• Welcome to Skyrim Forums! Register now to participate using the 'Sign Up' button on the right. You may now register with your Facebook or Steam account!
  • Hey there, and welcome to our roleplaying section. Please take some time to read two of these useful resources below, if you're already a roleplaying expert, then there's no need to read the following beginner's guide, but be sure to read the rules.

    Free Form Role Playing Guide for Beginners
    JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    As the group began to settle in for the night, Shork stood up and followed Donath out of the camp, hoping he could prove himself by maintaining a vigilant watch. Everything seemed quiet for a while, and so the cold of the the land came easily to him as he sat down on a smooth rock. His hands had not started shaking, but the orc found himself crossing his shoulders to stay warm. Skyrim's climate seemed intent on opposing him. He looked wistfully to the west, trying his best to remember the bright lights and warm airs of Whiterun's capital.
    Soon his fellow watchman spoke up, breaking the awkward silence between the two of them. Shork turned round to look at him, resting against a tree. Donath looked less tense about the nip in the air; testimony to his Nord heritage. "This'll go by faster if ye can think o' something to talk about, lad."
    Shork perked up at this; questioning the man had been his reason for taking a watch duty in the first place. "I suppose..." He turned back around before speaking, staring at the hills that blocked his view of Eastmarch, but he spoke with a strong voice so as to be heard well. "What do you know of the Whitescar Brotherhood that makes you want to hunt them? What have they done that has led to the formation of this irregular group?" This seemed to sum up his thoughts and concerns well enough, and so he waited patiently for a response, turning to look at the camp and its inhabitants from a distance.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    "Thanks Miss Aliah." Cilla said, immediately feeling better. Aliah's arms were cold, but not as cold as the wind and snow so it was actually an improvement. Plus they were just as comforting for Cilla as any warm-blooded mortal. Aliah was here to protect her and would never leave her. Cilla needed to be reassured of this and she was immensely grateful for it. Aliah stressed the need for Cilla to get some rest and the little girl noticed that the sun was about setting. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten or how tired she was. Whiterun could still be seen from their camp but just barely. They had still traveled for hours in bad weather and tomorrow they would go further. "Mama said you and I would be sharing the tent she packed me. Could you help me set it up? Maybe somewhere dry?"

    The plains were covered in snow and even their little copse of trees had a freckled ground but a little fire magic from both of them made a clearing large and dry enough for the tent's groundcloth. It was a small brown free-standing round tent big enough for two men and their gear. Being a woman and child, Aliah and Cilla had plenty of room. After it was set up Donath and Shork the Orc put some fresh wood on the fire to prepare for their watch and it was time for Cilla to go to bed. In addition to two pairs of footy pajamas, one white with blue raindrops and the other pink with white skulls, Carlotta had packed Cilla a full sized pillow and a warm zip up sleeping bag. The bottom went out further than the top so as to make head room for the pillow. It was tough brown leather on the outside to keep the elements and out and to keep dry and lined on the inside with fuzzy warm sabercat fur. Once Aliah helped Cilla into her white pajamas and got her into her bag she was very comfortable. A cozy cocoon of fur and leather with a big soft pillow to rest her head.

    But Cilla wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet. She fought to stay awake a few minutes longer to ask Aliah something she felt was important.

    "Miss Aliah?" She asked tiredly, "I need to ask you something. You know Papa and Alice worship Talos and used to be Stormcloaks during the war. Even though Skyrim's a part of the Empire again they still worship Talos. You and Salthar used to be Thalmor and the Thalmor don't like Talos worshippers or our family because we got away and helped win the Stormcloak war. Then stopped Ulfric when he got too mean and his men got too mean. Papa's still really sad that he had to kill Ulfric. But they still worship Talos but you and Salthar don't seem to care and you don't work for the Thalmor anymore. Why is that? Why are you too so nice to us Psyrakons?"
     

    Baneloth

    Well-Known Member
    "What do you know of the Whitescar Brotherhood that makes you want to hunt them? What have they done that has led to the formation of this irregular group?" The Orc said, accepting his suggestion. Donath shrugged. "The whitescars themselves are nothin' special. There's always going to be some idiot running their gobs about Nord superiority. There were some in Ulfrics day, and there's gonna be some like 'em once these are gone" He said. "But...I've seen what's coming. So has everyone here." He jerked his thumb over shoulder, towards the camp. He didn't bother describing what he and the others had seen. The orc probably wouldn't believe him anyways.

