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

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  2. #82

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Swaeft View Post
    Sorry for missing this out. It actually took a bit of luck. I accidentally hit my follower with magic more than once while traveling in a dungeon, so she attacked me. Then I realized that any follower would do the same when attacked. So I simply dismissed my companion and attacked her four times before she turned on me. Then I just spammed spells at her and (repeatedly hit the ~ key to get lucky with a screenshot moment). It look half an hour to get those pictures lol. Again, sorry for missing this comment out.
    No worries mate

  3. #83
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by G-Ballz View Post
    This story is fantastic! Keep up the great work!
    Thank you kindly. I am glad that you are enjoying it too, perhaps more than you can imagine.

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirurgeon View Post
    LOL! and Now Nikolai....I need to find some followers you arent using!! Nikolai will be an important character in book three...lol! However I just got caught up reading this. Its interesting following our apprentices parallel tracks. How they both have to pass tests and learn to make potions and stuff. Great reading and keep it up I added some rep to ya
    Oh nuts, I wanted mine to be a little different from yours. Anyways welcome back, and thanks for dropping by! I won't use many more followers, except maybe Trenus and Lorod.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bullet Storm View Post
    Wait a second! This is turning into a romance! I thought this was skyrim?

    Aren't you supposed to be killing dragons? Or does she do that in her sleep?

    Anyway, Great work, i am really enjoying this.
    Now whats wrong with a little love here and there? And she does kill dragons, but do take note that it is her Senior who have done most of the killing while she hides away

    Thanks for the comment, and this is...indeed Skyrim. As you shall find in the next 3 chapters...

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  4. #84
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Nineteen: Thalmor on the Horizon

    Vaela returned safely to the lodge on Starstruck's back. After tossing him a loaf of bread to chew on, Vaela headed to the dining area outside the lodge itself. It was already night, and the stars could be seen twinkling in the sky, almost as if they were smiling. Her Senior, however, was not. Vaela sat down opposite her Senior at an oblong table lighted only by the luminescence of a slowly burning candle. Her Senior was a bit grim about the face, and her eyebrows were dangerously close together.


    "Well, how was it?" Sonje began. Vaela dusted her armor off and replied.

    "Not much to say, Senior. I went to the camp as you instructed, and killed the sentries at the outer perimeter. Then, as I was proceeding up the stairs, I came face to face with the cursed mage you were talking about. I killed her, but it was after a tough battle."

    "Good." Sonje's face twisted with fury, a rare display of emotion. "She was a member of the Mage's Hall once." Sonje revealed. "She's one of the lowlife, disgusting outcasts that couldn't conform to our Code of Conduct, and thus she abandoned us for banditry. Could you imagine that? A member of our Hall turning to banditry! An absolute blight upon our reputation, and I am glad that you have done us justice."

    Vaela nodded in understanding. She now knew why elimination of the rogue mage was a good test for her. "Senior?" Vaela asked. Sonje rose an encouraging eyebrow at Vaela, so she proceeded. "When can we go to rescue my Master?"

    Sonje sighed. "I'm afraid to say that it won't be anytime soon. Your training is far from complete."

    "But Senior, I--"

    "No." Sonje interrupted. "You are not ready. Have you any idea what those Thalmor mages could do to you? They would summon a ring of ice to immobilise you in an instant, and your ward would be helpless against it because they are simply TOO POWERFUL. " Vaela's Senior remarked, emphasising her last sentence. Vaela looked down, disheartened. How long more would she need before she was finally able to save her Master from the Thalmor? "Why can't you do it yourself?" Vaela inquired.

    Once again, her Senior sighed. "I cannot. I am terribly sorry to say this, but I can never face him again."

    Vaela's eyes bulged in astonishment. Never face him again? How was she going to be able to do it? How in the world could she, a mere apprentice, rescue her powerful Master who was imprisoned somewhere in Skyrim without her Senior's help at least? She didn't even know where he was, and like her Senior had said, the Thalmor were simply too powerful for her. When pressed, her Senior refused to elaborate at all. No, it was not possible for Vaela to rescue her Master unaided.. It's impossible for me to rescue my Master. Impossible.

    Just then, Sonje frowned in disdain. "If you are going to think like that, you can leave the Mage's Hall now. The moment you admit defeat to yourself without even trying is the moment you have lost. He who does not try will never succeed, but he who tries and fails will learn from his mistakes. I strongly suggest you push those thoughts out of your mind." Sonje advocated. Vaela pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

    "If this will hearten you, know that your Master won't be going anywhere for the next year. We have all the time in the world to prepare you for this."

    Vaela yearned to ask her Senior how she knew that piece of information. In fact, Vaela yearned to ask her Senior a great many things. She felt as if so much was obscured to her on purpose, so much information and details shrouded in the shadows. Vaela somehow knew that her Senior would reveal more to her as time went by, but Vaela did not know how long she could wait. She wanted answers and hated secrets, but she knew again, that if she asked, her Senior would not divulge anything to her. And so Vaela remained silent as her Senior debriefed her on her assignment. The time for answers would come.

    But for now, Vaela just wanted a good night's rest. All she could think of was exasperation. She was slightly pleased with herself for succeeding in her task, but even that was marred by Nikolai's intervention. She hadn't killed all the bandits herself. Disgruntled, Vaela tossed and turned in bed before entering an uneasy sleep.

    ~~~~

    The next morning, Vaela awoke to her Senior's light but insistent tapping. She was now allowed to sleep inside the lodge, but she was promised by her Senior a quick return to camping. "Rise and shine, Apprentice." Her Senior had told her. "Time to get knowledgeable."

    Sonje led Vaela to the study, where they sat down facing each other. Sonje spoke quickly. "Your understanding of our Guild is sorely lacking, but that isn't your fault. Now that you have passed the second test, it is now fitting for me to tell you a detailed backlog of our history. Listen carefully, for this knowledge may serve you well in future."

    "A long, long time ago, even before the College of Winterhold was founded in the First Era, a group of Masters formed the Mage's Hall. There were exactly five Masters, each to his own school, Destruction, Conjuration, Illusion, Alteration and Restoration. However, they weren't recognised formally by the Thalmor, the Mages Guild, the College of Winterhold, and much less Imperial organizations such as the Synod and the College of Whispers. We were...forced into hiding." An edge was audible in Sonje's voice as she spat that statement out, but the bitterness quickly vanished.

    ”It was quite ironical as we were the only group that taught our students in a variety of ways, such as proactive outdoor activities, interesting theory lessons that our Apprentices actually paid attention to, and tough, first hand training of values and virtues like you experienced. Those were the most controversial methods, and after a great argument we were given an ultimatum by the Thalmor to stop such 'harsh' practises, or face an attack. It was well known at that time that the Thalmor were fearful of our powerful Apprentices and even more powerful Masters. However, they had the support of rival guilds such as the College of Winterhold, the Synods and so on. In the end, the Ducals decided that we were to go into hiding and practise our values secretly."

    "Senior, who are the Ducals?" Vaela inquired. Sonje breathed a sigh in embarrasment.

    "Sorry for leaving that out, I forgot you were didn't know about those two. The Ducals are the dual arch-mages of our Hall, something else that the College of Winterhold especially opposed. They, among others, believe that a single arch-mage would suffice. It has been long proven, however, that our methods are better, more effective and more reliable. However, they used our outlandishness as an excuse to banish us, and so here we are, hiding all over Skyrim and Tamriel like common thieves."

    Vaela nodded in awe. She wasn't aware that her Hall had such a long history, much less one of conflict. But then she decided to ask a burning question that had clogged her mind up for quite some time. "Senior...where is everyone?" Her Senior raised a questioning eyebrow, to which Vaela further elaborated.

    "I mean no disrespect at all, Senior, but we are a group with such a long history. Surely the two and of us and my Master can't make up the entire Hall?" To this question, her Senior sighed heavily. A brief pause ensued before her Senior gathered her thoughts again.

    "Well...our numbers have dwindled heavily since the assassination of both Ducals a few years ago." Vaela gasped in shock when she heard that.

    "By who? How?" Vaela questioned heatedly. "How could anyone--"

    Sonje held up a hand, which silenced Vaela instantly. She knew the drill by now. But that did not prepare her for the next shock which rocked her to the core.

