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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
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Tiercel's Peregrinations
Topic Started: Jan 10 2017, 09:00 PM (4,177 Views)
Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Neil! Yep.... leftovers.... are a right bitch....
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Kane
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Ho boy. Didn't see that coming. This Devis is a real piece of work!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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He is that, Kane....
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Good read's... a truly despicable and evil man.... gone wrong in the head.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks! Yeah.... still not sure where this is going, and I hope I find out before I have to write the ending!
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Oh that rat bastard!! I didn't see that one coming either, until about 3 seconds before reading the actual words. My first thought was NO!!! Oh yes, I look forward to seeing him pay....

That was Excellent!!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Well, considering what I know of Tier's temper, she'll likely want to feed him a piece of himself.... you can take a guess at which piece that would be....

But that goes over the edge into torture - and neither of us (me, n Tier) are into that. So.... we'll see!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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28 - ....so how about if I bite it back?

Melki knew there was something wrong - I could tell by the way he watched me obliquely. But he was smart enough not to ask right then - sound carries at night, a lot farther than most people would believe.

Now, I really wanted to unload an entire quiver of arrows into Winsten as he stood limned by the light, turned about three-quarters away from me now as he started back down the tunnel. But the most important thing was getting Tovis away, hopefully alive and in one piece. So I bit down on my shrieking nerves, forced my hands away from my weapons, and waited until I thought he’d had time to get back inside far enough to let me sneak in behind.

I breathed words at my brother. “Wait here. I’ll be as fast as I can. When you hear commotion toward the settlement, follow me in - I’ll probably need help with Tovis.”

He nodded, and settled further into deep shadow. It was a bit unfortunate that Masser would be nearly full, but we didn’t have the luxury of waiting - time could run out for Tovis at any minute. Once Melki was set, I started my approach to the mine’s back door. I kept out of the torchlight as much as I could, and once inside the tunnel, remembering my stay in the hole and my escape from it, I put out torches as I came to them so I couldn’t be outlined against the light behind. I put one in my belt, so when I found Tovis, we’d have light to get back out.

Well. This is convenient. The refectory and kitchen are around a dogleg, and there’s a lovely little area where I can start a fire, just past a tunnel that looks like it might be a worked out stope - nice place for a cell. I piled up some trash laying around, quietly quietly Tier! And then instead of firing arrows, with the noise they make, I simply took one of the nearby torches and set the pile of stuff smoldering. Then I headed into the other tunnel.

Right guess first time. Tovis was sitting on a bench behind a makeshift barred door, with wrists still chained but his ankles free. I hissed at him, getting his attention. He was pale, but not bleeding that I could see.

I whispered quickly, “I set a fire as a distraction. Let me see if I can get this open.” He nodded. I spent a couple of minutes to figure out how to get the pretense of a door open, then helped him down the tunnel toward the cross-way that led out the back door. “Wait here - need to check how things are going.”

Ah. The fire had just built enough to catch attention. There were yells, and bodies moving fast away from the fire. Perfect!

I pulled Tovis along next to me; he was a bit shaky and I didn’t want him to fall. The fire was sending enough light back down the tunnel that I didn’t really need a torch. We stopped just inside the tunnel-mouth, to make sure no one was in the “back yard”. Melki crept toward us just then, and as we moved toward where he'd been hidden, a loud blast echoed inside the mine.

Melki’s eyes were huge. “What was that, Tier?”

“I - I don’t know. I wonder if they.... had oil stored in there or something....”

Tovis whispered shakily, “I saw some barrels yesterday. It could have been oil.”

Damn. At least it wasn’t our locals, it was Winsten’s renegade crew. But still. Damn. “Well, we’ll see what happens - it would be nice if it got him.... Though I’d rather do it myself personally....

“C’mon. We need to get back.” We hurried as much as possible - but Tovis was weak.

Finally he muttered “Yon fetcher made me eat something that made me sick. Still not over it.” So Melki took one side, and I took the other, and we walked Tovis home between us, over an hour to reach the Hall.

