Private Into The Dark

[ChiefScalyNipples]

Jeroo-Shei maintained his mellow state, knowing that if he became offended by this accusation it would make it more obvious that he truly was the culprit of the soldier's 'unfortunate accident. So instead, he answered Simus' question calmly, and half-honestly.

"Simus, I'm not going to lie, me and that one got into a brawl approximately a couple of hours ago, thats why he's unconscious. But whatever you may think, I'm not responsible for those 'holes' in his neck. That was probably from the Mudcrab's claw, or chitin, whatever it is called, that was near him when I knocked him out earlier. Not to egotistically boast, but after I pretty much kicked his ass, I was walking away and I took a glance back over there and found some Mudcrab from a nearby river pinch and tug at his neck. I don't know what the Mudcrab was doing, probably attempting to tear out a meaty meal from his neck. I knew that I didnt appreciate that guy's attitude towards me very well but I didn't want to be deemed responsible for a Mudcrab killing or severely injuring one of your soldiers, so I killed the little pest and disposed of its body near the same river it came from. After I returned, I saw the same 'holes' in his neck that you did. I don't know if those holes were from the Mudcrab or some other pesky little animal that decided to intervene while I was busy dumping the Mudcrab's body near the river. But the best estimation I can deduce is that it was the said Mudcrab."

Jeroo-Shei paused for a moment and cleared his throat after spouting out a potential novel of sentences. After his temporary break, he continued to say, still maintaining his calmness, "As for fighting the other vampire, Ours is not to start fights. Ours is to mind one's own business. Starting fights makes you look like a narcissistic Tool, if not for good reasoning. If he wants to engage in an altercation with me I will not run away, I'll stand my ground and fight. However, I do not start fights."

He finished off his little speech to Simus with an apology, "I'm sorry for disturbing the camp and acting like an immature brat. I should've been better than this. I'm not going to lie, my tantrums are a bit because....I'm scared of Molag Bal coming for me....and also dumbstruck because the Daedric Prince used to be my next-to-ultimate object of worship, and now he looks on me as if I'm a waste of space.....

 

[Deluge the Distant]

Deluge took in Edwin's response, and smiled behind his mask. Edwin thought him a seer, but he was nowhere near being a seer. His eyes were books that never closed, all they did was observe and record. Every sight linked to one another in his mind. Leading up to this moment where he met a unique and high caliber mage in witty dialect, to the moment before where he first heard Alice speak his name, and furthermore the years he walked alone. The graceful moment when Azura spoke her first words to him in the years of silence. All Deluge ever read about with those eyes of his were blood and murder. Cold and dark, then longing for something.

Days and days of longing, wanting, yearning for something unknown. He had power, he had Azura's Star, no all he had was hunger. He spent his time dwelling on this driving himself mad, until he realized why he was so empty. He had lost his soul. Deluge returned to the college for a couple of months.

(OOC:Halo 4)

 

[Why-So-Serious?]

"And you, why don't you drop the bullplops and tell me what you're really doing here. A little midnight snack maybe? You vampires do love hot blood after all." The general said. Yet another person making assumptions.

"Don't call me that," Oriton mumbled rather loudly. As he said this all of his fathers words and teachings flooded his memory, he though about how his father had taught him to show honour in battle and respect anyone in authority, but then the words that his father spoke after that came to mind. If they do not respect you however, they are not worth your time. Of course, Oriton knew that he wasn't going to outright say that the General wasn't worth his time. It was obvious that he was far outmatched, not necessarily by him, but by his forces. He could run, but that was the way of a coward, and besides, he could not do that without using his Vampiric powers. Something he definitely did not want to do. "I don't drink blood from people directly, and I certainly wouldn't kill for the stuff. Here, take a look at this if you don't believe me."

Oriton opened the small satchel strapped to his waist and showed the contents to the General. Inside lay two small glass bottles filled with blood, a hood, coin pouch and one empty glass bottle. Once the general had taken a look at what was inside Oriton closed the satchel and look back up at the man.

"I wear the hood in the day time to protect me from the sun and the empty bottle is there in case I run out of blood. Yes, I would rather drink from an animal than kill a person for my next meal. My cards are on the table, I can't force you to believe me but I hope that you will."

