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R.I.P. neildarkstar. Haven will miss you dearly.
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Siara N'Gola: Siara's Song
Topic Started: Jun 27 2016, 09:43 PM (4,203 Views)
Areial
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Et'Ada
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Very nice...responsibility is a hard master.. look's like a long road.
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Jarl
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Holy....well, that was unexpected, but pretty darn cool! But I wouldn't be in her shoes for anything! Great, Sere!!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks guys! Well.... I wouldn't be in her shoes myself - but hey.... the muse is in full-on "you WILL do this my way!" mode here so it is what it is.

It's interesting. I really didn't expect this sort of twist in the story line. I mean, I suppose I should have expected a twist - but this one was NOT it....
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Brambleberry
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Sere, I have finally caught up again from 30 through 36. Words that come to mind Inspiration, Family, Resolve, Mystical, Mysterious and the hidden hands that guide.

Your story telling is captivating and engaging. Emotions are both on the sleeve and deep, sometimes all at once. So very well written and I cannot wait to read the next chapter. :book:
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Grits
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Thane
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Wow, big chances for Siara in the last couple of updates. Now she is we, what an honor and responsibility! I am enjoying her story very much!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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You all are far too kind to me! Glad you're enjoying Siara - and the crew....
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Siara 37:

Before calling the family together to discuss leaving for Skyrim, Deni and I wended our underground way back to the mages. As the old mage Bettala had asked, I was going to tell them what Andur’s family had to say about the situation in Hammerfell. I couldn’t help but believe that what was going on in my home province was likely to begin spilling over the rest of Tamriel.

And that was the consensus among the mages - as she’d said the day before, Bettala said again: “We are all in trouble. I think.... our only hope is for you to somehow stop these Princes. Now, though - as to Sanguine.... I’ve done some research and some scrying - and it seems that his agenda with this may be mitigation. It’s - not his angle, and doesn’t fit within his sphere at all. But of course, I don’t know as much about the Princes as others might - but those others are not.... available at this point.

“Well, I’ll have to go on with what I have. We will be heading back to Skyrim shortly. Would..... you three, and perhaps the priest, wish to travel into Skyrim with us? Things are.... more friendly there I think.”

The mages sent startled looks at each other and then at me. “We.... couldn’t say for old Ontorgin. But let us discuss among ourselves, and we will send word to you when we have talked it through.”

I nodded, and we returned to the underways, where I stopped a moment and said to Deni “Go you to Ontorgin, and make him the offer I did to the mages. Tell him it’s with my blessing. And that should he choose to go with us, I will do as much as I can to make him comfortable during the journey. Hurry now! And do get back as soon as you can - I don’t want to worry.”

She grinned and dashed off, completely at home in this warren. Amazing child. I wondered if there was any way to reclaim her mother, if she was even still alive....

She wasn’t long returning. I’d set out a meal, we all had to eat, and thankfully the Gateside still had food to sell. Andur and Arnem and their sister Ankeddi had gone to Gunnaj and brought back enough for everyone. While the older folk of the family ate first, I took Denira aside.

“Deni, I don’t want you to worry about what I promised you. We WILL find your mother somehow - we can look while we’re trying to figure out what to do about the Princes. I didn’t realize all this would roll over me so fast....”

She hugged me, and then said softly, “I believe you. You wouldn’t say you’d do it, and then just throw it - and me - away....” I heard the unspoken “like my mother did....”

My heart hurt for her. I would do whatever I had to do that she would grow up whole, safe, and cared for - as I had. Of course, I had all this other stuff happen - but I was grown, and had been whole, safe, loved and cared for. She deserved the same. All children did.... and that niggling voice insisted “You can’t save them all.” No. But I could save THIS one....

After we’d all eaten, I saw the young mage Elgial walk into the stable yard. I motioned him over, and cocked my head in his direction.

He nodded. “We would be pleased to travel with you. And old Ontorgin as well - he came to us since the girl told him we were considering to move with you. The others will come tonight - through the underways to the Gateside, and I will go to meet them and bring them here.”

I smiled. My flock was definitely growing. But the mages and the old priest would I hoped be safer, and freer to do as they wished, in Skyrim. I wondered where we could establish a holding though - this many folk couldn’t simply move into a city.... Well, I’d bring up that point but not today.

“Here, Elgial. We have food, please to eat, and let me introduce everyone.” That took a while, and there was a little bit of murmured consternation and odd looks when I said the mages and priest as well as Denira would be traveling into Skyrim with us.

