Private [ROF] Rise of the Falmer

[Flint firestorm]

Crow couldn't help but grin at how oblivious Circe was to how close she had come to death. For if she had bitten his neck she would have been in for a very unpleasant surprise.

Once crow had searched the room for weapons and found none, he sat and pondered for awhile about Circe. He could not help but wonder what went through her head. How could she compare someone who was forced to be a monster, like Alister, to someone who is one by choice. He kept thinking for sometime before continueing his search.

 

[Minstrel]

Just his presence irritates me Circe thought as she leant against a wall near the group. He is a cocky, arrogant bastard. Does he think that vampires are like this by choice? Just because we don't turn into a beast does not mean we have control over our cravings. Her eyes were still crimson, her rage burning from the inside out. That boy better watch himself or else, one of these days I will hunt him down and kill him. He can't ignore the fact that I am faster and stronger that him.

She walked away from the wall but did no join the group again. Instead she disapeared into another room.

 

[Geel-Kajin]

"Save your strength, Melee. A broken horn can wait until later," Geel smiled sadly, taking one last look at the ruins behind them. Einarr rested somewhere in there now, the stone and gravel a massive grave. "I saw an exit just further ahead, a simple rope ladder going up. I sent several of he other survivors there already."


Geel chuckled slightly when he read the blade's carvings, old elvish written in the ancient cursive of their kind. "Fancy you finding this Alistar, guess what it's called," indeed, it was sort of humorous that the leader of this specific group should obtain the sword.

"The Snow elves of long ago named this blade "Vengeance". I'm no master of weapons, but if my guess is correct, this blade was forged just before they lost their sight, to fend off against their attackers of other races. In other words Alistar, this blade was meant to kill people like you."

Even so, Geel felt himself intrigued by this haunting relic of the past. Though it had revealed to him it's name, many things about it still lay unknown, taunting him. It was almost as if the cold metal dared him to probe further, to delve deeper into it's meaning. It's innocent white form may have glimmered in the sun, but it was in the darkness that it's true colors shone, as obvious as blood on pale snow.

Hah... Look at me again, speculating. All this rubbish superstition of the common folk must be getting into my head. Geel reasoned with himself. There was no way a weapon could hate now, was there? Yet even as he forced himself to believe so, his sword seemed to press itself heavy on his robes, like a persistent reminder. Geel shuddered as he remembered it's past owner, the elf's dead body probably long scavenged by animals.

 

[Hermaeus_Mora]

Glass was up and walking again, although stumbling and heavily breathing. He had no notion where he was, or what had happened, so he kept one hand on his axe all the time. There had to be an exit, or at least another person, right? Someboby closed the wounds Glass had sustained... He heard voices in the distance, but then again he also heard the Thane's laugh ringing in his ears constantly. His senses were useless now.

 

[Skyrimosity]

Edwyn was stumbling around, his wounds still hurting a significant amount. He heard Alistar mention something about a sword, Geel mention something about vengeance, and everyone else trying to recover. He was not yet used to his new eye-sight gifted upon him by Julianos, and since he knew it was dark he could not reason with himself that he could see clearly. As Edwyn looked around at everyone, his still drowsy state of being allowed him to foolishly trip on a rock. As he looked up, he thought he might have seen just the smallest hint of sunlight. It was far forward in the cavern, probably where only he and the Vampire could manage to see. He stumbled upon his feet and began walking in that direction, becoming oblivious to the group. He had to get into that fresh Skyrim hair... he just HAD to. The stench of mold and death, rotting corpses... just need some air... Edwyn began stumbling forward to where he believed he had seen sunlight. He didn't know how far it actually was, he just knew he wanted the air...

 

[Google]

Unspeakable pain as the flesh was removed... relentless agony as the metal fused with bone... ... time ceased to exist... ... only this torture...

What felt like an eternity passed before me as my torment receded, bringing me back from the precipice of madness. Slowly my mind regained a foothold onto a new reality, completely void yet coated in blood.

As my vision began to recover, I observed my body, only to find demonic armor and twisted scales covered my once organic build. The change has obviously destroyed me and the clasping tunnel should have slain me... and yet I lived.

Suddenly and to his surprise, a voice spoke from the unending blackness.

"I know you, Shadow-Tail. You are worthy."

