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

[Olen]

Ohh if there were any more hooks in this piece I would come apart. The meeting with Baurus, something about Julian (and doubtless seeing her again), how Vols does, Umbaccano and the trouble that will land her in and her developemtn from that... Yup you certainly lay enough to keep me in deep.

You show the aftermath well, the city feels as it should. I'm interested to see what other changes develop with there beiong no emperor.

[Winter Wolf]

An awesome write from our awesome Sage.
Nobody else can bring the IC alive like you can, how can I play the boring main quest and empty IC after reading this?

"I was stationed in Valenwood for a few years," the Redguard said casually.

The way you incorporated Julian into the story was very smooth. Is this two stories or only one that I am reading?
Epic, I say!

[SubRosa]

D. Foxy: Thank you Foxy. I am not red anymore though. I changed it to sort of a golden brown shade, with some lighter streaks.

Looks like you found us out. Haute was sitting on my lap and the two of us typed that part out together.


Acadian: Thank you A. You are correct that Teresa's primary motivation to acquire money is indeed for Simplicia. But the funny thing about money, is that the more you have of it, the more things you find you need to spend it on, and so the more of it you need as well. Teresa is no exception. Plus as you noticed, when people who have never had money suddenly come into a lot of it, they tend to have a hard time handling it with discipline.


haute ecole rider: Thank you h.e.o. Funny thing, until you mentioned it, I had not realized that about the hair! But you are spot on. Both have very distinctive manes, milk white and flame red.

Again, I have to thank you for giving me so much support and assistance in using Julian in the TF. I have had characters from other Fs making cameos, but none with such a large role that Julian has played.


Olen: Thank you Olen. I am still trying to figure out all the changes that will happen from the Elder Council running things. I suspect that most will not be immediate though. The most obvious things I see long-term are provinces beginning to secede (probably starting with Summerset Isle), and possibly civil war in Cyrodiil itself.


Winter Wolf: Thank you WW. haute gave me an overview of Julian a while ago, including her being stationed in Valenwood. It is pleasantly ironic that came out in both the JF and the TF at about the same time.


Next: The end of the chapter, where Teresa renews an old friendship.


* * *

Chapter 12.4- Aftermath

Teresa sighed and started walking, needing to escape from the temple and what remained of Martin Septim. She had not originally intended to, but seeing as she was already in the Temple District, she made the relatively short trip through the tunnel to the Waterfront.

For the first time in her life, she was pleasantly surprised to find the same old Waterfront she was used to when she emerged from the tunnel and back into the light of day. There were no bodies, no signs of fire, no buildings damaged, not even a stone turned over. The docks were filled with ships loading and unloading cargo as if it were any other day, while the usual assortment of vagabonds and ruffians prowled the streets beyond.

It was on the dock outside of the ship that comprised the Bloated Float Inn that Teresa saw a familiar dark-haired Bosmer. Teresa waved, and the leather-clad wood elf grinned in reply as she walked over to meet her. Moments later the two met with a hug, much to the amusement of the deckhands unloading the nearest ship, given their catcalls.

"Hello old friend." Teresa smiled faintly. "I am so glad you are alright!"

"Teresa, it's so good to see you again!" the other wood elf grinned, pausing only a moment to make a rude gesture at the deckhands. "I thought you would be frolicking in the woods? When did you get back to the city?"

"Yesterday," Teresa replied, disengaging herself from the grasp of her friend.

"You mean you were here when..." Methredhel's expression fell like a stone. "Where were you? Here on the Waterfront I hope?"

"I was in the Market District, with Simplicia," Teresa breathed.

"Oh no!" Methredhel gasped, her eyes going wide. "Thank Nocturnal you are alright! What about Simplicia? I saw the Temple District this morning and could not believe it! Is it like that everywhere?"

"She's fine," Teresa said as Methredhel let go of her. "It was the worst at the temple. The rest of the city got off lucky, if you can call it that."

"I see you have a new outfit too," Methredhel said, looking over the other wood elf's willowy frame. "What happened to the leather?"

"It got ruined." Teresa frowned. "Twice actually, and the suit I had yesterday was enchanted too. This is just something I found at Jensine's."

"It was that bad then?" Methredhel's expression darkened with concern.

Teresa nodded, looking around the Waterfront once more.

