Private [ROF] Rise of the Falmer

With the group behind them, Edwyn tried to calm himself down and lead them directly to the cabin. Still in a sort of shock, it was hard to remember everything. The elk lead me this way... or was it that way. No, went over the rocks there. Ah, this is familiar. Ok, I can see the giant trees from here. Just a few minutes. "Prepare yourselves for what you're about to see" Edwyn warned the others. As they came around to the front of the cabin, Edwyn noticed a difference. There was a 3rd body hanging upon the cabin wall. 2 male, 1 female. They each had their shirts ripped, showing their stomachs. The first body said "YOU HAVE", the second said "BEEN", the third saying "WARNED." Could this possibly mean the Falmer know we're after them? Talos guide us if that is the case. Edwyn glanced through the window and noticed everything had been taken. Everything the poor family owned, gone.

"We better move." Geel followed the best he could, walking at the quickest pace he could manage. He still lacked sufficient strength to run the whole distance, but that did not stop him from making good time. With a quick flick of his hand, he covered his head with his mage's hood. The rough fabric concealed his face, the folds of the robe flowing like water as he walked.

As the rest of the party began to move, Geel fastened the sack onto Geminus' horse as it began to make speed. The heavy sack would have weighed him down, so the only reasonable action was to secure it to the animal. His own backpack was slung upon his shoulders, leather straps shifting slightly with his steps. The mage was a good deal ahead, despite Geel's efforts. He could just see the man glancing around, checking the path.

To Geel, every part of the forest looked the same. The trees were identical, every leaf just a green dash. Rich brown soil was upturned with every step he took, reveling the darker brown earth beneath. Huge trees towered above them, their blood red trunks armored with mahogany brown bark. They blotted out much of the sunlight, what little reaching the forest floor was in the form of faint splotches. They shifted position whenever the wind blew, the leaves above swaying slightly.

No birdsong came from this forest, and the mating calls of elk and deer no longer resounded through the woods. Everything seemed to be silent, waiting. The sound they made as they raced through the woods felt intrusive to Geel, the crunch of the pines beneath their feet sounding angry. It was as if they had woken the woods from their slumber, and now they were to meet it's wrath.

Suddenly, the mage disappeared behind several boulders of ancient grey. "Prepare yourselves for what you're about to see," he heard the man say, but it was too late for him. The boulders were behind him before he knew it, his legs traveling of their own accord. This ghastly sight was sprawled before him, the air still with putrefaction.

" Ahh...." He heard his own voice being taken from him, trailing off into a whisper. Bodies were what greeted them. He heard Geminus' horse nicker uncomfortably, seemingly miles away. To his right, he saw even the sellswords falter, uncertain of what monstrosity they had signed up to fight. The forest seemed to hold it's breath.

"Wording... Upon the bodies. D-do you think they know?" Geel stared at the bloated corpses, their faces warped beyond human. Gruesome bone protruded from beneath rotten flesh, gaunt and grisly skin dangling from the bodies. The rags they wore upon themselves were ripped apart, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" scrawled in dried blood. He could not suppress a shudder at this point, seeing their entrails littered upon the floor. It was then he realized something was wrong. "No scavengers... A feast like this would have attracted all sorts of beasts..." Not an insect nibbled upon the flesh, not a crow pecked the cloudy eyes.

Geel saw the mage glance through the dusty windows, confirming that everything had been taken. The cabin was bare, everything stripped down. Scared, Geel crept closer to the glass panes. A thin coppery trail of blood led from the middle of the home to the bodies. When Geel closely inspected the beginning of the trail, he saw the tip of a sword, lodged within the ground. It was the same material as the one the Falmer used for weapons. It's a clear sign the Falmer are nearby.

There were other confusing signs too. A sliver of steel had wedged itself in the battered down door, revealing itself to be a piece of yet another blade. "The Falmer have never been known to use metal... What could this mean..." He whispered to himself, to afraid to stir the silence of the woods by talking loudly. Whatever the case, they were in the right direction.

Circe had been silently following the group on foot, her crimson eyes darting from point to point looking for any unusual activity. It was obvious, even to a human that the forest was unsettlingly quiet.

