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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
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Return to Hammerfell
Topic Started: Nov 16 2016, 08:04 PM (370 Views)
Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Return to Hammerfell


One - Siara, Andur and the family:


Selalla had elected to wait at the Castle for Ankeddi, who hadn’t had time to pack before rushing Deni to the College. I was a little worried - but Anki was a warrior, and no doubt her mother would be safe in her care as far as Falkreath. I did mention it to Andur.

“Nah then. Anki’s good. And so is our mother - she’s still got that crossbow, you know. They’ll be fine.”

The way he said it, I could tell he believed it. So I let the anxiety go. There was enough to do, keeping tabs on Dendi, and overseeing camping and cooking and cleaning up after, then repacking in the morning. It wasn’t that I was doing it all myself of course. Just that twenty people create quite a fuss when traveling.

It was a good fortnight to Falkreath. When we finally reached the Ridge, we all wanted baths at the Inn, and food we didn’t have to cook ourselves. But we chose to secrete ourselves down the mine for the first night - just in case....

The next day a few of us at a time went into the city for bathing, and the last of us (myself and Andur) brought back enough good soup and bread for all for our night-meal. We were still down the mine, but we did enjoy not having to cook!

I could only hope that we would be able to stay unremarked until Anki and Selalla caught up with us.

Two - Selalla, Ankeddi and Elgial:

We left the Castle three days after Ankeddi returned. She slept most of the first day - and then she needed a day to pack. I chose to drive the wagon, and Elgial - still not really comfortable on a horse - rode with me, as Anki ranged back and forth keeping her eyes open and her weapons ready.

There was little to do though - a few wolves to kill, the odd bandit or so. We didn’t need to hunt for meat - we had food enough with us for the trip.

I wanted to talk to Elgial about Deni. But really, it was not my place - it would wait until we reunited with Siara and my son. I knew Anki knew too, but it seemed she wasn’t any more interested in discussing it than I was!

Anki said on the second day out, “Mama - I asked Elgial not to start the lessoning until we meet with the others and start for Hammerfell. It’s safer if two of us aren’t - not paying full attention.”

I nodded. “Ayah - and it’s glad I am to see you thinking ahead. I know you couldn’t - when the wereblood hung over your head. But by now, see you, it could have become a habit too hard to break....”

She grinned. “No. I actually always thought ahead - but mostly about how to deal with the monthly change under the moons. So I’ve the habit already in full measure!”

And a good thing it was.
Edited by Serethil, Nov 16 2016, 08:12 PM.
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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I love it Sis, all but that last line! With that one sentence, I feel a forboding....
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks sis! Eh, you know me.... I love a good cliffhanger.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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good read! anticipation!!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Areial!
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Kane
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:book: :pop:
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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:)
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Three - Selalla, Ankeddi and Elgial:

We were perhaps halfway to the Ridge when Anki galloped back and wheeled around to bring her mare up next to where I sat the wagon-bench to drive.

“Mama. There’s about half-a-dozen Silver Hand warriors on the road ahead - I think they must know that I was a were and will think to kill us. That I’m not any longer won’t matter to them - they’re.... even more vicious than werewolves, damn them! So.... we must needs backtrack a bit, and get round them a ways before we take to the road again.”

I looked at my daughter, and then at Elgial. “Perhaps once we are past them, we should consider taking care of them.”

“You mean, ambush and kill them?”

“Aye. You surely don’t think they’re good people! And leaving them alive behind us.... well, I doubt that’s a smart idea.”

She looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Mama. I’m a warrior....”

“And I’m not? I was, as much as you. Aye. I’m older now. But I’m VERY good with the crossbow.”

Elgial spoke up. “Three of us, two warriors and a mage, should be able to handle twice our number. My magicka is full up, and my Fireball staff fully charged. Anki - you should think how best to use your mother and her bow, and myself with the magics.”

Anki seemed doubtful, but nodded. We pulled off the track into an area just large enough for the wagon, the horses, and Anki’s mare. I could see she was thinking things through.

“See then. Instead of trying to sneak around them and then work back, let’s leave the wagon and horses here. Here’s what we’ll do....”

So it was that I took the east side and Elgial the west, creeping through the trees and underbrush some way off the road itself, while Anki walked boldly down the road. She lagged a bit, giving us time to get into positions. I whistled a bird-call, the pipit from the Hammerfell sands, and Elgial gave an uncanny impression of a hawk’s scream of rage. And then, Anki walked right into the middle of them, swords out and swinging, as I started peppering them with bolts and Elgial with fire.

It was actually over before it started. Anki had taken out the two nearest as they reached for her - I shuddered because they hadn’t meant to kill, they’d meant to capture. And probably torture. I’d got one down hard, and one dead, and Elgial had lit up the morning, setting the two on his side to burn like torches.

