The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR (23/6/13)

[Anduril248]

Sky UI and ENB mods are awesome mods, their are a number of awesome house and gear mods as well

[Tigellinus]

Hey guys, does SKyrim run on a 4GB ram WIndows 8 PC?

Just wanted to know because they have a sale on at JBHIFI....

[Anduril248]

it depends, what kind of graphics chip you got tig?

[Chirurgeon]

wow that last chapter was fantastic. I love when people really bring to life the characters in the game. I never knew Lydia in this light before! Its kind of like Faendal in my story. I really enjoy this and cant wait to read more. The whole part with the sword and escaping with help from Saadia is truly genius!

[Swaeft]

Hey guys, does SKyrim run on a 4GB ram WIndows 8 PC?

Just wanted to know because they have a sale on at JBHIFI....

I have my doubts about that, sadly. I am currently using a Quad-Core Acer Predator G3600 @ 3.3Ghz, I have 8GB of Ram, my graphics card is Nvidia Geforce GT 610.

And my Skyrim lags when there are more than four people fighting in a graphically intense area e.g. candlelit dungeon with oil puddles and traps. But maybe those are down to my mods. I can't handle ENB even

wow that last chapter was fantastic. I love when people really bring to life the characters in the game. I never knew Lydia in this light before! Its kind of like Faendal in my story. I really enjoy this and cant wait to read more. The whole part with the sword and escaping with help from Saadia is truly genius!

Hey, thanks alot! I must say I was partly inspired by your own AAR, and I've always wanted to do a heist in Skyrim, so this was the perfect way to express the importance of that sword. Your critique is much appreciated!

[Anduril248]

its your processor, i am using i7 processor with 660m nvidia graphics chip, i am running upwards of 80 mods, i only have issues when i am running say Warzones and there is like 200 people on screen

[Swaeft]

Chapter Eight: Old Enemies, New Lead

"My Thane! I'm so glad you're ok!"


Vaela shifted to glance at her loyal housecarl. "It was a long shot, but it was necessary. I'm glad it turned out fine too." The great weight in Vaela's stomach had still not fully dissipated yet, but she was calming down fast, her ordeal over. Saadia had prepared numerous animal pelts and spread them all over the back of Dragonsreach. She had further enhanced their stopping capability with extra bedding and padding, making the pelts quite soft yet sturdy. Lydia fidgeted awkwardly.

"My Thane, perhaps it would be best if you were seen in Whiterun at this time." Lydia advised.

"How so?" Vaela arched her eyebrows at Lydia, her facial expression one of ambivalence.

"If you were seen in Whiterun during the crime, my Thane, no one would suspect you of committing it, especially if you stay far away from the Cloud District."

Vaela's eyes lit up with affirmation. She rose from her lying position and heartily clapped Lydia on her shoulder. "Fantastic idea!" Vaela remarked in delight.

"My Thane, if I may, may I ask about the importance of that sword?" Lydia probed uneasily. Vaela frowned and scratched her forehead. "I'm not sure myself. I have no idea why I was tasked to get this sword, except that it belonged to my Master." Lydia's eyes drooped in disappointment when she heard that, but Vaela moved in to reassure her.

"It's alright, Lydia. We didn't do anything that harmed anyone, now did we?" Lydia lifted her head, and Vaela could see that she was trying her best to believe in her Thane's words. "Listen. I know your conscience binds you to serve this hold, not just me, but we didn't injure or kill anyone. If anything goes horribly wrong, I will return the sword and admit that only I did it, alright? For now I need to discover why this sword was in Jarl Balgruuf's possession, if it was truly my Master's sword."

Lydia nodded miserably.

Vaela re-entered Whiterun from the main gate, bringing in with her the pelts Saadia had set up, so as to look the part of a animal pelt merchant. News of her Thaneship had already spread throughout the town, but if not for the depressing aura the flying dragon recently killed at the Western watchtower, the cheers she received would have been much louder and much more enthusiastic. For now though, Vaela settled for a low profile. She didn't need some of the townsfolk bowing to her in the middle of the streets as if she had done something miraculous for them.

Have I? Vaela wondered. She had merely killed a dragon, and that with the assistance of so many courageous guards. Her accomplishments were not earned by her alone. Feeling somewhat penitent, Vaela headed to the Bannered Mare for a drink. Or at least, she was going to, until she spotted an argument outside it.


It seemed that two men were accosting an old woman and taunting her about her missing son. One of the men was a middle aged Nord that was dressed in Imperial armor. He was stout, tall and muscular, and had dark hair. The other, whom the middle aged Nord seemed to respect, appeared older and was dressed in some fine, well-crafted robes that gave Vaela an impression of his opulence. He too had dark hair, but was more burly and looked somewhat gawky. Both were laughing insults at the old woman who seemed to be getting more distressed by the minute. Her clothes were filthy and probably weren't washed in ages, but she radiated some sort of pure, innocent aura that Vaela could not ignore. Her eyes were bulging in truculence, and her lips were seething with fury. However, she was old, and could do nothing against the verbal wrath of the two unreasonable men.

But Vaela could.

"In the name of your Thane, stop this madness!" Vaela yelled, striding forward and drawing her sword, taking up a protective stance beside the harassed old woman. She was closely followed behind by an indignant Lydia, ready to do some good at last.


The two men were surprised. The older man was taken aback, but the younger one simply snorted in disgust at the show of strength Vaela had given. "Piss off." He grunted and spat in Vaela's direction. "Who do you think you are? I've never even seen you before, yet you claim to be a Thane. I'd be surprised if the Jarl appointed you as one. You have not done a single good deed for our community!" The obnoxious man declared.

"And she's about to do her first one!" Lydia clamored in support of her Thane. Vaela turned and winked gratefully at Lydia. It was time for her to show some backbone and authority as a Thane of this hold.

"Guards!" Vaela hollered. A few of the townsfolk had now gathered around to watch the conflict. The older man looked startled by this development, and exchanged a quick word with his younger companion, who was now puffed up with anger and red in the face. The older man then started to walk away, but the younger one could not resist a parting insult. "You've picked the wrong side in this fight, my dear Thane. Good luck in your future endeavors...you will need it." With his nose in the air and his hands folded in arrogance, the man strode away.

"Oh, thank the Nine." The old woman gasped. "There is still justice in this world."

Vaela sheathed her sword and clasped the old woman on the shoulder. Some of the townsfolk had started to applaud Vaela's actions. "Ma'm, why were those men troubling you?"

The old woman looked gratefully at Vaela, her eyes twinkling with thankfulness. "Please. Not here. Follow me to my home. We can talk in peace there." Vaela complied and assisted the woman in walking to her home. A very proud Lydia followed behind, still muttering curses at the disappearing backs of the two arrogant men.

"Please, help yourselves to some of the food." The old woman offered, sitting down beside some bowls of food. "My name is Fralia Gray-Mane, but you can just call me Fralia." Vaela and Lydia took seats opposite Fralia and waited for her to continue.

"My son was missing since three weeks ago. He was fighting for the Stormcloaks, but he went missing after a simple scouting mission and never returned. I suspect that he was captured by the Imperial Legion and is being held. And those battle-born scum seem to know where he is being held, but won't tell me no matter how I plead them. They taunt me with that fact everyday, and tell me that justice has been done. They have no respect for an old lady and her judgement at all!" Fralia gushed out.

At this moment Lydia got up from her seat hastily and yelled out. "My Thane!" Fralia's eyes widened in shock, and Vaela heard the clash of iron on steel behind her. Crying out in surprise, she drew her sword and turned around to see Lydia pouncing on a big man. Both of them were struggling on the ground, having lost their weapons in the skirmish. They grappled with their hands and would have crushed each other had Fralia not exclaimed loudly. "Avulstein! STOP!"

The man let go of Lydia and got to his feet roughly, retrieving his weapon from the ground. Lydia did the same and backed off towards Vaela. Fralia's breathing was ragged, and she was panting from her exertion. Mother, why did you let these people in?"

"Mother?" Vaela remarked in surprise. She turned towards Fralia. "Didn't you say that your son was missing?"

"You said WHAT?" The man bellowed.