    "The perpetrator was from within our Hall. It was an inside job, and no external parties were involved at all." Her Senior had uttered. "There are investigators at work, and they are slowly uncovering pieces of valuable evidence. However, it is in your best interests now to steer clear of other strangers in the Hall until the investigators clear them." Sonje advised. "But back to the situation at hand. I believe you know more about our Hall now. But still, you have to read up on our history. Take the book over there and read it whenever you can." Sonje indicated a book lying prominently on a round wooden table. "In fact, you can start reading now. You have an hour, until I return from...my own work. Get going." Sonje urged, and so Vaela went to pick up the book and started to flip through its pages as her Senior made her way out of the study. The History of the Mage's Hall...

    ~~~~

    An hour later, her Senior returned with a queasy brow. Vaela knew that her Senior was going to ask her do something awkward, and she was right.

    "Well...I have a new task for you, Apprentice." Sonje began. "As you know, we have been here for almost a month now, and supplies are running a little low..."

    Vaela got the hint instantly. "You want me to go shopping, Senior?" Sonje let the question hang in the air, but Vaela took the initiative and volunteered. "Where do I go?" Her prompt response invoked a benign smile from her Senior, who told her to take out her map. "Here." Her Senior said, marking the location on her map. "The small town of Riverwood. It's the closest source of supplies from this hidden lodge. Take these few septims and go buy us some supplies that will last long. Be back within three hours." Sonje instructed, swinging a bag of septims in Vaela's face.

    Vaela took the bag with renewed enthusiasm. It had been awhile since she had gotten the chance to escape the boredom of training. She bid her Senior farewell and departed, counting the number of septims on the way. The bag held at least five hundred septims. All mine to spend. Vaela thought, her cheeks turning pink at the thought. She giggled like an adolescent, and almost bumped into a whinnying Starstruck. Laughing to herself, she nuzzled him lovingly and handed him another slice of venison, which Starstruck ate with gusto. "Come on, boy. We're getting out of here for some fresh air!"

    Starstruck responded eagerly, jerking and pulling at the rope that bound him there. Vaela swore to never bind him to anywhere ever again, and instead use the power of her mental bonds to keep him in place. "If he won't listen to me, it's his choice. He's been so kind to me already." Vaela reasoned. She clambered onto his back and rode at a steady clip to the small hamlet of Riverwood.

    ~~~~

    She stopped outside a shop with a sign that read 'Riverwood Trader'. It was a pretty blunt name, but Vaela supposed that the people didn't pay much attention to the names when all they cared about was business. Dismounting and removing her face mask so as to not draw attention, Vaela looked around for a bit before entering the shop.


    As she closed the door, the peaceful serenity of the village quickly evaporated as two people were arguing. A man who looked to be the shopkeeper was desperately remonstrating with a female woman whom Vaela had never met before. However, both stopped arguing at once when they noticed Vaela, and the male shopkeeper gave her a reassuring smile. "Welcome to the Riverwood Trader, traveller! What would you like to buy this fine day?"

    His warm and friendly tone washed away Vaela's slight discomfort, and she inquired about food and drink. The shopkeeper responded almost immediately, as if he hadn't met any visitors in a long period of time. "Food? Of course we have food! We have cabbages, cheese wheels, tomatoes, pretty much anything you'd like to have! Please, follow me. If you'd be so kind as to stand here, you'd be able to get a better view of the foodstuff that I sell..." Vaela then began bartering with the man who said his name was Lucan Valerius.


    She spent three hundred and twenty three septims on a whole lot of food, pleasing the shopkeeper very much. "Thank you for stopping by. It's been so long since a traveller bought items from our shop, and with the darned Thalmor lurking around nowadays, I can hardly make any profit at all!"

    Vaela froze dead cold in her tracks when she heard Lucan's sentence. She spun on her heels and questioned the shopkeeper. "What did you say? The Thalmor are here?" The shopkeeper shrugged, but it was his female counterpart who answered. "Yes. Initially, they visited only once every week, and disturbed us only for short periods just to collect 'taxes'. However, since about a month ago, their visits began to grow more frequent, and they come regularly now to extort more money from us, and there's nothing we can do about it thanks to the stupid White-Gold Concordat!" The woman wailed in distress and anger. "How often? How many?" Vaela asked. Suddenly she realized that she had probed a little too much than a normal person would in these circumstances, but the traders didn't seem to mind. "There are usually two of them. Nowadays they stop here twice a day, and come with a list of people while still extorting money. They ask around to see if anyone had seen people whose names are on their list."

    "Did you see who was on the list? Do you know why they have that list in the first place?" Vaela questioned. She knew she was pushing her luck, but she couldn't pass up this opportunity to learn about a possible Thalmor threat here of all places. Her Senior was right. The White-Gold Concordat had provided them with almost unlimited freedom, and here they were even in Riverwood, a small little town far away from the majestic capital of Skyrim, Solitude.

    "Well, there were only two names on the list." Lucan Valerius replied, scratching his stubble and thinking hard. "They didn't show us the list, but I peeked over their shoulders and saw the name Asborn...Esbern?"

    "Yes, that's the name. Esbern." The woman confirmed. "I didn't manage to see the other name, though. They said something about finding this figure of high importance who knew much about a certain Mage's Hall. Said he was a scholar and that they needed to find him fast." Stunned speechless for a moment about the mention of the Mage's Hall, Vaela quickly recovered and thanked both shopkeeper and the woman. They murmured 'it was nothing," and so Vaela bid them farewell after the shopkeeper reiterated his thanks. She opened the door and handed Starstruck a red apple for a change, and the horse bit into it, chewing it in his mouth. Vaela decided that she would appear very conspicuous if she rode Starstruck around the town, so she told him to stay put behind the Riverwood Trader mentally. Starstruck obeyed loyally and trudged to the back of the shop, still munching on his apple. Then, Vaela began to walk around the town as if she was a newcomer.

    After touring the hamlet and hearing snippets of information here and there, she decided to speak to the woman in charge of the Riverwood Mill, Gerdur. She was depicted as a pillar of the society, and rightly so, for when Vaela met her she found Gerdur to be the epitome of self confidence and authority. Politics aside, everyone in the town seemed to heed Gerdur's advice on when to trade, buy, sell, and talk business. She struck up a conversation with the fiercely-spirited woman, and started to learn about the 'bloody Thalmor' and their 'annoying visits'.


    Gerdur mostly repeated what the townsfolk in the Riverwood Trader had told her, but she added a little slice of information--the Thalmor had a camp to the East of their town. Her son had spotted them there while playing with his dog, and ever since then he had been confined to the town perimeter. "You can never be too cautious." Gerdur explained. "Those Thalmor rats may do anything to a lone child. Who knows when they will conjure up flames and roast my dear son alive?" Disturbed by the direction the conversation had taken, Vaela simply thanked the woman and resolved to visit the Thalmor camp soon. However, she decided to stay at the town a little longer to see if the Thalmor would appear. Judging by the position of the Sun in the sky, Vaela still had an hour to go before she was due back at the lodge, and so she volunteered to harvest some crops for the locals.


    Helping them can't hurt. Vaela mused. These poor folks could do with some help anyway. They have so many overgrown weeds...

    Unfortunately for Vaela, the Thalmor did not arrive, and so she headed back to the lodge with the food and supplies on Starstruck's back and pouches. She was eager to tell her Senior of the Thalmor, and even more excited about her potential reaction. Would she sanction a full scale attack on them? Vaela longed to spill some Thalmor blood, especially since Gerdur had told her there would be only two. It would be a challenge for Vaela to take them alone, but with her Senior's help it would definitively prove easy.

    She left Starstruck at his stable with another apple, and ran up the lodge stairs to meet with her Senior. The moment her Senior laid her eyes on Vaela, she knew that something was wrong. "What is it?" She asked. Vaela panted, taking a moment to catch her breath. Then, she answered. "The Thalmor are here. They're bullying Riverwood's inhabitants, extorting money from them, disrupting their lives and destroying their livelihood. Senior, please, let us take the fight to them. I know where their camp is."

