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

[Grits]

Oh my goodness, Teresa is in the thick of it now.

The Great Lady of Bravil is so impressive, and now also intriguing. Teresa did well recovering from the surprise of seeing Val- Sir Nasica. I love the glittering atmosphere at the ball, and the subtle exchanges between Lady Scaurus’ group. So much is said with eyebrows! An episode to be savored!

[Olen]

An excellent part. I enjoyed everyting about it, it was spot on. Teresa's mild discomfort at not knowing what to do in such situations came through well, Pappy rushing off for 'refreshments' and the unexpected appearence of Nasica topped it off. That I did not see coming. It's probably as well that none present are likely to talk, regardless of eyebrow mobility.

I certainly hadn't imagined she had wondered into such a complex web, and I doubt she had either. As Haute said: this section was delicious.

[Acadian]

Gosh, I was smiling the whole way through this!

This is a stunning example, given the magnitude and length of the tournament storyline, where I am so grateful you conceived of this ball and brought it to life. Once again, you magnificently display another level of depth to what is happening in Bravil during the tournament. *sigh* If only little Dame Buffy's dance card hadn't been overly full that night screwing around looking for a damn scroll.

I could picture all the characters perfectly, and Teresa was absolutely beautiful. How wonderfully comforting to have her friend, Ancondil near. I bet she would have been even more nervous without the steady orc at her side.

And a wonderful revisit of the one man that has known Teresa's treasures. The continuing references to Nerussa helped glue things together and were such a treat!

Archer, alchemist, magician, guardian of the forest, and now a friend of the Golden Lady of the Imperial City as well."
Yep, that really sums up our Teresa!

This post has been edited by Acadian: May 24 2011, 01:18 AM

[Jacki Dice]

All caught up once more! ♥ From what I've read the twists and turns between Tadrose and Teresa have been my favorite

This from Chapter 34.11 made my heart race...

The next thing she knew, Tadrose kissed her

Then sink with

It was just a quick peck on the cheek. Not even slightly romantic at all.

But then! in 34.17

....the next thing Teresa knew the dark elf's lips were pressed against the bare skin of her throat in a soft kiss.

[Captain Hammer]

So Lady Scaurus has known Nerussa, in the biblical sense. Given what we know of each woman's past, could the one have been involved in the other's, ah, retirement? Or was it simply a time before that in the Altmer's life?

I'm enjoying seeing Ancondil play the role of the perfect gentleman, and mingling well in high company. Sir Nasica might be a typical knight, but our Orsimer warrior-poet exemplifies the virtues lauded by many a bard. Probably helpful that Ancondil would make a great bard himself one day.

And then, when somebody decides to crash the party and interrupt his recitation of "The Death of the Udyrfrykte" he whips out that giant warhammer he carries. Nobody gets in the way of his poetry.

[SubRosa]

mALX: Nerussa does get around, eyebrows or not.


haute ecole rider: Is that the haughty Lady Scaurus, or the the haute Lady Scaurus? She is a fun character to write. Her demeanor comes from her keen awareness that she is not merely a noble, but the matriarch of her family. Her family's honor, fortunes, and future are all riding upon her shoulders. Everything she does is under the microscope of public opinion, and one misstep could be disastrous. I suspect the Great Lady envies Teresa precisely because of the freedom our red-haired Bosmer bowgirl possesses, which she will never know.

Her secret with Nerussa is probably not too naughty. Because Nerussa is female, there would never have been a possibility for children, or marriage, and thusly never a real danger to her family or her honor. Lesbian behavior was not too remarkable in the patriarchal societies of the Classical world because of that. For example, Spartan girls would go to the Temple of Helen at the banks of the Evrotas River and sing, dance, drink wine, and doubtlessly get it on. Plus of course we also get the very term lesbian from Sappho as well... So I picture much the same in Tamriel. So as long as the lady is not sucking face or holding hands with another woman in public she is fine. She would just have to keep it at the rumor level or lower. If it had been with a man, then it would have been an entirely different story. One Mr. Wickham would be the end of not only Lady Scaurus, but her family as well.


Grits: I am channeling a lot of Jane Austen with the ball: the wealth on display, the beautiful people, the demanding etiquette, etc... I am glad it is coming across like I had hoped.


