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    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    "I think so." Alice said to Elizabeth. "I'm not 100% yet but I'm feeling much better. It really is a long trip to Riften and the group needs our help."

    "It sounds like you have some doubts." Carlotta said, wary of Alice running off before she was well.

    "Well, yeah, I kind of do." Alice admitted. "But the Whitescar Brotherhood is a big problem and it's my duty as an imperial soldier to stop them."

    "I understand that but you shouldn't travel until you're well. It won't do you or Elizabeth any good."

    "But I won't be able to help anyone if I stay in bed another day!" Alice said, raising her voice. She didn't mean to but her fever was on the rise again and she was upset. She was stuck here while the others were risking their lives to save Skyrim.

    "You also won't be able to help anyone if you get sick on the road because you didn't give yourself enough time to get better." Simus calmly said. "Remember when we were in the Stormcloaks and you went on a raid with a small fever?"

    "Yes." Alice reluctantly said, knowing where he was going with this.

    "And what happened when you got back?"

    "I felt so sick I could barely walk."

    "And as a result you were on bedrest for two days when you could have avoided that by simply staying at camp. Right?"

    "...I guess so." Alice sighed and gave a frustrated growl. She didn't want it to be so but her parents were right. She got sick more often than other girls, or people, she knew and often wanted to fight it. But every time she did she stayed sick for longer than if she'd gotten proper rest. "Fine. Maybe you're right."

    "We're not trying to keep you away from the others Alice." Carlotta said. "We just want to make sure you're taken care of and ready to do your job when you leave. Let's keep you in bed for another day and I promise that by tomorrow night you'll be all better. And considering the way she slept today I think Elizabeth needs another day of rest too. Then, the next morning you can head out together."

    "Okay. That sounds good." Alice got up and she and Carlotta shared a hug. "Thanks for dinner mama, it was really good. I'm gonna get back in bed okay?"

    "Okay sweetheart. I'll see you later."

    Alice got back into bed to read a book and was up a couple hours past her normal bedtime since she'd already slept so much. She was able to get to sleep though and she did stay home another day. It turned out that Carlotta was right, almost as if she'd taken care of sick children before. Elizabeth also enjoyed the extra day and Carlotta took her shopping for some much needed new clothes. These included a new healer's robe to look like the priestess she was, a new pair of brown knee-high leather boots that were waterproof, two pairs of socks, underwear and long underwear to keep her warm, and some casual clothes. A pair of tough blue cotton pants that Elizabeth could wear her long underwear under and her boots over, a new shirt to go with it and a long warm fur-lined hooded coat with silver buttons. Some gloves and a long scarf wide enough to cover her head like a hood, also waterproof, went with it. Finally, the blue pair of footy pajamas Elizabeth had worn the first night and morning at the house was given to her to keep so she could be warm and comfortable at night. They were also nice to hang out in while indoors. At first Elizabeth was reluctant to allow Simus and Carlotta to spend so much money on clothes for her but they insisted and explained to her, again, that these were things she needed and couldn't get herself. After all, if the healer got sick out on the road because she didn't have enough warm clothing, who'd take care of her? That made her laugh.

    After a day of much-needed rest, Alice looked, and felt, completely better and was finally given permission to leave with Elizabeth. After she fussed over both girls and bundled them up against the cold of course.

    "I know you've done this before but I'd feel better if we run through this again."

    "Head to Riften and find the group. Stay together and don't wander alone. Cilla is still Aliah's charge until both are delivered safely home. Go to her if I need anything, she's there to take care of me as well as Cilla. Be careful, don't take any stupid risks, brush my hair, get into my footy pajamas before I go to bed so I'll be comfortable, make sure to eat, don't constantly worry about Cilla, be safe, go kill those Whitescar bastards. Anything else?"


    "Nope, that'a about it." Carlotta smiled at her elder stepdaughter and pulled her into a big hug, holding her close. "I love you Alice."

    "I love you too mama, and we'll be back soon. We all will."

    "I know." She turned to Elizabeth and gave her just as big a hug. "I love you too Elizabeth. Know that I always will and you're always welcome here, for any reason and at any time. Please take care of each other, and good luck."

