18+ Nightfall

Donath took a swig from his mug of ale to fortify himself. Gripping the haft of his axe, he stood, and examined the remaining party members. "Well, we'd better get a move on then" Though he wasn't thrilled about splitting up, he had to admit, they'd attract less attention travelling in smaller groups. Even if he had a bad feeling about it. He trusted Aliah, and Salthar.

Torin listened intently as Aliah spoke, and when she'd finished, he nodded his agreement. What she said made sense, but it also carried an element of risk. The ranger swept his gaze across the patrons of the inn. There was no guarantee that the enemy didn't have spies watching them. But they couldn't afford to worry about it now. He stood, and looked to the three she'd listed as his companions. "Come. We should head out before it gets too dark. Or more of the Blight arrive" then he turned to the others. "We will meet with you in Solitude. Good luck" and with that, he too turned for the door.

Aliah stood as Torin and his companions departed. She disliked sending them off on their own, but if Aliah and the others were caught, at least some would make it Solitude. If the capital still stood. If the Blight hadn't blocked off all paths to it. She turned to her friends. Those that had been with her since the beginning years ago. They'd survived thus far, and Aliah would not allow those with her to fall to the Blight.

Even if it took her own life, they would prevail. She smiled, weariness, tinged with determination was plain in her face. "Come. We should leave while we still have the light." The elven vampiress lead her companions to the door, breathing in the scents of Whiterun. The citizens still went about their business, but the tension in the air was clear. Guardsmen and soldiers were well armed and armoured, going about their business with an air of determination. She lead the way to the gates, aware of some guards regarding the party with sorrow. They thought they were headed to their deaths.

Shadari silently bid Torin and the others with him good luck. She hoped she'd survive to see them again. And vice versa. The assassin smirked, knowing that a few years ago, she'd have never thought something like that. Her ears flicked as she got up and walked out of the inn. She could hear the clanking of armour as the others followed her and Aliah to the gates. They were leaving whiterun behind, and the assassin wondered if it would still be there a few days from now. Those skirmishers hadn't been lurking around the city walls for the fun of it."Let's get moving. I have a feeling the Blight won't wait for us to get much of a headstart".

Averaine sighed softly as first Salthar departed, then Torin, Lythare, Elizabeth and Julius too left the inn. Their paths would undoubtedly lead them down some dangerous paths before they arrived in Solitude. His path, with Aliah, Shadari, and Donath, would doubtless be just as dangerous. Since the emergence of the blight, there were no safe paths. He followed the assassin, hand resting on the pommel of Goldbrand, his trusty blade. His weapon, along with his armour and his horse were the few things he counted on in the past.

He still counted on them, certainly, but now he added a whole list of formidable friends to that list. Friends who he would gladly lay his life down for. The vampire knight glanced over his shoulder, at the patrons who still sat at their tables, or at the bar. He wondered idly if they knew the danger the Blight represented.

He and the others made their ways to the gates, and outside. The carrion birds had already descended upon the battlefield, and were picking at the flesh of the fallen. The vampire knight whistled softly, and a whinny answered him. Luther, his loyal horse, trotted towards him from the stables, stopping before him. He stroked the beasts neck, smiling. "It seems we're on the road again, my friend" he murmured to the horse.

Julius was not happy with being separated from the others. But he'd learned since his days of joining up with the Legion that it was best to do what you were told. Especially if the people telling you what to do happened to be Salthar and Aliah. So he got up and followed Torin and Lythare out of the city. He paused once they'd passed the stables and a few farms. "Where are you taking us?" He asked. He trusted Torin, but he didn't want to follow blindly, either.

Torin breathed in the free air of the outdoors as he lead the three others out of the city, past the farms, and towards the rocky, forested hills, overlaid with a little snow, as was usual in Skyrim. He heard the boys question from behind him. Torin smiled, realizing that even though Torin was the more experienced out of the pair of them, he was unwilling to blindly follow. "Into the wild. The blight are sure to be watching the roads. So we must travel by the unknown paths" he explained, leading them on.

Torin turned and explained with a smile that the blight was more likely to look for them on the roads, so they were taking the paths less travelled. Or, more specifically, unknown paths. Julius wasn't sure he liked that, but he trusted Torin. "I'm sorry I doubted you. This whole splitting up thing just gives me a bad feeling"

The wind tore at the elven vampires robes as he made his way across the plains. The guardsmen were piling the corpses for burning, and a few glanced at him as he made his way across the area. His destination was to the south, towards the tower that had been built by the wise years ago.