"Quiet, quiet! Please!" I can't take this much longer!" Fralia groaned, covering her ears. She hobbled over to a chair and sat down. Lydia rushed to her assistance, leaving Vaela staring flustered at the somewhat remorseful-looking man. As Lydia comforted Fralia, Avulstein and Vaela sat down beside a table and started to apologize to each other.


"I'm...I'm sorry." Avulstein apologized contritely. "I shouldn't have been so rash."

"Not a problem." Vaela assured. "I'm here to help, as your Thane."

"Thane?" Avulstein exclaimed in surprise. He stood up and made to salute Vaela, to which Vaela immediately denied. "Please, I have not proven myself yet as a Thane. I deserve no such formal ceremonies." She asserted. Avulstein beamed a rare smile, appreciating this new woman who was humble and kind.

"So how can I help?" Vaela offered. Avulstein was about to speak when Fralia and Lydia joined in the conversation. "Well, firstly we need proof that the battle-borns are involved." Fralia mumbled. "We can't go around accusing them without any proof."

"In other words, we need your help to get this proof from them." Avulstein concluded.

"That's not a problem." Vaela remarked. "I'll just gather a few guards and inspect their residence." At this statement, Fralia and Avulstein glanced at each other uneasily. Lydia fumbled with the hilt of her blade before commenting.

"My Thane, if I may be so bold to speak, I would advise that you not put on such a show of authority against the battle-borns." Avulstein seemed to rumble in agreement. "Why not?" Vaela inquired.

"Well, Whiterun has remained neutral in the Imperial-Stormcloak conflict, and befitting such neutrality, Jarl Balgruuf the Greater has abstained from committing public acts that appear to favor one side or the other. House Battle-Born is well known for its support of the Empire--"

"Bootlicking, you mean." Avulstein snorted.

"--while House Gray-Mane is renowned for their loyalty to the Stormcloaks." Lydia informed. "To interrupt one sides' privacy simply on the suspicions of the other is to appear favorable to the other side, which will inevitably cause conflicts that Jarl Balgruuf hopes to avoid."

"It's not really favoring each other in that sense." Avulstein interjected. "It is acceptable for the Jarl to conduct inspections to maintain the security, but the Battle-Borns have created such a ruckus over the previous inspections such that Jarl Balgruuf no longer conducts periodic inspections. It would be best if we conducted any investigation discreetly."

Vaela sighed. Things had just gotten tougher.

~~~~

Thud. Vaela turned around and stared at Lydia, who's clumsy footing had accidentally dislodged a rock. An abashed Lydia mouthed the word 'sorry'. Vaela rolled her eyes and continued forward, wondering why she had even brought Lydia along. Lydia had protested somewhat loudly when Avulstein suggested that Vaela should sneak in to House Battle-Born to retrieve the information. Vaela had placated Lydia by assuring her she was not disrespecting her responsibilities as a Thane, and that the matter was a case of security. Soon, the duo reached the back entrance to House Battle-Born.


Vaela was garbed in a leather black robe, complete with mask and hood in order to mask her identity should she be spotted. She turned around one last time before entering, telling Lydia to stand guard outside the back door discreetly. Then, she turned around and started to pick the lock.

Seconds passed as sweat dribbled down Vaela's neck, torso, and legs. When the lock finally clicked open, Vaela breathed a sigh of relief that dissolved into the sweltering heat of the afternoon sun.

Contrary to popular belief that sneaking around was best done under the cover of darkness, Avulstein had actually convinced Vaela that the best time to break into someone's apartment was actually in broad daylight. An astounded Vaela had listened incredulously about how everyone was not at home when the Sun was up, and had to stifle a laugh about the irony of the situation--Avulstein remained at home no matter the time of the day.

Vaela turned the knob silently and proceeded in. There was one last glance of concern from Lydia, then Vaela shut the door softly and her face was gone. Vaela was alone in a forbidden area.

Vaela crept silently towards the Battle-Born study. Even though Avulstein had told her countless times that no one would be around, Vaela still did not want to make a din or startle anyone who happened to be around. How could Avulstein be so sure there was no one around? He wasn't the one risking his skin here. Vaela pondered.


She snuck into the study as quietly as a mouse would do, then began the laborious process of sifting through many pieces of parchment. The Battle-Borns were fierce people outwardly, but here in their study they hid tons of information! The Taming of the Empire, The Lost Akavarii, Kill or be Killed. There was such a treasure trove of information available to the point where Vaela had to peel her eyes away from the insides and focus on the titles alone.

It was after much panic and consternation of being discovered did she finally extract something that could be of use. Missive on Thorald Gray-Mane was the title, and Vaela racked her brains in order to recall the conversation in House Gray-Mane. Did Fralia mention the name of her son? After a few minutes of debate, Vaela decided to take the missive with her. Slotting it into one of her leather pouches, Vaela put everything back where it was before and made to leave.

Then she heard it. The drawing of a blade. An alarmed Vaela pressed herself against the walls of the study. She could hear footsteps, soft but audible. Someone was in the house. Appalled, Vaela's hand snaked to the hilt of her sword. The footsteps were approaching the Battle-Born study, its doors left wide open by a careless Vaela. Tense and apprehensive, Vaela pulled her hood further down, masking her facial features. Then, drawing her sword, she prepared to accost the intruder.

Then she heard a familiar voice. "Where are you, my Thane?"

An enraged Vaela rushed out and hissed furiously at the surprised Lydia. "I told you to stay outside! You nearly scared my wits out of me!"

"I'm very sorry my Thane. It was just that you were taking so long, and--" A shamefaced Lydia meekly retreated towards the exit. Vaela followed close behind, shooting glares and stares at Lydia's steel armored back. When they finally exited, Lydia closed the doors shut while Vaela observed the surroundings. Nothing looked amiss, and no guards were in the immediate vicinity. They were clear.


Exhaling, Vaela let all the apprehension and tension flow out of her. She quickly trudged to House Gray-Mane, conveniently located opposite House Battle-Born, and Fralia welcomed her hastily. Taking off her black robes, Vaela spread the missive she had taken from House Battle-Born on the dining table. It was time to see whether such an intense break in would pay off.


It did indeed. Avulstein was convulsing with rage as her read the letter--his temples throbbed with the fury of a Nordic God, and his hands trembled with the power of an infuriated beast. Fralia simply wept bitterly. Vaela felt indignant at the conspiracy laid out before them. How dare the Imperial Legion capture one of its citizens and deport them to the Thalmor? The Thalmor! The cruel creatures who had enslaved Skyrim and its citizens! Vaela burned with renewed hatred for the evil Thalmor, and at the same time the fire in House Gray-Mane's kitchen swelled in size. Fralia stared disbelievingly at the incident, but soon the Gray-Manes realized that their new thane had some ability in the arcane arts.

"Mother, I'm going to this Northwatch Keep to free brother from the evil Thalmor." Avulstein grunted. It was not a question. "Are you with me?" He asked the fuming Vaela.

"Without a doubt. I'm in." Vaela replied without hesitation. Avulstein snorted in approval. Just as they were about to leave, Fralia called them over.

"What's this? A note just fell out of the missive!" She discovered. Vaela and Avulstein rushed over--perhaps there was more information about the Thalmor?

There may be a connection to a certain Imperial Mage captured just over two months ago at Solitude. He is currently held in the same cell as this Thorald. Both are being subject to question, and I will get back to you once they give me some answers.

Vaela was steaming in anger. The Thalmor had her Master, and she now had the opportunity to free him. The gears of war had begun to turn.
----

[Anduril248]

nice another intense chapter, keep up the good work +rep

[Chirurgeon]

haha great job. I think its cool that you used that quest to drag your master's disappearance into the limelight again. Its a pretty fun quest too when you go to free the son of the gray mane woman. Good job.

[Anduril248]

haha great job. I think its cool that you used that quest to drag your master's disappearance into the limelight again. Its a pretty fun quest too when you go to free the son of the gray mane woman. Good job.

Killing those Thalmor Bastards is awesome

[Swaeft]

Chapter Nine: The Attack on Northwatch Keep



It had been so long since Vaela had seen such lush greenery and captivating countrysides. For too long had she been cooped up in the blinding winter country of Windhelm, where blizzards were common and everything was pale. No. Vaela thought. The winter can never compare with the summer. In winter, there is no life. There is no vibrancy, no energy, no nothing. Everything is pallid and dead in winter. Summer is a whole new story. Summer opens up new possibilities. Hear the busy bees buzzing in your ears, feeling the exciting rush of air breezing past your face. Spy the deer bounding gaily in the forest trees, and soak in the bustling of the cheerful, happy people. Who would want to stay in such a horribly place as Windhelm? Not I. Vaela pondered.

Avulstein had departed ahead of Vaela, claiming that he was going to gather some men who shared his hatred of the Thalmor and would do nothing better than to kill a few of those 'High Elves'. Vaela had approved of his actions, even though Fralia was somewhat sad to see her elder son leave. The more men Avulstein brought, the better. She wasn't taking the Thalmor for granted, especially after she remembered how one of her Master's Imperial escorts had his face dismembered by a raging fireball. Shuddering, Vaela continued riding towards Solitude. From there, she would continue up an unexplored path to Northwatch Keep. She thanked General Tullius, whoever that bastard was, for putting a convenient map in the missive. Now Vaela knew exactly where to head.

Obviously, the journey would not be complete in a single day, so Vaela had to stay in some sort of tavern for the night. She spent the night at one in a small hamlet named Dragon Bridge. She never asked how the town got the name, but she suspected that it had something to do with the oddly shaped bridge at the end of the town.

Lydia had laid down to sleep upon entering the room. Vaela sighed as she watched Lydia snore. Lydia was a faithful housecarl and a loyal companion, and Vaela could not have asked for anything more from a housecarl of Whiterun. Such loyalty only served to heighten Vaela's admiration for her housecarl, and she respected Lydia even more since she was five years her senior. Not wanting to lay down and rest just yet, Vaela inspected the circlet Farengar had given her. She still marveled at how it had managed to abate the searing heat of the dragon's fiery breath at the Western watchtower. When Vaela touched it, some form of aura appeared to radiate strongly off it. Maybe Farengar had placed some enchantments on it. Vaela mused. How else could I withstand fire? Shrugging, Vaela drifted off to sleep to conserve strength for the mighty fight that would surely await them tomorrow at Northwatch Keep.