    Soon after, both girls headed out of Whiterun's gates and onto its snow-covered plains of winter. As they travalled over the next few days the terrain slowly became rougher and less even and more trees appeared. After three days of uneventful travel at a steady pace they were in the cold and shadowy but beautiful forests of Riften. It was the middle of the afternoon of day four and they were walking along the forest floor covered in dead wet leaves. Elizabeth was wearing some of her new clothes and Alice was in her non-legion travelling and battle gear. Her tight white leather bodysuit that she kept zipped up to her throat, her brown leather knee high boots, short brown leather gloves and short blue dress over the suit, and her magika-boosting jewelry. Her bow and quiver were across her back and her imperial sword and steel dagger were at her sides. The sounds of battle got their attention. Alice drew her bow and readied an arrow, signaling Elizabeth to ready her dagger and magic. Flashes of green cloak and black leather told them that Torin and Aliah were rushing off to deal with the commotion but the trees were too thick to see what was going on. Cilla was by herself, hiding behind a tree. She was well-bundled in her usual winter clothes and looking well, if tired. Alice knew that constant travel would be hard for her and she had probably slowed the group to at least some degree. It was so good to see her little sister again but hugs and snuggles would have to wait until they were out of danger.

    "Cilla." Alice whispered from behind a tree. The blue cloak over her back, the same blue as her dress, hid her body like a blanket as she crouched and her hood was up, protecting her head. "Cilla, over here."

    "Alice?" Cilla whispered back, amazed that she and Elizabeth were here so quickly and had found them! She walked up slowly, wary of the danger, and crouched next to the two girls. " Alice. You're really here. You look way better. I can't believe you caught up to us. How'd you find us so fast out here?" She kept her voice down but her excitement was clear.

    "It's pretty easy to follow a big group like yours. I am a scout you know. Now what's going on? Where's Aliah and the others? Mama said you had to stay with her always."

    "Miss Lythare shouted something about scouts up ahead, then Mr. Torin and Miss Shadari followed. The others and Miss Aliah just left. She told me to stay right her and not go anywhere until she came back for me. Can I go up and help now that you're here?"

    "No. No you can't. Hear those clanking and crushing sounds? That's a big fight up ahead and you don't wanna be caught up in that. We'll all stay here and wait for the others. I'll take position in that tree up there and go invisible so I can provide overwatch. You go back to your tree and keep an eye out. Elizabeth'll stay with you. If somebody who's not one of the group comes at you and I don't take it down I want you to help Elizabeth take it down with your magic. Use your frost spell so you don't set the leaves on fire. If Elizabeth is having trouble, throw a rock at her attacker to distract him, then freeze him. If you get into trouble, use your wards. Use your dagger only as a last resort. Do not try and charge someone. Let them come to you and go for the knees and stomach. Understand?"

    "Understand." Cilla said. She was more than ready.

    "Let's do it." Alice found a good tree over Cilla's hiding spot, casted an invisibility spell to conceal herself, casted a muffle spell to keep quiet and readied her bow. Its fire enchantment made the arrowhead glow red hot but it, like her body, was cloaked. Now, they waited.
     

    Drahkma

    Dashing Imperial Officer.
    Averaine rushed through the forest, his boots crushing dead ranches and leaves beneath him. It was nearly impossible for him to move silently through the woods. He didn't attempt to, either. Because of this, the enemy spotted his crimson armour before he'd reached the road. Leaving the sparse cover of the trees, the vampiric knight was confronted by an axe-wielding warrior.

    Averaine parried the assault with his sword, and allowed the mans other hand, wielding a short knife, to slash across his armour. The knight disengaged, allowing the man to chase after him. Parrying a chop to his side, Averaine delivered a powerful horizontal blow, taking the humans head clean off. A quick glance told him that his companions had the situation well in hand.

    His gaze was then drawn to the badly battered group of guardsmen, still hunkered down in a defensive circle. He made his way to them. "Can you walk?" The shaken but determined guards managed to nod. "Then make your way back to Riften. We will handle the rest of them."
     

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    As the company entered the Rift there was a clear change in environment. Though he was not used to tree's, having spent a long time in the ashlands, Shork guessed that he was now in a Birch forest, which felt almost warm after trudging through snow and sleet for days. The hold felt rather peaceful, and they made quick progression for several days. It was only when shouting and the clashing of metal filled the air that Shork stopped surveying the environment and drew his attention back to the road ahead.