Ma took one look at Tovis, cleared the bed where I’d been sleeping, and sat him on it. I explained what had happened.

“Melki, go get Lami. Apologize for the time, but we need her now.” He streaked off to get the alchemist, and I headed for the kitchen to set water to boil since I figured Lami would be making tea, tisane, or potion. Or all three....

And then we waited. If he died.....
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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nail biting read... glad they got Tovis out.. but... hoping he's ok..
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neildarkstar
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Great stuff! What a fun read! :)
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Kane
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Oh dear, I hope nothing bad happened with that explosion.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks, y'all! Well - you know how the mines are in Skyrim and Solstheim - some of them have gas and damp, you can use shout or spell to light it.... So setting a fire.... It's likely that everyone was already out. Maybe.
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neildarkstar
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The stuff in the mines and such kinda make me think of foo gas...

Anyway, I'd be willing to bet that everybody got out of the mine except for those that didn't, eh? :)
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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*snerk*
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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29 - *sigh*

Well, Tovis will recover. Thank the divines. The guards went out to Stonehills after I told them what had happened. A few hours later the captain walked into the Hall, and we all gathered to hear what they’d found.

“Eh, th’ place be deserted. There be no bodies a’tall, not outside, not down th’ mine. The explosion ya heard, that would likely be damp or gas - mines be dreadful places fer it. Wasn’t nothing in barrels, ‘cept food n’ supplies. It’s a bad thing, th’ locals all bein’ dead most like though.” We of course agreed, but I didn’t offer to hand over Winsten yet. I think Captain Forlas knew there was more to the tale, but he had a nice berth in Morthal; unlikely he’d push too hard.

So. Winsten was probably back at the Manor, and his crew from Stonehills most likely hiding out at Windstad. I wished the divines would vouchsafe me some bright ideas!

And - wish father to the thought. What if.... I took the family off into the safe room (which used to be the war room, but we never used it for that), and said thoughtfully, “What do you think would happen if I went to Vartain, told the tale in full, and asked him to come with me to arbitrate?”

Da had an arrested look - I could see his mind turning over the possibilities. G’ma slanted me an odd glance, but said nothing. Ma (the least interested in the High King, since her family had been ‘cloak supporters, and Vartain was an “Imperial lackey” in her sight) snorted disdain, but then said “Well, at least he’d be doing something of value at that!”

I sighed internally. “No politics, Ma. The High King’s who he is, and he should be able to arbitrate. And if the truth - all of it, mind! - comes out, he’ll have to decide fair. If he decides Winsten is really the last Windstad (I don’t think that’s true, but I suppose it might be) and turns the Manor and mine over to him, at least he’ll only do so as long as Winsten gives over trying to kill me....”

I muttered to myself, then continued “Think it over. And now, let me explain the whole thing to all of you who haven’t really heard it.” I hated telling things that put me personally in not such a good light - but they deserved to know. So I didn’t spare myself, explaining the entire imbroglio from back when I was eighteen, and very full of myself, and thinking I’d found the love of my life.

There was so much silence in the safe room when I finished I didn’t believe it was my family.
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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That had to be SO difficult for Tier, in more ways than one. Not just the telling of it to her family, (especially Mother and Grandmother, but to admit to herself that one she once loved could try to use and kill her. I'd like to rip his heart out and let him see it. I hope Tovis is alright, though what his own son did...would be heartbreaking.

VERY good read Sister! *hug*
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks Sis - yeah, Tier's able to take care of herself very handily - but she loves her family (even with all their warts), and it's bothering her that they may think less of her.
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neildarkstar
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The heart wants what it wants... I don't personally think she has anything to be ashamed of.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Eh, I don't either Neil. But - thinking AS Tier.... and considering the culture - not to mention the family....
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neildarkstar
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Yeah, of course. It was just a personal perspective on my part. Given the nature of religious taboos, cultural taboos, instances of "family honor" and so forth, one never knows what kind of lunatics they might be dealing with inside a family circle. When one thinks of "honor" killings of teenage girls in some cultures merely for wanting a boyfriend, anything is possible.
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