~~~~

"Good. You're finally here." Avustein remarked upon seeing Vaela and Lydia arrive.


They were standing about two hundred meters East of Northwatch Keep, hidden by a pile of large rocks. Avulstein had managed to gather with him two other men, one a mercenary and the other a previous slave of the Thalmor. Both accepted his offer to fight the Thalmor at this very keep, and now all four intrepid compatriots stood awaiting Vaela's command.

Vaela climbed a small portion of the rock outcropping. Her gaze wandered over the keep. It wasn't very big, and was more of a prison and an outpost than a fortification suited to defend against attacks. Her gaze, however, lingered at the guard towers from which the defenders could rain arrows down. Vaela hoped that their current strength would be enough to best the Thalmor in the keep. It was a bright day, and the Sun was blazing down on the cold, frosty ground. It had snowed recently at Northwatch Keep, and Vaela was reminded of her summer-winter comparison only a few hours of sleep ago. She raised her golden sword in the air, and with a sharp breath, invoked a loud cry. "Forward!"


With a cacophony of war cries and fearsome bellows, Vaela's small group advanced under the blazing Sun towards the Keep. Vaela herself led the charge, spurred on by her hatred of the Thalmor and the prospect of reuniting with her Master after all her ordeals. The very first Thalmor soldier she set her eyes upon met the wrath of her increased magical powers. Vaela was adept at breaking the mental barriers in her mind now, and directed the flow of power through her mind to her left hand. The Thalmor soldier reacted in surprise--he was not expecting his assailant to know magic. However, the to Vaela's chagrin and disquiet, the blazing flames that sprouted from Vaela's hands merely passed through the Thalmor's armor with a whimper. The Thalmor soldier's armor was effective at warding off the heat of the blast. The High elf snickered, and Vaela knew that some form of enchantment was placed upon each one of the soldier's armor as well, just like her circlet. It would have to come down to a test of swordsmanship.


"Come on, then!" Vaela roared, and swung her golden sword at the Thalmor's cursed neck. The Thalmor soldier laughed and lifted his shield easily to ward off the blow. He was incredibly quick, and Vaela expected the block to stagger her.

Instead, the golden sword sliced through the Thalmor's armor like a hot knife through slick butter. The Thalmor could not even cry out in terror before his neck fell to its similar demise.

Heartened with her success, Vaela stabbed at another enterprising Thalmor soldier with the same, effective result. She paused to look around, and saw that her group was winning the fight on the ground. Already three other Thalmor soldiers lay dead, their golden armors shining under the glare of the Sun.

Thud. Thud. Vaela lifted her shield up just in time. She heard someone cry out in agony, and her heart skipped a beat as she turned around. Lydia had been struck at her left knee. Vaela uttered a choked cry before attempting to lunge to assist her, but was stopped by a furious fusillade of arrows. The elves at the gatehouse and towers were pleting them with arrows. Vaela brandished her shield and shouted at Lydia. "Stay down, and keep your head low!" She ordered. Lydia needed no further invitation and crouched down between the bodies of two slain Thalmor soldiers, arrows whizzing by faster than a rampaging saber cat.


Vaela muttered a curse. They had chosen the worst possible position for an attack--the Sun was bearing down on them, and its rays made any attempt to return arrow fire almost impossible. Vaela and her companions were pinned down, and the advance was halted. Vaela stumbled over to Lydia, making sure to keep her shield facing the direction of the Thalmor archers, lest she get shot by a venomous arrow. "Are you alright, Lydia?" She asked. Lydia nodded and, with great bravery, tore the arrowhead out of her skin. Wincing in pain for just two seconds, Lydia recovered and displayed to Vaela her eagerness to get back into the fight. Vaela smiled and directed her attention to Avulstein, who was crouching behind the protection of the Keep's walls. "Stick to the walls, they will protect you from the bite of the arrows!" Vaela ordered. Avulstein nodded and flashed Vaela a confident smile. Then, he raised his battle axe and led his companions back into the fray. Vaela heard a sickening thud behind her, and realized that the Thalmor were still blasting her position with arrows, and some of them had caught a previously alive soldier behind Vaela and Lydia. They did not even care for their own brethren!


Then the arrows stopped, and Vaela realized that Avulstein had breached the inner defenses and was fighting tooth and nail at the walls. Vaela lifted Lydia to her feet and raced into the Keep to help Avulstein. Halfway there, she shoulder charged one of the Thalmor, who was aiming a sideways slash at one of the mercenaries.


He fell to the ground before being riddled by arrows. Vaela felt the wind whisk by her ears as the hail of death returned from the gatehouse. Avulstein had been driven back by the Thalmor, and their archers were now free to shoot Vaela again. "Quick, into the Keep!" Vaela yelled at her fellow mercenary, who nodded. They dodged arrows and almost made it when the mercenary fell to his feet. "NO!" Vaela cried out in desperation, and made to help him. But the mercenary looked at Vaela and shook his head. "Avulstein needs help." He croaked. Then his face slumped into the blood-caked snow, and Vaela knew he had died.

Roaring with pure rage, she dashed into the compound and ran up the stairs leading to the gatehouse. Some of the archers drew their weapons, but they were no match for Vaela, who had now drawn her other sword, forgoing her shield in favor of the extra offensive power dual wielding afforded her.


Avulstein and his other mercenary converged on the final Thalmor archer with Vaela, and they hacked the bastard to bits in anger. The elf's cry of agony resonated throughout the Keep, haunting the souls of the slain.

Then all was quiet.

"Come on." Avulstein spat at the body of the fallen Thalmor. "We're not done here." He turned and proceeded to the Keep, flanked by Lydia and the other mercenary. Vaela cast a forlorn, remorseful look at the other dead mercenary before following him into the inner keep and the dungeons.

The fight inside was no better. The clashes of axes on shields now reverberated through the thick walls and narrow passageways. The enclosed passages made fighting all the harder, but it did stem the Thalmor's numerical advantage. Using magic was also a big problem, as Vaela found out by nearly burning Avulstein to death. She hacked down numerous Thalmor until her sword arm felt weary. Lydia was still bleeding at her knee, and although she continued fighting for the moment, Vaela did not know how long she would last. "Just...a little further." Avulstein grunted through the pain he was experiencing. Vaela nodded and charged ahead, her own wounds hampering the speed of her strokes. She bumped into two Thalmor--a mage and a swordsman, who fell back in surprise. Cursing, Vaela drew her sword and slashed at both Thalmor. However, the mage still had time to set Vaela ablaze.