    Limited in speed due to his heavy armour and lack of a nutritious diet, Shork was one of the last of the companions to enter the battle. From the looks of things, a group of Hold guards were suffering from a highway attack. Initially assuming the attackers to be marauders, the mercenary noticed a trend amongst them; each beared a symbol of sorts on their shoulders. Were these the Brotherhood? If so, they coulden't be more than a dozen in number, and none of the Nords stood out in particular. If it was them, then this force was little more than a raiding party. Still, they had the guards in retreat, and Shork gave a snort of derision before running to their aid.

    One of the scouts came at him immediatly, accompanied by a wolf that looked trained to fight for the man. The Nord would reach him first, with his hound not far behind despite its faster movement. Drawing his mace as he charged his oppenent, the Orc made sure to have the first swing, harnessing his momentum to perform a brutal power attack. Unfortunatly his adversary raised his shield in anticipation of the offense, and bashed forward, effectively halting the blow of the mace. Staggering at the recoil, Shork barely had time to block the Nord's strike; his mace only weakened the blow, and sharp steel scraped across his Bonemould armour.

    His blood now pumping fast, Shork again swung with his mace, and accidentally missed- but fortunately for him, the scout tried to bash against the attack, which simply never came. Stepping to the side so as to avoid the bash, the Orc grabbed his foe's shield arm and brutally brought the mace down on it, causing it to go limp. The scout fell to the floor, clutching his damaged appendage. Just before he could stirke a finishing blow with his mace, Shork felt a flare of pain in his left calf; the wolf had joined the fray. It's teeth had sunken deep into his greaves, just about piercing his armour. Trying to turn around and grab the mutt, the mercenary grew more and more annoyed at its persistence, and finally brought his mace down on the creature, ending its assault.

    As he tried to unhinge the dead animals jaws, Shork's bestial instincts kicked in, and he felt a moving presence behind him. It was the Nord from before, and he was forced on the defensive as an axe came down upon him. But now his foe, once calculating, was now barbaric in his hunger for revenge. He swung sideways to hit the merecenary but neglected to rotate his axe, so its sharp end came forward, and the Orc was able to stop the weapon with his hand. With a quick pull he was able to rip it out of ther Nords grip. Having now disarmed his foe, the Nord finally fell to another swing of his mace.

    Before searching for a new foe, Shork went to loot the man. He found a few septims, but the search revealed something much more interesting- a note, which offered some insightful information into the scouting parties orders. He pocketed them all. Perhaps the boss might be interested in this, he thought to himself. He then looked for a new opponent, but the fight was almost at an end, and so the Orc decided to wait for the others to conclude their own engagements.
     
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    WindWalker

    Well-Known Member
    Julius heard shouting and the sounds of fighting from up ahead. He drew his sword and readied his shield. He'd come a long way since he'd first joined the group. He turned to Cilla to tell her to stay back and stay hidden, but Aliah was already taking care of it. Most of the others had already gone ahead, and Julius jogged after them. By the time he reached the battle it was in full swing. To him, the scouts Lythare had mentioned just looked like bandits, except for the symbols on their clothing. One of the scouts turned and lifted an axe, starting to make his way towards him. Julius hefted his shield and awaited the oncoming blow. It landed and Julius launched his own attack. The enemy jumped away, avoiding being skewered.

    He lowered his shield and charged, slashing at the mans chest. The scout knocked the blade aside, but Julius got his shield between them, and stabbed into the mans side. He grunted and went down, and Julius yanked his sword out of the corpse. By the time he looked around, the fighting was almost over. He cleaned off his weapon, and sheathed it. It didn't look like anyone else was around to fight with.
     

    Baneloth

    Well-Known Member
    Donath crashed out of the trees and into the battle with a roar. The brotherhood scout whos back was to him barely managed to leap away.The man turned on his heel, swinging a club with short metal spikes sticking out of it. Donath snorted,easily avoiding the clumsy attack. "Is that the best ye've got?" He asked, bringing his axe around. The man howled and grasped his weapon with both hands. He swung the weapon at Donaths head, but the stout warrior was too experienced for such a blunt assault. He stepped to the side, using the metal butt of his axe striking the man in the leg and forcing him off balance.

