Private Potema (The Wolf Queen) Rises

[Dar'Aava]

"Lizard? hmmm... Could this be..."

he mumbles to himself. He sits back down.

"Is this crypt located near Wolf Skull cave? who gave you this quest?"

 

[Jerund Rashi Kine]

"Who's do not matter friend. What matters is getting the job done, neh? Now I'm certain you can take a few cuts, given the amount of scars on you, but how about ice spikes, neh? Poison darts, fiery floors, soul gem traps? Your bulk won't get you through there alone. Why do you think I've gotten these two around me?"

 

[Dar'Aava]

"Hmmm... This must be the same crypt Tullius mentioned in his letter. and she mentioned an argonian, that must be the one his scouts have seen wandering the outer layer of the crypt. He must of kidnapped the daughter of the family that gave Mesiri the quest... but why. None of this adds up."

Ukthrall sits in silence rubbing his chin, and seemingly miles away.

 

[Minstrel]

Sita had been sitting silently, watching the conversation unfold. She was quite intrigued by the whole conversation and wasn't surprised when no-one at the table seemed to know why the Argonian had kidnapped the girl and taken her to Wolf Skull cave.

She leaned forward. 'Have any of you ever read a book called "Potema the wolf Queen"?' she asked. 'It speaks of a cave called Wolf Skull cave where - The Queen of the Wolfs as they called her - had raised an undead army after a great war. She was once the Queen of Solitude but went mad when her son was burned alive before a trial in the Imperial city. Potema even had the power to conjure Daedra's! That was when she was sixty years old. Later in her life, at the age of ninety after a month long siege on her castle she was finally killed. Over the years there have been several reports of necromancers trying to resurrect her but none have ever followed through. I believe the girl that has been kidnapped and taken to Wolf Skull cave is somehow connected to the rising of Potema.'

Everyone at the table now had an expression that was a mixture of worry and surprise, apart from Mesiri. Sita did not expect her to show her amazement, it was entirely possible that she knew the story already but Mesiri did not seem like the type of person to show that someone else had knowledge that she didn't.

'I'll help you at Wolf Skull cave. From the text I have read Potema seems to have been the most evil ruler that Tamriel had ever know. I'm not about to let a stupid Argonian bring her back to life.'

 

[dunklunk]

Doonkur remained silent, soaking up the atmosphere around the table. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he could definitely sense a buzz was in the air. All this talk of a Wolf Queen, and caves, and necromancers, and a resurrection had him intrigued. Of course, there was also the matter of septims. A generous purse for sure, he thought.

While the others were in conversation, he glanced around the table, trying to assess each individual. This didn't take him long, as he knew almost nothing of them. Mesiri, he thought, could eat like an army. There's no way I could put away that much food, and not get sick later. Hell, I couldn't even eat half of what she did. And in battle? The little elf obviously had some magicka skills, and that, Doonkur thought, would come in handy in battle.

The Orc, he continued, was, well, an Orc. Gods, he easily outweighed the three of us put together! The size of a small mountain to boot. Correction, the size of a rather large mountain, he mused. I'd love to see the Orc in a fight with a giant, Doonkur smirked. My coin would be on Ukthrall, no doubt.

And that left Sita. In this light and with no mead to cloud her mannerisms, she was a very attractive woman. And that hair! Battle, fool! Think of her in battle! he chastised himself. Yes, he thought, I've no doubt she can take care of herself. Her Imperial pride and that red hair would make for one fiesty companion.

She still smells good, he smiled to himself.

So that settles it then, he thought, forcibly snapping himself out of his infatuation with Sita. If they ask me to join them, I shall. It would be nice to have comrades-in-arms for a change, he concluded.

 

[Minstrel]

Now that she had told the table what she knew about The Wolf Queen her thoughts turned to the gold. With the amount of gold she would receive she might be able to pay of the bandits that held her parents captive. Oh thank you Talos she thought, Thank you for this opportunity.

Sita had never been religious, but now seemed the right time to thank a God. Never mind the fact that the worship of this god in particular had been banned.