    Her Senior took her aside. "Were you seen?" She asked. Vaela shook her head vigorously in denial. "Good." Her Senior remarked. "We are to remain hidden, you understand? We cannot, and I stress, cannot be discovered here."

    Vaela was incredulous. "But Senior, those Thalmor are torturing the citizens of Riverwood! Moreover, there are only two of them! We could easily beat them and rid Riverwood of this unfair and unjust threat!" However, Vaela's pleas failed to convince her Senior, who shook her head and rejected her requests. "The citizens of Riverwood have survived thus far." Her Senior remarked. "Just like how the Mage's Hall were unjustly banished by the combined power of the Thalmor and other groups, these citizens will find a way on their own to deal with this interference in their lives. Let nature run its course. We will leave the Thalmor alone. Is that clear?"

    A very shocked Vaela stared mouth agape at her Senior. "But...Senior, we could disappear off the face of Skyrim simply because we had the power and influence to! These people are poor villagers! They can't fight off such a great threat to their lives alone! We have to--"

    Her Senior cut her off with an angry stare. Glowering ferociously, Sonje yelled aloud. "I said NO! We will NOT interfere! Do you understand? Am I very clear?"

    Vaela stood rooted to the ground. She was completely baffled. This was not the Senior she knew who took her in. She could not comprehend why her Senior would refuse to help a group of innocent villagers. But her Senior had made her stand clear, and so Vaela nodded her head, dejected and disheartened. Walking away with her head facing the ground, she watched as her feet guided her to her bedroom, and did nothing as her body fell limp onto the bed, messing up the well arranged linen. And there she lay for more than two hours, until a sudden thought struck her head.

    Throwing on her hood, she exited the lodge under the pretext of gathering some alchemical ingredients. Her Senior trusted her to do that on her own now. However, she set course directly for the Thalmor camp. If there was indeed only two Thalmor there, Vaela knew that she could not, would not do nothing to help Riverwood.

    Soon, Vaela approached the camp. It was almost evening, and she was due back at the lodge any moment now. Peering over the rock wall, Vaela saw the Thalmor soldiers lazing about at their camp, chatting gaily and merrily. One of them even mentioned that he was going to 'violate that pretty lass in the morrow'. Vaela's insides burned with hot fury when she heard that. The heartless Thalmor had to die. There were only two elves there, and they were dressed in full battle armor, but that did not deter Vaela in the slightest.


    She now knew that she stood a fighting chance against the scum who had not yet noticed her. Slipping away from their camp and heading back to the lodge, Vaela decided that she would take action. She had already formulated a plan in her mind, and made her mind up to eradicate the Thalmor harassing Riverwood's inhabitants.

    Like it or not, her Senior would have no control over Vaela this time.

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  5. #85
    ccllnply's Avatar Tribunus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Great chapter mate, really good read. I'm liking how Vaela is developing as a character.

    Just out of curiousity, since this forum has basically turned into a Skyrim AAR forum, is there something about Skyrim that lends itself to AAR writing? I've never played it before so I'm just wondering


  6. #86
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by ccllnply View Post
    Great chapter mate, really good read. I'm liking how Vaela is developing as a character.

    Just out of curiousity, since this forum has basically turned into a Skyrim AAR forum, is there something about Skyrim that lends itself to AAR writing? I've never played it before so I'm just wondering
    Thank you. About Skyrim...it's just the multitude of possibilities that your character can become, and the amount of tools available to make a great screenshot I suppose. Others may differ, but those two are what I feel make the biggest pull. I mean, you can change your character's clothes to suit the story's needs anytime.

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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Twenty: A Bond Torn Asunder

    Vaela returned to the lodge and greeted her Senior cordially. If Sonje suspected anything amiss, she did not show it. "Turn in to bed early tonight, Apprentice. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You will learn enchanting at the study." Vaela let her facial features relax into a more excited expression in order to appease her Senior, and trudged back to her bedroom. She had perfected her plan, and now the only thing left to do was to execute it accordingly. This sense of rebelliousness and offense delighted Vaela, and her blood coursed through her body like never before. As much as it pained her to lie down and rest, Vaela did so and waited for ten o'clock to approach, which was the normal time for her Senior to sleep.

    ...

    ...

    ...

    When Vaela finally heard her Senior's room door slam shut, she immediately rose out of bed and checked the surroundings. Poking her head out of her room, she peered at her Senior's door. When she did not emerge after ten minutes it became apparent that she had already fallen asleep and wasn't coming out. Vaela smiled and tiptoed to the study. Earlier on she had told herself that she was honestly not confident about facing two well trained Thalmor soldiers on her own. However, with some extra help, she was confident that she would prevail. Since her Senior wasn't going to provide that help, she had to turn to magic once again. In the afternoon, while weeding out some overgrown potatoes in Riverwood, she had remembered the scroll of 'Conjure Fire Atronach' that her Senior had used to teach her how a magic scroll worked. Vaela silently rehearsed the steps to use a scroll, which wasn't hard since she had used two before at Bleak Falls Barrow.

    When Vaela arrived at the display case, she was glad that the scroll was still there, untouched and undisturbed. She silently opened it and took a moment to stare at the beauty of it, before taking it with her and closing the case gently.


    Tiptoeing back outside the study, Vaela took one last look around to ensure that her tracks were still uncovered, then she left. Opening the main door, she slipped out silently, an Apprentice ignorant of the consequences of such a seemingly innocent deed.

    Starstruck was fast asleep when she walked past, his head drooping and moving in his dreams. Vaela stifled a chuckle and continued towards her destination. She had brought very little with her--her pouches, the scroll, some potions and poisons, and the Thalmor-killing sword. She then realized that she had neglected to ask her Senior about the nature of the sword. She recalled how it had caught the light when Thalmor blood came into contact with it at Northwatch Keep, and shuddered with joy. A perfect weapon for the perfect enemy. Vaela muttered to herself.

    It took Vaela a good twenty minutes to reach her intended location, but she was rewarded. The two Thalmor were still there, one of them lying by the campfire, and the other walking around and doing some stretching. As Vaela observed them from a rock cavity overhead, she slipped her hand into her pouches and retrieved the spell scroll. Praying that it would work, Vaela started to absorb its power. True to her Senior's words, the scroll broke the magical barriers in her head almost instantly and her hand thrummed with a dark purple colour. It disappeared afterwards, leaving Vaela with a good amount of power in her right palm. Exhilarated, Vaela crept silently towards the Thalmor camp. Just a little closer... she estimated. She did not want to much things up by summoning the atronach a few extra meters away from the kill zone in which she intended to fight in. Kills like these were more suited to a quick, bloody fight and were often resolved within seconds. If anyone caught them there would be hell to pay. For a moment Vaela regretted not asking for help from Gerdur. Perhaps she could provide some men as support? But as soon as the idea crossed her mind, she banished it. Asking the people of Riverwood to openly defy the Thalmor was more than they could handle.

    When Vaela felt that she was close enough to the two Thalmor soldiers, she took in a deep breath and steeled herself for the coming battle. This is it. She thought. Then, banishing all forms of hesitation from her mind, she released the flow of power from her right palm and directed it near to the Thalmor campfire. The fiery, blazing apparition appeared out of nowhere, and Vaela felt no drain upon her energy either. The two Thalmor soldiers were startled out of their wits, clearly not expecting an attack from anywhere, much less a magical assault.


    They were slow to react. Vaela took this time to run down the cliff she was on and partake in the fight. Her flame atronach was doing pretty well on its own, singing the Thalmor's armor and setting them alight. It was then Vaela realized that the two Thalmor soldiers must have left their weapons in their tent, for they both conjured up translucent, glowing swords which they used to hack at her atronach. Wasting no more time, Vaela plunged herself into the fight, spewing out copious amounts of fire from her palms, which added to the Thalmor's screams in the air. Vaela found that she could connect mentally with her fiery companion, and ordered it to direct its fire upon the furthest Thalmor soldier. The flame atronach obeyed, and Vaela too directed her flames upon the unfortunate elf. The Thalmor soldier started to burn ablaze.