Olen: I was planning on Valerius to appear here way back when I wrote him into The Rider. Just like with running into Pappy as a child, and learning her first spells from Raminus Polus, I wanted to set up a history between him and Teresa before introducing him in Bravil.


Acadian: This is one of those places where rather than converge, our two Fs show a different portion of the entire event. On the same night no less! While Teresa is getting an eyeful of Bravil's wealthy folk, Buffy was showing us how the gambling worked, something I only barely mentioned in the TF.

I do not think Teresa could have managed without Ancondil! And then a meeting with the man who, as you say, knows her treasures (I love that metahpor btw!). Poor Teresa is so in over her head!


Jacki Dice: I am having a lot of fun with the Teresa and Tadrose relationship, now that it is really getting into full gear. Granted, Teresa is not having nearly as much fun!


Captain Hammer: Lady Scaurus would not have been smiling if she had been the one to ruin Nerussa. I have never put it in stone, but I have always imagined that was the Empress, who is described as having been quite a nasty piece of work.

Ancondil as a bard? I can so easily see that! As you said, besides the lute, he is also skilled with percussion instruments...


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: In our last episode, Teresa went to the Tournament Ball hosted by Lady Scaurus, and met the grande dame of Bravil herself. She was also surprised by the appearance of Sir Valerius Nascia, whom she has not seen since the three-way tryst between him, Nerussa, and herself. Next, Teresa spends some time with the Colovian knight.


Chapter 34.19 - The Tournament Of Archers

"Would the young woman also grace this poor knight with a dance?" Valerius motioned to the dance floor with one extended hand.

"I don't know how." Teresa shook her head. She realized that she was biting her lip, and forced herself to stop. Please Dibella, she prayed, do not let my makeup be smeared because of it!

"Well then, perhaps we might loosen our strides about the manor?" the young knight suggested, holding out one arm. Teresa wanted to bite her lip again, but this time stopped herself before she could. She now had the distinct impression that the lady's desire to dance was due less to her feet's inclination to move, as it might have been to arrange a private encounter between Valerius and herself.

Still, Teresa took his arm and allowed him to lead her from the room and through the expansive halls and chambers of Scaurus Manor. As before, she was amazed at the wealth displayed in every room. She had once heard that living well was the best revenge. Well if the Imperial had enemies, she was certainly having the best of them!

"Valerius I don't know what you think, but I-"

"I know," the knight said, laying a gentle finger on Teresa's red lips. "You are not interested in me that way. I can tell when a woman prefers the verses of Sappho to that of Catullus."

Teresa stopped to regard the man, and cocked her head to one side in curiosity. "Then what…"

"Am I after?" the knight finished her sentence. "I was hoping we might talk is all."

"Is it Nerussa?" Teresa felt a pang of worry shoot through her heart. "Has something happened to her?"

"No, she is fine," the knight smiled. "In fact, she told me to give you this the next time I saw you."

With that the patrician slid one arm around Teresa's waist and pulled her close. Before she knew it, his lips had pressed against hers, and the fingers of his other hand danced across her breasts. As much as it surprised her, she could not deny the pleasure that his hand sparked. One thing was for certain, Valerius knew where to touch a woman! She found herself kissing him in return, just as she had that afternoon at the Wawnet Inn. However, just as before, she pretended it was a woman she was kissing rather than a man.

When finally he disengaged himself, Teresa found herself sliding into a padded velvet chair. That had certainly been unexpected, she thought, yet not altogether unpleasant. If only Tadrose would do that to her! Dibella, what she would give for such a kiss from the vice-commander!

"Remind me to thank Nerussa the next time I see her." Teresa looked up at the knight and winked. He laughed and sat down beside her, stretching his legs out across the hallway. He looked as if he were at home, rather than in the manor of the richest and most powerful woman in County Bravil.

"I shall be obliged to relay the message," he smiled, "in kind."

"Somehow I have the feeling there was more on your mind than kissing me." That made her remember her rouge and their kiss. Reaching for her mirror, she studied her lips carefully in the glass. She frowned at the smear she found under her lip, and drew forth a soft cloth and carefully wiped the errant makeup away.