Shadow-Tail spun around, scanning for this new entity that communicated with him. Unfortunately, his search was in vein as he could find nothing in the darkness.

"What madness is this? What pitiful form is this that I have come to inhabit? Death would be a release, next to this travesty."

His plea was heard, but was returned with a humored chuckle that caused him much strife.

"You did not survive the collapse, Shadow-Tail. I have only spared you from total destruction."

Anger and rage surrounded him as he lashed out at the corrupted fog, only for the mist to slip through his metal fingers.

"I would choose oblivion over this existence!"

A few moments past before he realized that no amount of thrashing would get him out of this dark plain. Sluggishly, he ceased his violent effort to fight the unseen foe.

"The choice is not yours."

Desperation started to set in as the voice’s words penetrated his soul, causing him great anguish. He fell to his knees in grief.

"I am destroyed!"

Suddenly the world around him began to sake as a light flourished out from the evil haze. The unexpected change in lighting caused Shadow to cover his new demon eyes with his armored hands.

"You are reborn. You may be changed but your destiny has not. To prevent your fate from ending, I was quick to bind you with a deadric creature. Do not fear, all will be revealed soon enough."

As his mind was filled with questions, a shout from the voice acted like a trigger for the graceful sunlit sky to descend on him like a pack of wolves. Before he could act, he was to be welcomed back to the darkness that was unconscious.

 

[Geel-Kajin]

Geel left the rest of the party to do a quick search of the rooms beyond. The Falmer were rendered temporarily leaderless, and the few remaining scuttled away whenever he entered a new corridor. Their messy form of evasion reminded Geel of a chicken, running around with it's head chopped of.

He found little of use the others hadn't already plundered. Though there might have been a select choice of loot before, age had taken it's toll upon the place. The room was littered with broken shards and chipped stone, strands of cobwebs clinging on to the walls. Most tools lay in disregard, and when he picked one up, it crumbled into rust in his hands.

He did, however, find some things of value. Geel picked up a small vial, examining it's contents. Having withstood decades of decay, the health potion was as bright as the snowberries it was made from. Geel pocketed the flask, deciding to give it to the injured once he returned.

As he made his way back through the rubble, he noticed something that he didn't before. At first, he thought it was a piece of broken furniture, but upon closer inspection, realized it was a falmer staff. The handle was wrought of grey stone, but it's pommel and head was of chaurus carcass. Geel felt his stomach roil as he inspected the staff, it's grotesque appearance chilling his bones.

Nevertheless, it was crucial that he take whatever good he could get. Logic told him that this staff could save him in the near future, and he was not about to give up his life in favor of a little disgust. Careful to touch only the leather-wrapped-stone, he gingerly picked up the weapon, carrying it with him to the exit.

The first wounded that Geel saw was the mercenary. It only seemed fair that the man take the potion- He had, after all, taken the worse of blows. Geel could hardly believe the man was alive. No doubt a good portion of his revival was of Melee's doing. Slipping the potion into the man's hand, he said "Here, take this. Drink what you need, and give whatever remains to Valthor. We need to be able to move, at the least."

Using the staff to support himself, he turned his attention to Alistar. His head and heart ached dully, One from the pain of the wound, the other the loss of his horn. He yearned to return to the safety of Dawnstar, where both comfort and safety would await him. "Alistar, what do we plan to do?" He asked, yet his eyes pleaded for swift return.

 

[Minstrel]

Circe had been wandering from room to room, looting whatever was left. She had picked up some amulets and rings, but nothing of real value. She had also passed through the morgue again and - after making sure no one wasn't watching - looked through some more of the shelves. She found nothing though.

Before going back to the group Circe decided to explore one more room. Most of the group were still recovering from their wounds so she assumed she would have plenty of time. The room she entered was extremely small, only a few metres across and a few metres deep. In the middle of the room where three stone cylinders. Circe walked closer and observed them. They were completely hollow and filled with an unusual liquid. Perhaps if you were a mortal looking at the liquid it would appear to be water in the dim light, it definitely wasn't though. It glowed a faint blue and rose up and down.

On the front of each cylinder was a plaque and on it were the same symbols that had been on the door to the chamber.

"Is there something in there?" Circe said leaning over the cylinder on the right.