To the Thalmor mage's utter amazement and terror, Vaela seemed to grow stronger in the heat of the fire. It blazed all around her, it was as if Vaela was absorbing the power of the intense flames. The startled mage ran away, leaving the equally traumatized soldier gaping in amazement. Avulstein rushed past Vaela and hacked the stunned soldier to death as Lydia confronted another soldier that had appeared out of nowhere.


After finishing off the last Thalmor soldier, the group of four pursued the fleeing mage. However, he had disappeared into a fork in the passageway, and none of the group had seen the mage's path. Avulstein cursed and spat on the ground not for the first time. "I'll take Lydia with me and go right. You take Gorthing here and hurry left. May we meet at the other side in one piece." Vaela nodded and braced herself for the trials that lay ahead.

Gorthing and Vaela sped down the left passageway. "He's been here." Gorthing deduced. "See those traces of blood on the floor? It must have come from the sword wound you inflicted on him. That's a mighty fine sword you have there."

Vaela grimaced in affirmation. "Bloody right. I think I know now why I was supposed to retrieve this sword."

"What, you mean it wasn't yours to begin with?" Gorthing asked in surprise.

"Long story. I went to--" Vaela began, but was cut off by a hair-standing shriek of pain.

"AAAAH!" It resonated off the passageway, and Vaela knew they were close. "Charge!" She roared, and put on a final burst of speed, turning a corner with Gorthing close behind her. What she saw made her tremble in fear.

The Thalmor magician's fingers were crackling with purple bolts of lightning energy. "Prepare to die!" He cackled sadistically. "I have charged my power up to a point where your shield will not be able to resist it! Prepare to die, fool!" Vaela lifted her iron shield barely in time. A second later and she would have been fried. The Thalmor mage however, had not lied. Her shield splintered into two, and suddenly Vaela was enveloped in horrifying bolts of energy. Her very bones seemed to snap under the bolts of energy. She dropped her sword as the nerve wracking pain threatened to tear her apart, and Vaela screamed in agony, recoiling in pain and praying for anyone, anything, to relive her of the agony.

"Never!" She heard. The painful bolts of energy that ravaged her body vanished, and in its place she heard a bloodcurdling scream. Gorthing had thrown himself in front of her, and protected her from the final, fatal part of energy. The mage hissed with fury and shocked Gorthing with the remainder of energy stored within his thrice-blasted body. Gorthing writhed and twisted in intense pain, and Vaela's heart seemed to tear itself into pieces when Gorthing finally lay still. He was dead.

He had saved her. He had died because of her.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" She yelled. She cared naught how she killed the snickering Thalmor mage, she just wanted him dead. Dead, deceased, lifeless, defunct, eliminated, exterminated! The power of these intense words roared within her, and she raised both hands and directed all the rage, hatred and fury at the Thalmor mage. Still laughing madly, the Thalmor mage threw up a magical barrier that seemed to push all the air out of its place. It was a shield. Vaela paid it no heed--this enraged her even more, to be exact. The Thalmor mage's shield dissolved under the unbelievably intense power of Vaela's fiery assault, and with it the Thalmor mage's snickered vanished as well.


Vaela continued pouring fire on him until his robes caught the flames. The Thalmor mage screamed in agony, but Vaela did not stop. To her, every syllable of pain that the mage uttered was music to her ears, every pathetic try at warding off Vaela's attack was an entertaining, useless attempt to escape the scorching, searing heat. The mage was burning alive in his own robes, but Vaela still did not stop. She continued to direct energy from her whole body into her palms, and as a result the fire in her hands flared up even more. The mage's terrible screams increased in volume, until something finally snapped within him, and he fell silent, a burning firebrand of decomposition.

Vaela waited for the flames to die out before kicking him against a wall. She sank to her knees in utter exhaustion. She had let her anger get hold of her once more, and because of that she had used up all the power in her body to satiate her bloodlust. Panting heavily and teetering on the edge of consciousness, she barely heard the faint exclamation.

"By the Nine, that was bloody incredible."

Vaela looked up in surprise. There, tacked to the wall and suspended by his arms, was a disheveled and unshaven man with the Thalmor mage's body at his feet. Vaela stood up unsteadily and stumbled towards the man.


Just then, two figures barreled through into the room, and Avulstein let out a gasp of amazement when he saw the Thalmor mage on the ground. "You...did that? By yourself?" He cried out in pleasant surprise at Vaela. Then his glance traveled further upwards and a look of pure bliss and joy spread out across his face.

"THORALD!" Avulstein dropped his batttleaxe and dashed forwards, his fingers frantically scrambling to release the locks that held his brother's arms. Thorald slumped to the floor weakly after being released, but was immediately hauled to his feet by Avulstein. The two brothers embraced ebulliently and joyously. Lydia was left to limp towards her sobbing Thane.

"My Thane. What's wrong?"

"Damnit, Lydia. Damn. We lost two good men today." Vaela' chest heaved with mortification as she spoke the words. Lydia clutched her Thane's hands and spoke nothing. The two women sat in silence, mourning painfully the loss of the two mercenaries Avulstein had hired. Avulstein himself was busy filling Thorald in on the details of everything that had happened since he was captured. Thorald, however, was more observant and noticed the two mournful women. He motioned to his brother, and Avulstein fell silent. He went over to Vaela and nudged her tenderly. "We all grieve for the dead." Avulstein said, and behind him Thorald nodded in agreement.

"But we should get out of here before more of the Thalmor come." Vaela sighed and knew that Avulstein spoke the truth, but her depressed, exhausted legs refused to move. Avulstein grunted and lifted Vaela by the chest and swung her over his shoulder. Then, the group headed towards the rear exit of Northwatch Keep, whereby Lydia had looted off the Thalmor mage's body the key to the exit. Vaela was impressed by the way Avulstein still continued on. His numerous battle wounds seemed to cause him no suffering, and his body radiated manliness, toughness and bravery. Vaela thought he looked handsome under the glittering light of the candles, what with all his frayed hair and tough grimace, and felt a rush of blood to her cheeks. She looked at the floor quietly and said nothing until the group reached the exit, whereby Avulstein gently set her down and she stood with the strength of her own legs again. Lydia moved to inspect the surroundings for any danger, leaving Vaela, Avulstein and Thorald alone.


"Well, thank you so much for your help Vaela, Thane of Whiterun." Avulstein began. Thorald looked at Vaela with amazement and dropped to his knees. Vaela had not the strength to insist he stand up, so she simply muttered, "It was nothing."

Avulstein smiled at her, and Vaela felt her heart flutter. What was so attractive about this man? "Thank you. It is rare we see such a show of generosity in Skyrim these days. Everyone is caught up with the war or their own problems. Not enough food, not enough septims, not enough peace and so on. It's gotten worse with the rumors of dragons now."

"At least you're free now." Vaela remarked, still bitter that her Master was nowhere to be found in the Keep. Thorald noticed this and remembered what Avulstein had told him earlier on. "My Thane." He began, drawing Vaela's attention.

"My brother told me that you were looking for a mage."

Vaela's eyes lit up. "Yes." She breathed. Thorald beamed.

"I know where he was taken to. The guards said something about transporting him to a secure prison in the Rift." Throald revealed.

"The Rift?" Vaela questioned. "It's a place south of Windhelm." Avulstein remarked. "Do you have a map? Let me mark it for you." Vaela handed over her map and waited as Avulstein pointed out the area.

"Do you have any idea where in the Rift he was taken to?" Vaela inquired hopefully, but her hopes were dashed when Thorald shook his head. "Oh well, I suppose nothing is every easy these days." Vaela groaned.

"Indeed." Avulstein grimaced, and Vaela realized that he was finally succumbing to his wounds. "Don't worry, I'll live." He assured Thorald, who was about to escort him into some shelter. "We'd best get out of here fast, before Thalmor reinforcements arrive."