    The Thalmor soldier crumpled to the ground in instants. The other Thalmor soldier too was starting to get set alight. Screaming madly, he slashed wildly at Vaela's flame atronach to no avail. Laughing to herself, Vaela shot a burning fireball at the Thalmor soldier, which scorched his chest badly. He too slumped to the ground, a lifeless corpse.

    Surprised at how well the attack went, Vaela paused for a moment to catch her breath, then ensured that both Thalmor soldiers were really dead. They would not be troubling the population of Riverwood any longer.


    Vaela then spent the next few minutes searching the bodies of the dead. Going through every pocket in the Thalmor armor, she retrieved two things--a note, and the list of names Lucan Valerius had been talking about. Everything else was junk, but Vaela pocketed the few septims that they had, then lugged their useless bodies to the nearby river and threw them unceremoniously into it. Those scum deserve no burial. Vaela spat as she watched their bodies float downstream and disappear from sight. Then, extremely pleased with herself and in very high spirits, Vaela hopped and skipped jovially back to the lodge.

    ~~~~

    From way up high, totally obscured by the dark of night, a shrouded figure watched Vaela keenly.

    ~~~~

    Vaela tiptoed to her Senior's door and put her ears against it. Sonje was still snoring away like nobody's business. Elated, Vaela tiptoed back to her room, closed the door gently, and sighed pleasantly as she lay on her bed. The mattress suddenly seemed so comfortable, and her armor seemed to fit her so well. Everything appeared better when Vaela was happy. She procured the two pieces of parchment she had looted off the Thalmor and unfolded them. Deciding the read the note first, Vaela never once took her eyes off it as she scanned every single line of the text.

    Search Whiterun Hold for the two traitors on the list and report back within three months. Esbern is of the highest priority. He has intimate knowledge about our operations, even more than you could possibly imagine. Your payment is enclosed in the bag. Do not fail me.

    Elenwen

    Surprised but expecting something of the sorts, Vaela placed the letter in one of her pouches, then focused on reading the list of names, something that brought far more attention and worry to Vaela. The two names were Esbern and Nikolai.

    Vaela did not know who this Esbern was, but she certainly feared for Nikolai's safety. Why are the Thalmor hunting for him? What do they want with him? Vaela pondered, scratching her brow every now and then. Deciding that she could not risk Nikolai's well being any longer, she decided to sleep first, then pay him a visit in Whiterun tomorrow to warn him of the imminent danger.

    ~~~~

    The next day when Vaela awoke, she immediately when to visit her Senior who was already training under the morning Sun. Vaela watched in awe as her Senior blasted fireball after fireball into the river in an awesome display of power and mental fortitude. When her Senior noticed her and strode over to begin her training, Sonje's casual tone and normal behaviour dispelled the last vestiges of Vaela's doubts and suspicions that her Senior knew anything about last night's raid.

    "Senior, may I have your permission to visit Whiterun?" Vaela asked politely. When questioned by her Senior, Vaela gave a white lie that she was going to purchase a gift for her Senior. "Well, I suppose we can take a break from all these training routines. Go, but be back before three." Sonje said. Vaela nodded and rode Starstruck as quickly as possible to Whiterun.

    Upon her arrival, Vaela suddenly remembered that she had no idea where to begin looking for Nikolai, or if the Thalmor were even here yet. These questions rang painfully in her ears as she approached Whiterun's fortifications.


    Vaela left Starstruck at the stables and ran straight into Whiterun, barrelling past a few puzzled guards on the way in. Spotting what appeared to be an Imperial soldier, Vaela walked up to him and asked him if he had seen a man named Nikolai in the town. Instead of receiving a pleasant response, the man barked arrogantly at her. "Do you know who you're talking to? I'm Idolaf Battle-Born! Show some respect!" The man put his arms around his hips and waited for Vaela to apologize.


    Vaela ate some humble pie and apologized to the man through gritted teeth, which seemed to satisfy him, but he could not point Vaela in the direction of Nikolai. Cursing behind his back, Vaela moved on and approached strangers to ask about Nikolai's whereabouts. "Sorry, haven't seen him." "Don't know who you're talking about, sorry." and "Nope." were the most common answers she got as responses. Frustrated, Vaela pounded her fists together in anger. Just then, a guard walked up to her and saluted. "Good afternoon, my Thane."


    He provided a stark reminder to Vaela that she was the Thane of this city. Charus eggs, why didn't I think of that before? Vaela scolded herself as she faced the guard politely. With a gentle disposition, she asked if he had seen any Thalmor soldiers in the vicinity recently. To her horror and revulsion, the guard's answer was affirmative, and that they had been escorting a man in steel plate armor. "Where did they go?" Vaela inquired, fearful of what the Thalmor would do to Nikolai. However, the guard shrugged--he had no idea where they had departed to. Thanking him for the information provided, Vaela went around asking a few more of the guards for clues. The responses were confusing. Some said that the Thalmor departed for Riverwood, some said the Thalmor paid a carriage driver to go to Solitude, others said that they hadn't even seen the Thalmor. Pounding her fists in frustration, Vaela trudged sadly out of Whiterun. As she called Starstruck to her position mentally, she wondered where the Thalmor could have gone. By the time Starstruk arrived, clip clopping his way towards her, Vaela had decided to head back to the lodge and come clean with her Senior. She would need to seek her Senior's help--there was no other way to resolve this crisis.

    Vaela rode Starstruck hard, beseeching him mentally to focus all his energies on reaching the lodge as quickly as possible. The ever loyal, ever devoted Starstruck responded, panting and heaving as he strived to obey his rider. However, when Vaela saw something amiss from afar, she reined Starstruck in and dismounted. Stay here and don't move. She instructed Starstruck. Thanks for being such an obedient horse. Starstruck's hazel eyes gazed lovingly at Vaela, and that was enough for Vaela to know that she was understood. About six hundred meters from the lodge, Vaela dropped into a crouch and crept forwards for about two hundred meters. What she saw shocked her.


    Nikolai was bound in chains and forced to kneel on the ground. He was guarded by two Thalmor soldiers in full battle armor, but even worse was what Vaela saw on the horizon. The lodge was beset with flames, ice and wards. A full scale battle was in process, and Vaela didn't think any good would come out of it. I need to rescue Nikolai and get to the lodge! Vaela's mind told her. Charging up some form of power, Vaela sprinted forward with a war cry and knocked the two Thalmor soldiers aside. They staggered back amid their clamouring of surprise. Vaela had initially wanted to unchain Nikolai, but when she saw that the knots were too complex for her to undo in time, she simply burnt them until they dissolved into ashes. Then, Vaela and Nikolai faced off against the two belligerent Thalmor soldiers.


    Nikolai eliminated his opponent first with a savage blow to the neck. Vaela's own opponent tumbled to the ground in a mess of flames mere seconds later. For a moment Vaela and Nikolai exchanged glances. "I'm glad you're safe." Vaela revealed, sighing in relief at the same time. Nikolai smiled warmly, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by a scream from the lodge. The look on Nikolai's face turned grim and foreboding. "Come on! We have to kill the Thalmor there!" Nikolai indicated. The two of them wasted no time and rushed forwards across the wooden bridge. They came face to face with several Thalmor soldiers swarming over the entrance to the lodge like angry ants and busy bees. They blocked off the entrance with a wall of bodies, and one of them yelled over the discordant din. "It's those two! Get them!"

    All hell broke loose as the Thalmor line surged forwards to meet Vaela and Nikolai. Taking the initiative and the fight to the Thalmor, Nikolai barraged forward and hefted his great warhammer at any elf foolish enough to prance within striking range of the deadly weapon. Vaela stood back and focused on burning the rest of the Thalmor, her mind a flurry of panic and confusion.


    "I hope my Senior's fine." Vaela mused as she continued to pour intense fire onto the onrushing Thalmor soldiers. Most of them were now burnt beyond recognition, but two or three remained combat worthy. Nikolai elevated his worth as a warrior and killed three of them in a single blow. As the Thalmor bodies crumpled to the ground, they revealed an even more horrifying sight--Vaela's Senior was on the ground and clutching her sides in painful agony.