    An instant later, he struck, his axe arcing down to strike the mans skull. The blade of his axe buried itself in his head. The man collapsed, body twitching. "And that," he grunted, planting his boot on the corpses chest and yanking his axe free, "is how ye kill someone". He looked for more enemies to introduce to his axeblades, but the fight was almost finished. He spat on the corpse at his feet, then embedded the blade of his axe into the cold ground to clean it.
     

    Blackwhite1223

    Well-Known Member
    The timely intervention of Lythare and Shadari gave Torin a little more time to toss his bow aside and draw his sword. Suddenly on his own, the brotherhood scout shot a worried look over his shoulder. His companions were either fleeing or being cut down by the group. He would be getting no assistance. With no other option, the man hefted his axe and bellowed a warcry. Torin easily parried the blow, and retaliated before the man could regain his balance. The rangers lightning swift jab slid between the mans ribs, striking his heart. The scout managed a weak groan, before collapsing. Looking up from his fallen enemy, he noticed the fighting was over. Remembering the man he'd first knocked unconscious, he wiped his sword off and returned to him. "This one still lives" he called to the others.
     

    Madrar

    The Shadow in the Dark.
    Salthar brought up the rear of the group, and, as a consequence of this, the battle was almost over. A pair of men, wearing the same patches Shadari had shown him in Whiterun, fled the main battle. Straight towards Salthar. They spotted him just as his hand came up, and purple-white lightning sprang from his fingers. Both men howled, smoke rising from their flesh. A few moments later, they collapsed in heaps.

    The battle was over at that point. The few surviving brotherhood members fled into the woods. Salthar noted the Orc mercenary rifling through a fallen scouts pockets, standing back up with a piece of parchment clutched in his hand. "This one still lives" Torin called out, and Salthar approached. "Get him up. I have some questions for him." A few moments later, the scout was securely bound, conscious, and very unhappy.

    Salthar motioned for the others to stand away. "The brotherhood hasn't yet claimed Riften. What are you doing so close to the city?" The Nord glanced at the others, then at the robed vampire, and his jaw set. "I'm not telling you anything."

    "Be reasonable." Salthar said. "Tell us what we wish to know, and I will set you free."

    The man sneered. "What you wish to know?" He spat at Altmer sorcerers feet. "You fools. My lord serves the Master. We are merely clearing the way for a new power. Know that your miserable lives are numbered. We-" Whatever the Nord was about to say was cut short as Salthars blade cut through the mans neck. His head struck the ground with a wet thud, followed by his body, the stump of his neck spraying arterial blood over the dead leaves. The vampire cleaned his blade on the dead tunic and sheathed it.

    "I suggest we make haste for Riften." He said, before turning and holding his hand out to the Orc. "I'll be taking that note now."
     

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    With the battle at its end, Shork sheathed his mace and made his way over to Salthar, watching his employer interrogate the scout. The Vampire's questioning of the Nord seemed to draw little information, and so the scout was quickly dispatched. Hopefully the child hadn't seen that. That sort of thing could scar your memory, he reflected.
    Turning around, the groups leader reached out towards him. "I'll be taking that note now." Remembering the note, the Orc handed it over. He'd already had a quick read over it, but was interested to hear what Salthar had to say on the matter. But no response was offered, so the group departed without any major discussion. They caught up with guards within half an hour.

    Shork could hear the ringing bells of the fishing boats not far away, but some of them were struggling to walk. After thinking about it for a moment, he offered one of them a shoulder to lean on. The man seemed reluctant, as if not wanting to appear weak. Shork smirked at him, and spoke up, "Any macho you had was taken when you got pummeled by those scouts." Giving a sigh of defeat, the man gave in and allowed himself to be supported for the last leg of the journey. Soon before they reached the last watchtower though, the man jumped off, determined to make the last few steps himself.

    Deciding to go on ahead of the group and inform the guards of the attack, the mercenary jogged up to the gates and turned to look at the two gatekeepers. "There's been an attack." he said simply.
     
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    willowwisp

    Well-Known Member
    They stayed another day until Alice was more fit to travel on the road. Once again, Elizabeth was humbled by the gifts of clothing the Psyrakons. At first, she tried to decline them, but they insisted. The two girls headed out the morning after.They reached Riften after a few days of travel, and caught up with the rest of the group. Just in time for them to see the others rush off to fight. Alice, Cilla and Elizabeth stayed behind.