She quickly looked around her and made sure crow wasn't there to make a snide comment before sticking her hand in the water. As her hand went deeper the water seemed to get warmer. Slowly, she kept lowering her hand further into the water until she hit something. She manoeuvred her fingers around for a moment and finally her hand fell into a position that felt natural. A handle?

She pulled the object sharply and it was pulled free from the liquids grip and into the air. Circe looked up at what she held. It was a dagger, but not a normal dagger. Circe squinted to make sure she was seeing the dagger right, she was. It was see-through. You could still see the dagger, but at the same time your could see the wall behind it.

Lowering it to her side, Circe put the dagger in her belt and raised an eyebrow.

"How unusual."

 

[Mr.Self Destruct]

Alistar looked upon the blade in a new light, Geel's words repeating themselves over and over in his mind. Knowing now that this same blade was forged to be bathed in the blood of his own Nord kin, the grace and featherweight that had been attributed to the sword was now seemingly absent. It now felt heavier, it's silver shine now dimmer. He knew some of the Night of Tears, the mass genocide inflicted upon the early Atmoran settlers by the Snow Elves, who were once thought of as esteemed and respected allies. He also knew of Ysgramor's vengeful return with the 500 companions, the war that lead to the downfall of an Elven empire.

"Alistar, what do we plan to do?" Geel's words snapped Alistar out of his thinking, the ranger shaking his head as he turned to Geel. "The wounded are accounted for?" Geel nodded, gesturing to the mercenary who nearly lost his life to the Thane. Moments earlier he had been gravely wounded, on a one way trip to Aetherius. Now, he was upright and breathing, and healing Valthor. "We should get out of here, recuperate, organize and plan." He said, looking around the area for an escape. "You mentioned a ladder earlier?" It was then as he looked back towards Geel did he notice his new staff, a horrid thing which held an aura akin to the blade which hung from Alistar's belt.

"Hope it serves you well." Alistar said, looking back at Geel. The items they had scavenged all held a mysterious and daunting aura about them, as if they were self-aware with the same malicious content of the Falmer. Shaking the feeling off, Alistar patted Geel on the back reassuringly. "Lead the others out, something else I want to do first. I'll be right behind you." He said with a halfhearted smile, turning and heading towards Melee. Unfastening the leather strap which held his old blade to his belt as he made his way towards her.

"Melee, this blade has served me well throughout the years." He said as he held up the sheathed blade, scabbard and all. It was a fine sword, made from tempered steel, Alistar has had it for years. "Thought you should have it, I know you tend to stick to the bow, but just in case someone gets too close..." He said with a smirk, they had been good friends for sometime now, and he thought she deserved such a gift.

 

[Geel-Kajin]

Geel nodded, glad to be out of the chilling place. He gave a quick call for the others to go, to embrace the world above. It seemed so long since sunlight streaked across his scales, so long since the smell of fresh summer grass entered his nostrils. He yearned to bask in the pleasure of the surface, to shy away from the damp murk.

He grabbed the ladder like a safety line, and used it to hoist himself to safety. Once up on firm ground, he knelt by the hole to help others in their ascent. Geel never thought he would love the cold air of Skyrim so much. To feel it gave him an unbelievable joy, one of the simple happiness of living.

"Alistar, we're out now. We'l be waiting for you nearby," he yelled into the dark depths. Using his staff, gray and gaunt as it was; to pull him to his feet, he surveyed the place around him. To his surprise, they had ended up outside the forest, at the very edge of the tree line. The town of Dawnstar could be faintly seen in the thin afternoon fog, it's image blurred like a smudge of paint. Never has this cursed town appealed to me more.

 

[Skyrimosity]

The rest of Edwyn's more minor wounds healed up quickly once after Melee healed the major wounds. He saw the Argonian Geel disappear to the surface through a ladder. Edwyn quickly followed the man as fast as he could, becoming the 2nd one to be back on the surface. He looked at the Argonian after taking in the deepest inhalation of air he'd ever taken and said "Tell me Argonian, did you ever imagine the cold airs of Skyrim could be so comforting?"

 

[Geel-Kajin]

"Nay, but then again I had never imagined the airs above to signify my freedom. I always thought of them to be against me, freezing my blood and chilling my veins. Now, they are my saviors, and I gladly feel their cold." The other mage seemed to enjoy it as much as he did, both of them smelling strong the forest pine and the last of summer grass.