She looked towards Doonkur. Last night with mead controlling her actions he had looked just like any other Khajiit. But now - although she had a headache that the Daedra themselves could have conjured - he looked quite stunning. She never though she would be drawn to a race other than another Imperial or possibly a Nord but now that is what she found happening.

I will have to make arrangements with him.

It was then the though popped into her head. It was not her place to ask but she asked anyway.

'You'll join us, won't you Doonkur?' She said letting her pure green eyes wrap him up so it seemed as if it were just them two in the room.

 

[dunklunk]

Doonkur turned toward Sita. I'd love to, he replied. Of course, if it's agreed upon by the others.

Good move, Khajiit, he thought. Without knowing who was the leader of the group, if there was a leader, he made sure not to step on anyone's toes by insulting any of them. He smiled inwardly, Ri'saad and Khayla taught you all too well.

Mara help me, he pleaded to himself. I never noticed those stunning green eyes of hers before. How could I have missed them last night? Well, he thought, you were tired, you both had one too many meads, and you were also on guard after her threat of cutting off your tail. Yes, that about sums it up.

Great, he thought. There's her hair like fire and eyes that would put an emerald to shame. What's next?

As he looked from Sita to the others, he made a mental note to not stare at her so much. Manners, cat. Mind your manners. Did you not learn anything from Khayla?

 

[Minstrel]

Sita noticed Doonkur staring at her, she didn't mind. In fact she quite liked the fact that someone was staring at her eyes instead of her body. I really do like this guy.

At the moment though, duty called.

'So, Mesiri and...' Sita stared at the Orc, she didn't actually know his name 'I'm sorry I don't know your name Orc, what do you both think our next move should be?'

 

[Jerund Rashi Kine]

"Everyone's in, neh? Well of course we're going to have to go to Wolfskull. I doubt he's still there, but he must have left something behind that will give us a clue to his current position. If not, I could use one of his leftover bodies to try and track him down. Worst case scenario, nothing's there and we have to find different leads."

She picked in-between one of her teeth with a lock-pick and then smacked her lips.

"Of course, there is the chance he might be there. I wouldn't think he'd be that stupid though. No, the most we should find is a few of his thralls and a clue or two. Maybe even a few expensive things he left behind that I could get a good price on. Something besides garnet necklaces, maybe. So," she stood up and stretched, successfully cracking her back in five places, "you all ready to go, neh?"

 

[Minstrel]

At that moment Sita only carried her small elven dagger. She would need to gather her Bow and arrows before she could leave.

'I need to collect my bow and arrow.' She said. 'I'll be back in a second.'

She got up from the table and gracefully walked towards her room. She had been staying in this room for five days now and collected a number of valuable items. In the corner of the room rested her elven bow and arrows. She picked them up and then went to a chest at the foot of her bed. In it lay a small stash of mead and one bottle of a drink that the owner of the inn in her home town used to make. She took a small swig of the special concoction and then picked up a bottle of mead and cursed as she did so. Curse you Sita for being so weak. She put the bottle in a pouch that rested on the side of her waist. It fitted perfectly, it was designed that way.

Then she left the room and closed the door behind her. Comming back towards the table she smiled.

'I'm ready to go!' She said.

 

[dunklunk]

While Sita was gone, Doonkur did a quick inventory check of the items he would need for the journey. His beloved ebony dagger was always at his side. Except when you have it stashed under a pillow, he joked with himself. I have my ebony bow and quiver of arrows, he continued, as I was heading out on the road for the day. Seems like I won't be needing the room upstairs any longer.

Upon Sita's return to the table and her announcement of being ready to go, Doonkur also confirmed he was indeed ready and willing to start the journey.

 

[Jerund Rashi Kine]

"Then let us begin. Meet me down at the mill near the docks. I'll have us some good horses waiting and we can head off to Wolfskull to tear through that gods forsaken hole in the ground. Sound good, neh? Of course it does. I'll shove off then."

She headed out the door and waved to the other three with one eye closed and the tip of her tongue out. "Don't disapoint now."

