Private TREA

[EpicVakarian]

The next day, I woke up to hear the wonderful sound of the stream rushing through the sanctuary. I woke up to it every day, but it never got old.

Ryana seemed to already be up; I'd slept for a long time. Looking up at the small crack in the sanctuary's ceiling, I could see the sun was just slightly to the east; nearly midday.
"Morning, Ryana. Shou' we go soon?" My mouth slurred over the word 'should' from my yawning, but it was at least still recognisable. Ryana agreed, and we left a note for Talia and Amelia:

Gone to Riften for a few hours,​

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will be back by sundown.​

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Try not to destroy the sanctuary!​

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R&E​

We set off, and were walking past Goldenglow Estate when something occurred to me.​

"Ryana. How do we get into Riften? Is there some back entrance that your contact's opened, or have they bribed the guards, or what?"​

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I had taken my hood in any case; most guards didn't care about TREA existing. It was the Jarls who did this, and forced the guardsmen to fight them. The guards, like most everyone else, were scared by the dragons, and welcomed someone skilled and experienced to help fighting them. However, there were some that thought we ought to be put to the sword, no matter what kind of bribe they got; whether it be a bribe of gold, or a bribe of our open skin. ​

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An example: once, we had nearly been caught by a guard who demanded a bribe to let us go. We had had no gold on us, so I undid the zip on my bodysuit a little, letting my cleavage show even more and said seductively, "I'm sorry, friend, me and my friends just couldn't resist walking by you on our way home." Usually, that would have worked, but that time, the guardsman had simply laughed, stared at my cleavage a little, then said that he didn't care; he would kill us anyway. Abiding by our rule of no killing guards, we fled. Usually though, it worked.​

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So I hoped that whatever method the Thieves had found to get us into Riften, it wouldn't get us caught.​

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[Alexstrasza]

They walked towards Riften, luckily the trip was only a six hour walk from the sanctuary.

"Ryana. How do we get into Riften? Is there some back entrance that your contact's opened, or have they bribed the guards, or what?"

Ryana looked at her and giggled a little.

"You're going to kill me! But we have to go through the old sewers."

As they near Riften's main gate, Ryana veered off the road and headed down towards the waterfront. A tall woman waited from them there, long blonde hair flowing down her face. She looked up and smirked, motioning for them to come closer.

"Ryana, love, you look great. How long has it been? Six months?"

Ryana nodded and gave the woman a hug. She let go and put her hand on her hip.

"Yeah, not since I came down here on that surprise visit."

 

[EpicVakarian]

A woman was standing by the river; she was very tall. I was quite short myself, but this woman was at least six inches above me. Ryana greeted her with a hug.
Thank the Gods, I thought, at least Ryana knows it's someone we can trust.

Ryana mentioned something about a surprise visit, but I had a feeling they wouldn't elaborate, so I introduced myself.
"Elly," I said, holding my hand out to the woman, who shook it, nodding curtly. "You must be Vex? Ryana's told us all about you!"
"Nice to meet you, Elly. Yeah, I'm Vex. Ryana said you need to get into Riften?"

"We need to get some supplies and this is the closest city. And the only one corrupt enough to let us roam wild once we're in." It wasn't entirely true; if the guards noticed us, we would be run out, but we had our hoods; it was unlikely to happen.

We entered the waterways, eventually reaching an underground tavern, with a small lake in the middle. Vex led us right past the tavern, through a system of tunnels she called the Ratway, and up into Riften. She looked sideways at us, nodding, and we both pulled our hoods up, hiding our faces. We climbed some steps into the city, and came up right outside the orphanage. We were right inside Riften, in fact, close to Mistveil Keep and the Jarl.

I didn't know Riften particularly well, so I let Ryana lead me around, holding her hand so as not to lose her, and we bought everything we needed. We went to the blacksmith and bought ingots and leather, to the tailor to buy cloth for my skirt, the general store for food and drink, and we quickly searched through the selection of spell books. Having gotten what we came for, we exited through the waterways again, and came back to the sanctuary, our arms laden with bags and bags of stuff.