Just then, Lydia walked back, informing the trio that there was a group of Thalmor soldiers heading this way. Avulstein's eyes widened, and he stood up quickly, forgetting about the pain he was feeling. Vaela herself felt energized again, and she too got ready to run. "It has been an honor knowing you, Vaela." Avulstein commented. "Tell my mother that we've gone to join the Stormcloaks. It's not safe for us in Skyrim anymore." Thorald walked over and handed Vaela a piece of parchment.

"Here. Give this to my mother. She'll understand." Thorald's eyes glimmered with gratitude as he handed the paper over. "And thank you, my Thane." With that, the brothers disappeared into the snowy landscape.

"Likewise, Avulstein. Best of luck to you both." Vaela replied to the air. Lydia had brought to her position Starstruck, who was whinnying with distaste at the smell of blood. Vaela and Lydia both mounted Starstruck and galloped away from the death-strewn fort. Halting behind the pile of rocks they had started their bloody assault from, Lydia dismounted to tie Starstruck's saddles together more firmly. Vaela stared somewhat disconsolately at the ruined fort that was now swarming with Thalmor soldiers. The memories began to flood back, pounding into her head again and again, until she finally raised the mental barriers in her mind and all was silent.


Then, Lydia mounted up and together with Vaela, they rode away to the nearest village to recuperate.

Vaela had a new destination to head for now. The shady town of Riften.
----

[Merchant of Venice]

You seem to churn out updates like nothing else. I truly envy your ability to write so much so quickly. Really loving this story so far. Can't wait for the next updated!

[Swaeft]

nice another intense chapter, keep up the good work +rep

Thank you. Your intense reading of my AAR is much appreciated.

haha great job. I think its cool that you used that quest to drag your master's disappearance into the limelight again. Its a pretty fun quest too when you go to free the son of the gray mane woman. Good job.

I thought of using some of the quests at first but I never really knew which one to put in. Then I remembered that some Thalmor killing quest starts in Whiterun so I figured that it would be best to fit it in. Good to see that it paid off. Thank you for your kind compliments, and it is indeed fun to bash up those thalmors!

You seem to churn out updates like nothing else. I truly envy your ability to write so much so quickly. Really loving this story so far. Can't wait for the next updated!

That's partly because its the lunar new year holidays here, and also because I had a flash of inspiration. Don't worry, it will all slow down soon as school starts to kick back in...

[Bullet Storm]

Wow, just wow. +rep
Although im wondering how your actually going to find the mage, given that he doesn't exist in the game? Or does he?

[Swaeft]

Wow, just wow. +rep
Although im wondering how your actually going to find the mage, given that he doesn't exist in the game? Or does he?

And that is the crux of the plot...

Thanks for stopping by and reading, your support and rep is much appreciated!

[Swaeft]

Chapter Ten: Interlude

"My Thane, are you sure this is the best of places to go to?"


"Yes, Lydia. It can't be worse than those outlying towns and villages out there, can it? They probably get attacked by bandits on a regular basis." Vaela answered. Lydia looked a tad unconvinced, but Vaela couldn't blame her. The fog around the town of Riften was murky and suffocating, giving some of the lesser well-built people a feeling of claustrophobia. Somewhere in the night, a lone wolf howled, its piercing echo resonating throughout the night sky. The Moon was trying with all its might to bathe the town in its comforting glow, but its rays could not slice through the impenetrable fog. Very little light made it down, and so when the Riften Guard approached Vaela she was nearly shocked to death.

"Hey! What do you want?" Vaela exclaimed in surprise when he bumped her rudely.

"This is Riften." The guard announced. "You have to pay a tax to enter."

Vaela and Lydia exchanged concerned glances. They did not bring very many septims with them. "How much do we have to pay?" Vaela's heart sunk when the guard looked back at his compatriot and snickered. Something was definitely not right here, Vaela could feel it in her bones.

"Well, for a charming woman such as yourself, 200 septims will do." The guard stated. Lydia let loose an unbridled gasp of surprise--she was utterly perplexed, as was Vaela.

"200 septims to enter the town? Are you insane?" Vaela yelled in disbelief. The guard winced as she yelled, and looked around fervently before turning back to her. "How many septims do you have with you anyway?" He asked in a low monotone.

"Seventy six." Vaela muttered after carefully counting the septims in her pouch. "And I need those for traveling expenses." The guard groaned in dismay.

"Listen." Vaela offered, trying to make a deal with the guard. "It's a cold, windy night. How about I bring out some hot ale from the inn in exchange for the tax?" Vaela gauged the guard's reaction intently. Judging from his voice, the guard was no more than 30. Perhaps he would agree? The guard seemed to be debating the pros and cons of such a deal silently, and for a few anxious and nervy minutes Vaela and Lydia waited. Then,

"Fine. Go on ahead. But make sure you bring back two large jugs of ale. And I want them hot." Vaela agreed and the guard unlocked the door for her, glaring at her suspiciously as she entered.

Vaela lit a torch and inspected the surroundings. Lydia had already lighted her lantern since they arrived at Riften, so the duo were able to see clearly in the dark under the flickering but steady gaze of both women's flames. At once the town of Riften struck her as beautiful. Many shrubbery and trees extended from the walls and the variety of colorful, eye-pleasing flora grew just about everywhere in the town. It was pretty dark, so Vaela didn't get to see most of the entrancing flowers, but what she did saw was a more frightening sight. Right across the inn, on a shaky wooden bridge that looked like it would collapse at any moment, sat a young, skinny man. Directly opposite him stood a determined, fierce woman who would have been more attractive save for the uncompromising scowl on her face and the well-sharpened dagger at her hips. She glowered at the man with such intensity that the man seemed to quail in fright, unable to gulp down the drink he held in his shaking hand.


Not wanting to get into a scrape at this hour and too tired from traveling to do so anyway, Vaela avoided the argument that seemed to be centered around some money. She strode into the inn, learning its name from a proud, albeit somewhat askew sign hung outside. "The Bee and Barb." Vaela mused. "What do they sell here, honey?"

It turned out that Vaela was partially correct. The Bee and Barb sold an exciting drink named the 'Wasp's Sting', which was a mixture of pure honey, fresh mints and some herbs gathered from the countryside. Vaela saw its color and at once declined to drink it--it was a swirling, light tint of green. The tavern itself was a different story. It was lively and vibrant, and pockets of vociferous chatter could be heard from any corner of the tavern. The conversations buzzed pleasantly in Vaela's ears, somewhat justifying the odd name of the inn. Vaela and Lydia made their way to an available table complete with food and drink, sat themselves down and started munching ravenously on the food under the glow of the wall candles. Of particular delight to Vaela was the profuse amounts of drinks available, and she settled for an exotic tasting 'Spice of The Rift', of which the ingredients Vaela knew nothing and bothered nothing about. She simply enjoyed the relaxing, curious feeling of tasting a new drink.


Lydia noted the innkeeper's angry stare and sat upright. "My Thane, I'll see if there's anything we're doing wrong. It seems the innkeeper doesn't welcome out behavior. Perhaps we should have paid first?" She informed Vaela. Vaela nodded and replied without delay. "Go and check what the matter is with her. While you're at it, why don't you check the price of a room here for one night?"

Lydia nodded and headed for the bar, striking up a conversation with the female Argonian innkeeper. Vaela was too thirsty to care and returned to her drink, ignorant of the figure in black who sat opposite her, who's gaze alternated between eyeing her golden sword intently, and fixating on Vaela herself. Vaela had decided to gorge herself on some more bread, giving the unknown figure a better opportunity to discreetly keep an eye on Vaela.


Just then, a female traveler beckoned Vaela over to the bar. Vaela swaggered over, noting with some disquiet that Lydia and the innkeeper were nowhere to be seen. Shrugging off an ominous feeling, Vaela plopped herself down a tall wooden bar stool. She sat facing the female who had called her over, and was struck by her beauty, and by her unorthodox clothing. The woman handed a drink to Vaela, who gratefully accepted.


While the woman slurped down a few gulps of whatever drink she was holding, and Vaela took this time to admire her physical characteristics. She had blond locks of hair that seemed to absorb the light that effused from the candles. Her face was oval-shaped and smooth-looking. She was fair and appeared elegant and exquisite. Upon her forehead was a circlet of green emeralds glittered brightly, and Vaela absentmindedly touched her own forehead. Then she remembered that she had placed the circlet safely in Starstruck's pouch and sighed. Something seemed wrong with the whole picture though, but Vaela couldn't tell what was.