"Things seem to have been ok here though," she observed. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Oh no, we never saw a single Daedra," Methredhel explained. "Some people say they were afraid we would rob them! But I guess being so cut off from the rest of the city was a good thing for once"

Teresa nodded. The docks and the shantytown beyond the stone warehouses and taverns were the ugly little secret of the Imperial City. Tucked away out of sight beyond the city walls and only accessible via a wide tunnel through the rock of the island, it was where the dregs of society were cast off like garbage. The place she had called home for the last three years, Teresa thought.

"Do you need more arrows?" Methredhel asked, "I can spare some. My guess is that you aren't going to be able to find new ones to buy for a while."

"I do, and a new bow too! But I have to go," Teresa said, turning her head back in the direction of the city, "I left Simplicia all alone to work in the shop, and I have to get back to help before she kills me."

"Simplicia... work?" Methredhel's voice showed amusement as she cocked an eyebrow in surprise, "and you too?"

"Oh, we're helping clean up Jensine's place is all, it was wrecked." Teresa said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Come by later and see!"

"I will!" Methredhel grinned. Before the forester could step away, the other wood elf leaned in close to hug her one last time. "Don't be a stranger," she breathed in Teresa's ear. "We're in a gang remember?"

That brought a faint smile to Teresa's lips, and she clung to the slightly older woman. "How could I forget? You, me, and Adanrel. You keep forgetting to think of a name for us though. It's been ten years you know!"

"Well, it's you two who don't like the ones I come up with!" the other woman laughed as she disengaged herself from the forester.

Teresa stared into Methredhel's soft brown eyes. "We'll never be strangers," she said, the ghost of a smile still etched upon her pale features.

[Acadian]

WooHoo! What a lovely episode. It was wonderful to see Teresa on the Waterfront.

"Oh no, we never saw a single Daedra," Methredhel explained. "Some people say they were afraid we would rob them!

I chuckled over this. I see you enjoy the same kind of humor as I; that which develops naturally from the situation at hand. Poor Waterfront! Even the Daedra won't bother with it! I absolutely loved that you brought that out.

Teresa stared into Methredhel's soft brown eyes. "We'll never be strangers," she said, the ghost of a smile still etched upon her pale features.

This is such a simple paragraph, yet so poignantly beautiful. Another magnificent example of your skill.


Ooooh! I know. We simply must have a contest to name Methie's gang! I figure 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' is too long. Hmm, we shall have to think of a name for the Bosmerette Bunch. Perhaps some day, the Gray Foxes?

[SubRosa]

Ooooh! I know. We simply must have a contest to name Methie's gang! I figure 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' is too long. Hmm, we shall have to think of a name for the Bosmerette Bunch. Perhaps some day, the Gray Foxes?

If you have ideas, send them my way! Soon I am going to start writing a chapter of Teresa, Methredhel, and Adanrel as children, and would like to throw out a few gang names that get rejected by the group. I see Methredhel proposing The Tamriel Terrors, and The Wraiths, which are guaranteed to get eyerolls from the other girls. I can see Adanrel coming up with 'girly' names like The Vixens, or Syrens.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 18 2010, 07:44 PM

[haute ecole rider]

I am never good at coming up with gang names, so I'll abstain!

Loved the depiction of the Waterfront being too lowly for the daedra to bother with! Though the comment "afraid we would rob them" was priceless!

Terrific reunion between two old friends. Though how much longer they will stay friends remains to be seen, considering how much Teresa has changed since the Emperor handed her the Amulet.

[Olen]

I am never good at coming up with gang names, so I'll abstain!

Is that not the idea?

The Tautology Club would be good because it's good Or maybe Bosmerz, the 'z' I'm sure is vital.

I enjoyed that part and am ionterested to see how you develop Methredhel, so far she's been there in the past but never actually taken much part. I think they might end up closer though given that she's a thief and so has some more money and drama than begging, but now Teresa is an adventurer I can see them getting on better.

I echo other's comments on the robbing daedra line.

[D.Foxy]

The Quay QueenZ!!!

Waterfront Warriors!!!

GrrrrirlieZ!!!

Teen Steel!!! ( Free Pun included )

Lightning LadeeeZ!!! ( With yet another free Pun!!!)

Kick-boat Kidz!!!

And I'll try to think of even more...


Dang, it seems the autocensor has made my donkey into a boat.

This post has been edited by D.Foxy: Jul 19 2010, 04:48 PM

[Winter Wolf]

The waterfront is my fav place in the IC. It is like being there but not being there.
A fast travel, a spin around, and bang you are sunning yourself on the beach...