Geel did not realise how much danger he put himself in back at the inn. Circe saw nothing of herself in Emberlynn. Instead she saw a young girl with loyal friends, who had the opportunity to be lowered gently into her new form and master it's powers. Circe had none of that. She was but five years old when her transformation took place, she killed the only man who knew, and loved her. She had to painfully discover what she was with no help from anyone.

Just the fact that Geel thought he understood why she had joined this group enraged her. Making red-dye seep into the corners of her eyes. She knew she wouldn't kill him though, he didn't deserve it. After sucking Skooma infested blood from his system for half an hour to save his life she didn't see the point anyway.

Following Geel she suddenly heard one of the group call to everyone.

"Prepare yourselves for what you're about to see,"

Everyone suddenly gasped, Circe came around two rocks to see three bodies hanging from a wall with a clear warning written in blood across them. 'YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED' She was already involuntarily licking her lips at the sight of the corpses. I wonder if some warm blood still sits in their veins. Maybe the group will let me feast on them later. Circe's dark sense of humour came through.

While Geel and another man began to inspect weapons left behind by what she assumed to be the culprits, Circe began to examine the bodies. The blood in them was still somewhat warm. Not warm enough to entice her however.

'This didn't happen too long ago, hopefully the Falmer will be close.'

Glass's horse balked when he smelled it, but Glass urged the animal forward. He did not know why the horse was so scared, but it couldn't be good so he tried to steel himself in his mind. Whatever happens, my glass will protect me... or not... common glass breaks easily...

When the group was close enough, Glass saw Geel's reaction. Glass didn't want to look himself, but something forced him. When he saw the three bodies, he whispered. "Oh gods... Oh gods, no!" He turned paler than thought possible, but nothing else. He decided he must look upon the bodies again, to see why the Falmer must die. After about a minute, he could not bear the sight and turned away at last.

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The Falmer scowled slightly. When the human-in-a-steel-box was upset, that did not do well for business. His last batch of captives sent to that man were not successful-Their bodies refused to rise as they should after death. The metal-man had in his rage, turned three of the unmoving corpses into a "welcome sign" for the cavern. THough the Falmer disagreed to the idea of showing others their location, what could he possibly say to a half crazy man?

True, he only tolerated the man for the goods he gave in exchange- after all, who would not want the rewards given as payment? The Falmer were no friends to fire and molten lead- they shunned it for the depths, so how would they ever forge a blade such as those they now received? Their tips were so sharp that they cut through the thickest chaurus husks, hacking through the thick chitin like an axe through wood. The Prince would be pleased with his war efforts.

With a clacking hiss, he commanded the others to go in search for more "stock". It was not good to displease this customer, especially for the items he gave. True, they could recover just as many weapons by raiding villages, but it would cost them not only time, but lives. It would not do good to kill off their soldiers before the war even began.

The Falmer rose from the moss and weeds, pale green lichen scraping off the walls as they shook themselves. A replying click came back, and the Falmer moved off. They carried not the weapons they had newly received, but the ones crafted of the hide of chaurus. They needed the old weapons so as to avoid arousing suspicion on how they came about steel. The Falmer was not an expert on war, but he knew that every surprise was needed during the actual battle.

The foraging party clambered off, padded feet near silent on the damp flooring. The moist, chilling air stirred as the Falmer felt his subordinates sweep past him, ready to do their duty. They were a small rugged group, consisting of about a dozen of them. Most of them had hardly seen his tenth cycle, young and foolish. However, experienced soldiers were already chosen to hold the metal. The young ones like these would be sent out with their cumbersome old weapons. Besides, if they fell on the job, it would be insignificant. There were dozens more like them waiting for the chance to even hold a knife.

His morphed head glanced in their direction, sensing their leave. Whether they came back or not, it barely mattered.
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Lyle followed the group by tree top. He masked his scent with mud and pine leaves, knowing the vampire was following them. He watched the vampire stop at the dead bodies. he continued to leap from tree to tree when he saw the knight. "Good they are all here" mumbled Lyle. He decided now would not be the time to unleash the Havoc. He knew he could end it now but he wanted to see what this group was doing. He wanted to know for himself if it was right to kill the Dragon.

