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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 (4,157 Views)
Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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If Bal doesn't kill the girl...she might end up another Coldharbour...ugh!!
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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true...
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Um. She was already missing parts. So that's not happening. And a good thing too - with them feeding on her while.... eh well - that's enough of THAT.
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neildarkstar
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Overlord
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:blink: :bolt:

:thumb:
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks neil!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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73 - Solstheim. Ugh. Not happy about the place.

So here we are. Mel’s never been here before. He’s full of questions, which at least is more like him than the morose, teary, completely sad person he’s been since.... that day. He’s younger than me by a decade (ma calls him her “change baby” whatever that means) - so probably he’s not so much likely to stew in his sorrow as I am. Am I stewing? Yes. Because I really would rather have Var alongside.... instead of my brother. Even if we couldn’t.... *sigh*

And there’s a thing I never knew before. Of course I’m no virgin. I haven’t been for.... well.... since Vintan. Falling into bed with someone - eh, it’s a natural thing usually. But.... since Var.... He’s the only one I’ll be falling into bed with any more. I suppose that limits me. But once you love.... Ah, give over. No point in beating it with a broom....

Mel looked around, once off the ship. Well, tub, more like. Whatever. His nose wrinkled, and his shoulders did that little dance that meant he wasn’t happy and wasn’t going to be happy anytime soon....

“Ugh. What IS this stuff?”

“Mel, didn’t you learn anything? It’s ash. The Red Mountain blew 200 years ago. It’s still blowing. Ash - that’s what happens when a volcano erupts. Especially one that erupts due to - um - the influence of.... gods. Or whatever.”

“Oh. Well. Damn....”

“Yeah. Let’s go get a room for a few days. I think this may take some time. I still need to find someone who knows how many books I’m looking to fall into....”

“What do you mean, Tier? Fall into?”

“Uh. I open the book - and I’m in Mora’s world. It’s.... not.... here. It’s - not - normal. It - Mora - said if I found all the books, and got through all the - places.... it would “discuss” my - bargain. That was the ‘I need you to help me deal with Bal’ thing.”

Melki goggled at me. “You - tried to bargain with Mora? Like.... blackmail?”

“Ah, hells no. Hmm. Blackmail. Well, anyway. No, I just wanted it to help me with Bal....”

Mel stared at me as if he’d never seen me before. “Tier.... what - really - happened.... when you were taken?”

I arched my brows at him. “I told you what happened. What’s toward?”

“You’re..... different. You - have some - things - you’re not telling. I KNOW you, sis. You’re....”

I waved a hand and cut him off. I was different. Because I had people I had to protect - family. And because.... there was Var. I couldn’t HAVE Var, due to these DAMNED daedra. “Mel. I’ve told everyone everything that happened. I - haven’t - said.... how much this whole thing hurts me - because.... Var’s not here - and I can’t....” And to my horror, I fell into sobs and tears.

I came back to the world held by my brother. He was murmuring under his breath, what I didn’t know.

Finally, I heard him. “Sis. Take a breath. You’re going to hate yourself. And then you’re going to hit me because I saw this. I’m sorry. But it’s NOT MY FAULT. Oh gods, she’s going to....”

“No, no. It’s not your fault. I AM sorry. I’ll try not to be a watering-pot any more. This - whole - thing.... it’s just.... beyond me....”

“It’s beyond all of us. And the only way to get through it is together.”

Sometimes.... family are a total pain in my ass. And sometimes.... I’d probably die without at least one of them. I grabbed Melki and held on for dear life.
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neildarkstar
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Overlord
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Nicely done. :)
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks. I'd - really - like to have had family.... like that.....
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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very nice...

<hugs>..cause I know....
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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You make me miss my surviving family more...though if one of them ever cared or held me while I cried, I think I'd drop dead from shock. *sad sigh* My older sister would have, and did, many times, but she's been gone so long...

This was wonderful Sere!! *hug*
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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*hugs to you too* Thanks Sis!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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74 - There’s this House Telvanni wizard....

I felt better about most things after a night’s sleep. We bought something to eat from the innkeeper, who was pretty talkative about things that had happened back when g’ma was young it sounded like. He went on at some length about the strange temple-like stones around, and some undead lich or dragon priest named Miraak. Name sounded a bit familiar, but I couldn’t place the reference.