    "Before this all started...a little more than a year now, I was just like you." He told him. "I had my axe, my armour, an' I was ready an' willing to do whatever it took to get a little coin." He could still remember what he'd been like back then. "The jarl o' Falkreath had put out a bounty on some bandits kidnappin' villagers. It was just after the empire had come and retaken Skyrim, so the place was crawlin' with 'em." He nodded towards the others. "That's when I met them. Most were workin' as mercenaries. Except for Salthar,the little lass, and her sister. We worked together for a bit. What we found...bah." He waved a hand. "I'm just gonna say it weren't bandits. An' trust me, lad, if ye live long enough t' see what's coming, no amount of drink is going to help ye." He shivered, the motion having nothing to do with the cold air. With deep conviction, he said "we've seen things ye wouldn't believe. Even the little lass you were questioning earlier. She's seen worse than you have in all yer years of mercenary work, that I promise you." Getting back to the brotherhood, he said "That's why we're goin after the whitescars. We can't be having a fight on two fronts."
     

    Aethalia

    Well-Known Member
    Aliah helped Cilla set up a dry spot for her tent and bedroll. The tent was large enough to fit both the child, and the woman, though neither of them took much space. Then, fighting off sleep, she asked about Aliahs and Salthars ties to the Thalmor, and why they were so kind to the family. She considered for a moment. For the most part, she still didn't like Talos worshipers, but the Psyrakons were different. For one, they weren't attempting to take off her head whenever they saw her. She knew Simus still wasn't exactly warm towards her, but the pair of them trusted each other.

    "Cilla, I admit, when I first came to Skyrim, I was under the impression that Talos worshipers were the worst kinds of people. It's what we were told, and when I first encountered the Stormcloaks, it seemed that what I heard was true."
    She told the girl. "Especially after the war, when the rebels attacked the embassy and captured me. I...did some bad things after I escaped." She cut off that train of thought quickly. There was no need to frighten the girl with details. "Anyways, the Thalmor never returned to Skyrim. It was almost like they didn't care about all those people who died defending the embassy. Later, I met your family. You, your sister, and your father were so unlike the Talos worshipers, I just couldn't execute you." She explained. She wouldn't be surprised if the girl didn't understand. Aliah wasn't sure she understood either.

    Then there was the more personal reason as well. Alice and Cilla were the closest thing Aliah would ever have to daughters. Of course, she would never dream of stealing the girls from their actual family. She wasn't that kind of monster. But when Simus or Carlotta weren't around on these missions, Aliah took over, providing the best she could for the girls. 'Not that I'll be admitting that anytime soon.' She thought, lowering her head onto her forearm. "Now, get some rest, Cilla. Dawn will come sooner than you think."
     

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    "The Whitescars themselves are nothin' special. There's always going to be some idiot running their gobs about Nord superiority. There were some in Ulfrics day, and there's gonna be some like 'em once these are gone" He said. "But...I've seen what's coming. So has everyone here." Shork was only lightly educated on the old Civil war of Skyrim, and really held little interest at the Nord's reply at first. He had almost tuned out when Donath started speaking of the groups history. His story, though short, was quite disturbing, but it seemed far-fetched.

    The Orc nodded when his companion finished. "Well, a jobs a job. Your mystery villians weren't part of my contract, but i'll make sure to keep an eye out." He was half entertaining the man.
    Silence returned to the pair, but only because Shork was deep in thought. Donath's little story may as well have fallen on deaf ears, but after the talk the air seemed... colder. Than was usual in the region. Deciding not to pursue any further conversation, he decided to silently wait out the rest of his shift, and made his way over to the warmth of the fire at it's end.
     