"That there is." Now the knight seemed less at ease, and he straightened up in his seat. "I wanted to ask you about the Fighters Guild, here in Bravil."

"What about it?" Teresa stared blankly at the knight. "Did you want to hire us for something? You should talk to Pappy, erm Commander Vitellus."

"No." The patrician shook his head with a smile. "Not hire. I was wondering if you might tell me what is like being in the guild down here? What sort of contracts do you perform? What are the people in the guild like? What sort of man is this Vitellus? I hear so much about him that is both good and ill, that I do not know what to believe."

"Valerius, are you asking to join the Fighters Guild?" Teresa wondered aloud.

"I am considering it," he admitted. "But I would like to know what I am getting into first."

"But you're a patrician!" she sputtered, "a knight! You're rich! Why would you need to work?"

"This may surprise you, but a noble pedigree does not guarantee one a reservoir of septims," Valerius said dryly. "There are plenty of patricians from very old and distinguished families that do not have two remans to rub together. I find myself in similar circumstances."

"But why here?" Teresa asked. "I am sure you could do much better in the Imperial City. And don't tell me you came this way because of me."

The knight licked his lips, and Teresa could see that she had struck a nerve. He's thinking of how much he wants to tell me, she realized, and how much to keep to himself.

"The Imperial City and I are not on friendly terms right now," he finally said, looking down at his hands. "To be honest, I am not in good standing with my family, nor with another family there."

What did that mean? Teresa wondered, other than the obvious falling out? But over what? Romance? Theft? Ideals? When it came down to it, she really knew almost nothing about Valerius. Except that Nerussa was very fond of him.

The former courtesan did not throw around her friendship easily, Teresa knew. She slept with anyone who took her fancy, that was obvious. But there was a big difference between that, and those that she bestowed her genuine affection upon. Yet she had certainly done the latter for Valerius.

"Well, it isn't easy being in our chapter," Teresa said, deciding not to press the issue It was really none of her business after all. "We exercise together for over three hours every day. Calisthenics, tactics, weapons, unarmed… we do it all. The people from other chapters that came here for the tournament say we're crazy. But I've seen the difference it makes when it's the real thing. It's why I'm still alive."

"Sounds like when I was a page and then a squire," Valerius nodded. "Ever since I was six I have been riding and training to fight. The same for all knights. I am actually glad to hear it. For it means that if I was to join, the people around me would be the best."

"We are the best," Teresa said without really thinking. "All of us. Some of my guild mates are new, but if they did not have what it takes, they would not be in the guild. Not in our chapter at least.

"You sound very proud of your companions," the knight observed.

"I am," Tersesa admitted, holding her chin high. "I'm proud to be one of them. What about yourself? I take it you are no parchment knight?" Teresa looked pointedly at his scars.

"These?" Valerius lifted one hand to the scars that marred his otherwise delicate features. "I got the one on the forehead at Bruma. The one down here on the cheek was from a vampire. And no, I am not infected. I will be at the tourney tomorrow, in daylight."

"So you were at Bruma," Teresa mused, remembering the rows of knights in their brilliant meteoric glass armor and gleaming ebony.

"All the knights of Cyrodiil were there," he replied softly. "And other patricians. Many of us did not come back."

"Well I am glad you did Valerius." Teresa laid a gentle hand on one of the knight's. Then she rose to her feet. "Let me introduce you to Pappy. If we don't find him early, he'll probably vanish under some girl's skirt!"

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 29 2011, 04:43 PM

[haute ecole rider]

Uhh, two stud muffins under one roof? I'm not so sure about that! Valerius is just as hawt as Pappy, and likely as active in his own patrician way as Pappy.

Hmm, but then there's Vincent and Chance. But no way are they in Pappy's class. Now Vincent on the other hand . . .

Regardless, if Vincent joins the Bravil chapter, it's gonna get verrrrrry interrresting around Bravil! In that case I just might try to talk Julian into moving to this ramshackle town permanently!

[mALX]

My son is drumming in my ear, and it is thundering overhead (which means unplugging all electronics and bringing dogs in quickly) - I can't concentrate and don't want to miss a thing, lol. I'll come back and read at a more peaceful time. <3

[Olen]

Giving her the history with Valerius certainly paid off in this part, and now he's considering joining the guild. I can see things getting most interesting. His background in the IC might come into play I think too.

