The next morning I woke early, not that I had slept all that well in the first place. I ordered breakfast and some provisions to take along with us. As it was well before daylight I let Marcurio sleep awhile longer. I talked with the Inn Keepers son and learned all the happenings around town. Nothing changed much here, fighting over the silver mines and over blood-lines still seemed to be the thing to do.
About an hour before dawn I went and knocked on Marcurio's door to wake him. I quickly walked away as I had learned he wasn't much of a morning person. He walked out a bit later dressed and ready to go. I urged him to eat the breakfast I'd ordered, but he turned his nose up at it, with a slightly ill look. Serve him right to drink to much, seeing the shadow exit his room, I wondered if he had passed out before or after a romp with the bar-maid, by the ill mood it might have been before.
The walk to the barrow we had been told to look for, was very uneventful, normally I would have been happy about that, but with my partner in a cranky mood, running into some bandit's or a dragon might have let him vent some of that bile. As we entered the place Marcurio took the lead and blasted ahead of him with spells, but anything that didn't die from the fire-ball he hacked into tiny pieces. He wasn't very elegant with that sword, but neither is a mud-slide and both will kill you just the same. Draugr or vampire, it didn't matter we found both umm dead, Marcurio took care of the victor. It didn't take long to get to the main chamber, Marcurio looked tired as we paused outside the door's. I raised my eyebrows at him and he looked down, I just shook my head and stepped back so he could open the door, while I readied an arrow.
I quickly let off the string and leaned against the door frame to watch the scene in front of us. You ever watch two thing's that aren't really "alive" try and kill each other? The Draugr Deathlord seemed to be having a problem, one arm was missing...well until you looked at the Master vampire and realized He had sword stuck through his back... with the arm still attached. The Master vampire must of been thinking with a dead brain cell or something because he was using a drain life spell, it wasn't really having much effect. Just as the Deathlord decided to use a Thu'um, the Master vampire decided to unleash a blast of lightning. Both went flying across the room in opposite directions. I burst out laughing, hard enough to have tear's running down my face, I went and checked on the Deathlord while Marcurio went to see about the Master vampire. I turned and looked at him and said "Well they appear to be dead, again, for good this time one hopes." He choose that moment to fall into a fit of laughter, literally, he ended up half sitting half laying in a crypt. Thankfully they former tenant wasn't there any longer.
Still laughing softly I wandered around the room looking for any loot light enough to take on the next part of our trip. Nothing really great in this one, just a few gem stones and one very nice dagger.
After Marcurio managed to get up, we walked back out to the barrow's door's. As I pushed against the door it resisted, so I pushed a little harder, when the door gave it slammed open to show the world bathed in white as a blizzard was rampaging outside. I pulled the door shut and started gathering what wood I could find to make a fire. Most of it was furniture that had seen better days a thousand years ago. When I though I had enough to last the night, plus a little more, I put together a makeshift spit and found a bowl to make stew in. I shut the doors to the inner part of the barrow and jammed a sword into the ring's, so that the dead would stay on that side of the doorway. I took another and jammed it in the door to outside. It's not that I wouldn't allow anyone in, I just didn't want a surprise.
As I sat on my bedroll to eat our dinner Marcurio asked if I had ever been married, since he had seen the amulet of Mara I kept in my pouch. With a sad smile I said yes, I had, almost 200 yr's ago.
"Let me tell you about the first time I met him." I said as I leaned back against a pillar and looked into the past. " I was in Understone Keep, Oh about 2 or 3 in the morning, amusing the Jarl's new baby with a ball of light, that I sent swirling around his head. He would "catch" it and then try and jam it in him mouth, the way babies do. As he kicked his leg's and arm's out, a shadow passed over the two of us from a Hulk of a Nord that had gotten between us and the fire. He gurgled and laughed as I looked up into the bearded face of said Nord. Who asked me where the Jarl was, my answer was, "sleeping good sir, as most people around here do in the middle of the night. If I can help you in anyway?" He laughed and said he didn't need the Jarl's nanny, but a couple good fighters. Just as I was about to make a sarcastic retort, a young Nord girl came running out from the kitchen area, with a makeshift baby bottle in her hand's. " Oh thank you so much Captain, it's hard to hold him and get this thing filled and warm." I sent another swirl of light around the babies head and told her it wasn't a problem.
As she disappeared from sight, I asked him exactly what he needed a couple of fighters for? I turned toward's him and realized that he stood head and shoulders taller than I, something that didn't happen often and usually it was another Altmer. He didn't immediately answer so I looked up at him and realized he was starring down my sleep-shirt, I refused to blush and snapped my fingers in front of his nose. Asking if he had never seen a woman's breasts before and do you know that big hulk of a man blushed solid red?
He then started stammering something I really couldn't make out. I just stood their waiting til he could gather his scattered whits, it's not like I'm built like the Lady Dibella. When he finally got his composure back, he said the the farm stead he lived at was being attacked by giants. That they normally were very peaceful, but they were coming around killing the cow's for some reason.
I asked him if he had eaten since he left the farm or slept, because I would make sure he got a good meal and a couple hours of sleep before the Jarl got up. I motioned for him to follow me and I went to the kitchen where I found the sleepy night cook and asked her to fix the man a meal, I then went in search of one of the maid's and asked her to fix the man up a bed and then show him to it and tell him that I would see him at 8 the next morning.
You see Marcurio the Jarl had lost his wife in child birth, but the little tike was well loved by all around him. The land was rather unsettled then, not that it's much tamer now, Skyrim being a very harsh land, it was hard for all the deadroth to be hunted down. That is what I was doing their at that time, I had come with Amy to her home and we found that while the majority of the deadric creatures had been banished to Oblivion, there where still some left. I had become the Captain of the guard in Markarth, most people would retire from that job, I just moved on. I wasn't completely impressed with Bjorn when I first met him...well by anything other than his size, that changed soon enough though. Get some sleep, soon as this blizzard is over we are heading to the College in Winterhold, the Librarian is an old friend, he may know something about these Elder Scroll's we are supposed to find.
That said I rolled up in my sleeping fur's and thought of the second time I had run into Bjorn, with a smile on my lip's, I fell asleep.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
A trip through Markarth chapter 7
Because the trip was partially at night, Marcurio and I took turns sleeping. I had thought about buying a horse, but Marcurio didn't ride. There would come a time when that would be a problem, as I liked moving fast. We arrived in Markarth late in the afternoon and headed to the Silverblood Inn, the Inn Keeper was the person I needed to speak with about the vampires.
Knowing that money talked, I rented two room's and asked the Inn Keeper for the information with another gold piece in my hand. He was hesitant at first but another gold piece got his vocal cords moving. Getting the information on a Master vampire, Marcurio and I sat down for an early dinner to discuss what we would be doing.
"You have potions of disease cure? If not I have a couple, I can give you one". I asked him as we sat down at a table.
"Oh yes, I have a few myself. Do you think we would need more than two each?", before I answered him the Inn keepers daughter asked us if we wished to order anything. We both ordered dinner and an ale, I also ordered a honey nut treat.
"No, one each should be enough, unless we run into more vampires elsewhere." I paused for a minute, " That's generally why I carry two or more, but the symptoms are obvious and if you catch it early enough, a potion or blessing from one of the Divines works as a cure also, as long as you don't allow it to get to far along."
"You've caught vampirism before?" he asked with an odd look on his face.
" Actually, no I haven't. I had this necklass made year's ago, it makes me almost immune to diseases. I'm not the best at enchanting, but I can make you one also, if you like."
" I would really appreciate that, I like ale to much to want to have to rely on blood to live". We both laughed at that. " I take it you have been to Markarth before?". I snorted and gave a brief laugh.
" Oh yes, I spent almost a year in this very Inn, during the Great War." I took a sip of my ale and motioned for another.
" Really, I don't think I would want to spend that much time in this stoney place, though I find the Dwemer very interesting".
" Trust me, this was not the place I really wanted to be for that much time either. On the night before I was supposed to lead some of the Reachmen to join with other's to fight the Dominion, I made the mistake of getting just drunk enough." I winced when I remembered just how drunk I had been. " I left here with a friend, but didn't even make it far out the door. He tripped over a loose cobble and fell into me. I staggered sideways and fell exactly the wrong way off the little bridge outside the door. With him landing on top of me, I ended up with my right leg broken in two places. The healers did the best at magical healing they could, but I still needed to stay off of my feet to let the bone knit properly."
"So you missed the whole of the war, staying here in Markarth?' He sounded very unsure.
" Oh no, only the first year, though it took another for my leg to fully heal. Well at least enough for me to spend half the day fighting on it. I spent time recruiting and finding good sources of supplies. Those were thing's I could do from the back of a horse or mostly anyway." I took another sip of my ale." I might have been the wrong person to try recruiting in Skyrim, at least while the Empire was fighting the Thalmor. Some Nord's make no distinctions between one Altmer and another. I got nasty looks then and I get them now. "
"It was not a good time, but I worked at it and found good friends and allies. Marcurio, you have to understand, I might not have believed in what the Thalmor stood for or still stand for, for that matter, but I didn't and still don't wish to fight my own people. Not everyone in the Armies of the Aldemeri Dominion believe in what the Thalmor want. Some are poor farmer's son's who just want adventure and don't realize what it is they are fighting for, until after they have taken the oath. Not everyone wanted to hear what I had to say and while I did end up fighting on the front lines, I was never happy about it. Their is nothing like looking across the battlefield and taking aim against someone that previously fought along side you."
Macrcurio nodded. " I can understand that, I know it's not the same, but I have had to kill vampires that were previously friends or just someone I knew. They at least had turned into monsters, I can only imagine how hard it is to kill someone that was a friend and is now an enemy just because of different points of view."