    The fight sounded violent but it was over quickly. Once the screams and clash of weapons was over, she motioned for the two Psyrakon sisters to follow her. She led them in what she thought was the direction she thought the others had gone. She came across them in time to see Salthar behead a kneeling Nord. She gasped and moved to the side, hoping to block Cillas' view. She might have seen bad stuff during their first adventure, but she knew Salthar. And she hadn't seen the vampire do anything quite as brutal as decapitating an unarmed prisoner.

    Salthar demanded a note from the Orc, and then the group kept moving. Elizabeth would have liked to confront the vampire, but the wounded guardsmen drew her attention. She used her magic to heal the more serious wounds, and despite their grumbling, the guardsman shot her grateful looks, and a few even patted her hands and shoulders as she walked alongside them. Their path was blocked at the gates of the city. Guardsmen demanded to know their business. "We don't have time to stand here wasting breath." Snapped Elizabeth. "We have wounded with us." The guardsmen exchanged guilty glances, and granted them access to the city.
     
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    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Cilla was completely silent on the way to Riften. Despite Elizabeth's efforts the poor thing had gotten the full view of Salthar interrogating and decapitating the Whitescar prisoner. It was a bloody and brutal execution and the blood-spattered head seemed to stare at Cilla with its cold, lifeless eyes. She had seen death before. She had even killed before. But all previous encounters had been with animals, monsters or men who clearly meant to do her harm. She had never seen a man executed before or watch his blood squirt out all over the forest floor. Certainly not seen his bloody head stare at her like some eternally accusatory statue. The entire experience made her sick. She went around behind a tree, Alice, Elizabeth and Aliah all watching in great concern, and threw up. Alice tried to comfort Cilla, to put things in perspective but she was too rattled to listen. She was pale as a ghost and didn't say a word. She simply walked over to Aliah, gripped her hand tightly with her gloved one and let the vampiress lead her on.

    Alice was very worried about Cilla. She had just seen a grisly and terrible thing and simply didn't know how to handle it. She was ten years old. Right in the middle of being a child. Why would the gods let her see something like that? She wanted to hug her, to show her little sister that she loved her. But there wasn't time and she wasn't sure if it would do any good at all. Not until they at least stopped for awhile. The only thing Alice could do was walk beside Elizabeth, help the guards into the city and focus on getting the group in a safe place. She still found herself constantly looking back to check on Cilla. When they were inside Riften she was still just as pale, just as quiet and had just as much a death grip on Aliah's hand.

    The Whitescar Brotherhood had made this personal.
     

    Blackwhite1223

    Well-Known Member
    Salthars interrogation of the Whitescar prisoner was over quicker than Torin had thought it would be. A few questions later, and a semi-fanatical answer later, the mans head was on the ground. Torin didn't flinch at the bloodshed, but he did feel a little annoyed that the Altmer had just suddenly decided to kill the man. Of course, leaving him alive would have been dangerous, even if they'd decided to drag him to the Riften jail. The ranger was also aware that some of the scouts had escaped into the forests. He approached the vampire after the orc mercenary handed him a note and the others had started moving towards Riften again. "Why did you do that? There was more he could have told us, had you just waited." He demanded.
     
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    Baneloth

    Well-Known Member
    Donath watched as Salthar questioned, then executed the brotherhood scout. Though the act of killing an unarmed prisoner was generally frowned upon, the stout warrior had very little pity for the man. He'd made his choice. Torin, on the other hand, looked pretty upset. He confronted the vampire before the group started heading towards Riften. Elizabeth and Alice must have arrived some time during the battle, because they joined the group shortly after it had finished. Cilla looked like something was bothering her, but Donath decided not to pry. At least not right away.

    They entered the city of Riften without any hassle. Donath could smell the canal and the fishing boats coming in with the days catch. Merchants shouted at passerby, trying to lure them with their wares. Donath took it all in, including the guardsmen on the corners of the streets. Many of them looked bored, which meant that they probably hadn't heard of the attack on their comrades. "So what now?" He asked, turning to the others. " Ye wanna rest up here, or should we stop for a meal an' keep goin'?"
     