My suggestion?

Methie's Minxes.

[Remko]

Nice to see Methredel and Teresa are still the best of friends even through dark times.

[ureniashtram]

Oooh, gang names! I just love naming a bunch. Here's my suggestions:

Raven Robbers (he he)

Wild. . . Wenchez..?

Cut-Purse Cats ( )

Knife-Eared Knife Throwers. . ?

Dandy Bandytz ( cackles )


Anyways, this chapter is awesome. Simply awesome. I was always curious on how the other districts got by during the Assault on the City. .

[SubRosa]

Acadian: Thank you A. We will be seeing more Methredhel in the near future.


haute ecole rider: If you are not good at coming up with names that is perfect! After all, it is names no one likes that I am looking for!

Foxy made a comment on the other forum that "the daedra were probably afraid the Grey Fox would steal their horns!" which I always thought was priceless!

Indeed, Teresa and Methredhel's relationship is likely to be strained. Can you imagine if one day Methredhel becomes the Grey Fox and Teresa a Guild Commander for the FG?


Olen: Thank you Olen. I do not think the "Zs" will work for an ES setting however. Much too modern.


D.Foxy: But not a british boat I see...


Winter Wolf: The beach on the Waterfront is probably where everyone there dumps their garbage and defecates though. Well, the people who do not do that in the middle of the streets at least...


Remko: Thank you Rem.


ureniashtram: I rather like the Dandy Bandits, that might be one that Adanrel thinks of. Thank you Uren.


Next: Teresa has one last stop to make before returning to Jensine's.

* * *

Chapter 13.1 - The Promise

30th Midyear, 3E433

It was long into the afternoon by the time Teresa returned to the Market District. Simplicia was definitely going to kill her, she thought. Hopefully the old woman spent the time with Jensine instead of actually working any more around the shop. That way she would not be too mad…

Teresa's stomach growled as she walked by a hot food stand and inhaled the aroma of the fresh bread, cooked fish, meat, and garlic served there. She should stop and get something to take back with her, she thought, that might keep Simplicia happy.

Making her way over to the small, open-air stall she found an open spot between workmen at the long stone counter that ran its length and waited her turn to order. The counter top was lined with large holes filled with earthenware jars, each brimming with a different form of hot meat, fish, or mulled wine. Sprigs of garlic and other spices hung from the canvas awning that kept out the sun, and further back in the shop she could see loaves of fresh bread and wheels of cheese stacked on a table, with bottles of wine and ale sitting on the pavestones underneath.

She traded some of her recently earned coinage for bread, cheese dumplings, and a small bottle of wine. The smell of the warm fish tempted her, but she would have to eat that here from the shop's tableware rather than being able to carry it with her, so she left that for another time.

The meat did not interest her at all. Once upon a time it would have, but ever since she had begun her expeditions into the Great Forest the idea of eating animals had lost its appeal. As she looked at the roasted patties and strips of fresh meat she could not help thinking about how beautiful the deer were as they bounded through the underbrush. She could not even consider eating anything of such sublime loveliness, nor any other beast, not anymore.

Filling her hands with the meal, she continued her way down the street. If she had been planning on buying food to begin with she would have brought a small sack to put it all in. She knew that she was an easy mark for pickpockets with her hands full, but there was no helping it. She would just have to avoid the urchins that she knew were thieves and hope for the best, she thought.

She told herself that was why she took the long way back to Jensine's. At least until she came to the large, wide tower that bulged from the corner where the walls of the Market District, Elven Gardens, and Imperial Palace converged. She knew who would be in there, just as something inside of her knew that she needed to stop and see him.

Walking to the great oak door at the base of the tower, she struggled to rearrange the food in her hands so that she could grasp its handle. That is when it opened on its own accord and a legionary clad in full armor stepped into her. She had no time to move aside or otherwise react, one moment she was standing there, and the next she found herself flying backward, still clutching at dinner.

But she did not fall, for a pair of steel-clad hands shot around her and held her tight to an armored breast. Looking up, she found that the same legionary who had walked into her had also caught her up in his arms. She supposed some women might find it terribly romantic, but for her the urge to bolt was nearly overpowering.

Where was that steely nerve that had seen her through so many battles? Teresa wondered as the legionary let go of her and made an apology, eyeing the food and drink in her arms. She could face down goblins, necromancers, assassins, even Daedra, she thought. But as soon as a legionary touched her she was a frightened child all over again.

