Meeting, Malik and Cultists #7

"Twilight.."

"Is the worst time to be out, as one's eyes can not adjust quickly between the dark of the ground and the lingering brightness of the sky. I know Ash.... I heard  you and the guard round the corner of the Inn, the guard paused and went towards the bridge and you waited a count of ten, then came this way."

I looked back over my shoulder at him and he looked down at me his lips twitching. Then I turned back to look out over the Bay, the water still catching the sunlight, glittering like jewels.

" I needed a moment of quiet and peace, neither of which I would get in the Inn. Maya is very exhausting."

"She is, but she has a good heart and I think with the right Knight she will calm a bit and make a very good Priestess. We are going to help her with that, Malik was recommended by the High Prelate, as a good match for her."

"Do you know him?"

"No, though of course I know of him. "  I nodded and took one last look at the bay, the sky was darkening and stars coming out. We headed back to the Inn, where I played my Lute for an hour or so and then went to bed.

*************

I felt a hand on my foot at the same time I heard Ash say my name and that it was time to get up. Had there been any problems, he would just have said my name. I let loose of the dagger that was in my hand under the pillow and sat up, listening to the sounds of the town waking up for a moment. 

"Maya....Maya! It's time to get up if you want breakfast." she muttered and I grinned at her. " Ash won't spend the extra time here if you're not up and ready to go, we will leave without you."

She sat up and rubbed her glazed red eyes... I winced at the look on her face and walked over and did the best I could with a healing spell, but they aren't really designed to deal with hangovers.

"Come on, Bread will soak up some of the bile in your stomach that's making you queasy and a nice basin of cold water will help with the head. You do want to get to Solitude in time to get our measurements in at the dressmakers don't you?"  I laughed as she grumbled again. I dressed and was out the door to get my breakfast before she had even washed her face.

It took most of the day to get to Solitude, being late afternoon before we made it in the gate. As they were getting ready to execute a man, Ash hurried us to the Inn to get our rooms. I changed out of my heavy armor into a lightweight armor that was suitable for town and changing in and out of clothing.

We made the armorer first and he got our measure and said he would have a couple outfits that we could try on tomorrow, then it was off to the Dresser. The snotty Altmers weren't happy when Ash went in and out of every room and tried all the doors. 

The Sisters said they would have some dresses for us to try, but they would not be the height of fashion. I was happy with that, I only needed a couple of dresses to look nice if I had to meet with the kind of people who expected a Priestess to dress well. 

We went back to the Inn and had a good dinner, Maya chose to stay downstairs and drink and dance with some Imperial soldiers, Ash followed me upstairs where I picked up a book and Ash fixed a pallet on the floor. 

Maya came up as the Guard cried the eleventh hour, sooner than I thought. I was ready for bed, Ash braiding my hair.

"Tsuri, I have a question for you, it's a little personal." She gave Ash a look and he nodded and went out the door. I knew he would not be going far.

"I'll answer if I can, what is it you need to know?"

"I watched the men tonight, they were practically drooling over you and you, you never noticed. I want to get the same kind of attention, without stripping and dancing on a table. I mean even in your armor, you show nothing and yet, get attention, but more you get respect. That is what I want."

I had not actually heard a question, but I think I understood what she meant. I thought a moment about what I thought the biggest differences between us were. 

" I think what people see is my confidence, I don't want attention, but I walk with confidence. Also, my main armor shows nothing, but it does enhance my figure. What I mean is, that you can't see skin, but you can see I have large breasts, You are displaying them, I enhance them. Makes a man think, instead of just drool, about what's under the armor." I saw the light dawn in her eyes.

"Maya, it was a woman who helped design this armor and it wasn't just for protection. No as a Priestess I don't necessarily need to wear armor, I can cast a spell instead, but warriors take me much more seriously because they see I am serious. One of the Priestesses in Elswyer had a saying that I found both funny and apt, " If you've got it, Flaunt it, but remember anything on display is for sale." She looked out with unseeing eyes as she thought of what I said.

"Tsuri, could you help me get one of the armors like yours?  I know they are specially made for each Priestess and well I don't want to go back to the Imperial City to have one made."

"As it happens, I have a long version of the armor, it's got a heavier lining and I think the Armorer here can take some of the plates off the bottom and add them to the seams and adjust it to fit you."

" Oh, so it's back in Riverwood?" She looked a bit crestfallen at that and I smiled.

" No It's one of the things that Ash was carrying, I was going to leave it, but he insisted we bring it. Perhaps for you, he thinks way ahead sometimes." She looked to start another conversation so I told her to think about it and we would take it to the smith in the morning, first thing... but we needed some sleep now.

**************


   The next day dawned bright and sunny and we spent the better part of the day getting fitted for various armors and dresses. The Smith said he could have the armor re-sized in a few days and Maya was very happy about that. We would both have a dress ready the next day.

   The only fly in the ointment, Ash, I was trying on some rather skimpy armors... yeah not to wear, just to try on and he had a major fit over it. I told him he wasn't my Dad and I would damn well wear what I wanted to wear and we had a really quiet fight right then and there. Ash never yells and won't talk to me if I do. Though at times, I yell anyway, it's like slamming a door, it just feels right, at that time anyway!

   Ash and I never stay mad at each other, I depend on him too much and well really I have no clue why he doesn't stay mad at me. We spent the day doing minor repairs to our armor and other gear and you do not know how much I really loved having a hot lunch and then taking a nap.

We picked up a dress apiece from the Sisters and they said the rest would be ready in a day or so and they would have one of the boys run them out to the Priory. Hopefully, more than one boy as I had several dresses myself.