    Drahkma

    Dashing Imperial Officer.
    After Donath and Shork finished their watch, and returned to the camp, Averaine woke Lythare and took his position. Being a vampire, the cold of Skyrim didn't bother him as much as it bothered the mortals of the group. Because of his condition, he struggled to maintain control over his darker side. Unlike Aliah and Salthar, who were obvious vampires that fed on mortals, he kept the red thirst in check. He did this by using vials of animal blood, and the extreme discipline that came with being a knight. Through the years, he'd become less dependent on the vials, though the red thirst still lurked beneath the surface. Shaking the thoughts of vampirism away, he glanced at Lythare, noting she was missing her bird. "Where's your feathered friend?" He asked her.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Cilla didn't understand everything Aliah told her but understood the deeper meaning. She cared about her and Alice and their family had been much kinder to her than anyone else in this part of the world. Alice and Simus gave Talos worshippers and Stormcloaks a human face and that forced Aliah to change her perspective.

    Cilla also understood that Aliah loved her and that her dad trusted her. Aliah wouldn't be taking care of Cilla on this trip or be so attentive if that weren't the case. Even on their last trip when Alice and Elizabeth were there to look after her Aliah was still attentive to anything and everything she wanted or needed. She looked after Alice just as much and showed just as much affection, which proved that Aliah also loved her. Perhaps Elizabeth as well. This time neither of them were here and while Cilla missed them she could have all of Aliah's affection. She intended to take full advantage of that.

    "Miss Aliah?" Cilla asked after a yawn. "I love you." Then she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep, confidant that Aliah would kiss her goodnight and stay with her.
     

    Stormmaiden

    Active Member
    Lythare was woken by Averaine, and she guessed that the time had come for her to stand watch. Rubbing the last of the sleep out of her eyes, she stretched, grabbed her bow, and quiver, and joined the knight. She shivered when she left the protective copse of trees. The wind wasn't blowing quite as fiercely as it had been earlier, and the snow had stopped, but it was still cold. Her breath fogged the air in front of her, and she blew warmth into her cupped hands. A quick look around revealed that nothing was stirring anywhere near the camp. She glanced at the vampiric knight beside her.He didn't seem bothered at all by the cold. Neither, come to think of it, were Aliah or Salthar. "Where's your feathered friend?" She smiled when she realized he meant Aethos.

    She gestured at the tree branches. "Up there, somewhere. He prefers an elevated place to sleep." She said. A question nagged at her then, and she turned her attention to the knight. "How do you do it?" She asked, knowing the question should have been asked a full year ago. "How do you keep yourself from becoming like other vampires?" Realizing he might think she meant the two Altmer vampires with the group, she amended "I mean those vampires that roam the land and prey on anything that takes their fancy?"
     

    Drahkma

    Dashing Imperial Officer.
    Lythare replied that the bird was probably up in the branches of the surrounding trees. She looked like she was thinking of something troubling. "How do you keep yourself from becoming like other vampires?" She explained that when she said other vampires, she meant the savage creatures that roamed the land and attacked whoever they liked. Averaine grimaced. It was not something he exactly enjoyed talking about. "With a lot of restraint." He admitted, "I have a man who supplies me with animal blood. It doesn't have the same potency as, for example, your blood would, but it keeps me sane." He flashed her a grin, hoping to defuse the situation somewhat. "The rest is discipline. I may be a vampire, but that does not mean I need to discard my code and virtues." After that, the rest of their watch went by swiftly. Once Shadari and Torin arrived to replace them, Averain took a seat near the fire. He removed a whetstone from his belt, and began to methodically sharpen the blade of his sword, awaiting the dawn.
     
    Last edited:

    TheShadedOne

    The Angry One
    Shadari was up well before Averaine and Lythare returned from their watch. Sure, she'd laid down on her bedroll, but she hadn't been able to actually get much sleeping done. She got to her feet, and strode over to where Torin slept. She knelt at his side, and woke him by shaking his shoulder. " Come on. It's our watch." She stood and made her way out of the camp. She remembered a time when she simply would have woken the ranger with a boot to the ribs. She made her way out of the protective circle of trees and cursed at the bitter cold.

    The interior of the circle might not have been much better, but at least there they had the fire to provide a little warmth. Out here, there was no shelter to speak of. She crossed her arms and shivered, then glanced at Torin. If she had her fur and was still shivering, she didn't want to imagine how he felt. Then, he spent most of his time in the wilds. He was probably as accustomed to the cold as Donath was. A rasp of steel drew her attention back to the camp. Averaine had taken a seat near the fire and was sharpening his sword. She turned her back to watching the white plains. Nothing was moving as far as she could see. "At least the snow has stopped." She muttered to herself. She realized that, the with the pair of them standing so close, any enemies could slip around and attack the others from behind.
    "I'm going to take a look around." She told Torin, prowling off through the snow, working her way around the trees.
     