Being careful to avoid further collisions with the mountains of walking steel that filled the ground floor of the guardhouse, she made her way to a grey-haired Imperial sitting behind a table. He wore the armor of a legionary, but the helmet that sat upon the table in front of him bore a transverse crest, rather than the normal back to front ones of the regular legionaries. She recognized that as a centurion's helmet, and assumed that he must be in charge. Parchments were neatly stacked around his helmet, and an inkpot and writing quill sat near his hand, only reinforcing Teresa's thought the he must be in command of the tower.

"Yes citizen," the centurion's voice sounded tired as she approached, "what do you have to report?"

"Oh me…, nothing, to report that is," Teresa stammered. She was still not used to soldiers treating her like a regular person rather than street rat. "I was just looking for Volsinius. Is he here?"

The Imperial cocked an eyebrow, opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again as he narrowed his eyes upon her.

"Did you say Volsinius?"

"Yes," Teresa repeated, beginning to feel nervous, "he's a big guy, wears lots of armor, like I guess all of you do… Did I come to the wrong tower? I thought I saw him come in here before?"

"Yes, he's here," the centurion said with a look of amusement now forming in his eyes. "He never gets any visitors though. Anyway, he cannot see you now. He is still recovering from injuries sustained in the battle. Check back in a few weeks."

"Oh I know he's wounded!" Teresa exclaimed, "I was with him when he was hurt. His arm, and his head, and his stomach, and all the rest of him that is."

"Are you some kind of friend of his?" the centurion asked, eyes dancing with laughter now.

'Umm, yeah, you could say that," Teresa looked down at the floor and could feel her cheeks starting to blossom with warmth. Stop acting like an idiot! she told herself. It was not like they were going to arrest her and throw her in prison. Not again at least…

The Imperial stared her up and down and finally shook his head.

"He's two flights up, with the rest of the wounded," he pointed his finger at the stair that spiraled around the wall of the tower chamber.

"Thank you," Teresa replied, feeling more relieved than she would have been to survive a battle with a goblin. She turned and headed up the stairs, and could not help but to hear some of the legionaries muttering behind her.

"Vols has a girlfriend?"

"Red-head too, you know what they're like…"

"Too stringy though, looks like a vampire with that pasty skin."

She climbed to the next floor and the voices faded. She wished her embarrassment would wash away as quickly. By the next day the entire Fifth Legion would think that she was sleeping with Volsinius! she reeled. What would Methredhel say if she heard that? Or Simplicia?

She was beginning to regret her decision to visit the legionary as she briefly paused to look at the barracks that made up the second floor of the tower. She had never been inside one of the towers before, and her curiosity won out over her reflexive aversion to the Imperial Legion. Rows of bunks were regularly spaced throughout the circular room, with a chest at the foot of each. Racks containing weapons and armor lined the walls, and a large table and chairs stood in the center of the chamber.

Legionaries in various states of undress loitered throughout the room. Some were cleaning their armor and weapons, several were playing cards at the central table, and one was lying on his bunk reading a book. Most wore simple grey tunics with the Imperial dragon stenciled on them, while a few were still in their armor.

Teresa's eyes fell upon a Redguard who was in the process of stripping off a thick tunic like the one she had found Volsinius wore beneath his breastplate. He discarded the sweat-stained cloth as she looked on, and then followed it with his equally sweaty loincloth, leaving him completely naked. That was when he looked up at her and met her gaze with a smile.

"See anything you like?"

He clearly did not mind her gaze, Teresa realized as warmth spread through her cheeks, quite the opposite considering his grin. Her heart leapt into her throat. She was never going into another one of those towers again! she told herself insistently. Wasting no time, she scampered up the stairs to the third floor before some new revelation unfolded before her eyes.

She found it was much like the previous floor, except that instead of naked soldiers many of the beds were filled with injured men and women. Most of them seemed to have bandages wrapping at least part of their body. Some were even missing arms, and from what she could guess by the way their blankets fell, legs as well.

A few people were moving among them with food and drink or otherwise tending to their needs. Most of them appeared to be regular folk like herself, but one was a high elf wearing blue linen robes. After a moment she recognized him as Calindil, who ran a magic shop along Market Way.