Eventually I steered him to talking about strange tomes around the world. Brilliant woman. At least sometimes.... Because he lit up like a house afire and began to talk about some odd mage out east who lived in a mushroom palace. At that, Melki had to wipe a sneer away before the innkeeper saw it. But I knew that the Telvanni had lived in towers grown of fungi in Morrowind.... Just one of the odd bits I’d picked up as I wandered the lands.

“Well, then. He’s known for being fairly ancient, very mad, crotchety, and brusk. And for collecting books of magic. If you’ve an interest there, you should see if he’ll condescend to chat with you! He is quite condescending, truthfully. You want to be prepared....”

So we got directions, and headed out that way. It sounded like we’d be able to get there in just the rest of the day; we didn’t waste any time getting started, and we got on at a fair pace. Solstheim was just as ugly as it had always been, but at least most of the bandits had got put down by now. The trip was uneventful in the extreme.

“Y’know, Mel, they need a stable here. Not having a horse handy is annoying. Not sure if we’d want to think about it? And - I wonder if the ash would be a problem.... Something to think about anyway.”

“Hmmm. Well, that’s for later then. So what do you think this wizard’s going to be able to tell us?”

“How many of Mora’s books there are. I hope. Of course, if he’s really a madman.... I doubt that though. He’s probably just old and nasty. I wonder what we’ll have to pay to pry information out of him....”

Well.... as madmen go Neloth seemed to be pretty sane. Also quite old, even for a Telvanni. Dunmer wizards are known to live for some centuries - they never seem to say just how long. But this Neloth looked as old as the most ancient draugr I’d ever seen. I wasn’t sure how to approach this whole thing, though from the evil eye we were getting from the wizard, I’d better get his attention or he’d turn us into crispy critters....

“Sir, the innkeeper in Raven Rock said you knew a lot about magic tomes. I was here not long back, and went into the mine to help some folk. There I found a strange book. I opened it - and got sucked into a very odd ugly place. While there, I spoke with Hermaeus Mora.... I offered to trade it a boon for helping me get another daedric prince out of my life - Molag Bal.

“Mora - told me I’d have to read all of the Black Books as it called them before he’d consider helping me. I’m hoping you know how many books there are - and where I can find the rest of them.”

His brows had been inching toward what was left of his hair the longer I spoke. The wizard stared at me as if I was a fascinating specimen of.... something.

After a few moments of inspecting me, he exclaimed “You bargained with Mora? Girl, you are either brilliant or a fool!”- and he sounded completely astonished, as well as arrogant.

I waved a hand. “Eh. I just want Bal out of my life. The best way to deal with a daedric prince is another prince.”

“I don’t know where you got that idea. But I wouldn’t count on it working if I were you.”

“It worked for a family member. And that’s all I’ll say about that.” I waited while a series of strange expressions crossed his face. Then I prodded a bit.”Do you know how many books there are?”

He glared at me. “Of course I do. As far as those that are readable, there are seven in total. In Mora’s realm are many more than that of course - but they could only be read by Mora, his servants, or people from a world where they originated.”

Well, that rather bore out my thought that not all of those books could have come from Tamriel, didn’t it?

“And do you know where the other six Black Books are?”

“Naturally. I am a very accomplished master wizard, you know. The things I don’t know by now are very few.”

I almost laughed aloud, catching it back just in time. What an annoying arrogant posturing little Mer it was! “Will you tell me where to find them? After all, once I read them, and return to discuss this with Mora again, perhaps you will have the - ah - fun of hearing Mora’s torn me to bits....”

Instead of the rage I expected, the wizard looked me over in some curiosity. “You realize that if you anger me I will simply vaporize you?”

“No. I don’t think so. I think you’re fair bored, and at least I’m something different.” I could feel Melki’s panic behind me, and had to hope he’d just keep quiet.

“Girl, I’m going to tell you what you want to know - because it will get rid of you. Perhaps - permanently. I have four of the books here. You found one yourself already. There was at one time another in Kolbjorn, the barrow delve southeast of Raven Rock. It may be there still. I think one other might be in White Ridge Barrow north of Raven Rock. If you get those others, return here with them, and I will let you read the four I have.

“And then, if you treat with Mora and die, it will be your own fault, will it not? Now begone - you’ve used up enough of my time, energy and good will. Don’t come back without having read those other two books. Out!”