"Sometimes it isn't even that simple, as I said some are simple farm kid's that wanted adventure and don't even realize what it is they were fighting for until it was to late."
"But that is one of my trips through Markarth." I got up and told Marcurio I would see him in the morning, I wanted to talk a walk before going to bed. I walked out of the Inn and headed to the right, to were I knew the smithy was. Walking up the stairs and around behind it, I watched the moon rise and thought of the friends long since dead that had walked these streets.
Bjorn, the tallest and widest man I have ever met, he was taller than I by a head. I shook my head as I remembered walking on this very bridge with him on our way to the Silverblood Inn. We were to pick up the last two member's of our little group. It wasn't hard to find them as they were rolling out the door as we walked up to it. Two Breton's, brothers and they were best out in the wild's, fighting what ever it was you pointed them at. Left in civilized company to long, they generally pounded on each other, I would have hated to have been their mother. Talin was a mage of no small skill, Kalin carried a shield and axe.
I would have to tell Marcurio about them, he would be interested in Talin's view on some magic. I left the bridge and walked on the upper balconies, til I was at the highest watch balcony. The guard asked me if I needed anything and I told him no, just walking and taking in the view. I leaned against the guard rail and looked down on the road out.
I saw the ghostly echo's of the four of us as we walked the road out. Bjorn with that huge Glass battleaxe across his back. It didn't look huge on his back though, I laughed inwardly, I had seen him use it with one hand. Kalin and Talin, pushing and shoving each other as they talked about the bar maids. and I walking beside Bjorn, Elven great sword and an ebony bow across my back, I really miss that bow. We where headed to an Ancient Nord Barrow, Bjorn had heard bandit's were using as headquarters for their raids.
My Elven sword broke in half on that little trip, but I got Kruziik Dilon then. She's a beaut of a sword. When we got to the Barrow, the bandit's were having their way with a young Nord girl, I think that enraged the three men more than it did myself and I was mad enough, magic was oozing from my hands. All the bandit's outside were dead in a matter of minutes. I healed the girls wounds and put her to sleep, after we cleared out the first room, Bjorn went back out got her and the brothers made her a bed from all their sleeping gear. I spread mine over her to keep her warm, wishing I could heal the wound's to her mind as easily as those to body. Bjorn put his big hand on my shoulder and squeezed, I looked up at him then kissed his hand. I told the men that she would sleep the clock around, then wake, hopefully we would be back by then.
We made our way through the Barrow room by room, showing no mercy to the bandit's with in. We looted the bandit's as we went, taking only the really light stuff, leaving the rest in small piles for when we came back. In a large room we saw, what we guessed was the bandit leader, messing with a claw and door. We didn't get four step's in the room when the large door disapeared into the floor and the bandit went through. We followed him, but as nothing seemed to want to stop him he made good time, we on the other hand had to kill a few Draugr along the way. We got to the last room as a draugr raised out of a crypt in the center of the room, as several other draugr were also raising out of their crypt's.
We got set to have a fight, Bjorn smiled with all teeth showing, which for him meant he was thrilled. The brothers smacked their fists together. I pulled my bow and started firing arrows at the closest draugr. One thing I noticed about Nord's, they don't stay dead long, always seem to want to wonder around. I shot arrow after arrow until the draugr got to close and then I dropped my bow, meaning to pick it up after the fight was over. I took a quick look around and noticed that the Bandit was dead. Bjorn was fighting the same Draugr, he seemed much tougher than the others.
I finished fighting the one in front of me and then looked around for more. Talin was bent over his brother using a healing spell, Bjorn was still fighting the big Draugr so I went to help him. As I made a second swing at him he turned and slammed his sword into mind, breaking it. I readied a sun bound spell and then flung it at the big Draugr, it burst into flame and Bjorn cut it's head off.
I bent over and grabbed the sword he had been carrying, Bjorn asked if it was any good. I laughed and said it had cut mine in half, so it had to be, at the very least, better than the one I had. We looked around the room and looted some of the precious gem's and other artifact's of worth. Talin said that Kalin was still a little addled from the blow he had taken, as he wasn't all that good with wound's to the head. I walked over and delved him and found out that other than some minor brusing his head was fine, he would just be addled for a bit. We left the way we had come and picked up the bundles of loot we had made, along with the Nord girl.
As the changing of the guard intterupted my thought's, I remembered that it hadn't been til we were well on our way back to Markarth that I had remembered I hadn't picked up my bow. I felt slightly depressed as I walked back to my room. I didn't like Markarth all that much, the memories were to good and depressing at the same time, to want to relive them. Only one place in Skyrim was worse, I hadn't entered or been to the house in a very long time. I laid down on the bed and fell asleep, I dreamed of Bjorn, who I was sure was drinking and eating in Sovngarde.
Knowing that money talked, I rented two room's and asked the Inn Keeper for the information with another gold piece in my hand. He was hesitant at first but another gold piece got his vocal cords moving. Getting the information on a Master vampire, Marcurio and I sat down for an early dinner to discuss what we would be doing.
"You have potions of disease cure? If not I have a couple, I can give you one". I asked him as we sat down at a table.
"Oh yes, I have a few myself. Do you think we would need more than two each?", before I answered him the Inn keepers daughter asked us if we wished to order anything. We both ordered dinner and an ale, I also ordered a honey nut treat.
"No, one each should be enough, unless we run into more vampires elsewhere." I paused for a minute, " That's generally why I carry two or more, but the symptoms are obvious and if you catch it early enough, a potion or blessing from one of the Divines works as a cure also, as long as you don't allow it to get to far along."
"You've caught vampirism before?" he asked with an odd look on his face.
" Actually, no I haven't. I had this necklass made year's ago, it makes me almost immune to diseases. I'm not the best at enchanting, but I can make you one also, if you like."
" I would really appreciate that, I like ale to much to want to have to rely on blood to live". We both laughed at that. " I take it you have been to Markarth before?". I snorted and gave a brief laugh.
" Oh yes, I spent almost a year in this very Inn, during the Great War." I took a sip of my ale and motioned for another.
" Really, I don't think I would want to spend that much time in this stoney place, though I find the Dwemer very interesting".
" Trust me, this was not the place I really wanted to be for that much time either. On the night before I was supposed to lead some of the Reachmen to join with other's to fight the Dominion, I made the mistake of getting just drunk enough." I winced when I remembered just how drunk I had been. " I left here with a friend, but didn't even make it far out the door. He tripped over a loose cobble and fell into me. I staggered sideways and fell exactly the wrong way off the little bridge outside the door. With him landing on top of me, I ended up with my right leg broken in two places. The healers did the best at magical healing they could, but I still needed to stay off of my feet to let the bone knit properly."
"So you missed the whole of the war, staying here in Markarth?' He sounded very unsure.
" Oh no, only the first year, though it took another for my leg to fully heal. Well at least enough for me to spend half the day fighting on it. I spent time recruiting and finding good sources of supplies. Those were thing's I could do from the back of a horse or mostly anyway." I took another sip of my ale." I might have been the wrong person to try recruiting in Skyrim, at least while the Empire was fighting the Thalmor. Some Nord's make no distinctions between one Altmer and another. I got nasty looks then and I get them now. "
"It was not a good time, but I worked at it and found good friends and allies. Marcurio, you have to understand, I might not have believed in what the Thalmor stood for or still stand for, for that matter, but I didn't and still don't wish to fight my own people. Not everyone in the Armies of the Aldemeri Dominion believe in what the Thalmor want. Some are poor farmer's son's who just want adventure and don't realize what it is they are fighting for, until after they have taken the oath. Not everyone wanted to hear what I had to say and while I did end up fighting on the front lines, I was never happy about it. Their is nothing like looking across the battlefield and taking aim against someone that previously fought along side you."
Macrcurio nodded. " I can understand that, I know it's not the same, but I have had to kill vampires that were previously friends or just someone I knew. They at least had turned into monsters, I can only imagine how hard it is to kill someone that was a friend and is now an enemy just because of different points of view."
"Sometimes it isn't even that simple, as I said some are simple farm kid's that wanted adventure and don't even realize what it is they were fighting for until it was to late."
"But that is one of my trips through Markarth." I got up and told Marcurio I would see him in the morning, I wanted to talk a walk before going to bed. I walked out of the Inn and headed to the right, to were I knew the smithy was. Walking up the stairs and around behind it, I watched the moon rise and thought of the friends long since dead that had walked these streets.
Bjorn, the tallest and widest man I have ever met, he was taller than I by a head. I shook my head as I remembered walking on this very bridge with him on our way to the Silverblood Inn. We were to pick up the last two member's of our little group. It wasn't hard to find them as they were rolling out the door as we walked up to it. Two Breton's, brothers and they were best out in the wild's, fighting what ever it was you pointed them at. Left in civilized company to long, they generally pounded on each other, I would have hated to have been their mother. Talin was a mage of no small skill, Kalin carried a shield and axe.
I would have to tell Marcurio about them, he would be interested in Talin's view on some magic. I left the bridge and walked on the upper balconies, til I was at the highest watch balcony. The guard asked me if I needed anything and I told him no, just walking and taking in the view. I leaned against the guard rail and looked down on the road out.
I saw the ghostly echo's of the four of us as we walked the road out. Bjorn with that huge Glass battleaxe across his back. It didn't look huge on his back though, I laughed inwardly, I had seen him use it with one hand. Kalin and Talin, pushing and shoving each other as they talked about the bar maids. and I walking beside Bjorn, Elven great sword and an ebony bow across my back, I really miss that bow. We where headed to an Ancient Nord Barrow, Bjorn had heard bandit's were using as headquarters for their raids.
