Open Trial upon the Mountain

As she made her way back to camp, a slight breeze picked up and brought an oh-too familiar smell to her nose. Even without her sensitive senses, it doesn't take much to pick out the scent of bloody metal, sweat, and scales. After all, she had been pressed up against it for most of the day. It didn't take long for her to zero in on the area it was coming from; she inhaled deeply, turned to her right, and stomped directly toward where her Argonian companion was sitting. ''You cheeky little...'' her voice trailed off into a low rumbling growl.

The argonian slowly turned his head to the sound of stomping. The feeling of dread he felt, unimaginable.
"You cheeky little..."
The glare she gave him burnt more than the flames the covered him back in the arena. He quickly stood to his feet and raised his hands, palms towards her in a sign of please-forgive-me-don't-rip-out-my-eyes.
"I was worried for you being far from the camp unguarded. I did not mean anything and I did not see anything I swear!"

((Good spot for me to go to bed! Trying to stall for some people to join us. Last chance I believe. After a few more posts I'mma move this story along!))

Isnar awoke. It was very early morning, but still dark. It was unusual for him to wake up this early, for he was a heavy sleeper. There was no way of telling what time it was. The sky was a soft blue-grey and was cluttered with black clouds. As Isnar stepped out the tent, he felt small raindrops, getting gradually larger. The old man looked around for any signs of life. He saw the entire group by the lake and coming back to the camp. Are they really that stupid? Did they seriously leave me by myself the entire night? What if the forsworn came and took me, would they even care? But... I didn't get captured, so I guess I'm being too harsh. Isnar thought, walking towards the group. "Rule number one, never leave someone alone in this environment. Rule number two, always stay in the fire so you can see what's around you. It'll be day soon. If we pack up now, we will be able to travel when it is day. Keep the fire burning." Isnar said, taking the tent stakes out of the ground and folding up the fur tarp.

(Were you talking about me? Cause Wulf is just standing guard, not much to write about)

"I was worried for you being far from the camp unguarded. I did not mean anything and I did not see anything I swear!"
Without hesitation, she was standing on her tip toes and mere inches away from his face, lips curled in a vibrant snarl. ''You had best hope you saw nothing, Zij'Qua El.'' she warned, her face flushing a bright red underneath her fur. The thought of having his eyes rake her body made her stomach twist into knots and leap into her chest. She couldn't tell if this was a good or a bad thing, so she just went back on the flats of her feet and folded her arms, now trembling a bit from the cold. ''You c-can't just compromise a wom-man's privacy like that-t.'' she said, teeth beginning to chatter. The more she looked into his eyes, the more she desired to look away, feeling her throat dry up and her heart flutter until it seemed to vibrate. ''Im-magine if you h-had seen something...'' she said softly, looking down at her feet.
"Rule number one, never leave someone alone in this environment.'' Isnar said angrily, seeming to appear from nowhere, making Ma'Piri jump a bit. ''Rule number two, always stay in the fire so you can see what's around you. It'll be day soon. If we pack up now, we will be able to travel when it is day. Keep the fire burning." She turned back to the Argonian before nodding to the old Breton. ''We shall b-be with you shortly. We have a m-matter to discuss.''

((Wulf was guarding the camp, Isnar))

Felian was awake again, he could never fully sleep an entire night's end. The soft pellets of rain sprinkled onto him as he heard Isnar rambling at the camp about something.
He thought of his wife and son and how he avenged their killers in the arena, but to what end? All he wanted then was revenge, now that he has tasted it he seems to feel like a lost soul.
'One day I will be with you again' he thought. 'Though, I can not let me friends down. So, not yet.'
Felian saw his son, as clearly as if he were actually there, upon the branch next to him. He remembered teaching the boy how to climb. The thought brought tears to his eyes.

((I was about to say... No one left the camp unguarded. And now its... morning? Ughh... Okay. I'll let THAT one slide, but please stop that. Thankfully we were ignoring the tunnels but now its morning so... bugger))

Zij'Qua felt his mouth dry as Ma'Piri scolded him. She was in the right, he knew. "Im-magine if you h-had seen something..."
Zij'Qua was about to respond when the breton awoke, infuriated with the camp seeminly unguarded to him.
"No one was alone. The camp was guarded still and I was keeping an... eye on the Ma'Piri."
The argonian watched as the breton walked off to disassemble the camp before his eyes shot towards the still upset khajiit.
"And Ma'Piri, I apologize. I only wished to guard you from attack." He inhaled, and added, quickly, almost inaudibly, "And I would imagine you look wonderful."


While the bosmer cried, the nord packed, the breton raged, and the beast-races argued the many, many forsworn that had surrounded the camp at the night suddenly vanished. All of them returned to their camp through the mountain pass before the sun's light touched the snow. They brought the news to their masters of the group in full and the camp prepared itself.