    TheShadedOne

    The Angry One
    The questioning of the captured scout didn't last very long. After a couple of questions, and a semi-fanatical answer, Salthar lopped off his head. Shadari went about collecting her throwing knife. She noticed Cilla had rejoined them, and looked a horrified by the violence in front of her. She'd have to get used to it sometime. And now was as good a time as any. At least it wasn't anyone she knew. The group kept moving towards Riften, easily catching up with the wounded guards.

    The city itself smelled almost overwhelmingly of fishing boats, and the water of the canal and lake beyond it. It was not a pleasant odor, and many of the people, probably residents of Riftens large slum district, stank in ways that were probably better off not described. She glanced at Salthar and the note he held. "Well, don't keep us waiting. What's on the note?"
     
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    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    The guardsmen quickly allowed the group passage after a few sharp wounds from Elizabeth. he had only just noticed that she and the kid's sister must have caught up with them. Holding back his surprise at the healers surprisingly commanding voice, which he put down to her caring deeply for the wounded soliders, Shork gave the young woman a nod of respect as they entered the city.
    To describe Riften in this age was simple; rancid and corrupt, a shade of its former glory. Anyone with a world-weary eye could see this all from just looking around. Beggars littered the streets, con artists preyed on the unsuspecting, and the smeel of booze even outside was far from ignorable.

    He could've fitted in quite well here. Grover Mallory, a friend of the Orc, had warned him to be careful around here for cutpurses. He also had recommended the Bee and Barb tavern, saying the patrons had some fancy Black Marsh beverages for purchase. It seemed like a place to start his Riften experience, and Shork had yet to use the money from his contract. But to his surprise, Donath seemed open to spending only a brief visit.

    He voiced his didain towards the man. "What are you talking about? We've been on the road for days, and I ain't gonna miss the chance to get a drink. Some cocky looking thugs loitering around here as well". After a few shifty glances in his direction, the Khajiit woman turned to Salthar. "Well, don't keep us waiting. What's on the note?".
    Shork decided to stick around for the moment, to see how the group would react in light of his little discovery. He was unsure whether the Altmer would be able to wave off the questions again.
     

    Madrar

    The Shadow in the Dark.
    "Why did you do that? There was more he could have told us, had you just waited." Torin demanded. Salthar smirked. "There was no more he could tell me. Besides, you can barely trust anything these northerners have to say. Especially one that throws in with the whitescar brotherhood." He turned away from the ranger and continued on his way to the city of Riften. After Elizabeths outburst, the guards hastened to open the gates for the companions, and the wounded guardsmen. Riften, as always, was a run down city, most of it made up of slums, docks, and a small percentage of the rich. Argonians, Dunmer and Nord bustled around attempting to sell their wares, or simply going about their business.

    Donath wanted to know how long they planned to stay in Riften, and Shadari wanted to know what was on the note. Salthar unfolded the note and read it. The scouts orders were to discern Riftens defenses, the strength of their guard garrison, and harass the guard patrols outside the city. It appeared, the whitescar brotherhood had no intention of using diplomacy to take Riften. And, as far as Salthar could tell, the jarl of Riften had no interest in giving the city up.

    "The scouts may have been preparing the way for a brotherhood army to take the city." He told the others. Then he glanced over at Donath and Shork. "We will stay here tonight and tomorrow night. Replenish supplies, and leave on the third day, at first light." He pointed up the street, where he believed the Bee and Barb inn to be. "I suggest we get rooms."
     

    Aethalia

    Well-Known Member
    Salthar questioned the Nord, got nothing helpful in return, and executed him. Though the sight didn't bother Aliah, she heard someone throwing up behind a tree. She turned, noticing that Alice and Elizabeth had rejoined them. Cilla emerged from behind the tree, pale and shaky. The group moved on after a brief argument between Salthar and Torin. Cilla grabbed her hand in a deathgrip, and refused to let go. She stayed like that even when they reached Riften.

    Donath wanted to know whether they'd be moving on right away or, staying for a while. The orc mercenary, was in favour of staying, for a drink, at least. Shadari wanted to know what was on the note Salthar had received from the mercenary. Aliah was fairly curious herself. Salthar unfolded it, and told the others that it looked like the brotherhood had been planning an attack on Riften. He also put an end to the debate of whether they'd be passing through or staying for a time. He suggested they purchase rooms for their stay, at the Bee and Barb inn.