I'm slightly surprised they're going to meet at the ball to discuss business, I have thought that might wait until the morning (or afternoon ) after, as I suspect Valerius has not so different priorities to Pappy.

With both of them down there Nerussa might have to make a visit.

[Jacki Dice]

Before she knew it, his lips had pressed against hers, and the fingers of his other hand danced across her breasts. As much as it surprised her, she could not deny the pleasure that his hand sparked.

Good thing Ancondil didn't see that! He might've got the wrong idea

[Acadian]

'She now had the distinct impression that the lady's desire to dance was due less to her feet's inclination to move, as it might have been to arrange a private encounter between Valerius and herself.'
Thank you, Teresa, for sharing this thought with us. It makes perfect sense of course, but would have zoomed right by me had you not mentioned it.

A down-on-his-septims knight delivering a personal message from Nerussa! Teresa has clearly earned the respect of Lady Scaurus, but I suspect there will certainly remain a gulf between them. Val on the other hand, is not only a patrician, but much more approachable. Not sure what solid access to a noble will get, but it does have interesting implications. The idea of him joining her guild is interesting indeed! I can see Pappy making Val the guild's 'Liaison Officer to Nobles'.

Thank you again for bringing this wonderfully rich aspect of life in Bravil (the ball) to us during the tournament!

'Then she rose to her feet. "Let me introduce you to Pappy. If we don't find him early, he'll probably vanish under some girl's skirt!"
What a perfect ending to the tail episode!

[mALX]

This chapter is an awesome display of the range you are capable of weaving into one episode - absolutely perfect balance of actions, emotion shown through Teresa's inner dialogue - and a little twist of intrigue and mystery in Valerius's discomfort regarding the Imperial City.

Loved this chapter !!! Awesome Write (as you always do!)

This post has been edited by mALX: May 27 2011, 03:20 AM

[King Coin]

25.1

This is a pleasant turn of events! Simplicia is going to find out who is supplying Thoronir! She's a different woman now that she has a home and a friend in Jensine.

25.2

She was not going to allow that to happen. She was not going back to the gutter, not again.

She has some resolve. Same thing with fighting the skooma. Good going Simplicia.

It's Dreth again! Hopefully Teresa doesn't have to deal with him again.

25.3

Methredhel is seeing her fox in the city? That's pretty cool. Good animal choice for a follower of the grey fox.

All that yelling and screaming because Simplicia wants her baby back. Hard to stay angry at someone for that isn't it?

25.4

Dreth better not be living in that place. That's just gross. I bet he has diseases.

25.5

Methredhel's got it figured out!

Vols still likes Simplicia after all these years.

25.6

Vols has arrived to take out the trash.

25.7

By the Nine Vols is a beast. Pulling a dagger out of his shoulder and putting it to use on Dreth.
What a twist! A necromancer!
(and Teresa won't be seeing Dreth ever again)

25.8
ARRGGHH!!! I have to wait to find out about Vols? Curses!

Maybe not it appears...

Let him think it was Teresa, the thief prayed as she scampered for the sewer grate. Or at least let him wonder who it really was. Just so long as no one ever learned that she had saved the life of a legionary!

Wow what an awesome way to end the section! Shooting the necro and turning invisible. That's just great! And Vols is going to be confused for a while.

25.9

Simplicia knows how to use some leverage doesn't she?

Chapter 25.1 – The Fighter

24th Last Seed, 3E433

I think that's supposed to say 26.1. At 2 am it confused me a lot

[Thomas Kaira]

What a great ball Teresa has found. It is really great that Teresa is getting to know Valerius better now, and that he may soon find himself in a more permanent role in the tale. Knowing Pappy, he is definitely not going to get the Veteran's treatment, though. If anything, him being at Bruma is only going to get Pappy to push him even harder, simply for what that battle cost the land. To survive that battle proves that the body is able and the head is level, and that is exactly the sort of talent Pappy likes.

I'm glad Teresa enjoyed her kiss. A very warm regard indeed from Nerussa.

Nit?

What about yourself. I take it you are no parchment knight?