Geel was lifting Rale up now, but the stubborn man refused his help, swiping away his arm. Geel grimaced, withdrawing his hand, and spent his efforts on rising back up to his feet instead.

As he did so, the last of the tunnel dust shifted off his scales, petering onto the icy ground. Along with it was a blob of congealed blood, the red stark contrast to the fierce whiteness of sleet and snow. Geel groaned on the inside, his heart sinking as he looked at the murky splotch upon the floor. Great luck of mine to loose a horn, when scale or even flesh could regenerate.

 

[Minstrel]

Circe began to climb the ladder after Rale. She could feel the brisk morning air against her face and it brought on an uncontrollable smile. She didn't mind where the fresh air came from, night or day, she just knew that she loved it. How the rest of her kind could live in caves was beyond her.

When she reached the top she immediately had to stop and take a deep breath. All the energy she had in the chamber was now being sucked away by the leech in the sky. After pulling herself to her feet she took a Mages hood from her belt and put it on her head. It did little to stop the affects of the sun but the help that it did bring meant she could carry on.

"Oh how I just love the sun." Circe said sarcastically with a little laugh while she walked towards Geel and the others. Even the fresh air had raised her spirits somewhat.

 

[Flint firestorm]

Reilising that everyone was beginning to exit the ruins crow began to make his way towards the exit. As he approached the exit he saw a discarded satchel lying in a corner. Intrigued, crow investigated the satchel and began examine the contents. he released from the cloths that where in the satchel that it belonged to the thane. As he rummaged through it he found a vial containing a liquid of sort "maybe it's some of that magike potion the thane had...... or a deadly poisin" crow said quietly before placing it in his own satchel. As he searched through the last few items he found a old journal, presumably belonging to the thane. However when he treid to read it he released that it was written in some ancient form of elvish.

Taking the journal with him crow quickly climbed up the ladder into the open and took a moment to bask in the sunlight. Once he was done he walked over to Geel and handed him the journal "Geel I found this journal but I cant read the writhing, can you?"

 

[Derath_farseer]

The rock fell as Einarr looked through the exit at the figures of his friends -the teardrops still falling down his face blurring his vision- it crashed down in front of him knocking him to his back with his hands held over his head in reflex. The sound was deafening as rocks fell all around him sealing him in what would be his final resting place. As the dust settles and the thunder of the rocks stops Einarr removes his hands from his face and looks around him, only to find him self in pitch darkness. The sound of his tears hitting the floor was his only comfort in this place. That and the knowledge that he had helped at least in some small part to finish off the thane.
His hands searched around him and only found rock, not that he was surprised by that fact he signed his fate when he chose to remain behind to kill the bastard who robbed him of his love.

He tired to stand and let out a cry as he collapsed under his leg. As his hands searched it he felt some thing jutting out of the skin, splintered and bleeding freely the bone stuck out. Then at once the pain hit him like a punch to the gut, it was all he could do not to pass out. Never to awaken in this black tomb again. The pain spurred some thing in him and he dragged him self across the floor away from the wall he felt. He went through an small gap in the caved in rocks and kept moving with no real reason to move besides the fact that he had no idea what to do next. He could feel the dust creep into his lungs after each breath, and the cold that crept in as his wound continued to bleed. But he kept moving and felt the narrow passage widen and he felt the air become clearer, but all he saw was darkness. Then he felt the wall, that he managed to run his head into as he crawled.

Einarr felt it and found it to be one piece, perhaps not all of the cave had fallen in. He raised his hand to his face and wiped off dirt and sweat, then he remembered his magic. He almost laughed as he forgot he could of summoned fire at any moment of his wandering and so he did a spark came to life in his hand that ignited a flame. He was blinded for a moment as the sudden light filled the area around him, but as his eyes adjusted and he looked around he felt crushed. The room that he had thought he was in was no more then half a dozen feet wide.

This time he did laugh, a soul shuddering laugh that wracked his body, he had thought he may of been able to leave. He should of known better, he should of been better. If he was quicker, stronger, smarter perhaps he would of made it out.
"Good for nothing" The sound of his fathers voice entered his head again and his old scars started to grow soar. And the laughs continued to roll out of his mouth, trapped in this cave with only the sound of his fathers voice to keep him company. Was this some sort of punishment for some sin he had committed or lack of faith to the 8. To spend what little time he had with the man he had hated growing up. He couldn't stop laughing, he grew up hearing his fathers abuse and now he would die hearing it.