    "SENIOR!" Vaela shouted in fear, thunderstruck and confounded by the turn of events. "Are you alright?" She asked. Her Senior coughed out blood and shook her head. Vaela retrieved some potions from her pouches and uncapped the vials. "Here. Drink these." She offered. Instead, her Senior declined in between smatterings of coughing.

    "Forget it...I'm done...for..." Her Senior mumbled. Her eyes were glazed and blood was seeping out of her chest profusely. Numerous gashes adorned her once solid armor, and the downcast, dispirited gaze of a dying person met Vaela's eyes. Vaela saw the desperation and hopelessness in her Senior's two pupils, and realized the gravity of the situation instantly. A dagger of pain laced Vaela's heart. It wasn't the pain of injuries, but rather the pain of guilt, of remorse, and of bitter sorrow, of knowing that this was indirectly her fault. The tears started to flow, as clear as crystal and as heavy as steel. They dropped slowly, a mix of Vaela's bare soul and emotions, plummeting to the ground, mirroring the last of Vaela's hope that her Senior would make it.

    "No! You're not done for yet, Senior. Have faith!" Vaela yelled, lying to herself. It was painfuly apparent that her Senior was going to meet her maker very soon, but yet Vaela refused to accept that notion. More coughing silenced her, and her Senior stretched her hand out to grasp Vaela's trembling fingers. Sonje wrapped her fingers around Vaela's palm, which made Vaela kneel down, and spoke slowly. "Listen carefully, Apprentice...for I...have important knowledge to impart to...you..." Sonje paused to cough and retch some more, and Vaela started to feel sick inside.

    "You don't have to tell me anything about the...Thalmor attack. I can see the answer in your eyes...it is as clear...as day. Know that I do not blame you for anything...you have stood up to your final trial remarkably well." Vaela's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the third test. "Yes...your third test was a test...of your own virtues and traits...whether your sense of empathy would overwhelm...my heartlessness. You...have...succeeded. Congratu...lations..." Sonje managed to eke out before erupting into another coughing fit. Vaela let the tears flow now. As swiftly as the rain cascading down from the merciless clouds, Vaela's tears clouded her own vision. She remained an inert object, for her tremendous sorrow and misery prevented her from moving. She continued to kneel as her Senior struggled to form coherent sentences.

    "Vaela...there is so much you need to know, yet so little time for me to tell you...so please listen carefully..." Sonje begged, but Vaela needed no further invitation. She paid extremely careful attention to her Senior's instructions to follow, even as she cried herself dry. Behind her, the stout and stoic Nikolai looked away. Any more of this emotional scene and he would have to cry too.

    "Your book...given to you by your Master...you must finish reading it. It contains so much information...more than those books in the small library within this lodge. Secondly, I need you to...find this Esbern...and make sure he isn't captured by the Thalmor..." Some coughing passed before Sonje continued. "Make sure he is safe...no matter the cost...for without him we are lost. He is an important scholar within our ranks, and the information...he provides will be extremely valuable to you. Thirdly...I need you to continue your training...but not under anyone else from the Mage's Hall. You can trust Esbern but no one else...you hear me?"

    Vaela nodded, her cheeks glistening with the sheen of many silvery tears. "I understand...Senior." She croaked, her voice hoarse. Sonje smiled wanly at Vaela, but it was a smile so pure that it seemed only fitting. Vaela propped her Senior up against a wooden pillar, where Sonje could breathe better. "Now...I need you to retrieve everything important from the lodge study and meet me back here...you understand? Take everything...spellbooks, tomes, volumes, scrolls and whatever. Leave nothing behind for the Thalmor. Go...now!" Her Senior urged. Tears flowing freely, Vaela made a mad dash into the lodge.

    Making a beeline for the study, Vaela scavenged everything she could find of use. The majority of them were spell tomes and scrolls, and Vaela stuffed them hastily into her pouches. Taking a few books about the history of the Mage's Hall with her, Vaela dashed out as quickly as possible. Her foray into the lodge had taken just five minutes, but to her stricken Senior it must have felt like an eternity. She emerged from the lodge door to find Nikolai conversing with Sonje.

    "I will, Madame. Fret not, for she is in safe hands. I'll make sure she stays alive." Nikolai was saying. He eyed Vaela forlornly as she appeared, and backed off to allow her Senior a moment of privacy. Vaela gratefully knelt down and told her Senior that she had everything of value inside the lodge. "Very good, Apprentice. I am proud to tell you that it has been the greatest honour to teach someone as kind, caring and loyal as you. As much as you may think that...I am blabbering, I am not. Do not...underestimate yourself, for you have grown powerful...since a month ago...bear that in mind. However, do not forget that you are still a...powerless whelp against the combined might of the Thalmor. So...can you promise me this...to continue your training before you finally take the fight to them?"

    "Where shall I do so, Senior?" Vaela asked. She looked behind for a moment to see Nikolai guarding the wooden bridge and watching over them both.

    "The...College of Winterhold. If you ever go there...find a mage named Faralda...she's an old friend..." Sonje was coughing more frequently now, and the ground was now stained with the blood coming from her mouth. Her end was near, but still she fought to cling on to whatever life she had left. Her fighting spirit would forever stay in Vaela's memory, and she vowed to honour her Senior by carrying out whatever last orders she would give, and to always fight with honour and abide by whatever rules the Mage's Hall had. When she said that out loud, Vaela knew that her Senior had never been more pleased in her life.

    "You have matured indeed...Apprentice." Sonje remarked with a grin. However, she was interrupted by Nikolai shouting in a frenzy of panic. "We need to get out of here, now!" Vaela looked up, and to her utter dismay and horror, a group of Thalmor soldiers were advancing upon the lodge at breakneck pace.


    They held conjured swords in their hands, that flashed brilliantly in the rain. The cacophany of their marching boots instilled the feelings of doom and death upon the trio still at the lodge. "We can't fight them all off!" Nikolai shouted in consternation. "There are too many!" At this frightening moment, Sonje coughed, redirecting Vaela's attention to her Senior.

    "It looks like my time has come...Apprentice. There is one last wish I must tell you." Sonje divulged, and Vaela bent in closer, knowing that what her Senior was about to say was the most important of everything she had already imparted to Vaela. "A long time ago...I knew your Master well...considerably better than anyone else in the world. Before we parted ways...he handed me this..." Sonje removed a circlet from her head and handed it to Vaela's shivering hands. "This was a token of his pure love for me...and I accepted it at that time. When you next meet him...please tell him that I remained true to him to the very end...do you understand?"

    Vaela was utterly confounded. Apparently today was a day of incredible surprises. Her Senior was her Master's lover? She blinked thrice before Nikolai's voice rang out again. "They're getting too close! We need to leave, now!" He hollered in fear, running up the stairs to the lodge. A horde of golden followed close behind. "Leave now, Apprentice, and fear no darkness! I shall hold them here. Go!" With a sudden burst of magic, Vaela and Nikolai were thrown far, far away. The lodge seemed to vanish from their sight in instants.

    Vaela would never, never ever forget the last look of gratitude and acceptance in her Senior's eyes before she was blasted away. That imagine burned in her mind and stuck to her retinas. It was to be firmly engraved in her mind, etched in there for all eternity as a tribute to her fearless, well-meaning Senior. Then, the lodge vanished completely from sight, and Vaela was knocked unconscious.
    Last edited by Swaeft; March 09, 2013 at 11:49 PM.

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  8. #88

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    I thought you were slowing down with the resumption of school!! I havent read it yet but that is an enormous chapter

  9. #89
    Bullet Storm's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Whoa! What an update!
    Excellelent work as usual, keep it up!

  10. #90
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirurgeon View Post
    I thought you were slowing down with the resumption of school!! I havent read it yet but that is an enormous chapter
    Then I hope you get to read it soon! The only reason I am able to continue producing two chapters a week is because I actually pre-write them on the weekends, so I am balancing my studies and my hobbies finely, I'd say. And your chapters are longer, something I admire.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bullet Storm View Post
    Whoa! What an update!
    Excellelent work as usual, keep it up!
    Thank you kind Sir. Thanks to some very good mods in the 'fight against the thalmor' series, I promise you guys a very exciting next ten chapters or so! Stay tuned for intense battles and the discovery of more secrets!