    Aliah took Alice and Cilla to the inn, and purchased two adjoining rooms. One for the girls, and another for herself. She was aware of the strange looks she kept receiving. Besides the strangeness of an Altmer woman caring for a pair of Imperials,she'd not fed in sometime, and her skin was looking paler than usual. She kept the bloodlust under tight control, however. She didn't want to think of what would happen if she lost that control near the Psyrakon girls.

    She brought the two of them to their room, and helped Cilla store her things in the rooms chest. Then she sat the girl on the rooms singular chair, and crouched in front of her. 'How do I explain Salthars actions?' She wondered. She'd never been great at explaining, and the execution of an unarmed man was not an easy topic. "Cilla, sweetheart. I know what you saw was...well, it was not something a girl your age should see. I'm not going to say you'll never see something like it again. I won't lie to you. You heard what Salthar said. Those men were not innocent. What Salthar did, he did to protect the people of Riften." She was pretty sure Salthar would never say something like that. "Try not to dwell on it. Supper will be soon. We'll be staying in Riften a while, it looks like.Plenty of time to rest."
     

    T. Rakinson

    A Brute among Beasts
    After reading the note aloud to the group, Salthar informed everyone that he planned for them to depart from Riften two days from now. Shork grunted, but was glad of his minor victory. Then it struck him that he would need to spend two nights at the inn, which could only have enough rooms for some of the group. He followed the Imperials and their Altmer carer into the inn, and almost purchased a room for the evening. But after pausing for a moment, he asked if it was possible that he could lodge in the storage room below, figuring that some others would be better off with the more comfortable accomadations.

    His sleeping arrangments for the night proved to be much less appelaing. The Argonian owners were naturally keen to keep the place warm, but the storage room remained cold for... well, storage. He had paid as much as he would have for a regular room however, and so the barkeep told him that any pelts he could find were fine for sleeping under, so long as he didn't ruin them. After hearing word that supper would begin in a quarter of an hour, Shork decided to wait before getting a drink, and headed upstairs to see what the other were doing.

    As he approached one room he could hear the Altmer calmly explaining Salthar's execution of the scout to the kid. He had to admit; something like that would be hard to justify to someone so young. they seemed almost finished, but he decided to wait for them anyway.
    When the three of them came out, he looked at the elf first. "You look... pale. Might be time for you go get something to eat, if you know what I mean." Regardless of the thought, she didn't seem to want to leave the youths alone. Shork looked down at Cilla. She was shaken, and he briefly felt bad for not checking on her earlier.

    He tried to explain the killing in his from his own perspective. "What your friend here said- you were too young to see that. Especially as a... city dweller." -He chose those last words carefully. To an Orc, that could have been passed off as quite an insult, but hopefully none of them noticed- "But if you're in this journey for the long run, then it was bound to happen at some point. Better it happen sooner than later, and it not be someone you know. 'So you ain't panicking on the Brotherhood's doorstep." He looked at the kids adolescent sister, then back at the girl. Suddenly an idea came to his mind, and he slung off his backpack. "There's one orange left. A bit squashed, but... do you want it?"
     
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    Simus

    An Excellent Site Member
    Cilla said nothing but gave a small nod, taking the orange from Shork's large green hands into her much smaller pale ones. She still felt sick and she didn't look good. The fact that she wasn't talking was a very bad sign. Alice was worried. She wished their parents were here. They loved Cilla at least as much as she did and they had perspective and experience she just didn't have. They'd be able to sort this out or at least get Cilla to talk. Alice hadn't had any visions of this and that frustrated her. She hadn't had any visions of anything lately besides the Blight coming and their impending doom following swiftly after. They were doing the best they could to stop that so she tried to block it out as best she could but it was difficult sleeping these days. The only things that could really get her to sleep were a lot of alcohol or sex with Julius. She hadn't told him about this specifically but he knew she was stressed. Now her little sister was going through post-traumatic stress and that really wasn't going to help things.

    Then Alice remembered something. She had gotten a good look at that scout before Salthar executed him and at his head like everybody else. He looked exactly like their dead brother Stephen. That meant that Cilla was not only trying to make sense of seeing a man executed for the first time but got a loud and clear reminder of what was easily the most traumatic experience of her life. Something she still had nightmares about and only their dad could soothe. Maybe if Alice let the others know about this they could help Cilla better. Elizabeth might be able to help too. She was a healer and a priestess after all.