The former sentence is phrased like a question, but ends with a period. This seems a bit incongruous to me.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: May 27 2011, 08:25 AM

[TrisRed]

I love this chapter!

I thought it was very romantic... even though Teresa imagined kissing someone else

"Please Dibella, she prayed, do not let my makeup be smeared because of it!"

Love this! Made me chuckle!

And yay for Nerussa!

Highly selfless and overall wonderful, a true romantic

And Valerious... Teresa is a lucky woman to have such romance in her life, but i wonder if she truly appreciates his approach towards her romantically?

LOVE IT!!

Good write

[Captain Hammer]

So Teresa's first knight wants to join the Bravil Fighter's Guild as well? I'd warn Tadrose to be ready, looks like she's going to have start beating off the suitors with a black-smith's hammer!

Also, Andarmil? I recognize Sappho, having read a good portion of her work in my Greek Literature course, but I don't think I've ever heard of a classical poet with a sufficiently similar name. *One quick Google search later...* Nope, nobody.

Unless of course Andarmil's love poetry could be compared to, say, Catullus? In which case, I imagine Valerius has a great appreciation for that type of work. Great stuff, that. I always enjoy posting some of it when I need to avoid getting cited for inappropriate material.

If we don't find him early, he'll probably vanish under some girl's skirt!

Where else should he be? There's no battle nearby, and that annoying thing called 'Job at the Fighters Guild' isn't presenting an immediate emergency. Probably his favorite place on Nirn, like half the rest of the inhabitant of Tamriel.

[Grits]

I enjoyed Teresa’s thoughts very much in this episode. She displays poise and confidence when she talks to Valerius, a knight, about joining her organization. That was lovely to see! Their whole interaction was delightful. And of course, the skirt comment about Pappy, priceless! The chat about Nerussa brought back pleasant memories, and Valerius’ plans are something to anticipate. What a fun night!

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: I am thinking you meant Valerius in the second half of your comment? From where you said: Now Vincent Valerius on the other hand . . . ?

Well, Chance is working hard (oops, did I make a pun there ) to get into Pappy's class! As you said Vincent will always be far behind though. Valerius does indeed like sex, and with his looks, demeanor, social standing, and (previously) money, he could have it easily. Still, as you say, being a gentleman he is a bit more circumspect than Pappy.


mALX: Valerius is indeed not thrilled with talking about just why he is is poor knight in Bravil isn't he? Eventually we will learn what he has to hide.


Olen: We will find out if Valerius decides to join the FG at the beginning of Chapter 35. I do have some plans for his history in the IC, but it will probably take a while before any of that filters down to Bravil.

Nerussa just might have to visit! That would be interesting, to say the least. She would probably have the same effect on the Bravil Fighters Guild as a tornado!


Jacki Dice: If Ancondil had seen that, Teresa would have a hard time explaining that she really is not interested in men! It is such a classic plot piece, that I am surprised I never thought of it. But I am sure I can do something similar in the future...


Acadian: Indeed, Teresa and the Lady live in very different worlds, and social rules will always put a barrier between them, no matter how much they might like one another. Being a knight (and thusly at the bottom run of the noble social structure), Valerius is indeed more approachable. Being suddenly poor helps even more, as he cannot be blamed for rubbing shoulders with plebeians. Economically, he has no choice after all. I am sure there would be plenty other down-on-their-septims patricians in the same situation.


King Coin: That was a fun chapter to write, as I got to do it from the points of view of the people Teresa is closest too in the Imperial City. I was very glad to have to chance to give more depth to Simplicia, since she has always been such a major part of Teresa's life. As you noted, she has changed quite a bit herself since becoming respectable, but is still a tough old goat underneath.

And Vols is definitely a beast! Like you said, he takes out the trash! The necromancer was a way to keep that story from being too predictable, as I am sure everyone has played the quest over and over in the game. Working Methredhel in was just delicious irony, with her being a thief coming to the aid of a legionary.

That was supposed to be 26.1! How on Nirn did I miss that? Thank you for throwing that out so I could fix it.


Thomas Kaira: Pappy would indeed not go easy on Valerius. As a knight, Val has been riding and learning to fight since he was six or so, when he started up the ladder as a page. So he is going to be expected to pull a lot of weight in the Bravil Guild.

