she would have to find somewhere to give in, or risk transforming and killing friends or bystanders.

Driven by morbid curiosity, she asked, “A werewolf wound? How did you survive something like that?”

She watched behind the eyes of her own beast. She didn’t know how someone could manage to survive something like it.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 26 2013, 08:34 PM

Kayla looked over at Aravi, noting the Khajiit's face was unreadable. Her tail was still, the end twitching ever so slightly. She was waiting for something. Probably her answer.

"Boring story. A boy I grew up with had gotten bitten. The moons came out one night when we were sixteen, and he tore up the town we lived in. He'd eaten women, children, men, cattle..." She sighed. "He was about to eat an infant after killing its mother, but I shot a fireball at him. He gave me this wound in turn. When I fell back, I had fallen next to a guard he'd killed, and by some stroke of luck, was able to get the sword out in time to put it through his chest. We were sixteen." She sighed again and pushed a log further into the fire with a bare foot, avoiding the flames.

"Call me crazy, or stupid, but had he told me he was infected, or he was already turned, I would've still been his friend. I was there when he got arrested for beating up a guard." She shook her head

"Nevermind me. I'm just talking. There's no sense in carrying around that story any longer. There's a huge difference in beating up a guard and maiming children." she pulled her knees to her chest and let out a frustrated breath.

Now they're going to get angry with me.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Nov 26 2013, 09:53 PM

"Call me crazy, or stupid, but had he told me he was infected, or he was already turned, I would've still been his friend."

"I think I understand that," Salyan said once Kayla had finished speaking. "You look out for those close to you even if it's sometimes against your better judgement; just what people do."

Compared to Kayla's accidental lycanthrope friend, Salyan's own company approached normal, though the Shivering Isles meant that you couldn't exactly be choosy with your companions unless you wanted to be alone. As bold as Kayla's confession was, however, Salyan decided not to disclose some of the people she had made friends with; none of them would probably react favourably to the revelation that the woman who was her best friend practised cannibalism.

She had been wondering if it would be safe to tell anyone in this small group of Mundus-inhabitants she had met. She was pretty sure Aravi would react disfavourably, and that Kayla would be at best cool and cautious about it. Vera was still a struggle to read, and Darnand was the only one Salyan felt would be at all relaxed about such a thing, though only because he'd be too curious about the Isles to bother with being upset.

"Darnand," she said. "How are we doing for soul gems?"

Posted by: King Coin Nov 27 2013, 09:48 PM

"Call me crazy, or stupid, but had he told me he was infected, or he was already turned, I would've still been his friend."

"I think I understand that," Salyan said once Kayla had finished speaking. "You look out for those close to you even if it's sometimes against your better judgement; just what people do."

Aravi heard these words, but she wasn’t sure she believed them. She didn’t know Salyan well enough to know if she was being honest, or if she was just going along with Kayla.

Kayla… Aravi wanted to believe her. She wasn’t just talk, was she? The scars that covered the other woman’s body proved that she’s seen the ugly side of life. She knows what werewolves do. She’s always been so open… unless she’s an excellent liar… No. This secret says with me. The only other person that knows is Kharjo. She’s never told anyone else. And anyone that’s seen her wolf is likely dead.

Posted by: Grits Nov 27 2013, 11:27 PM

Another hour. Perhaps I might take the time to examine those bat-creatures. Darnand did not recall a description that would match them in his Field Guide to Wildlife of the Southern Holds. He had to admit that such texts were sometimes incomplete, the authors’ intellectual curiosity often leading to their early demise.

From the look of the broken furnishings they had passed Darnand hypothesized that the Falmer had taken over this cavern system fairly recently. There had been no buildup of scat under the flyers’ roosting spot, and the large number of spider nestlings indicated a new colony whose population had not adjusted to match incoming prey species.

Kayla reclaimed Darnand’s attention as she recounted her killing of a friend-turned-werewolf. She seemed distressed by the recollection. Darnand felt the urge to press on alone into the Falmer hive rather than attempting to console a mostly naked female who had just kissed him. Such matters were far outside his area of expertise. He shifted his feet.

Salyan spoke to Kayla, earning Darnand’s gratitude. “You look out for those close to you even if it’s sometimes against your better judgement; just what people do.”

Darnand found himself slowly nodding his agreement. “One’s friends are the family one makes for oneself,” he murmured. “Affection and discernment do not always coincide.” Memories of dark deeds and impossible decisions shifted in that hollow place where he kept them quiet. With an effort he left them sleeping. He wondered if Kayla had lost anyone close to her when her friend rampaged through their village. Other than the involuntary werewolf himself.

Salyan spoke again.

“Hmm?” Darnand replied. “Yes, soul gems.” He patted the shoulder bag. “We have collected a fair amount of energy, but I am equipped to capture twice what we have acquired thus far. I should like to continue, when we are ready.” He glanced at Aravi for confirmation.


.

Posted by: King Coin Nov 28 2013, 03:06 AM

Darnand caught her eye.

“Yes, we should make the most of this expedition. As much as I would like to turn around and go to the surface, if we don’t fill those we would just have to go somewhere else.” With less help probably.

Finding Kayla alive relieved a great deal of her worry, but Vera’s eye still weighed on her mind.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Nov 28 2013, 11:58 PM

"There's no point backing out now," Salyan nodded with agreement with Aravi. "Though I think that as soon as we've got enough soul gems we should call it quits; most of this expedition seems to have been nothing more than an exercise in us getting our backsides kicked. Though I suppose that, if nothing else, this cave might have run out of unpleasant surprises."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Nov 30 2013, 03:04 AM

Kayla felt guilty. She stared at the fire, sparks flying up as a log shifted. If it wasn't for her being slow and getting shot, the expedition might have gone better. She frowned at her armor, deep in thought.

The chitin on the armor itself is very strong, but the arrow had just happened to pierce between the seams...any heavier and I'll have to wear steel, and I can't do steel. I need flexibility. But if I'm so clumsy, why not hide behind a wall of armor?

Another log shifted, snapping Kayla back to the present. She scooted Dawnbreaker closer and thought back to the Wobbly Goblet. She wondered how well Irvana was getting along, and if Westley and Ylenno had stuck around. She'd missed both Westley and Ylenno, and Irvana was a new friend she was glad to have. Abiene was very kind as well, and Kayla looked forward to getting to know her better. Salyan seemed nice enough as well, if not a bit quiet and guarded. But Kayla understood that. She was among strangers, in a cave, and there had been injuries. She was serious as well.

"If everyone agrees, then I'm with you on heading back as soon as we have enough soul gems. I think we all could use a hot bath." She made a groaning noise. "Gods, a hot bath would be fantastic. I will never take them for granted again." She pulled her knees closer and rubbed her calves.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Nov 30 2013, 07:37 PM

The mention of werewolves had caught Vera's attention easily like a roasting piece of meat or the prospect of money. Apparently Kayla had encountered a werewolf and lived to tell about it, and even had scars as evidence. Vera could related. She's faced werewolves before, and had invisible scars. Not all wounds were physical.

Lycanthropic legends were just that. Legends. They were creatures so rare that most who tried looking for them never found what they were searching for. When one tends to transform into a giant murderous hound, there is no choice but to keep such fact a secret.

Kayla's friend was sixteen when it happened. It was rare. A good number of the infected are adults. Young adolescents and children typically die in an encounter. Her first transformation came at the age seventeen in her family's crypt countless years ago. It was a curse to become such thing as a young age.

As if I didn't have a thousand pounds of burden on my shoulders already.

The altmer explained what occurred between her and her friend and the aftermath of his rampage through the village. She's been through a lot and Vera could see it. The scars weren't just the ones decorating her exterior. Life screwed her over and she fights every day to defy it. Her grandfather's words echoed true: Grab life by the throat and make it squeal.

"Call me crazy, or stupid, but had he told me he was infected, or he was already turned, I would've still been his friend. I was there when he got arrested for beating up a guard."

Vera wished she never heard those words, for they forced her down and back through the wilderness of memories. Lycus had people who still tried to help him, to befriend him, only to be six feet under after their lives ended at the tip of claws and fangs. She wasn't any different. The truth was that those who try to tame fire will get burned, and those who try to befriend the force of nature will surrender to its whims, no matter how deadly.

Precisely the reason she makes no friends and forms no attachments. She wouldn't experience what she experienced the first year she was a werewolf. Never again. She wouldn't handle it.

“One’s friends are the family one makes for oneself."

Lycus was her only family. Her only friend. He's been a victim of pain and horror. He's had a broken youth and yet even though he was dragged to the depths of the despair he clawed inch by inch to the surface for that one breath of respite. He's been there and he's done that. Only he understands what she's been through and how to avoid repeating the same history again. Or try.

She looked at everyone and nodded, rising to her feet. "Lets press forward," she said. "No sense in overstaying our welcome where we're food to those who live here." Behind her helmet, she smiled as she walked off into the deeper areas of the cave. "Lets get this movable feast on its way."

Posted by: King Coin Dec 1 2013, 05:13 PM

"If everyone agrees, then I'm with you on heading back as soon as we have enough soul gems. I think we all could use a hot bath." She made a groaning noise. "Gods, a hot bath would be fantastic. I will never take them for granted again."

“You will have to fight me for the first bath,” Aravi said with a smile. “We are leaving after this, whether or not we fill all of Darnand’s soul gems.” She had intended on filling all of them, but after everything that has befallen them, she was eager to leave as well.

An hour passed quickly and Kayla announced her armor was dry.
"Lets press forward," Vera said. "No sense in overstaying our welcome where we're food to those who live here."

Vera lead the way and said something behind her helmet that Aravi didn’t catch. She didn’t ask the mercenary to repeat herself either.

They took the high path this time, which curved back towards the large chamber with the waterfall. They passed through another narrow passage, and found themselves in an area that looked like an old Imperial fortress. Cut stone made up the walls. A path lead forward and another turned right.

Keeping her voice low, Aravi said to the others, “The path forward goes nowhere. There is a timber bridge that spans across the dead end. I don’t see anything moving.”

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any.

Posted by: Grits Dec 1 2013, 08:01 PM

Darnand followed Aravi and Vera, keeping his soul trap spell at the ready. If this was to be their last chance to capture energy he did not wish to miss any opportunity.

They reached an open area where a wall of dressed stone had been broken through. Darnand silently agreed with Aravi’s assessment. The foundation of an old fort. Someone has connected this cave system to the Imperial structure.

Darnand turned his attention to the building’s interior. A long bar stood along one side, and tables and chairs lay in disarray down the center. He saw no sign of spider webs, chaurus eggs, or the bizarre totems that the Falmer placed about their dwellings.

Aravi spoke. “The path forward goes nowhere. There is a timber bridge that spans across the dead end. I don’t see anything moving.”

Darnand supposed that Aravi would not be satisfied until she checked the dead end. Leadership came with responsibility, and Aravi seemed to be feeling its weight. He stepped into the ruined structure, glancing around and careful of his footing.

The chamber continued beyond, he could not see how far. Darnand stopped. It would be foolish to— “Hurk!” The breath left his body in a rush as he hit the stone floor. Something was dragging him toward the next chamber by the legs. Rolling simply pinned his arms in a sticky mesh. It had come from thin air and somehow trapped him. What the f—

When he spotted the creature, even his thoughts ceased for an instant. It was a chaurus. A big one. And he was being rapidly drawn toward its mandibles.

“Gods,” he gasped, flopping like a fish. “Look at those maxillae!”

Juice drooled from its maw and dripped over the jagged, chitinous fangs.

“Help!,” Darnand yelped. “Anyone, help!”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 1 2013, 08:29 PM

Vera didn't see anything moving either but she was alert for the slightest movement. What she saw of the Falmer earlier she saw none of it here. In the thick darkness the chamber was barren and seemingly lifeless and quiet as the grave.

This is pointless. Not even a bug to soul capture.

She held her tongue. She wouldn't give the group an earful of complaints. Some of them disliked her already. Rubbing salt in the small wounds wouldn't help. She looked around, and sighed with growing impatience. She stopped at her tracks and searched around. Darnand and Aravi were behind her, as was Salyan and Kayla.

This is going nowhere.

"Hurk!"

Vera heard the sound as soon as it hit her ears and she whirled behind her. It took seconds for her vision to adjust to the darkness and what she saw prompted her to unsheathe the blade from her boot; Darnand was being dragged away to another chamber by a chitinous creature. She only saw the front of the legs pulling the frightened Breton away.

The huntress took to foot. Frustration, annoyance, pain from her wound had inspired her to run faster than she should have. Even though she was cased in armor, she ran as fast as a person who was wearing a layer of cloth. Her boots rang and echoed through the chamber walls, bouncing off of them along with Darnand's scream. She pounced into the chamber to where the creature was.

She's just about had it with these pests. Anymore and she would go crazy. As if she wasn't already . . .

Vera tailed Darnand's flailing hands and jumped. Her leap took her over the Breton and right above the over-sized charrus. She wasn't strong enough to bring it down entirely but she stabbed away at the creature with violent abandon. Her combat dagger digging into the creature's shell, though her primary aim was the eyes.

She poked through the eyes and tried to dig her dagger into its jaws. Maybe she could ruin its appetite.

The charrus, having enough, released Darnand and moved with such quickness that Vera was flung off its back and to the sticky floor nearby. Her blade wasn't in her hands. It was still stuck in the flesh of the charrus just near its mouth.

Vera searched for her spare knives as she confronted the growing pain in her eye and the blow the impact her done to her.



Posted by: Colonel Mustard Dec 3 2013, 10:11 PM

The time needed for Kayla's armour to dry out passed quickly, and they set out once more. Salyan stayed towards the rear as they traversed the narrow passages and entered what looked like subterranean ruins. A cellar that had broken through into the caves, perhaps? It had to be; the alternative, that the caves had grown up around this ruin, was too far fetched for Mundus.

They stopped by a rope bridge, and as Aravi tested its weight something grabbed Darnand from nowhere, a sticky organic net that dragged him to the floor. Salyan gave a gasp of shock as she saw the stuff attached to the mandibles of another Chaurus, a gigantic specimen of razor fangs, chitin hide gleaming slick in the light.

Vera leapt forwards in a split second, stabbing her dagger into the beast's head. That was enough for it to release its hold and a jerk of its head sent Vera flying away. Enraged by its injuries, the creature turned to pounce on the prone huntress.

Plucking the correct strings on her lyre, Salyan sent a fear spell racing towards it, a bolt of noise that sounded like a pressed scream and a whimper. It hit the Chaurus, and it jerked bolt upright as if hit by lightning, casting about it as if only just seen some hitherto unknown threat and scuttling back into the darkness.

Salyan hurried forwards, drawing her knife and beginning to cut Darnand free of the sticky web.

"That fear spell won't last forever," she said. "As soon as it wears off it'll be back; we need to get ready."

Posted by: King Coin Dec 4 2013, 06:04 AM

Aravi eased the tension on her bow. It’s gone.

“That fear spell won't last forever. As soon as it wears off it'll be back; we need to get ready.”


She brought the bow back up, pointed in the direction the beast went. “Anyone hurt?” Her question was directed more towards Vera. Darnand seemed to have been lucky.

Why does it always have to be spiders and chaurus?

She heard a sound and she drew the arrow to its full extension. "I think it's coming back, get ready!"

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 5 2013, 01:40 AM

Kayla drew Dawnbreaker, grateful that the glow was dull instead of bright. She hadn't quite figured out the exact mechanics behind the brightness, but at the moment, she was glad. The skittering beast was dealt with quickly, and the warming potion she had drank earlier was wearing off. She knelt, keeping her eyes trained on where the charrus has disappeared, and reached inside her bag, fumbling for potions.

When her hand closed around the correct one, she popped the cork and quickly drank it, coughing. she needed to work on the taste. Warmth and energy flooded her limbs seconds later, just in time for the chittering sound that signaled an attack to be heard.

"Get read-ACK!"

A drop of venom hit her cheek as the charrus spat at her. She hissed in pain and wiped it off. She tossed a light spell at it, hitting it square in the face. It reared up, clearly visible to anyone who wasn't aware of it before.

"Kill it!" She tossed a fireball at its underbelly, making it screech in pain.

Posted by: Grits Dec 7 2013, 03:44 PM

Darnand scrambled to his feet, tugging at the remains of the chaurus snare. While he had been focusing on a spell that might dissolve the material at the expense of his robes and possibly some skin, Salyan had simply cut him free.

“Thank you.” He sent a soul trap at the fleeing creature. “I am uninjured.”

Vera had been flung to the stone floor, but she was moving in a way that suggested she was ignoring her pains. Kayla greeted the returning chaurus with fire. It reared up with a tooth-shattering screech and turned on its rear legs. Arcane fire lit up its shape as it skittered away into the ruin.