As she watched, the Altmer wizard bent down near one of the most heavily bandaged men and laid a hand on the legionary's chest. He raised his other hand in the air and muttered something under his breath. A white light burst from his raised fist, and as he uncurled his fingers it traveled down his arm, through his body, and into the injured soldier. When the light was gone the high elf slumped over, his face drawn with exhaustion. For a moment Teresa thought he might have fallen unconscious from the strain, but then he stirred again and reached for a glass of wine with a shaking hand.

She recognized the healing magic. It was much the same as the simple healing spell which she had learned when she was younger, except his worked on other people. She knew that healing others was a much higher order of magic, the kind of thing only people who had gone to the Arcane University or had temple training could do. From what she had been told, it was difficult for even a trained magician to use because of how wearing it was. Now she could see why he ran a magic shop.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 30 2020, 02:04 AM

[haute ecole rider]

Teresa's eyes fell upon a Redguard who was in the process of stripping off a thick tunic like the one she had found Volsinius wore beneath his breastplate. He discarded the sweat-stained cloth as she looked on, and then followed it with his equally sweaty loincloth, leaving him completely naked. That was when he looked up at her and met her gaze with a smile.

"See anything you like?"

Just as priceless now as it was the first time I read it! I loved this part! Especially since he's a Redguard!

Then this:

Wasting no time, she scampered up the stairs to the third floor before some new revelation unfolded before her eyes.

Not quite as smooth as Julian! Of course, she's used to this sort of stuff - ho hum!

And I loved Teresa's consideration of Calindil's skills:

She recognized the healing magic. It was much the same as the simple healing spell which the priestesses of Mara had taught her when she was younger, except his worked on other people. She knew that healing others was a much higher order of magic, the kind of thing only people who had gone to the Arcane University or had temple training could do. From what she had been told, it was difficult for even a trained magician to use because of how wearing it was. Now she could see why he ran a magic shop.

It gives him more depth than a cardboard cutout.

I loved this entire segment the first time, and I love it even more now. Though it is essentially unchanged from the way I remember it (except maybe a tweak here or there), it still stands up well to the overall improvement in your re-write of the TF.

[Olen]

Good part, I shan't requote what haute has already though I will say the naked redguard was an inspired bit of writing. It reveals quite a lot about Teresa and gives the legionaries a bit more depth. You also showed her dislike of being in a guard tower nicely, I quiter agree with her.

By the next day the entire Fifth Legion would think that she was sleeping with Volsinius!

Nicely done in her handling of asking where he was, she didn't mean anything but certainly appeared as if she did.

Where was that steely nerve that had seen her through so many battles? Teresa wondered as...

This was a good observation, it's odd how some things are just more unpleasant than they should be.

[Acadian]

Much to love here!

Your rich detail of the food stand, right down to stowing bottles on the cool stones was great. Yum, cheese dumplings! More great 'IC' atmosphere from Teresa's perspective, as she wound through the city trying to balance her chow.

Her visit to the watch tower was so very well done.
'Being careful to avoid further collisions with the mountains of walking steel that filled the ground floor of the guardhouse, '
It's tough being a small elf, no?
Why is everything so hard? Teresa just wanted to visit Vols, and look at all the crap she got for it? Although we were in on Teresa's thoughts, you really gave us a good example of 'show vs tell' here. Through the words and actions of those in the guard house, Teresa's discomfort was so vividly brought home to us.

Finally, you see healing magic as 'different' from regular magic. Much more of an emotional and spiritual endeavor than casting a fireball. Like you, I treat healing as a very special and draining commitment. That is one aspect where TF and BF share some common ground.

As Rider said, this 'felt' quite similar to the wonderful feeling I got when I read your original version of the episode. Oooh, I hope Teresa grits it out long enough to see Vols!

[Destri Melarg]

Chapter 12.3 – Aftermath

My favorite part of this exceptional segment was the revelation that Teresa and Julian were the only ones to hear Martin’s voice because they had both handled the Amulet of Kings. That was brilliant! I also love the way you portray Julian in your story. Because Old Habits is told in first person, and because Julian herself is plagued by an overabundance of modesty and self-recrimination, we never get to see her the way that most of Tamriel probably sees her, as the larger-than-life Hero of Kvatch.

Chapter 12.4 – Aftermath

How about the doorMATs or the placeMATs (Meth, Ad, & Ter)?

The Waterfront Trio?

The Suicide Elves?

Armand’s Angels?

The Shack Sisters?

Methie and the Faint Smiles?