Crow and melee walk behind the rest of the group as melee brought crow up to speed on what had happened. It seemed to crow that the group had already been through a great deal to get this far and he admired then for that. Once she was done crow asked his questions "were you really at the defense if whiterun? I'd heard story's of the adventurers that aided in it's defense but I never thought I'd get the chance to meet them"

Emberlynn had followed behind the rest of the group, silent and in thought. She remained as far from Rale as possible, but thankfully, he seemed to be ignoring her. She also kept a careful distance from the other vampire, Circe. Her presence made her uncomfortable, to say the least. The Falmer. She thought as she walked along with the others, nervous of what they would find. I'd almost forgot about them. With everything that had happened lately, well... her mind had been quite preoccupied with other things.

As her thoughts began to wander, her eyes (which, unbeknownst to her, had involuntarily reverted back to their usual deep green) traveled over the rest of the group, lingering over the newcomers. Why She didn't know a thing about any of them, but she already knew that she didn't like them. She didn't trust them either. Do they know what I am? She wondered. Will they try to kill me? If they did, she couldn't say she would blame them.

Yet again, it had become quite difficult to focus on the Falmer. Instead, she absent-mindedly stroked the soft fur of the small rabbit she carried in her arms. The furry thing had been following behind Rale for a while, but had struggled to keep up pace with the others. Finally, she'd reached down and lifted it into her arms. "I haven't forgotten about you." She promised it softly. "I'll find a way to help you." If only she knew what sort of help it actually needed. Wabbajack... What did it mean?

The young vampire shook her head. It was all so confusing. The Falmer attacks, becoming a monster, the mysterious rabbit, these strange newcomers... How had everything happened so fast? All she'd wanted when she came to Skyrim was some adventure... Well, I suppose I've found it. But she never imagined it would be like this. Grandfather, forgive me for what I've become. Emberlynn prayed silently, hoping her thoughts would somehow reach Sovngarde. And give me the strength to face what lies ahead.

When they reached the hanging bodies, Emberlynn remained lingering in the back of the group, fighting the painful ache in the back of her throat. Get it together... Control yourself. She hand unconciously tightened her grip on the tiny animal she carried, which let out a soft squeak of pain and surprise. "Sorry." Emberlynn muttered, relaxing her grip.


The other vampire's voice then reached her ears. 'This didn't happen too long ago, hopefully the Falmer will be close.'

But what were they supposed to do once they found them? True, their numbers had increased, but she knew nothing about the new members, or their abilities. Could they really stand a chance? They still weren't even sure exactly what they would be up against.

"Wait." She found herself saying, to anyone who would listen. "Shouldn't we have some sort of a plan before we go chasing after them?"

Alistar's eyes snapped open, he awoke with a sudden start. Immediately he pushed himself off the hard, cold rock he was laying on and scrambled to his feet. He paused, looking down at himself, Alistar was completely naked and covered with grime and blood. "Oh no.." He said faintly to himself, while looking at the huge set of canine tracks leading to the rock where he'd been laying on. His head was throbbing, he felt as if he were about to keel over and vomit. He looked up at the dawn sky, suddenly remembering the task at hand, and his close friends and companions. How could he go back to them after this? How would he respond when they asked him "Where have you been?" The ranger swallowed and gathered his bearings, he thought hard, trying to remember what happened. They had been staying at Dawnguard, at an inn. Alistar had retired to his room... and he suddenly began to convulse, pain shot up from every limb, he dropped to his knees, gritting his teeth. He remembers taking a look out the window, at the full moon glowing in the sky. Alistar had been a creature of the night for as long as he could remember, he bears the scars of the attack which cursed him to his fate. He is a werewolf, a hunter in the shadows, the embodiment of the hunt. Alistar sighed and shook his head, he knew some had died at his hand last night. But all that was on his mind was getting back to his friends, and saving Skyrim.

Pine needles, leaves, and branches softly crunched under foot as Melee made her way through the forest with the rest of the group. She had just finished telling Crow the quick run-down of what had happened to the group. It made her realize just how long their quest had been going on. She never really realized how much had happened to the group until she tried to tell someone else about it.

At Crow's question about the defense of Whiterun, Melee couldn't help but laugh, her voice echoing through the dreary forest. It sounded so out of place, and almost seemed to get swallowed up by the darkness that was becoming more prominent the farther they walked. “Yes, I really was there. It was not a pleasant experience. Many people were injured and killed, but we all managed to contribute to its safety.”