I grinned at Talia and Amelia's incredulous faces, and dropped my bag right in front of them.
"Food, drink, metal, leather, cloth, everything we need for at least six weeks, plus a little bit extra to spoil ourselves a bit, Gods know we've not done enough of that." I pulled out a significant amount of the cloth, and went to the tanning rack and hung it up. When Ryana had sorted her bag out, she came over. "Right, lets get to work on this new set of clothes, then!"

 

[Alexstrasza]

Ryana sat Elly down in the clearing and pulled out needles, thread, leather pieces, leather strips and clothes of different color. She sat down next to Elly and took up the needle and thread.

"First put the end of the thread through the loop here."

Ryana put the thread through the loop of the needle and placed it down on the ground.

"For a skirt it will be easy, there is very little actual needle work involved."

Ryana took up a piece of light-cream colored cloth and began fashioning it in the style of a short-skirt. A few minutes pass and the skirt was finished.

"This is easy work, harder work will be the style I wear."

Ryana slipped out of her skirt, a pair of short pants made of black silk hid her unmentionables. She took the skirt up and began threading the needle through it. She made sure that Elly got a good view of it as she worked, adding cloth as she went. When she finished she held it up to the ceiling of the cave. The skirt was finished and looked like nothing had happened to it.

"See, easy work."

 

[EpicVakarian]

I watched Ryana weave the needle through the cloth, slowly so that I could learn from it. Eventually, my skirt was done, and I could begin work on the rest of it based on the knowledge that Ryana had just given me.
"Thanks, Ryana. This'll save me a heap of discomfort in the sanctuary, at least!" I took up some more cloth, and fashioned a corset, like Ryana's one but with some padding and extension. Ryana wasn't as curvy as me, so I had to account for a lot more flesh being under the corset. After I had done that, reasonably well, I made some leggings and some knee-high, supported boots. I thanked Ryana for the help, and retreated to my tent to change.

It worked reasonably well; the corset was a bit too short, which meant my belly showed through the whole time I was wearing it. But that wasn't a problem; my belly was still quite nice, and if there had been a man in the sanctuary, he surely would have enjoyed the sight. The skirt fit perfectly, with the front open so I could walk more easily. The leggings were the same; they reached from my mid-thighs down to my ankles, leaving my feet bare, and the boots suited the outfit quite well. All in all, not a bad first effort. It was provocative, and again, a man would surely have enjoyed my outfit. But more importantly, it was comfortable, which my bodysuit hadn't been. I leapt over the stream again, silently thanking Ryana for the idea to wear shorts underneath the skirt in case such a thing happened.
"Ryana! It works! It's beautiful! Thanks!" I waved up at Ryana, who laughed.

I seemed to have shocked Amelia; her eyes were wide open, staring all over me. It was uncomfortable at first until I realised that I didn't care.
"It's a bit provocative, but at least I'm not going to be wearing it in sight of any guards," I said, winking at Ryana and again remembering the time she had had to punch the guard away. I lay down next to Amelia, who blushed, trying to look away. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Lia?" It was a genuine question; if my outfit was too provocative for Amelia to stand, I would change it.

 

[Alexstrasza]

Ryana smiled and laugh as Elly went her way with the newly made clothes. She stayed and cleaned up the scrapes, putting them in a small basket that she had bought a few months early. Putting the basket in a small ledge, she walked to her tent and grabbed her blade. Sitting down she began to sharpen the glittering edge with a whetstone and applying oils.

She had wicked memories of this blade, it had slain many a dragon and spilled much human blood as well. When ever she held the blade she felt like he was with her. Standing beside her as she charged into battle against the unknown. She sighed heavily and flicked the last bit of oil of onto the ground before sheathing and placing against her tent.

 

[blue 468]

Amelia woke early in the day just a little while after Ryana and Elly left for Riften. She spent the day outside the sanctuary training with her ax, and enjoying the sun. Soon after they got back she was content to just sit and watch the two make new clothes. When they were down Elly walked over to Amelia and sat down "Am I making you uncomfortable, Lia?" she said smiling. Amelia looked up her cheeks once again turning red "Umm...No...I..I....I'm f...fine." She stammered before quickly standing up and running outside.