The Armorer said it would be a couple more days before he had Maya's armor done, but he did have the links taken out and she tried it on over a light silk gambeson, which was all that the sisters could have done in that short a time. I reminded him that it would also need to accommodate a heavily padded silk one.

The Winking Skeever's bard and I played til Midnight and then I went to bed, knowing Ash would want to be up and gone with the sunlight.



The walk down and round the docks to the Priory would have been harsh and steep, had we made it with all our packs and Maya's extra gear, but one of the guards showed us a postern gate warning us that it was one-way and that we would have to get the attention of one of the guards to come back through.

Ash muttered something about a breach in the town's defenses and gates like that and said if he was the Jarl of this town he would have that gate sealed up. He was of course correct.

We got to the Priory mid-morning and Maya was about ready to have a fit, she was just that nervous. She hung back with me and let Ash take the lead and greet the Redguard who was chopping wood. 

I took stock of him the way Ash had taught me to. About Ash's height, tough a touch shorter, dark coffee-colored skin. The dual swords on his back looked complicated to me, and light crimson-colored armor made me wince at how visible he would be from a distance, though I would find out I was wrong about that.

His hair was long, but shaved on one side, in the fashion of a sword dancer, from Hammerfell's desert regions. He was a master of his chosen weapons, like Ash. The Order did not make just anyone a Knight let alone a Knight Protector.

We set our packs down and Ash introduced us, then we helped him with some of the chores he was doing before Maya and I took all our gear inside and started Lunch. Ash and Malik spent lunch discussing Maya like she wasn't there, which is par for course for Knights, male or female. Maya and I decided to chime in like we were talking about someone who wasn't there.

We spent the next week sparing and testing how the two of them would work together and then asked for an audience with the Jarl. We had left her be as she had much to contend with because of the recent death of her husband. 

Ash did most of the talking, as temporary High Prelate of our Order in Skyrim, he explained what our tenets were to her and that we would be more than happy to help with any and all troubles, except political ones.  He did say it a bit more, diplomatically though.

She nodded and thanked us for coming and that would have been that if not for the Steward whispering something in her ear. After getting a nod from the Jarl the Steward explained to us.

"We have a bit of a problem on our border, lately there have been reports of people going missing with some Cultists as the attackers. The problem is if we send the guard, the Jarl of The Pale, might take it as an invasion. He's.... touchy to say the least and with the Civil War, even touchier. I think as a religious order, that plans on staying neutral in the Civil War, you can do what our guards can't. If you could get rid of these cultists, the Jarl would be very grateful."

We took our leave and Ash and Malik started planning out what supplies we would need what was already at the Priory and what we would need to buy before we left town.


Two days later we were on our way. It had been decided that Malik and Maya would take the lead, with Ash and I as their backup, because they needed to be able to work together seamlessly. Maya's armor came the day before we left and I have never seen a man's face look so crestfallen.

Maya was asking Ash about the armor's fit, with Malik beside me. "But she has such glorious Breasts, it is a shame to cover them up." I looked at him and said 

"What?" 

"Ah, but you see, Sword Dancers wear little, usually cloth. I wear this armor, more for the cold than the protection it offers. A female Sword Dancer will often fight in only a modesty covering, with hair flowing. I had thought from the armor she had been wearing that, perhaps...well, I guess it doesn't matter."

"Malik, once Ash is gone, you can probably talk her right into wearing as little as it pleases the two of you to wear, and the cold permits, as she is a Nord, that might be very little indeed. As a priestess, she may dress how she wills, in armor or cloth, Ash has an odd idea of propriety and safety."

   He looked very thoughtful as we continued on. We found the cave entrance that we had been told about. The doorway and masonry said much about the type of people that were inside. The newly killed and desiccated corpses said more.

   Ash motioned us to walk a little bit away. And told us that as it was only mid-afternoon he wanted to wait til later when opening the door would not flood the interior with sunlight, allowing them to know we were on our way in. So we set up a small camp and I pulled out my bed roll and took a nap until Ash called me awake.

   It was right at dusk and Maya was also rubbing her eyes, Malik handed us both a bowl of stew and a chunk of bread. I tasted the meat, berries, honey, and some of the spices that Ash used to make the Stew, it wasn't as tasty as one would think, but it was full of calories that we would need to fight.


  I opened the door as narrowly as possible and watched as the other three squeezed through, then went in myself and closed the door quietly. I put my pack on the floor next to the others and we headed into the cave. I blinked my eyes a little to adjust to the dimmer cave. 

  As I looked around, I realized it was not as dim as it could have been. The blue light shining down from the roof of the cave said that a hole or two in the mountain was letting in light, the color said it was iced over. There were also Brazier's burning, giving off a dim orange/yellow light. The effect was creepy.

  Malik and Maya were almost to the ramp down, when I heard it, claws on stone, I could not see any animal. I caste a very simple low-level spell that put frost on everything, not useful for much, but it did one thing well, put to sight anything invisible. It would not last long, but they pulled weapons and killed the Skeevers that were almost on top of them.

   They rushed down to the next level, making enough noise that anything there would have time to prepare. Ash gave me a look and followed a bit slower, I was now watching all their backs. I caste a detect life spell and was startled to see Ash almost pass something pressed to the wall.

   "Ash, 9 O'clock high!" He swung the greatsword in an arc and the mage who had been standing there, invisible, lost his head. I again cast my Hoarfrost spell and it showed two mages almost on top of Malik and Maya. Ash let out a battle cry and took off running, which was a good thing as neither of the other two was in a good position to battle.

   I caste a  summon Flame Atronach spell, not just to help with the fight, but they are very good about detecting hidden enemies. Maya got a knife slashed across her chest and fell, but the mage back-peddled with a fire-bolt to the face and then a greatsword across the neck. 