(sorry about Isnar saying he was alone, old man gets delusional sometimes! Oh, and btw, it's like 1 or 2. not morning yet.)
Isnar pulled the stakes out one by one, then rolled up the tent and stuffed it into a bag. Isnar tossed the bag next to the fire. Isnar wasn't mad. He just felt let down by his friends. Surely one or two people couldn't hold off an entire forsworn camp. Isnar looked at the bag on the ground, then up to everyone else. "How far to the camp?" The old man asked. That bounty poster may have said a camp, but those forsworn obviously have something bigger than a camp, seeing the caves and all. The sooner we strike, the better. We will have to do it stealthily, due to our low numbers and them having a small army. How would someone carry around 10,000 gold pieces? Gold is not the matter. I will not be taking any of the gold. As long as Skyrim is one step closer to being rid of evil, I'm happy. If this rain persists, it will be easier to sneak in once we get to the actual camp. If it doesn't, and the clouds flee from the sun, we will have a hard time trying to get past any of the forsworn patrols. Geurrilla tactics would probably be best, because of my age, and physical disabilities, sneaking and attacking from the back would definitely be a good choice. Isnar thought. "Let's go now, before the rain stops."

(Well dammit Isnar, now we gotta change our posts!)

I don't understand. change what?

(Zij has a post saying it was daytime and I was about to post one about Wulf in morning time!)

(lol those are minor changes. Sorry anyway. At least it wasn't something major)

(So I guess no vampire dude?)

Felian dropped down and went over to the camp, his blade's armor trickling with water from the rain. The beast races were talking near to them as he walked up to Isnar.
"...Let's go now, before the rain stops.," Isnar finished.
"Patience Isnar," Felian said. "I understand your eagerness but we must follow Zij' Qua El's lead. I have travelled with him before, he will not let us down. Besides, I feel something is not right amongst these lands. Come, you can help me gather water from the pond if you wish. I've gathered some from the rain already, but we need more."
Felian took his canteens and headed toward the water, where he filled them up.

Isnar followed Felian to the small pool of water. Isnar took a canteen and filled it up. "Nice and cold." Isnar said, cupping his hand in the water and taking a sip. He tied the canteen to the belt of his cloak. Isnar thanked Felian, with a nod, and went over to see Zij'Qua El. He was sitting with the khajiit girl. Lovebirds, perhaps? Cute couple, a lizard and a feline. Isnar thought. "Hey you two. Zij, when are we going to head for the camp? Everything is ready, and the fire will put itself out with the rain. It's your call, we go when you say."

((OOC goddamnit!!! sorry guys I was out at the hospital for a few days, had a bit of a car accident to the knee *Protip; Don't drink and drive! I wasn't the DUI but hit by one. Am I screwed [I know my ankle is ] ? worst case scenario just give up and fall in front of you pretty much dead, Isnar's a damned good medic after all eh? I can just savagely attack you guys too, whatever is best, sorry I missed my window guys, but the god of trolling had something for me))

(as the god of trolling strikes us all. It's fine. You can do whatever. If you do plan on meeting the group, meet them while they are on the road or something, or maybe save one of their lives at the battle at the forsworn camp. Hope you are alright! )

((Not my story so I'm not sure as to what's ahead, but if you read my vampire story (with Felian called 'the vampire slayer' in the fan fic section, which is the quest I just came from to this RP) my elf stops a nest of vampires from opening a hellmouth and releasing oblivion demons in the world. Just a suggestion, but you could use that to tie in. Either you wanted to 'meet' or 'kill' the vampire slayer (me), or you were impressed I took out a master's nest (you heard of it) and end up helping us because of it? Just ideas from my character's stories to help you tie in, or you could do anything else...))

(My internet was down and I didn't see all this. Sorry man, I hope you get better! But I think solace's story is cool. I think Zij should decide, but i think it works.)

[[Feel better soon Khaos I hope whoever hit you loses his intestinal fortitude. On another note, I'm a bit confused as to why it's raining in an established snowy mountain environment...]]

"And Ma'Piri, I apologize. I only wished to guard you from attack. And I would imagine you look wonderful."
The cat couldn't bring her eyes away from his, even as the rain began to soak into her already damp coat. It was only Isnar's eagerness to leave that eventually pulled her away. ''I wish t-to warm myself a bi-it before the fire goes o-out.'' she breathed, turning and swiftly moving to the impressive blaze that fought fairly well against the rain. She gathered her armor and sat as close as she could to the heat, relishing it's comfort as she tipped the rain water out of her armor and set it up to warm by the fire. Felian and Isnar exchanged words as she simply thought, fighting the cold that seeped into her muscles. When she could no longer stand it, she pulled on her heated armor and strapped it to herself as quickly as she could, almost baking herself inside. The temperature change was welcome, and the new suit of metal would shield her from further natural onslaughts. Once all of her gear was together, she pulled a stale pastry and some wilted lettuce from a pouch on her side, eating them quickly before returning to the pool to rinse out her water skin and refill it.

Thoughts of the Argonian made her insides melt, and all of a sudden she was much more self conscious of her appearance. Hopefully he didn't mind her well-loved armor, or her damp fur... she cursed herself for bathing, even though the alternative would have been to remain a dirty and bloody mess. ''Someone slip you skooma, Isnar?'' she joked, trotting back to camp to do her part by loading a few things onto Zij'Qua's horse. ''You are awfully eager to go.'' The horse nickered and flicked Ma'Piri with it's tail before settling back to standing in the rain like a monolith.

((because rain looks cool lol. And sorry I forgot to say 'get better' Khaos, I truly hope you're okay as that's some f'd up sh*t))


Felian knelt by the pond. He dug a hole in the dirt next to the water and watched the hole fill up with liquid. He gathered the water from here because the soil cleansed it of bacteria so that they could drink it. He continued this process for awhile, hearing those in the camp faintly.