"Hush now Einarr." The voice sounded so loud but sweet and feminine compared to the ragged laughter coming from Einarrs mouth. Einarrs head shot up at the sound of the voice and saw a woman standing in front of him where just a moment ago nothing was, It didn't seem real. In fact nothing seemed real it grew colder, and he watched dust falling even slower then it had before. He felt scared, was this another of the thanes creatures perhaps she survived like he did. He had little idea what to do, his weapons where lost and his magica felt completely drained then he noticed it. A scroll laying with in reach, he grabbed it and held it like a club. But the woman seemed completely unfazed and stepped towards him.

Einarrs eyes searched her face which was partly hidden by a hood but he made out soft Breton features and she had an easy graze to her. But most of all he felt as if he knew her and a question came to his trembling lips.
"Who are you." He managed to spit out, in response her hood fell to her shoulders. Einarrs mouth hung slightly open as he looked at her face in full detail, She looked to be in her early forties or late thirties close to the same age as his father was.
"Sweet sweet Einarr, I'm your mother." Her voice was soft and sweet. Her eyes filled with love and sadness and a smile that reflected the same. Einarr thought she must be lying but after a moment some part of him knew it was true, despite the features they shared he could feel that he was in fact his mother.
"You where dead how...." His voice failed him. Perhaps he had in fact been driven insane.
"I don't expect you to understand Einarr, but my order forbid me to stay.. Or to be involved in your life.
They... We had hoped my gift would pass you and leave you unharmed but it seems we where mistaken" Her eyes drop to her hands and runes cover them completely.
"Why are you here then... why now, you've had plenty of time to help me, to stop the beatings or Jessicas death, To stop my home from burning." He almost yelled, tears falling down his face once again. His mother simply stood there and took the yell.
"I was forbid to, it is not our place to interfere in the world, and I'm here to offer you a choice my son. I've forbid the order by coming here so listen. The order fears what you could do left unchecked and hoped this would be your resting place. But I can take you from here." She spoke evenly and calmly before being interrupted by Einarr.
"Then do it..." Einarr burst out then was halted by a raised hand by his mother.
"If you leave here you will bring suffering and pain to the ones you care about, the friends you have made, the ones you will make. Death will follow you where ever you go, your power will grow as will your lust for it. You may find your self alone at the end of it all. So I give you the choice to stay here, end it all or to leave. I won't choose for you." As she finishes silence fills the small room, Einarrs eyes seem ready to bulge out of their sockets, he could hardly believe his mothers words. How could he do what she was saying he would do, He only wanted to keep his friends safe. But what if she was right what if he ended up hurting them.
No he wouldn't let that happen.
"I can control it, ill master it and make it mine. I will keep those close to me safe no matter what you or your order thinks." His eyes looked into hers with a cold defiance, which was greeted by a soft chuckle.
"I thought you would say some thing like that." She kneeled by him and her palm rested on his cheek. It felt soft and Einarr held back a sniffle at his mothers touch.
"Remember that I've always loved you Einarr and I always will." Her voice sounded sad and hallow.
"When will I see you again." Einarr responded.
"You won't." Einarrs eyes shut at her words then he felt colder. As he opened them his mother was gone and he was standing at a forests edge, his legged healed and the scroll from earlier still in his hands.
He looked around hoping to see her but she really was gone, but what he saw next brought a small smile to his face. His friends walking together slightly in the distance.

Einarr took one step then another towards them, willing and ready for what ever happens next.
"Mother I will see you again, Just wait." He thought to him self wile half running half jogging towards the others his hands raised high waving to them.

 

[Geel-Kajin]

The tongues of old rippled before him, the million letters of the language swimming in his mind. Many of those he read were that of their oldest form, barely resembling the simplified version he had come to learn. Though outdated, the writing had a certain grace to it, it's very complexity turning it into a work of art.

" Whatever it says, the Thane put in great effort to make sure no outsider understood him. Old Elvish is no easy thing to place upon paper, it's meaning hidden within years of study and learning. Perhaps I can crack this most interesting a code, but I need a safe place...and time."