    WindWalker

    Well-Known Member
    Julius unfastened his bedroll and spread it out in a fairly dry spot. He wasn't aware of falling asleep, but he must have been more tired than he realized. At one point during the night, he woke up, and saw a pair of eyes staring back at him. He was alarmed at first, and was wondering whether he should awaken the others. Then his eyes adjusted to the dark, and he realized the eyes were just Shadari making her rounds of the camp perimeter. He sat up, realising that Shadari and Torin had been scheduled to take the last watch.

    He stood and saw that Averaine was over by the fire, sharpening his weapon. Julius also spotted Torin, standing just outside the protective ring of trees. He decided to talk to the ranger about their journey. And some of the doubts he'd been having. He nodded at him and rubbed his hands together, surprised at the bitter cold. "This blasted cold." He turned to the man, and sighed. "So where to next? A straight shot to Riften?" He stared back at the dim lights of Whiterun, wishing Alice had been able to come with them. He blew out a sight, tearing his eyes away. "How did it come to this, Torin? It's like...we went to sleep one night, and when we woke up, the world's falling apart." He didn't expect an answer, but it felt good to talk with someone about it. He was a soldier, and he'd do what he needed to, but even soldiers had doubts.
     

    Blackwhite1223

    Well-Known Member
    Torin was awake as soon as he heard the Khajiit womans' voice above him. He took a position where he had a clear vision of the field of snow, and in the distance, he could see Whiterun. Shadari mentioned she was going to head around the camp itself. Torin nodded, agreeing that it was a good idea for one of them at least to take a look around. He heard movement behind him, and turned to see Julius up and about. The young soldier walked over to him, and asked about their destination. "Yes. Riften is our ultimate destination. It'll probably be the last friendly city we stop in." The ranger sensed that something else was bothering the young man. "How did it come to this, Torin? It's like...we went to sleep one night, and when we woke up, the world's falling apart." Torin knew what he meant. Ever since the events of a year ago, Skyrim seemed to have been going downhill. "It's not so bad as that." He said softly. "True, things are bad, but so long as we hold true to each other, we may still prevail. Remember that."
     

    Madrar

    The Shadow in the Dark.
    Salthar kept a silent vigil throughout the night. Though he didn't take over the others place as a watcher, neither did he sleep. Once the first light of dawn brightened the clouds, he rose from the fallen log he'd been perched on for most of the night. He nodded to Averaine, who was nearby, sharpening his sword, and noticed that Julius was already up, speaking with Torin. Salthar went about waking the others. Once they'd had breakfast and gathered around the fire, he said. "From here, we'll head straight to Riften. As fast as possible, anyways. If we're fortunate, the weather will cooperate, and there won't be any other diversions." With that, he turned and lead the group out from their old camp. Though the day was grey, it had yet to start snowing again. Hopefully, it would stay that way.
     

    Blackwhite1223

    Well-Known Member
    Several days had passed since the group made camp in that copse of trees near Whiterun. Though they'd been beset by foul weather for most of the trip, they hadn't been assaulted by the forces of the Whitescar brotherhood. Torin considered that a good thing. The brotherhoods hesitance to move on to the other holds signaled either a lack of forces, or an abundance of caution among their leadership. Either way, Torin was certain it was only a matter of time, which was why the it was important they reach Windhelm quickly and eliminate the threat.

    At the moment, the group was in the forests that dominated most of the Rift. The group was much more wary now. After all, Riften had thrown in with the Stormcloaks during the war. Torin was scouting ahead, watching for Riften hold guards, or alternatively, brotherhood forces. He moved through the forest with the skill of one that has done so for most of his life.

    He was a half dozen meters from the main road leading to Riften when he heard the clash of steel on steel, and the thuds of weapons striking shields. War cries sounded, breaking the silence of the forest. Torin strung his bow and moved towards the sounds of battle. When he was a couple of meters from the road, he came across one of the combatants. A man wearing a mix of fur and leather armour knelt on the side of the road, firing arrows at a group of Riften guards. The guards were badly outnumbered, and two of their number laid on or near the road, not moving. The remaining guardsmen had formed into a tight circle, jabbing at their attackers with spears and swords.