 

[Simus]

"I believe you." Simus said, believing the boy's story by his tone of civility and the bottles of blood confirming it. "I believe you're a young vampire that was tracking one of your own kind and found himself here. I also believe you have no intention of harming us. Otherwise you would have done so by now."

Simus offered his hand in friendship.

"So long as you don't make any trouble, you're welcome here. Welcome to the Reach Stormcloak Camp Mr...?"

Simus' thought was cut off when he heard what he was certain was his daugter's voice. She was singing, and she was accompanied by another voice. Winter's. They were sitting at a fire a while over to his left, cradling a small girl about Alice's height. Lillumae. The girl was in a restless sleep and Alice and Winter were singing to her. Trying to calm her down most likely. Simus observed all of this, but that wasn't what stopped him.

What did stop him was the song the two girls were singing in unison, "Sing Me to Heaven", and it made Simus' heart melt. Amy had taught him that song when they served in the Great War together. They would hold each other and sing it together during quiet moments when the extrieme stress caught up to them. It was the first song they taught their childrien. Stephen, Titus, Cilla, Alice: he sang it to all of them. The boys soon wanted more manly songs but the girls loved it. Amy would put the boys to bed and he would sing Alice to sleep. Amy would sing it to her when she was sad or sick. After Cilla was born, she would sing it to both of them. He would do the same on the nights he read to them. Amy was a much better singer that he was, but the girls still loved what he did.

Everyone loved Cilla, especially Alice. They didn't share a room because it was conveient. The house had plenty of space for Alice to sleep by herself. She wanted to be with her sister. Simus and Amy couldn't say no to that. Their room was right next to his, their bed and Alice's bed separated by a wall. They always knew when she would get up to check on Cilla and they always listened as Alice took care of her little sister and sing her to sleep. It always made Amy cry.

Simus missed them all. He missed them so much. If they couldn't save Cilla, Alice was all he had left.

"Wow." Simus said, loud enough for Oriton and Jeroo to hear. "Would you look at that?"

Seeing the three girls together brought a tear to Simus' eye and a smile to his face. Lilumae had shown all of them that Winter's heart wasn't as icy as she made it out to be. The little readhead had snuck her way into it, and revealed cracks for love to seep through. If there was anyone on Nirn who could open Winter's heart, it was Alice.

He prayed for both Lilumae's sake and Winter's that she would succeed.

 

[meben15]

Edwin grinned and stepped forward as the tensions surrounding the group seemed to ease. "Well thats all taken care of then!" He smiled at the newcomer and extended a hand, "Greetings friend, I am Edwin." He then looked over to the elderly looking Khajiit man and bowed with an air of respect, "and you sir, I do not believe we have been introduced."

He smiled at the Khajiit as well, but was distracted as Simus said something. Looking over to the man he saw him looking back by the main fire. There, sitting alone, was Winter Alice and Lilumae. The two older girls were singing, a song Edwin had not heard before. He moved to stand next to Simus, and said in an undertone, "Indeed." the words moved the usual cheerful Breton to a solem silence. It reminded him of the importance of their mission, and what they may have to do to accomplish their task.

 

[Simus]

(They're not in the mess tent by the way. They're outside around a fire, near the fire R'alle's catnapping by while wrapped in Alice's blanky.)

 

[Simus]

Simus' eyes suddenly refocused. He had lost track of hwo long he had been standing here, watching the two young women sing to the girl. It felt like days, but he remembered it wasn't more than a few minutes. Edwin was still there, a solemn look on his face. They both had time to relax and Simus didn't know the young Breton as well as he'd like to, so he figured he ought to take the oppertunity.

"Edwin?" Simus asked, "I was about to sit by the fire and have a drink. Would you like one?"

 

[meben15]

Edwin snapped out of his thoughts as Simus asked him if he would like a drink. He looked over to the Imperial Stormcloak and grinned, "Why of course! I am never one to turn down a free drink!" He took one look back towards the fire and then looked back at Simus. "What kind of fine liquor do you have my friend?"