 

[dunklunk]

Following Mesiri's exit, Doonkur glanced over at Sita. If you have everything you need, he began, would you care to head down to the docks together? He blushed, You know, I would like your company for our short stroll to the docks, but I have to confess. I'm asking you mostly for your protection. I certainly wouldn't want to run into any bandits along the way, but with you by my side, I know you would fight for and protect me if needed.

Doonkur eyed Sita, and continued before she could reply. But please, walk by my side, so I can keep an eye on you and the safety of my tail. Again, before she could reply, Doonkur winked at Sita.

He then turned his attention to the Orc. Would he like to join us? Would he eat us along the way, leaving nothing but scraps of flesh and bone? thought Doonkur. I don't know what to do.

 

[Minstrel]

Doonkur had asked the question that she had wanted to ask as soon as she heard what Mesiri had said. Confidence had always been one of her strong points but now, when it came to Doonkur, she was shy.

'I'd love to.' Sita said, she noticed Doonkur blush slightly which in turn made he blush.

Then she watched as Doonkur eyed the Orc. She knew what he was thinking and in all honesty she wasn't sure if they should have even let the Orc join their quest. The night my villiage was raided it was an orc who broke down the door. It was an Orc who my father stabbed in the back and- She had to stop remembering for a second. -When that Orc rose from the floor with a dagger where his heart should be it was so terrifying. She almost threw up at the though of her parents being held hostage by that man and others who are just as disgusting as he is.

But then she remembered, this was not the man who did those things. I'll give him a chance, but if I even get a slight feeling that he is going to betray us then I will kill him mid-stride.

Sita stepped out of her painful memories and then nudged Doonkur and nodded towards the Orc. This was her way of saying he should as the Orc.

 

[Jerund Rashi Kine]

Mesiri petted the mane of the largest of the horses and saw the other three come down the hill to join.

"Ah, goody. Sita, Doonkur, you two get those normal horses there. Big Guy, I got you this one especially, seeing as you might break the back of the average horse in half."

She went over to the smallest horse, practically a pony, and hopped up onto its back. "It shouldn't be but a short trot to the cave I think. Anyone in particular feel like leading the way?"

 

[Minstrel]

On the way down to the mill, Sita had been standing almost shoulder to shoulder with Doonkur desperate to get close to him. She felt a strange, warm, buzzing feeling in the centre of her chest. Is this what love feels like? She asked herself. It wasn't until the mill was in sight that she eventually gave into her emotion and put her hand in his.

Doonkur had taken it with a smile on his face. He wrapped his furry warm paw around her hand and at that moment she felt like nothing could touch her.

'Ah, goody. Sita, Doonkur, you two get those normal horses there.' Mesiri said as they approached her and then turned to the Orc to talk to him.

Sita reluctantly let go of Doonkur's hand and then climbed up onto the top of the horse. She had ridden before but that was a while ago. She had always travelled alone. Be that while hunting for dinner, or murdering a bandit deep in the woods. Usually she would sit in a tree, sometimes for a whole day and wait for something of interest. Most of the animals and people she had killed never knew she was there.

Of course she had only started her murdering since entering Skyrim. Back home she would hunt in the forest for her meals and never be disturbed. She had never needed to kill anyone... apart from the skooma dealer she had met while travelling in Cyrodil. He had called her mother a dirty whore when she refused to buy his goods and in return she never allowed him to see the light of day. She may have a weaknes for the drink, but she would never touch drugs.

'How long do you think we will be at Wolf Skull cave Mesiri?' She asked.

 

[dunklunk]

Appreciative of the nudge from Sita back at the Winking Skeever, Doonkur was glad he had asked the Orc to join them. But he was ecstatic that the Orc accepted without any bloodshed.

With the mill now in sight, Doonkur felt a strange, but not entirely unpleasant, feeling. Sita had slipped her hand into his. I noticed she was walking awfully close to me, he thought. But do you mind or object, Khajiit? Not at all, he smiled to himself. I believe this is the first female hand I've ever held, he continued privately. Well, Khayla doesn't count, as she was more of a mother to me than anything. He smiled. Thinking of Khayla and all those glorious years with the caravans always made him smile, with a tinge of melancholy.