But Selalla brought her hand down sharply onto her knee - obviously a gesture with which her family was very familiar, which had the effect of shushing the mutters. “We will be happy to have a man of the Divines, and several mages with us. We have no priest, nor are any of us mage-gifted. This is a good thing you have done, Siara N’Gola. We are all beholden to you. Every one of us.” She dipped a small carrot into kej and offered it to Elgial. He bowed briefly, and ate it. I wondered what he thought of fermented milk and strong cheese.... but he made no indication that it was distasteful.

He said softly, “We thank you, matriarch of this family. We will do our best for all of you.”

She nodded, then went back to her filling up of the corners after the main meal. I sighed in relief. I was aware that the family might be unwilling to accept outsiders other than me - and Deni. But I couldn’t leave these unwanted people here, to perhaps have to deal with the aftermath of talking to me....

Tomorrow, we would leave for Skyrim. I spoke quietly to all in turn, and to Andur and Arnem last. I hadn’t been sure Arnem would leave his stable - but he was already packed, and had set up two wagons to hold as much of the baggage as possible, to be hauled by some of his horses.

They were all - men, women, children, mages, priest - depending on me. I was - uncomfortably aware that in all truth, I knew no more than they did. I’d better figure out something, hadn’t I?
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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:clap: That was perfectly wonderful Sere! Siara is bold and strong, and I love what she's doing for 'her' people now, all of them. :)
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Heh. Thanks. Boy, this is taking on a life of its own.... I not only don't know where it's going, I don't know how it's going to get there!
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Andra Hawksdaughter
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Serethil
Aug 2 2016, 08:27 PM
Heh. Thanks. Boy, this is taking on a life of its own.... I not only don't know where it's going, I don't know how it's going to get there!
LOL
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Siara is growing her odd family... more to care for, more to care for her.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Serious t'storms and power outages. See y'all tomorrow.
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Grits
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I hope the storms didn’t do serious damage!

Siara’s strength and simply doing what needs doing is admirable. What a change for her, who had until recently lost everyone she knew. Now she has a tribe of her own!
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monkeyemoness
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So I know this is still "in the works" and such, but I have to wonder how much manpower it took to get two to three daedric princes to romp around in Tamriel, in Hammerfell no less. Just knowing that it was accomplished I can tell something big is on the way.

Anyways, ditto with what everyone else said about Siara's character. I feel like she'll be capable of everything she's been saddled with.
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Thanks! We got an inch and a quarter of rain, no damage here - lots of flooding in the Kanab area though (100 miles away, and near the AZ border). May rain here again in a bit, hard to tell.

I had my machine off most of the evening because of flash power surges....
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Siara's Song 38:

Dreams. Uncomfortable ones.... I didn’t remember the specifics, but I did know they weren’t - friendly, kindly ones. I was fair glad to get up and start putting food together - not only for breakfast, but also some sandwiches to have for nooning on the road. Bless whoever had invented sandwiches! Deni made the coffee - following my instructions very carefully - and I was pleased to say with perfect truth that it was GOOD coffee. She grinned and skipped a bit.

We managed to pack up and leave well before mid-morning. I was very glad the stable was outside the walls enough that we could leave without much fuss. The guards at the gate watched, but said nothing.

I ranged up and down the line of people, horses, and wagons. Two wagons were laden with supplies, clothing chests, and the stuff of people’s lives; one wagon had been given over to the matriarch, the ancient priest and the two female mages, the one even more ancient than Selalla or Ontorgin. Elgial drove that wagon, apparently having been a farm-bred child before discovering spell-work. Most of the folk were quiet, saving breath for travel - but Deni chattered to everyone, apparently feeling free of the constraints of her life in Bruma. I was glad to see her acting like a normal girl.

I ended up near Selalla and Andur when I finished passing out sandwiches for nooning. “Here’s a small problem - most cities are not going to have housing available for so many. I hate to have to live in tents and the wagons to start - especially with the numerous predators in Skyrim AND it will be bad weather soon enough; but I’m not sure what else to do. There are many ruined forts - which are infested with bandits and lowlife. There are also many Nordic tombs - but not only are they infested with bandits, they are also crawling with draugr. Those are.... undead relicts of ancient dragon worshipers, as I understand it; I’m not sure that clearing them out of a large tomb would leave us with a good feeling about it as a place to live.” I ate a bite, chewed, swallowed, and waited to see if they had anything to say.

Andur shook his head. “Better bandits at a fort than the undead.” Selalla nodded agreement.

“Well, then.... I will talk to the innkeeper in Falkreath - perhaps she or another will know of a fort that will be appropriate - and large enough. In fact.... if I play this right, we might get a bounty from the Jarl for clearing out bandits. We will see.”

It took us a hand of days from Bruma to Falkreath. Thanks be that Arnem’s horses were sturdy and solid. Andur and I, mounted on the siblings, spent most hours of daylight riding along the line of people and wagons, hoping to prevent any problems such as ambushes by lowlife and bandits, or simply being accosted by bears or cats, or packs of wolves.