   Malik was faring better, but in trying to find an opening was maneuvering for space when the mage summoned an Ice Atronach. I caste another detect life spell, but only that which I could already see was visible on this level and I could not see below. The creepy smile on the mages face told me he was playing a waiting game and I needed to get to Maya.

  I pulled out my crossbow and dipped the tip of one of the bolts into a small vial that I carried. Hitting the mage in the side of the neck caused him to freeze as powerful paralyzing poison took effect, before he could topple over, Malik's swords scissored his head off and Ash's swing at the now dissipating Atronach had to be pulled.

   I got to Maya gave her a vial of fast-acting healing potion and caste a spell on top of that. She said her thanks as I went to both men and caste a small healing spell on both, neither had more than minor cuts. Ash looked at me and raised a brow, I nodded and said, "From the waiting game he was playing, he expected help from below."

   I kept behind the others, casting detect life at every turn, but we ran into no more than a Skeever til we were almost at the bottom. We were strung out on a steep downward ramp when the next attack came. I was flung into the wall by a pressure wave, as soon as I was half upright I caste my hoarfrost spell again and we could all see five or six mages heading up the ramp, though on different levels.

  The first of them got to us as one of those below had caste a paralyze spell and caught Maya before she had gotten an armor flesh spell on. She fell hard and I stopped beside her and caste two spells quickly one a flesh spell for me, the other a summon for a Storm Atronach. I drew my sword and readied a ward spell, I didn't have the strength to caste yet.

  The men were in a guarding position with Ash slightly ahead, his sword's longer reach keeping most at bay, Malik kept closer to the wall where his speed and agility would work for him. I reached into my pouch and felt around for a small vial of potion that would allow my magicka to regenerate faster, at the cost of me physically crashing later. I drank that and chewed on the lump of dried meat and berries kept together by honey, that would help with my energy level. 

   I knelt and poured a drop or two of healing potion at a time into Maya's mouth, I didn't want her to choke. I kept looking and had to put the stopper on the vial and stand, flinging up a ward spell in time to stop another one of those pressure waves, it had been preceded by a sound like a clap of thunder, which gave me warning. 

  As I thought that my Storm Atronach was about to dissipate, I summoned another, only to find, that the 1st did not. In the back of my mind was the thought that my conjuration skill had just gotten stronger. Looking down to the bottom of the cave, I could see a dark blob floating around, and I caste a fire bolt at it, but it barely moved the thing. 

   Sighing I kept one ear out for the thing and then concentrated on the mages, they all had daggers and those must have been enchanted, Malik and then Ash went down.. I caste Healing spells at both and then threw a rune spell at my feet. At almost arm's length one of my fire-bolts hit a mage square in the chest and he went off the edge of the ramp down to the bottom, I heard the crunch of bones breaking. An ice-spike flew past my face and caught another through the eye and I caste a spell at him that pushed him over the edge, then used another Summon spell, this time for one of the Lesser Deadra, a Golden Saint answered and she put paid to the remaining mage.

   I gave both Malik and Ash very strong healing potions and they staggered to their feet. Two more mages and the black creature were at the bottom of the cave. The two men started for the bottom and Maya went to follow, I grabbed her sleeve and shook my head.

"You go to that landing and I'll go over on the other side of the stream. Strafing spells at it, keep it off balance, try not to hit the men."

  It wasn't too much longer before it was a pile of black rags and mush and we looked around at all the landings and in the sleeping areas. I caste spells to see if there were hidden passages but could find none. We all tramped back up to the first landing and from the sound of the wind rattling the door and the snow blowing through the cracks, a blizzard was blowing outside.

 "we'll camp here, Tsuri, you and Malik go find more wood and other things that will burn, then put some runes on the ramp up. Maya lay out everyone's sleep rolls and put a low-powered rune on the door, so that we know it's being opened, but it won't hurt the unwary." 

After all the preparations had been made, but before the stew was done. Ash looked at me and barked, "What went wrong?!"  I sighed cause, while I was used to Ash and the way he did after assessments, neither Maya nor Malik were.

 "Malik, Maya you both rushed ahead, without knowing what was there. Malik, it's your job as a Knight protector to protect your Priestess. Maya, it's your job to make sure Malik knows what it is he's protecting you from. Ash, you were not as cautious as you could have been following them. I was slow to caste the right spells to allow all to see what the danger was."  I paused and thought for a moment and then started again.

 "Maya, for the second part of that fight, you didn't caste protective spells on yourself, yes this armor is better, but it's not plate steel. This caused you to miss most of the fight, being paralyzed. Malik, I should not have been the one standing over Maya protecting her. I had to watch her and also pay attention to you and Ash and those mages. Ash, my Conjuration has increased, I can now summon two deadra from the other plane."  He nodded and then stood up and walked away for a minute. He paced back and stood looking at the three of us.

 "Maya, Malik, to be honest, you should have had more time to get to know how each other works. Tsuri and I know each other well enough to know how we are going to react. BUT, knowing you each need to talk to the other, when we get back and work out how you are going to work with each other." he paused and then frowned, " Those weren't just mages, they were cultists of one sort or the other. That creature was a Lurker, Tsuri best guess?"  I frowned and thought about it for a minute or so. 

  "At first glance, I would have said Hermaeus Mora, but it doesn't quite fit. His cultists are power hungry, yes, but they feel power through knowledge and I didn't see more than ten books, very unlike any of his followers". I looked off into the dark of the cave. " Even though the Lurker is one of his creatures. I don't know Ash, but it seems it's something that we should look into. I do have a question though, what was that  ummm weapon it was using, the sound and pressure wave?" Ash was shaking his head and I could see he didn't know.