“That should alert the others,” Darnand said.

Kayla had been recovered alive, and their return route through the caverns was probably still clear. This wrecked tavern area made a good fallback position if they should discover more Falmer than they could take on at once. It would be difficult to tell Falmer from allies if he relied on life detection magic for his sight, and having one’s soul snared was an unnerving experience even if it was not wrenched away by the spell. He did not wish to accidentally trap his friends’ souls.

A moment’s hasty reflection confirmed that he really did not have a black soul gem in his possession. Still, it was best to be certain and avoid hitting them with his traps.

Darnand cast a night-eye spell and followed the chaurus.

The ruin included a tower that had likely sunk into the cavern system as the ground beneath it subsided. A gem in his bag hummed as he dashed up the circular stairway. The chaurus had succumbed to its wounds.

At the top the stone wall had been opened again. Darnand stepped past the smoking chaurus hulk and into another natural cave. He knelt in an alcove-like area, looking out into a vast cavern. He could see benches and tables, an area set up for weapon and armor repair, and a large, fenced in pit with a stream running through it.

Adjacent to the pit there were a number of flat-topped cages. They looked big enough to contain frost trolls.

“Interesting,” Darnand said softly to himself. “A fighting pit. I have seen such a place before.”


Posted by: King Coin Dec 7 2013, 05:14 PM

A quick fireball from Kayla saved Aravi her arrow. The creature screeched and retreated. The now familiar soul trap spell showed that Darnand was back on his feet, uninjured.

“That should alert the others.”

Aravi nodded in agreement, but said nothing. As their small group crept farther along, a gem in Darnand’s bag indicated that the chaurus died. One less to worry about, she thought thankfully.

They entered another cave, and Aravi’s heart sank. They were up on a stone shelf, and below them was a ringed pit with a fence around it. In the middle of the pit was an enormous chaurus. Eggs were attached to the walls around it. Smaller chaurus were in attendance around it. These at least were smaller than the ones she normally encountered, with smaller mandibles. A heavily armored falmer stood close by. Aravi knew from experience that it would be a tough opponent. One of their mages was nearby too, ice covered the end of its staff indicating a frost enchantment.

Several other falmer were in the cave too, but these wore the more typical loincloth. They would be a challenge only if they manage to surround their party. There is enough of them that they could if we are not careful.

She looked around at the rest of the cave. The first thing she noticed were large iron cages. They were situated outside of the pit where most of the falmer were. They looked strong enough to hold a bear or a sabre cat. A key was stuck in one of the locks.

The second thing she noticed was three falmer tunnels in the pit area. That must have been how they got in. The tunnels were too small for any of them to fit. It wasn’t like she wanted to explore them either.

The third thing she noticed was the scent of fresh air. There was an exit nearby. After this, they could leave and make their way back to Cyrodiil.

“None of them know we are here yet. We should come up with a plan and take them by surprise,” She whispered to the others.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Dec 7 2013, 05:43 PM

Salyan blanched in shock as she saw the immense Chaurus and the gathering of Falmer that surrounded it. Her gaze darted over the scene for a few moments, taking it all in before she retreated back into concealment with the rest of the group.

None of them know we are here yet. We should come up with a plan and take them by surprise," Aravi said.

"I can hit the big one with a frenzy spell," Salyan said. "Something that size would be sure to give the others a lot of trouble while it lasts. The only issue is that mage should be able to dispel it before it can do any damage; if we want that plan to work, we'd need to take them out of the fight first."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 7 2013, 05:50 PM

"Hit them at the same time," Kayla suggested in a whisper. "Someone count a signal, and Vera or Aravi hit the mage, and Darnand or Salyan hit them with the spell."

Kayla herself wasn't above jumping into the fray, but that was reckless, and there were others with her.

Posted by: Grits Dec 8 2013, 01:42 AM

Darnand nodded. “Salyan, if you would cast the frenzy spell? I am certain that yours surpasses mine in strength. I shall concentrate on trapping as much energy as I am able. It is an excellent idea for you archers to target the spell-casters. Let us take a moment to find cover.”

Darnand positioned himself so that he could flatten to the ground quickly enough to evade the slower-moving Destruction spells he had seen Falmer use. He would not be able to duck ice spikes or their shock spells, and his Birthsign weakened him to magical attacks despite the protective charms he wore. The hair on his arms stood up in dreadful anticipation.

“If we are ready?” He glanced around to be sure that they were before drawing the soul trap to his hand. “On my count, let us proceed on one. Three, two, one!”

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Dec 8 2013, 04:56 PM

On Darnand's count, Salyan leaned out, channelled her magicka, plucked the tone she needed and cast her frenzy spell. It buzzed forwards, rage made sonic, and hit the Chaurus in the abdomen.

It shrieked, thrashing at its attendant insects, pulping several of the smaller ones with sweeps of its legs. Rising up an immensity of chitin and fury, it grabbed at another Chaurus with the razor curves of its mandibles and sheared it in two, yellow ichor dripping from the severed halves. It charged at a group of the Falmer who were attending it, huge pincers snapping as its bulk hit the loincloth-clad degenerate elves, biting and gnashing with berserk abandon.

Posted by: King Coin Dec 8 2013, 06:15 PM

“Three, two, one!”


The arrow she had been holding at the ready was released. A breath later, the falmer mage was knocked to the ground by the force of Aravi’s arrow.

As Aravi drew back another arrow to be sure the mage was finished, the enormous chaurus Salyan frenzied saved her the effort by putting one of its legs through the mage’s abdomen. She eased the pressure on her bowstring and watched a moment. It was too soon to tell where she should send her arrows.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 10 2013, 04:55 AM

Kayla watched in silent glee as her suggestion was turned into a reality. She clapped Salyan on the back, grinning.

"You're a genius with that instrument! Aravi! You're a godsdamned dead-eye!" She surveyed the rest of the cave, the fresh air rushing in giving her brain more oxygen and lifting her spirits. She surveyed the cave while the giant Charrus thrashed about, looking for more victims. She nudged Darnand and pointed to a precariously-perched boulder above the Charrus.

"How much force would that take? I can climb up there and push it onto the Charrus if the group can keep it occupied. Unless someone else has a suggestion?"

Posted by: Grits Dec 10 2013, 10:02 PM

Salyan’s spell hit the chaurus with magnificent results. Darnand’s world narrowed to the frenzied queen and her panicked subjects. Each soul trap must hit its mark at the correct time. Too soon and his will would stay bound up in the spell while the untargeted casualties mounted. Too late and the soul’s energy was already released and wasted. He slipped into his battle state, all concerns set aside as he focused on the task at hand.

Someone gave him a nudge.

“How much force would that take? I can climb up there and push it onto the Charrus if the group can keep it occupied. Unless someone else has a suggestion?”

It was Kayla. Darnand blinked at her for a moment while he gathered his wits. She was speaking of a boulder balanced above the thrashing queen.

A gem hummed inside his bag. He quickly assessed the situation.

“I am no terramancer, but it does not appear from here that the structural integrity of the ceiling depends upon that rock.”

He blinked at Kayla again.

“That is to say, go ahead if you wish. Oh, and I should like to collect a few of those eggs when we are finished. As many as we can carry comfortably. We should burn the rest.”

A silent check of his magicka reserve informed Darnand that he was low, and the floating sensation in his head was a sign he should not consume any more potions. The big chaurus looked like she had some fight left. Darnand shuddered to think of finding himself in close quarters with such a beast. He prepared to trap her fading energy before she died. She would provide a great deal of power. He must not miss.


Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 11 2013, 01:51 AM

Vera held her hand above her helmet, her head one big annoying daze. The creature scurried off into the tunnels and Darnand was right behind it after the overgrown insect. The group went after it and she trailed behind them like a wounded pup.

Whatever those giant bats bones were made off, it wasn't a natural element. She wasn't healing naturally like she should have. Steel, iron and mundane metals could cut her but they would close. Silver, daedric or otherwise . . . that's something different.

Vera looked down on her fingers. When these turn into claws, they are just as strong as any enchanted weapon. Perhaps the bat's winged talons are too?

She reached the end of the tunnel to see the enormous beast and her nest, with Falmer in their company. Aravi whispered of a plan. Salyan voted to put the creature's mind into a frenzied state. Darnand suggested they take cover and concentrate their arrows on the mage, who's arcane abilities could dispel the Imperial's.

What captured her interest was that the area had cages made for large beasts . . . sort of how she remembered Lycus telling her when he was once detained in his wolf form. It was meant to contain large predators. Opposite of it was an area made to hold weapons. Nothing these gangrel pests could come up with. It was made by intelligent people . . .

Like humans.

Aravi took out the mage, Darnand cast his spells and Salyan did her work. After the damage was done, Kayla proposed to push a boulder located high above the charrus, inquiring about how much would it take.

Vera didn't wait. "I'll do it."

If anyone had the strength, she had. Sure, her counterpart could battle a sabrecat barehanded and hold off a tree trunk from crushing him in a rainstorm. But she had the strength of three men combined. She could do it.

It was the least she could do.

Vera jumped into a full run as the charrus continued to screech about. She jumped and climbed to where the boulder was. It didn't seem too heavy. But she didn't waste anytime pondering on the exact weight. With the group busy and the charrus still at large, there was no time for subtlety.

Vera stretched her arms and clawed at the stone with both her hand and began to push. She took one step forward, and then another, and another. Straining with all of her strength and the enormous boulder began to move and roll.

As ever, she was in a world of pain. The pressure seemed to rise to her head and she felt her eye hurt even more.

I need to heal. I need to fix this right away.

With one heavy shove, she pushed the large rock onto the gargantuan creature. The stone crashed, crushing the charrus to the floor. Vera heard the wonderful music of rock crushing insect, almost like how she use to run around stomping grasshoppers as a child. The charrus didn't make so much as another sound.

"Okay!" Vera shouted, trying to blink away the pain behind her helmet. "The six-legged son of a bitch is dead."

Posted by: King Coin Dec 11 2013, 04:20 PM

The boulder Kayla spotted came crashing down on the giant chaurus. The creature’s tough chitin would have turned aside their weapons, but it was no match for the crushing weight of the rock. With a final screech, its movements ceased.

That went a lot better than I expected. Considering how events went before this.

She held her bow for a moment longer, waiting for any sign of movement. When there was none, the arrow returned to its quiver, and the bow was replaced by a dagger.

“Darnand, how many did you get filled?”

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Dec 11 2013, 08:41 PM

The one frenzy spell was surprisingly effective, sending the huge chaurus rampaging through its lesser brethren, and the sniping of Aravi and Darnand's spellcasting was enough to thin their ranks before Vera somehow gathered together the strength to shove an entire rock on top of the giant insect. After that, the chamber fell silent, charnal stillness filling the room.

"Well," Salyan said after a few moments. "That went better than expected."

"Darnand, how many did you get filled?" Aravi asked.

"It have better have been enough," Salyan added. "Otherwise I will not be happy."

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 12 2013, 11:46 PM

The huntress' arms trembled, her eye bulged, her stomach felt weak and still her body endured. Her mind, however, was flirting with thoughts of the hunt. As Aravi exchanged words with Darnand, and Salyan expressing her impatience, Vera turned her attention to one corner of the chamber.

Her ears naturally perked up, picking up faint sounds in the close distance along the caverns. She didn't think the group heard it, but she did loud and clear. Without saying a word to the others, she took the liberty to investigate further. She did so by pacing around, looking at the ground and "investigating" the dead inhabitants. But as she got closer to one of the tunnels she was able to discern voices. Voices that belonged to men and women, not creatures.

"I'm telling you. I heard it. It sounded like a woman to me and a man screaming."

" . . . That means those pale goblins are dead?"

"Don't know. But whoever is in there we'll take em' out. We got more folks this time."

"As long as I get a good percentage off of our next target."


"Shut up. We want to be the ones who surprise them this time. Whatever or whoever they are. What's in there won't come out."

Vera removed her helmet from her head and gently held it by her hip. The tangles of her hair almost forcing her to shake her head but the pain in her socket wouldn't allow it.

At least she had her ears.

Vera searched around the area, eyeing each cage, each table, cup and chair and an instant realization hit her like a warhammer. This is was an outlaw's hideout before they were expelled, she thought. Now they're here to take it back . . . full force.

Vera hurried to the mouth of the tunnel and went further in. Her eye couldn't see them from too far but she could hear the sound of their boots and their armor. It sounded almost like an army. There might have been a dozen of them or more.

The sounds were the same as when she was being hunted by the Legion and a very persistent man who invaded her sister's shop many, many years ago.

We can't fight all of these people, Vera told herself. By the Huntsman, I can't even do it . . . not in this state.

Kayla had a good beating. Aravi, as lithe as she was, would not be able to hold off all these men at once. Salyan could try and melt their ears off, but that probably wouldn't do much good anyway. Darnand . . . he can only cast his spells for so long.

Me and my partial blindness? I'd be on a leash at Hircine's already. I should've saved that boulder for later.

She would have the fight of her life unless her injuries were treated promptly; the pain was sapping her strength at a steady rate. Throbbing pangs spread from her socket to the side of her face, pulsing with every beat of her heart.

I haven't shifted. The full moon isn't for another two weeks.

Logic said: There is only one way to fix this eye of yours.

The Beast whispered: There is prey about. Did you taste of their flesh? Drink of their blood? Why wait?

Vera murmured: "Damn it."

The Imperial hurried back to the group that were just a few feet away from the back entrance of the tunnel.

Now, with the thought of hunt and the prospect of flesh, her skin felt hot and feverish, despite the chills that set her body quaking. She looked at the cages, and then she looked at Aravi. She's the only one in this chamber capable of doing what I do. She's the only one who has the gift.

But could she turn? Right here and now and kill her friends under the command of her hunger? She doubted it. Aravi couldn't do it. She wouldn't kill a friend to survive. I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to turn here either and kill them . . . I'd doubt she'd paid me after their remains are all over the place.

She had to admit they were formidable in their own right and they did more to help and much less to hinder. That, by right, meant they at least deserved another chance at life.

Then she saw the cages, and the sounds of the boots hitting the cavern floor and their distant whispers seemed ever so close. Time was running out.

Vera marched over to Aravi, grabbed her by the shoulder and pointed at the tunnels. "We're in a bit of a problem here," she whispered. "There are people. Armed people. They're heading our way and they won't feel a second's hesitation to kill us where we stand. They're trying to take this place back."

Vera's head fed her images of Salyan, Kayla, and Darnand lying in a pool of blood, with meat and innards . . . and then she imagined the bodies of the faceless bandits.

She took in a deep breath. She looked at two humans and the High Elf. "If you value your lives I want you three to get in those cages and lock yourselves in them. I want you to do it now."

Salyan's words echoed in her head: You look out for those close to you even if it’s sometimes against your better judgment; just what people do.

Then Kayla's words mimicked in the caverns of her brain: Call me crazy, or stupid, but had he told me he was infected, or he was already turned, I would've still been his friend.

Aravi and Kayla were close, and Salyan and Darnand were too. Ever since that friendly snowball fiasco, she knew they held each other close. They wouldn't reveal Aravi's secret, and if they truly valued their own lives, they wouldn't rat her secret either.

The blond lycanthrope turned to the feline, and with a much more gentle voice that befit one of kin, she said "I hate to admit it but we don't stand a chance unless we turn. Trust me on this."

She swallowed gathering puddle of saliva. "Channel your hatred, your fury and all your hunger toward whatever comes through that tunnel."

Vera slid off a gauntlet from her hand and tossed it aside by a rock. She closed her eye. She didn't think Aravi would refuse, but time was running out. She would rather kill them all than be a prisoner or worse. "Hircine, guide and father of us all, grant us strength, speed and guile. Smile upon our desire for blood, and sate it. Set me loose on my enemies."






Posted by: King Coin Dec 13 2013, 12:22 AM

A hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked, spinning her around.

“Hey-“

Vera ignored her protest and delivered the worst news imaginable. She looked around, and saw exactly what Vera meant. This used to be a very large hideout. Its location was perfect and the space in here made it valuable. You could fit a lot of people and material in here.

What in Oblivion are we going to do?? We can’t fight them. We can’t outrun them.

Vera had the answer for that too. It took Aravi a moment to realize what the woman was suggesting. She’s a werewolf? How did she know I was…?

There wasn’t enough time to sit and talk about it.

She turned to the other three. “Do what she says. Those cages over there, lock yourselves in them. We…” She looked over her shoulder at Vera, who was in the process of removing her armor. “We are werewolves. There is an army of bandits and outlaws coming. Too many to fight. We will transform and deal with them, but as beasts, we won’t be able to distinguish between you and them.”

That was a lie really. The beast could tell, it just didn’t care…

“Please hurry, we don’t have much time.”

