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> Ahnaressu's Travels Ch. 6
Dantrag
post Mar 10 2005, 08:43 PM
Post #1


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From: The cellar of the fortress of the fuzz



Ahnaressu walked through the camp as usual. The common glares he got no longer bothered him. He knew he was not of the tribe and never would be. He carried his last two buckets back to the camp, and made his way towards the old yurt he and Relgar now called home. The door to his yurt was quickly blocked by a young ashlander, about a year older than Ahnaressu. The older ashlander, named Yas, was obviously trying to prove something to his friends because another group of young ahslanders were about ten feet away, watching and laughing. Ahnaressu knew Yas wanted a fight, and Ahnaressu had no time for such stupidity, especially with his little brother standing beside him.
"What do you want?" Ahnaressu asked rather rudely.
"You to leave."
"What?" Ahnaressu asked incredulously. "Surely I have done nothing to offend you." He said with mock respect.
The only response Ahnaressu got was a swing from Yas. Ahnaressu dodged the blow, and in the same motion, pushed Yas away and calmly walked back in his yurt.

Valnor sat by the fire with his three companions. None of the three dared disturb Valnor and bring him from his thoughts. Valnor's thoughts were not those of defeat, but of revenge. He formulated plans to raise another army, tactics to use, and most of all, he thought of how to replace Nyph. Nyph was brilliant. Even if he was wrong, he presented another point of view so that Valnor could see his own plans in a different light, allowing for corrections. Valnor and decided to spend another few years buidling another army. A larger and more effective army.

Ahnaressu decided that Yas was right. He did not belong here. He could hope for no relationship with any of these people beyond getting their water. With that thought in mind, Ahnaressu packed his things. He put his sword belt on, and put his dagger inside his overcoat as usual. He held Relgar's hand as they walked out. Ahnaressu headed south towards the next camp - Erabenimsun.

After about a week, Ahnaressu and Relgar were nearing the last known location of the Erabenimsun camp. As he walked in a valley, he noticed a strange figure lying down on the rocks. As he neared it, Ahnaressu noticed it was a dark elf. The young dunmer quickly went to work making splints for the man's obviously broken arms and legs. Ahnaressu had no idea that who he was helping was one of the main causes of his mother's death.

Nyph awakened in a strange place. He was sitting under a makeshift lean-to made of guar skin. The assassin looked around to see a small baby accompanied by a young teenager. He started to move, but the splints on his arms and legs would not allow it. (As if he could move without them!) Thankful for the rescue, he wondered which god it was that answered his prayer. He made a silent oath to mend his ways and follow this god if he found out which one it was. Send me a sign. he thought.
Just as he thought that, the dark elf in his teens walked up to him and said with concern "Thank the ancestors that you are alive!"
"There's my sign, I guess." Nyph thought. Almost disappointed that he vowed to uphold the ashlander customs. He would uphold the vow anyway, mostly because he was grateful to the ancestors, but also because he had heard of the penalties given to mortals for breaking vows.

Ahnaressu gently put Nyph's head back onto the ground and silently said "You need more rest." Nyph did not argue, for he was already feeling pains from his limbs and sleep was a good way to ignore it.

Valnor began his search for an army in the grazelands. There were quite a few of the oucasts in that area. Valnor knew it could not possibly be as large as the first, but he figured he could hire mercenaries just as he did with the orcs in his old party. His current army consisted of fourteen including himslef. He already had four, and the other ten had been difficult to obtain. It had taken two weeks for the number to reach fourteen. A good time, but it would not stay at that pace. Valnor knew that this ordeal would take years, but he was willing to be patient. Revenge could wait.

The next time Nyph woke up, he saw the young dark elf studying notes with alchemical tools and ingredients beside him. Nyph watched as the boy crushed up thw two ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Nyph was not in any way familiar with alchemy so he just watched as the boy did complicated measurements and used different tools to put the mixture into a bottle.
The boy noticed him and siad "Drink this. It should heal you a small but at least."
Nyph drank the mixture, and at once felt his bones mending, and the pain was lessening. But suddenly, the healing potion stopped working. Nyph knew it was just a lesser potion, not some devious plan to make him suffer longer.
The boy said "I will be making more until you completely heal."
Nyph nodded his thanks.
"What's your name?" the boy continued.
"Nyph," the injured man replied. "Obviously I am in your debt."
Ahnaressu waved the thought away with his hand. "I am Ahnaressu and you owe me nothing."
Nyph smiled, and closed his eyes once more.