(I may be worse than haute at this!)

Chapter 13.1 – The Promise

Everything that I would have pointed out has been ably addressed already. Like Acadian I loved your delineation of healing magic as being different from other kinds of magic. And your description of the food stand read as if it were lifted right from the annals of history. I also like how Teresa identified herself as a friend of Vols without having to think about it first. Times sure have changed for her.

[Winter Wolf]

This was one of my favourite chapters over at Beth. And it still rocks, no doubt about it!

You might want to hold back on the description of the food though, I can hear Acadian's stomach rumble all the way across the Pacific.

By the next day the entire Fifth Legion would think that she was sleeping with Volsinius! she reeled. What would Methredhel say if she heard that? Or Simplicia?

This part is pure magic! I really, really, really, would love to see the reaction of Simplicia. That would be a chapter worth reading. Lol.

"Red-head too, you know what they're like…"

I thought of D.Foxy as soon as I read this. Brilliant!
And to think that Australia now has a red-head Prime Minister.
Oh dear, we are on the eve of destruction.....

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: You mean because he is a blackguard right?

Thank you h.e.o. That segment was one of the most fun ones I have ever written. Whenever I have the chance to highlight Teresa's social awkwardness, it usually results in something hilarious.


Olen: Thank you Olen. In spite of Teresa's newly won confidence, it all just vanishes when confronted by legionaries. That is something she still has to deal with, along with her changing feelings toward them.


Acadian: Thank you Acadian. The IC food stand sounds much better than Maulhand's soup!


Destri Melarg: Thank you Dest. I really wanted to get Martin's closing soliloquy into the story. At first I was tempted to have everyone hear it, but that seemed a bit much. I already knew I wanted to put some emphasis on the bond that Teresa and Julian share due to carrying the Amulet of Kings. So that seemed like the perfect vehicle.

The food stand was taken straight from the annals of history! Both in the stand itself and the food they served, it is straight from what has been discovered at Pompeii and other Roman sites.


Winter Wolf: So Foxy is a redhead too? I will keep that in mind for when I make him a courtesan...

Teresa is going to have a hard enough time explaining Nerussa to Simplicia (and dare I say Tadrose Helas?). I think her brain would explode if Simplicia got the impression that her and Vols were an item!


Next: Teresa confronts her childhood demon, and learns a surprising secret.


* * *

Chapter 13.2 - The Promise

Teresa walked deeper into the room and scanned the beds for Volsinius. It did not occur to her until then that she really did not know what he looked like, not very well at least. To her he had always been just a bigger mountain of steel than most of the other legionaries, with blue glaciers for eyes and a voice like a snarling lion. The only time she had seen him without his helmet was during the battle yesterday, and then his face had been burned and covered in soot.

None of the men looked very big lying in beds and covered in bandages, she thought, let alone without all the iron-mongery she was used to seeing legionaries in. She walked among the beds and looked for someone with the same kind of wounds that she remembered Volsinius had, and finally came upon the right man.

The top of his head and left side of his face were covered in bandages, as was his left arm, which she saw was laid out straight between two long wooden splints that were firmly attached from wrist to elbow. His body was covered in a simple grey blanket from his midsection down, and Teresa wondered if his stomach was bandaged underneath it. He wore the same dragon-emblazoned tunic that the men on the lower floor had, and did not stir as Teresa walked up.

She wondered if he were asleep, and moved around the bed to the right side of his body, where his face was not bandaged. His blue eye popped open then and stared at her intently.

"No more of the damned laudanum," his words slurred as he raised his arm to wave her away. "Damn stuff makes me see things, I'd rather feel the pain."

"Oh see what Vols?" Teresa asked with a faint smile on her lips, stepping closer and setting the food and wine she had brought onto a small table between his bed and the next one.

"Is that really you Red?" His now hairless eyebrow furrowed as he turned his head to watch what she was doing. "Teresa I mean? Damn women and hair, how do the gods keep them all straight?"

Teresa was not sure what he meant, but she knew that if they were giving him laudanum he was probably seeing all sorts of things. Opium was something that Simplicia had warned her about since she was a child, along with skooma, and she had never touched either. However, both were certainly popular with the denizens of the Waterfront, so she had seen up close what they did to people.

She wondered how bad the burns were under those bandages on his face, for them to be giving him such a strong drug. They must be awful, she thought, given what she remembered from the previous day. She hid an empathetic wince by turning to pick up a stool. Placing it beside his bed, she sat down and looked back at him once her face was composed again.