Posted by: Grits Dec 13 2013, 01:18 AM

Darnand watched astonished as Vera single-handedly pushed the boulder over the edge. By the Nine, she possesses the strength of a dremora! He wondered what enchantments she might be wearing.

“We have filled all of the largest gems,” he answered Aravi’s question. “If we come upon a nest of skeevers their energy will not be wasted, but we have filled enough even of the smaller gems.” He grinned at Salyan, relieved that the fight had concluded without the need for grave-digging. Or cairn building in this sort of place. “I hope you will not be displeased. Our expedition has been a success.”

Darnand immediately thought of Vera’s ruined eye. Perhaps he had sounded a little too jovial to one who had suffered such a loss. He turned to apologize but found her no longer with the group.

Fresh air drifted in from the back of the pit, but Darnand doubted that an exit would have been left unsecured lest whatever had been contained in the cages simply trot out the back door once released. Though it would be worth checking.

However he had a few more tasks in mind before they sought egress.

“Kayla, your ideas have produced favorable results. Have you a suggestion as to harvesting chaurus eggs without becoming thoroughly enslimed?”

Then Vera returned with death in her eye, and the world seemed to slide sideways.

Werewolves? Vera and Aravi?

Aravi looked shocked for an instant. Then she turned to them and spoke. Her voice had never sounded so sweet to Darnand nor had her features ever looked so refined. Werewolf.

“Please hurry, we don’t have much time.”

“One of the cages has a key,” Darnand said to Salyan and Kayla. “I suggest we run.”


.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 13 2013, 02:21 AM

Kayla's breath caught in her throat. Her mind flashed back to the memory of Domas running after her, and the sword in her own hand piercing his chest. She knew her face looked horrified. Darnand said something, and it sounded foggy. She blinked, then looked back at Aravi.

"Give me your bow and arrows." She said numbly. "I'll cover you from the cages, if any leak in. I don't know the plan. I just don't know the plan."

She was panicking, but she couldn't let Aravi know that. She suddenly gave Aravi's hand a firm squeeze.

"Be safe. Please." She said before roughly grabbing Salyan's arm and Darnand's arm in each hand and running towards the cages. The key was found on a nearby untouched stool, and they were locked in.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 13 2013, 02:41 AM

"We are werewolves."

Three words. That's all it took. Three words to reveal her most sacred, deepest, darkest secret she's maintained for many years now. First it was Abiene, now it was four others who learned of her true nature.

“One of the cages has a key. I suggest we run.” Darnand warned Salyan and Kayla. Vera didn't stop to see them run. She wanted her focus to be entirely on the prey that mattered; the bandits.

"I suggest you pray." Vera murmured. Yeah, like praying to the gods ever done any good before. "For those bandits, I mean."

She laughed, almost at her own strange jest. Her professional attitude almost evaporated completely, replaced by her typical day-off nature. She didn't think she was too fearful of a group of bandits. She's handled worse before.

Are you scared, Vera? You shouldn't be. Its wolves and sheep. Wolves and sheep. Wolves and sheep!

Vera loosened the belt around her waist and dropped it near the helmet. She slipped out of her heavy cuirass and set it aside, breathing deeply now that the weight had been lifted from her. She then bent over and unstrapped her obsidian grieves and boots and padded leggings, sliding them from her legs.

Around her naked body where bruises and small cuts and wounds that began to slowly heal with the passing minute. Her obvious injures seem painted over a well-muscled body of a warrior; her abdominals were decently but not overly sculpted. Her shoulders weren't broad to exaggerated proportion but visibly strong. Her legs, red from the pressure of her boots and grieves, were too strong for any Cyrodiilic woman of noble birth. But many years of running- both after prey and from hunters-conditioned them to perfection.

She didn't ponder too much on Darnand possibly eyeing her physical private areas. It wasn't her first time being seen by men naked. Anything wouldn't compare to waking up a morning in Skyrim's wilderness nude and huddled next to a long-haired male stranger with no clothes and an inspired manhood.

He fell in love with my backside from that day forward. Can't blame him.

She casually loosened her hair and caressed the yellow strands down to the back of her head and just as casually unclasped her huntsman's vest covering her breast. They, along with the other clothes, dropped to the ground.

Kayla's heart was beating at a rapid pace as she fearfully grasped Kayla's hand. She then ran off with Darnand and Salyan. Vera's lips drew into a grin.

Prey always run and hide in their little dens.

"Don't look so downcast," there was an optimistic tone in her voice as she directed her words to Aravi. She smiled, with a good-spirited heart, for what may even have been the first time to a temporary employer. She didn't want to think too much on her secret being unveiled. There was a time to complain and murmur about it later. As for now, she would engage in her ultimate hobby and way of life. Who says one can't survive and have a thrill out of it at the same time? She deserved a bit of self-humor once and awhile to help ease her daily pains. "This is going to be sporting. You like to hunt, don't you?"

Vera cast her head back, massaging her scalp and craning her neck to the side. "This will be fun like . . . " her words trailed off. "Playing in the snow with your friends and throwing snowballs."

Her tone was thick with excitement and an odd, peculiar playfulness. She added a slight whisper. "They'll be safe in the cages."

She walked off slowly, step by step, toward one of the corners, a bit further from the cages. "A shame they won't share our, well, at least my sense of fun but . . . this is something reserved for a select few."

Her own heart was beating hard, and then it began to swell. Her mind pumped in new, bestial thoughts that would overpower the conscious mind of a woman. Soon, her mind would not belong to her. It was a frightening thought. One she tried to cast aside by singing. Time with the Companions had that effect on one.

Salyan should play her lyre for me.

"Oh, there once was a few bandits named Outlaws the Dead Who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead! And the braggarts did swagger and brandish their blades as they told of bold battles and gold they had made. But then they went quiet, did Outlaws the Dead when they met the brave huntress Vera, who said; 'Oh, you think you're so tough and you're full that speed, now I think it's high time that you roll over and bleed!' And so then came slashing of claw and steel as the brave lass Vera charged in, full of zeal. And the braggarts named Outlaws was boastful no more! When their entrails and heads flopped around on the floor!"

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Dec 13 2013, 12:47 PM

It took three words, two minutes and one swift action on Kayla's part to completely rock the foundations of their small group's dynamic.

Aravi and Vera were lycanthropes, and they smelt trouble coming; suddenly the group was in danger, more from two of their own than the approaching bandits. The revelation from Aravi and Vera was enough to send Kayla into a full-on panic, and Salyan and Darnand were grabbed and practically dragged into the protection of the cages. Kayla locked it behind them, Aravi's bow in hand. She looked tense, immensely wary, probably residual shock from being forced to remember what she had done to the last werewolf she had met.

Ignoring the jokes that Vera was making, Salyan turned her attention to Kayla, taking her hand.

"Kayla," she said, making sure she kept steady eye contact with the Altmer. "I know you're afraid, but you need to stay calm. We're going to get through this alright, I promise you that. We will all survive this, and when we're done all will be well, but we need you to be calm and for you to be in control. Aravi and Vera will need that bow and they'll need a steady hand and mind behind it. Alright?"

She gave Kayla an encouraging smile.

"Come on, I know you can do this."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 13 2013, 07:14 PM

Kaylas eyes were wide as Salyan's voice, thick and sluggish, wormed its way into her ears. Why was she talking so slow? Or was her hearing distorted? Everything seemed hypersensitive, her senses overloading as she went into nearly full-blown panic.

"Calm. Right." She said, her eyes still wide and owlish with fear and nerves. Werewolves! And they're going to eat those men!

She numbly dug through her bag as she kept one eye on the two lycanthrope women. On her knees, she dumped a few potions out, the thick bottles clattering onto the bars.

Two wolves yanking on the bars might not hold...stop it!

Again she saw her sword, but this time through Aravi's chest. She began to tremble hard, her hands barely able to uncork the calming potion bottle. Some spilled on the front of her armor (A vision of Vera slashing through her armor and delivering a killing blow) before she chugged the whole bottle.

"Calm. I'll be calm. For my friend." she said to herself, though her voice wasn't quiet. What little resolve she had was slipping. Whatever panicking instinct had told her to flee to the cages was telling her to run the hells out of there, the opposite way.

For the first time since she was sixteen, Kayla was truly afraid of, and for someone she loved.

Posted by: Grits Dec 13 2013, 09:32 PM

Darnand examined their cage from the inside, probing for weak points that a cave bear would have missed but an intelligent being might exploit. The hinges and locks seemed exceptionally solid. Even the metal floor was part of the cage. The knowledge did not stop his heart from pounding. What we are about to witness few have survived to describe.

Salyan spoke to Kayla in a calm tone. Darnand realized that their Elven friend was experiencing an attack of panic. His mind leapt immediately to the key to their cage. If Kayla let herself out they would all be killed. He expected that both of the werewolves would receive grievous wounds, since the situation seemed so dire that Vera had been willing to expose her condition. One or both of them might not recover. He knew little about lycanthropy or daedric healing. Darnand made himself accept the worst so that if it occurred he would have the strength to face it. He had no idea how to impart his resolve to Kayla.

Kayla dropped to her knees, dumping potions bottles onto the ground. She gulped a potion.

Darnand murmured to Salyan. “If anyone should approach our little fortress… that is to say any of the approaching mob… do you know a spell to immobilize them? Even if Kayla and I were to fall under it, I should think that would be preferable to, say, leaving the cage too early.” He gave her a significant glance before looking away.

“My magicka is spent,” he continued. “Kayla, do you have any poison of paralysis? Perhaps we might prepare a few arrows for you. Or even a dagger I might use should anyone reach through the bars. I believe we must trust in Aravi and Vera to look after themselves now. Our best way of helping them is to secure our own safety.”

Curiosity made his head burn, but Darnand kept his eyes away from Vera and Aravi as they prepared to transform. He knew Aravi to be a private person. Though modesty was certainly among the least of their concerns, at the moment it was the only thing he could offer.

He kept his voice even. “To that end, who has the key?”


Posted by: King Coin Dec 14 2013, 12:24 AM

Darnand’s face was neutral, a mask. She expected that from him. Kayla’s face however showed horror. She told herself it was a perfectly normal reaction to news like this. It made her feel sick. Salyan’s expression was similar to Darnand’s. Aravi couldn’t guess at what she was thinking. Kayla asked for her bow and quiver, and she wordlessly handed them over.

“Be safe. Please.”

“You too. Don’t open the door, no matter what happens to us. Keep it locked.”

She turned away from her friends. Vera was undressing and talking to any that would listen. Aravi could see the other woman was looking forward to this. The hunt was thrilling. She even enjoyed feasting on the flesh and blood of those her wolf hunted. She remembered the terrified faces, the taste of their blood, and the crunch of their bones. It made her sick.

Vera, already nude, started talking to her.
“Don’t look so downcast. This is going to be sporting. You like to hunt, don’t you? This will be fun like… playing in the snow with your friends and throwing snowballs. They'll be safe in the cages.”

“I hope they are,” was all she said. She took her Elven helmet off and dropped it next to Vera’s pile of armor and clothes. Modesty was the last thing on her mind, and she quickly stripped down. I hope they are.

She started breathing deeply. Vera’s singing was drown out by a rush. Her heart hammered in her chest. Fire poured into her veins, as the ancient magic started taking hold of her. A bone deep ache settled into her limbs. Her skin started tingling, then itched. Hearing and smell became more acute and her vision became less important as these new senses took over. Then the physical pain started as her body morphed into the shape of a terrible beast. She screamed in pain.

Her weight more than tripled as her bones took a new shape, elongating and thickening. Muscles grew in a matter of seconds. Her scream turned into a rumbling roar of agony.

When it was over, she was something else. Something built to kill.

She smelled the air. Blood and sweat was heavy in the air. And so was fear. It made her hungry.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 14 2013, 01:52 AM

"I can hear you!" Kayla said to Darnand, her voice sharper than she had meant it. She tapped her ears. "Elf ears, mage." The potion was beginning to work, unclenching her nerves and muscles. She slowly stood up, flinching a little as a scream ripped from Aravi. She handed Darnand the key.

"The potion will only last a half hour. There are several strong magicka potions in my bag, but don't make yourself sick." Her voice was beginning to sound more confident, despite hearing her friend's skin ripping from the change. She took a steadying breath.

"I'm fine. We need to keep quiet until they start attacking. We don't want to draw their attention to us."

[iIf we survive tonight,[/i] She thought, I will never be afraid of anything else.

She gave them an assured smile before picking up Aravi's bow and arrow, ready to pick off any straggling bandits.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 14 2013, 09:32 PM

Vera knew fear. She's seen it a lot; in the eyes of her bounties before the takes their life, in the eyes of her prey before she devours them. She's seen fear in her own eyes when gazing at her own reflection in the water. She understood exactly what Aravi's friend felt. She's been there.

Fear for and of a friend.

Just then, a few significant seconds before voluntarily triggering the physical metamorphosis of woman to monstrous wolf, she thought of a friend she never wanted to lose. Someone she couldn't bear to lose.

Praxedes was the best friend she ever had. A sister. The only sister.

“I hope they are,” Aravi says.

Sometimes, Aravi, hoping isn't enough. Sometimes hoping your loved one will come out of this safe won't guarantee their survival. I hoped. I lost. Not even in death will I see her again.

That was the penalty for people like them. Lions and wolves don't befriend the lambs. Try as they might, in the end there will be one standing and one dead. One way or another.

Vera traveled through time to once again see her sister's dead body beneath the ravine at her feet, a result of taking her own life in pain of what she had become, and to escape certain fate whilst choosing another.

All because I accepted my lot in life . . . and because she couldn't stay away from a loved one.

She frowned, deeply now. Her jaws tensed so that bones could be seen visibly through her skin. Beneath her professional and cynical demeanor, her callously cold treatment of others was a deeply disturbed soul. She knows it, Lycus knows it too. He's suffered more.

When she heard Salyan and Darnand comforting Kayla, she couldn't help but wonder how could Aravi make friends?

Allies is one thing. Friends is something deeper, like a lake. A lake that can drown one if he or she isn't careful.

I nearly drowned . . . and you might drown today, Aravi. Do you not despair?

She couldn't fathom the idea of forming relationships with her friend's kind. Kayla killed her friend. It was an act of survival, she couldn't blame her. If her friend was triumphant, she would be skipping along Auriel's feet taking a detour to Sovngarde. It always ends in death and either side always walk in torment, day by day, with grief clawing at their hearts and dark memories chewing in their minds and pushing them to the edge of insanity, and shoving them over.

All. The. Damn. Time.

If somehow she survives this and if Darnand, Kayla and Salyan don't . . . she had to admit their deaths wouldn't sting. If she died, she doubted they would care either. Because of the barrier she's placed. The only wall she could build to keep her from falling into the depths of that lake and drown in her despair.

Vera decided not to ponder on the past even if her mind tried to rebel against her accepted order of things. What has happened has happened. She wouldn't allow it to happen again.

Her eye was set on the entrance where the bandits would be coming through. Through their help, she would finally have her eye restored. She looked at Aravi and saw her already transforming.

Let the sport begin. I call first blood.

Vera accessed the deepest, most primal parts of her soul and called out to the power within her. A cold, mountain where she felt both hot in fury and cold in mawkish emotions. She brought forth that ancient, pure once-dormant power to light, and the rest was nothing but blackness. She felt the familiar heart-pains, the itching beneath the skin, the intense heat, the organs in her stomach realigning with the bones that served to protect and accommodate them.

In the throes of her disturbing change, her glassy amber eyes turned into feral yellow orbs. A canine snout protruded from her freshly scarred countenance, which was already healing itself with preternatural speed. Her open jaws gave room to sharp-pointed fangs made for tearing flesh and chewing apart bone. Her claws, as sharp as Hircine's spear, poked through her fingernails. Thick, black bristles sprouted from her skin and face at the same time and her mass grew and grew until Vera the huntress was no more, and in its place now was a large nearly seven-foot tall black werewolf. The mangled eye was half-healed by the surge of unnatural healing coursing through her.

The beast shook her hide, casting away bits of skin and yellow strips of hair. She bent low, sniffing the ground and then lifted her muzzle to catch the scent in the air.

She smelled it. It was good.

Nevermind the dead that littered the floor, or the insects. The lycanthrope saw prey. Live prey. A score of them coming through the tunnels. Her ears lifted and caught the ruckus the herd was making. She didn't understand them. Not entirely.

"You all heard that roar. Be on you guard. Draw your weapons."

" . . . I never heard anything like it. Whatever it is. Its big."

"Women. Crying. What in oblivion was that?"

The she-wolf turned to the other one, and sniffed once more. There was no indication there in her body language that suggested she was prey or a rival. But another hunter, seeking to fell the same game of the same herd.