Amelia wasn't embarrassed because she liked her outfit..well she did like it, she was just thought that if she admitted she did it would make the others feel uncomfortable and she didn't want that. Walking around she took a deep breath trying to regain her composure, she looked up at the sky admiring the sun. It was brilliantly bright and full of warmth just like she remembered from her child hood in the Imperial City, Amelia frowned it was to hot almost like fire.... That's when she heard the Dragon's roar.

 

[Freyja]

Talia laughed at Elly as she made the outfit, but the end product was pretty good, so she was in general pretty impressed. She watched Amelia with slightly narrowed eyes as she left the sanctuary, but laid back down on the grass. She was about to roll over, but something vibrated the ground, causing her to jump up. Dragon... She ran to her tent and grabbed her dragonbone greatsword, running out of the sanctuary while she was still wearing her black dress. That wasn't good, if hit, Talia would be seriously injured. She looked up, squinting her eyes, and she saw a winged shadow cover the sun for just a moment. This one was way bigger than the one at Winterhold. Its roar got right down to Talia's bones, vibrating everything around her. She yelled at the sky, inviting the monster to come down and fight. And it did just that. When it came down, Talia stuck her greatsword in its hide, using it to mount the creature. She took the weapon out of the creature's hide, causing a small amount of blood to trickle out. But now she was on the creature, and she could do just anything she wanted to. Talia decided to go for a kill. She raised her dragonbone weapon above her head and brought it down onto the Dragon's neck, attempting to decapitate it. Sadly, the Dragon's hide was much stronger than most Dragons', and the sword didn't do too much except for gashing its neck deeply, causing a steady fountain of blood to spurt onto Talia, covering her in red and making her stagger backwards, falling of of the giant winged beast, her greatsword clattering to the ground beside her. She laid on the ground for a moment, slightly shocked, but the Dragon's foot rising to crush her made her roll out of the way. However, its claw did manage to get her exposed thigh, causing her crimson blood to mix with the Dragon's black blood. Talia pulled herself farther away, seeing her greatsword right by the beast's leg. I failed... No she didn't. Talia had managed to severely injure the Dragon-it probably wouldn't be flying anytime soon. However, without her greatsword or any strength to use her magic, Talia was useless.

 

[blue 468]

Amelia gasped as the dragon swooped down, Amelia managed to roll out of the way, as the dragon was preparing to make it's second pass Amelia realized she had left he ax inside. Just as the dragon came around Thalia rushed outside yelling at the dragon, Thalia stuck her sword into the dragon and climbed onto it's back to try and severe it's head but failing. Wounded and weaponless Thalia retreated, headless of danger Amelia took out a dagger and ran towards Thalia, kneeling down she started to heal her thigh wound "It's okay Thalia I'll heal this right up." she said a hint off anxiety in her voice. All she could do now was hope that the others would come soon before the dragon attacked.

 

[Freyja]

Talia leaned her head back, smiling as the wound began to close itself up. Her dress had been severely torn, half the length of her skirt went to her knees. And the rest of the dress was covered in blood. Shame...I like this dress. Talia grabbed Amelia's arm tightly, pointing behind her. The Dragon had noticed where they were both laying and was inhaling to release a breath of frost. Talia pushed Amelia out of the way, diving out of the aim of the Dragon for the time being. She looked intently at Amelia. "Go get your weapon. I'll be fine."

 

[Alexstrasza]

Ryana heard the roar and looked out of her tent. Talia and Amelia were gone already and Ryana didn't see Elly. She grabbed her bow and the half empty quiver and took off for the entrance. Talia was heavily injured and Amelia was helping her. Ryana placed an arrow onto the bow and drew the bowstring, she released it firing an arrow into the side of the dragon. The dragonbone arrow pierced through the tough hide, like it was designed to do. Ryana jumped out of the way as its massive tail came down near her. She landed and focused on her tongue.