My Elven sword broke in half on that little trip, but I got Kruziik Dilon then. She's a beaut of a sword. When we got to the Barrow, the bandit's were having their way with a young Nord girl, I think that enraged the three men more than it did myself and I was mad enough, magic was oozing from my hands. All the bandit's outside were dead in a matter of minutes. I healed the girls wounds and put her to sleep, after we cleared out the first room, Bjorn went back out got her and the brothers made her a bed from all their sleeping gear. I spread mine over her to keep her warm, wishing I could heal the wound's to her mind as easily as those to body. Bjorn put his big hand on my shoulder and squeezed, I looked up at him then kissed his hand. I told the men that she would sleep the clock around, then wake, hopefully we would be back by then.
We made our way through the Barrow room by room, showing no mercy to the bandit's with in. We looted the bandit's as we went, taking only the really light stuff, leaving the rest in small piles for when we came back. In a large room we saw, what we guessed was the bandit leader, messing with a claw and door. We didn't get four step's in the room when the large door disapeared into the floor and the bandit went through. We followed him, but as nothing seemed to want to stop him he made good time, we on the other hand had to kill a few Draugr along the way. We got to the last room as a draugr raised out of a crypt in the center of the room, as several other draugr were also raising out of their crypt's.
We got set to have a fight, Bjorn smiled with all teeth showing, which for him meant he was thrilled. The brothers smacked their fists together. I pulled my bow and started firing arrows at the closest draugr. One thing I noticed about Nord's, they don't stay dead long, always seem to want to wonder around. I shot arrow after arrow until the draugr got to close and then I dropped my bow, meaning to pick it up after the fight was over. I took a quick look around and noticed that the Bandit was dead. Bjorn was fighting the same Draugr, he seemed much tougher than the others.
I finished fighting the one in front of me and then looked around for more. Talin was bent over his brother using a healing spell, Bjorn was still fighting the big Draugr so I went to help him. As I made a second swing at him he turned and slammed his sword into mind, breaking it. I readied a sun bound spell and then flung it at the big Draugr, it burst into flame and Bjorn cut it's head off.
I bent over and grabbed the sword he had been carrying, Bjorn asked if it was any good. I laughed and said it had cut mine in half, so it had to be, at the very least, better than the one I had. We looked around the room and looted some of the precious gem's and other artifact's of worth. Talin said that Kalin was still a little addled from the blow he had taken, as he wasn't all that good with wound's to the head. I walked over and delved him and found out that other than some minor brusing his head was fine, he would just be addled for a bit. We left the way we had come and picked up the bundles of loot we had made, along with the Nord girl.
As the changing of the guard intterupted my thought's, I remembered that it hadn't been til we were well on our way back to Markarth that I had remembered I hadn't picked up my bow. I felt slightly depressed as I walked back to my room. I didn't like Markarth all that much, the memories were to good and depressing at the same time, to want to relive them. Only one place in Skyrim was worse, I hadn't entered or been to the house in a very long time. I laid down on the bed and fell asleep, I dreamed of Bjorn, who I was sure was drinking and eating in Sovngarde.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
A short walk chapter 6
Leaving Fort Dawnguard with Marcurio we headed towards Riften as I had some alchemy reagents for a couple of the vendors their. I paused at the center of the bridge to take in the view of the waterfall. Marcurio looked a me couriously and asked, " How long have you known Isran, you seem to have more lee-way than he gives anyone else."
"That my friend is because I have known Isran since he was a young Deadra hunter with the Vigilant. He has always been driven. He doesn't much talk of his past. It's not pretty." I said with a firmness in my tone, I would not talk of his past, it was his. The wizard nodded and with a thoughtful look on his face asked.
"You have been to Skyrim before?" I shifted my gaze over his shoulder as I saw movement, I narrowed my eye's and saw a blur infront of a bush. I answered Marcurio, with a distracted air, pulling my cross-bow from my back slowly, but keeping it between our bodies. His eye's narrowed and I noticed his hand's glowing as he readied a spell.
" Yes, I've been here several times. I own two houses here, one outside of Falkreath, though it's been empty for about 100 yr's. The other in Solitude". He understood the nod I gave him and moved quickly to the side as he spun around, trying to catch sight of our enemy. I lifted my cross-bow, took aim and fired at the center of the blur. Marcurio followed the track of the bolt and sent a fire-ball following along after, both hit the Mist-walker squarely in the center of her chest. As she hit the ground burning up, I continued talking,
"where their is one their is at least two. The house in Solitude I have owned for about 200 yr's, the Steward keep's a house-carl there."
" Wait, the Solitudes steward? She's 200 yr's old?" He sounded surprised, but he was young. As I lifted my cross-bow again, he followed the track.
"You get the one on the left, " I said in a low voice, "No, I think she's older than that actually. And yes, she is a vampire." The bolt I sent, was the type that explodes in a fire-ball. I quickly reloaded in case that one didn't do the job, but I didn't need to bother, it died. Marcurio sent two fire-ball's after the second mist-walker, both hit, but I think the first one did it in anyway.
"You know and just leave her there? Why" He asked, "Are we not vampire hunters". We walked to the 1st mist-walker and I squatted down to look through her armor. Not finding anything more than odds and ends.
" She's really only served the Jarl for 20 yr's or so, but she has served Skyrim for much longer. Which doesn't answer your question." I paused and checked the pocket's of the next vampire, " It's a little complicated, but I feel that just because one is a vampire it doesn't make one evil. Action's often speak louder than words and her's have. Let's just say I knew her before she was a vampire and abrasive as she is, she was a good person then. She love's Skyrim and now takes the long view on looking after her people."
As I bent down to check out the third vampire, Marcurio flung a spell over my shoulder, I felt the heat as it passed. I stood and looked in the direction of the fire-ball and saw a troll. Drawing my sword, I ran at it and swung as I passed, Kruziik Dilon slicing it's head cleanly off, the body turning to ash before it hit the ground.
Before I could even put up my sword a gaint spider spit poison at us, I threw up a ward with my off hand as it came at us. Letting down the ward just as a bolt of lightening hit the beast, I swung at it, connected and gut's flew everywhere. As a second gaint spider came at me, Marcurio hit it with lightning bolt after lightning bolt, unlit it was a smoking husk, the Third one hit just as I heard Marcurio yell "Bandit's!".
The Lady Nocturnal must be giving some poor thief all the luck the two of us had, because we were receiving our share of mis-fortune on this trip. Trying to keep myself between Marcurio and the bandit's, so that he could throw out ranged attack's, was taking it's toll on me. I was slowing down slightly and could feel the burn of my muscles with each swing. I let out a curse at the Lady as I felt the pressure wave and the ground shudder as a Dragon landed, blasting one of the bandit's with it's icy breath.
This gave me a little respite as I worked my way around the dragon to where Marcurio was. "Save your magic, except to defend, til we know which way this battle is going." I shouted at him over the sounds of battle. I sheathed my sword and brought out my cross-bow, keeping tract of where I might want to shoot next. Putting in one of the bolt's that would freeze the target, I took careful aim at a rather impressive bandit wearing plate steel, just as the dragon also took aim at him, one icy breath then the dragon snatched him up and flung him up over the tree tops. It took off and flew in a circle around us, as it passed over our head's Marcurio flung a fire-ball at it and then another at a bandit taking aim in our direction. The dragon shuddered as a couple arrows and the fire-ball hit it at the same time. It flapped it's wing's a couple times more, then taking a sharp turn back in the direction of the bandit's, it seemed to shrink as it hit the ground, plowing a furrow into it and taking out some of the bandit's out in the process.
We dispatched the last of the bandit's and quickly looted them for valuables that we could sell in Riften. It was a pretty heavy haul, but Riften wasn't all that far away. I bundled everything up and made a sling for it, something easily dropped, if needed. Marcurio didn't seem all that pleased when I handed him his pack, saying he wasn't a pack mule, but an apprentice wizard. He would be a poor wizard with that attitude, I would try and help him with that.
I'm not really even sure why he decided to become a vampire hunter, he didn't really seem suited to the life. Perhap's the life as a court mage. I couldn't really help him with that one, but I would find out just what it was he really wanted. I had very few friends, I lost tract of many of them over the years, but I knew a great many had passed away. I really liked the Nord people, they are very strait forward people, say what they mean, quick to anger and will give you the sword off their hip if your need it.
The rest of the trip into Riften was quiet, we sold off all the thing's I had looted from the bandit's, then headed down to the Alchemy shop, where I sold of some of the rare reagent's that I came across, plus some of the dragon bones and scales that we had just acquired. I bought some health potions in exchange. We then went to one of the food sellers and I gave her the Ice-wraith teeth that she wanted, the Smith got his fire salt's for the forge. I sold a couple of the weapon's that, we had grabbed off of the bandit's.
After grabbing a bite to eat in the Bee & Barb, we headed out to the carriage to hire it to take us to Markarth, where the priest of Arkay had said we would find information about a coven of vampires.
"That my friend is because I have known Isran since he was a young Deadra hunter with the Vigilant. He has always been driven. He doesn't much talk of his past. It's not pretty." I said with a firmness in my tone, I would not talk of his past, it was his. The wizard nodded and with a thoughtful look on his face asked.
"You have been to Skyrim before?" I shifted my gaze over his shoulder as I saw movement, I narrowed my eye's and saw a blur infront of a bush. I answered Marcurio, with a distracted air, pulling my cross-bow from my back slowly, but keeping it between our bodies. His eye's narrowed and I noticed his hand's glowing as he readied a spell.
" Yes, I've been here several times. I own two houses here, one outside of Falkreath, though it's been empty for about 100 yr's. The other in Solitude". He understood the nod I gave him and moved quickly to the side as he spun around, trying to catch sight of our enemy. I lifted my cross-bow, took aim and fired at the center of the blur. Marcurio followed the track of the bolt and sent a fire-ball following along after, both hit the Mist-walker squarely in the center of her chest. As she hit the ground burning up, I continued talking,
"where their is one their is at least two. The house in Solitude I have owned for about 200 yr's, the Steward keep's a house-carl there."