"What's the matter?" The female asked. Vaela shook her head. "Nothing."

"That's good to know. Hello. My name is Aetia, and I'm a traveler by trade." The female introduced herself. "And you are?"

Vaela needed no further prompting. "I'm Vaela. I'm a traveler too. I'm looking for news of a certain Imperial mage, which is why I'm here in Riften. I just got here minutes ago." Aetia nodded, smiling and clapping Vaela on the shoulder, accidentally knocking over a cup of ale on the way. "Good to know that you're a new one here. The inhabitants here are full of cut-throats and liars. They'd scam a beggar out of his last septim if they had the chance." Aetia snorted. Curious to know more, Vaela asked her about the town's information and background, but just then the guard from the gate burst in. He located Vaela and yanked her down from the bar stool roughly, seething with anger.

"Where is my ale? You promised me some hot ale!" He roared in fury. Vaela winced and groaned in dismay. She had completely forgotten about her promise to bring ale to the guard.

"Stop it, stop it." Aetia interjected. "I'll pay." Both Vaela and the guard stared incredulously at Aetia, but the guard recovered first.

"Well, for such a helpful woman like you, a hundred septims will do." The guard announced, and Aetia willingly handed over a hundred septims in a bag, to the shock and bemusement of Vaela. The guard chortled heartily and exited the inn without any further delay. Aetia motioned for Vaela to get seated again, which she did.

"Why did you pay him off just like that?" Vaela inquired. "It was obvious he was scamming you!"

Aetia shrugged. "Sometimes it is better to do whatever is necessary to stay out of trouble, rather than creating a ruckus and getting yourself marked." Vaela sat in silence, absorbing what Aetia had just said. She seemed to make sense.

"How can I ever return your favor?" Vaela asked. Aetia at first made attempts to ward Vaela off, but Vaela insisted that she would repay Aetia's gratitude no matter how long it took. Finally, with a long sigh, Aetia agreed. "Why don't you meet me here tomorrow after five in the afternoon?" Aetia remarked. "I've always wanted a tour of Riften's fascinating surroundings but I have not dared to step out of town since the recent bandit attacks. If you could accompany me and provide me with some protection, I'd be most grateful."

Vaela jumped at the chance to pay Aetia back. "Don't be." She assured Aetia. "I'd willingly go to pay back my debt. Besides, I need a tour of Riften's surroundings myself."

"Good." Aetia muttered under her breath. "Very, very good." Aetia stood and left abruptly without another word. Banishing the feeling of mysteriousness from her mind, Vaela went back to her drink and was interrupted once more by Lydia and the Argonian innkeeper coming down the stairs. At once she rushed over.

"Where were you, Lydia?" Vaela questioned. "I wanted to introduce you to a friend."