    Edit: Finally updated the Mods List at the first post. Damn forum wasted a lot of time...it kept spoilering stuff I un-spoilered...took me twenty minutes to rectify that, and then whenever I press enter or backspace the cursor somehow jumps somewhere else...
    Last edited by Swaeft; March 11, 2013 at 05:32 AM.

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  11. #91

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    An absolute great chapter. I have to say I did not see it coming. Now what's next for our Vaela?

  12. #92
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Merchant of Venice View Post
    An absolute great chapter. I have to say I did not see it coming. Now what's next for our Vaela?
    Thank you. It's been awhile since I last saw you, hard at work for your content staff duties I suppose. Keep it going, and for 'what's next', I'll give you three emotions: Guilt, determination, revenge.

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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Twenty One: A Dilemma of Agony

    "My head..." Vaela moaned, as she struggled to prop herself upright. A familiar voice materialised over her. "Easy, easy. You're not in the best of shape. Just relax for the moment." Vaela tried to stand, but her mind clouded over and she fainted again.

    When she awoke a while later, she felt much better, and the pounding in her head had disappeared. Her vision was clearer now, and with a slight burst of energy Vaela sat up. As the room came into view, Vaela noticed a few things.


    She was sitting on a bed, and judging by the ambient noises outside she was probably in an inn somewhere. The room was spacious but did not have a door, and thus was not suited for private conversation, or so Vaela thought. When she turned her head to look at the wall, she realized that Nikolai was standing quietly in the shadows, watching her intently. Then, with a flood of memories, it all came back.

    Her Senior was gone.

    GONE! Gone forever and ever! A cartful of pain hit her in the stomach, and Vaela started to sob again. But she had cried herself dry earlier on, and had no tears left to shed. Her mind simply blanked out. A moment of madness had cost Vaela her Senior's life. Was it her fault? Perhaps it was. Vaela started to slap herself on the face madly. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She rambled. Nikolai, alarmed, reached out to her and held her hands aside.

    "Stop this crazed slapping, please!" Nikolai urged, but Vaela rebuffed him and continued to slap herself. "It's all my fault! How do expect me to get over it just like that! I caused...I caused..." Vaela's sentence trailed off for she no longer had the heart to speak. A distressed Nikolai sat down beside her and did his best to comfort her. Vaela felt Nikolai's warm embrace around her, and for the first time, laid her head on his armored shoulders and continued sobbing.

    "I promised your Senior that I'd take care of you no matter what, so here I am. Relax and sleep for a few hours at least. I'll wake you up in the morning, alright?"

    Vaela had no energy to stand anyway, and she crawled back into bed, letting a bleak, desolate sleep overcome her.

    ~~~~

    She rose from her slumbers a few hours later, recharged and revitalised, but still extremely saddened with grief by her Senior's downfall at her own hands. Nikolai entered with a platter of food from the innkeeper, and laid it down on the round wooden table beside Vaela. "Eat some." Nikolai said, offering a round red apple to Vaela. "You need to recover your strength." Vaela raised her head and looked into Nikolai's kind twinkling eyes. I've already let down my Senior. I can't afford to give Nikolai the cold shoulder after he's done so much for me. I'll kill myself before that happens. Vaela mused. Accepting the apple with a thankful smile, Vaela bit into it and was surprised to find it pleasantly fresh. Munching on it while she gathered her train of thoughts, Vaela started to stand and pace the room. Nikolai stepped back gracefully and allowed her the time and space to think.

    Vaela pondered long and hard through her moments of gloom and despair. What do I know about the attack? She faced Nikolai and flashed him a warm smile. "Thank you for being so kind and understanding so far." She began, to which Nikolai raised a hand accepting her praises. "But why were you captured by the Thalmor?"

    At this question, Nikolai let out a long sigh and leaned against the inn walls for support. "Well...I was kind of a fool, really." Nikolai admitted, running his rough hands through his dark hair in shame. "After we killed the bandits at the camp, I went back to Whiterun to collect my bounty from the Jarl. Three hundred septims. I spent half of it away at the Drunken Huntsman, gulping down ale and slurping down mead. When two Thalmor soldiers passed by, I spat at them and denounced their kind. I was taken away, and the Whiterun guards could do nothing about it. After that, they met up with a larger force, and I heard something about an attack on a lodge. They said the mages inside were highly dangerous and were to be slain on sight. About twenty of them marched towards the lodge, and the moment your Senior emerged from it, they all charged forwards. Only two of them stayed behind to guard me, and that's how I met you again." Nikolai related, completing his tale of woe.

    "It seems that fate brought us together again." Vaela remarked. She then buried her head in her hands and wailed pitifully again. "What's the matter?" Nikolai asked, his tone sounding somewhat more brusque than he had intended it to. Vaela's tear strewn face glared at him, but then her outraged expression subsided into one of regret. "I...disobeyed my Senior's orders and attacked two Thalmor soldiers that were harassing the inhabitants of Riverwood. I suppose what I did provoked some of the Thalmor commanders, and thus they ordered the attack on the lodge that led to..." Vaela looked away, shamefaced. She simply could not continue.

    Nikolai exclaimed in wonder. "That's it? I thought you had committed a serious crime or something! Not to sound disrespectful, but it was definitely not your fault that your Senior was attacked by the Thalmor. We don't even know for sure that the Thalmor attacked the lodge because of your actions." Nikolai tried to remonstrate with Vaela, who was slowly being won over by his logic and line of reasoning. Nikolai could see that Vaela was desperately trying to rid her conscience of her supposed guilt, but needed a last push before she would be willing to accept that it wasn't her fault and absolve herself of the guilt and regret. "How about this? Your Senior said herself that she was proud of your actions and your display of empathy. She designed that test for you, which was a tremendous test in its own right, and you passed! It isn't your fault!" Nikolai boomed, placing heavy emphasis on his last sentence.

    A single tear rolled down Vaela's cheek. But this was no longer the tear of sadness and melancholy. This was no longer the mix of depression and regret. This tear represented the epitome of hope, fierce determination, anger and a desire for revenge. As it splashed onto the floor, time seemed to slow. A burning fire of fury was building up in Vaela's heart. The Thalmor will pay dearly for this...they will regret ever crossing the Mage's Hall! Vaela swore. But then, a more placid side of her emerged, a side that Vaela didn't even know existed within her. Did her Senior impart some form of emotions to her during her training? Or was it simply her common sense taking over? Whatever it was, it stemmed the previously unstoppable tide of hatred in her heart and replaced it with a cool sense of determination, calmness and acceptance. Nothing I do now will bring back my Senior.

    As that lucid thought entered and disappeared into her mind within an instant, Vaela turned to Nikolai, who was still smiling at her in an attempt to cheer her up. Nikolai. Her saviour, her companion, and now...

    Vaela blushed abruptly and involuntarily. Nikolai understood whatever she wanted without her even asking. While only time would tell if this special bond worked both ways, Vaela was already feeling slightly smitten by his kindness and gentlemanliness. But then her other side took over again, and the pragmatic, determined Vaela beckoned to Nikolai to follow her, and the two made their way out of the inn. Nikolai handed Vaela a lantern while he lighted a torch for himself. A sign hanging limply outside the inn indicated that Vaela had rested in Moorside Inn.


    "We're in Morthal?" Vaela exclaimed in surprise. She did not expect to be this far from Whiterun hold. "Well, I figured that I should have taken you as far as possible from the Thalmor influence. This is a quite little town, and no Thalmor have set foot here in ages." Nikolai reasoned. Vaela thanked him for his foresight. "You're a smart little one, aren't you?" she jested, to which Nikolai replied, "Not smart enough to get drunk and get captured." Both of them broke out in mirth before departing.

    "Can your horse hold two people?" Nikolai asked. An astonished Vaela turned around. "How did you get here, then?"

    "By carriage." Nikolai shrugged. Vaela patted him on the shoulder and said, "Well, if he can't, you're riding him. I need a good little exercise anyway." Nikolai was taken aback at such a generous offer, and so the both of them argued for a bit until they settled on Nikolai mounting Starstruck. "Where are we going, anyway?" Vaela pointed out, and the duo realized that they had argued for so long without even deciding on a destination. Nikolai was the first to speak up. "How about we head back to Riverwood? My sister lives there, and she can help us. Don't worry about triggering any Thalmor traps, they would have left by now after all the ruckus they have caused in Jarl Balgruuf's hold. I hear he's sent out war parties to hunt down the Thalmor and demand an explanation."