" Wait, the Solitudes steward? She's 200 yr's old?" He sounded surprised, but he was young. As I lifted my cross-bow again, he followed the track.
"You get the one on the left, " I said in a low voice, "No, I think she's older than that actually. And yes, she is a vampire." The bolt I sent, was the type that explodes in a fire-ball. I quickly reloaded in case that one didn't do the job, but I didn't need to bother, it died. Marcurio sent two fire-ball's after the second mist-walker, both hit, but I think the first one did it in anyway.
"You know and just leave her there? Why" He asked, "Are we not vampire hunters". We walked to the 1st mist-walker and I squatted down to look through her armor. Not finding anything more than odds and ends.
" She's really only served the Jarl for 20 yr's or so, but she has served Skyrim for much longer. Which doesn't answer your question." I paused and checked the pocket's of the next vampire, " It's a little complicated, but I feel that just because one is a vampire it doesn't make one evil. Action's often speak louder than words and her's have. Let's just say I knew her before she was a vampire and abrasive as she is, she was a good person then. She love's Skyrim and now takes the long view on looking after her people."
As I bent down to check out the third vampire, Marcurio flung a spell over my shoulder, I felt the heat as it passed. I stood and looked in the direction of the fire-ball and saw a troll. Drawing my sword, I ran at it and swung as I passed, Kruziik Dilon slicing it's head cleanly off, the body turning to ash before it hit the ground.
Before I could even put up my sword a gaint spider spit poison at us, I threw up a ward with my off hand as it came at us. Letting down the ward just as a bolt of lightening hit the beast, I swung at it, connected and gut's flew everywhere. As a second gaint spider came at me, Marcurio hit it with lightning bolt after lightning bolt, unlit it was a smoking husk, the Third one hit just as I heard Marcurio yell "Bandit's!".
The Lady Nocturnal must be giving some poor thief all the luck the two of us had, because we were receiving our share of mis-fortune on this trip. Trying to keep myself between Marcurio and the bandit's, so that he could throw out ranged attack's, was taking it's toll on me. I was slowing down slightly and could feel the burn of my muscles with each swing. I let out a curse at the Lady as I felt the pressure wave and the ground shudder as a Dragon landed, blasting one of the bandit's with it's icy breath.
This gave me a little respite as I worked my way around the dragon to where Marcurio was. "Save your magic, except to defend, til we know which way this battle is going." I shouted at him over the sounds of battle. I sheathed my sword and brought out my cross-bow, keeping tract of where I might want to shoot next. Putting in one of the bolt's that would freeze the target, I took careful aim at a rather impressive bandit wearing plate steel, just as the dragon also took aim at him, one icy breath then the dragon snatched him up and flung him up over the tree tops. It took off and flew in a circle around us, as it passed over our head's Marcurio flung a fire-ball at it and then another at a bandit taking aim in our direction. The dragon shuddered as a couple arrows and the fire-ball hit it at the same time. It flapped it's wing's a couple times more, then taking a sharp turn back in the direction of the bandit's, it seemed to shrink as it hit the ground, plowing a furrow into it and taking out some of the bandit's out in the process.
We dispatched the last of the bandit's and quickly looted them for valuables that we could sell in Riften. It was a pretty heavy haul, but Riften wasn't all that far away. I bundled everything up and made a sling for it, something easily dropped, if needed. Marcurio didn't seem all that pleased when I handed him his pack, saying he wasn't a pack mule, but an apprentice wizard. He would be a poor wizard with that attitude, I would try and help him with that.
I'm not really even sure why he decided to become a vampire hunter, he didn't really seem suited to the life. Perhap's the life as a court mage. I couldn't really help him with that one, but I would find out just what it was he really wanted. I had very few friends, I lost tract of many of them over the years, but I knew a great many had passed away. I really liked the Nord people, they are very strait forward people, say what they mean, quick to anger and will give you the sword off their hip if your need it.
The rest of the trip into Riften was quiet, we sold off all the thing's I had looted from the bandit's, then headed down to the Alchemy shop, where I sold of some of the rare reagent's that I came across, plus some of the dragon bones and scales that we had just acquired. I bought some health potions in exchange. We then went to one of the food sellers and I gave her the Ice-wraith teeth that she wanted, the Smith got his fire salt's for the forge. I sold a couple of the weapon's that, we had grabbed off of the bandit's.
After grabbing a bite to eat in the Bee & Barb, we headed out to the carriage to hire it to take us to Markarth, where the priest of Arkay had said we would find information about a coven of vampires.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Looking back chapter 5
Did you ever try and keep a secret from the two people closest to you? Let me tell you, it wasn't easy. With My Aunt soon to be married to my direct superior officer, I thought it a good Idea to vacate my room, in favor of the barrack's like the rest of the troupe. They would need my room for the baby anyway. So little by little I had been removing my thing's from my, soon to be the babies, room. It wasn't easy cause If I needed something I couldn't tell Irrillia that I needed to run to the barrack's for it.
Our, that is the whole troupe's, wedding present to the blissful couple would be some new furniture. I was making them a Game board with stone pieces, Amy was knitting ( I didn't even know she could) a couple baby blankets. A new bed for them and new crib for the baby, plus odd's and ends.... all had to be put in the couples room's after Irrillia left to get into her dress.
Not everyone from the garrison would be going to the wedding, because the Garrison commander decided that some important people from Alinor should attend, including some of Irrillia's relatives. Political maneuvering, they would attend because others of higher standing were going to be their. The Garrison Commander had somehow found out about my Aunts family and he was from a much much better one. Decin made sure that the trouper's seating the guests knew to put them in the back rows.
As I changed in my old room into the dress I would be wearing I directed the troupers carrying thing in. Amy fixed my mane into something resembling tidy and fashionable. I stood their holding the sky blue dress off the floor with the train draped over my arm, while Amy put flowers in my hair and another Trouper kept track of time.... though we had a signal, a loud thunder clap made by one of the young mages, that would let me know I need to run.
Just as the thunder clap let me know I needed to run, everything down to the lace table cloths, flowers and candles were in place. Someone would light them later, when the wedding diner was almost over.
I hiked the dress up higher and Amy and I took off at a dead run. We got to the audience hall, only slightly out of breath, just as my Aunt came around the corner and the wedding music started. I turned and walked up between the guest's.... and the boring social wedding was on. My Aunt said it was expected, though she would have preferred something much more simple.
May hours later, I finally escaped to the barrack's and was able to take off the dress and remove the, now wilted, flowers. Amy laughed as I practically flung the dress off. After a couple glasses of wine it was easy to fall asleep and the next I knew Amy was shaking me awake, it was time to go.
We stood infront of the Oblivion Gate ready for anything that came out. The trouper that came out waved and gave the pass code for "everything ok". We went through the gate and followed the trouper and his "buddy" in a round about path to the door of the Tower where the rest of his patrol stood waiting, Merican walked up to Decin and they stood their speaking quietly for a few moments. I looked around at the patrol and saw not one injured trouper and none appeared to be missing. I caught the eye of one of the troupers and raised my eyebrows in inquiry, he shrugged and then wagged his hand. I nodded at him and looked at Amy, "either they don't guard the gates well or we over prepared" she whispered. "probably don't expect anyone do be stupid enough to come through." " Of course the inside may well be better defended" I whispered back.
We went in the door and sure enough, it seemed the inside of the tower was much better defended than the area around the gate. We fought many Deadroth of varying types. Only one group of "buddies" let us pass as they waited for the healers. Amy and I right infront of the healers and two more troupers right behind them. One had an arrow through the thigh, which would be treated as if the arrow was poisoned.... something the healers and mages had thought out.
The turns seemed to be getting so tight, that had we not went through doors and up levels I felt I should have been able to turn around and see Decin leading the patrol, on my tail. Finally I could see a ball of light sitting on/in an odd pedestal and knew that was the Sigil stone and we were in the last room. As we all gathered around Decin, he called out every ones name.....and all answered. He asked the healer who's job it was to keep the time, if an hour had passed, she replied that according to the time candle 4 hr's had passed. That did not seem possible, Decin raised an eyebrow and Carhathal one of the battlemages shrugged and then said, " I have tipped over my hour glass six times. Though it hardly seem's that an hour has went by".
Decin nodded and told us all to come in close and make sure we where all touching. We were an odd ring around him, the inner ring each with one hand on him and the other on the person next to them, the next ring touching the first and each other, til it got back to the ring Amy, I and the healers were in.
Decin started counting backwards from ten, at 2 I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth.... at one I saw a very bright white light behind my eyes and felt my stomach drop to my feet. The next thing I knew I was staring up at the night sky, with the smiling face of one of Merican's patrol looking down at me.
I explained everything I had seen, smelled or felt to Aunt Irrillia, who had been waiting for us to come back to the garrison, along with the Commander, who took Decin with him. I told her that I thought we would disperse into smaller groups, maybe 5 or 6 as a full patrol was a bit much to close one gate.
Irrillia informed me that two days had gone by since we had entered the gate. I nodded and told her about the time candle and hour glass, time must run differently inside the gates. I yawned and told her my body now felt the two days it had missed, along with all the meal's. I left with a kiss to her cheek, just as Decin walked through the door. I paused by Decin and with a wry grin told him " If you ever want to sneak in on your wife and child...take off the boots before you walk up the stairs". He smiled and went to greet his new wife.
For the next year Amy, I and 4 other troupers closed gates as we found them and hunted the Deadroth that had come through them. We had noticed that we found no more open gates, only the shells left behind when one was closed...but there we still Deadroth to hunt. When we finally had found no more Deadroth in our area for a month, we returned to the Garrison, to find that a man named Martin Septium had sacrificed himself to end the Oblivion crisis.