    Torin recognized the brotherhood sigil on the armour of the guards attackers. 'I guess that answers the question of whether Riften has joined the brotherhood or not.' He counted about a dozen attackers. Several more lay among the corpses of the guards. The brotherhood archer ahead of him was nocking another arrow when Torin reached him. Deliberately, the ranger trod on a fragile twig behind the man. The archer turned, in time to receive Torins fist to his jaw. The man dropped heavily, and Torin nocked an arrow of his own, and fired it into the back of a brotherhood warrior with a large axe. The man collapsed, and his companions turned towards the rangers position. An alarm was called and several men started making their way towards him.way 'I hope the others make their way here soon'. He thought grimly. From the look of the Riften guardsmen, they wouldn't be much help.
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    By the time Torin engaged the Whitescar raiding party outside of Riften, Alice would be fully recovered and she and Elizabeth would be on their way to meet them. However, a few strange events were to happen back in Whiterun in the days leading up to that. By the afternoon of the first day, the day of the group's departure and the camp at the copse of trees, Alice had woken up to find a covered plated of food on the table next to her bed and a loving note from Carlotta. Her door was closed and the house was quiet so she'd been able to get some good rest once she'd gotten settled. Overall she felt better. She was still warm but no longer burning and she hadn't sweated during her nap so her footy pajamas and covers were still comfortable. She was still drowsy which mean the healing potion was still in her system, but she was hungry enough to stay awake. Magic had kept her breakfast warm and it tasted good now that she could enjoy it. She saved the glass of orange juice for last, until after she'd drank the larger glass of water and the fresh healing potion laid out for her. They always tasted terrible despite Carlotta's effort to sweeten them up with honey. Alice's original mother Amy had never even entertained the idea of sweetening a healing potion, believing their rank odor and bitter taste to be the best way to discourage a kid from playing sick. She was absolutely right and it had gotten Alice, Cilla, Titus and even their eldest brother Stephen to cut more than one act. Alice supposed Carlotta simply had a different mindset and honestly, she appreciated it now. Even if it didn't really work. After downing the potion and chasing it with orange juice Alice wanted to go back to sleep, so she covered herself back up, turned on her side away from the door and continued her rest. She slept through the afternoon and into the evening when Carlotta came into her room. She stirred at the nose and then smelled potatoes and fried fish.

    "Alice?" Carlotta called softly from the cracked door.

    "Mmmmm..." Alice moaned. She rolled over to face Carlotta then shut her eyes just as she opened them. The hallway light bothered her. "...Mama?" She asked groggily.

    Carlotta softly walked into the room but left the door open behind her to let more light in. It would help Alice wake up. "Hi sweetheart." She said, resting a hand on Alice's covered chest to relax her. "How you feelin'?"

    "Good. Better. Those healing potions do a good job, even if they make me sleepy."

    "They're supposed to do that. That's how you get good rest silly." Carlotta smiled down at her stepdaughter. She loved Alice and Cilla, so much that she no longer made such a distinction in her mind. They were just as much her daughters as Mila. "Dinner's ready if you're interested. You hungry at all? You feel okay to come downstairs?"

    "Mhmm. Yeah. I think I'd like that. Where is everybody? And what time is it?"

    "It's about 7:30. Mila's downstairs with dad and Elizabeth is asleep in the guest room. She's been napping since 12:30, poor thing. I hope she's not getting sick too."

    "I don't know. She might be. Salthar's been training her really hard though. She's sounded pretty miserable in the few letters we've written to each other over the year."

    "I'll have to talk to Salthar about that then. Whatever he's having her do he's pushing her way too hard. That girl's exhausted and needs rest in a bad way."

    "Good thing she's got you to take care of her for a couple of days then eh? And Cilla was ecstatic to see her. She actually declared that she and Elizabeth were BFF's you know."

    "I heard." Carlotta said, chucking. "Elizabeth is a sweet girl who loves Cilla. I'm glad to have her here. I'm gonna go into the other room and wake her up. How 'bout you head downstairs okay?"

    "Sure." Alice said. Carlotta helped her up and then brought her into a warm, motherly hug which Alice gladly returned. "I love you mama." She said.

    "I love you too sweetheart. And I'm...well...I'm glad I've earned the right to be your new mama. You make me very happy Alice. Both you and Cilla."