 

[ChiefScalyNipples]

(OOC: sorry I took do long to post guise, I was calculating and executing a sophisticated hypothesis that Sex Dolls would make a good substitute for Scarecrows in gardens. Turns out I was wrong....not only did I lure moar crows to my garden, I lured old, lonely, creepy perverts as well...needless to say I've had a rough week)

After Oriton got back on his feet from Jeroo-Shei flipping him over his back, and explained himself to Simus...Jeroo-Shei approached and apologized to the newcomer humbly, realizing the error of his ways, "Hey, you, Oriton, was it? Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry over the way I acted. When there's a beyond-potent spirit from the depths of a dimension far outside the doors of mortal comprehension and understanding; sending his followers to kill you....one does tend to get paranoid....but it matters little, I knew all along I would soon reach the end of my overly archaic timeline. But I didn't know that it would've been in the middle of something important...."

Jeroo-Shei paused for a good 2 seconds, then extended his arm out to Oriton for a handshake. "Welcome to the team, Night-Brother. My name is Jeroo-Shei. I'm not obligating you to accept my apology, I only hope that you understand why I acted so immature."

As he was waiting for Oriton's response, Jeroo-Shei heard Alice, Winter and Lilumae singing in the background. He turned his head in that direction as it captured his attention, still holding his arm out to Oriton. He saw Simus in the distance, with a look on his face as if the singing really got to him emotionally. Jeroo figured it was because the merry singing and gathering reminded Simus of his family, which was struggling to stay together in the chaos of this Civil war, return of the Dragons, and the current situation happening right here and now.

Jeroo-Shei saw a slight tear fall from Simus' lower eyelid. Which triggered Jeroo-Shei's memories in the back of his mind of his own half-vampire, full argonian son back in the 3rd Era. Whom the mother named "Blinks-His-Eyes", ironically, because it seemed as if Jeroo-Shei's son never blinked at all, not even once. Jeroo never had a family like Simus did, Jeroo didn't even meet his son until his son was a fully grown Argonian in 3E 430 while Jeroo-Shei was taking a trip to Cyrodiil. Jeroo presumed that Blinks-His-Eyes died during the Oblivion Crisis two years later. Jeroo-Shei wished he had spent more time with his son, and not simply have a "One Night Stand" with an Argonian woman he just met at a pub, she lays her egg a few months later, and Jeroo-Shei doesn't hear from nor see the two ever again.... (OOC: I couldn't think of any other way to explain it...I apologize for sounding too formal and trashy)

 

[Simus]

Simus looked to Edwin and smiled.

"I've got a good bottle of red and a couplel bottles of Colovian Bourbon. Come on inside the Command Tent and we'll see what I have."

He looked back to Jeroo and saw that he was deep in reflection. The girls' music had brought Simus nearly to tears and reminded him of his now-broken family. Perhaps Jeroo was thinking of his own family? A family he raised in another life perhaps? As far as Simus knew, vampires were sterile, even if they still had their reproductive organs. It made sense, considering they were clinically dead and couldn't make new cells: only repair damaged ones. That was something he would have to ask Jeroo about.

"Jeroo?" Simus asked. "Would you like to join us?"

 

[ChiefScalyNipples]

(OOC: I was waiting for Serious to post but nevermind, I'm going to slightly script his character, but only saying he shook Jeroo's hand, nothing more)


"Join in what? Singing? No. What would I look like singing?" Jeroo-Shei said playfully and humorously to Simus after settling his feud with Oriton through a quick, firm handshake. "Although if it means join around the fire, ours is to do so. Even though I feel uncomfortable around flames."

After saying that, Jeroo stepped away from Oriton and stepped towards Simus. He squatted down and sat next to Simus on one of the logs around the fire. Jeroo-Shei sat with his tail curled around in a "C" shape on top of the log to his left, and hunched over leaning on his knees. As he continued to hear the girls sing in the background, Jeroo-Shei turned his head in Simus' direction and said to him in a serious tone, "Now I'm not capable of Psychic Empathy, leave that type of plops to experienced mages and ethereal spirits. But I did dectect that you became....well......emotionally touched by the singing. Now I never had a Family to begin with since the Dark Elves raided Argonia and separated me and my parents. In fact the closest thing I ever had to family was those damned Ash-plopsters that put me through slavery for so long......and beat or whipped me senseless if I did anything other than pick crops, repair the house, feed their children, and haul heavy sacks of stuff to deliver to other Dunmer houses. I'd show you the scars on my back but I fear it would be much too graphic. But anyway, I understand how you could feel touched, this reminds you of your daughters doesn't it?"