He had no idea if Sarthil the black would be able to offer any real advice on the situation. The mage had hardly been helpful a year ago when Salthar and his companions had faced off against the Whitescar brotherhood. However, that had been before the Blight had taken Riften. Before they'd begun there expansion across Skyrim. 'He must heed my warning now. There is no ignoring the threat the Blight represents.'

"I'm sorry I doubted you. This whole splitting up thing just gives me a bad feeling" Torin smiled at the younger man, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The man had good instincts, and he'd progressed greatly since they'd first met one another those years ago.

"I'm not too fond of the fellowship splitting up either, but it's our best chance. We only have to remain on our own until we reach Solitude." He turned away, eyes scanning the forest. "Come. We should cover as much ground as we can before nightfall." Gripping the hilt of his sword and leading the group onwards.

Lythare carefully watched their surroundings. As far as she could tell, the Blight forces in the area were all dead. But she didn't think it would be smart to assume they were safe. She took a position at the rear of the group, happy to have Torin leading them. She would've felt better if Aethos was with her but...Aethos was gone. She couldn't let her grief over the loss of the loyal falcon distract her. There would be time to mourn the fallen once they'd reached Solitude.

Donath hefted his axe, and headed outside the gates with the others in his group. Averaine, Aliah, and Shadari all walked alongside him. The corpses outside were burning crisply, sending pillars of black smoke up into the air. "That certainly sends a message" he muttered. Though the message wasn't necessarily a good one. It could be a warning to stay away, but at the same time, the Blight forces might take it as an invitation to attack. "Agh, let's get going, you lot! My axe hungers for some Blight necks to hew." Solitude was a long way from Whiterun, and he hoped that he'd meet some of the Blights forces.

Shadari kept pace with the others, wrinkling her nose at the scent of charred corpses. The things smelt just as bad dead as they had alive. The only real difference was, dead slayers weren't dangerous. Real ones were. At the head of the group, she heard Donath call for the others to pick up the pace. She couldn't stop herself from smiling grimly. It looked like they all had a score to settle with the Blight. She turned to Aliah, and asked "What do you think we'll see? When we reach Solitude, I mean." Though Salthar and the others seemed confident the city would be in one piece, Shadari wasn't so sure. After all, she'd been in Riften for its destruction.

Elizabeth made sure to stick close to the others as they headed out. She felt better now that she'd had a little time to rest, but her head still hurt, and she didn't want to risk getting lost. Especially not out here in the wilds. With Blight soldiers running around, eager to spill blood. Julius seemed even less eager to be leaving Whiterun, but Torin managed to convince him that it was necessary. Elizabeth had strongly mixed feelings about leaving as well. She had friends in the city, and leaving now, there was a chance she might not see them again. But she couldn't let that distract her. Her friends she was with now, Julius, Lythare and Torin, also needed her. She placed a gentle hand on Julius' shoulder."For what it's worth, I'm not too happy about it either. But we need to stay focused."

Averaine and the others made their way across the plains of Whiterun. He lead Luther, his loyal mount and friend, at the rear of the small group. He didn't want to tire the horse by riding him so early in their trip, seeing as he might need the war-horse sooner rather than later. They left the corpse-fires behind them, and Averaine took a breathe of the clean air. The day was slightly overcast, but pleasant, and if it hadn't have been for the Blight threat, the Breton knight would have been enjoying himself. "What do you think we'll see? When we reach Solitude, I mean." Shadari asked. "Hopefully the Empire and the Solitude guard have managed to hold out. Otherwise I suspect we will not like what we see." The knight stated.

Lythare was surprised, but not disappointed to see a distinct lack of Blight forces. It seemed the companions defeat of the skirmishing Slayers and their warg mounts had given the creatures pause. Still, she kept her ears and eyes open, especially as the day wore on towards evening. Nightfall would make it easier for any hunters to sneak up on them, and a fight in the dark not what she wanted. Plus, it looked like both Elizabeth and Julius were beginning to tire. The young Imperials weren't as adept at travelling through the woods as Torin and herself were. "Torin." She called. "Perhaps we should look for a place to set camp." It was a suggestion, but a wise one, if the condition of the wilderness was to stay the same.

Torin lead the small group, his expression grim, alert for even the slightest hint of danger. His hand never left the hilt of the longsword sheathed at his side. He felt better knowing Lythares keen eyes were watching the rear. The wilderness wasn't exactly a safe place, but, in Torins' opinion, at least, it was safer than marching in plain sight. Especially after the recent Blight attack on Whiterun. As if to remind him of it, his forehead ached, a phantom pain. Lythares' voice, caught his attention, and he realized she was suggesting they stop and rest. A glance at the others revealed why. Both Elizabeth and Julius looked exhausted, and Torin couldn't blame them. They'd been walking for hours, and though he was adept at making his way through the forests of Skyrim, they had less experience with the conditions. "We'll rest here for the night." He decided, indicating a small clearing. "I'm going to hunt for our supper. Get a fire going, get warm. I'll be back soon."