As elated as I was about the end of the Deadroth and to see my new nephew. I was also not happy to hear the way some things had been going with the Thalmor's politic's. I talked to Decin and while he wasn't completely happy, he wrote up my papers to leave their service.
I talked to My Aunt who said I though to much like my father but she understood. I knew I would miss my little nephew, but left I did.
Amy had also got her papers to leave and as a non-Altmer she decided that she wished to go home to Skyrim and see how her folk's had fared. Thus my first trip into the cold harsh land of the Nord's was to begin.
Our, that is the whole troupe's, wedding present to the blissful couple would be some new furniture. I was making them a Game board with stone pieces, Amy was knitting ( I didn't even know she could) a couple baby blankets. A new bed for them and new crib for the baby, plus odd's and ends.... all had to be put in the couples room's after Irrillia left to get into her dress.
Not everyone from the garrison would be going to the wedding, because the Garrison commander decided that some important people from Alinor should attend, including some of Irrillia's relatives. Political maneuvering, they would attend because others of higher standing were going to be their. The Garrison Commander had somehow found out about my Aunts family and he was from a much much better one. Decin made sure that the trouper's seating the guests knew to put them in the back rows.
As I changed in my old room into the dress I would be wearing I directed the troupers carrying thing in. Amy fixed my mane into something resembling tidy and fashionable. I stood their holding the sky blue dress off the floor with the train draped over my arm, while Amy put flowers in my hair and another Trouper kept track of time.... though we had a signal, a loud thunder clap made by one of the young mages, that would let me know I need to run.
Just as the thunder clap let me know I needed to run, everything down to the lace table cloths, flowers and candles were in place. Someone would light them later, when the wedding diner was almost over.
I hiked the dress up higher and Amy and I took off at a dead run. We got to the audience hall, only slightly out of breath, just as my Aunt came around the corner and the wedding music started. I turned and walked up between the guest's.... and the boring social wedding was on. My Aunt said it was expected, though she would have preferred something much more simple.
May hours later, I finally escaped to the barrack's and was able to take off the dress and remove the, now wilted, flowers. Amy laughed as I practically flung the dress off. After a couple glasses of wine it was easy to fall asleep and the next I knew Amy was shaking me awake, it was time to go.
We stood infront of the Oblivion Gate ready for anything that came out. The trouper that came out waved and gave the pass code for "everything ok". We went through the gate and followed the trouper and his "buddy" in a round about path to the door of the Tower where the rest of his patrol stood waiting, Merican walked up to Decin and they stood their speaking quietly for a few moments. I looked around at the patrol and saw not one injured trouper and none appeared to be missing. I caught the eye of one of the troupers and raised my eyebrows in inquiry, he shrugged and then wagged his hand. I nodded at him and looked at Amy, "either they don't guard the gates well or we over prepared" she whispered. "probably don't expect anyone do be stupid enough to come through." " Of course the inside may well be better defended" I whispered back.
We went in the door and sure enough, it seemed the inside of the tower was much better defended than the area around the gate. We fought many Deadroth of varying types. Only one group of "buddies" let us pass as they waited for the healers. Amy and I right infront of the healers and two more troupers right behind them. One had an arrow through the thigh, which would be treated as if the arrow was poisoned.... something the healers and mages had thought out.
The turns seemed to be getting so tight, that had we not went through doors and up levels I felt I should have been able to turn around and see Decin leading the patrol, on my tail. Finally I could see a ball of light sitting on/in an odd pedestal and knew that was the Sigil stone and we were in the last room. As we all gathered around Decin, he called out every ones name.....and all answered. He asked the healer who's job it was to keep the time, if an hour had passed, she replied that according to the time candle 4 hr's had passed. That did not seem possible, Decin raised an eyebrow and Carhathal one of the battlemages shrugged and then said, " I have tipped over my hour glass six times. Though it hardly seem's that an hour has went by".
Decin nodded and told us all to come in close and make sure we where all touching. We were an odd ring around him, the inner ring each with one hand on him and the other on the person next to them, the next ring touching the first and each other, til it got back to the ring Amy, I and the healers were in.
Decin started counting backwards from ten, at 2 I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth.... at one I saw a very bright white light behind my eyes and felt my stomach drop to my feet. The next thing I knew I was staring up at the night sky, with the smiling face of one of Merican's patrol looking down at me.
I explained everything I had seen, smelled or felt to Aunt Irrillia, who had been waiting for us to come back to the garrison, along with the Commander, who took Decin with him. I told her that I thought we would disperse into smaller groups, maybe 5 or 6 as a full patrol was a bit much to close one gate.
Irrillia informed me that two days had gone by since we had entered the gate. I nodded and told her about the time candle and hour glass, time must run differently inside the gates. I yawned and told her my body now felt the two days it had missed, along with all the meal's. I left with a kiss to her cheek, just as Decin walked through the door. I paused by Decin and with a wry grin told him " If you ever want to sneak in on your wife and child...take off the boots before you walk up the stairs". He smiled and went to greet his new wife.
For the next year Amy, I and 4 other troupers closed gates as we found them and hunted the Deadroth that had come through them. We had noticed that we found no more open gates, only the shells left behind when one was closed...but there we still Deadroth to hunt. When we finally had found no more Deadroth in our area for a month, we returned to the Garrison, to find that a man named Martin Septium had sacrificed himself to end the Oblivion crisis.
As elated as I was about the end of the Deadroth and to see my new nephew. I was also not happy to hear the way some things had been going with the Thalmor's politic's. I talked to Decin and while he wasn't completely happy, he wrote up my papers to leave their service.
I talked to My Aunt who said I though to much like my father but she understood. I knew I would miss my little nephew, but left I did.
Amy had also got her papers to leave and as a non-Altmer she decided that she wished to go home to Skyrim and see how her folk's had fared. Thus my first trip into the cold harsh land of the Nord's was to begin.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Looking back chapter 4
Days and week's went by I learned a lot from every member of our patrol. I also learned more than I ever wanted to about politic's, my Aunt and Decin would often talk about political happenings, Amy listened without ever saying a word to them, I listened but often gave my opinion.
I didn't like the way it looked like the Thalmor were heading, as a deadra hunting quasi military group I was happy to be with them, but the direction of the politic's and religious aspect was something I was very uncomfortable with. In my Aunts quiet way, without ever sounding mean, she told me that my opinion would get me persecuted in the year's to come, that I should like Amy did, keep my mouth shut and no one would ever know. It was a lesson I took to heart. Decin said that he would never turn me in for my opinions, but their are many who would, to make themselves look better.
Amy taught me another lesson that I caught on to right way. She said "Altmer could plant a little seed today and wait to harvest the Acorns 200 yr's from now, where as her people planted corn to harvest in less than a season." I saw what she was getting at right away.
Aunt Irrillia and I worked on her baby clothing, Amy sat with us playing her lute. Decin would sometimes sit in, reading a book or working on a silver engraving. I really admired those engravings, but had no talent at all. I know we must have made an odd sight, 1 lady, 2 warrior woman and a scarred brute of a man. Because of his size and the scarring on his face, not a few softer political appointee's made the mistake of thinking Decin wasn't the brightest star in the sky. Decin had a rapier whit and slow way of talking, that often had people walking away before they realized he had insulted them. I heard from one of the guards that one young man took three days to realize he had been insulted.
I did find in that time, that if I took my time, I was pretty good at carving stone. I did a lot of the Deadroth that we ran into and sent back to Oblivion. If the first couple were a little warped looking, no one seemed to mind.
About two months before Irrillia was due, Decin had a meeting with all of his patrol to tell us some new's that had just come out of Cyrodiil and to ask us all a favor. Because of the type of news, he asked the favor first, which was probably a good thing, as no one would have shut-up long enough to hear the favor after the news. He asked us if we would run two patrols back to back and then have two weeks of guard duty in the week when Irrillia was due. He really didn't need to ask, we all agreed to that without any hesitation.
The news and it was big, Decin stood before us, with warring emotions on his face, but then he became our commander. " I don't like repeating myself, so keep any comments and outbursts quiet until I have finished." He looked down at the paper in his hands, " Someone in Cyrodiil has figured out how to close these Oblivion gates. They closed a gate saving the city of Kvatch, it seem's you can go through the gate and into towers that are found in that realm. Making your way to the top of the tower and removing a sigil stone, will close the gate and send the person home that is holding it. Now that said, their are alot of unanswered questions. How long ago this happened we don't know, how many people went in the gate we don't know, how many came out we don't know. Our mages have been discussing this and think that as long as anyone that get's to the tower is touching the person removing the sigil stone, they will also come back. But we can't be sure." as he paused the room blew up with everyone trying to talk over everyone else.
Amy and I kept quiet along with some others as Decin wasn't answering any questions, them being tossed at him to quickly to answer. As the room quieted down Decin started talking again, " The commander here has picked our patrol to enter a gate, now we won't be doing so alone, Merican's patrol will enter ahead of us, then someone will come back out when they get to the tower, then they will leave as we fight our way to the top. I would hope we all would come out, but some may get lost, others may die... I don't want someone getting injured and left behind inside the gate. Each of you will have a buddy, IF your buddy get's injured, you both will hurry as quickly as possible back out of the gate. I would think after a certain point that going back would take longer than going ahead, but staying behind everyone. Something's we will decide when we see what we are up against. Please take some time and come up with answers at evening muster. Dismissed" and with that he turned and left quickly.
I slowly followed him out the door with Amy beside me, I had no intention of actually catching him. My Brother-in-law to be or not, he was still my Commander. I just didn't want to be in the cluster of questions, I wanted time to think. Amy and I went and sat up on the fort's walls, looking out toward the nearest Oblivion gate. "Healing" Amy said, "We need to ask about taking healer's with us or teaching those with any skill at all some simple healing spells". I nodded and told her I thought some potions would be a good idea also. Something else was food and water, nothing in the dispatch had said anything about how long they had taken to close that gate. Bandages and herbs, would be a good thing, as not every cut needed a healer or potion.