She didn't roar as the other one did. She crept alongside the corners of the wall despite her enormous size. She blended in with the darkness, her fur veiled by the shadows of the chamber, away from the lit areas. She climbed the stone formation with her powerful claws and remained high above the tunnel, shoulders strong, eyes set, tail swift and tongue moistening her black lips.

Silent.

The herd marched through the cavern, weapons drawn, visibly alert and agitaed. She waited patiently and they once more made more noise.

"What the hell happened here?" one said before pointing his finger at something. "Who the hell are they?"

"Someone locked them in there." A woman said.

"Ain't no one here to lock em' in there. Who are you?"

More poured through the tunnel out into the open and when the werewolf saw further distress as one cried out "Werewolf!" at the other hunter, she leapt.

She jumped from the hiding place on the stone formation, eyes wide, jaws even wider and claws set for the kill. She tackled one of the men down, her weight effortlessly bringhing him down. Her teeth went for that one weak spot: the throat.

She bit down hard into the yelping prey and began to drag him away from the others, tugging violently at the squirming creature at her jaws. "Stendarr! Dibella! Kynareth! Akatosh! Gods! Gods! Mercy!"

Posted by: King Coin Dec 14 2013, 10:41 PM

The wolf looked back and saw prey… three of them. They didn’t run from her though. That was no fun. She turned her attention forward. Another wolf was with her this time, and her instincts directed her actions. They were pack now, with prey approaching. The other wolf darted to one side, she darted to the other, flanking them.

Then she waited as the herd came near. It was agitated, but they still came into the open. Her instincts were conflicted. Her muscles trembled with anticipation, but she waited for the other wolf to make its move, to announce their presence.

The herd came fully into the open, and a shout rang out, panic swept through them. That was the signal.

She let out a terrible roar that echoed off the walls. She loved it when the prey ran. She cut off the herd’s escape, moving between them and the exit, forcing them to run further into the cave instead of outside. She let out another roar and leapt onto her first victim's back. Her weight pushed it to the ground. It screamed until her jaws closed on its neck. Bones crushed and hot blood filled her mouth. It was dead, and there was more prey. Lots more.

She left the dead one and raced after the next, quickly overtaking it on all fours.

Posted by: Grits Dec 18 2013, 08:07 PM

Aravi’s scream turned into a fearsome roar. Darnand clenched his loosening bowels and kept his eyes on Kayla while she spoke. He willed his hand not to shake as he pocketed the key.

“Agreed,” Darnand replied to her remark. “It would be wise to avoid notice so as to allow the intruders and the werewo— our friends to focus their aggressions on one another. I believe I can cast through these bars, but I should not like to try it. And as you have already pointed out, I will be of no use at all in the throes of potion toxicity.”

And I should not like to explain a tragic result to Aravi’s mate. Nor would she wish to describe our deaths to our loved ones.

There was no sound from Vera. The implication frightened him more than Aravi’s roar. Darnand knelt in the stale straw and dried animal dung on the cage’s floor, unwilling to risk even a whisper. Vera is stalking something. By each of the Nine, I hope it is not we.

An armed group entered the cavern. “Who the hell are they?” someone called out.

“Werewolf!” cried another before Darnand had time to swear. The fight was on.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 20 2013, 01:06 AM

The beast killed the man, and as soon as she had attacked she had ran into the fray once again. In the torchlight she appeared almost a creature without substance, a dark shape composed of black and dark shadows. But her head was lowered and her ivory fangs gleamed in the falling torchlights.

Her strength was tremendous, her speed legendary. Centuries' worth of potent ancient blood contained within that single body, and all the access to the world's most savage, untamed magicks unknown to man, but known to only beast. Her eyes saw everything in the room, from the tallest creature to the smallest insect.

She pounced on another man whose armor was too much to keep him standing. Her jaws can break a man's thighbone, the longest, strongest bone in the entire body. She chomped her jaws on him as he squirmed for freedom. The spine snapped under her fangs. His death scream was one of horror.

The wolf tore into his skin, digging into his flesh until her eyes was fully healed, and her body strengthened for another night. That was until the prey bit back. The wolf felt a blow to her back and she whirled around with aggression to her attacker. An iron sword was driven into her fur, but it did nothing but infuriate her.

She pulled the weapon with her massive hands, and reached out to grab the man by the throat. His feet dangled in the air as she lifted him off the ground and with a powerful throw, tossed him across the chamber, into two others and straight into the side of the cages. He hit the ground once and never again got up.

While the others focused on the other werewolf, she drove her full attention to a woman banging on the door of the cage. "Let me in! Let me in! Gods sakes, let. Me. In!"

She jumped on all fours, eyes wide, mouth slicked with saliva and panting. She leapt in the air, across it and over to the woman.

"Ah!"

The wolf tackled her down right by the cage, and bit down on her neck with such strength that bones broke audibly across the chamber as she shook left and right while human hands pounded against her muzzle in a futile attempt. Her teeth clamped down and began to pull and pull until muscles and tendons snapped, along with everything else. The werewolf tugged at the body, biting through the armor and tearing away the metal to reach the contents within the bone. Her hands pulled off the steel, and raked off the pieces of cloth until reaching what she desired. She sunk her snout into the side of the fallen prey and began to feast. The wound on her back, not dire, began to close and reform itself into something new. Her nose was bloody and her fur a mess of red.

And it wasn't over.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Dec 20 2013, 03:33 AM

When the attack began, Kayla kept her sharp eyes focused on any stragglers that passed by, Aravi's bow in her hands, arrow on the string. She was ready to take out any bandits that passed by the two women.

Until one did, and begged for their help.

The woman looks straight at Kayla, fear in her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

"Let me in! Let me in!"

The rest of her plea was drowned out as blood rushed to Kayla's ear at the sight of a huge black wolf descending upon the woman, tearing her apart. Bones crunched, flesh ripped, and eventually the woman was dead. The potion had its work cut out for it as Kayla's mind took her back over a decade, seeing her friend rip out his own father's throat.

She dropped the bow, letting it fall with a clatter as she stared at Vera.

Nothing will ever be the same after this. She realized. I can never unsee this. She looked to Aravi to see the normally small Khajiit woman follow Vera's lead and rip apart another bandit. Her fear mixed with another emotion: heartbreak. She had wished that her childhood friend would have shared his secret with her, and now that she learned of her friend's secret, she wanted to take it back. She didn't want to know.

She hoped she'd live long enough to change her mind.

Posted by: King Coin Dec 20 2013, 05:14 AM

She cornered a group of three. There was nowhere to go but up, and none were tall enough. She relished their predicament. They were hers, to play with and kill as she pleased. With the taste of blood on her tongue, she roared yet again. The smell of urine let her know just how terrified her prey was.

She enjoyed it.

One of them turned towards her and sluggishly jumped at her with an axe. She smashed his hand with a powerful blow, dislocating his entire arm. Next, she pinned him to the ground and yanked on the injured limb with her jaws. His screams of pain became higher pitched as she twisted and pulled on it. She looked up, and saw one of the others hoisting the other up on his back. One would escape if she didn’t act.

A snap of her jaws silenced the screaming man. Then she leapt at the one pulling herself to freedom, snagging the woman’s leg in her jaws. Gravity did the rest and the wolf ended up on top of the one trying to escape. It was a female, she could smell and see. Her claws reached into the screaming woman’s flesh, worming up into her chest cavity, shredding her innards.

Stars exploded in the wolf’s vision. The other one bellowed again and swung his mace. Rage replaced bloodlust, and the wolf roared louder than ever. The prey didn’t flinch, but bellowed back at her. Despite his courage, he lasted no longer than the one with the axe.

Posted by: Colonel Mustard Dec 20 2013, 07:02 PM

Salyan was vaguely aware that, on some intellectual level, she should probably be horrified at what she was seeing. Yet even as Aravi and Vera, or the monstrosities they had transformed into, slaughtered the bandits en masse, she did not feel any kind of real horror. Even when a bandit woman scrabbled at the door of the cage, begging to be let in, she was unmoved.

She supposed that this was probably due to her upbringing on the Shivering Isles. She had spent most of her childhood in a world intimately steeped in violence, a world of murderers, cannibals, rogue sorcerers who experimented with the very matter of life and with it all presided over by a capricious, whimsical god. What she was seeing right now didn't shock her, because what she was seeing was something normal. The thought was almost a little unnerving.

Fingers resting on the right strings, Salyan watched the massacre beyond the bars, ready to cast a calming spellsong should either of the two werewolves try and break in; she wasn't sure it would necessarily work, but unless Darnand had some miraculously powerful spell that could disable Aravi and Vera without killing them then it was their best chance.

Posted by: Grits Dec 24 2013, 10:36 PM

Hot blood splashed through the cage bars. Aravi and Vera dismembered the bandits as easily as one might pull apart a roasted chicken.

More disturbing than the death cries were the werewolves’ noises. Darnand suspected they might contain a magical element to intensify the victims’ fear. My Birthsign makes me weak… I must not attempt to flee.

In retrospect it seemed that Salyan would have been the best choice as key holder. She appeared composed and ready to respond to whatever might occur. Darnand took comfort in her resolve.

He watched through the bars, hoping that some of the other humans would survive long enough to lead the werewolves away from their cage. The thick stench of blood and spilled bowels filled his nose. I prefer fire, he thought. The screams are the same, but fire is cleaner.


Posted by: Darkness Eternal Dec 25 2013, 07:52 PM

With a severed leg in her mouth, the pureborn werewolf's tail swayed back and forth as she ran around the area while chewing on the leg. For awhile she focused on nibbling on the bone until movement captured her attention once again as the commotion of the herd drew her hunger at them.

A low, deep-chested bellowing sound came from her nostrils as her nose crinkled and her teeth bared. The rest of the men ran in a single unit, fleeing toward the exit.

With tremendous force she leapt from the body beneath her feet, through the air and above and over them. She landed with a large thud in front of the craven men, and blocked their exit path. With weapons drawn they began to walk backwards as she approached them, almost savoring the fear emanating from them like the sweet scent of flesh in the air.

The she-wolf snarled at the other wolf, and that deepest, primal level of communication between lycanthropes said: Flank them.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 2 2014, 10:49 PM

Aravi lifted her snout from the remains of some bandit. She licked the blood from her lips, her eyes upon the last of the prey. For a moment she was content to sit and eat her fill, but then shouts filled the air. They ran for the exit, and Aravi couldn’t have that. They ran so she must chase. The other wolf blocked their exit, and Aravi knew where she must go. Working with the other wolf, the entire herd would be theirs.

She moved quickly, though silently, to the side of the stunned group. They didn’t notice her, their eyes fixed upon the other wolf as it stood blocking their path. Then a gruff voice called, and the herd organized themselves. Something had changed. One of them rallied the others, and they slowly backed away, careful to keep their guard up. It would have been difficult for the other wolf to attack them without suffering grievous wounds.

They had forgotten about her though.

With grace only a hunter of the night could possess, she crept closer to the hapless band. She got so close, she would see the whites of their eyes before she was noticed. A fearful shout and weapons were whirled to point at her.

She jerked her head back to avoid being poked by a pole arm. Then she roared.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 3 2014, 12:17 AM

Kayla gulped a few times, gulping down the bile that threatened to rise from her stomach. She gripped the bow tightly, her body humming with nerves and fear. She hoped the vibrations would not be too much to keep her from aiming where she wanted the arrow. She took a deep breath as she aimed, then exhaled and loosed an arrow. It planted itself in the leg of a bandit, and she cursed. She was aiming at his chest.

She then waited to see what would happen to them once the bandits were finished off.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 4 2014, 06:26 PM

The man holding her off with the pole arm shrieked and fell to the ground, an arrow lodged in his leg.

That was all the opening she needed.

She smashed into the formation of terrified bandits. Wide swipes of her powerful arms sent men sprawling. Fresh blood coated her claws as she tore into them. She felt blades tug at her skin, but she paid them little heed. The minor wounds would heal soon, she didn’t even feel pain.

“Back! BACK!” one of them yelled and swung a shining great sword at her. He was clad in steel plate armor. He was the leader of the group, the one that rallied the others.

Aravi caught his blade on her forearms and howled in pain. She backed out of his reach, snarling. The sword was silver, and the wound he dealt burned.

Posted by: Grits Jan 6 2014, 01:20 PM

Darnand watched Aravi draw back from the leader of the bandits. Torchlight flashed on his blade and plate armor. There is at least one warrior among the rabble.

The bandit chief called for a retreat. Good, thought Darnand. Draw the wolves away from us.

He wondered if they should take the opportunity to slip out the back. The thought spurred him to speak.

“I believe that the werewolves’ roars are having an effect on me,” he murmured. “It has occurred to me that we might attempt to flee down that narrow passage. There, where the stream flows out of this cavern. But that lies within the fighting pit, and an exit surely would be secured against such attempts on the part of unwilling combatants.” He looked at his fellow inmates. “If I should lose my nerve, I hope you will prevent me from acting against the interest of our group.”

His teeth felt dry when his attempt to smile turned into a grimace, “Heh heh, nothing potentially fatal, of course.”

Darnand took a swig from his water skin, feeling desperately for the first trickle of magicka to return to that vast emptiness inside him. There is nothing so helpless as a mage without magicka. At least a disarmed fighter can still bite and kick.

His hand found his staff where it lay on the cage floor. His fingertips brushed over the deep grooves made by scamp claws. His thumb found the dent where it had halted a dremora’s overhead strike. Though the staff’s enchantment was defensive, the memory of using it brought back his resolve. Disarmed but not helpless. Still, when I test myself against a werewolf, I should not like it to be one of my allies or friends.

A grim smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “That warrior appears to have a silver blade,” he said. “I should think that one of them will disarm him shortly. I wonder how long it will take them to open his tin suit. Anyone care to wager?”

Darnand glanced between Salyan and Kayla. It was his hope that the fight would pass out of their presence, thus removing them from danger. That was the point of locking themselves within the safety of the cage, placing the burden of the hunt on the werewolves. Darnand feared for Aravi’s and Vera’s safety in their fight, but his greatest concern was that he would have to kill one of them if the hinges and lock somehow failed. Yet Kayla appeared ready to fire at the bandits again, risking drawing attention back to the caged humans and elf.

Perhaps this was not the right moment to ask if anyone had brought along cards or dice.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 14 2014, 06:10 AM

Aravi roared at the bandits. The one with the shining blade was a threat, and the rest of the herd gathered around him, preventing Aravi from dealing with him.

The others didn’t flee from her when she roared again. Instead, they stayed close to their leader, weapons at the ready.

The wolf circled around them, now they were between her and Vera.

Aravi probed for an opportunity. Moving closer and backing out, trying to get one of the cowards to lash out at her.

One of them took her bait, and her iron jaws clamped on his arm and pulled him out of the group. Everyone was focused on her and her wailing victim.

Vera pounced down onto the leader. Aravi slashed her victim’s throat and left him to bleed. The other bandit’s courage was smashed and they fled. Aravi ignored them and went after the horrible sword.

Her jaws closed on his hand, and she thrashed her head, breaking bones, tearing ligaments, and rending flesh. The entire hand came free with a high pitched scream of agony. Then it was over. His armor came loose under Vera’s probing claws, and without the metal plate to protect his soft flesh, he died. The others abandoned their leader to his fate.

A horrible cracking of bone echoed in the cave. Vera broke his rib cage open and her muzzle closed over his still twitching heart.

Aravi glanced at the mouth of the cave where the last of the bandits fled. She could chase them…

..Or she could get the prey that was right here. Her eyes shifted to the cage.

A low growl issued from her chest as she approached. They couldn’t escape. She just had to make a way in.

She circled the cage, looking for any weak spots.

Posted by: Grits Jan 17 2014, 01:38 PM

The wolves Aravi and Vera tore the armored leader apart. Darnand watched in awe as Vera opened his chest and devoured the heart.

So it is true. His research for Abiene had convinced him that a mortal’s consciousness could be found in the brain, but the heart was obviously a source of some kind of power. Perhaps that is where the soul resides.

The cavern had gone quiet. Darnand realized that the other bandits had fled. Aravi approached their cage on silent feet. Her low growl made the hairs on his neck stand up. She circled them, her strange eyes scanning the bars.

Oh skitt.

“Salyan,” he murmured, “I will soon have enough magicka to cast a single spell. I expect the cage to hold. However if we appear to be in danger, I suggest that I might begin with a spell that will weaken her to magic. Then if you would be so kind as to attempt to Calm or Demoralize her, we might avoid doing real harm. What do you think?”

The image of the wolf Aravi wreathed in flame burned in his mind. His reading suggested that a werewolf retained its daedric form after it died. Please, not that.

“Or I might summon a clannfear for you to frighten,” he continued. “Perhaps the wolves would chase it out of the cavern. Other than that I should need to drink another potion. That would be risky but preferable to death.”