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"Its when murder is justice that martyrs are made"
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Dantrag
post Mar 10 2005, 08:46 PM
Post #2


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From: The cellar of the fortress of the fuzz



It was dark, and Nyph and Relgar were both sound asleep. Ahnaressu stared blankly at the fire. He was awake because he was having the dream again. The dream with the large dunmer. The dream kept him awake, but he used the word "sentry" as an excuse. Whenever Nyph would suggest sleep, Ahnaressu reasoned that he was the only one fit to defend them. Nyph knew there was more to it than that, but let the boy be. The young boy noticed Nyph squirming in his bedroll, just waking up. The young boy noticed a prolonged wince; Nyph was obviously in great pain. Ahnaressu quickly got his alchemical tools together and read his mother's tattered notes for every ingredient that could be used to heal. Making potions, sleeping...what''s the difference? Ahnaressu thought.

It was daylight, and Ahnaressu had not slept at all. He had been at work collecting ingredients and making his weak healing potions for Nyph all night. Nyph drank all of the potions he had made so far, (it was only five.) and all but his left leg were healed. Ahnaressu passed out from sheer exhaustion, and Nyph lie down, playing with Relgar while at the same time, carving himself a crutch.

Valnor stood alone, the rest of his band having stayed behind. He was surrounded by a group of six outcast ashlanders. Valnor used his silver tongue to persuade them to join his cause. "What do we get from this?" the obvious leader of the group asked. Valnor said, "I will pay you gold, along with any loot you find in the camps we raid." The leader scratched his head as if he was thinking, but Valnor knew the answer. He would not abandon the promise of gold and loot. Valnor smiled. His revenge was coming along nicely.

Ahnaressu awakened to see Nyph leaning on his crutch, throwing a few of his many daggers into a nearby tree. Ahnaressu watched in amusement at the man's skills. Nyph noticed the boy for the first time, and since he was reasonably healthy, he was more willing to speak.
Nyph greeted the young dunmer, "Hello there...you look pitiful."
Ahnaressu started to interject, but Nyph put up his hand.
"Sleep. Sleep. you need your rest to survive out here."
Ahnaressu nodded. "Ever since what happened to my family, I haven't slept well." Ahnaressu said.
"What happened?" Nyph asked with concern.
"My tribe, the Urshilaku....they were...killed." Ahnaressu said, his voice cracking.
Nyph's face went sullen. "By the ancestors." he said. Ahnaressu not knowing Nyph's true reason for the phrase. Nyph thought to himself, By the ancestors, I did this to a child?
Ahnaressu continued, I have been having a dream of a very large dunmer, with a claymore to fit his huge frame. He always says to me, "I killed them all." and then proceeds to chop me down, when I wake up.

Nyph felt serious guilt for what he had done, and sat down where he was and sobbed. Ahnaressu thought it was out of pity for him, but he would find out later that it was much more than that.


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"Its when murder is justice that martyrs are made"
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Dantrag
post Mar 10 2005, 08:49 PM
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From: The cellar of the fortress of the fuzz



Ahnaressu liked his trainig with Nyph. While Nyph was more of an assassin, he was also a formiddable foe at head-on combat. Nyph did not use brash, over-aggressive tactics, He would quickly dart in for a strike, and quickly get back out of range.

Nyph reached to one of the two daggers on his belt, leaving him with a dagger in each hand. He tosssed the one he just pulled, while simultaneously dodging an uppercut from Ahnaressu's padded sword. Ahnaressu ducked from the throw, making a mental note to be more wary of the projectiles. Ahnaressu made a feint right with the shortsword in his right hand, and when Nyph went for it, dodging left, Ahnaressu smiled and hit the assassin the the flat of the blade. Or so he thought. Somehow, the young boy ended up on the ground. It had taken that long for the young ashlander to register the move in his brain, but Nyph had deftly ducked under the blow, while in the same movement, swinging his leg out to trip the boy.

Ahnaressu looked in horror as Nyph slowly put his shining, black dagger at his neck. Ahnaressu, not knowing the assassin's intent, did, nothing but slowly slip the practice padding from the blade of his shortsword.