Lydia looked taken aback. "I was simply inspecting the rooms and bartering with the innkeeper as per your request, my Thane. A room costs 10 septims a night." Vaela thought hard. Had she given such an order? Unable to think coherently this late at night, Vaela simply handed ten septims over and made her way to the room, leaving a baffled Lydia to settle the bill. Vaela's fell into a deep sleep once her head touched the pillow.

~~~~

The next morning, Vaela and Lydia continued their inquires about Vaela's Master's whereabouts. They started at the Bee and Barb itself, for that was where the most amount of people gathered. Most of them could not answer Vaela's question, for they had not seen a mage in this parts for ages. One of the more rowdy and intoxicated drunkards even questioned Vaela's intelligence loudly. "Why would the Thalmor be here in Riften?" It was obviously a question with many answers, but with the crowd getting hostile, Vaela decided to leave for a while and took a breather outside at the bridge, where she enjoyed the captivating view of Riften's waterway and the accompanying scenery.


The next stop was the Temple of Mara. Many of the priests were more open to talking about the Thalmor, although what they discussed with Vaela was usually Thalmor religion in general and their aggressive antics towards disbelieving Nords. Vaela didn't gleam anything useful there either, and soon she found herself back in her room at the Bee and Barb, disheartened and sipping alto wine. The hours passed as Vaela's loyal housecarl made inquiries on her own, but somehow or other, Vaela never noticed the dark figure in black armor who had been shadowing her. What she did notice, however, was the never ending stream of gossip--all focused on one thing: Robberies.

Then, five o'clock came, and Vaela prepared to meet with Aetia for a relaxing trip around Riften. After all, she was tired of all the stress and needed some action.
----

[Anduril248]

Nice quiet chapter after the raid on Northwatch keep, i gives you the feeling of the calm before the storm

[Tigellinus]

SWAEFT, I want to rep you for your glorious writing (Once again.) but it appears that I have reached my rep limit on you (for the time being.)

[Merchant of Venice]

SWAEFT, I want to rep you for your glorious writing (Once again.) but it appears that I have reached my rep limit on you (for the time being.)

Same here need to start spreading around some +rep

[Swaeft]

Chapter Eleven: Saved by the Blackness

Vaela and Aetia strode side by side under the colorful variety of Riften's numerous trees. Lydia had been left in Riften to continue inquiring about the Thalmor's whereabouts under the insistence of Aetia. Vaela had no idea why Aetia wanted to be alone with her, but in order not to upset her friend who had saved her from the dodgy guards at the gate, she had acquiesced to Aetia's demands. The verdant and lush greenery set Vaela's mind at ease for the moment, allowing her to forget some of her troubles for now. Even small details like the awakening blossoms of pristine flowers were noticeable to Vaela's eyes. However, that was nothing compared to what Aetia seemed to be feeling. To Vaela, all her senses seemed heightened--she could detect the incessant chattering of the birds, the cacophony of the cascading raindrops, the chirping of tiny crickets, and so on.

So it was no wonder to Vaela when Aetia revealed that she was actually an adept hunter. "I spent most of my time learning from a ranger around the plains of Whiterun." Aetia had said to Vaela under the light, frothy drizzle. "Sadly he died a few weeks ago and so here I am, seeking some form of release in this peaceful hold. Unfortunately for me the town of Riften is not peaceful at all. Thievery is very common in the streets, and I was robbed of some of my best arrows the minute I stepped in."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Vaela offered. "Your teacher must have been a good one, to allow you to learn so much about nature and your own surroundings."

Unbeknownst to Vaela, Aetia was grinning sardonically at her innocence. "So young..."

"Sorry?" Vaela asked, certain that she had heard Aetia mumble something. "So young?"

Aetia flashed Vaela a grin that exuded jolliness, then spoke softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't say anything." Vaela wrinkled her nose and started to say something when at this moment, some sort of force was pressed itself against Vaela's mind. Suddenly Vaela felt herself wondering why she ever questioned Aetia in the first place. The moment she thought of that, the imposing influence in her mind vanished abruptly. Concerned, Vaela glanced at Aetia, who was staring straight ahead at the winding road before them. She seemed to have neither noticed nor felt anything. Shaking of the feeling of oddness, Vaela continued trudging up the rain-soaked path, her inner conflicts fighting over a burning question--should she highlight the strange feeling to Aetia? Just as she was about to inquire about the strange influence, Aetia raised a finger to her lips and hurried over to a rock outcropping, drawing her bow in a flash.


"Whats going--" Vaela's question was interrupted by a stern gaze from Aetia. For a few terse seconds, nothing was heard. Vaela started to shift about impatiently when the howling of a wolf was heard, not far from their hidden position. So that's what Aetia had been worried about. Vaela realized. Then she felt a nudge on her left shoulder and turned to look at Aetia. She was gesturing for Vaela to draw her bow and nock an arrow, which Vaela did. The wolf howled again, sending a chill down Vaela's spine, but she trusted Aetia's knowledge of hunting.

Aetia waited patiently for the wolf to get closer. When the wolf's sniffing could be heard, Aetia tapped Vaela twice on the shoulders and pointed straight ahead. That was the signal. Vaela rose as fast as lightning, and took aim quickly at the wolf as Aetia looked on.


It snarled and barred its sharp, pointy teeth at Vaela. She was horrified--its teeth were dripping with blood, which meant that it had probably devoured some unfortunate creature recently! Vaela's arms were shaking and sweat rolled off them profusely. Vaela had previously wanted to mask her identity as a mage, but she could not afford to hide it now, especially not if a bloodthirsty wolf was charging directly at her. However at the last moment she decided that the risk was too great, so she did not use any spells in order to continue masking her identity, but she instead simply guided more power into her hands and pulled the bowstring further taut until it almost snapped. Then, she released the bowstring, and the arrow zipped forward with much more velocity than Aetia or the wolf was expecting. Unable to leap out of the way in time, the arrow struck the wolf in the sides, and it fell to the ground lifelessly.

However, it wasn't dead yet. It still managed to limp a few unsteady steps to the path before collapsing in agony for the last time. Vaela put her bow back behind her and ran over to the corpse of the dead wolf. Aetia followed warily behind, watching for anymore of the wolf's pack mates that she expected to arrive. None came bounding down the road in anger, so Aetia refocused on Vaela. She had sat down beside the wolf and was studying its outer skin.


"Don't touch it!" Aetia cautioned. Vaela looked up, puzzled. The wolf was clearly dead. "It may be carrying diseases." Aetia explained. "Most of the wild wolves, especially those that venture deep into caves or hills in search of food frequently contract various, irritating diseases, often by contact. Such diseases can make you cough, grow lumps on your body, reduce your stamina and so on. It would be best if we left the wolf as it is." And so a somewhat shaken Vaela continued their journey around Riften.

"Look!" Aetia pointed out to Vaela. "There's an abandoned boat lying next to that pier!" Aetia led Vaela down to the pier where they went for a relaxing, tranquil swim. The waters were frigid, so before long Vaela and Aetia were back on dry land, shivering from the cold. In addition, it had begun to rain lightly again, and the wet drops of water splashed down on Vaela and Aetia, making them huddle close together for warmth. "That wasn't the best of ideas, Aetia." Vaela remarked.

Suddenly, Vaela felt a little dizzy. However, it wasn't a headache. Vaela didn't feel any pain. She turned towards Aetia to ask if she felt the same, but when she laid her eyes on Aetia, Aetia seemed to be radiating...some form of sensuality. Vaela couldn't help herself--her eyes roamed over Aetia's body, hungry for detail, but yet...

All of a sudden, it stopped. Vaela rubbed her eyes in surprise. The world seemed a little duller than before. "Aetia?"She had received no response, and instead heard some unwrapping of cloth. Curious, she turned around to see Aetia retrieving a torch from a goatskin bag hidden within her clothes. "Great idea!" Vaela exclaimed. "Now we can warm ourselves!" Then, crestfallen, she realized that they had no means by which to light the torch. No normal means in any case. Vaela desperately wanted some shelter or escape from the cold, and so she thought of an idea to light the torch up with magic, without arousing the suspicions of a shivering Aetia. I'll be right back!" Vaela yelled to Aetia as she sped off into the woods with the torch. Vaela's idea was to magically light the torch and say that she found a bright spot of Sunlight just in time before it vanished behind the clouds. When Vaela was certain that she had run a reasonably fair distance from Aetia, she looked around cautiously. Satisfied that no one was watching her, Vaela started to focus on breaking the barriers in her mind when she saw a blur of black at the corner of her eyes. It had zipped by so quickly that Vaela wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

After staring dumbly at the spot she saw the motion of black for a few seconds, Vaela decided that she was imagining things and refocused on lighting the torch with more than a little encouragement from the wind that was freezing her. Breaking through the mental barriers were almost second nature to Vaela now, but it was directing the power that still needed some refinement. Vaela had to try a few times before setting the torch alight, and by the time she got back to the pier, Aetia was already shivering incessantly. "Sorry I took so long." Vaela apologized, embarrassed at letting her companion suffer. "Here, you take the torch." She offered. To her surprise, Aetia at first resisted being given the torch. She begged Vaela to hold it for her, but Vaela felt that she had done her companion harm by letting her suffer the biting wind, and so insisted gently that she use the torch to warm herself. Closing Aetia's fingers around the torch hilt, Vaela gave Aetia a wink and sat down on the pier facing the calm waters, admiring the little puddles that formed when each raindrop hit the water, not hearing Aetia curse at being asked to hold the torch.


"It's getting dark, we should make camp somewhere." Aetia remarked, doing everything she could do get rid of the torch and its blazing light.

"Don't you want to go back into Riften?" Vaela asked. Aetia shook her head. "I want to get away from that mockery of a town for one day. The inn itself smells of robbery. Can you stay with me, please?" Vaela saw no harm in that, so she agreed. Aetia gave Vaela a reassuring smile and the two went searching for a suitable campsite.

"Why don't we make camp here?" Aetia suggested, sitting down beside Riften's lake. "This place is protected with a rock outcropping to our rear, so our tent won't get blown away by the wind. Besides, it protects us from the elements and the bite of hungry animals at night."


The two women sat down to take a break, while Vaela closed her eyes and focused on calling Starstruck, for her camping supplies were on his back. "What are you doing?" Aetia asked when she spotted Vaela's temples throbbing with concentration.

"Nothing!" Vaela replied somewhat shriller than she expected. "Just having a minor headache, that's all."

"Hmph." Aetia grunted. "I suppose I'll head back to the Riften stables first. My camping gear is packed there."

"There's no need for that." Vaela assured Aetia, hoping that she would buy her white lie. "I've told my housecarl to bring some camping supplies to us around this time." Aetia's eyebrows rose. "When?"

"Before we set out." Vaela replied, anxiously watching Aetia's facial expression. To her relief, she belied no sign of suspicion. As if on cue, a plodding of horses' hooves could be heard, and both Vaela and Aetia were surprised--Aetia because the horse was actually arriving with camping supplies, and Vaela because Lydia was actually accompanying Starstruck despite her not giving any orders to do so. Lydia led Starstruck by his bridle to the now standing Vaela and Aetia. Before Vaela could say anything, the naive Lydia exclaimed loudly in surprise. "Is anything the matter, my Thane? Starstruck kept whinnying in your direction, so I let him loose and he led me here! How was your trip around Riften?"

Aetia's face darkened and she looked away from Starstruck. In order to lighten the mood, Vaela walked over to Lydia and helped with unpacking the camping supplies. "She must have been raring to go after being cooped up in the stables for so long!" Vaela remarked, making sure that Aetia could hear. She turned around for a cursory glance and realized that Aetia was still thinking about something. Vaela hoped it wasn't about the suspicious incidents that had occurred during their trip. The last thing she wanted was for her to lose a friend and her disguise.

For the next few minutes, Vaela and Lydia busied themselves with setting up the camp. Lydia pitched the tent and made sure that it was tacked properly to the ground, while Vaela arranged some chairs and bedrolls nicely on the floor. Both Vaela and Lydia then worked together to construct a cooking spit. Aetia ran over to both of them, and Vaela feared the worst when Aetia opened her mouth, but Vaela's chest heaved with relief when Aetia simply informed the duo that she was going to collect firewood for the campfire.

When the cooking spit was finished, Lydia left to hunt for some food, leaving Vaela alone at the campsite. Having nothing else to do, she started to gather rocks from the waterline to create a circular hole where the campfire would be built around. It was on her fifth trip to the waterline when she saw it again. The blur of black at the corner of her eyes.

Dropping the rocks in her hands, she scrambled over to where she had spotted the movement. "Who's there?" She shouted. The grass shifted under the wind in response. Nobody was present. Feeling slightly fearful yet somewhat dumbfounded, Vaela blinked twice and returned to the campsite, continuing to place stones in a circle but keeping a watchful vigil at the forests behind the camp in case the blur of black reappeared.

~~~~

When Aetia and Lydia returned, the stones were already set and all three of them got a fire roaring in no time. It was sunset when everything was complete, and the land was suddenly basked in a golden glow for a short period of time. "Here in Riften, the skies are usually overcast so sunset is actually the moment you get to admire the sun as a whole." Aetia stated. "Sunset is also the time when most of the Sun's rays are able to grace the Earth, much like now." Vaela started to cook some rabbit stew, hanging the meat Lydia had retrieved from the hunt on the cooking spit. Aetia sat down on a chair and watched as Vaela's rabbit broth slowly came to fruition.