The day wound slowly towards dinner, I checked in with Aunt Irrillia, but Decin was there and I felt they needed the time together. I was hoping he would talk her into marriage before we went to close the first gate. Amy and I went to the barrack's were most of our patrol was. They were all in little groups, talking quietly. As we came in the room got quit and I wondered what was up. Salihia the oldest of our patrol took it upon herself to come over to us and in a not so quiet voice said " We want to make sure the commander makes it out. You Zane are not just a good warrior but also a good healer. You know magic's and we think that you and Amy can stay right behind the commander and make sure he is comes out. Remilyn will be the commanders "buddy"." I nodded and went and sat at one of the tables.
Remilyn was everything opposite to the commander, he looked about 200 years younger than he was, plus he had to be the heaviest set Altmer I have ever seen. He carried a shield and a mace, both of which I have seen him use to cut the head off of enemies. That shield had a metal ring around it that he kept as sharp as some people kept their swords. He was actually older than Decin by 100 years. He looked more like a bandit than the professional soldier. They would make excellent "buddies" for this trip.
We all waited on Decin, quietly tossing idea's back and forth, we also decided that Salihia would ask all the questions, which I wrote down for her, that way we would have all our questions answered without it getting to late. As Decin walked into the barracks, he had a small smile on his face, I nudged Amy, who smiled large and nudged the man next to her, I think we all figured out that my Aunt had consented to marry him, before he even stopped in the middle of the room.
Decin let us know that Irrillia Greymore had consented to marry him on the morrow, before we left to close our first gate the following day. That shut the whispers up for a moment as we all soaked that one in, then a round of congratulation before Salihia walked in front of him and started asking the questions that we had come up with.
We came up with some changes, Merican's patrol would wait for 2 hr's for anyone that might be injured and help them out after the 2 hr mark, all injured would follow with the healers. The healer's would have guards that would also act as stretcher barriers. Any walking wounded would help the others.
I went to talk to Irrillia and talk to her about everything we had discussed. If anyone got home, Decin would, all of us would make sure of that.
I didn't like the way it looked like the Thalmor were heading, as a deadra hunting quasi military group I was happy to be with them, but the direction of the politic's and religious aspect was something I was very uncomfortable with. In my Aunts quiet way, without ever sounding mean, she told me that my opinion would get me persecuted in the year's to come, that I should like Amy did, keep my mouth shut and no one would ever know. It was a lesson I took to heart. Decin said that he would never turn me in for my opinions, but their are many who would, to make themselves look better.
Amy taught me another lesson that I caught on to right way. She said "Altmer could plant a little seed today and wait to harvest the Acorns 200 yr's from now, where as her people planted corn to harvest in less than a season." I saw what she was getting at right away.
Aunt Irrillia and I worked on her baby clothing, Amy sat with us playing her lute. Decin would sometimes sit in, reading a book or working on a silver engraving. I really admired those engravings, but had no talent at all. I know we must have made an odd sight, 1 lady, 2 warrior woman and a scarred brute of a man. Because of his size and the scarring on his face, not a few softer political appointee's made the mistake of thinking Decin wasn't the brightest star in the sky. Decin had a rapier whit and slow way of talking, that often had people walking away before they realized he had insulted them. I heard from one of the guards that one young man took three days to realize he had been insulted.
I did find in that time, that if I took my time, I was pretty good at carving stone. I did a lot of the Deadroth that we ran into and sent back to Oblivion. If the first couple were a little warped looking, no one seemed to mind.
About two months before Irrillia was due, Decin had a meeting with all of his patrol to tell us some new's that had just come out of Cyrodiil and to ask us all a favor. Because of the type of news, he asked the favor first, which was probably a good thing, as no one would have shut-up long enough to hear the favor after the news. He asked us if we would run two patrols back to back and then have two weeks of guard duty in the week when Irrillia was due. He really didn't need to ask, we all agreed to that without any hesitation.
The news and it was big, Decin stood before us, with warring emotions on his face, but then he became our commander. " I don't like repeating myself, so keep any comments and outbursts quiet until I have finished." He looked down at the paper in his hands, " Someone in Cyrodiil has figured out how to close these Oblivion gates. They closed a gate saving the city of Kvatch, it seem's you can go through the gate and into towers that are found in that realm. Making your way to the top of the tower and removing a sigil stone, will close the gate and send the person home that is holding it. Now that said, their are alot of unanswered questions. How long ago this happened we don't know, how many people went in the gate we don't know, how many came out we don't know. Our mages have been discussing this and think that as long as anyone that get's to the tower is touching the person removing the sigil stone, they will also come back. But we can't be sure." as he paused the room blew up with everyone trying to talk over everyone else.
Amy and I kept quiet along with some others as Decin wasn't answering any questions, them being tossed at him to quickly to answer. As the room quieted down Decin started talking again, " The commander here has picked our patrol to enter a gate, now we won't be doing so alone, Merican's patrol will enter ahead of us, then someone will come back out when they get to the tower, then they will leave as we fight our way to the top. I would hope we all would come out, but some may get lost, others may die... I don't want someone getting injured and left behind inside the gate. Each of you will have a buddy, IF your buddy get's injured, you both will hurry as quickly as possible back out of the gate. I would think after a certain point that going back would take longer than going ahead, but staying behind everyone. Something's we will decide when we see what we are up against. Please take some time and come up with answers at evening muster. Dismissed" and with that he turned and left quickly.
I slowly followed him out the door with Amy beside me, I had no intention of actually catching him. My Brother-in-law to be or not, he was still my Commander. I just didn't want to be in the cluster of questions, I wanted time to think. Amy and I went and sat up on the fort's walls, looking out toward the nearest Oblivion gate. "Healing" Amy said, "We need to ask about taking healer's with us or teaching those with any skill at all some simple healing spells". I nodded and told her I thought some potions would be a good idea also. Something else was food and water, nothing in the dispatch had said anything about how long they had taken to close that gate. Bandages and herbs, would be a good thing, as not every cut needed a healer or potion.
The day wound slowly towards dinner, I checked in with Aunt Irrillia, but Decin was there and I felt they needed the time together. I was hoping he would talk her into marriage before we went to close the first gate. Amy and I went to the barrack's were most of our patrol was. They were all in little groups, talking quietly. As we came in the room got quit and I wondered what was up. Salihia the oldest of our patrol took it upon herself to come over to us and in a not so quiet voice said " We want to make sure the commander makes it out. You Zane are not just a good warrior but also a good healer. You know magic's and we think that you and Amy can stay right behind the commander and make sure he is comes out. Remilyn will be the commanders "buddy"." I nodded and went and sat at one of the tables.
Remilyn was everything opposite to the commander, he looked about 200 years younger than he was, plus he had to be the heaviest set Altmer I have ever seen. He carried a shield and a mace, both of which I have seen him use to cut the head off of enemies. That shield had a metal ring around it that he kept as sharp as some people kept their swords. He was actually older than Decin by 100 years. He looked more like a bandit than the professional soldier. They would make excellent "buddies" for this trip.
We all waited on Decin, quietly tossing idea's back and forth, we also decided that Salihia would ask all the questions, which I wrote down for her, that way we would have all our questions answered without it getting to late. As Decin walked into the barracks, he had a small smile on his face, I nudged Amy, who smiled large and nudged the man next to her, I think we all figured out that my Aunt had consented to marry him, before he even stopped in the middle of the room.
Decin let us know that Irrillia Greymore had consented to marry him on the morrow, before we left to close our first gate the following day. That shut the whispers up for a moment as we all soaked that one in, then a round of congratulation before Salihia walked in front of him and started asking the questions that we had come up with.
We came up with some changes, Merican's patrol would wait for 2 hr's for anyone that might be injured and help them out after the 2 hr mark, all injured would follow with the healers. The healer's would have guards that would also act as stretcher barriers. Any walking wounded would help the others.
I went to talk to Irrillia and talk to her about everything we had discussed. If anyone got home, Decin would, all of us would make sure of that.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Looking back chapter 3
After we had eaten and bathed Irrillia and I went to the room we were assigned and I know I at least slept the clock around. When I finally woke up, I looked around and my Aunt had gone, the two pallets on the floor were empty also. A note from my Aunt, beside the bed told me that I would find some clothing in the dresser and I should bath again and come find her. I choose the better of the outfits in the dresser, figuring if they wanted me to work I could come back and change out of the dress.
I found my Aunt sitting in the sunshine, in a small garden along the fort's walls. She smiled her approval of my choice of clothing and then introduced me to the tall Altmer who had led us here. His name was Decintanor and he turned into the best friend I have had in ages. Decin ( as I called him) took us under his wing, got me training in magic and weapons, found me some good armor and then put me in his own patrol. Ok do putting me in his patrol was a way to keep his eye's on me and made Irrillia very happy, which was very important to him. He had fallen in love with her at first sight, as bedraggled and dirty as we were.
I made another friend in that time also, though she has long since passed away, A Nord by the name of Ammila Snowfox, with her light blue eye's and bright red hair she did her surname proud. Amy and I were almost inseperable in those first months after the Oblivion gates opened up. You wonder at a Nord being in the Summerset Isle's at that time, her family were shipping traders. She was a wonder with her battleaxe and bow, either equally as deadly. She was only a year older than I, but much more mature and world wise.
I learned quickly to use my sword and my bow skills improved, to the point I very rarely missed. When I went out on my first patrol Decin had me stay in the middle of the group, along with Amy and we both put our bow's to good use. With my sword strapped across my back, I kept a knife in my strong hand and used spells in the other. I healed our troupe and used small fire spells on the Deadroth that got to close to myself and my patient. Amy kept them off my back for the most part though, usually shouting "death or Sovengarde", which never made sense to me as one has to die to go to Sovengarde. Then again, my knowledge of the Nordic language wasn't very good back then.