Mesiri had assigned Sita and Doonkur to normal-sized horses. And it made sense, as neither appeared to be able to support the bulk of the Orc. Ready to mount up, Mesiri had asked the group if anyone would care to lead.

Doonkur remained silent. He had no intention of volunteering for the post of "leader." During his years with the caravans, someone else was always calling the shots and making the crucial and important decisions. So really, he thought. I have no experience in leading others. Taking care of myself? Ah, now that is something I know how to do.

He thought of the candidates and settled on the Orc. He'd make a fine leader, but then, so would Mesiri, he thought. Talos knows the little elf is afraid of nothing or anyone. The Orc, on the other hand, could pose a problem, he continued. If he's in front of us, how could we possibly see around him? Mesiri could ride on his shoulders and she could play lookout with that vantage point. Hell, he smiled, the three of us could ride on his shoulders and he probably wouldn't even notice the extra "weight." Doonkur almost laughed out loud at this ridiculous mental image.

He mounted his horse, remaining silent, waiting for one of the others to step forward.

 

[Jerund Rashi Kine]

"Shouldn't take more than a few hours to get there, and then maybe a few hours once we're inside, depending on the force. I'll go in front then. Onward!"

Mesiri kicked the sides of her horse and went on down the road towards the cavern. She sighed at the feeling of cool air and warm sunlight, then grasped the moon-shaped pendant hanging from her neck.

"Soon Amnbisin," she whispered to herself. "Real soon."

The clatter of horse trots filled her ears, but only thoughts of her cousin filled her mind. She almost see him again in her mind's eye. How long ago was it? Fourteen years? Sixteen? It didn't matter. All she knew was that one day he had gone off and they never saw each other again. Mesiri blinked to hold back tears and chased other thoughts like hunting, fishing, and grave-robbing. She took a deep breath and looked on forward towards the snow-capped mountains.

'Hope you're ready, you scaly bastard,' she thought. 'Cause it certainly won't be any fun unless I get to cut you up, piece by piece.'

 

[Minstrel]

Two hours later the group arrived at Wolf Skull cave. Sita was glad it was still early, she didn't fancy visiting this place in the dark. There was a buzz around the place however. This place was pure evil.

The entrance to the cave was unguarded. All was silent. While the others got off their horses Sita walked over to the rocky hole in the side of the mountain. She took one step inside when she realised it. Most people wouldn't have noticed the noise but Sita's sharp ears were trained for this kind of thing. Somewhere above her was a man, she could hear his heavy breathing.

'I know your up there.' She whispered making sure the others didn't realise. 'Just tell me one thing. Friend or foe.'

'Lying bastard.' The man whispered back, his voice didn't sound quite normal. 'Said he would pay us, but he he betrayed us!'

At that moment the man jumped down behind her. She span on her heals and observed the man. She could tell he was a bandit by the armour he wore. Across his body were multiple stab wounds.

'Foe!' He roared, alerting the rest of her group.

But before the bandit could pull his sword out Sita grabbed an arrow from the holder on her back, and without putting it in her bow, thrust it into the man's heart. The man fell backwards towards Mesiri.

'Crap. I wan't expecting that.'

 

[Jerund Rashi Kine]

Mesiri saw Sita stab the attacker with an arrow before he could do anything then he fell back towards her. But she quickly realized he wasn't dead as he turned towards her with his hands at her throat. His hands clamped down and began pushing against her breathing pipe, trying to crush it. Mesiri looked into the man's eyes, then out flew Gleam and Severe from their sheaths, relieving the man of both his arms and his head. The body fell to next to the severed limbs and Mesiri turned one of her shoulders to loosen it.

"Well, looks like he has a few undead thralls as well. Still have some of their own mind, but completely under his control." She looked around and cast an undead sense. There were many deeper within the cave, but only two skeletons were outside, and they seemed to have been posted further down the road.

"Seems like he wasn't expecting people to come from Solitude. Well, better get a move on, neh?" she said before walking down into the dark mouth of the cave. She paused just with and swiped Severe to her right. A more dried out corpse fell down with it's neck halfway cut through. "Oh, and this place is going to be thick with the undead so... have fun!"