"A Thu'um, that was a Thu'um or shout. It is something that can be learned but it would take a very long time. Legends say that a Dragonborn can use them without extensive training." She looked at me inquiringly. I shook my head.

"No, not as far as I know, who would we ask?" She tipped her head a little and smiled.

"The Greybeards they are the only ones who might know."









   
    

Maya #6

The trip to Solitude was pretty much uneventful unless you counted the constant sniping Maya was shooting at Ash. He never said a word, Which was unusual for him, but when I didn't hear a bear crashing through some trees because of her constant chatter and sniping, I told her to hush. 

She pouted for a bit and then started singing and I had to explain that I wasn't just asking her not to talk, but to be quiet. I was out of sorts, almost being mauled by a bear, just because we couldn't hear it coming. 

I looked back at Ash and realized he had been waiting for me to say something. I groaned and looked back forward, he always wanted me to think and this was no exception. So, why me say something... hmmm she didn't strike me as the type of woman that won't listen to advice from a man, just because he is.

Ah, in her case, it's the authority figure, she's rebelling against. Well, Ash is a good leader, who knows how to delegate and when. Hopefully, she would not hold a grudge.

It took us almost a week to get to Solitude and I must say, camping with Maya was not a treat. She was not happy about sleeping on the ground and had not packed the right kind of clothing or gear. It was only on the second night, that Ash pulled out a thin but warm blanket, I knew why, he wanted her to plan better. What way to teach than to let someone mess up on their own and then show them how it's done.

On the fourth night, I had a burning curiosity. I was not sure how to ask or even if it was polite. I weighed knowing against sour feelings and decided if she wasn't mad about me constantly telling her to shut UP, then this probably wasn't going to bother her either. So as soon as we were settled down, I decided to ask.

"Maya, why don't you have a Knight protector? The Order is usually much better at protecting its Priestesses." She looked over the fire at me and got a cocky grin on her face.

"I can take care of myself. What do I need a man to protect me for."  Ash snorted and I looked over at him.

"What you mean is you have driven off every Knight sent to you. Now none will have you and without a Knight Protector, all you can do is roam around. You have no clue how to take care of yourself in the wilderness, so you have to stay in the cities and towns, but all those posts are taken by Knights and Priestesses or Priests...." 

"Ash!!" I had never known him to be so mean.

"Tsuri, It's the truth and the only reason we are on this trip to Solitude right now is that there IS a knight who is willing to try to work things out with her." He looked at her and frowned, the tears in her eyes were not expected but the stubborn set to her jaw was. "This is your last chance at a Knight protector, after Malik, you will be recalled back to the Imperial City and assigned to the Priory there as an Acolyte or simply let go, All Priest-mages and mage-Priestesses must have a Knight Protector. You are given too much power by Akatosh not to."

Maya's normally tan face went white and she balled up with her arms around her legs and started sobbing. I looked at Ash and he shook his head, confusion in his eyes. I walked over and knelt beside her, wrapping my arms around her.

"Maya, from what Ash has said you're the one pushing the Knights away, making their life a misery."

I listened carefully as she sobbed and stuttered through an explanation. I fished a small piece of cloth out of a pocket, normally used to wipe down my blade, it was clean at the moment, so I handed it to her.

"Sweetie Ash, neither owns me nor is a marionette, whose orders I follow without thought."

"But...you...he tells you what to do all the time!"

"Well of course he does, I've had something after me since the day I was born. Ash is my Knight Protector, my friend, and my mentor. Over the years I have not had time to learn all, none of us can. I trust in Ash to keep me safe."

"But he...he tells you what to wear." She wailed out.

"And I listen, to an extent."

"You gave me that beautiful outfit 'cause you said he'd burn it!" I gave her a lop-sided grin and nodded.

"That's very true, I did and he would." I looked up at Ash, who chose that moment to look down at the two of us, his face in a stern line and my lips twitched. " I like yanking his chain once in a while, but I actually prefer clothing that covers a bit more." Ash's eyes narrowed and he shook his head, then came over and knelt beside us, tipping her chin up so that she was looking at him.

"Malik's sisters are both Sword-dancers. I have seen Yenaveria wear less and get no flack from him. You're a mage, as long as you use your protective magic, what you wear doesn't really matter. Tsuri forgets her armor spells but rushes right in, so I harp on what she wears." With that, he stood up and walked out away from the camp and looked around.

I didn't for a minute think that was the complete truth of the matter, I did not forget to use my armor spells, I only used them when I thought I needed them. Of course, if it helped settle Maya, Ash wasn't above a little lie of omission. 

She looked a little brighter and stopped sobbing. I stood up and walked over to my pack and grabbed a washing cloth and dipped it in the small pot of water, then wrung it out over the ground. Kneeling beside Maya again, I carefully wiped the tears and smudges away.

"So, no more rebelling just to rebel? We'll get to Solitude, do some shopping and Ash can carry all our stuff. Then we'll go meet Malik and see about the Priory. If his job is like Ash's then you'll be near Solitude for a good long time, while you put it in order. That Priory was A home for a while but was neglected, Malik one of the two Knights sent to look it over."

She smiled and said that was great and she would give him a chance. I was glad she would at least try, if Ash was right ( and I knew he would be) Malik was her last chance.

The rest of the trip to Solitude was pretty uneventful, you know, other than wolves, Sabre cats, and Trolls. I would be more than happy to try on different armor, but I preferred mine... dresses on the other hand!  Now that we were attached to a Priory for a while, I could buy some dresses and look like something other than a walking tin can.