He waved his hands toward the door, and we found ourselves outside in the ash. Apparently he was a pretty good wizard after all.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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crotchtey ole geezer....lol
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Yeah. I'm not - fond - of Neloth personally. I do have to say he was done well. I don't remember anything about him from the other games....
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Yep, he was well done as this was! *grin* But Tier is probably like most of us, who would rather smack the snot out of the arrogant bastard as look at him, LOL.

I can never decide whether I like him or hate him...it varies. :D

Very well done Sis!
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neildarkstar
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Yeah, even in Morrowind he was kind of a love/hate sort of guy... Well, minus the love part... ;)

Fun reading your perspective though Sere! :D
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks guys! One of these days I'm going to go back and play the old games.... Maybe.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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75 - I think I remember seeing something that could be a barrow on our way here.

“Mel, wasn’t there an area just as we turned east that had a kind of circular stone dance?”

“I think so, sis. It was off to the north, just above that tumbledown house where we started east.”

“Well, let’s find someplace to camp and see if that’s the place this Neloth meant on our way back to Raven Rock. It would be nice if we could find a map....”

“We’ll ask Sadri when we get back - he seems to know everything.”

We found a small grove of less stick-like trees, with some actual green under them, some sort of ground cover. It was in a little ravine, and the trees broke the ash-drift that was nearly ever-present. We did a quick double-sweep around the area just to make sure we didn’t find ourselves pulled out of sleep to stay alive against bandits or wildlife, and then settled to eat a bit, drink some water, and huddle into bed rolls.

Restful sleep it was not, at least for me. Bal was poking around the corners of my mind, and seemingly trying to turn my dreams to his sort of nightmares - the kind of horror we’d seen in that one look into a vampire’s hell. So I put those walls back up. And Bal found a crack, so I had to do repair. Over and over. By the time dawn broke, I had gained a real understanding of how to build a wall against a daedric prince. I hoped Bal knew it, and left me alone for a while.

“Well, you look like hell, Tier.”

I sighed internally. Younger brothers were.... ineptness personified. “Yes, Melki. I know. I wound up fighting Bal all night, making walls in my mind. So, yes, I look like all the hells. If it bothers you, don’t look at me.” Snappish. I sighed again. “Sorry. Let’s eat a bit, and then head back toward that barrow area.”

He slanted me a speculative glance. “Walls in your mind? What do you mean?”

Instead of biting his nose off, I took a bite of sandwich. I chewed it thoroughly - and even more thoroughly, until it was basically mush. And then, hoping I could keep from being nasty: “He was poking around the edges of my thoughts, and trying to turn my dreams into - what we saw in Movarth’s Lair. In order - to - not go there, I built walls. Actual walls, one brick at a time, around the part of me that is ME. I don’t know how I know to do it, but I’m certainly not going to ignore that ability.”

“Huh. Apparently I’ve spent too many years thinking you’re nothing but another woman who’s all too ready to look down her nose at me.”

I almost jumped to my feet to start thrashing him. And then - I grabbed my sanity back from the edge.... “Mel - if I have done that, I’m truly sorry. Habits.... too ingrained to break.... You KNOW what g’ma went through - and why we’ve all been brought up as we have. I’m - it’s - horrible that I’ve done that to you without even thinking about it!”

“Oh, sis. Give over. You’re much older than I am, and aye - for years, I’ve been an idiot to be swatted down. I know it. But since Telka....” His eyes filmed with tears.

I crouched beside him, and put my arms around him. “Mel.... we have to get through this. We are who we are - which means a lot of the time I just react the way I always have, and so do you. We are both adults though. And it’s time both of us started to see each other that way. Forgive me?”

“Aye, of course! It hasn’t bothered me really....” But there was a small frown between his brows.

“What?”

“Well.... maybe if you just leave off calling me Mel - as if I’m an idiot without a full name....” And then for the first time in too long, he fell into laughter - presumably at the look on my face.

“Oh you GIT. Fine, from now on you’re Melkioran. And if we die while I’m trying to spit out your whole name to get your attention, well....”

With that, we set off in charity again. Of my sibs, Melki had always been my favorite - and he was quite right. He was no longer a child.
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neildarkstar
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Overlord
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Loved it!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks bro! You know.... I really DO wish Veri's family was mine. I - write into them - what I wish I'd been gifted.
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