"I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some dinner," she said, reaching for the wine and uncorking it, "I hope you like cheap wine and cheese dumplings."

Teresa took a sip of the wine and nearly winced again. It really was cheap, she thought. After what she had drunk at the priory in Weynon and Nerussa's inn, it was just awful. But she was thirsty and it was better than nothing. Still, she doubted that Volsinius would be so picky, and she offered the bottle to him.

The wounded soldier reached for the bottle and missed, eliciting another faint smile of amusement from Teresa. He really was out of his head, she thought as she set the bottle down and stood back up.

"Here, let me help you sit up," she said, and leaned across the bed to put her hands under his arms. Taking a solid grip she pulled up, and nothing happened. She tried again with a grunt of effort, and once more his massive body did not budge an inch. How much did he weigh? she wondered in amazement. She had thought that without his armor she would at least be able to pull him up.

"Argh, are you trying to smother me woman!" he cried out from underneath her. Looking down, Teresa saw that her linen-clad breasts were nearly pressing down against his face. She let go and stepped back while he pushed himself up into a sitting position with his good arm. An arm she saw was black and blue from bruises when he reached for the wine bottle again.

He raised the bottle to his lips, tilted his head back, and commenced to gulp it down as if it were water. Teresa stared in amazement. He was practically breathing the alcohol in! When he finally set the bottle down and let loose an ear-shattering belch she found it was nearly empty.

"Ah that hits the spot," he breathed in satisfaction, "kind of weak though. You didn't bring anything stronger did you?"

"You nearly drank it all!" Teresa fumed as she snatched the bottle away and set it out of his reach. She was regretting coming here more and more by the moment...

"Well you should have brought a bigger bottle wench!" he cried in exasperation. "A man gets thirsty, especially after spending all day cooped up in this dungeon!"

"I am not your wench you s'wit!" something snapped in Teresa then, and all of the tension that had been building within her throughout the day finally burst loose in a torrent. Before she knew it, she jabbed her finger into the wounded man's chest with all the force her slender arm could muster. "And if you call me that again you'll get that bottle upside your head! Why in Nocturnal's name did I ever come here?"

"Gah, enough, enough!" Volsinius cried, raising his one good arm to try to fend her off, "What did you come here for anyway?"

"I came here to say thank you dammit!" Teresa shouted, "I was trying to be nice because you saved my life! Now I wish I let you die on the floor instead of making you that last healing potion!"

"You made me a healing potion?" he asked, his voice suddenly quiet. His one eye looked up at her with a completely different light in it. Just what it was, Teresa had no idea, she only knew it was something she had never seen in him before. "I thought you used them all on Jensine?"

"I did use them all on her," Teresa breathed softly, feeling the anger flowing out of her as quickly as it had erupted. She sat back down on the stool, and was keenly aware of how everyone else in the room was staring at both of them. "I got the ingredients out of my pack when you were unconscious and made another one for you. You were lucky, I only had enough lavender for that one potion."

"You did that for me?" he said, genuine surprise in his face. "I thought you hated me, and the legion?"

"I don't hate you," Teresa looked down from his gaze. She could take the steely hard glare that she was so accustomed to, but not this new thing she saw in his eye.

"I came to thank you for what you did, for me and the others," Teresa continued, raising her head and setting one hand over his. "You stepped in front of everything that came through that door to protect the rest of us. I saw what it cost you then, and I can see it again now. What all of you go through. No one has ever done that for me before, and I never thought anyone ever would."

She was not sure what she saw in him now. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He swallowed hard and licked his lips. Finally he closed his eye, and gently moved his hand over hers and squeezed it so softly that Teresa was not sure if she really felt it.

Then a growl from Teresa's stomach broke the moment, and the next thing she heard was Volsinius laughing. She managed the ghost of a smile herself, and reached for one of the dumplings. They ate in silence. Teresa was not sure what to say, and she could see that the legionary did not either. When they were finished she made sure she had a drink from the bottle before she gave it to him to finish.

"You're just like her you know," he said as he plunked the empty bottle down on the table, "a real fireball!"

"Who?" Teresa wondered.

"Simplicia," he said, "back in the old days, when she was a working girl over at the Peony Pavilion. Won't find it no more though, 'cause it burned down years ago. Oh she was something else back then!"