New Friends #5

  

The trip from Riften was a test of patience, I was physically exhausted by the time we got back to the Priory and wanted nothing more than some peace and quiet. As if the wolves and bears weren't enough, Spriggan's and Derzog seemed to have multiplied, or well maybe not. As we had not done more than travel through Skyrim before, maybe it was normal to have so many dangerous creatures around.

  My temper was frayed and Ash's ooof, he didn't even wait for a bandit to try to extort money from us, she no sooner said "Halt...this is" and he loped her head off. That may have had something to do with the assassin that had tried to kill us, which did not go over well, if he could have he would have killed the Khajiit twice over.

  He was practically growling by the time we made it to the Priory. Seeing the horses staked out, out in the small grassy area, was clue number one that we were not alone. He said he would take care of our horses and I could go meet our guests. So I did.

    A set of twins, at first I thought triplets, but they said no. Maya was a tall leggy blond, augmented by the three-inch spiked heel boots and I would feel jealous but she had such a sweet personality, that I could not. Her armor had the twins drooling, Ash rolled his eyes and asked if it wasn't a bit chilly. The twins were blond Imperials that though taller than me, were shorter than Maya, who stood equal in height with Ash.

  Maya just rolled her eyes at Ash and said "Yes Dad...I'll go and put on more clothes". I choked on a laugh, but the twins didn't and he glared at them, stalking out of the Priory. I heard mutters about children that should have been smothered at birth.

  Maya asked if I minded sharing space with her, she normally didn't mind sharing a barracks with men, but the way the twins stared at her made her want to either beat the crap out of them or take a bath and she wasn't sure which. I told her I didn't mind, we could get them to pull one of the beds into my room, I really didn't use the table anyway, but she should know that Ash would pop in and out a few times a night to make sure I was ok.

 "Ohhh- Kaaay and why is he checking up on you?"  I could see the curiosity in her eyes, though all the piercings were very distracting.... at a guess I would say the low cleavage was also, to men.

"Well, it's the whole *Akatosh's chosen, soul of a dragon* thing. He was made my guardian and he takes it very seriously."  I sighed and thought for a moment. " Then again as often as things try and kill me, I can't say as I blame him. Our first  * run in the night* was after he killed a Dark Seducer who was leaning over my bed. "

  I could see the surprise and horror in her eyes, most people looked at it that way. Dragons were not nice creatures, power.. they were all about gaining and keeping power. The whole reason I was taught to be a priestess first and a mage second, the skills as a warrior, well that was strictly to keep me alive.

"Oh, I'm used to it, grew up knowing that Ash would keep me alive at all costs. I have something I have to do, something Akatosh gave me the soul of a Dragon to do. Once that's done," I laughed, in a half-joking manner, " Ash may kill me himself. Well, it's not like I would blame him, I make his life worse than a trip through one of the realms of Oblivion. " She tipped her head sideways and tapped her lips with a long red fingernail.

"Why? Why torment him? Does he restrict you so much?" I looked down at the floor and thought hard about that one. Why did I like to twist his tail, when had I started... huh, that would need a lot of thought.

"No, as a matter of fact, he pretty much lets me do as I please, just watches like a hawk while I do it, picks up any pieces I may have broken, and glues everything back together with kindness and patience."

She slapped her legs and got a bright grin on her face... "How about we go and paint the Sleeping Giant red? We'll even take the boys along, someones gotta cart us home." She grabbed her bags in one hand and my arm in the other and hauled us to my room.

We dressed in some of our finery and ate a small snack for lunch, Maya said we'd be able to drink the men under the table if we had something to soak up the alcohol. I shook my head and knew Ash might have an ale or two, but not more, he was somber and vigilant about his guardianship.

The twins thought it was an excellent suggestion and started arguing about who was going to carry whom home. Ash glared enough at the two of them, that they decided he could carry the "redhead" home, they'd take the blond. Maya snickered and winked, I had the feeling she had been to the Sleeping Giant before and had something other than coming back to the Priory tonight in mind.

I was right, but of all people, she shacked up with Orgnar, well he might not be everyone's cup of tea looks wise, and had the personality of a Sabre Cat in a pissy mood, but well he must have had some kind of quality she liked. I decided not to ask.

I  had less to drink than Ash, I stuck to cider, and Sven and I amused everyone, taking turns playing.  I knew many more songs than he did, from Elswyer, literally, and High Rock, Morrowind, and places in between.  He taught me some of the Local versions of Favorite songs of Skyrim, I knew some of them were slanted for or against the Civil War, which Ash said we needed to keep strictly out of.  I would learn all versions, never knowing when they might come in handy.

We made it back to the Priory with the first glimmer of light on the horizon and I fell into bed gratefully. I woke mid-morning to Maya shaking me and asking if I wanted to go to Solitude, do some shopping, and check out the other Priory? I told her that was fine, we might ditch the twins, but Ash would insist on going with us, I was not wrong.

A Break in Riften #4

 

  Once we were back in Riften, Ash bought a house, he would have rented it, but it was cheaper to buy. He also bought just about a full shipment of paper and ink. He started writing to various different Priories asking for some Knights to be sent to Whiterun Priory.

  I spent a day reading all the journals and letters that we had found in Forelhost. I bought a journal and started writing my findings about Dragons and Dragon Priests. At some point, we would have to track them all down and make sure they stayed in their crypts.

  The one thing that did stand out, aside from the tragedy of them killing their own children, is that they expected dragons to return. They expected Alduin to come back and bring them back to life. To them, it was a certainty, which did not really bode well.

  Ash was well into writing and didn't even lift his head when I put food down on the table. I told him I was going skinny dipping in the lake right outside town and he just said have fun. I'm sure sometime tonight he will run out to the lake and try and find me. 