Posted by: King Coin Jan 18 2014, 03:13 AM

Without warning, she threw herself at the heavy iron bars, slamming into the cage with all her might.

The cage tipped, but stayed upright, and the bars remained sturdy. She tried this twice more, but a dull ache in her shoulders was the only fruit of her efforts.

Then she stood at her full height and gripping two bars in her claws, started pulling the bars in opposite directions.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 18 2014, 03:22 AM

Kayla jumped and let out a small yelp when Aravi threw herself against the cage. She had no experience with werewolves, and didn't think they were anything near dogs. Or wolves, even. Wolves could be tamed under the right circumstances. From what she's read, werewolves were pure instinct, complete animals, and whether their conscious selves were aware or not, they acted on that instinct alone. She'd seen that firsthand when Vera and Aravi had formed a sort of a pack with just the two of them. They both had operated on instinct.

And now her own instinct was telling her to get out of there.

But how? Opening the cage door would kill the three of them. As long as they weren't outside of this cage, they were safe. The bars were only bending ever so slightly between Aravi'a huge paws, but the fact that they moved at all unnerved Kayla. She frantically thought of a way to distract Aravi until she returned to the form that didn't want to eat her.

The thought of Aravi becoming frightened of spiders came into her mind, but she shook it off. Wolf Aravi didn't seem to be scared of anything. She wouldn't waste her magick on summoning. She wasn't skilled at that.

Poisoning her didn't seem to be a good idea, either. Most of her potions targeted the nervous systems of vampires and humans. She didn't want to kill her friend.

She was at a loss. Her only other option was to use the one Thu'um she knew, which would temporarily freeze her. It had taken her nearly ten years of study and practice to learn the word, should she use it now?

She stood up and held her hands out and gently pushed Darnand and Salyan out of the way, and stood just out of reach of Aravi's paws, which swiped at her now. She drew her sword and began prodding Aravi away from the bars, giving her cuts along the arms to push her away from the bars. Once her growling friend was far enough away, she took a deep breath. She concentrated the Word onto her friend's body, and used all of her will and force into the movement.

"IIZ!"

Ice encased Aravi's body, leaving her head and neck exposed. She would be weakened, but not by much. Hopefully enough to keep her from wanting to pursue this prey any further.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 18 2014, 06:00 AM

Trapped.

Cold.

ENRAGED.

Her vision blurred a second before snapping back in focus. She roared with fury as she squirmed, or tried to. Thick ice encased her body, but it was rapidly warming. A few minutes ticked by before she was able to squirm. Her vision flickered again. This enraged her more. Only blood would sustain the wolf now. With a final roar, she smashed the ice that encased her body and flew at the cage again.

Her strength intensified by desperation, she pulled the bars with all of her might, eliciting a groan from the metal bars.

Then suddenly her strength diminished. Her sense of smell became less acute. Her hearing, less sensitive, feeling almost deaf. She roared a last time, in defeat, and then in pain as her body began to change once again.

Everything shrank in size, and for a moment she felt like she was drowning. Breath became easier with time though.

Opening her eyes, she found herself naked, on her knees, her hands still clutching the iron bars of the cage.

She looked at her friends in the cage. I… I wanted to kill them. She spit blood out of her mouth. Not my blood.

She let go of the cage and fell on her side, and promptly vomited.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 18 2014, 06:08 AM

Kayla was overjoyed, the feeling spilling from her heart and overflowing into her face. After Aravi vomited, Kayla grabbed her arm through the cage and pulled her to safety. She was small enough to fit neatly between the bars with only a small amount of tugging.

"Come on, before Vera gets you!" Kayla pulled Aravi the rest of the way inside.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 18 2014, 06:38 AM

Aravi was only vaguely aware of someone’s hands yanking her though the bars of the cage. Inside, she looked up to see Kayla’s face, smiling.

How could she smile after this? Terrified faces flashed in her memory, just before she tore them to pieces, and ate their hot flesh. Some of them were still alive yet...

They were scum she knew, but the knowledge did little to help when her claws and mouth was caked with their blood. She could still taste it. It was so good. Better than moon sugar.

Now it made her sick. She vomited several more times in rapid succession, until nothing would come up. A sickly red pool spread slowly from the center of the cage, thick with blood and torn chunks of meat.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Jan 18 2014, 09:08 PM

Vera chased the remaining bandits into the tunnel. The chase was her life, and the animal within wanted no other than to engage in a hunt. They were already aware of her presence. There was no stalking here, no sneaking, no guile. Just the flight and the pursuing of the quarry.

The colossal roar brought the men to a momentary halt. Even though probably knew full well what had produced the roar, the blood-curdling sound was enough to daunt even the bravest spirit. Fear overtook them, and they froze in place as she galloped down the tunnel and behind them.

The rest . . . the rest was history.

After screams and cries and the gaudy show of blood, the werewolf feasted on the remains of her prey by digging her snout into their flesh. But as it did, the bloodlust began to subside. That insatiable hunger for flesh was diminished, and for the first time since the transformation, Vera felt her conscious mind take hold.

Decades of learning and adapting, coming to terms and embracing her gift, had yielded fantastic results. For not shunning the beast, for not caging it within, she was able to unleash it, feed it and sate its hunger until her mind was of her own. With the blood blessed by Hircine himself, and her purebred existence being that of wonder, Vera saw everything through the eyes of the wolf. That red mist, that crimson haze that devoured everything that she knew she was had dissipated. Now, she was herself again.

There was still that calling, to hunt down the rest of the survivors. But Vera knew better. And she was able to reverse the shift, and once more turn to her human form again. The temptation was there. But she didn't risk it.

That, right there, was a power she had honed throughout the years and she was glad she had it.

Black fur fell from her skin, nails and teeth receded, feral eyes glowed away into a honey-amber. The massive, lupine beast was no more and in its place was Vera Castius Desselius.

The vision before her was just the same. Blood. Everywhere. All over her skin, her hair, her nails, on the ground, in her mouth. She got use to it.

She felt strong, rejuvenated. The kill had strengthened her for another night, and the consumption of the hearts had only empowered her. It was such an amazing feeling that a satisfactory moan escaped her lips as she ran her fingers over her blood-slicked hair.

Not only that.

Her eye. Her eye was completely healed. She touched it and felt no scars. No pulping flesh or immense pain.

Perfect.

Naked, Vera trotted down the tunnels with her bare feet sliding against the cold cavern floor until she reached the end of the tunnel. Ahead she saw bodies everywhere. Littering the ground.

She wasn't cleaning that up. She could spirit away a few coins, maybe a dagger or two and a quiver of arrows. But the bodies now belonged to the maggots and the scavengers. The wolf already got what she needed from them.

She stepped over limbs, a halved body, a headless corpse and all the ghastly, macabre sights that surrounded her. It didn't unnerve her. She didn't know these people. As far as she was concerned, they probably were all wanted anyway.

Up ahead even further was Aravi, reverted to her true form, regurgitating in the cell that was appeared as if it sustained quite a hit. Kayla was standing over her as blood was like a geyser from her mouth.

She's not like me, Vera realized. She must of acquired the Beast Blood from another source . . . one that can be traced to a pact, perhaps.

Vera casually walked over to them and stopped midstride. Her ear picked up a heavy hearbeat that was like the drums of war. It didn't come from the cages. It came from nearby. Only a second later did she realized one was still alive.

"Hold nothing in," Vera explained to Aravi from afar. Her rough voice echoed and bounced off the cavern walls as she knelt down over a dead body and retrieved a bow from nerveless fingers. She pulled a single arrow from a dirt-coated quiver and continued her path toward that drumming. "Let it all out. You'll feel much better."

While it was true that a dog returns to its vomit, she couldn't say the same for the cat.

She approached the source of the drumming. That one individual with a beating heart that seemed to be closer at death's edge every passing minute. It seemed only fair to put him out of his obvious misery.

His wounds were long gashes that was over his face, armor and leggings. His face was one bloody mess and it was irreognizable. It was a surprise he was still breathing and even conscious. He lay there, chest heaving ever so slightly and falling just the same. His eyes stared up, the white of them occasionally showing within those sockets.

Vera aimed the bow, placed the arrow, and pulled back. She pointed the tip at his face, just at the forehead.

She loosed it.

The heartbeat was no more.

Vera turned to Kayla, without a smile, and said. "The only thing I want from Aravi is the other half of my payment."

She nodded at Aravi. "The only thing I can provide for you besides my services is my gratitude."

She looked at Darnand and Salyan, and loaded another bow into the arrow. "And I want your discretion, of course."

Posted by: Grits Jan 18 2014, 10:39 PM

Darnand stared in shock as Aravi vomited up a spreading pool of red liquid and flesh. Blood caked her hair and fur. She lay shivering on the cage floor.

Darnand reached for his cloak to cover her, but he had left it outside the cave. Instead he wordlessly offered her his waterskin. Does she need healing? Gods, with all that blood how could we tell?

Vera strode back into the cavern looking stronger than ever. Both eyes gleamed golden and healthy. Darnand filed that information away in his mind as he unlocked their cage.

The stream flowed fast and strong through the fenced-in fighting pit. He guessed that Aravi and Vera would want to wash, and they might avoid a tedious trek back through the bodies if an exit lay beyond the pit.

Vera’s actions reminded him that he had responsibilities with the dead. He moved to the pit’s framed metal door, calling an Unlock spell to his mind. Then he remembered the key in his hand. I should conserve my magicka. Perhaps this key will fit.

“And I want your discretion, of course,” Vera said. She stood naked with a bow in hand, nocking an arrow.

Darnand turned and looked behind him to see what she was planning to shoot. “You have my discretion,” he told her. Abiene must know of Aravi’s condition. However this is a poor time to ask.

The pit’s gate swung open on well-oiled hinges. “I shall light a fire,” he said. Aravi looked in great distress, and he was ill-equipped to offer comfort. He hoped his actions might speak instead.

It took little time to smash up some chairs and get a fire blazing beside the stream. Rather than enjoy its warmth he turned away to the shredded bodies. “I shall examine the dead,” he said. “If there is enough left of anyone, I shall put them to rest.”

The invocations to Arkay rose to his lips without effort. He began to murmur as he walked toward the first pitiful pile of flesh.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 18 2014, 10:53 PM

Kayla rubbed Aravi's back comfortingly, ignoring the grime on the Khajiit's fur.

"Shhhh. You're okay. You did great. Let it out. Let it all out." She didn't kneel, not wanting the crimson pool to soak into her armor.

"There's a hot spring nearby, you two. I'm sure you...smelled it? Can you smell that sort of thing? Anyways, it's about a half mile east. We can all scrub down there."

Posted by: King Coin Jan 19 2014, 06:05 AM

The cool, damp air of the cave made her shiver. She laid on the floor of the iron cage in her own vomit, feeling as weak as a kitten. Her muscles ached, her head spun, her eyes closed tight against it all.

The world around her seemed far away for a moment. Her heart pounded in her ears as she took rapid shallow breaths.

She heard sounds of people around her. Vera’s voice… She spoke to her and the others. Aravi said nothing in response, though another dry heave put Vera’s words to action.

A hand on her back let her know someone, Kayla was still with her. She curled into a tight ball and shivered.

The smell of smoke roused her.

“Fire... Help me to the fire. I’m cold.”

Strong hands helped her up, and guided her to the fire. She felt too sick to care that she was completely naked.

After a few minutes at the fire she asked, “Where is the spring? And... Thank you.” She smiled at Kayla weakly, still feeling queasy.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 19 2014, 06:19 AM

Kayla lifted her up at her request and brought her bear the fire. She then sat by Aravi, away from the vomit. "A half mile east. It shouldn't take us less than a half hour to reach it. Lie your head on my lap, if you want. Rest." She gave Aravi a sympathetic look. "And you're welcome. Anything for a friend."

Posted by: King Coin Jan 19 2014, 06:51 PM

Aravi wanted nothing more than to sleep for hours, using Kayla as a pillow as offered. But…

“I shouldn’t. My stomach is still unsettled, I wouldn’t want to get that on you.”

She looked around at the others. Darnand was putting the dead to rest. Why did I do that? Why did I transform? Now they all know I’m a monster. Her nakedness was almost trivial in comparison. She couldn’t even bring herself to go over there and see what she had wrought. We could have ran, she told herself, though she knew that wasn’t truly an option.

Vera looked more powerful than ever. She seemed to thrive in the destruction of life. At another time, that would have horrified Aravi. Now, she was merely glad that the huntress was on her side. Who was she to judge the other woman? This also may explain why the woman is the way she is.

Salyan hadn’t said a thing. Aravi couldn’t read her. She felt the same as she felt about Darnand, though this wasn’t sure what would come of it. Darnand would keep her secret. Would Salyan?

Kayla she knew, would. The elf’s kindness meant a lot to her, especially now. She wanted to hug her, but she didn’t. She was a total mess after all.

“As soon as Darnand is done, we should find that spring. Umm… could you help me dress?” she asked Kayla embarrassedly. “My balance isn’t back yet.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 19 2014, 07:06 PM

Kayla nodded and helped Aravi up. She used her body to shield Aravi's from Darnand's eyes, though to the mage's credit, he did his duty as a priest without so much as a glance in Aravi's direction. Kayla picked up Aravi's armor and let the small Khajiit lean on her. They were nearer to the cage and further from the fire, away from earshot from anyone.

"I'm sure you've guessed it, but I'm in the Cult of Meridia." Kayla said. At Aravi's questioning look, she smiled.

"Super secret thing. Only a handful of members. We're down to about twenty in total now. Since I know a secret about you that could threaten your life, I thought it was only fair that you'd know one about me. I wouldn't tell your secret for anything in the world, but just in case you were afraid I would, now you have something over me." She finished helping Aravi dress.

"In case things aren't clear for you, I'm Meridia's sword hand. Hence Dawnbreaker. Not everyone likes daedra, so it's up to your to keep this hushed for me, alright?"

Posted by: King Coin Jan 19 2014, 09:32 PM

Aravi mimed turning a key in front of her mouth, to show that Kayla’s secret was safe.

“Meridia… That’s why you’re a vampire hunter. She hates the undead. Why is there so few of you?”

She finished dressing with help, and felt a little better that she wasn’t naked anymore. At least I’ve stopped shivering.

“I’m going to have to wash this at the spring. I feel disgusting.”

The side of her face was caked with clotted blood and other fluids. This was interrupted on her neck and continued on her chest, stomach, and legs. Her fur was already sticking to the inside of her armor as the blood dried more. She was going to lose some hair when she took it off again.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 19 2014, 09:36 PM

"Killed off. They send us after the most feral vampires. You want some ginger root for your stomach?" Kayla began rifling through her bag. "I have some in here somewhere..."

Posted by: King Coin Jan 19 2014, 09:56 PM

Killed off? That was disheartening. "I'm sorry."

That also meant that she really couldn't quit either. If she gave up, there weren't many others.

To Kayla's offer she said, "I'll wait until we get to the spring." She held out her hands, showing the mass of red that encased them.

Aravi changed the subject, happy to have something to distract her from the slaughter.

"So that sword is Dawnbreaker? That is a mighty weapon. I have read of it, but I didn't think I'd get to see it."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 19 2014, 10:01 PM

Kayla grinned. "Just wait til you see it make a vampire explode. It's great. Come sit by me near the fire. I think Darnand might be finished in a little bit."

Posted by: King Coin Jan 19 2014, 10:48 PM

Aravi smiled weakly at that, and sat next to Kayla. "I would like to see that sometime. How did you come to wield such a weapon?"

She thought of her own blades. One steel with a fire enchantment, and the other silver. It was somewhat ironic that she carried a silver weapon, but it was useful against the undead as well as werewolves. Not as powerful as Dawnbreaker...

Posted by: Grits Jan 19 2014, 11:52 PM

Darnand reached the end of the carnage and kept going. His cloak and pack lay outside the cave. It took less time than he expected to retrieve them.

Outside the cave’s entrance he washed his hands and face in the freezing pond. Then he stood for a long moment looking out toward the volcanic tundra. Kayla’s hot springs must lie in that direction. He let his breath out in a long sigh, then turned back to the filth and reek of the cave.

Back at the fire Aravi had gotten dressed. Darnand walked past at a polite distance so as not to interrupt the conversation. His earlier speculation had been correct. A metal grate and door sealed off the stream’s exit from the fighting pit. A broad path was visible beside it. The lock opened with the cage key.

Darnand walked back over to the fire still wearing his cloak and pack. Aravi looked stronger now. Kayla was by her side in the manner of a close friend. Still, what he had to say should wait for privacy. He kept the pack over his shoulder, indicating that he was ready to depart.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 20 2014, 12:29 AM

"That's a long story. Un a nutshell, the former weilder had died, and she needed a champion. I passed the test, and she gave it yo me."