Anki walked to the one down, and poked his jugular with a sword tip. “So. What did you idiots think you were doing?”

Through his pain, he snarled, “Killing whelps of wolves of course. All your kind will die!”

“No longer my kind - I’m free of the taint, which was done TO me not something I chose.”

His eyes widened, but perhaps only with death, for Anki finished him off. Just as well - I didn’t want to have to keep him tied until we could give him over to the guards in Falkreath!

“See you, daughter. Thinking ahead is a good thing. And not putting your mother on her pyre just because she’s twice your age is another.” I smiled to myself a bit, and then turned to Elgial.

“You’re a very good mage I think. I’ve been less than charitable about magics - but I am very happy you were with us.”

He grinned, reminding me again how young he was, and saluted both of us. “I am in the presence of great warriors! Thank you for the words, Selalla.”

So we went on into Falkreath Hold, and had no further incidents with anything but predators.
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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*fist pump* YES!! I loved that Sister!! Can't say more, just loved it!! :D
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thank you sis! Anki's.... a little reluctant - to lead. I expect that's going to change. Selalla's coming to understand that magic is just one more tool - and a mage can be a warrior as well as one who uses swords or crossbows.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Very nice... I think they all learned lesson's about each other's abilities.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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And - this is where I got dropped when the forum went down! Thanks sister Areial, and the one thing I can say with perfect truth is that "we" are all learning (yep, that includes me)!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Four - Meetings:

We met them at the gate, Selalla, Anki, and Elgial. “We’re down the mine, out of sight, and hopefully out of daedric knowings. Give the horses over to Panjab, and come along - we’ve food and drink waiting.” I turned and headed for the mine, the others following as Panjab turned to deal with the animals.

Suddenly, he was just - there. Tankot, the boy who’d left the Castle, a Redguard orphan who’d always seemed uncomfortable - as if he felt he didn’t, couldn’t belong. I nearly fainted - it was all too easy to react wrongly....

“Tan. I almost drew my swords and killed you! Please, PLEASE don’t do that again!”

He dropped his chin, but I saw his lips quiver. “What are you doing here? Where did you go when you left us at the Castle? I’ve worried about you....”

He lifted eyes in which the sheen of tears was fully obvious. None of us mentioned that. “Look. Come down the mine and eat. We’ll talk after. All right?” He nodded briefly, and fell in behind the others.

Once all had a meal and the dishes were cleared and cleaned, I sat down next to Tankot and said “Now if you please, let’s talk about what’s happened with you.”

He nodded, but I noticed his eyes fill again and his lips quivering. Without warning, he threw himself against me, and Andur gathered us both into his own arms. Tan sobbed and sobbed and sobbed - it seemed for hours. But finally, either his anguish was released, or he ran out of tears. Or both.

Selalla brought him a small tankard of watered wine with honey and herbs to soothe his throat and perhaps to loosen his tongue a bit. And then the flood came again.... not the Hammerfell one, nor Deni’s - but - much the same in truth.

“My... da. He’s living in Whiterun. He’s married - not to my ma. She - had me outside marriage.... well, he was already married, wasn’t he? My ma - she’s living in Whiterun too. Works at the inn there. So, I thought after you took me to the Castle, well, I have parents. I shouldn’t take up a bed, I should go see if they’d help me.

“But...” and here it looked like he might go into sobs again, but he gathered what composure he could - ‘he.... told me she lied, he wasn’t my da. And... and.... she - my ma - said the reason she’d left me in Riften was because she didn’t want a child and she wanted to stay close to my da in case....

“So when I left the Castle it was to try one more time to get my parents to - help me. But - they wouldn’t. They wouldn’t even talk to me. Ma, she threatened to have me put in gaol....”

And I lost it. So did Andur and Selalla and Anki. So we all wrapped around each other, and had a good cry. Not that it sorted anything, but it did give some relief.

After wiping eyes, having a bit more to drink, and some pastries, Selalla looked at Tankot and said “So you thought you’d try Hammerfell with the rest of us, eh?”

He didn’t reply, but the tears running down his cheeks was answer enough.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Oh that's a heart wrenching thing... to have both parent's reject one... he's with kind and good people now though!! great read!
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Lovely Sere, and her family continues to grow. :D
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Yep. Siara's turning into a mother hen.
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Grits
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Ooo, I'm excited for the Hammerfell trip! Tan is an excellent addition to the traveling family. Great updates, Sere!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Grits! Good to see you back for a bit - I miss you!
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Grits
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I miss you, too, Sere! :hugs: I'm still around, just frantically reading while I'm here, lol. :book:
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Serethil
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*snerk* Yep, lots to catch up on.... less by two days than there would have been though.
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