Looking up into the steadily decreasing rays of light managing to shine through the trees, Melee wondered what had become of Whiterun. Had the people been able to overcome the destruction caused to their city? Or had the Falmer attacked them again without their group even knowing about it? She hoped the latter had not occurred.

After a few more minutes of walking in silence (This eerie silence is really starting to get to me), Melee finally heard Edwyn say “Prepare yourselves for what you're about to see.” Nothing could have prepared her for the mutilation she was about to witness.

Melee was no stranger to injuries of any kind. Having been trained in Restoration and traveling with her companions had made her, in her own opinion, a bit of a hardened adventurer. Or at least, able to cope with things like injuries better than she could have before. However, the wounds that had been inflicted on the 3 bodies hanging from the cabin made her stop dead in her tracks, her face almost completely drained of color. The sight was truly grotesque, the phrase “YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED” both carved into and painted onto each body in that person's blood. She turned her face away, closing her eyes and shuddering involuntarily.

Walking over to the closest tree, Melee leans against it facing away from the cabin, unable to take looking at the bodies any longer. The flesh was not only covered in blood, but was also split apart in some areas by bones protruding through. The entire thing made her stomach churn. She heard Geel mention something about the Falmer knowing they were after them, and that they had found metal weapons, something the Falmer had never used before. She attempted to think about those things in order to keep her mind off the bodies. She turned back to the group, careful to keep her eyes off the gory scene. “Where could the Falmer have gotten metal weapons from? I doubt they could have crafted them, so they must have come from some kind of outside source, as unbelievable as that sounds. I don't think they would have taken them from a raid, they've never done so before.”

Alistar would need some clothes before he went anywhere, he began trekking barefoot upon the soft soil and grass, following his tracks backwards. Tall trees loomed above him on every side, insects chirped and in the distance an eagle cried. Patches of snow covered some of the grass, it was cold outside and Alistar shuddered as a breeze blew by. But it was nothing he couldn't handle, he'd been dealing with the cold for as long as he could remember. Than again, he usually had clothes on.

Alistar stopped, the tracks lead down hill, to a small clearing of trees and foliage. There was a camp, or what was left of one. The tent had been ripped from it's frame, the torn fabric barely clung to the wooden supports which had been torn apart. Along with that there was a smoldering fire pit. There was a body, so disfigured and mutilated Alistar hesitated before approaching. Alistar looked away, he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes while his fists balled at his sides. He had killed an innocent man, somebody who didn't deserve to be killed in such a brutal manner. Alistar was boiling with rage, at himself, at his curse, at bloody Hircine. He took a deep breath, he couldn't feel sorry for himself all day.

Alistar approached warily, his eyes never leaving the corpse. The camper's upper body had been torn apart, his chest cavity had been ripped open, his ribs snapped and pried away to get to his insides. His skull had been smashed and obliterated into fragments of bone and gray chunks of brain. His right arm had been ripped off, and it lay not far in a grassy knoll a few yards off. Alistar narrowed his eyes with disgust, the man had been disfigured so badly it was impossible to tell what his race was. "Nine, forgive me." Uttered the Ranger, turning away. Alistar set his eyes on a large satchel, laying where there was once a tent. Alistar stepped forward, unfastened the button and looked inside. Clothes. He immediately pulled out a shirt and held it against his chest, it would fit him. He scooped up a pair of undergarments, pants and socks and set them aside. He was filthy and would need to wash first.

Beside the satchel was a canteen of fresh water, Alistar picked it up and ripped off the cork and began gulping it down, he had no idea how thirsty he was. He poured it on his face and chest and began wiping the grime and dried blood away. Afterwards he toweled himself with the tent cloth before getting dressed, he felt much less exposed now. "Now I can begin heading back." He said to himself, however the corpse caught his eye once more. The Ranger sighed, he owed the man a decent burial. So Alistar grabbed the spade fastened to the satchel and began digging, it was hard work and despite the cold he began working up a sweat. After he managed to dig a hole deep enough for the man, he set the spade down and dragged what was left of the man inside. He tried to avoid looking at the corpse as he filled it back up, and after burying the man he killed in a bestial rage Alistar closed his eyes and sent him off with a prayer. "...May the spirits guide you to Sovngarde." He said, before opening his eyes and beginning his journey back to Dawnstar.