There was more than that. She remembered the short she had told Irvana, how they had given her to Meridia as a child. She shuddered.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 20 2014, 02:34 AM

Aravi didn't press the other woman for details. She had other thoughts on her mind. Looking up, she saw Darnand was ready to go.

"We should go, I really want to bathe. Help me up?"

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 20 2014, 02:53 AM

Kayla smiled and helped Aravi up, letting the smaller woman lean on her for support when she needed it. One everyone had gathered their things and any extra septims the bandits might have had, she lead them due east to a small bubbling hot springs near a copse. The trees leaned towards the steaming water, giving the area a lazy, relaxed look. The sun was shaded from the faces of the adventurers.

"I think Aravi and Vera need a wash more than us, so unless we're all going to cast aside our inhibitions and get nude together, I'll start a fire for those of us who aren't bathing. I'm starving."

A quick check of her pack reminded her that she had no food that needed to be cooked, but the fire would be useful in drying out their clothes. She grabbed some dried meat and began chewing on it while she gathered wood.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 20 2014, 04:00 AM

When they got to the springs, Kayla started gathering wood for a fire.

“I’ll begin, but it will take me a long time to get the blood out of my fur. Someone else can come in after I get under the water. I won’t peek.”

She would rather not share, but she also had to be conscious of their time. She didn't want to force everyone else to wait an hour while she scrubbed her fur.

Aravi wasted no time seating herself at the edge of the water, and carefully undressed herself. The dried blood stuck to the inside of her armor, stinging pain let her know where she lost bits of fur.

As soon as she was nude again, she eased herself into the waters. She gasped at the heat, it really was hot! Currents from the rising water made it difficult to see clearly, giving her some measure of privacy.

She began working through her fur with her claws, scrubbing and pulling filth from her body. Soap that she had gotten from her pack was then applied after the worst was gone to cleanse what was left.

Posted by: Grits Jan 20 2014, 04:17 AM

Darnand put his pack against a tree. Inhibitions. Now that Kayla mentioned it, he supposed that the others might have some.

“I shall stand watch,” he said. He cast a life detection spell and moved away with his back to the springs, keeping within sight so they would know he wasn’t sneaking back to ogle them.

The warm sand allowed fruit and flowers to grow while nearby the ground was covered with snow. Jazbay grapes and red mountain flowers were of particular interest. Mixed with moon sugar they made a powerful potion to restore, regenerate, and fortify one’s magicka. Darnand kept his eyes up searching for danger while he gathered the alchemical ingredients. He was prone to hyper-focus, and it would not do to let a pack of wolves amble up to the bathers while he picked flowers and grapes.


Posted by: Darkness Eternal Jan 20 2014, 08:53 PM

Vera collected her personal belongings; armor, gauntlet, grieves, knives, and helmet. She geared up and followed the rest of them through the cavern and toward the springs. Aravi and Kayla were very close. Salyan was as mute as ever. Darnand might have felt left out in the company of all these women, and he kept mostly to himself as he went off to do . . . well . . . whatever the hell mages do.

They arrived and Aravi was the first to get in the hot springs. Vera wasn't in much of a hurry. Lycus had built a sauna in his cottage in Falkreath Hold, just within the wilderness, secluded from civilization. It came as a popular leisure in Cyrodiil but it had gone and went the same as it was in Skyrim. She had to admit that heat and water was a fantastic way to cleanse one from physical impurities.

After the khajiit went in, Vera followed a few minutes later. She didn't really care for Darnand's respectful actions toward her and the other woman's nakedness. Only because she was use to being seen naked.

But still, deep inside, she felt relieved. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, especially being on the job.

Vera entered the hot spring and the water was hot upon her skin, but yet it was soothing. She submerged herself in the steaming waters, and began to scrub the dirt and filth from her hair, and the rest of the stains on her body. Red and brown mixed together to taint the water beneath them, only to be cleared as bubbles carried away the dirt.

It was just the two of them. Vera decided to make conversation. Aravi, despite her differences, was still a lycanthrope. She shared the blood of the wolf. She earned Vera's respect, and thus deserved a bit of attention.

She wasn't human. That was a plus.

"You killed well today. Blood will be in the air for long. I'm assuming you didn't acquire the gift through a scratch," Vera said. "The Companions?"

Posted by: King Coin Jan 21 2014, 05:14 AM

Vera approached the spring, and Aravi turned to give the other woman some privacy while she got in. Even though they had just seen everything of each other in the cave not long ago.

She kept scrubbing away at her fur. Matted chunks of her fur mixed with blood floated on the surface of the water. She picked out the larger ones that were in reach, tossing them out of the pool. The blood had nearly totally dried by the time they got there, and it was so difficult to get out now. Vera was just as messy as she was, but for a moment Aravi envied the other woman’s lack of fur. It must be so much easier to get clean…

“You killed well today. Blood will be in the air for long. I'm assuming you didn't acquire the gift through a scratch. The Companions?”

Aravi turned her head to look at Vera. The other woman was calmly washing, her eyes fixed Aravi.

“Yes it was from them, how did you know? How did you know I was a lycanthrope? Did someone tell you?”

Only Abiene knew...

“How did you get your,” she screwed up her face, but used Vera’s word anyways, “your gift?”


Posted by: Darkness Eternal Jan 21 2014, 11:27 PM

Vera felt a piece of flesh stuck in her teeth, but she made no efforts to remove it. She didn't think the others would take kindly to her pulling out leftovers. Though she had to admit they seemed . . . normal about it. None were too traumatized. Especially that other one.

Aravi had trouble cleansing the blood from her fur. Vera was thankful she wasn't born a khajiit. There was only certain times she could grow fur. She couldn't stomach the idea of having it every time.

Upon asking Aravi of the origin of her lycanthropy, the feline woman seemed surprised that Vera was even aware of her gift. “Yes it was from them, how did you know? How did you know I was a lycanthrope? Did someone tell you?”

Vera felt the need to scrub something just beneath her foot. "I know their blood when I smell it," she explained. It was like how many could smell the different scents of fruit, though knowing they belonged to the same family but were different types. She supposed all dogs had the same smell, but most were different. "I worked with the Companions before. I was a member of the Circle for a short time. Their blood is passed down to honorary member throughout generations. It made sense you got what you have from them."

She flicked away a chunk of meat floating near her shoulder. "I can smell my own kind. No one told me. They don't need to tell me things for me to figure them out."

Aravi disfigured her face when she said the word "gift" and Vera instantly figured she wasn't too enamored with the idea of having the beastblood. She knew how to read people. She's seen that same expression before on the faces of those who wanted a cure or didn't think of their lycanthropy as a completely beneficial thing.

"For me it was hereditary," Vera said casually. "I was born into the world, and the blood was dormant within me for sometime until the day it blossomed."

She left out the fact that she was the last living pure member of the Castius family. But Aravi's facial revelation of disdain did bother her.

"I'll be honest with you. I can tell when Hircine's favor is upon someone. Surely you know the Daedra have no patience with the fickle. You may have the beastblood but it doesn't mean you enjoy the nature of it. You may find me the most unpleasant person in Nirn, but I guess I ran out of cares to give. Still, I respect those who have the blood and know how to use it."

Vera's tone wasn't condescending, nor aggressive, but it came light and smooth. "I don't know why you accepted it, but don't be so sure that its going to be over when someone forces a sword through your heart."

She whispered. "By now you know what happens to us when we die. We may live long but we all owe life a death. We will all die someday. You don't want Hircine to drag your ass to Oblivion when you're not entirely so sure of yourself . . . or if you're miserable with this condition. Word of advice. Seek a cure, lest you want to find out if you're hunter or prey in the afterlife."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 22 2014, 02:05 AM

Kayla leaned against the tree next to Darnand and helped him keep watch.

"You doing okay?" She looked his way, her face full of concern.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 22 2014, 03:26 AM

“I know their blood when I smell it…”

“I can smell my own kind…”

“…Daedra have no patience with the fickle..”

“…if you are miserable with this condition... Seeks a cure, lest you want to find out if you are hunter or prey in the afterlife.”

Aravi absorbed Vera’s words. She kept washing, but her mind was elsewhere. Vera’s final statement was perhaps the most powerful to her. She remained quiet for some time.

I do not want to go to Hircine’s hunting grounds when I die…

I do not want to be a vampire either.


She took the curse of the beast blood to be rid of another curse. Which is worse? At the time, she reasoned that lycanthropy was the lesser evil. She could remain her own woman except when the beast was out. Vampirism… that changes who you are.

Or at least that’s what she thought. Maybe they weren’t so different. I am chained to a master yet.

She had stopped washing at some point when Vera was talking. She began again, gritting her teeth as some fur pulled out with the blood.

“I do not enjoy this… gift. I took it not for the power to transform, but the side effects of being a lycanthrope.

How did you get used to it? I’ve seen my share of death, I’ve killed with my claws before I had the beast blood, but this… this is different.”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Jan 22 2014, 04:20 PM

Vera knew full well that Aravi didn't take to lycanthropy. She just waited to hear her say the words herself. And she did. Vera's response was a simple nod of acknowledgement. She didn't agree with the khajiit woman and her ideals, but she didn't necessarily look at the woman with disdain. Not entirely. Her only concern was that she was, in a way, abusing the gift.

She uses part of it to her advantage, but doesn't accept the reality. There must be no middle ground.

"Lycanthropy seems into the spirit," Vera explained. "Its an ongoing process. Some are affected by it more than others. We may be faster, stronger and have a greater sense of smell and instinct than normal people and no disease can touch us . . . but our minds can change. You may not feel it now but give it a few years and you'll realize that slowly that animal part of you grows. Its up to you to decide if you want that in your conscious."

"How did you get used to it? I’ve seen my share of death, I’ve killed with my claws before I had the beast blood, but this… this is different.”

Vera shrugged at Aravi's question. "I've had a knack for violence ever since I was a lass. I didn't know I had the beastblood in me, but I suspected something was different about me. Couldn't go a day without wanting to bash someone's skull in or tear at them. I didn't feel I belonged in normal society, and trust me, I tried. Wasn't before long that I found out what I am the hard way. My first prey was someone I hated . . . and she was pregnant. I took her life, and the child. My unborn step-sibling. Soon after I lost count. So many faces passed, so many lives taken that I became numb. I became use to the pain so much that in the end I felt it no more. I learned to embrace what I am, because I couldn't find fault in how I was born."

She scoffed with a bitter laugh. "You can say my remorse has gone on short supply."

A melancholy sigh came from Vera's lips as she took her eyes off Aravi and gazed out to nowhere in particular. "This is different because the people you kill sometimes don't deserve it. You think a sickly elk or a calf deserves to be torn apart to feed the hunger of a wolf? That it isn't fair for them to feel the agony of being devoured? It doesn't really matter, does it? Because it happens. Its the law of the hunt. The essence of what it means to be a predator and what it means to be prey. Its a part of life."

Lycanthropy isn't for everyone. You and me, we've seen our share of death. But our existence is against what others established as 'mundane'. We're a direct challenge to the natural order of things. Abominations, in their eyes. We shift into beasts, we kill without a second thought. Once your mind belongs to the animal inside . . . whatever human mindset you have is history."

Vera wasn't much for talking, but she saw fit to make her point. She wouldn't repeat it again. She looked at Aravi and nudged her head to Kayla and Darnand. "Your friends over there were lucky. You could've killed them today and they might have even killed you, just like Kayla took her friend's life. I got use to what I am because the friends I had died because of what I was. I realized that everyone in this world who is not what I am, is either an enemy or prey. Its simple as that. I'm not living in this world to be someone's bitch or surrender to their laws or to forge friendships with people who I'll kill or be killed by. But you?" Vera raised a brow. "You have people who care for you and people who might love you. Save yourself some pain. Slay the wolf inside, and you'll prevent certain misery from ruining your life and an eternity of regrets."

Posted by: Grits Jan 22 2014, 06:13 PM

Kayla joined Darnand. “You doing okay?”

“Indeed. I did not suffer injury.”

Kayla’s expression hinted that he may have missed her point.

“Oh, I see. Yes, and I thank you for your concern. I suppose my dreams may be a bit more colorful for a time, but we all survived the day. That thought will bring me peace.”

It was not in his nature to confide, but Darnand was aware that talking after a traumatic event sometimes eased the minds of others.

“Kayla,” he began. Then he visually swept the area for approaching danger before returning his full attention to the Altmer. “I will never forget the way you cared for Aravi in the aftermath of her transformation. A person who could call you friend is among the most fortunate of souls.”

He glanced back over the horizon before giving her a wry smile. “If you will excuse my outpouring of emotion.”

Vera and Aravi were still in the hot springs. Dried sweat, spider webs, soot, and splashes of blood itched on a variety of Darnand’s surfaces and crevices, some certainly inappropriate to scratch. He ran his fingers under the back of his collar wondering how long it would be before he could get into the water. Perhaps Kayla would not share the Imperial sense of modesty. Darnand would not hesitate to shuck off his robe and jump into the pool in the presence of any company, but he found himself unwilling to suggest it.

“How do you fare, Kayla?” he asked.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 22 2014, 10:22 PM

Darnand seemed to be faring better mentally than she was. She was used to seeing people twisted into a former shadow of themselves, but she had never seen them come back from it, trembling and mewling like a kitten. She was too tired to wonder if that statement was racist due to Aravi being a Khajiit, and instead focused her brainpower on her answer.

“Kayla,”His eyes traveled away from her momentarily. “I will never forget the way you cared for Aravi in the aftermath of her transformation. A person who could call you friend is among the most fortunate of souls.”

He gave her a wry smile. “If you will excuse my outpouring of emotion.”

That earned a bark of laughter from her, and she gently slapped his arm. He then asked how she was faring. She sighed.

"I won't lie," she lowered her voice so the two wolves wouldn't hear her. "The moment she transformed, I wished I had never seen it. I wished she had kept it a secret. When she began to rattle the cage, my mind was filled with the complete certainty that it would either be me or her. I thought it was going to be a repeat of history, that I was going to kill a friend tonight. But she changed back. She changed back to Aravi, and I couldn't help myself.

"It's just something that I've got to work through, you know? Knowing that's part of her. She's the same Aravi that she was before I knew, just something else about her is added. She saved me by coming after me. Granted, you all did, but she didn't give up on me. I have so few real friends that I can trust, and I knew before she was one worth trusting. This doesn't change a thing. Not for me."

She cleared her throat and laughed. "Forgive MY outpour of emotion, mage!" She laughed again and took off her gloves.

"Good gods, I have blood and dirt in places where it shouldn't be! Considering you've seen me in nearly nothing, i think we can skip the embarrassment and you, myself, and Salyan can get in the springs when they're done. Just don't expect me to wash your back." She winked at him. "Or maybe I will, if you ask nice enough!"

She laughed again.

Posted by: King Coin Jan 23 2014, 04:23 AM

“Yes, I might have killed them… I wanted to kill them.” And them me.

Her eyes dropped to her hands. There was still blood on them. It will always be there though even when she cleans it off. She tried to not transform where innocents may be killed, but there was never really any way for her to know. Sometimes the hunt takes her miles away. There’s no way to know.

The knowledge that it will start changing who she was, seeping into her mind, was disturbing as well. She looked at Vera again. Bitterness. Cynicism. Disregard. Aravi didn’t want to turn into that.

She did have more understanding of why Vera was the way she was. Killing her step-mother and her unborn child. Her friends. Perhaps she has no heart, because it’s been torn out repeatedly.

Or perhaps there’s more animal than person there…

“I need to think about this. Thank you for your wisdom. I have not been able to discuss this with anyone. The Companions shared nothing of this with me.

And for what it’s worth… I’m sorry for your losses.”

She returned to her washing. All that was left now was her back, if it needed it.

“Is there any blood on my back?” She turned so that Vera could look.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Jan 23 2014, 09:19 PM

Vera examined Aravi with a careful eye, and saw that her concern was genuine. She couldn't blame her. After giving her thanks, Vera just nodded at her and settled to washing the back of her ears. She gazed up once more, and said a final word on the subject. She felt Aravi said all that needed to be said. "Don't think too long. If you truly want to cure yourself, don't be afraid to seek Lycus out. He will be more than happy to help someone in need. Someone like us. He will be far better help than I am."

And that was saying something. Lycus was deeply immersed in the ways of the beast, and could trace his own blood, gifted to him, through the start of ages. His wisdom was greater, his patience was, too. And he could relate to many things.

"You don't have to be sorry," Vera said. "Dead is dead. We lose, but we gain so much more."

Aravi was concerned with completely erasing all trace of the bloodshed. Vera obliged to her need.

"Just above your right shoulder," Vera noted. "Close to the nape of your neck."