Geel shut the journal, placing it within his leather satchel. It was not long before they went now. His eyes blinked hard, struggling to push away the oncoming weariness. But as he did so, the brief image of Einarr flashed before his eyes, and he opened them instantly. It was not like him to ponder on the dead, when importance lay upon their safety. Then again, had any man been so worthy to grieve? How will logic serve me when all I cherish is gone?

As he began to make their way back, he heard the patter of feet as they ran closer. Too light to be a man's, too heavy to be a child's. Strangers would have been worried by this, draw their swords in fear of the falmer these footfalls may have belonged to. Geel too considered this, his instinct, his logic, urging him to pick up staff and flame.

But something held him back. Go on, his brain yelled, prepare yourself for the monster! Yet he made no move towards his spell, his hopes flaring in the slight chance of recognition. His heart sounded like a thousand drums, every beat catching in his throat, hitching his breath. He turned around....

 

[Melee]

Melee stood leaning against the cold wall of the cave, watching as the rest of the group rose to their feet and began looking throughout the tunnels. Some were scavenging for anything of use they could find; weapons, health potions, bandages and wrappings, etc. Others were looking for a way out, moving further down the tunnel and around a corner where they weren't visible.

Melee was simply taking this time to rest, her magicka levels rising back to their normals inside of her. With each passing moment she became more alert, more energetic, a standard sign of completely replenished magicka.

After a few moments, everyone began to regroup around the crumbling rock wall. Geel was asking everyone to follow him; he had found a ladder a short while ago, and it was assumed that it would be their way out. Taking a deep breath of the stale, chilly air, Melee righted herself so she was standing to her full height. She was about to follow after Geel when she Alistar approaching her and stopped, looking at him quizzically. "Is there something you need, Alistar?" she asked.

"Melee, this blade has served me well throughout the years. Thought you should have it, I know you tend to stick to the bow, but just in case someone gets too close..." He untied the blade he had worn on his belt since the day she had met him, and held it out to her, smiling warmly.

Taking the blade firmly in her hands, Melee unsheathed the sword and looked down at the gleaming blade. The handle was soft and worn from use, but still sturdy and strong as the day it was forged. Holding it up in front of her face, she glanced briefly at her image reflecting in the steel. As she sheathed it, it made a soft scraping sound against the scabbard it was held in.

Tying the sword around her own belt, Melee looked down at the blade hanging at her side. Although she was fairly unskilled in the ways of the blade, it felt strangely comfortable resting against her leg. She smiled at Alistar, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you, Alistar, I appreciate the gift. I know how much this sword means to you, and I'll take very good care of it." There was a small gleam in her eye as she shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe it will be used to fend off enemies and save my life some day. If that day ever comes, I'll be eternally grateful."

She cocked her head in the direction everyone else was heading, leading off and motioning for him to follow. "Come on! We wouldn't want to get left behind down here. This place is unsettling." With that, Melee jogged down to the ladder, grabbing hold of the creaking wooden and pulling herself up until she felt the familiar chill of the cold, Skyrim air on her face. With a new found zeal that hadn't been present in the dark cave below, Melee jumped up from the ladder and threw her head back, smiling as she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. Collapsing on the ground beneath her, Melee landed on her back with her arms and legs spread out around her, taking in deep breaths of fresh air as she squinted at the sun shining down through the branches of the trees.

Melee was currently in her own world. All she was paying attention to was the sensations she was feeling. She smiled as the sun warmed her face and arms. A soft breeze brushed against her cheek, and the grass around her tickled her neck and face. She had never really appreciated these things until she had danced so close to death, and made a mental note to stop and notice these things more often as she heard a louder rustling in the grass around her.

 

[Derath_farseer]

Einarr kept running as Geel turned to look at his approach, Einarr looked quite the sight dressed only in his pants which where torn apart from the knee down by the cave in, his skin caked with dirt and dust. The snow flakes fell down on his body and melted away leaving trails in the dirt on his skin. Not that he felt them. He felt emotionally and physically drained his thoughts filled with being back with his friends.

He stopped just short of Geel and Melee and looked at them both, feeling close to tears once again. He didn't know what to say or how to put what he saw or how he felt into words so he took another step forward the two and pulled them into an embrace, rapping his arms around them. His grip felt caring but almost desperate as if they where going to disappear into thin air.