Salthar made good progress towards his goal. A lone, robed wanderer was an unlikely sight in these dark days, but he took care not to draw undue attention. A high tower, surrounded by smaller ruins that might once have been walls, drew his attention. He wouldn't have stopped, but he wanted to get the lay of the land. He'd traveled this way often in more peaceful times, but with Blight forces roaming around, killing those caught unawares, he could see the wisdom in it.

Surprisingly, many of the stairs leading up to the central tower were still intact. The Altmer vampire climbed them, all the way to the top of the tower. What had once been walls and ceiling had fallen away, leaving the towers interior at the mercy of the elements. The stone there was weather worn, and moss grew in some places. Statues dotted the perimeter of the tower, ancient warriors, in sombre poses, weapons at their sides, on touching the ground. A decisive departure from the usual Nordic architecture.

He stepped to the edge of the tower and took in what he could. The plains, valleys, and hills were quiet. Clouds were approaching from the north, a likely storm. But of the Blight, there was no sign. Not yet, anyways.

Salthars only warning was the sound of a boot scraping against stone. He turned to see a trio of black robed figures, watching him intently. The central figure, wore a horned, full face helmet, though his eyes were visible, gleaming madly. In his hand was a staff, gnarled and twisted. Salthar could tell the three were mages of considerable power. Yet they were not the foul creatures of the Blight. Though, Salthar remembered the Whitescar brotherhood and their leader vividly. Men serving the enemy. It looked like these were no different.

"Our lord commands your death. None shall stand in his way" the man said simply, his voice sounding deeper due to the facial plate. With that, the three attacked, sending a variety of spells at the vampire. But Salthar was already moving, dashing away from the edge of the tower. The mage on the helmed mans right turned, lifting a hand flickering with flame. Salthar was faster, his own spell catching the man in the chest and hurling him towards his companions.

The pair separated and Salthar advanced, hurling bolts of darkness at the helmeted one and his companion. They proved adequate at defense as well, summoning shield-wards, or simply redirecting the magical energy away from themselves. But adequate was never enough in a duel of any sort. Salthar lashed out lightning springing from his fingers, forking towards both men. The unmasked human winced as his ward began to flicker, the lightning assault wearing taxing his magical defenses. Salthar gestured, and the man collapsed backwards, his chest crushed by the vampires spell.

The helmeted mage took the opportunity to drop his wards, and send a gout of flame at Salthar. He grimaced, and extended a hand, the flames parting to either side of him. He retaliated with a whip of darkness, which his opponent narrowly avoided, and returned with a volley of a dozen magic missiles. Salthar let his personal wards absorb the attack, not wanting to waste any more power than he had to. In retaliation, he sent a trio of ice spears towards the mage, who destroyed them in a gesture. 'This needs to end'. Channeling what was left of his not inconsiderable reserves, he brought a great bolt of lightning from the heavens down on the mage. The man, standing in the center of the tower, was driven to his knees.

Then the lightning broke through the mans defences, and there was nothing left but a scorch mark. Salthar sighed, feeling the sudden loss of magical reserves now that the fight was over. A rest would have been welcome, but some things could not wait over long. Before he left, there was one last thing he had to see to. Drawing his sword, he cast a small spell, and the blades tip glowed cherry red. With it, he carved his initials, SV, then, under that,the date. Then, he descended the tower, and left the ruins behind, on his way once more.

Julius glanced up as Torin announced that he was going hunting, and planned to be back soon. A fallen log made a good seat, and Julius was glad to see it. Though he didn't like to admit it, the march through the wilderness had taken a lot out of him. Before he took a break, though, he began searching around the outskirts of the clearing, grabbing a few dead branches for the fire. He stacked them, and, using his tinderbox, lit a flame. The flames crackled, and the warmth began to spread into his arms. The fire wasn't huge, but it would keep them warm. He returned to the log, and rolled it towards the flames, and patted it when he judged it close enough. "Elizabeth, Lythare. I've got a seat for you if you're cold." He offered.

"Elizabeth, Lythare. I've got a seat for you if you're cold." Elizabeth dropped herself onto the log with a grateful sigh. The march had been long and arduous, and though she could have fortified herself with her magic, she didn't know what they'd face. Torin had gone off to hunt for their dinner, but Lythare remained nearby. The healer extended her hands towards the fire, and sighed in pleasure as she felt the heat travel into her palms and up the rest of her arms. "Thank you, Julius. I needed this." The Imperial soldier had become a good friend, and she trusted him, even if he sometimes doubted himself.