Posted by: Grits Jan 23 2014, 09:39 PM

Darnand felt his cheeks flush as he looked down at his toes. Despite his adherence to Jerric’s strength-building routine, he doubted that his magely physique would inspire offers of back-scrubbing. He appreciated Kayla’s jesting nonetheless.

“If Salyan does not object, then. Thank you.”

He scanned for danger again, but found none.

“It seems odd after the events we have recently witnessed, but I am hungry enough to eat a horker. Do you suppose it will upset Aravi’s stomach if we prepare a meal?” He guessed that Vera would not need to eat for some time. The thought did not bear expression. “Should we camp here for the night? I am not familiar with the area, and I have found that many of Skyrim’s smaller settlements are not marked on my map.”

Posted by: King Coin Jan 24 2014, 03:57 AM

Aravi peered over her shoulder, twisting her neck and bringing her shoulders forward. She could feel it with her fingers though…

Lycus. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk to him. But if he had the information she needed, perhaps she should.

A few minutes later she was satisfied. No more blood could be felt where Vera said it was.

Next was her armor. She didn’t want to wear it again until it was clean. The smooth plates and leather was much easier to clean, and it only took a few minutes.

She regretfully hoisted herself out of the hot spring and checked her bag for clothes. Being soaking wet, she decided to wear only her loincloth and a top, leaving much of her fur bare.

Kayla and Darnand were talking together, and Aravi decided to not disturb them. Instead she went to the fire and let the heat dry her fur. The warmth and inactivity made her realize how tired she was. And hungry, but mostly tired.

She drifted off to sleep…

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 25 2014, 02:05 AM

We should be safe camping here," Kayla said to Darnand's question. She turned her head to see Aravi sit by the fire She smiled at her friend, and turned back to Darnand. "There are several settlements, but most of them don't have any rooms. They're mostly mills or single homes for those brave enough to be out here alone."

Her stomach growled. "I could really use something thick and meaty, like a stew. Something to fill me up for a while." she turned her head to see Aravi dozing.

"I think it's best if we just rest for now. Set up watch like before. Vera and I can build shelters. We're still far south enough that the snow won't be much of an issue."

We are very, very close to Alcassar, she realized. That thought alone darkened her mood. That's another secret I've got.

"There's no reason to go anywhere. We've got food, warmth, kindling, and protection. Let's just stay here."

Posted by: Grits Jan 26 2014, 02:14 AM

“An excellent plan.” Darnand started toward the hot springs. “I have another packet of frost-dried food, but I must confess that the likelihood it contains rat meat is regrettably high. Jerric assembled the last one while I was not observing him.”

Darnand decided to scrape as much residue from his robe as possible and leave the laundering for professionals. If he rinsed out the undergarments he was wearing he would have enough clean for the trip home. As long as he had one presentable robe for camp and inn use he could wear the soiled one on the road.

He put his thoughts to action, skinning out of his robe and leggings without discussion. The water was hot enough to make him hiss then stifle a groan as his tender parts got used to it.

Darnand did not travel with an array of personal care products. He used the same soap to wash, shave, and clean his socks. The cloudy water drifted away with the current. He tossed his bundle of wet clothes onto a rock and leaned back to enjoy the water.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Jan 27 2014, 03:39 AM

Kayla looked through her bag, running her fingers over the smaller bottles until she found what she was looking for; a clean set of underwear and her soaps. She felt a twinge of apprehension as she pulled her armor off, shucking the chitin quickly then dipping it into the steaming water. She set it near the fire, by Aravi, then she got a mischievous look on her face, training her eyes on Darnand's back.

She set her bottles near the edge of the water, then tackled Darnand's back, propelling him forward. the water was a olt to her cold skin, but a welcome one. When they both came up sputtering, she laughed loudly, one hand over her mouth, and the other pointing to his soaked form.

"How's that fr a washed back?"

Posted by: Grits Jan 29 2014, 07:26 PM

Darnand floundered to the surface, coughing. Kayla’s laugh let him know he was not under attack even before he swiped the hair out of his eyes.

“Heh heh,” he said. “Washed and rinsed, I should think.”

Darnand eyed her uncertainly. Does she expect me to grapple her in return? He could not see a suitable place to grip.

Instead he hauled himself out of the pool and arranged his laundry to dry on the rocks. The sun combined with a warming spell kept the chill from his skin.

A tangle of orange roots caught his eye. Creep cluster. He stopped himself from executing a naked scramble over the rocks. Perhaps later. I should also like to procure some Dragon’s Tongue of the Skyrim variety. The Fortify Illusion effect will be a boon to Lildereth.

Darnand ran his hands through his hair, separating the strands to dry in the sun. He should not let his mind wander in the wood elf’s direction until he had put on some pants.

“I hear a waterfall,” he said to Kayla. “Is there a deep pool beneath? Perhaps we might catch some slaughterfish to grill.” He brought a lightning spell to his hand with a smile, letting electric arcs snap and dance over his fingers. “I am quite good at fishing.”



.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Jan 30 2014, 09:19 PM

Vera sat by the stone with nothing but a huntsman's vest and leather pants. Her arms, stomach and shoulders were bare, offering much needed movement. Aravi had drifted off into Vaermina's realm somewhere and the others . . . Vera looked over her shoulder to see hear a splash and some laughter. She heard bits of conversation in the air and came to the conclusion that the Breton and the Altmer were entertaining themselves.

If they didn't fight as good as they did, she would have thought them adults stunted at growth. Or maybe I'm too much of a hard-ass.

Vera wasn't tired. Not yet. She was completely and utterly strengthened and she was hungry again. It is a miracle she doesn't get plump. Then again, she's always running.

She leaned to the side and grabbed her array of knives she hid beneath the bush. She chose the suitable blade for it, concealed it and dangled the sheathe on her belt. She didn't even know why she took a bath. She would just get sweaty and bloodied once more. She couldn't entrust the others with bringing in game. Since her transformation they may be expecting her to catch the food just as she did when she first arrived. Meanwhile, they can skip rocks and hold hands in the sunset . . .

Vera cracked a smile. Amusing.

What to hunt? What to hunt? Maybe I can save myself some trouble and put a few arrows inside a few chickens. Hopefully the farmers would be inside for supper.

She was in the mood for goats. She remembered seeing a family of them by the mountain pass a few miles off. Hopefully there were more. She could bring in two or maybe three if someone went along with her. Roast the meat in the fire . . . her mouth watered just at the thought of it, despite knowing not long ago she decorated the cavern chamber with the bodies of a group of renegades.

She climbed to her feet, stretched her arms high and walked away from the sound of playfulness towards a more serene atmosphere of Aravi sleeping by the fire. The serenity was ultimately destroyed when Vera kicked Aravi's foot with the tip of her toe. "I'm going hunting again for food."

Vera stared at Aravi and then turned and walked away. "You can tag along if you like," she said, and then heard Kayla and Darnand laughing in the distance. "Or you can stay and babysit the infants."

Posted by: King Coin Jan 31 2014, 03:57 AM

Aravi was jolted into wakefulness. I fell asleep, didn’t I?

“I’m going hunting again for food. You can tag along if you like. Or you can stay and babysit the infants.”

She looked around. Darnand and Kayla were goofing around together in the spring. Her brows climbed when she saw they were both nude. She wasn’t so much surprised by Kayla but by Darnand.

“I’ll get my bow,” she decided quickly. She called to Kayla and Darnand, telling them that she and Vera were going to bring back some food.

When she caught up with Vera after retrieving her bow and quiver, she asked, “What are we hunting?”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 5 2014, 12:26 AM

Kayla laughed at Darnand and gently shoved him, careful to not make him stumble or slide on the mud.

"You mages, always taking the easy way out!" She teased. Her stomach growled loudly, and she pursed her lips and frowned. "But that sounds delicious right now. That jerky didn't do a thing for my appetite."

Posted by: Grits Feb 5 2014, 02:24 PM

Darnand nodded. “Indeed, and I do not care for bloody meat so soon after today’s events.” Besides, whatever Aravi and Vera killed would need cooking. Darnand did not want to wait for a deer to roast, nor could he stomach the thought of it rare.

Back at the campsite Darnand realized that Vera and Aravi had left their armor behind.

“Would you mind guarding the camp?” he called to Kayla. “The hunters have left a fortune in armor here. I should hate to explain how we let some thief walk off with it while we went fishing. I could leave a summoned daedra here to do the job, but they tend to misbehave when not directly supervised. Unless they are actively engaged in killing something, of course.” He considered for a moment while he yanked on his leggings. “To be fair they do not always follow my explicit instructions in any case.”

An easy stroll brought him to the base of a sheer waterfall. As he anticipated a deep pool lay at its base. Life detection magic showed him the shapes of several large fish lurking under the shallow ledges at the pool’s edge. Something else huddled under a shrub.

He squinted through the magic glow. A fox. No danger.

Water conducted shock energy very well, but unfortunately it tended to skim across the surface, penetrating to a shallow depth only at the point of impact. He needed to lure the larger fish within his spell’s reach.

There was one easy way to lure a slaughterfish. Darnand rolled up his leggings, tucked his robe up under his belt, and stepped into the water. He cast a spell to fortify himself and prepared to time his jump.

One of the big fish angled toward him. Darnand flexed his knees, waiting. When it made its lunge he leaped backward, stunning it with a bolt of energy as soon as his feet found dry sand. The big fish floated up on its side, drifting away toward the riffles where the pool drained into a small river. A quick telekinesis spell allowed him to land it, and he quietly ended its life with a summoned dagger.

His stomach rumbled. This should feed at least two of us on a normal day. Tonight I should think we will need a few more. He turned back to the pool.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 8 2014, 12:03 AM

Kayla sighed and pulled some clothes out of her pack.

That mage is surrounded by women, and not even a twitch. She furrowed her brow. I don't think he likes women. Unless he likes those soft Cyrodilliic women who faint at the sign of danger.

She dug through her pack to find some clothes that sort of matched. She dried her thick socks out and put them on under her boots and finished dressing.

Maybe it was my scars.

She absently touched the scar across her chest that damaged her skin and muscle across her breasts and collarbone.

Well, either way, no matter how much you admire him, it'll never go anywhere. It's one-sided.

She began to daydream of Nordic mage in Winterhold, and she found the campsite a bit warmer.

Posted by: King Coin Feb 8 2014, 05:30 AM

Aravi and Vera returned to the camp with their prize, a large ram that Vera shot and killed. Vera wanted to continue hunting, but Aravi convinced her to return with their single kill. They were only staying a night, one animal should suffice. More, and they would only be leaving the meat to rot.

And, Aravi wasn’t sure how much her turbulent stomach would allow her to eat.

I’m going to have nightmares no doubt.

At least they won’t be like the others.

Fatigue was quickly catching up with her as well. If they hadn’t found prey so soon, she would have had to turn around without Vera.

She spotted Kayla before the High Elf spotted them.

“We’re back. Where’s Darnand?”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 8 2014, 06:00 AM

"Fishing," Kayla replied, stirring the embers. A pile of firewood sat beside her, and she tossed another stick on and raised her brows. They killed a ram. Nice. "He asked me to guard the camp, since everyone's armor and belongings are here. Not that he gave me much of a choice, just walking off before I could even move."

Careful, you're starting to sound bitter. No doubt they heard the tone of her voice change from earlier. She offered a smiled to them.

"Since I'm a glorified watchwoman, I'll gut and skin the meat, if no one objects."

Posted by: King Coin Feb 8 2014, 06:22 AM

Fishing? How? she wondered.

She didn’t miss Kayla’s tone. Kayla didn’t like being left while everyone else went off.

Aravi glanced at Vera and saw no objection. They unshouldered their burden near the fire.

“Thanks Kayla. For watching our things, and offering to clean the animal. Though it was probably not necessary to leave someone here at the camp. Darnand is overly cautious. In many respects.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 8 2014, 06:47 AM

"Hmmm." Was all Kayla said before cleaning the ram. She hoisted it up on a nearby tree with some rope borrowed from Vera. She skinned it first, then carefullly slit open its belly, letting the hot entrails slide out. She yanked them out and cleaned the inside thoroughly before beheading it and tossing the entrails far away. When she got back, the ram was already on its way to being cooked. She rinsed her hands, arms, and legs off in the springs.


Posted by: Grits Feb 8 2014, 12:04 PM

Darnand caught a second fish and prepared it for the fire. Lack of practice made his hands slow with the task, but the time alone restored his energy better than a night of sleep. He would need more time to thoroughly reflect on Aravi’s situation, but for now his mind was quiet.

He looked down at his handiwork. Two cleaned slaughterfish neatly wrapped in grape leaves and tied with thin vines, ready for the coals. He filled his waterskins before climbing back up the hill.

At the campsite he found that the hunters had returned, and their kill was already cooking. He placed the fish at the edge of the fire, turning them as he had seen others do so many times. If his observations had been accurate the fish should steam in their wrappings, emerging tender and flavorful from the leaves and the smoke.

He sat back on his heels. This was the difficult part. He supposed he should say something. Making conversation was not his strongest skill. That uneasy feeling crept through his chest.

Darnand cleared his throat. “You caught a goat,” he said.

Posted by: King Coin Feb 8 2014, 05:19 PM

Aravi was barely awake at this point. She was laying on her side next to the fire, with the smell of roasting meat reminding her just how empty her stomach was.

The others took her transformation much better than she expected, except for perhaps Salyan who left without a word. She honestly didn’t know how she would have reacted to someone transforming, had she been in the other woman’s position.

Even with that, she was feeling apprehensive. They all saw what both she and Vera did. It was horrendous. Would they feel like they have to prevent another massacre like that from happening again? Aravi would have been conflicted, if she were in their position.

Darnand returned with some fish and began cooking them rolled in leaves. “You caught a goat.”

You caught some fish, was what leapt to Aravi’s mind. Instead she said, “Vera got it. I wasn’t very helpful on the hunt.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 8 2014, 05:33 PM

Kayla burst into laughter at Darnand's observation.

"Good job, mage. What's next, am I an elf and does Aravi have fur?" She teased with a grin. She turned to Aravi and smiled slightly.

"Well, you're kind of tired, anyone can see that. I was going to just let you sleep and wake you when the food was killed and cooked, but," she shrugged.

"I'm thinking of heading further north," she said casually, adding a few sticks carefully to the fire. "Maybe towards Winterhold. There's a Destruction mage there who says they'll help me hone my skills better."

And a handsome mage who's offered to tutor me.

She didn't realize her cheeks were red.

Posted by: King Coin Feb 9 2014, 04:47 PM

Aravi’s eyes were closed, so she didn’t have the opportunity to wonder what Kayla was blushing about.

She yawned. “Winterhold. They wouldn’t let me in the last time I was there…”

Posted by: Grits Feb 9 2014, 09:19 PM

“Winterhold.” Darnand glanced up at Kayla. “I have— Kayla, do you feel unwell? Perhaps it is the fire’s heat, but you may be feverish. Do you suppose you may have picked up an illness during your ordeal with the Falmer?”

He immediately regretted his words. In his experience women rarely appreciated the suggestion that they might be diseased, no matter the good intention in making it.

“Er… that is to say…” He summoned a dagger and sliced open one of the steaming packets. “Look, this is ready! May I serve anyone some fish?”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 10 2014, 12:58 AM

Kayla felt her cheeks go even redder at Darnand's observation.

"It's called a blush, Darnand. Maybe one day a woman will do it when she thinks of you."

Oh...gods, that was cruel...

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so sensitive." She apologized. She grabbed the fish from Darnand.

"Did you fail the initial spellcasting test, Aravi? They're a bit picky about who they let in. But not picky enough, considering they've let me in."

Posted by: King Coin Feb 10 2014, 03:36 AM

Aravi opened her eyes when she heard Darnand and Kayla’s comments.

Kayla was indeed fiery red in the face.

“That day might have already come,” she said, referring to Kayla’s scarlet face. She did not realize that her comment could be interpreted in another way in her tired state.

Then she answered Kayla’s question. “Yes, I failed their little test. I asked to learn more of restoration and illusion. They wanted me to prove my ability by summoning an atronach. I do not know how to do that.”

Posted by: Grits Feb 10 2014, 09:51 PM

“That day might have already come,” Aravi said.

Darnand’s felt his own cheeks heat. With an effort he kept himself from looking at Kayla. Then another possibility occurred.

Does she mean..? Darnand glanced at Aravi in surprise and then quickly away again. Surely not. Can Khajiit even blush?

He stood up and dispelled his dagger, then knelt back down again. Then he stood back up.

Do not even think about it. Kharjo would kill you. And you would deserve it.

It was too late to not think about it. Unlikely scenarios including all of the present company had begun to present themselves. Darnand blamed Jerric’s stories for providing the inspiration. Hopefully Kharjo could not read minds. Wherever he was.