Edwyn thought about the group's reaction to the scene. The Argonian, Geel I believe, had his voice taken away from him at the sight. But, he recovered and made some important discoveries about the entire scene. The metal weapons, lack of scavengers, and trail of blood. The sellsword, Glass I heard someone say, turned away from the grotesque scene. But that Imperial... she is so young and seemingly inexperienced with such gruesome things... she didn't even glance away... she was staring at them. Most worrisome if you ask me.

And then the High Elf was last to glance upon the bodies. She turned her face away and shuddered at the sight. She then proceeded to prop herself against a tree, facing away from the horrible scene. I feel sorry for her. Surely this scene has traumatized her in some way, if it hasn't scarred all of us. But the Imperial... NO. Stop thinking about that. She was shocked is all, I'm sure. Too terrified to turn away. But her eyes... nevermind. Everyone has gazed upon the dead bodies, and they have witnessed the terrible things that Falmer are capable of. I should investigate.

Edwyn stepped inside the cabin. He was taken aback by the gruesome scene. Blood was spattered across the floors and walls. Everything was indeed taken by the Falmer. I bet these people didn't have time to raise a sword in their defense. With everything gone and no clues, Edwyn stepped back outside the cabin and said a prayer. "Oh Merciful Talos, I pray that you will guide this group toward success in all our goals. I ask that you look after the souls of these poor, deceased people. Killed without mercy and treated with no care." Edwyn prayed silently, his focus toward the prayer completely unbroken.

Glass heard Edwyn. He was a godless man himself, so the prayer did not interest him. He sharpened his axe a bit more, knowing that he'd need it soon. He finally found the courage to step inside the cabin, and the sight was gruesome. The blood was everywhere, Glass could almost see how the falmer swords would have ripped through the weak flesh, before these people could even react.

Glass stepped outside again. He watched the cave entrance, and wondered what he would find inside. He sat down, and thought. His whetstone was in his hand suddenly, to sharpen his axe. The sound of stone on glass was calming, and Glass relaxed.

Circe had been admiring the handy work of the Falmer when her thoughts were interrupted.

'Wait. Shouldn't we have some sort of a plan before we go chasing after them?' Emberlynn said.

Circe turned towards her, she knew she was Emberlynn's least favourite person at the moment but she answered anyway. Her trust was something she would need to gain.

'What do you propose we do? Surrounding them is not an option, the cavern will not provide sufficient space and their hearing might possibly match my own.'

The smell of death lingering in the air, it sent a slight shiver down Geel's spine. He did not enjoy being so close to such a disturbing death. Even now he felt their listless eyes watching him, the deep eye sockets like pits of despair. Their bodies seemed crumpled, shrunken. Death was not even merciful enough to leave their bodies in a better state.


Somewhat shaken, he averted his eyes from the pale white orbs, once bright and seeing. Judging from Circe's reaction to the body, the body was here for some time. That worried him even more. Worms and beetles usually took much shorter to find such a large supply of meat. Gulping slightly, he paid attention to what the others said.

"Wait. Shouldn't we have some sort of plan before we go in chasing them? " Geel heard Emberlynn say from the other side of the group, her hands folding protectively over the little white furball. Circe uttered a cold remark back, stating that surrounding them would be difficult. Geel would have yearned to call her pessimistic, but he knew what she said was true. It was no easy thing to fight in the lair of their enemies.

" Skyrim is a world of many things, but one word it cannot be called is kind. The beasts which lie within the cavern know this, and over the years have adapted themselves to the harsh realm. Every mistake we make there could be our last, every falter could be our death sentence. It would not do good to just barge in, banging shields."

Racking his brain for ideas, he sat cross-legged on the floor to ease his weakened body. A slight breeze drifted through the forest, carrying the smell of pine and death bells with it. The thick layer of dead branches and withered leaves carpeted the floor seemed like an endless sea of dusky brown, splattered by the occasional orange or red. The crisp ferns contrasted this, the bright green leaves each cupping a drop of clear, motionless water. Despite the beauty of the place, Geel knew it was a death trap, not even the crudest of animals daring to venture into these lands.