Teresa almost spat out her wine. Simplicia had been a prostitute! The old woman had never said anything about it to her. Then again, Teresa thought, it was not exactly the kind of thing you mentioned in passing. Still, she would have expected to have at least heard about it by now.

"I was just a young kid back then, fresh from Skyrim and still wet behind the ears from the snow," Volsinius went on starry-eyed as he gazed into the past, seemingly oblivious to Teresa's amazement. "I had no idea women could be like her. She could curl your toes! Shame about what happened to her..."

"What?" Teresa asked, wondering if he was really talking about the same Simplicia who had been her surrogate mother for her entire life.

"You don' know?" he said, staring at her in surprise. After Teresa shook her head, his voice regained the hard edge that she was so used to. "Some Dunmer piece of dreck got ahold of her and cut her up bad. Cut out her livelihood, if you take my meaning. Like I said, I was just a kid back then, I never imagined someone could do a thing like that. It made me sick. If it wasn't for a priest of Mara in the next building she'd have bled out."

Teresa felt sick now too. No wonder Simplicia did not want to talk about it, she thought. She could not even imagine what that must be like. As bad as she had felt for those poor men and women laying maimed in the Temple District and here in the watchtower, it was nothing compared to the deep abyss that she felt open in her heart at the thought of Simplicia being so horribly tortured.

"The fetcher did it to two other women too, before I finally caught up with him," Volsinius growled, once more the lion of the street she was so accustomed to.

"What happened to him?" Teresa asked, feeling a hot, angry sensation beginning to grow within that empty space inside of her.

"I gave him what he had coming," the legionary spat, his eye as cold as Skyrim. "I cut him up one piece at time and fed him to the damn slaughterfish in the lake. He didn't die 'till I was halfway through."

Teresa looked down, the anger in her dying as quickly as it had arisen. So that was how Volsinius had lost his humanity, she thought, and how Simplicia had lost her way. Part of her wanted to cry, but she could not find the tears. She just felt numb.

"I never told anyone that, not even her," Volsinius explained softly, his eye losing that steel it had briefly held, "must be the damn poppy juice they're giving me... They'd kick me out of the legion if anyone could prove it, probably put me in a cell too. I guess you should know though, if anyone. I know you love her like she was your real mom. Such a damn shame what happened to her..."

Teresa sat in silence, trying to digest everything he had said. Then the legionary's voice broke her from her thoughts. "You better run along now girl," he said, "before I start gettin' all teary-eyed over the old days. People will start thinkin' you're my girlfriend."

"Oh they think that already!" Teresa exclaimed, feeling a smile creep to the corners of her lips. That made the legionary squirm in his bed, which she only found to be more entertaining. But she could not retain her amusement for long, not when she looked down at the bandages that covered most of his head and thought of the charred flesh underneath.

"Thank you, for everything," she rose and took his hand in both of hers, "I'll never forget."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 24 2010, 09:40 PM

[Acadian]

As beautiful as it was during your first telling, my friend!

"I am not your wench you s'wit!" something snapped in Teresa then, and all of the tension that had been building within her throughout the day finally burst loose in a torrent.

"I did use them all on her," Teresa breathed softly, feeling the anger flowing out of her as quickly as it had erupted.

Between these two passages in close proximity, how masterfully you capture a young girl's turbulent emotions. Who can fathom such things?

"I came to thank you for what you did, for me and the others," Teresa continued, raising her head and setting one hand over his. "You stepped in front of everything that came through that door to protect the rest of us. I saw what it cost you then, and I can see it again now. What all of you go through. No one has ever done that for me before, and I never thought anyone ever would."

Oh my. If you intended for this to elicit a powerful emotional reaction from this old paladin, you certainly succeeded. Simply beautiful.

The history of Vols and Simplica is so very rich. This is the type of detail that truly brings the characters of TF to life.

Ahah, so I see I our wood elf allowing herself a touch of well-earned satisfaction seeing Vols squirm over the rumor that Teresa is his guurrlfriend.

You have struck a beautifully magical balance in this fabulous episode. Well done!

[haute ecole rider]

I loved this chapter the first time around, and I still find it as powerful and emotional now as I did then.

It marks a turning point in the relationship between Teresa and Vols, as well as that between T and Simplicia. These little details explain so much about the character of Vols and Simplicia, and reveal even more about Teresa as she comes to terms with a new view of the Legion.

Wonderful!

And I see Acadian has ninja'd me!