"Zok Sahrot Dovah! Vahdin Lahney Het! Hin Toor Zii Viintaas! Mu Bolog Aaz!"


Ryana dropped her hands and knees to the ground, bowing her head low. The dragon roared and came close to her, ignoring Talia and Amelia.

"Tinvaak Dovah!"

The dragon growled as he approached her, Ryana hoped that what she planned would work.

"Fahliil speaks the tongue Do Dovah. How? I Fent not Loan. Give me one reason I shouldn't send you to Qethsegol."

"This, Lot Dovah."

Ryana drew a small dagger and drove it through the dragon's snout. He began to reel about till he collapsed on the ground, barely breathing but alive. Ryana grabbed at her exposed leg and looked down, a piece of tooth had broken off after she stabbed him. She landed on her rear and tried pulling it out but let out a high-pitch screech.

 

[EpicVakarian]

I heard the dragon once the others had already gone. I emerged from the sanctuary to see Ryana pulling out a piece of the dragon's tooth from her leg, Talia's dress was totally ruined, and Amelia looked very anxious. I leapt into the fray, throwing fireballs at the dragon, dodging and diving out of the way of its returned shots. I hadn't brought Nightbringer with me, so I was restricted to my dagger and my magic. Ryana had already plunged a dagger into the dragon's snout, so I quickly thought of something. I stopped casting fireballs.

With one hand, I put up the strongest ward I could manage. With the other, I used my small skill in alteration magic to yank the dagger out, tilt it slightly, and throw it forward, right between its eyes. The strength of magic was greater than that of men, so it pierced right through the scales, embedding itself in the dragon's brain before I pulled it out again, so Ryana could get it back, covered in dragon brain as it was. I was gasping for breath, my very essence struggling to get the strength back that it had just used up. I let go of my magic, turned to the other three, and said,
"Well, that's that, then, isn't it?"
And I collapsed, dropping to the floor just as quickly as the dragon had, and knocking myself unconscious on a rock.

 

[blue 468]

The dragon turned it's attention back on the two as Amelia was healing Talia, but Ryana ran out of the sanctuary. She yelled at the dragon before stabbing it in the nose, Amelia thought it was over but it just looked more mad and Ryana was injured injured in the process. That's when Elly came to the rescue shooting fire balls at the beast, she then used a spell to launch Ryana's dagger into the dragon's brain with inhuman force. The dragon roared then collapsed, Amelia's smile fading as Elly fainted.

Amelia was panting with all the energy she just used, feeling like she had just lifted a mountain. She tried to smile but even that was to much, the effort of healing the three girls was almost too much for her but she did it after hauling them back into the sanctuary. She limped to her tent taking a pouch of ale from her bag, she usually hated the barbaric drink but it always helped her recover after healing someone. Grimacing at the strong flavor she lay in her bed roll and fell asleep her whole body shaking.

 

[Freyja]

Talia groaned as she was dragged into the sanctuary, her leg causing a bloody trail in the beautiful sanctuary. She sat up after being released, tearing off a strip of her skirt, wrapping it around the wound with her teeth clenched. Amelia had stopped the worst of the bleeding, but the wound was serious and would have to be treated by a professional healer. It would probably be best to go to the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun. But now it would be best to wait until everyone had recovered from the attack.

 

[EpicVakarian]

My vision was blackened and blurred, my hearing muffled and echoing. I heard their voices, echoing throughout my head as they dragged me back into the sanctuary. I woke just as Amelia went to bed, looking grey and exhausted. Talia seemed to be grimacing, sat at the end of a bloody trail though seemingly healed now. I couldn't see Ryana, but I didn't care right now; I knew she was fine. I realised that I was the only one that hadn't been hurt physically; my clothes were all mercifully still intact. I was still reeling from the amount of effort I had exerted to kill the dragon. My head dropped back to the ground right where it was, and I fell asleep instantly.