Einarr felt safe in their arms, he new this was where he was meant to be for better or worse he was going to stick around do what ever it took to make sure they all made it out of this mess.
"Sorry I kept you all waiting." He said his voice muffled by their body's and choking with emotion.



"What ever the cost.... I'll keep them safe, I can manage to do at least that much." The thought came with the image of Jessicas body falling limp, a gash in her throat. It caused him to hold them tighter and then the tears flowed freely.

 

[Mr.Self Destruct]

Alistar smiled as Melee took the blade, thanking him as she fastened it to her belt. He hoped his new blade, "Vengeance" would serve him well as his old one did. For a split second his smile faltered as his thoughts turned towards the dozens of dead struck down by the sword that now hung from Melee's belt. But such was life in Skyrim, every day a matter of life and death.

Alistar was the last one out of the chasm, watching as the rest of the group ascended from the decrepit and cold shadows of the cave and into the glowing beam of golden sunlight shining through the exit. Taking one last look at the collapsed chunks of stone and rubble strewn together behind him before taking hold of the sodden and damp wooden rung of the ladder and climbing out.

He was glad to be out of that forsaken place, stepping into the sun was like coming up for air after nearly drowning. He took a deep breath, letting the crisp, cold mountain air fill his lungs. A welcome change from the sour, wizened stench of the chasms. They were in a very wide clearing between two expanses of forests, standing in a field of melting snow and ice. It was by little stretch, warm, but compared to the frigid darkness of the caves The Pale was a sunny beach off the coast of Elsewyr. In the distance was Dawnstar, it's wooden houses small flecks of brown and black in the snowdrifts. "We need to-" There was a rustle behind him, a crunching of snow.

Einarr, running at full speed toward the group. He was covered with soot and rubble, bruises and bloody contusions riddling his body. He wore only ragged trousers, torn and ripped from the collapse. Alistar's modus operandi kicked in, assume hostility. Safe enough assumption to make considering what had just happened in the caves below them. He grabbed hold of his sword's grip, ready to pull it from it's scabbard. His heart sank into his guts, and he knew terror again as Einarr came closer. Ready to vaporize the group as he had done to the Falmer drones.

Just then, Einarr threw his arms around Geel and Melee in a hug, an embrace. Alistar was stunned, his grip around his sword loosening as Einarr said something too low for him to hear before bursting into tears. His knees buckled, and his head bobbed freely as he began sobbing. "Einarr..." After everything that had happened to the boy, a hug was the least of which he deserved.

 

[Melee]

Melee had only just risen from her position on the ground in the grass and made her way next to Geel before the sound of feet crunching swiftly through the snow caused her to turn around, eyes widening in utter disbelief. What she saw before he threw his arm around her was Einarr, bloody, bruised, dirty, and, judging from the state of his clothes, had barely made it out of the cavern alive, by some small miracle.

His arms were wrapped around her and Geel, almost as if he were clinging onto them for dear life. Melee heard him mutter something about them waiting for him as he squeezed them even tighter, desperately clutching them as tears flowed openly down his face.

Melee was still in shock at what had just happened as she slowly wrapped her free arm around Einarr, gently placing her hand on his back and returning the embrace. His body was shaking softly, most likely from the combination of his crying and the traumatic events he had just been through. Emotions were running so freely around her that she couldn't help but shed a few tears of her own; some were out of joy that Einarr had managed to escape from the cavern with his life, and back to normal. Others, however were still shed in light of how unsettling everything had been, and the loss Einarr had just experienced.

Looking around at the others she could see, Melee smiled softly to let them know that everything was, for the most part, ok. Alistar was looking at them with his mouth open slightly in disbelief, his hand loosely clutching the handle of his new found weapon. She nodded to him ever so slightly and began to gently rub her hand across Einarr's back, hoping her attempt to soothe him and calm him down would work.

She knew what he had gone through so far with them had certainly changed him in a number of ways. Einarr had definitely grown up since he first began traveling with them, but right now Melee didn't see someone who wanted to be grown up. She felt as if she were holding a small child in her arms, and that made her all the more determined to keep an eye on Einarr and make sure he would remain safe.

After a few moments, Melee pulled back from Einarr and looked at him, smiling softly. "Are you feeling better? You gave us quite the scare back there."