Jeroo-Shei leaned in closer as Simus gave a little head nod, "You know, I had a son once myself, his name was Blinks-His-Eyes, and he was half vampire. He probably came to be in the last Era I believe, it's been so long I don't remember. Before you ask, yes, Vampires are capable of sexual intercourse and reproducing offspring unlike other undead. Which of course, is thanks to Molag Bal, seeing as how he brutally molested a female Nedic virgin at the Dawn of Time in his physical form which gave birth to Vampirism. So I supposed that Vampires' sexual abilities were passed on from that ordeal." Jeroo-Shei paused for a moment, realizing that he became side tracked on to another subject, involving unholy daedric religions and beliefs. He returned to the original subject with, "....Anyway....back to the original topic. Blinks-His-Eyes, I never even knew my own son until his adulthood, right before the Oblivion Crisis. He was so humble and mature. I feel guilty for not raising him with whoever his mother was. Although it wasn't necessarily my fault, I didn't even know that the beautiful Argonian woman I met, was pregnant; it was a One Night Stand in Cyrodiil and I haven't seen her since. Still, I do wish that I was there to raise him..."

After that long lecture, Jeroo-Shei then finished with, "So yes, Simus, even a cold hearted, reptilian vampire like me knows what it's like to 'love' one of your own kin. If Molag Bal does not smite me before I get to, by the Hist, I will help you find your younger daughter before its too late." and ended his sentence with a friendly pat on Simus' back.

(OOC: I'll ask for the second Katar to be forged after you make your response post, Simus)

 

[Simus]

Simus listened to Jeroo's story about his son and gave a small nod when he asked if the singing reminded Simus of his daughters. Jeroo told the story with such feeling that Simus was taken aback by it. He was surprised to learn that vampires could reproduce but he was astounded how Jeroo described the longing he felt for his son and his deep regret about not being a father. Simus was touched and he understood completely: Never getting to know your own son until he grew up and then suddenly trying to become a father would be both impossible and heartbreaking. It made Simus very thankful that he was there to watch his two boys grow up. He wondered where they were now.

"Jeroo..." Simus began "I don't know what to say." He sat down on a log and beckoned Jeroo to sit by him. Jeroo did so and Simus continued. "I'm so sorry you never got to know your own son. That's not fair to either of you. I'm not going to judge you for humping and dumping a woman in Cyrodiil. Divines know plenty of men do that. It is a shame how things turned out but what's done is done and you did get to meet your son so you at least let him know he had a father. I imagine he didn't exactly welcome you with open arms? Maybe you can find him one day and patch things up. I hope you do. It's never too late to get to know your own son, trust me. I've got two boys, or at least I did at a time, and there were days where I had to learn who they were all over again, and I was there for them day one!"

Simus paused for a moment, unsure as to how Jeroo was taking this and deciding to change the subject. He had asked Simus a very personal question but he deserved an answer.

"And yes." Simus said. "Those two girls singing to our smallest companion do remind me of my daughters, wich isn't surprising considering one of those girls over there is my daughter. I'm surprised Winter not only knows that song but sings it as well as Alice does. That wasn't the first song I've ever learned but it's by far the most beautiful. My wife taught me that song during the Great War, back when the Legion was a real fighting force and when being in the Blades actually meant something. I would sing it to myself when I was sad or scared and seh and I would sing it together and hold each other. It allowed us a few minutes of sanctuary from that terrible war."

He paused for a moment and sighed.

"After she and I got married and settled down, we had our first boy, Stephen. He'll be twenty-four on the ninth of Hearthfire, assuming he's still alive. Four years later we had Alice, whom you've all met, and her twin brother Titus, who may or may not be alive. I heard a rumor that he's been seen in the presence of The Companions but I'm not sure. Seven years after that we had our little Cilla. She turned eleven this last Second Seed. We sang that song to all of them when they were babies. One of many lullibies to help them sleep, and that continued into all their childhoods."

Simus stopped for a moment to blink back a few tears.