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The Falmer soldiers sniffed the air, slitted nostrils taking in breaths of forest air. They had left the slithering vines and crumbling rock of their cavern behind them, the new environment a new experience. They clicked and hissed to each other, sound piercing the still air.

Something was not right. The human settlement the metal man came from was a good distance away- yet why could they smell those monkeys nearby? Their disgusting smell fouled the forest, destroying original scents. The smell of those three decomposing monkeys were wavering now, stirred by the disruptive men. The Falmer snarled in unison, enraged at the men who had drove off the smell off their daily perfume.

They filled the great forest with the most strange and horrible smells. The Falmer soldiers smelt summer grass and fresh fruits coming from one of them, no doubt someone unaccustomed to this never-changing forest. They had no trees which bore fruits, no new grass every year. Couple of them smelt like the metal man they dealt with- No doubt those would be nice to plunder. The sharp stinging smell of iron and steel reached their nose, painfully strong.

There were other, smaller scents too. The Falmer soldier nearest to the men had smelt the distinct trace of fur, from two different living beings. One of them was musky and strong, the other smelling of animal origin. They shrugged it out of their minds- After all, no prey dared encroach on their forests.

Suddenly, the scouting falmer heard some from further on, and tensed. This could not be. He heard the sound of feet crunching the chestnut brown leaves, but there was no smell to go with it! There were two of these unexplained sounds, and they made them prickle with discomfort.

Nevertheless, it did not matter where the stock came from, did it? The chief Falmer had never specified where to take the captives from. Given the distance, this would be so much more convenient. The Snow prince would be pleased with them too, as they helped collect more of those sought after blades. Licking their white lips with delight, they crawled forward slowly, weapons gripped tightly in their clawed hands.

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Geel scowled in irritation. His mind was not working as fast as he wanted it to. " We can't use the terrain to our advantage- They have the upper hand there. What we can do to make up for it is use tactics. The caverns are long but narrow, so at most two or three of us can face the Falmer at one time. However, that also means not many of them can reach us too. Here's the sequence."

Picking out a piece of dusty charcoal and an almost Sandy brown sheet of parchment, he scribbled down his idea.

FRONT
Rale-------Vorman
Geminus--Glass
Crow-----Circe
Geel ------Edwynn
----Shadowtail--
Melee------Emberlynn

Passing the paper to the rest of them, he explained, " It goes in this way. Rale and Vorman are in front. Rale, try to sneak up and kill as many enemies before they see you. If you find yourself spotted, run to the back of the group. Vorman will cover for you until you do that. After which, he shall follow you and he'l protect the sides.

Now, Glass and Gem are in front.Geminus and Glass are the most heavily armored, so they can help cover fire. Their strong too, so if enemies get too close they should get put down by them. I aim to not let any of them past these two, but if that's the case, this is the 3rd layer.

Crow and Circe come next. They have less armor than the ones at the front, but are quicker. You guys can swiftly deal with any enemies that come through the first flank. It's important they be dealt with swiftly. If Geminus or glass falls, you guys need to cover for them until people like Vorman return to the front again.

Following that, it's me and Edwynn. We'l rain whatever magic we can down on them, hopefully badly wound some before they get to close to the front of the party. We will also help take out rangers, who will be beyond the front ranks proximity.

After this, Shadowtail. Shadowtail, you need to make sure that the back is secure. Corpses may not be entirely dead, so make sure you check them. you also need to help the people at the back guard against sneak attacks. However, if any falmer make it through our flanks, be sure as to not let them get past you.

Emberlynn and Melee, you guys are at the back. Emberlynn, I believe that you may wish to watch Circe in action, so it's safer to do so there. Also, this gives you ample time to check corpses not only for loot, but to make sure they're dead. Melee, the ranger for our group, will stay at the back. You can fire shots safely at the Falmer from here, targeting the mages and rangers.

So, what do y'all think of the idea?" Geel asked, curious. As he packed the charcoal back into his bag, he swore he heard a faint clicking noise. That moment passed though, and Geel ignored the slight sound.

Glass snorted, then opened and closed his armored hands. "Let's do this." He grabbed his axe and strapped his shield to his left arm. He liked being in the front. The Famer would break their weapons on Glass's plate while they searched for the weak points in the plate, the joints. Meanwhile, Glass would be able to cut them down. It always was that way.

