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.
"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.