However, when the Sun's glares shone down on Aetia, she scrambled into the tent, leaving a befuddled Vaela and Lydia gawking at her sudden disappearance. "Are you alright?" Vaela called out. She was about to go in and check when a wave of dizziness hit her again. Remembering the feeling she had felt earlier, this time Vaela shut her eyes and tried not to look at anything. The dizziness lasted five minutes, then dissipated. Vaela scratched her head, troubled. Something was wrong. "Aetia?" She hollered.

"I'm fine, just a little tired is all." Aetia's reply reassured Vaela, who returned to her soup. Lydia went to collect some water, and Vaela remained stirring the soup well after sundown. Aetia emerged from the tent, licking her lips. "Are you alright?" Vaela called out in concern. Aetia nodded, beaming at Vaela, but it was that same, odd beam again. Somehow there was nothing joyful about the smile. Then a wave of dizziness hit Vaela again, and she dropped the stirring rod. She looked at Aetia, troubled. To Vaela's fluttering eyes, Aetia somehow looked different than before. Her lips were redder, and her face was somehow more ravishing than before.

No. Vaela thought. It's the effects of something in me that's making her appear like that. Snap out of it. But try as she might, Vaela could not get rid of the feeling--she had to resist an urge to hug Aetia. Am I growing feverish? She wondered. Meanwhile, Aetia had strode over to Vaela, an unsettled expression on her face. "Are you alright?" Aetia inquired. Vaela shook her head.

"Here, let me help you into the tent. I'll take over the soup." Aetia offered, and supported Vaela until she reached the tent. Collapsing down in some form of exhaustion, Vaela lay on a bedroll, stunned. Aetia closed the tent flap and went out, presumably to continue stirring the soup. But after a few minutes of twisting and turning, Vaela could not sleep. Something was making her stay awake, and she did not know what. Just then, Aetia brought in a bowl of soup and looked at Vaela's forehead--all covered in sweat. "Hey, maybe you contracted some sort of disease from the wolf." Aetia suggested. "Drink the soup. I've added some helpful herbs in it. They may aid your recovery."

Vaela took the soup and slurped it down. She returned the empty bowl to a smiling Aetia, who exited the tent to rinse and clean the bowl in water. But Vaela did not feel like lying down anymore. If only she had something that contained information about illnesses and diseases...

Then it hit her. She did have such a book! Her Master's book would have listed most of the recognized forms of diseases. She crawled towards her rucksacks and sifted through them for the precious book. It was safe, untouched and undisturbed. Vaela flipped it open and started to browse through the pages that she had not read in some time, but realized that the interior of the tent was too dark. She exited the tent and went to a chair set up at some distance from the camp, and stood beside it, turning the pages under the moonlight.

It was tough to read under the inconsistent moonlight as the dark wispy clouds often covered the moon, shrouding the land in darkness. It was after one of these temporary eclipses that Vaela noticed Aetia behind her, munching on a loaf of bread.


"What are you reading?" Aetia inquired.

"Just a book on...werewolves." Vaela improvised, continuing to turn the pages but realizing that the overcast clouds were growing in number and blotting out most of the moonlight. "I'm not going to do it now, though." Vaela remarked. "It's too dark." Aetia stood up, smiling lasciviously. She carried with her a lantern that exuded light. "Need this?" The sudden change in lighting and Aetia's tone compelled Vaela to turn around in curiosity.

What she never expected was for Aetia to wrap her arms around her and kiss her passionately on the cheek.


"Aetia...what?" Vaela barely managed to mumble before Aetia leaned in and kissed her lips. Suddenly a more intense wave of dizziness rocked Vaela, and she felt her legs lose all their energy. It was as if Aetia's kiss was robbing her of all vital energy.

Except that Aetia wasn't kissing Vaela anymore. She was biting on Vaela's lips.

"Ah!" Vaela's weak whimper fluttered for a few feet in the air before vanishing into nothingness. Her dizziness increased tenfold, and she slumped to the ground, her vitality and vibrance seeping out of her pallid lips that were stained red with her own blood. "Lydia..." She whispered softly, lacking the spirit to yell out loudly.

"Lydia's not going to help you now." A voice whispered into her ear. "She's gone back to Riften under my orders. I told her to bargain for a lower price for a room in the Bee and Barb, and wait for our return. She's not going to save you."

Vaela slipped in between consciousness every few seconds. She felt someone lean over her prone form and lick her puckered, bleeding lips. "You taste so good..." Someone whispered, someone whom Vaela could only assume was Aetia. "Why...are you doing this?" Vaela sniveled.

"Because I'm a vampire." Aetia responded, kissing Vaela affectionately as if she were her lover. "And because you are young, tender, and very tasty." Aetia paused from her blood sucking and admired the stricken, pale form of her victim. "It was I who meticulously planned this out. I spiked your drink at the Bee and Barb with some aphrodisiac. Do you remember me passing you a drink?" Aetia gloated, not waiting for Vaela to respond. Not that she could, anyway. Her mind was as clouded as the overcast night sky, and thinking made her mind hurt. "I also put some more aphrodisiac in your soup. You should be feeling powerless and weak now." Aetia stated matter-of-factly.

Vaela did indeed feel powerless. Her life was sapping from her limbs, and her strength was ebbing away gradually under the dim moonlight. "I'm so sorry I had to choose you, for you are a good companion and mage..." Vaela gasped at the mention of her arcane abilities. "Yes...I discovered that you were a mage shortly before this. I remembered your out of the ordinary activities. How did you manage to light up a torch in a blustery, overcast sky? There was no fire anywhere, so the fire would have only come from one person--YOU. Pathetic little runt." Aetia uttered, her tone accusing and derogatory at the same time. "I read your book in the tent just now, while you were stirring the soup. Your Master is indeed a knowledgeable man. He gathered such a vast amount of knowledge into that book, even I am amazed by his ability. Perhaps after I finish my delicious meal of you, I shall go hunt him down, and sink my teeth into his magically-enhanced blood, and take his book of--"

A cry of pain erupted from Aetia's direction, but Vaela was too tired, too lethargic to ascertain its direction. Something roared past her and she dimly felt Aetia scrambling off her, cursing and swearing. Then a wave of power in the form of a strong gust of wind rocked the area, and Vaela heard Aetia scream skittishly in shock. Then all seemed silent until Vaela heard some dirt being scraped near her. Someone was approaching.

Vaela was hauled to her feet, and she felt someone shake her roughly. "Vaela! Wake up!" But Vaela was so tired. She didn't want to wake up. She wanted to hit the ground and go to sleep, forgetting about the world and its troubles, forgetting about--

"Blast." She heard a female voice curse. Suddenly a familiar wave of power overtook her. It coursed through her every vein and artery, igniting dormant, hidden potential spots of energy. Vaela's eyes flickered open and she took in the surroundings. A hooded figure in black was supporting her with one hand, channeling a rejuvenating sort of power through her other hand and onto Vaela's reinvigorated body.

"Die, cursed scum!" A terrible cry pierced the night--Aetia was back, hungry for more of Vaela's blood.

"This should give you some energy to hold out for a while." The hooded figure told Vaela, who had unsheathed her sword but tottered unsteadily about. An enraged Aetia charged straight at the hooded figure who would deny her her tasty meal of blood, but with one swing of her right forearm, the hooded figure flung Aetia back with a magically enchanted mace.


Aetia fell back in pain, but quickly recovered and snarled, charging at the hooded figure once more. And once again, the hooded figure swung her mace with blinding speed, smashing into the now bleeding Aetia and sending her caterwauling into the water, where she flinced, recoiling from the two powerful blows dealt to her physical body.


Vaela now stepped closer to the vulnerable Aetia, and faced her angrily. "You lied to me! I thought you were my friend! Aetia cackled madly. "You thought wrong, my ignorant meal."


"My Thane!" A familiar cry was heard over the din, and Vaela turned to see Lydia running straight at Aetia, sword drawn. Aetia took advantage of this momentary distraction and stood up, her fingers thrumming with purple energy.

"NO!" She heard a cry. The hooded figure brushed past Vaela and made to burn Aetia's figure, but together with Lyida who was hacking at Aetia's body, she failed to do any significant damage. With a loud bang and a burst of purple energy, Aetia vanished on the spot, the impact of the expanding energy throwing Vaela and Lydia back.


Vaela's head struck a rock, and she was instantly knocked out. The last thing she saw was the hooded figure approaching her worriedly.
----