  So instead of giving him a complete heart attack, I left a note on the lamp post on our back deck saying that I would be at the Bee and Barb. And just to see if he really was paying attention, I put on the same corset outfit, that he had already threatened to burn and asked him if he liked my new outfit. 

  I sighed at the grunt I got and picked up my lute, heading out to see if the wizard was any good with his hands. One way or the other, I planned on having some fun... and a couple too many drinks!

  I woke the next morning with a mussy head and an upset stomach. I got up and grabbed a piece of bread and tore off a chunk. That helped to settle my stomach, I grabbed a healing potion and downed it. My head cleared up, but I still felt, stale I guess is the best way to put it, so I grabbed some soap-sand and two towels and walked out the back door.

  The Water felt cool to my skin when I jumped in, but I needed the shock of it to completely wake up and lose the rest of the mussy head.  I swam for a good long time floating in the middle of the lake watching the star's wheel across the sky. When I decided I was wrinkled enough I swam over near the boat tied to our dock and washed my hair and the rest of me.

  I tossed the cloth up onto the railing and then swam around to the steps where I had left my towel. I looked around and saw no one, so slowly got out of the water wrapped the towel around me, and used the second one on my hair. 

  It wasn't until I got to the top of the steps and turned towards the door, that I saw Ash sitting in the shadow at the table. I stopped and glared at him.

"Geeze Ash, learn to whistle or something!"

"Why, would you have stayed in the water longer if you had known I was here?" I heard the amusement in his voice.

"ah, no, but it might save you a little pain when you startle the crap out of me and I throw a spell at you." I grumbled under my breath, " You know if it wasn't for the fact that you changed my nappies, I'd think you were a pervert the way you are always around when I take a bath." He tipped his head sideways slightly and narrowed his eyes.

"How many daggers do you have on you right now?" I stuck my tongue out at him.

"None, but I can caste more than you can carry." He inclined his head.

"And what about the Argonian that was fishing this morning? Could you have caste a spell at her, under the water, as she was pulling you into the deep?" I did not let my surprise show or at least I did not think I had, but he nodded anyway.

"That is why I watch and that is why if you are going swimming you need to have a dagger strapped to your leg and learn a spell that lets you breathe underwater." I shivered and headed towards the door, Ash got up and followed me.

  I tucked my bath towel in better then grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the fireplace. I sat sideways to it and started rubbing my hair to dry it, then tried to pull a comb through it. Ash watched me for a while but then got up with a sigh and grabbed the comb out of my hand.

"You're putting in more knots than you're taking out." he bunched up my hair and started combing from the bottom, teasing out all the knots.

" I ought to just cut it all short." I should, but my hair had always been long, Ash had always brushed it out when I was young. He grunted and made another non-committal sound.

"It's your hair and you are old enough to decide what you want to do with it. I have a knife or a pair of shears whenever you decide." He kept at my hair until it was dry, braided it, and then went back and sat at the table, picking up a bowl of stewed apples.

  I got up to go put a robe on and came back and fixed myself a bowl of the stewed apples, but put some cream and a bit of spice over the top. I sat at the table and we ate in silence. 

"Ash...Why you?". He looked up from the last of his breakfast and chewed slowly. 

"Because I was there." I blinked a few times and tried to sort that out, I knew that would be the short answer and the truth, but it could not be all of it.

"Just because you were there? No other reason? You weren't the best man for the job.. the most skilled, you got my guardianship simply because.. you were there?"

His lips thinned to a tight line and I could see the far away look in his eyes.  He rolled his shoulders and tipped his head to one side quickly and I could hear the joints popping.

"No, not that simple. I was sent to the Priory you ... no,  hummmp. Do you remember anything of the Priory in High-Rock?" When I shook my head he lifted one shoulder and dropped it. " Well not really much chance, you were a toddler when I got there. While I did help bath and dress you, you were already out of *nappies*, when I got there." He pulled out the thin-bladed knife he carried and reached over his shoulder to the shelve grabbed a small piece of wood he was carving."

"The Priory was run by two old Knights and an even older Priest. I and two others were sent there to help out and in time, perhaps take over. I was newly a Knight, just two years, but had already fought many Deadra and other things at the Orders bidding." His smile was lopsided as the scars on his face pulled in odd angles. 

"You had been brought to the Priory by a woman, the Priest said she was *otherworldly* they were told to care for you, as you were our Father's Daughter. It did not take them long to figure what was meant, not when you conjured tiny dragons made of fire, that talked to you in another language." He turned the wood in his hands and started whittling from another direction.

"Not long after I and the other Knight got there some Deadra attacked the Priory and the Priest decided to bind your powers, for a time, they were drawing things that you could not handle." I looked at the scars that crossed his nose, cheek, and eyelid, four long scars made by a Winged Twilight that he had found standing over my bed. I did not remember, but still, it caused me to tremble, that was the first time Ash had saved my life and he had been doing so since.

"The Priest decided that as soon as the snow melted with the spring, I would take you to a Priory near the Imperial City. We left in the dead of night, two days before Winter Solstice. I got you to safety and the Head of our Order decided that I should be your Guardian." He again pulled that lop-sided smile," In no small part because you would not let me out of your sight." I looked into his ice-blue eyes and saw the laughter in them, I smiled back at him.

"It was long ago, Tsurista and I have taken being your Guardian seriously. Two Priest's and three Knight's gave their lives that night so that we could escape. I know I have been restrictive, but think, since your powers were unbound, we have kept on the move. Never do we stay any one place too long." He sighed and I could see regrets in his eyes, not of things he missed, but for the childhood that I never had. We had been over that topic before.