    And so it was decided that Vaela and Nikolai would travel to Whiterun from Morthal. The journey wasn't particularly far or tiring, and Vaela was used to travelling long distances by now anyway. As it turned out, Starstruck was fully capable of supporting the weight of Vaela and Nikolai although it reduced his speed by some bit. If Nikolai was uncomfortable being in such close proximity to Vaela, he did not show it outwardly, although Vaela swore she could hear his heartbeat increase twofold during the journey. Vaela was glad that she was sitting in front with her hood fully closed, otherwise Nikolai could perhaps have glimpsed her rosy red cheeks and infatuated smile.

    ~~~~

    However, the moment the two of them arrived in Riverwood, all thoughts of love were banished from Vaela's mind as she felt the embers of fury stirring in her heart again. At least the people looked happier then they had before.

    Nikolai guided Vaela straight to the Sleeping Giant Inn, where Vaela had neglected to stop by during her short period of time in Riverwood before. The Inn appeared in a better condition than the one in Morthal, and Vaela took an immediate liking to it. Meanwhile Nikolai had spotted his sister and the two were embracing. Vaela felt a slight tinge of jealousy when she spotted them hugging, but it quickly dissipated. "It's been so long, brother!" Delphine was exclaiming. They spent a few moments exchanging pleasantries before Nikolai beckoned Vaela over and led his sister to a side room. When Nikolai closed the door behind them, Vaela and Delphine got the chance to properly examine each other for the first time.

    Delphine was a stout female Breton with a few scars on her face. She had blond hair and dark blue eyes, accompanied by a seemingly kind disposition which was disrupted by the presence of a rapier at her side. "She's incredibly determined." Nikolai had told Vaela before they entered. "You two should hit off well."

    "Brother, who's this?" Delphine asked. Nikolai introduced Vaela to Delphine and vice versa. "She's on a personal quest to eliminate the Thalmor threat and save her Master." Nikolai stated. Delphine stared Vaela in the eye and remarked callously, "Why should we help her? What's so important about her and the Thalmor?"

    "She's a member of the Mage's Hall." Nikolai whispered, somewhat embarrassed. Delphine's character transformed immediately. "Apologies, mage. Please forgive me for being rude, but I've been troubled by gangsters for too often." Delphine said contritely. Vaela accepted her apology, for she needed to build strong ties with this woman. According to Nikolai, she was very well connected and well informed, and would be able to assist Vaela greatly. The trio headed into a secret room concealed from view by a wardrobe with a false back panel inside. Delphine headed in first, followed by an eager Vaela, leaving Nikolai to close the back panel and the wardrobe door. They gathered in a room with a wooden ceiling, presumably below the main rooms of the Sleeping Giant Inn.


    "Now, what do you need?" Delphine asked Vaela.

    "Not to sound rude, Ma'm, but I'm just curious as to why you would want to help me in exchange for nothing." Vaela responded. Delphine laughed but quickly covered her mouth with a hand. After a few moments, she replied. "Well, to begin with, you are from the Mage's Hall. Most people in Skyrim may blame or distrust your guild, but there are a few who actually support you. The previous five or six Ducals made generous donations to powerful organizations, and they chose well. These same organizations maintain a high level of friendship with the Hall, and are willing to support it should the need arise. I may not belong to one of these organizations, but some of the mages from your Hall have helped me in many things before, and I have been waiting for a suitable opportunity to repay their kindness."

    Vaela nodded, heartened by Delphine's words. There was still some hope left for the Hall after all! She thought. Clearing her throat, Vaela started to tell Delphine about her situation. "Thank you for your kind offer. I need to know two things. Who is this Elenwen, and where does this person reside?"

    Delphine let out a guttural chuckle. "That nasty woman is one of the Thalmor ambassadors to Skyrim. She resides at the Thalmor Embassy a half hour's journey away from the capital of Skyrim, Solitude."

    Vaela let out a puzzled gasp. "The Thalmor Embassy?" She inquired. Delphine nodded affirmatively. "Yes. It's one of their bases of operations in Skyrim. The best place to look if you require information about Thalmor activities, or anything related to the Thalmor. It's your best bet if you need information about your Master's location."

    Vaela nodded, digesting the information. Apparently she had a new place to head to. "But how am I going to get in?" She asked. Delphine snorted arrogantly. "Don't worry about that. You have now entered my area of expertise." She claimed, drawing herself up with pride. "I'll get you an invitation to a party Elenwen herself is going to throw in two day's time. You can enter as a guest and then sneak away from the party. I'll arrange for a contact to meet you. Give me a few hours to plan the details and I'll get back to you." Delphine remarked. Surprised at her efficiency and willingness to help, Vaela nodded thankful and smiled at Nikolai, who was grinning from ear to ear at the proceedings. "You can stay here for the time being. My sister's inn is never short of mead and good food. We'll let you know if the Thalmor sets foot within five hundred meters of this very inn should they arrive." Nikolai offered, then left the secret room to converse more with his sister, leaving Vaela alone in the basement.

    ~~~~

    Vaela slept fitfully, but only for three hours. She had initially wanted to take a good rest, but her insides were thrumming with energy and excitement, which energized her to no end. Getting one step closer to being reunited with her Master filled her with joy, tempered only by her Senior's death. Thinking about Nikolai made her happy as well. "He's so manly and--"

    She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Knowing that it could only be Nikolai or Delphine, she opened it and met Nikolai. They greeted each other with a smile and Nikolai entered, closing the door behind him. He unfurled a roll of parchment that turned out to be a map of Skyrim, and laid it on the rectangular wooden table in the centre of the room. Vaela studied it intently, scrutinizing a red circle that Nikolai had marked out--it was the location of the Thalmor Embassy.


    "My sister said told me to escort you to Solitude whenever you're ready. We are going to meet a wood elf named Malborn in the Winking Skeever, the Solitude inn. He'll feed us with the details. We'll head to the stables once you are done conversing with this Malborn." Nikolai instructed. Vaela nodded, steeling herself for the trials ahead. "I'm ready. Let's go burn some Thalmor."

    Nikolai smiled but offered a reminder. "Remember, you're going there to gain information, not create a ruckus. Try to get out of there quickly before the Thalmor get to call in reinforcements." Vaela agreed and the two of them emerged from Sleeping Giant Inn into the radiant sunshine, and hired a carriage to Solitude.

    ~~~~

    The trip was uneventful to the point that Vaela slept throughout the journey. They arrived at Solitude unruffled. Nikolai assisted Vaela in dismounted, and after they paid the carriage driver they ventured into Solitude and into the Winking Skeever. It wasn't crowded, and provided a peaceful ambience for a private discussion. "Shall we rent a room?" Vaela asked Nikolai. He shook his head, and pointed to a bosmer sitting at a secluded table. "There's our contact. This place is private enough. Let's get over and introduce ourselves."

    Vaela walked over and shook his hand. "Finally." Malborn remarked. "I've been waiting for a chance to get back at the darned Thalmor ever since my home was roasted into two by their blasted mages. Welcome." Skipping the pleasantries, Malborn immediately laid out the details of the plan for Vaela while Nikolai stood guard, watching over both of them.




    "Listen closely now, woman. Delphine has assured me that you are capable of this task, and that's the only reason I agreed to do this. Here is the invitation to the party. Just show it to the guard at the Embassy door and you'll be allowed through." The bosmer reached into his shirt pockets and withdrew a letter, handing it to Vaela. It was sealed in ornate decoration and closed tightly with a Thalmor seal. Vaela's heart burned when she laid her eyes upon the insignia of the High Elves, but said nothing, allowing Malborn to continue. "I'm the barman in the Embassy, so look for me at the counter once you get in. I'll sneak you into the main part of the Thalmor Embassy and allow you to retrieve your gear."

    Vaela was stupefied. "I'm sorry? My gear?"