    "Ditto." Alice said. Then she broke the hug and slowly headed downstairs, taking time to get used to the light. She could see from the living room window that the snow had stopped and a clear night had settled in. A warm fire was roaring and Simus and Mila were at the table waiting for the others. Mila was still in her green footy pajamas while Carlotta was still in her robe and nightgown and Alice, obviously, was still in her blue footies with yellow ducks. She suspected Elizabeth was in a fresh pair herself. It had been a fun, relaxing jammies day at the Psyrakon house.

    Carlotta opened Elizabeth's door just as gently as Alice's. "Elizabeth?" She called softly. She headed over as the girl stirred, then bolted awake with a gasp, clearly startled. She bent over the girl and ran a hand through her soft brown hair to calm her down. "Shhhhh...It's alright sweetheart. It's just Carlotta." She had slept for a long time, much longer than she had intended to, and was probably worried about Alice. Carlotta kept her voice low and soft and stroked her hair to show her that everything was fine. "Shhh...It's alright Elizabeth. Alice is awake and heading downstairs. She woke up to eat and take her medicine this afternoon and she's doing much better. You've been asleep all afternoon but that's okay. You've been very tired and needed that rest." She calmed down some and looked up at Carlotta. "Now, dinner's ready and I bet you're hungry. Why don't you come downstairs with me?"

    Carlotta then waited patiently for Elizabeth to wake up, listening to her as she talked. When she did get up, she pulled her into the same motherly hug she gave Alice and held her close for a few moments. "I'm glad you're here Elizabeth. I know Salthar's been treating you very harshly with your mage training and I want you to feel safe and comfortable while you're here. You feelin' okay? Anything you wanna talk about while we're alone?"
     

    willowwisp

    Well-Known Member
    Elizabeth heard a voice, and woke with a startled gasp. She remembered she'd been planning to check on Alice after her nap. A quick glance out the window told her that she'd slept much longer than she planned to. A soothing hand stroked through her hair. "Shhh...It's alright Elizabeth. Alice is awake and heading downstairs. She woke up to eat and take her medicine this afternoon and she's doing much better. You've been asleep all afternoon but that's okay. You've been very tired and needed that rest."
    Carlotta said quietly. She then suggested that Elizabeth accompany her downstairs.

    Elizabeth stretched, feeling more rested than she had in months. "I didn't mean to sleep in that long. How is Alice doing? I can give her more ginger or hot tea if she needs it. Or I could use my magics to-" She stopped realizing she'd been rambling. She stopped and stood, surprised when Carlotta took her in a motherly hug. She returned the hug, a little uncertainly, but glad for it. After she let go, the older woman said "I'm glad you're here Elizabeth. I know Salthar's been treating you very harshly with your mage training and I want you to feel safe and comfortable while you're here. You feelin' okay? Anything you wanna talk about while we're alone?"

    Elizabeth hesitated for a minute. "You're right. Learning under Salthar is... well, it's not fun, that's for sure." She didn't want the woman to get the wrong idea. "It's necessary though. Salthar knows how to do things with magic that I've only ever read of before. I need this knowledge." She shrugged. "That must sound strange. But the truth is...I'm afraid. The things we saw a year ago...if I keep being a priestess that knows a handful of healing spells, I won't be able to help anyone. I need to know how to defend myself and others properly." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with this.You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine."
     

    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    "Elizabeth." Carlotta said, putting her hands on the girl's slender shoulders and sitting her down on the bed. She sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "You're a 23 year old girl a long way from home with little resources and no family to take care of you. You've seen things no one should have to see. Certainly not anyone as kind and sweet as you. You've helped my girls through some terrible times and Simus and I have been able to take care of you when you needed it. It would be grossly irresponsible of me NOT to worry about you. Just as bad as not worrying about Alice, or Cilla or Mila or Titus. I've told you this before and I'll say it again. Simus and I love you and you are always welcome here. Any time, anywhere, for as long as you need to be. That will never change."