What he didn't like, was the fact he had to leave his horse behind. Glass thought knights should always be horsed in battle, to quickly charge the enemy and save those in need. In a cave, horses would be a burden though...

Glass heard a faint clicking noise, but then it disappeared. He looked around, better to be safe than sorry, but saw nothing. He loosened the grip on his axe and lowered the shield again.

Melee watched over Geel's shoulder as he took a small piece of charcoal and hastily wrote everyone's name down in a list. He explained his idea to have everyone performing different actions and attacks from their place in the line. She noted to herself that she would be behind everyone, which would be good for her ranged attacks as Geel said. However, since there would be a good ten or so people in front of her, she would have to make sure she was slightly elevated so that she would be able to fire over everyone. I'm sure there will be no shortage of rocks and other edifices that I can climb onto in order to get a better shot. That won't be a problem.

She looked back over at Geel and nodded. "I think that's as good a plan as any. It makes good use of all of our skills." Melee stood up straight and removed her bow from around her shoulders, turning it in her hand. It felt like it had been ages since she had last used it, and her shooting arm was itching to use it again. She pulled back on the bow string a few times, stretching it out and reacquainting herself with the feel of the tension. She smiled to herself. It felt good to shoot again.

A soft clicking noise seemed to echo through the woods, and Melee's sharp ears automatically tried to pinpoint where it had come from. She looked around, confused, as she didn't immediately see anything that could have made the noise. Based on everyone else's reactions, it appeared that not many of them had heard it. Strange, she thought to herself. I know I heard something. Her grip on her bow tightened as she looked back toward the group. "I think we should get moving. I have a bad feeling about being here."

Circe listened carefully to Geel's plan and nodded in approval. He had set it up in such a way that no one would take a fatal injury, it was a cycle. If one method failed it would be swapped for another.

Once Geel had finished speaking, Circe turned her attention to the forest. At that very moment the smells of dozens of different plants filled her nostrils. Even for a deadly killer such as herself, the smells were soothing. As she marvelled in them for a second she suddenly hit a brick wall. Not a physical brick wall, but a wall consisting of two senses. A tidal wave of grotesque smells came at her shortly followed by an eerie clicking noise that rang loudly in her head. Judging by slight flinches from the rest of the group they heard it too, but Circe heard it ten times louder. After a moment had passed the ones who had heard the clicking soon relaxed as they passed it of as their imagination. Circe knew what it was though. I smell Falmer.

She considered alerting the whole group at that very moment but decided against it. If she warned the group, the Falmer would no doubt hear meaning there might be a confrontation the group was not ready for. Instead she would wait, and listen intently to see if the Falmer were merely watching them. They were so quiet that even she could not hear precisely how many of them there were.

Edwyn listened to Geel's idea. I'll admit, it's a most effective strategy. I don't know the other's fighting style but if the Argonian was good at magic then he'll do fine fighting alongside me. Now, what strategy should I use? Dead thralls? No, doesn't work on Falmer. Hmmmm.... perhaps conjuring a simple Flame Atronach is the best choice here. Yes, when I get in front I will conjure the atronach and arm myself with a bound sword and take whatever I can down before I retreat. IF I have to retreat. I guess the Argonian is rather smart having come up with the idea. I'm not sure how the others will do in battle but CLICK What was that? Hmmm... perhaps it was nothing. Maybe I didn't even hear anything. No, it was a click. Barely audible but I suppose with my many years hunting experience and learning how to hear a Rabbit's footsteps that I heard it. But where did it come from? Too many mysteries, so little time...

Lyle smelled the stink. It was about 20 yards ahead of the group. He felt safe on tree top but he knew he must get on the ground to actually hurt the Dragon. His plan about manipulating the vampire will have to wait. Lyle slid down the tree trunk and landed softly on his feet. He stepped around the leaves and was right behind a female imperial. He wondered what her deal was, what was her power?
Lyle didn't wait long he slowly planted 5 chorous eggs in her pocket. He knew they would hatch in a few minutes. This will cause panic, and Lyle will have a chance to show The dragon what strike 2 looks like. Lyle backed away from the girl and hid behind a tree watching the group.