"The boys soon outgrew the tunes but the girls loved it. They shared a room toegether, Alice and Cilla. Amy was unsure of Cilla sleeping by herself and Alice has a history of rather...intense nightmares. Having her little sister to sleep with seemed to help her. Understand, Amy and I were always there for both of them, for all our children. We used to take shifts when they were babies and they got us up in the middle of the night. We did the same thing when one of them would climb into bed with us. Alice slept with us a lot of nights before her sister came along. When she did, both girls just seemed...happy together. They enjoyed being sisters and they loved each other so much."

Simus' composure wavered and his voice became thick with sadness. Tears started to trickle down his face as memories flooded his mind.

"Whenever Alice got scared she would come to us but when Cilla got scared she would come to Alice. Alice would hold her and talk through what was wrong or what kind of bad dream she had. They were right next door to us so we could hear everything but Alice's simple gesture of watching over her sister so we wouldn't have to was...well...It always melted my heart. It certainly melted her mother's. Sometimes Alice would get into bed with Cilla and sing to her..."

Simus' composure broke. This was too much for him. He broke down into sobs, right next to Jeroo.

 

[meben15]

Edwin sat down with the other two men by the fire and Simus poured them each a bit of fairly high quality alcohol. Edwin took a swig of the drink and smiled as the warmth moved down his throat. He then sat and listened quietly as Jeroo began a story about some long lost child of his, evidently thought off because of the beautiful yet somewhat mournful singing still in the background. When Jeroo finished his tale Simus came in, telling a story of his own, also about his children. At the end he broke down into tears, and Edwin patted him on the back somewhat awkwardly.

He had to admit he felt a bit out of place among the much older group members. Being only 23 years old Simus had lived more than twice as long as him and Jeroo... he was just really old. Edwin had no children, nor any real family (anymore), in fact he wasn't really very emotionally attached to anyone. Even so, there were times like this when he thought of some of his previous traveling companions, the Khajiits of the wandering caravan's mostly, and wished he had not left them to journey out into the world alone.

After a few moments of contemplation he looked back over to Simus, "Never fear my friend, we will find you daughter and persecute those who kidnapped her!" And for the first time he actually meant it. Before, this adventure had been nothing more then a alternative to prison and a way to make a bit of cash. Now it had become something much much more. What was at first a group of petty mercenaries had become, over the course of a few days, a group of fairly close (if new) friends, setting out on a great quest. This was not the first time Edwin thought to himself 'How do I get into situations like this?!'

 

[Seanu Reaves]

Zatharka had just finished last rites and returned to the tent to hear Jeroo's story. The old Khajiit said nothing. As he heard that tale of heartbreak. Must no one have a happy tale in this land, Zatharka thought. All idea of musing stopped from the old monk as Simus started crying and Edwin made his vow. Zatharka liked these people, for they were kind souls unlike some of the other Stormcloaks he had met. Zatharka floated into the room, but stayed to the corner.

“This one will join. Some wrongs must be made right,” Zatharka whispered just audible for everyone else to hear it. The old monk stared out the tent flap, his mind was distant. To finally be a healer, to save, could this a call of fate? Zatharka thought growing excited. To wash away old blood. The old monk was tired of performing last rites.

 

[ChiefScalyNipples]

As Simus said the term "Hump and Dump", Jeroo-Shei couldn't help but immaturely chuckle, but brushed it off and kept listening to what Simus was saying. When Simus progressed to the sentence, "I imagine he didn't exactly welcome you with open arms?" and Jeroo-Shei grunted a little sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a tiny sigh. Jeroo-Shei answered his hypothesis with, "'Open arms'? You'd be lucky to get that boy to emerge even a slight feeling of a negative or a positive emotion in that.....void in his chest....where his heart should be. Us Argonians always seem...well emotionless to humans and elves....but trust me, we have them. However, my half-vampire son was like a Dwarven Automaton, he was so empty, so barren....it was as if I was looking at Sithis himself. His name, 'Blinks-His-Eyes', was the most ironic phrase I've ever heard, he never blinked during our short conversation; with such a monotone voice he had, he didnt seem any bit excited or surprised to meet his father. I swear, something screwed him up...it was probably me not being there with him that deprived him of emotions......"