    She took her arm away and moved her hand to Elizabeth's shoulder. "It's okay to be afraid and wanting to better yourself to help others doesn't sound strange at all. That's just you wanting to help people you care about. Look at Mila and I: We're not fighters or mages like Simus, Alice or, more recently, Cilla, but we've been able to give them something they couldn't get on their own. We're able to give them a home to come back to and a family who loves them. We've been able to make things feel normal again. As much as we can at least. I'll never be able to replace Alice and Cilla's mother, I won't even try, but I can give them the love and comfort they both need. It works the other way too. Simus gives Mila a father to look up to and take care of her. Alice gives her a big sister who loves her. I don't have to tell you that she and Cilla became fast friends the day they met. Now they're sisters. They always will be. You don't need to swing a sword and shoot lighting to be valuable Elizabeth."

    She stopped for a moment and considered what to say next.

    "As for your training with Salthar, You've heard my concerns before so I won't bring them up again. You've been with him for a year and you know better than I do if this 'training' really is something you feel you need. I don't doubt his power and I believe that he believes it's in his interest to help you. Just keep in mind there are lots of alternatives. The College is a wonderful place to learn. That's where Cilla and Alice learned a lot of what they know and they'd love to take you in. Simus is a better destruction mage than anybody I've seen and I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you a few things. I don't understand everything Alice can do. All that illusion and mysticism and those fortune-telling visions she has, but if there's any way to teach you some of that I know she'd love to if you asked. At the very least she'll explain it better than I can. I wasn't raised in a magic-friendly house back in Cyrodiil and I'm showing my ignorance now."

    She smiled at Elizabeth and pulled her to her feet.

    "Now, that's enough self-doubt for one night. Let's go downstairs and have some dinner with the others. I made fried fish and chips and I've got some chocolate pie for dessert. Wadda you say?"
     

    willowwisp

    Well-Known Member
    Carlotta did her best to cheer Elizabeth up. Elizabeth appreciated but she wasn't sure how much the college of winterhold could teach her. She let Carlotta pull her up, and smiled at the notion of dinner. The nap had been nice, but she'd missed lunch because of it. The two of them went downstairs and joined the others at the dinner table. The food was delicious, though her mind was more on the journey. After dessert, she turned to Alice, sitting across from her. She looked much better than she had a couple of days ago. "It was a great dinner." She told Carlotta, "Alice. Are you sure you're ready for travelling? It's a long way to Riften."
     

    Stormmaiden

    Active Member
    Lythare kept a good pace near the head of the group. She heard Torin mention that he was going to scout ahead, like they'd discussed before leaving Whiterun. She waited a few moments after the human ranger had disappeared, before following in his footsteps. She kept well behind Torin, knowing it would make little sense for both of them to move closely together. If both of them were captured, the others would have no idea what had happened.

    She was still making her way after him when she heard the sounds of battle.Knocking an arrow she picked up the pace, whistling softly. A shadow passed over her, responding to her signal. Aethos was ready to lend his assistance. She came across Torin and a group of men whose gear bore a close resemblance to the men she and Shadari had fought earlier. A group of them were approaching Torin, weapons drawn. She pointed at the man closest to the human ranger, and Aethos swooped out of the trees. The falcon shrieked and slashed at the mans face with his talons, forcing him to concentrate on protecting his eyes rather than attacking. Lythare put an arrow between his ribs, and drew anther, changing her target to the other approaching warriors. "Scouts!" She shouted into the woods behind her.
     

    TheShadedOne

    The Angry One
    Shadari heard the cries of battle ahead of her, along with Lythares shout. It sounded like something more than scouts, but Shadari drew one of the throwing knives from her belt and sprinted after the pair of rangers. She came across the fight just as Lythare fired an arrow into the side of one of the men attacking Torin. To an unsuspecting traveller, the thugs fighting the two rangers, and the group of guards might have looked like just ordinary bandits. But Shadari recognized the sigil on their shoulders. The same sigil that the soldiers she'd been 'captured' by earlier. She didn't waste time wondering what they were doing near Riften.

    She drew her arm back and whipped the blade at one of the men. The finely balanced blade punched through the fur armour of a lead scout. She drew her falchion and parried the attack of another enemy.The man leaned on his axe, attempting to overwhelm her defences through brute strength. A mistake, on his part. She sidestepped letting the fool stumble forwards. She turned and put the tip of the blade into the back of his neck, pushing until it emerged on the other side. The Nord went down in a spray of blood, and the assassin turned to face the others.
     

    Recent chat visitors

    Latest posts

Top