You wonder that I joined Thalmor back then? Well, at that time, they were for the most part, focused on getting rid of the Deadroth and the Oblivion gates that brought them. To me that was a good use of my skills and a way for me to learn more, while keeping myself and Irrillia fed. The children kept to our room's for awhile, until more and more showed up without parents or other guardians, they were put in their own bunk rooms then.
I measured time not by the calendar but by how large Irrillia was getting with child. Also by how agitated Decin was getting, you would think he was the one with child. Irrillia had reason's, she wasn't completely over Harriods death and she wanted to get in touch with her family before she made the next step. I had a talk with Decin about her, I was curious what his family would think. He actually shrugged and then said, in probably one of the snootiest tones I had ever heard from him, " Irrillia Greymore is from very good family, with political and monetary influences". Then he laughed and said, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Finding out he really did love her, even though one could make the argument for a "political marriage", I told him that her birth family wasn't thrilled with her marring "dirt farmers". He just about choked on his wine and looked at me with astonished eyes... "dirt farmers? they think your family were only farmers?" I said yes, my family were just farmers. To that he looked at me rather oddly and then asked if I and my friend Amy would care to take a trip into Alinor, where Irrillia's family resided.
I replied I was more than happy to do so, but would the fort commander allow us to go their just to visit my Aunt's family? Of course he wouldn't, but weekly the commander sent out letters to his superiors and got some in return. That is what we would legitimately be doing, with a side trip to visit family.
We arrived in Alinor in the early afternoon, having dodged Oblivion gates and wondering groups of deadroth. Amy put up the hood on her armor, her face and ear's being dead giveaways she wasn't Altmer. She tended to dirty looks and words from those who didn't know her. We arrived at the Thalmor garrison and told the man on watch that we had letters for the commander. He showed us the way to go and when we arrived at the commanders door, we found someone else their who took our pouch and said to go find a meal, bath and bed for latter, we would have replies in the morning to take back.
Not wanting to arrive on Irrillia's family's doorstep smelling of sweat and horse, I took a bath and found a clean cloth uniform and the bath attendant said my armor would be on my bed when I got back, clean and mended as needed. Amy said she would wait here as the garrison had it's own inn with mead and wine.
I got directions to the family manor, which had not escaped deadroth distruction, but was being repaired quickly. The man at the door told me to have a seat and wait. Which I did for about a quarter of an hour. Then a servant asked me to follow her, to an office. Their were three men in the room, the oldest asked me why I had come and I went to hand him the letter Decin had written. One of the younger men took the letter and opened it, not reading just looking at it as if to make sure their wasn't poison in it or something.
The old man read the letter and then looked up and asked me what Irrillia wanted. Because of his wording, I didn't think Decin had said anything about my relationship to Aunt Irrillia. " I believe Commander Decintanor wishes to marry Irrillia Greymore and is seaking your blessing. As far as I know Irrillia doesn't know that he sent me here today". I knew darn well she didn't know and I also knew she had sent a letter's each week with the courier, that were never answered.
The old man nodded and told me to go wait out in the hall. After another quarter hour the servant came back and handed me two envelopes, with instructions to give both to Commander Decintanor, even though one was addressed to Irrillia Greymore. The servant handed me two silver coins and winked, I'm not sure if that meant she had taken one or if she had figured out that I wasn't just a courier.
With the coin I had just been given and some I had earned, I went to the market. I had two thing's in mind, the first being some kind of sweet for my Aunt, the second being fabric to make some baby cloths out of. It didn't take to long to find sweet's, but I was their til late in the afternoon trying to find cloth that was soft enough for a baby. Trade with outside towns was very very scarce right now and somethings hard to get.
I stopped a man wearing sailor clothing and asked how shipping was going. He shook his head and said "no where young one. Their are Deadroth in the seas, that you can't see until the start ripping up your ship from under you. No one wants to travel and I can't say I blame them." I said thank you to the man and sighed, Ammila wouldn't be going home anytime soon it seemed.
The next day was a quiet one, Amy and I rode back to the Fort and other than seeing the Oblivion gates we saw not a single deadroth. I gave the courier pouch to the Fort Commanders aide and told him what we had or rather had not seen on our ride back. I then went and found Decin and gave him both letters.
I do not know what was in those letter's, for I never asked, but judging by the rage on Decin's face the one addressed to my Aunt was not nice. He stood their with both letter's in his hands and then balled up the one to Irrillia and threw it in the fire. He looked at me and told me that I never saw or had a letter from her family addressed to her, I just nodded. He turned and looked out the window, which I took as a dismissal and left.
Amy was right behind me as I turned to go, I had forgotten that she had come with me. As we left the building she said in a very soft voice, " I would not want to be on the other end of his anger". Me either I thought and told Amy we should go and give my Aunt her sweets and the cloth I had bought.
It was not til nearly five decades later that I found out what that letter had cost Irrillia's family, Mer live a long time and Decin's family was very powerful before the Oblivion gates opened and twice as powerful in the year's to follow.
I found my Aunt sitting in the sunshine, in a small garden along the fort's walls. She smiled her approval of my choice of clothing and then introduced me to the tall Altmer who had led us here. His name was Decintanor and he turned into the best friend I have had in ages. Decin ( as I called him) took us under his wing, got me training in magic and weapons, found me some good armor and then put me in his own patrol. Ok do putting me in his patrol was a way to keep his eye's on me and made Irrillia very happy, which was very important to him. He had fallen in love with her at first sight, as bedraggled and dirty as we were.
I made another friend in that time also, though she has long since passed away, A Nord by the name of Ammila Snowfox, with her light blue eye's and bright red hair she did her surname proud. Amy and I were almost inseperable in those first months after the Oblivion gates opened up. You wonder at a Nord being in the Summerset Isle's at that time, her family were shipping traders. She was a wonder with her battleaxe and bow, either equally as deadly. She was only a year older than I, but much more mature and world wise.
I learned quickly to use my sword and my bow skills improved, to the point I very rarely missed. When I went out on my first patrol Decin had me stay in the middle of the group, along with Amy and we both put our bow's to good use. With my sword strapped across my back, I kept a knife in my strong hand and used spells in the other. I healed our troupe and used small fire spells on the Deadroth that got to close to myself and my patient. Amy kept them off my back for the most part though, usually shouting "death or Sovengarde", which never made sense to me as one has to die to go to Sovengarde. Then again, my knowledge of the Nordic language wasn't very good back then.
You wonder that I joined Thalmor back then? Well, at that time, they were for the most part, focused on getting rid of the Deadroth and the Oblivion gates that brought them. To me that was a good use of my skills and a way for me to learn more, while keeping myself and Irrillia fed. The children kept to our room's for awhile, until more and more showed up without parents or other guardians, they were put in their own bunk rooms then.
I measured time not by the calendar but by how large Irrillia was getting with child. Also by how agitated Decin was getting, you would think he was the one with child. Irrillia had reason's, she wasn't completely over Harriods death and she wanted to get in touch with her family before she made the next step. I had a talk with Decin about her, I was curious what his family would think. He actually shrugged and then said, in probably one of the snootiest tones I had ever heard from him, " Irrillia Greymore is from very good family, with political and monetary influences". Then he laughed and said, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Finding out he really did love her, even though one could make the argument for a "political marriage", I told him that her birth family wasn't thrilled with her marring "dirt farmers". He just about choked on his wine and looked at me with astonished eyes... "dirt farmers? they think your family were only farmers?" I said yes, my family were just farmers. To that he looked at me rather oddly and then asked if I and my friend Amy would care to take a trip into Alinor, where Irrillia's family resided.
I replied I was more than happy to do so, but would the fort commander allow us to go their just to visit my Aunt's family? Of course he wouldn't, but weekly the commander sent out letters to his superiors and got some in return. That is what we would legitimately be doing, with a side trip to visit family.
We arrived in Alinor in the early afternoon, having dodged Oblivion gates and wondering groups of deadroth. Amy put up the hood on her armor, her face and ear's being dead giveaways she wasn't Altmer. She tended to dirty looks and words from those who didn't know her. We arrived at the Thalmor garrison and told the man on watch that we had letters for the commander. He showed us the way to go and when we arrived at the commanders door, we found someone else their who took our pouch and said to go find a meal, bath and bed for latter, we would have replies in the morning to take back.
Not wanting to arrive on Irrillia's family's doorstep smelling of sweat and horse, I took a bath and found a clean cloth uniform and the bath attendant said my armor would be on my bed when I got back, clean and mended as needed. Amy said she would wait here as the garrison had it's own inn with mead and wine.
I got directions to the family manor, which had not escaped deadroth distruction, but was being repaired quickly. The man at the door told me to have a seat and wait. Which I did for about a quarter of an hour. Then a servant asked me to follow her, to an office. Their were three men in the room, the oldest asked me why I had come and I went to hand him the letter Decin had written. One of the younger men took the letter and opened it, not reading just looking at it as if to make sure their wasn't poison in it or something.
The old man read the letter and then looked up and asked me what Irrillia wanted. Because of his wording, I didn't think Decin had said anything about my relationship to Aunt Irrillia. " I believe Commander Decintanor wishes to marry Irrillia Greymore and is seaking your blessing. As far as I know Irrillia doesn't know that he sent me here today". I knew darn well she didn't know and I also knew she had sent a letter's each week with the courier, that were never answered.
The old man nodded and told me to go wait out in the hall. After another quarter hour the servant came back and handed me two envelopes, with instructions to give both to Commander Decintanor, even though one was addressed to Irrillia Greymore. The servant handed me two silver coins and winked, I'm not sure if that meant she had taken one or if she had figured out that I wasn't just a courier.