Jeroo-Shei paused for a moment to sigh out of guilt, then explained further, "Back then I was the most corrupt, supernatural bastard you would ever meet; I used my powers for absolutely nothing but selfish reasons, what Molag Bal wants his descendants to do. You may see me as a "good" person now, but if you lived back then you would've wished that one of my many execution attempts were successful or that you would've been executing me yourself. That funny term you said, 'hump and dump', considering how corrupt I was in my earlier days of vampirism, I humped and dumped a LOT of Saxhleel women before Blinks-His-Eyes' mother, fluff, I could've inadvertently created a sub-race of immortal parasitic Argonians. Of course I exaggerate with that outlandish statement, and it is not something I'm proud of either. I was, however, back in my evil days, but that all ended when I met Blinks-His-Eyes, the first offspring of mine that ever came into my life, and the first time I ever felt guilt from how emotionally empty I made that creature.........from then on I vowed to stop my evil ways."

Jeroo-Shei noticed Simus give an astonished facial expression, probably dumbstruck by such a peculiar but yet deep tale. Jeroo-Shei then listened to him as he reccomended "patching things up" with his son. After Simus finished his sentence, shaking his head; Jeroo-Shei said rather firmly, "Simus, you're a smart man but don't be ridiculous. The Oblivion Crisis happened approximately two years after I met him. Every province in Tamriel was invaded by Mehrunes Dagon's unholy battalion, mainly Cyrodiil seeing as how Dagon himself was there as I've heard. But even then I had to test my blades here in Skyrim against the onslaught of those Daedric abominations called 'Dremoras'........and people have the nerve to call me a monster.......Anyway, the point is, he either passed away in the Oblivion Crisis or expired of old age, because I'm not sure if half vampires are immortal. So unfortunately, the odds of me seeing him again are little to none."

Simus began to change the subject after that, steering it out of what Jeroo-Shei just said and emitting it in the direction of Jeroo's previously asked question. This was a good thing, Jeroo-Shei didn't want to talk about his son anymore, he felt guilty enough as it is. So relievingly instead, Simus told about his own family. Listening in closely and quietly, Jeroo-Shei was impressed at how talented Simus was at being a father, and how nice his family seemed. Nodding his head in approval, Jeroo-Shei temporarily interrupted Simus halfway through his speech to say in a humble manner, "Sounds like you have a wonderful family...." then afterwards allowed Simus to continue and conclude what he was saying.

Eventually, Simus broke into tears. Jeroo-Shei's eyes widened, surprised, he hadn't thought of Simus as the type to cry. Attempting to comfort him, Jeroo patted him on the back, concealing an illusion spell in his hand to help Simus calm down. Not in a hypnotic way, although, but in a way which was essential to smoking a bit of a Nirnroot leaf. Jeroo-Shei can be cruel at times, but he's not cruel enough, or not anymore at least, to hypnotize one he called a friend. Then suddenly Edwin decided to step in and help comfort Simus. Honestly in a bit of a cheesy way, sounding like a heroic prince from a fairy tale. Nevertheless, Jeroo knew Edwin had good intentions within those goofy words, and respected him for it.

 

[MabFaerie]

"Well I'll be damned, you can hold a note" Winter glanced at Alice sheepishly, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.
Lilumae seemed considerably calmer after the melodic performance, quiet as it was. She blinked a few times, beaming up at Alice and Winter before turning over in their laps and closing her eyes again.
"I guess pjs weren't enough to sway her from moving." Winter mused, slowly inching herself out from beneath the tiny redheaded girl, despite her audible grumbling protests.
"Listen Alice, this has been fun and all, but traveling in groups has never really been my deal..." Winter bit her bottom lip slightly, trying to get her words out as clearly as she could be without yelling, snapping or being otherwise rude and grouchy.
"What I mean is, I still want out. There's this part of me that still screams 'I'm leaving tomorrow!' This part of me that thinks I should be heading back to the Jarl of Markarth right now for what dues I'm owed, and then? I dunno what I'll do after that. Maybe I'll skip town, maybe I'll stick around, who can say? But this? This isn't my scene. At the same time, I feel like maybe somewhere deep down I owe you guys one and should stick around."
"That's the part you should be listening to" Lilumae sleepily interjected.
"Shutup lilu-What I'm trying to say is... don't expect me not to ditch you guys at the drop of a hat. But for now? I guess I'll curb the desire."