 

[Alexstrasza]

Ryana pulled herself up against the tree and watched as the dragon dissolved to nothing but bone. The tooth however was still deep inside her leg. She reached over and grabbed a piece of fallen bark and put it in her mouth. Biting down hard she began to yank on the jagged tooth, it moved a few millimeters out of her leg. She let out a little cry and bit down hard again on the bark and gave it one good more yank. The tooth came ripping out of her leg, leaving a hole big enough for her thumb to go into. She quickly pulled out a piece of cloth from her side pouch and wrapped it around the hole in her leg tightly.

Ryana tried to force herself up but due to the lose of blood and exhaustion from the fight. She fell back down and went on unconscious

 

[EpicVakarian]

I woke up in the middle of the night. I looked around. Evidently, Ryana was not fine; she was in a pool of her own blood, unconscious.
"Ryana!" I said, hoarsely. I crawled over, sat next to her and summoned my knowledge of restoration. A whirl of light flickered around the wound on Ryana's leg, healing it slightly. It wasn't so deep now, and the bleeding slowed down so as to almost stop. I sighed with relief, and fell unconscious again, having used more of my strength again. The last thing I thought before fainting was We have to get Ryana to a proper healer. Temple of Kynareth. Masks. No-one can know who we are. They'll... help...

 

[Freyja]

Talia looked on at Ryana and Elly's struggle, frowning. Why had one Dragon hurt them so terribly? Earlier they were split up and killed two Dragons without getting hurt at all! What was happening to the Dragons that were making them so powerful? What was happening to TREA that was making them so weak? Talia sighed, and attempted to stand up, cringing as the now blood soaked cloth around her leg tightened under the pressure. She had to get to Whiterun, and it looked like everyone would need to come. Talia painfully sighed, limping over to her tent and pulling out the mask of a Dragon Priest. Back when Dragons were easy to kill, Talia had actually managed to take one down. I bet if I killed all of them I wouldn't have to worry about this Dragon problem...

 

[blue 468]

The fire was hot, unbearably hot, Amelia couldn't stand it but could find no way out. She was trapped in a cage watching her friends get burned alive right in front of her, and she could do nothing about it. She tried to scream but no sound came out, the dragon turned it's head toward her and released an abyss of flames... She woke up screaming...it was just a dream, standing up she ran over to the others who were still badly injured despite her best efforts to heal them. "Are you guys alright?" she asked worriedly "Who can walk? We need to get to the temple of Kynareth in Whiterun."

 

[EpicVakarian]

"I.... I've used... too much... magic...." I hated to be so weak. I'd used more energy in magic than I ever had before, and now I was paying for it. "I can walk, but I'll need help. A stick, or something like that. Ryana won't be able to walk. Her leg is still badly wounded. Just... just get us to Whiterun."

Amelia nodded, and ran off to find a fallen branch that would fit me. It was perfectly straight, right up to the top where there was a fork. The two twigs went on either side of my shoulder, and the stick went down to the ground, holding me up. Talia seemed to be walking painfully, but walking nonetheless. Amelia and Talia had to prop Ryana up between them. Ryana used her good leg to help them, but the other two still had to take most of the weight.

We covered our faces, reaching Riften and taking a carriage to Whiterun. The driver realised how urgent it was and spurred the two horses to a gallop, and we reached Whiterun within two hours. We entered, and a guard rushed to help us. I thanked him, letting him take some of the weight off my legs, as I was still exhausted. Another guard helped Talia, and another helped Amelia with Ryana. They hadn't noticed who we were, thankfully. Or so I thought. The one helping to get me to the Temple whispered in my ear,
"How? TREA has been defending us for months. How did you fail?" He seemed to be one of the kinder guards, one of the ones who didn't care what the Jarls told them to do. He obviously thought TREA were in the right, thankfully.
"Dragon... caught us by surprise..." He nodded, and sped up. We were all laid down in the Temple of Kynareth, and Danica Pure-Spring rushed straight to me. I sent her away, snarling. I was only exhausted; I needed no medical help, just some sleep. Ryana, Amelia and Talia all needed Danica more. I fell asleep quickly, even through the moans of my companions, and dreamt, hoping for their safe recovery.