With the coin I had just been given and some I had earned, I went to the market. I had two thing's in mind, the first being some kind of sweet for my Aunt, the second being fabric to make some baby cloths out of. It didn't take to long to find sweet's, but I was their til late in the afternoon trying to find cloth that was soft enough for a baby. Trade with outside towns was very very scarce right now and somethings hard to get.
I stopped a man wearing sailor clothing and asked how shipping was going. He shook his head and said "no where young one. Their are Deadroth in the seas, that you can't see until the start ripping up your ship from under you. No one wants to travel and I can't say I blame them." I said thank you to the man and sighed, Ammila wouldn't be going home anytime soon it seemed.
The next day was a quiet one, Amy and I rode back to the Fort and other than seeing the Oblivion gates we saw not a single deadroth. I gave the courier pouch to the Fort Commanders aide and told him what we had or rather had not seen on our ride back. I then went and found Decin and gave him both letters.
I do not know what was in those letter's, for I never asked, but judging by the rage on Decin's face the one addressed to my Aunt was not nice. He stood their with both letter's in his hands and then balled up the one to Irrillia and threw it in the fire. He looked at me and told me that I never saw or had a letter from her family addressed to her, I just nodded. He turned and looked out the window, which I took as a dismissal and left.
Amy was right behind me as I turned to go, I had forgotten that she had come with me. As we left the building she said in a very soft voice, " I would not want to be on the other end of his anger". Me either I thought and told Amy we should go and give my Aunt her sweets and the cloth I had bought.
It was not til nearly five decades later that I found out what that letter had cost Irrillia's family, Mer live a long time and Decin's family was very powerful before the Oblivion gates opened and twice as powerful in the year's to follow.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Looking back, Chapter 2
I found out that week that Aunt Irrillia was the youngest daughter of an important political family in Alinor, she had married my Uncle Harroid without her families blessing. She said we would start heading in that direction, though we may not make it all the way their and our reception might be rather cold.
She taught me to use magic, told me I would make a much better mage than she. Calm, fear, frenzy a couple distruction spells and healing.... she taught me much of healing. You wonder that I don't use much in the way of magic now? The reasons lay with that time, lulling even a monster into vacant stupidity and then stopping it's heart, will play very hard on the mind. Back then with the little training I had and the sheer amount of Deadroth we ran into, it was the best thing to keep us among the living.
I prefer to use the sword and bow, unless I have no other choice and very rarely have I had to use magic to kill in the last couple hundred years.
I went out of the tunnel first had had a good look around, our house was gone and the barn mostly burnt also. What animal's left were to skittish to catch, except our old plow horse. I found a saddle and rope to tie on his halter. I found some grain and a sack and put that together with what supplies we had left, vegetables from the garden and tied them to the back to the saddle so Irrillia could ride if need be. I could run along side the horse, Irrillia could not, not that he would go faster than a trot, but better than nothing.
We both carried bow's and a couple of swords, also Irrillia had made us some traveling cloths, by taking our dresses and splitting them into a loose pant, with hidden pocket's for our money and jewels. We started out under a blood-red sky, with horrible smelling wind's blowing from differing directions.
The first people we met were a couple of young children from the neighboring farm, who said they had been in the barn when the creatures attacked and climbed to the top of the hay stack's and then across the beam's to a small "hiding place". They were scared and hungry, having only eaten raw vegetables from their home garden.
We ran into many deadroth over the next couple day's. I would calm them and Irrillia would stop their hearts. Sometimes if we saw a small bunch and could hide before they saw us, I would cast frenzy on them and they would kill each other off, fear sent them running when we could. Those children picked up both of our spell's very quickly and used them just as well as we did. Irrillia taught us to use runes placed on the ground in front of us at a distance as trap's that the Deadroth would run over and it worked well.
The children and I would place runes of frost and lightning around our camps at night, fire making more light and noise than we wanted at night. It helped those not on watch to sleep better, even if it wasn't the best sort of defense. That poor horse got so used to thing's exploding and disintegrating in front of him, that he rarely so much as twitched an ear.
Am I making it sound like to much of an adventure? Trust me it wasn't, we often found people torn apart or half eaten. Once or twice we found horribly wounded people that Irrillia would "mercy kill" as she called it, their bodies were so infected from their wounds, she could not have healed them even with a group of healers.
We avoided other people after we were attacked by a small group of men. At first we had been happy to see two of them, but one of the children noticed a third hiding in some brush. Irrillia said to be ready with our spells. We ended up having to kill those men, which Irrillia said was a pity because so many had died and we would have shared everything we had with them anyway. This was the first time I used magic against my fellow Altmer on that trip, it wasn't the last.
We made it to the coast and started heading south for Alinor. Irrillia thought it rather strange that we hadn't already run into a large military patrol. Remembering things my father had told me, I wasn't really to surprised, we hadn't stayed on the roads, but usually within a mile or so of them. Patrol's, like the deadroth they were hunting, would take the easiest route, the road. We might have passed a few patrols when going around hill's trying to avoid the Portal's or Gate's to Oblivion as we were to learn later and never knew it.
We could see the smoke from Alinor when we ran into our first patrol, or rather they ran upon us heading back to their garrison. There leader a particularly tall man, with new claw scar's running down his handsome face, asked if we could keep up with them. Irrillia told them that the horse would only go at a slow trot and she could not run at all, obviously, as she placed her hand's around her belly. The commander nodded and said they would travel at our pace, though it would be right after nightfall when we got to the garrison at our best speed.
I continued to lead our horse, with Irillia riding as the children asked questions that from an adult would be seen as rude or tactless. We learned they were Thalmor troupes and many were now flocking to their garrison's that before snubbed their noses. I remember my Father and Uncles talking about them, they didn't like what they stood for, called them terrorists of a sort.
Even though I would later agree, right then and there, I was happy for the promise of a warm bed and a hot meal.... and a bath.
She taught me to use magic, told me I would make a much better mage than she. Calm, fear, frenzy a couple distruction spells and healing.... she taught me much of healing. You wonder that I don't use much in the way of magic now? The reasons lay with that time, lulling even a monster into vacant stupidity and then stopping it's heart, will play very hard on the mind. Back then with the little training I had and the sheer amount of Deadroth we ran into, it was the best thing to keep us among the living.
I prefer to use the sword and bow, unless I have no other choice and very rarely have I had to use magic to kill in the last couple hundred years.
I went out of the tunnel first had had a good look around, our house was gone and the barn mostly burnt also. What animal's left were to skittish to catch, except our old plow horse. I found a saddle and rope to tie on his halter. I found some grain and a sack and put that together with what supplies we had left, vegetables from the garden and tied them to the back to the saddle so Irrillia could ride if need be. I could run along side the horse, Irrillia could not, not that he would go faster than a trot, but better than nothing.
We both carried bow's and a couple of swords, also Irrillia had made us some traveling cloths, by taking our dresses and splitting them into a loose pant, with hidden pocket's for our money and jewels. We started out under a blood-red sky, with horrible smelling wind's blowing from differing directions.
The first people we met were a couple of young children from the neighboring farm, who said they had been in the barn when the creatures attacked and climbed to the top of the hay stack's and then across the beam's to a small "hiding place". They were scared and hungry, having only eaten raw vegetables from their home garden.
We ran into many deadroth over the next couple day's. I would calm them and Irrillia would stop their hearts. Sometimes if we saw a small bunch and could hide before they saw us, I would cast frenzy on them and they would kill each other off, fear sent them running when we could. Those children picked up both of our spell's very quickly and used them just as well as we did. Irrillia taught us to use runes placed on the ground in front of us at a distance as trap's that the Deadroth would run over and it worked well.
The children and I would place runes of frost and lightning around our camps at night, fire making more light and noise than we wanted at night. It helped those not on watch to sleep better, even if it wasn't the best sort of defense. That poor horse got so used to thing's exploding and disintegrating in front of him, that he rarely so much as twitched an ear.
Am I making it sound like to much of an adventure? Trust me it wasn't, we often found people torn apart or half eaten. Once or twice we found horribly wounded people that Irrillia would "mercy kill" as she called it, their bodies were so infected from their wounds, she could not have healed them even with a group of healers.
We avoided other people after we were attacked by a small group of men. At first we had been happy to see two of them, but one of the children noticed a third hiding in some brush. Irrillia said to be ready with our spells. We ended up having to kill those men, which Irrillia said was a pity because so many had died and we would have shared everything we had with them anyway. This was the first time I used magic against my fellow Altmer on that trip, it wasn't the last.
We made it to the coast and started heading south for Alinor. Irrillia thought it rather strange that we hadn't already run into a large military patrol. Remembering things my father had told me, I wasn't really to surprised, we hadn't stayed on the roads, but usually within a mile or so of them. Patrol's, like the deadroth they were hunting, would take the easiest route, the road. We might have passed a few patrols when going around hill's trying to avoid the Portal's or Gate's to Oblivion as we were to learn later and never knew it.
We could see the smoke from Alinor when we ran into our first patrol, or rather they ran upon us heading back to their garrison. There leader a particularly tall man, with new claw scar's running down his handsome face, asked if we could keep up with them. Irrillia told them that the horse would only go at a slow trot and she could not run at all, obviously, as she placed her hand's around her belly. The commander nodded and said they would travel at our pace, though it would be right after nightfall when we got to the garrison at our best speed.
I continued to lead our horse, with Irillia riding as the children asked questions that from an adult would be seen as rude or tactless. We learned they were Thalmor troupes and many were now flocking to their garrison's that before snubbed their noses. I remember my Father and Uncles talking about them, they didn't like what they stood for, called them terrorists of a sort.
Even though I would later agree, right then and there, I was happy for the promise of a warm bed and a hot meal.... and a bath.
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