    "Aliah, Shork, I think I might know what's going on here." Alice said. She took some orange peels from Cilla's feet and put them in a nearby waste basket. Then she guided Cilla over to the bed she was sitting on and sat both of them down, keeping a protective arm around her sister's shoulders and placing her other hand on her knee as she ate her orange.

    "Years ago, when the Thalmor drove us from Cyrodiil and...killed our mother, our family was scattered all over the Jerrall Mountains. I've already Aliah the story of how dad and I found each other in the Imperial City, headed to Skyrim and joined the Stormcloaks and how Titus found the Companions in Whiterun. Something I've been quiet about however is what happened to Cilla, for her sake. She and our oldest brother Stephen headed into Falkreath and made their way to The Reach in hopes of trying to find us. They were captured by a vampire slaver coven to be used as cattle and Stephen, being one of the best mages I've ever seen, was turned. Cilla was too small to be used as a food source so she was put with the other children to be 'fattened up' until she was big enough. After she tried to orchestrate an escape half the children were slaughtered with the rest forced to watch and Cilla was condemned to starve to death. She was locked in a rock chamber with a water source but no food and complete darkness. I don't have to tell you what that does to the mind of a nine year old child. Stephen was able to get her out after a week and did all he could to keep her alive but she was slowly starving to death. This went on for months until dad and I joined an adventuring group sent to investigate what turned out to be this slave coven's outpost. Come to think of it Aliah, I think your little sister Senya was with us. We had gotten reports of someone that sounded like Cilla being there but by the time we did she'd been moved. After a week of searching we finally found her and Stephen in a cave system west of Whiterun. Needless to say, we were shocked at what we saw. Stephen was still recognizable but he was not our son and brother anymore. Cilla looked like a corpse and was delirious with a fever. When the leader of the coven caught up with us Stephen sacrificed himself to kill him and then died in dad's arms. He'd been the only thing keeping Cilla alive for four mind-flaying months and now he was dead. That was two years ago. Cilla got over her fever and she gained her weight back. She's got some chub on her now as you can see, but our brother will always be dead."

    She paused for a moment.

    "I'm telling you all this because that scout looked exactly like Stephen. Cilla's been brought right back to that terrible time in addition to having seen a man executed. She's never seen that before. Monsters and animals, yes. You may remember she was almost zealous with shocking blightspawn with lightning last year. But a man? Someone who could be her brother? That's a whole different animal. I wish I had Seen this. I should have Seen it, but all of my visions lately have been blight, blight, blight, blight, doom, blight, blight. There's no room for anything else."

    She looked to both of them, hoping her story could give them some sort of insight or inspiration.
     

    Aethalia

    Well-Known Member
    Aliah flinched at the Orcs observation. She'd hoped it wasn't quite so obvious to the girls. She knew Alice hoped that Aliah, or maybe even Shork would have some insight on how to help. Unfortunately, the truth was, the vampiress was no miracle worker. "While I'm sorry for Cillas' condition, there is nothing you or I can do to help. The best thing for her is time." She began turning towards the door, deciding to take the Orcs advice and feed on one of the many cutthroats skulking around the city. Then an idea occurred to her. In the more civilized section of Riften, there was a temple of Mara. "Alice...why don't you take her to the priests in the temple of Mara? I didn't think about it at first, but might they be able to help?" She suggested. She didn't wait for the sisters to respond, instead heading down the stairs, and leaving the inn, making her way towards the seedier parts of Riften.
     

    Stormmaiden

    Active Member
    Lythare wrinkled her nose at the smell of fish and whatever was in the canal. She decided not to investigate too closely. Salthar read the contents of the note, revealing that Riften had been targeted by the whitescar brotherhood. Aliah took Alice and Cilla to the inn, and the Orc mercenary followed soon after. She kept to herself, eyeing a group of rough looking thugs that had gathered around a building. She was willing to bet they were thieves, or worse. "I hate this city." She muttered, starting to make her way to the inn. Aethos was outside the city, somewhere. She bought a room for their stay, and took a seat at one of the tables.
     

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