I stood up, having finished my breakfast, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. 

"Thank you, Ash, not just for what you have done, but for who you are. You have been the rock that I have clung to in the raging storm of life. I know you often push me away and I act like a spoiled brat at times, but I have learned my lessons well. I can care for myself, though I learn new lessons in that, daily, you are still my mentor, guardian, and best friend."

 

Dragon this and Dragon that.... #3

   

Tsurista: A Knights Tale

Page 3  Dragon this and Dragon that

It had been some god's awful hour before the sun came up that Ash woke me to leave for Whiterun. Which I suppose was a good thing, after getting ready we made it there just in time to help some people with a giant that was attacking a farm. 

  We helped to slay him, but I was sad, giant's never seemed to understand that not all the cows on Nirn belonged to them. A woman came up and thanked us, while her comrades cleaned their swords nearby. She stank of Hircine and I could practically see Ash's hair stand on end.

   She told me I would make a good shield sister and that I should come join the Companions. I played right along and asked her if "we" could join, she looked at Ash and said it wasn't for her to decide, that I should talk to Kodlak White-mane. 

 I watched her walk away and grinned when she looked back over her shoulder at me and winked. Huh... shield-sister or pillow friend? I chuckled and looked at Ash, who was just shaking his head.

"You do realize..." he started sternly.

"That she is a member of Hircine's pack? And runs with the Full Moon? Yes, Ash, I do realize that she stank of wolf."

   He nodded and turned to walk into town. There is something about Ash's frown that makes most people tuck tail and run, but we ran into a Redguard, who snidely asked if we got to the Cloud District often and then said smugly probably not. When Ash put his hand on his sword and asked if the man wanted to be a permanent part of the cloud district, he hurried away.

  One of the guards nearby chuckled, but then said as much as he would love to see that, we should not harass the citizens. We made it to the Jarl's Longhouse with no further interruptions.

  I spoke to the Jarl, while Ash went and talked to the Court Wizard, who generally knows much of what is happening. The Jarl wasn't happy to get confirmation of Helgen's demise but thanked me for letting him know. His housecarl and his Steward seemed to be of two different minds about how to handle beefing up the protection for Riverwood.

  I bowed and left the Jarl and went to find Ash, he was still talking to the Court Wizard who wanted him to get some kind of stone from a barrow, but then gave directions for another barrow that seemed to involve catching a carriage to Riften. 

   Ash took our leave telling the wizard that we would look into the other barrow as soon as our business was done. He motioned me to follow him and we headed to the local Inn. Ash ordered our lunch, with cider to drink. I looked at him and from the way he was frowning at me, I knew I was not going to get my night of drinking.

   When our food arrived,  Ash still had not said a word, but his frown of concentration told me he was trying to remember something. I tucked into my food and listened to the Bard, he wasn't half bad, but nowhere near as good as he seemed to think he was. 

   "Do you remember reading anything about the Dragon Cult?" I finished chewing the food in my mouth while thinking about the little I had read.

   "Very little, I don't recall much was written about them." I frowned and then blinked as a couple passages from a book took form in my mind. " The only thing I recall is fairly recent, historically speaking." I took a drink and gathered my thoughts. " Storm-strider, he found a hold-out while chasing some Elves. There wasn't much in that account, I don't remember why. It was here in Skyrim."

   "Yes, the Wizard said that there is a barrow over near Riften, that is said to be where the Dragon Cult last was. We will be heading their soon as lunch is over. When we get back from there, I told him we would look into getting a *dragonstone* for him. It's supposed to be a map of where all the dragons are buried. Why he wants it, he wouldn't say, but there must be a reason and once we get it, he'll tell us." 

   I sighed, 'cause it looked like I wasn't going to get my drink after all. Ash asked the Inn Keeper if she wouldn't fix us up a basket of food, to take with us. Once she brought us the basket we headed out to the carriage and took the three-day trip into the Rift.

   We spent a couple days helping the locals and getting some information about where the barrow was that we were looking for. A Dunmer needed some help retrieving a family bow and a stable man was being asked to pay a debt for items that had gotten stolen, by that person. Going to get some ore from the mine in Shor's Stone for the town's Alchemist and then clearing the mine of Spiders.

   I did have a nice night on the town, twisting Ash's tail and had a few drinks with a wizard Mercenary. Ash and I were sharing a room or I might have shared more than just some ale. It was a good night, nonetheless.

   "Forelhost!" Ash burst into the room as I was lacing up my boot. I looked up at him inquiringly. "The Barrow we need is called Forelhost and it's not all that far from here, I've ordered some food and asked the Stableman if we can borrow a couple horses."

   The Altmer we met a the entrance to Forelhost was very suspect, but as he was asking us to do something that we were planning to do anyway, we agreed to his plan. Not that he would get anything we brought out, if he wanted it that bad, he should have gone in and got it himself.

   The first thing we met inside the barrow, was ghosts. I dissipated them with a spell and went on our way. In each room, we looked for books, journals, or notes that might give us any information about dragons and their return. We ran into many of the walking dead, what the Nords call Draugr. 

   In one of the rooms were skeletons each had a bottle of poison near it. This upset me, but not as much as the small linen-wrapped bodies and I was all but in tears when I read the notes that went back and forth between an Alchemist and the Dragon Priest. 

   Ash stopped us and we had a good talk, I was extremely upset and he understood but said that I should turn that into anger. Anger at the creatures attacking us, anger at the dragons that encouraged this kind of cult. 