We chose an open glade far enough from the city to cause no issues with Falkreath’s folk. I left Andur, Arnem and Selalla getting things arranged, and Deni making coffee. I rode into the city, and stopped first at the inn. I wanted not only talk with the innkeep, but a bath. The others could come in a few at a time. I’d make sure they had the coin - being clean was important for many reasons: people were kinder if you were not filthy, and they talked more; being clean gave a person a sense of rightness with the world which in this situation was all to the good; and if we needed help from this Jarl - well, dirt would not be a good thing at all.

I introduced myself to the innkeeper; she gave her name as Valga Vinicia - an Imperial in Falkreath - interesting. “I’d like a bath first thing, if you please. Once I’m cleaner, I’d like to talk a bit - if you have the time.”

“Ah sure. Plenty of time at Dead Man’s Drink, after all. Bath’s a septim, towels and soap another.” I handed over five and told her to keep the rest against a short ale after. Then I went into the bathing room, closed the door - no lock, unfortunately - stripped, and settled into hot water to my chin. Heaven....

I had brought clean clothing in with me, in my saddle pack. So after bathing, washing my hair, and putting on clean clothes, I looked far more like someone the folk here would want to talk to. I hoped. I walked back up to the bar, and said “I’d like that ale now, please. And the chat, if you’re agreeable.”

Valga laughed. “Oh aye - I’m always agreeable to talk. You’re from Hammerfell, yes? Long way from home....”

“Yes. And, you may not credit this, but I - and all the folk with me - have had to come here to Skyrim because of.... floods. In Hammerfell. I know you understand - my land is mostly desert....”

She sent me an odd glance. “Eh, then, what gods have you people angered?” And she made some sort of complicated ward sign - at least I thought that’s what her fingers were doing.

“Not gods. Daedric Princes. See you, my folk - we are twenty-six in number - all have been on the roads for long and long.” I forbore to explain that we were not all related - there was no point to talking that over. “We know that we have these Princes to deal with eventually. But we have elders with us, and children. We need to make a home somewhere - so the olders and youngers will have safety while we warriors deal with the threat to Hammerfell. Have you the knowing of somewhere - perhaps a large fort - that we could make our home?”

She looked me straight in the eyes. “Lady, if that’s what you’re facing.... well.... you probably should talk to Siddgeir. The Jarl....” As though I didn’t know. But then, I hadn’t seen her when I was here before.

“Ah! Think you he would have somewhere we could stay, bend to our needs?”

“You’d have to ask him that. But - well, there are many areas in this Hold which need bandit extermination....”

“Oh, I thank you. I will talk to the Jarl then. Is there some protocol for approaching him?”

“Nah. Now if you were a pretty boy, you’d get anything you wanted - but I’d say the tale alone would get his interest. Stay clear of his uncle, the old Jarl, though. Siddgeir doesn’t like that people talk to Dengeir before they talk to him....”

Hmm. Now, that was telling tales out of school for fair. Still, any information I had would likely help me to thread the needle’s eye around this nasty little man. “Well, then. I’ll go back to our folk, and send them along, just a few at a time, to use your baths. We’ve been long on the road, and all of us missing the comforts of home. I thank you for your consideration.

“Oh, might you have something hot and filling that you could sell me - enough for all for night-meal? We’ve been eating our own cooking, and it’s tired of it we are!”

That was a master-stroke on my part. She gave over gladly a basket packed with stews, soups, bread, grilled vegetables, and fruit pies, which she named “crostatas” - a veritable feast in a new home. I gave her the honor salute, paid over the coins asked, and headed back for camp.

I told off Ankeddi to manage the bathing procession - making sure no more than two or three went at a time, and giving her plenty of coin to cover it. I also asked Selalla if the women would want to wash clothing and personal items - she seemed to think the answer was ‘yes’ but wanted to consult the women later.

At night-meal, I told everyone what Valga had suggested - that I talk to Siddgeir, Falkreath’s Jarl. And that I would go to him the next morning, to see what might be seen.
Edited by Serethil, Aug 4 2016, 09:39 PM.
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Areial
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Et'Ada
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Very nice!! I love the interactions of all the people!
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Kane
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Looks like Knifepoint Ridge will have a new family inhabiting it soon!
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Serethil
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Et'Ada
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Oh lordy Kane - how did you know? That's exactly what I have planned....
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Kane
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Serethil
Aug 5 2016, 02:25 PM
Oh lordy Kane - how did you know? That's exactly what I have planned....
Process of elimination! Bilegulch is too remote and Cracked Tusk is quest related.
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