 

[Simus]

Alice had patiently listened to Winter's desires and concerns. She was clearly conflicted, torn between the old habits that had kept her safe and the new friendships that were slowly opening her heart. Alice appreciated the fact that Winter was trying to be nice and she had done very well just now. Exercising kindness, like anything else, takes practice and Winter would get better at it the more she did so.

"I'm glad to hear that Winter." Alice said smiling. "And thank you for the compliment. You can carry a tune yourself."

She looked down at Lilumae, still curled up in her arms and now with her face turned inward. Winter had mentioned she felt indebted to the group and Lilumae encouraged her to listen to that part of herself.

"She's right you know." Alice told Winter. "You could learn a lot from this little angel. It's good that you two met. You're stronger together. And I'm certainly happy to have met both of you. There are few enough women in this camp and most of them try to act like the men. Never showing weakness and all that. It's silly if you ask me but war changes people."

Lilumae was dozing again. Alice gently sat the little angel up, got up from the bench, grabbed Lilumae's hands and pulled her onto her feet, making sure to put her glasses back on her face. Winter had taken them off earlier to prevent any damage.

"C'mon pumpkin." Alice said, holding Lilumae steady. "The Command Tent's right over there and it's nice and warm inside. Let's get you into your pj's and then I'll tuck you in. I can also get in bed with you and read to you. Would you like that?"

Alice turned to Winter. "There's a bed for you too Winter. You can either share Lilumae's room or have the next one over if you want some privacy. Your choice."

 

[Simus]

Jeroo's descreet calm spell had done its work and Simus dried his tears. Edwin had gone off to find a bed and Simus directed him to the Command Tent. He turned to Jeroo.

"Thanks." Simus said. "I'm sorry for losing my composure. There's nothing worse for a parent than not knowing where your child is or if she's okay. I have to put up a commander's front all day so I don't get much time to be myself. Usually only with Alice. I'm worried she might not sleep tonight, the news about her sister's gonna shake her up as soon as she has time to think. At least she's good company for Winter and Lilumae."

He looked at the three girls and smiled at the love between them. Especially Alice pulling Lilumae to her feet and preparing to lead her to bed. She was such a sweet girl and he thanked the gods every day that she was his daughter. She had become fast friends with Lilumae and knew that she could do the same with Winter. Both girls loved Lilumae and both had some strength in that. They both had little sisters to save, they would need each other. Perhaps, Simus thought, they could become sisters themselvse before this was all over?

 

[Gunnbjorn]

Arillious woke up.

He had felt as though he had been in that terrible dream for months.

He had dreamed the entire population of Skyrim was chasing him, for no reason in particular, but he had ran, all across Skyrim the entire time.

He leant over the bed and threw up. Hurling until there was no more food or alcohol left in his system.

Still pretty drunk, and now very tired, he laid back down in his tent and went back to sleep.

 

[Hale Loneshadow]

"Well well well, we meet again, Ranger!" Garumn the Mad, the Old, the Leper, spat with a vile fury.
"Yes, indeed we do, and I am here to destroy you once and for all!" cried Hale, his sword, Salvation, streaking streams of silver in the night's sky.
"FOOL! None can stand afore me, for I wield the power of the Hells themselves now. Before the end, you and your kin will all burn in the pits of fire. You, your 'great' father, Avalin...even your precious Ayaden. Mmm, but I think I'll have some fun with that one before I throw her to the 'mercy' of the devils!"
Hale awoke with a start. Shivering in the cold Skyrim night, he threw on his cloak, stepping outside, wanting only to be rid of those awful memories. For he had slain that wicked necromancer on the tallest peak of the largest mountain range in a land far, far away from Tamriel...hadn't he? Yes. He must have. Still, one couldn't help but wonder.

Walking steadily towards the edge of the forest, Hale simply stood in front of the wooded wonderland and sank deep into thought. He, his father and all the original others had first come to Tamriel from their faraway home in Avondale in order to escape from their horrific past, and to do good in other parts of all the mystic lands.

Now, Hale was here, helping a man rescue his daughter, in the middle of a group of good people, doing some good in the land. So, why did he feel so alone?