  I sucked it up and in a few more room's we found the crypt of the Dragon Priest Rahgot and I found the perfect being to take my anger out on. The battle was swift and bloody as I pounded spell after spell into him, never letting up, the short time I needed to recharge my magic, I pounded him with my sword.

  Ash was dealing with draugr, he was sending the last one to its final rest. I sent the Dragon Priest to his final rest in a great explosion, that caused me to stumble around seeing large white spots. 

  I sat down right where I was put my head on my knees and cried. Ash sat beside me and rocked me in his arms til I was hiccuping. 

  He took some of our water wet a cloth and let me wash my face. That made me feel better. I picked up the Dragon Priest's mask and staff and placed the Mask in my backpack, then tied the staff to it. 

  When we went outside, we saw the Altmer dressed in a Stormcloak uniform and knew there was something up with that. He attacked as soon as we got close to him and right beforehand I heard him saying that we were Imperial spies.  I felt bad having to kill the soldier, but not the Altmer. Ash looted his body and found a note.

  He placed that note with the other papers we had, then took the two bodies off, while I set camp back to rights and started out dinner. It was way too late to head for Riften.

  I pulled out the notes and journals that we had found but before I could do more than decide which to read, I fell asleep. 
  

Black Wing's Unfurled #2

   

We went in the gates, but not a soul resided within and I mean that Literally, the souls of the dead, not a one lingered, and that in and of itself was strange. I was no Priestess to Arkay, but I knew that those killed in this fashion often lingered. In a town, parents would look for children, and children would not know to depart. I would have to do some research when we got back to the Priory.

  We went around the whole of the fort and into the undercroft, I used spells to look for the living and other spells looking for any hidden passages. We ran into a cave-in, and I managed to squeeze through, but not long after, I found another cave-in and could not pass, though I could see what appeared to be a rather large cavern. When I got back to Ash, I suggested looking for a cave entrance that might lead into the undercroft, as I had seen what looked like natural formations.

I put out some of the fires with spells of ice and snow and cried at the bodies I found within. We left the Fort and headed along in a broad downward angle, knowing that if there was a cave entrance, there would be some kind of game trail.

We found the cave entrance, and it took about an hour, as we entered the cave I cast a detect life spell and got back two glows. Ash went after the furthest one and I found the closer man, an Imperial. He asked for a healing potion, which I gave, and then used a spell to augment it. As I helped the man to his feet, I looked for Ash who was only halfway to the other person.

Hadvar he said his name was and that I should hurry without him to Riverwood and let them know a Dragon had attacked Helgen. I told him Alvor had sent us here and they were already on guard. A huge crash caused me to wobble and dust flew all over the place.

"Ash... ASH!" I yelled his name and cast another detect life spell, I found him getting up from where he had dived out of the way of a falling stalactites.

"Ralof, he was right behind me."  I caste another detect life spell as I helped Ash to his feet.  He was fine, but I saw another tear in the hem of his armor, that would need fixing. When I saw no tel-tail glow, I caste a detect dead spell, and under the rubble was the shape of a man. I shook my head and the Imperial bowed his.

"He was a good man, we grew up together playing soldiers along the river. Until we became them, on different sides. I will miss my brother."  Ash and I helped him out of the cave and then walked all the way back to Riverwood with him. It turned out that Alvor was his Uncle. Before we headed back to the Priory, we promised Alvor we would head to Whiterun and let the Jarl know about the destruction of Helgen and the dragon who had done it.



I looked up from the book I was reading as Ash thumped another stack down. I frowned down at the dusty tomes.

" Surely those aren't all about Dragons and Alduin in particular?" I had been hard-pressed to find any mention of Alduin in the books I had read about dragons and their Cult.

"No, just books that may reference dragons, I don't read as fast as you do, but I can skim and find keywords.  You read and I'm going to replace some of the potions we used, magic healing is all good and well, but I can't heal you."

" I need to go meditate and ask Akatosh for guidance, I'm just going to the chapel."  I put the book down, the one that told me most of what I needed to know about Alduin, World eater, Bringer of the End of Time, devourer of souls. I shuddered at that, he used the souls of Man and Mer as a source of energy, those poor beings would not go to their final reward, but disappear completely.

I entered the chapel and knelt in front of the Shrine to Akatosh, I wiped all the worries from my mind, grounded within myself, and then cast my awareness outwards into the Aether.  I was calm as I asked our Father for direction, the answer I got was that "Time would show me the way". 

I centered back into myself and shook my head, I really hated riddles. I still planned on getting rip-roaring drunk, but after we got back from talking to the Jarl in Whiterun. I stood and turned to find Ash behind me, that was so normal that I felt like bursting into tears.

"You know all those within the fort are gone." I looked up at Ash and trembled inside, " Not just dead Ash, gone from existence, Alduin eats their souls for the energy he needs and because it delights him." He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Telling me that tomorrow was time enough to worry about it all and that we should get some sleep.

As I made ready for bed I thought of all the things I had read and about the cryptic advice I had gotten from Akatosh, Divines and Deadra alike made little sense to Man, until after the fact, then you shook your head and wondered at being so dense.

I laid down but never fell asleep, so I got back up, only to find that Ash had not yet gone to sleep either. We stood on the balcony overlooking Whiterun and talked for a while.  I asked him questions that I knew he did not have the answers to and very Ash-like, he gave me answers that directed me to where I could look for those answers or told me he just didn't know.

I had long ago asked about where I had come from, but none of the Priest's or Knight's knew. They knew I was Breton and that is about all they knew. We went back in and I skimmed through a bunch more books before I gave it up and went to bed. I blanked my mind and relaxed my muscles, it wasn't as good as sleeping, but as it did tonight it allowed me to fall into sleep.

I dreamed of huge black wings
covering the sun.