Aravi and Kayla were discussing the College of Winterhold. Darnand wished that he had the skill to teleport himself there. Or anywhere.

“That seems a poor test of your abilities, considering your intentions,” Darnand said to Aravi. “Abiene is a Restoration trainer. She has permission to teach spells from the Skyrim school as well as the ones taught at the Arcane University. Though I hesitate to speak for another, I am certain she would share her knowledge with you.”

An image of the Breton in her healer’s robe rose in his mind. I should like to speak with Abiene tonight. Perhaps she will see if I use our crystal balls.

Darnand sat down and picked up a portion of fish. “What spells do you seek in Winterhold?” he asked Kayla. Destruction magic was a fascinating subject, and he tended to get carried away. He hoped he did not sound too eager.





Posted by: Darkness Eternal Feb 10 2014, 10:14 PM

Vera sat idly by the fire as Kayla offered to take care of the meat. She didn't object. She's done enough already.

The meal was savory enough. Between Kayla's obvious blushing and the talk of the College, Vera really saw nothing to be irritated about. It was awhile before she decided to go and tear into the goat meat. After she was done, she expected to return to Cyrodiil and get the rest of her payment for a job well-done.

The Breton's lack of social skills made her groan inwardly. Then again, who's to say she was any better? Well, she's an Imperial. Having a sharp tongue was in her nature, even though she never made it her primary talent unless it had to do with hunting. And money. Or both at the same time.

She wasn't too caught up in the talk of summoning. She never summoned an atronach before. Or any daedra for that matter. The only thing she's been able to pluck from Oblivion was a skinned bone-wolf to aid her in her travels. She wouldn't make the display here. There was no reason for it, and besides, she didn't want to go about revealing more than she already had to.

They did just see me turn into a giant beast . . .

Vera pondered on that she held part of her meat to roast. She waited too long and the flames not only licked the goat meat but the tip of her hand. She pulled back right away, biting her lip suddenly at the hot feeling. As she took a bite off her food, and drank down water, her pink injuries suddenly began to turn white and her burns faded away after a minute.

"Join the College of Synod," Vera said after awhile. "You get in quick, learn what you can and go about your life."

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 11 2014, 05:18 AM

"Healing," Kayla answered Darnand. She blew gently on a bite of fish. "And more Destruction, of course. I feel like if you have the power to hurt, you need the balance of a restorative magick. Something with less scarring."

She turned to Vera and raised a brow. "The Synod is more reigned in than even the Mages Guild. You can't even use Conjuration with the Synod, and they like to use their powers to influence politics. I'd much rather study in a more relaxed environment, where learning more is the main goal. The College of Winterhold holds no bars against certain magicks. Not even Necromancy."

Posted by: King Coin Feb 11 2014, 06:01 AM

Darnand looked at her in surprise. Something she said made him uncomfortable… What? I’m so tired, I probably did say something odd…

She yawned again.

Aravi listened to the others discuss magic, and schools. Magic was something new to her, and her skill with it was lacking. In Morrowind she had worn a bracer that stunted any magic, preventing her from casting anything had she known any spells. She had only begun practicing after she escaped to Cyrodiil.

She knew simple healing spells, but she practiced them enough to be able to do a lot with them. There were many situations though, where they simply were not enough. Like Vera’s eye. She felt cheated after she was denied entrance to the college.

Though perhaps she could try getting in again…

“They allow necromancy?” She frowned. She hadn’t met a necromancer yet that didn’t try to turn her into a corpse.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 11 2014, 06:05 PM

"Well, they allow anything as long as you clean up your own messes, don't blow anyone up, on purpose, at least, and are there to actually learn for the sake of learning. I wonder who was watching the gate that day. Did you get the Altmer woman? She's a little...racist." she looked a bit ashamed, not for hr own sake, but for the discrepancies that plagued her race. Their own xenophobia would be their downfall one day, she knew it, and she wasn't willing to be lumped in with them and take a fall as well.

"She only asked me to make a small fireball, something nearly every Altmer has an ability to do from childhood. Why don't you come with me? I can teach you conjuration on the way, or make it to where she doesn't expect you to do something unfair."

Posted by: King Coin Feb 12 2014, 01:21 AM

“I don’t remember who it was,” Aravi said, though she did remember it was an Altmer.

“I think I would like to go to Winterhold with you.” She smiled. The whole wolf business didn’t seem to bother Kayla anymore. Aravi remembered the look of horror on her friend’s face…

“You have the soul gems needed, correct? Do you need me down in Cyrodiil right away?” she asked Darnand.

She finally sat up and picked at some of the roast goat.

Posted by: Grits Feb 12 2014, 09:00 PM

Darnand attempted to answer Aravi’s question without inadvertently sharing any details with the group.

“Indeed, we have exceeded our goal for the gems. I am most pleased with the results of this expedition. I will deliver them, if you like. It will more than likely be months before you need return to Cyrodiil, though I am certain that you will receive reports in the interim at your home in Skyrim.”

He guessed it had been Faralda who had treated Aravi badly at the College of Winterhold. The Destruction trainer was hungry for advancement and sometimes took her frustrations out on applicants. Her willingness to tolerate Darnand was directly proportionate to the amount of coin he had spent learning spells from her.

“True necromancy is not taught openly at the College, or at least it was not when I last studied there. Raising undead in the Winterhold manner is more akin to summoning. The soul of the deceased is called back to animate the body. This of course brings back a person’s awareness. As a result the practitioners…”

This was probably one of those subjects ‘not suitable for mealtime discussion.’ Darnand changed the course of his remarks.

“It is prudent to understand the weapons of one’s enemy. If one has studied Conjuration and has enough power one might wrest control of the zombie away from the necromancer as the body is being raised, turning it against them.” He gave the flames a grim smile, remembering. “I must confess it is most satisfying to do so.”

Darnand tossed the empty leaves into the fire and glanced around at the others. “You have noticed that junior members of a cult often occupy the outer fringes of a cavern system? If you kill them first and then raise them, they often in turn raise their own minions to serve at your side in the battle against their leaders.”

Of course the opposite side of that coin did not bear discussion. He had more than once awakened in a sweat having dreamt of unwillingly killing his friends, either as an enthralled corpse or as the last survivor of a misadventure fighting for his life.

He looked up at the darkening sky. “I suppose we should stand watch. What do you think is most likely to attack us during the night?”

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Feb 12 2014, 09:50 PM

Influencing politics with magic and the arcane. Kayla's comment on the College of Synod brought her back to when she worked for a man named Draken Decumus of the Imperial Palace. A known spellcaster, a bit of a mystic, and unbeknown to most, a vampire dressing as a mortal. With what she's seen in his office, she didn't want to imagine how long he's been playing that game. Everything was organized, covert and clandestine. She was glad not to be part of that world, as much as it tried to affect her.

The wilderness is bad enough.

The conversation went on about necromancy and other things but Vera kept mostly quiet until Darnand looked up at the shadowing sky and said, "I suppose we should stand watch. What do you think is most likely to attack us during the night?”

Vera tossed a bone into the flames. "Me. If you guys snore during your sleep." There was just a hint of a tease in her voice. But only a bit.

She got to her feet, brushed off the scraps of food on her lap, and looked out into the horizon. "You can get some shut eye. I'll stand watch."

She didn't doubt the mages ability to keep watch, or Kayla's. Hell, she didn't even doubt Aravi's, as she was a khajiit and a lycanthrope. But Vera never got much sleep anyways, and she liked to think and watch things.

"Trolls. Sabrecats. Wolves, maybe."

She would mention werebears, but they were driven away by the werewolves. Bastard's are taking up residence in Solstheim. She didn't think one would stumble here, but there was always that small possibility.

"Vampires," Vera said. "Sadists, rapists, cultists. You'll find just about everything at night here."

The list went on. But she really didn't think anything would come by, and if it did, it would either be cats or wolves or trolls. The other specimens were too spread-apart and localized in other areas of Skyrim.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 13 2014, 12:15 AM

The fact that Darnand knew about Necromancy in such detail that he could distinguish between two types made Kayla uncomfortable. Maybe it was that, coupled with Aravi's indirect, and most likely unintentional, accusation that someone in the came was already thinking blush-worthy thoughts about Darnand. She wouldn't lie to herself (though she'd lie to the others, for sure) that the mage with them was certainly attractive to her by the sheer knowledge he possessed. Were he a bit better at socializing, or at least aware that she was indeed a female, she'd make a better move towards him. Much better than the vague attempt she had made back at the inn.

She ran a hand through her shoulder-length auburn hair and sighed. "Vera's right, anything can happen out here, but I highly doubt anything will. With two werewolves in our midst, not much with a keen sense of smell will really dare to do much. The most we'd have to worry about, at least tonight, will be keeping the fire going."

She blew a lock of hair out of her eyes. "And maybe a few bandits." She poked the fire. "Maybe a dragon." She laughed. "We're gonna be fine."

Tonight while everyone's sleeping, I'll be thinking about Onmund. I wonder if wolves can smell when someone's aroused. She felt even more uncomfortable at the thought. Maybe not tonight. I've waited four years before ever relieving myself of stress. I can wait a few months.

Posted by: King Coin Feb 13 2014, 06:35 AM

Darnand reported that they had gotten more than they needed to proceed. Aravi was relieved. After everything that happened this time… she wasn’t very eager to go again anytime soon.

“Yes, please do deliver the gems for me. If I am going to Winterhold, then it would be best to start from here than to go to Cyrodiil and back.”

Aravi knew Darnand had some knowledge of necromancy. With someone else, she might have felt uncomfortable with the depth of knowledge he displayed.

Darnand then suggested someone stand watch. Vera volunteered. Again, Aravi was relieved. She was close to collapsing as it was. If she kept watch, she would be in for a long, hard night.

Vera seemed to have boundless energy after her transformation, as if it rejuvenated her. She might have even been in a good mood, if that was possible.

Aravi was sore and tired, she felt like she had been in battle all day. She assumed this was normal for a werewolf, until she saw Vera. Now she felt that there was something off with her.

Then again, she embraces it. I push it away until I can no longer stand it.

Today’s fight should keep it under control for a long while… maybe even a few months if she was lucky…

She agreed with Kayla about the likelihood of encountering something in the night. “I’ve passed through this area before,” she gestured in the direction of the road. “It’s relatively quiet.”

She got up from her spot and got her bedding. She spread it out on the ground near the fire and crawled inside. Fatigue tugged at her, but bhe remained awake and looked at the stars for a while. She saw the sign of the Lord in the stars. Her sign.

"Do you watch the stars?" she asked the group.

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 13 2014, 07:10 PM

Kayla followed Aravi's lead and prepared for bed. She slid between the covers of her knapsack and smiled at the Khajiit.

"Sometimes. I don't know what starsign is mine, but I think it's The Lady. It's nice to just sit and make shapes."


Posted by: Grits Feb 13 2014, 08:45 PM

A dragon? I should very much like to see one.

Darnand decided against sharing that thought with the group. He nodded his acknowledgement to Aravi and finished his preparations for the night.

“I will take second watch,” he said to Vera.

Aravi asked about the stars. Kayla seemed not to have been affected by the sign that marked her birth. Perhaps their influence is not as strong in Skyrim.

“In Sun’s Height I look to The Apprentice,” he replied. “My stars are both a blessing and a curse. I would have become a mage had I been born under any sign, but it was the gift of The Apprentice that allowed me to pursue summoning along with Destruction magic. If I did not have such a well of magicka when I first began to learn spell-casting I suppose I would have focused more on my studies and stayed out of the field.”

Darnand lay back and looked at the stars. He had no concerns about returning to Cyrodiil on his own. Without a friend watching his back he would keep his focus on the road and its dangers. Soon he would be back among his books, sometimes with Abiene at his side. He wondered how she had fared with her preparations.



Posted by: King Coin Feb 14 2014, 03:26 AM

She listened to the others with curiosity. She loved the stars and the moons.

“Is there some reason for the sign each person gets?” she wondered aloud.

“They are so pretty. They seem brighter in the sky the farther north you go.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 14 2014, 03:27 AM

Kayla leaned on one elbow and looked at Darnand. "My sign is only a guess. And growing up with no other Altmer around, I don't know what's normal for abilities or not. I think my Ma only gave me The Lady as a sign because that's when they found me." She looked back up at the stars.

I wonder what it's like to be so certain of your birth sign. Do you feel a tug in your heart when you see the constellations? Her brow furrowed as she put her arms behind her head. I wonder how people like me find out their signs.

"I'll take third watch." she said absently.

Posted by: King Coin Feb 14 2014, 04:24 AM

“I don’t know if the Lady is different, but the Lord is the same for me as it is for other races.”

Posted by: Elisabeth Hollow Feb 14 2014, 04:30 AM

Kayla turned her head towards Aravi. "What do you mean, the same?" It was a genuine question. "As in, you get the same abilities that the other races do?" She chuckled at the thought of the gods piking favorite races. Then again, she didn't know much about the gods. Perhaps they did have favorites. All she knew for certain was that daedra did choose favorites, and were often unfair in doing so, lumping each individuals of a race together as if they all had one thing that made them the same. Besides general appearances, of course.

Posted by: King Coin Feb 14 2014, 04:42 AM

"The sign affects me the same way it affects everyone else that is born under it," she said while absently playing with her earring.

She realized it was the same ear that was ruined and Abiene healed. She felt the surface of the ear for any signs of its former injury. None.

Posted by: Grits Feb 15 2014, 04:59 PM


On the Road South, Some Time Later

Darnand shifted uncomfortably on the wooden plank. The wagon lurched over a rut, sending him sliding into the side rail. Another bruise on top of bruises. When it was time to renew his life detection spell he also healed his aching hip and tailbone. A few moments’ ease at least. The next spell I craft will be Summon Seat Cushion.

Signing on as a spotter with a caravan had been a stroke of good fortune. Not only were his ride and meals free as far as Bruma, but he would be paid for his efforts. So far they had encountered one group of raiders. With the caravan guards obviously alert to the danger they had passed through the would-be ambush without incident. Darnand wondered if some of the guards would circle back and attack the bandits. He had heard that clearing out camps was a large part of their job, and the loot they recovered an important supplement to their income.

The hills and hollows ahead were free of any life signs larger than a fox. Darnand gave the signal to the lead rider. For a few moments he was free to let his mind wander.

The expedition to Lost Knife Hideout had been a success, as he had expected. They had harvested enough magicka to fuel months of experiments. Abiene had not shared the details of Aravi’s situation, only the needs of her research. Darnand could draw his own conclusions.

Aravi’s lycanthropy had come as a complete surprise. Darnand had to credit Abiene’s ability to keep a secret, for surely she must know. The implications for Aravi’s future children were beyond Darnand’s knowledge. Someone must know, perhaps Aravi herself. It was not something he felt at liberty to ask her, but he resolved to find out.

Vera’s lycanthropy explained a lot. Darnand set that piece of information away deep within his mind where it would not be readily discovered. His activities often put him in mental contact with others, some of whom could not be trusted.

Another curiosity was Kayla’s bright sword. It carried the unmistakable whiff of Daedric power. Meridia, if Darnand’s sense of the Lady of Infinite Energies had not faded. Also a subject to carefully avoid. Darnand had returned to Arkay’s grace, but he suspected that Meridia would not be as forgiving. He would prefer to remain outside her notice. Though he might have much in common with another mortal who had carried her token, the connection should not be made. He had no idea what Kayla would be called to do if she actually was Meridia’s champion.

Darnand gripped the rail as the wagon tipped to the other side, sending him sliding toward the driver. The Nord was a mountain of fur, stench, and phlegm, and Darnand intended to keep contact between them to a minimum. Though he had to admit the man made an excellent wind break, and some of his jokes were worthy of repeating, so long as the audience had sturdy sensibilities.

That thought led his mind to Salyan. Darnand had enjoyed her reserved company as much as her astonishing command of Audiomancy. He regretted her sudden departure, but he could not fault her for it. The incident in the cage had shaken all of them save Vera. He suspected that most folk would not want to continue in a party with two known werewolves.

The driver took a pull from his wineskin and passed it to Darnand. “Wanna hear a joke about my stick?” he asked.

“Indeed,” said Darnand. “I have been hoping for another one.” He resisted wiping the neck on his sleeve. Any diseases he picked up on the road could be cured all at once later. The wine scalded his throat but warmed him all the way through.

“Hah!” crowed the driver. “Forget it, it’s too long.”

Darnand gritted his teeth against the elbow in his ribs. “Ha ha. That is a good one.” He scanned the road ahead and then the hills on either side. Until we meet again, my friends. Safe journey to you all.

Posted by: Grits Feb 26 2014, 12:03 AM

Adventure complete. Would a moderator kindly close this thread.

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