Nyph knew full well what he was doing. He was tired of the wretch that seemed to hold him prisoner. Those vows he made, not made out of any real piety, but out of the sudden realization that he was alive. but this boy, with his good deeds seemed to mock every aspect of the life Nyph had lived for so long. He could not do it though. He could not kill the boy that saved his life. The assassin did have certain moral values, as twisted as they were, and killing a defenseless boy that saved his life was one of the few things he saw as wrong.
Trying to make an excuse for his actions, Nyph smiled and said, "a real foe would not hesitate to kill you. Do not stay on the ground for long."

Ahnaressu lay in his bedroll with his younger brother, thinking of the strange actions of Nyph. Deciding not to let his imagination scare him, he promised himself to speak to Nyph about it in the morning. Sleep came with the same dream...again.

Nyph shot up, awakened by a sound coming from behind him, he looked and saw Ahnaressu and the baby Ralgar sound asleep in their bedroll. Continuing his scan of the area, Nyph spotted a familiar form. A large dunmer walked into the camp, not noticing Nyph for who he was, began a motivational speech - obviously done many times before.
"They have exiled you, as they have me. together we can end the tyranny they have over their tribesme-"
"Save it." Nyph interjected playfully.
"Nyph?" the large dunmer asked in surprise.
"Yes, Valnor, It is I."
"So....you're...not...."
"No. I am not dead."
"Join us again my friend! I am raising yet another army, for we were crushed by the Erabenimsun - as you surely know."

The offer had Nyph back on his heels. Nyph knew he had not changed.His weeping and sudden vows to uphold moral values were merely out of gratefulness for his life, he had never actually meant to change, he only thought that he had. Nyph accepted and stole away with Valnor, leaving Ahnaressu to his sleep.

Nyph thought that Ahnaressu was asleep. Ahnaressu had heard every word of the short conversation. And he saw the dunmer. The one in his dreams...that could only mean that this was the man that had led the rogues to the destruction of his family. The conversation betrayed that, but the dunmer confirmed it. Determined to get back at them, Ahnaressu packed his things to investigate. The Erabenimsun had destroyed The large dark elf's army. The dark elf's army had destroyed his family. Ahnaressu would destroy Valnor and even Nyph. If it took months, years, or even until his dying breath. Valnor would die. Slowly.


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"Its when murder is justice that martyrs are made"
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Dantrag
post Mar 10 2005, 08:50 PM
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From: The cellar of the fortress of the fuzz



The Erabenimsun were obviously a warrior tribe. they looked tough and hardened from many battles. Judging by the numerous scars, they had been in quite a few recently. Ahnaressu garnered no real information about Valnor, other than exaggerated tales of bravery and warrior prowess the Erabenimsun warriors posessed. Ahnaressu quickly realized that there was nothing else to do in the camp. His original idea to live with these people was shattered with the boy's recent discovery of the dunmer in his dreams, and even if he had not gathered that news, Ahnaressu doubted that he would even wannt to live with these warring people. He remembered the stories of tribal battles, and the Erabenimsun have had a bad reputation for torture as of late. Their current ashkhan made sure the violence kept coming.

Valnor and Nyph continued the search for people to join their cause. It went slowly. Many people they had persuaded to join became tired of the slow process and left. Valnor became enraged, but Nyph held his usual careless expression, as if none of it mattered.
"Calm down, Valnor." Nyph said while absently chewing on a hackle-lo leaf.
"Calm down?" Valnor repeated incredulously. "How can I calm down when everything I have worked for suddenly crashes down on me?"
Nyph kept the same careless attitude and expression as he said "We can wait. It may take years, as a matter of fact, it probably will take years, but we must be patient and continue despite the losses. Did not the same exact thing happen while we raised the first army?"
Valnor was glad to have Nyph back to give him useful advice. "Perhaps you are right." Valnor conceded as he sat down by Nyph. Nyph handed him a hackle-lo leaf and said, "That's it. Relax and get some rest." Valnor did just that. Chewed on his hackle-lo and closed his eyes.

Ahnaressu held little Relgar's hand as he walked to the coast and headed south. He hoped to find some sort of civilization. He needed food and clothing for himself and his brother. Young Ahnaressu was half starved from feeding Relgar and Nyph all the food and neglecting his own needs. He figured Seyda Neen would be a remote enough town so hopefully the bar incident in Ald'ruhn would not repeat itself. Besides, he had a lot of money from his Thieves' Guild job that he had never spent.