You were right about that sentence, it should have had a question mark. I went back and fixed it.


Rihanae: I wish it were possible to make out without ruining your makeup! If only we lived in the movies, where you can do that, or sleep in your makeup without getting it all over your pillow and sheets.


Captain Hammer: You were right about Andarmil. He is a purely made up poet. I just wanted someone to juxtapose Sappho. I thought about using the name Eros, but it just seemed a bit too generic romantically. I never did think of using Catullus though. I suppose he would be doubly ironic, as many of his poems are directed to Lesbia... I will go back and change it to him.


Grits: Isn't it interesting to see Teresa referring to the Fighters Guild that way? It is kind of hard to imagine what her life would be like now, if she had not joined the guild.


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: In the last episode of TotFS, Teresa had a private talk with Valerius, in which he expressed an interest in joining the Fighters Guild. Next we find Teresa after the ball is over, taking her first steps to resolve her own personal issues.


Chapter 34.20 - The Tournament Of Archers

"Simplicia," Teresa asked, "how come my ears aren't round, like everyone else's?"

The middle-aged Imperial leaned down over the little girl, and ran a hand through the dirty strands of her brown hair. "That's because you're an elf," Simplicia said. "All elves have pointed ears."

"Why am I an elf?" Teresa bit her lip, staring down at the pavement of the alley between A Fighting Chance and The Merchants Inn. The stone walls of the insulas containing the businesses rose high into the air to either side. Old crates and barrels lined one wall of the passage, while the side from the inn was dotted with trash. The alley opened up into a small square in its center. A simple stone well rose there, with a worn rope and bucket hanging from a hand crank suspended over its mouth.

Simplicia's stained and threadbare bedroll was rolled out behind a small barrier of broken crates in the little square. It was here the pair sat, out of sight from any who walked through the alley. Simplicia leaned back against the stone wall of one insula with a groan. Reaching out with a thin arm, the grey-haired Imperial drew the elven child close to her.

"That is just how you were born," Simplicia said. Her voice sounded exhausted. More than usual, Teresa thought. More than a simple day's begging would deserve.

"But why was I born that way?" little Teresa asked. "Why couldn't I be like the other kids?"

"That is just how your mother was," Simplicia explained. "We are all born like our mothers."

"So how come I'm not like you then?"

Teresa stared up into the eyes of the middle-aged woman. She could see a deep emptiness there. It was not the blankness that Simplicia and the other street people usually wore behind their eyes. Rather it was an ache deeper than the well just a few feet away.

"I am not your mother Teresa," the beggar sighed. "Your mother was a wood elf, just like you are."

"So where is she?" Teresa asked.

"I don't know little baby," Simplicia said, and the elf wondered if she saw tears pooling behind the middle-aged woman's eyes. "I never knew who she was. Or your father. I found you in an alley, not much different than this one."

"Why did my parents leave me?" Teresa's lip quivered with the question. "Didn't they want me?"

"I don't know Cherry Blossom." Simplicia leaned down and gently kissed the elven child on the top of her head. "I don't know…"

Teresa's shut her eyes to the sight from her childhood. Her heart raced like a Quarter Horse. Just as she had a thousand times before, she felt an abyss yawn wide inside it: the empty spot where her mother and father should have been.

Why had they left her in that alley eighteen years ago? Had they truly not wanted her? Could there have been some other reason they abandoned her? Were they alive or dead? Would she ever learn who they were?

Teresa sighed and turned away from the dark, cavernous walls of her Astral Temple. She walked to the pool of water that filled the center of the vast chamber, and stepped into the amber rays of sunlight that poured through the opening in the ceiling. She stared down at the pool, through the crystal clear waters, at the green plants that swayed gently back and forth under the waves.

The rumble of a bear brought her head up however. Turning back to the dark, rough walls that edged the grotto, Teresa saw the eyes of the mighty animal glowing from the darkness. The body of the massive predator took shape a moment later, and he lumbered from the shadows to stand at the wood elf's side. Then his head turned, and he looked back into the shadows that bathed the walls..

Teresa knew that Bear was showing her this slice of her past for a reason. This was part of her Shadow. Her childhood revelation that Simplicia was not her mother. Not her real mother at least. Instead she had been abandoned by her parents, and never even learned their names, or why they had left her.

Teresa swallowed hard, past the lump that had formed in her throat, and stared at her feet. Facing her Shadow was not as easy as she thought it would be. Yet this was only the beginning! She had no doubt that it would only become more difficult as she went on, rather than less. How was she going to do it?

Harsh, rasping breath filled Teresa's ears. Raising her eyes, she found that her Astral Temple was filled with bears. They wandered along the walls, sat down next to her, and a few even plunged into the pool of water in the middle of the grotto. She smiled faintly at the sight.

She would face her Shadow, but would never be alone in the darkness.

"You must make a feast for your Daedra." Ancondil's words came back to Teresa. "…show them how you love them."

Steeling herself, she walked back to the darkness of the grotto's walls. The bears made way for her, only to once again congregate near her when she stopped before the entrance of a tunnel leading further into the gloom.

She reached out, and the blackness in front of her eyes rippled like the surface of a pond. Once more the same image from her childhood blossomed into light before her eyes. She stared at the little girl wrestling with the cold knowledge that her parents had deserted her. How could she console that child? How could she love that memory?

Her eyes pored over the scene, and one thing leapt out at her - Simplicia. With her round, human ears, the old woman could never have been her mother. Yet was that not exactly what she had always been? All of her life, the Imperial had taken care of her as best she could. It was Simplicia who always scrounged food for her, not to mention fresh milk. It was Simplicia who found extra blankets for her in the winter. It had been Simplicia who had taught her to read, and to count, using copies of the Black Horse Courier. The beggar was the one who warned her about the dangers of the street, and taught her to tell the truly dangerous thugs from those who were nothing but bluster. Had she not even been calling Simplicia mother since the Oblivion Crisis?

"Simplicia is my mother," Teresa breathed, "she always has been."

With that understanding Teresa smiled more than faintly, and let the image fade to black. Never more would it be one of pain, but rather a memory to cherish for all of her days.

[Olen]

A good way to show snippets of her past, very well thought out. I hadn't thought of that side of her facing her shadow but it's perfect. The events which shaped her and which you want to show are the eact ones she needs to think about. I suspect we might get a few more of these over the coming chapters.

Teresa's shut her eyes to the sight from her childhood.

You caught the emotional weight of the old memory well. Having her turn from it, exactly the opposite of what she was meant to do showed how hard it is to face. But you also showed how the emotional weight of it changed with a subtle change of perspective.

she found that her Astral Temple was filled with bears.

That line made me smile. It worked wuite well to lighten the mood for the last bit too.

Very well constructed part. However I suspect she only has so long to meditate before she needs to get to bed for the following day's competition.

[haute ecole rider]

In response to your comment:

Hmm, but then there's Vincent and Chance. But no way are they in Pappy's class. Now Vincent on the other hand . . .

Regardless, if Vincent joins the Bravil chapter

The first Vincent (the one you quoted) is intentional. I was thinking of the rakish young men already in the chapter. I didn't lump Ancondil with them because he's got better class and manners. Not that Vincent and Chance aren't less appealing . . .

The second Vincent was accidental, though. I meant Valerius in that sentence. My bad. I was thinking that Valerius is a much more accomplished romancer (womanizer, winer-n-diner?) than either Vincent or Chance, and probably as successful in his bedding as Pappy.

Anyway, back to this chapter. Like Olen, I smiled at the image of the Astral Temple being full of bears. Big, fuzzy wuzzy grizzly bears.

And that has to be a devastating moment for young Teresa, finding out not only is Simplicia not her mother, but that her mother is nowhere, and that her father is virtually nonexistent. Why was she abandoned? Why didn't her parents love her enough to keep her? Those are questions virtually every adopted child has wrestled with at one point or another. And it's painful, very much so, especially as Teresa had always considered Simplicia as her own mother.

I find this as the source of Teresa's difficulty at controlling her temper to be quite plausible. Though I could be wrong, still this works for me. Here's hoping that she doesn't succumb to her rage and instead finds relief in those bears. They're certainly strong enough to give her the courage she needs.