He made a camp right on the coast, mainly because he liked the sound of the waves. He let Relgar sit down in the waves and splash while he started a fire and laid out his tattered overcoat for a blanket. He picked Relgar up out of the water, dried him off and went to sleep. Still dreaming of the hated dunmer. The one responsible for the death of his mother and his tribe.


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"Its when murder is justice that martyrs are made"
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Dantrag
post Mar 10 2005, 08:52 PM
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From: The cellar of the fortress of the fuzz



Arriving in Seyda Neen, Ahnaressu asked around about where to find a room. The first person he asked happened to be a wood elf by the name of Fargoth. When Ahnaressu asked about a room, Fargoth's face lit up, bragging about how his friend, Arrile, owned the local tradehouse. Ahnaressu found it hard to sit politely by this annoying elf. Ahnaressu quickly thanked him and made his way towards the tradehouse, attracting attention with a baby's head sticking out of his pack.

Valnor was free of his worries, but still just as determined to complete his twisted mission. He paced around his tent, not in nervousness, but in deep thought. He was debating on hiring a mercenary band, or to continue his search of the ashlands first. Valnor looked up from the ground to see Nyph lying down, absent mindedly smoking a skooma pipe. Valnor smiled to himself, wondering how anyone so clever could allow himself to become so stupid at times. Nyph got up and stumbled out of the tent, obviously under the effects of the skooma. Valnor merely smiled at himself, and decided to scour the ashlanders before hiring mercenaries- it would cost less.

Ahnaressu put his brother to sleep in his room, and went into the commons area to eat. He ate some bread, not realizing how much he had starved himself. He ordered a few ash yams and some nix-hound meat before he was satisfied and went to sleep.

He awoke in the morning, feeling more refreshed than he had in a long time. He picked up Relgar and went into the commons for breakfast. He gave Relgar his usual meal of crushed comberries, and got himself a kwama egg. He wandered downstairs, not forgetting his main goal of coming - to get supplies.
"Hello, young man." Arrile said to Ahnaressu. "What can I do for you?"
Ahnaressu said, "I would like to see what you have for sale."
Arrile moved his hand in a circular motion, showing Ahnaressu all of the weapons, armor, and other various things laid out neatly around the room. "I have all of this, some scrolls here behind my desk, and I can offer you a limited selection of spells as well."
Ahnaressu looked around, not seeing anything he particularly wanted besides a scroll of healing and a scroll of warrior's blessing. Ahnaressu bought these scrolls and walked outside for some fresh air. He stood outside enjoying his fresh air when a storage building caught his eye. He knew he could get in serious trouble for going inside, but his curiosity got the best of him. The young boy walked inside and bought a scroll of ondusi's open door. Hoping that wouldn't look suspicious, he decided to wait until dark.

Night fell, and Ahnaressu went up to the redguard behind the counter, Elone, and asked, "Will you watch my brother while I take care of some...um....business?"
Elone smiled and said "Of course."

Ahnaressu walked outside, and not noticing any guards close by, he casually walked by the door, used his scroll, and continued walking. He circled back, and slipped in the door. What he found amazed him. He found a vast array of weapons and armor. He went through the crates, trying to pick out some good weapons, not caring much for the armor. He found an imperial shortsword to replace his worn and rusted shortsword, and a steel tanto to replace the weak chitin dagger. Feeling quite proud of himself, he grabbed a few items to sell, and went back to the tradehouse.

Ahnaressu sold his old shortsword and dagger, and some of the extra items he had picked up from the imperial warehouse. He did not feel guilty for what he did, having a deep hatred for the Empire from his ashlander roots. He used his money to buy some more scrolls, a few more warrior's blessing and healing, along with a summon flame atronach. He went upstairs to release Elnoe from Relgar, and went to sleep for the night, getting ready for the long journey he would make tomorrow. He had no idea how long the journey would take.

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Chapter 6 is now over. Hope you liked it.


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"Its when murder is justice that martyrs are made"
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jonajosa
post Mar 14 2005, 12:56 AM
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Cool. I like how you did the training sceens. Very nice. To bad Nyph had to leave though. He weas kinda cool.
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minque
post Mar 14 2005, 12:11 PM
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From: Where I can watch you!!



yes i like this story a lot! Have sort of a crush for Ashlanders, and I find Ahnaressu fascinating.... wink.gif


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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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