    Malborn snorted. "Yes, your gear, stone ears. You can't go to a party armed to the teeth. I need you to hand me whatever gear you possess, then change into these." Malborn retrieved some folded clothes from within his pouches and laid them on the table. They were of good quality and suited a noblewoman. Vaela eyed the wood elf suspiciously. "If any of my items get lost, I can assure you that you won't leave Solitude alive. There are many important objects and--"

    "Don't you worry about that. I'm a master at this sort of thing. You should worry about getting in alright. Now hand me whatever you can't do without, and be off with you!" Irked by the wood elf's behaviour but saying nothing, Vaela headed to a toilet to change into the party clothes, then handed her bags, satchels, potions, pouches and equipment to Malborn. "Good luck." He whispered, before exiting the Winking Skeever. Vaela turned and made to walk out. Nikolai accompanied her, but he could not resist making a remark about her clothes. "You look nice." Vaela thanked him and headed out. "Let's hope that gets me in without fuss."

    As Vaela approached the carriage bound for the Thalmor Embassy, she felt Nikolai grow tense and uneasy. She turned around to look at him before boarding the carriage. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Everything will be alright."

    Nikolai looked at her hopefully. "I know you'll be fine. Good luck, Vaela. Go show those Thalmor the power of your flames, eh?" Vaela nodded, and for a moment or two silence blocked out all other noises. Vaela and Nikolai simply stared at each other, conversing silently--there was no need for verbal forms of communication. Nikolai radiated concern, care and empathy, while Vaela exuded assuredness, appreciation and calmness. When Vaela finally boarded the carriage she looked back once to see a very handsome, rugged man waving at her.

    She raised her hand and waved back until he drew out of sight.
    Last edited by Swaeft; March 14, 2013 at 05:05 PM.

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  14. #94
    Bullet Storm's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Swaeft View Post
    for 'what's next', I'll give you three emotions: Guilt, determination, revenge.
    LIES! There was a little love as well! Anyway, let's hope the Thalmor don't somehow recognise her!

  15. #95
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by Bullet Storm View Post
    LIES! There was a little love as well! Anyway, let's hope the Thalmor don't somehow recognise her!
    I didn't say those three were the only emotions that would be present. Thanks for reading so quickly though. The Thalmor technically didn't get to see her face, so...

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  16. #96
    G-Ballz's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    This story keeps getting more fascinating! Keep up the great work!

  17. #97
    Swaeft's Avatar Drama King
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Quote Originally Posted by G-Ballz View Post
    This story keeps getting more fascinating! Keep up the great work!
    Thank you, and really thank the modders who made some mods available on the steam workshop. Thank you for reading!

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  18. #98
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Chapter Twenty Two: Infiltration

    The Thalmor Embassy came into view very quickly. Vaela tried to relax, but it was hard to do so while seeing armed Thalmor guards everywhere. Apparently security at this Embassy was tight even with a party going on. The Embassy was situated at the peak of a frosty hill, and was surrounded with a tall fence regularly patrolled by Thalmor guards. The guards waved Vaela's carriage onwards and she passed through the gates without incident. A small sigh escaped her puckered lips as a wave of relief swept over her--stage one of the plan was complete.

    At the main entrance to the Embassy, a guard rudely asked her for her invitation amid a snide remark that she looked nothing like a person of importance. Vaela handed the invitation letter over with a huff and was admitted unceremoniously into the party.

    Even though there seemed to be a lack of people, the party was already in full swing, with a bard playing on the lute and some Jarls drinking along with a Thalmor wizard. As Vaela walked by, a few heads turned, some to witness her beauty and others giving a cursory glance before returning to their earlier actions.


    Vaela noticed Malborn at the bar serving alto wine, and took one to keep his cover hidden. As she sipped the fine wine, Vaela concealed herself behind a pillar and whispered, ”So how are we going to get in?" Malborn hid his face behind a glass of wine and responded, "Wait for a ruckus to occur. I'd wager that man Erikur will cause one soon enough. He can never get his eyes or hands off women."

    True to his words, the man named Erikur soon started to yell and holler at an elven barmaid. In Vaela's eyes, it caused quite the scene, with every guest forming something resembling a circle around the pair, and a few guards were concerned enough to hasten over to keep an eye over the proceedings.



    The moment a female Thalmor Vaela assumed was Elenwen started to handle the issue, Malborn beckoned Vaela over hastily and admitted her into another room behind the main lobby. He closed the door quietly behind the two and whispered to her. "Here's your gear, safe and sound as promised. Don't muck this up...or there'll be hell to pay, understand? The information you need will probably be in the next building. Simply head through the door here, walk to the closest room on the left and take the only other door out. You can't miss the other building from there. It has only two rooms--a lobby and an interrogation room. All the important documents and books are stored there. That's the place you'll want to go. Best of luck."

    As Malborn closed the door behind her, Vaela quickly checked the chest Malborn had indicated. Her gear was really inside. Vaela discarded her party clothes and quickly changed into her Apprentice robes. She removed her weapons from the bulging chest, fitted her pouches onto her armor, and stored her potions and scrolls into those pouches. Equipped and ready to dish out some serious damage, Vaela opened the door Malborn had said would lead into the other building.

    She came face to face with two Thalmor soldiers. "Damnit, Malborn!" Vaela cursed. She quickly stabbed one in the chest before either of them could react.


    He staggered back in agony and Vaela finished him off with a blow to the neck. Meanwhile, the other Thalmor soldier had retreated into a room, and while Vaela gathered her energies to pursue, a Thalmor mage ran out of that very room, apparently not expecting someone like Vaela to be there. Vaela raised her sword and slashed down hard on the Thalmor mage's head.


    The mage whimpered and slumped to the ground, dead and immobile. Wanting to search his body for clues but fearing a surprise attack, Vaela simply tore the clothes off him and stuffed it into her pouches. There would be time to examine it later. Peering cautiously around the door, Vaela scouted the area for the other Thalmor soldier that had escaped. There was no sign of him anywhere. "Nuts." Vaela cursed again, hoping that the Thalmor soldier didn't run off to call for reinforcements. Vaela quickly exited the building via the other door in the room, and crossed a short expanse of snow to get to the other building. Before she could make it, a bloodcurdling scream reached her ears.

    Skirting around a corner, Vaela met a pleasant sight she would never have expected--Nikolai decapitating the Thalmor soldier that Vaela was after. "Well met." Vaela remarked, making Nikolai turn around with his giant battleaxe at the ready. When he saw his friend smiling at him, Nikolai laughed back and explained. "I couldn't bear to let you enter the Embassy alone, so I went to a side gate and killed the guards there. I waited patiently here until you arrived, for I know that this is one door you have to pass through to get to the interrogation chamber. When I saw that Thalmor soldier running out as if Molag Bal was after him, I knew that you were coming this way and making quite the impression on them."

    Vaela giggled. "Thanks. I really appreciate the help. Let's go recover the information we need." Nikolai grunted in affirmation. "Aye. This is our fight now." Hefting his battleaxe, he barged through the door leading to the interrogation chamber lobby with Vaela close behind. While he dealt with another Thalmor mage, Vaela duelled with an arrogant Thalmor soldier who had no qualms about charging straight into the fiery heat of Vaela's flames. He burned to his own death within seconds.


    "Come on, the interrogation chamber's this way!" Nikolai yelled across the lobby, disregarding any form of secrecy now. Vaela ran over to him and melted the lock on a door. It swung open and two more Thalmor soldiers barrelled out, charging at Vaela and Nikolai with their wicked war axes raised high. Vaela raised her hand and invoked the intense flames again, while Nikolai stood behind her with his battleaxe at the ready, swinging it wildly in the air to intimidate the elven soldiers, prepared to crush any of them that made their way past Vaela's burning flames. They killed Thalmor after Thalmor, their ranged and melee expertise combining perfectly, and soon the floor was littered with the corpses of many slain, often burning, Thalmor bodies.


    When the last of the Thalmor resistance literally burned away, Vaela stepped over the charred marble floor and entered the next room cautiously. It was the interrogation chamber. Vaela entered first, followed by Nikolai with his great battleaxe. With him around, Vaela felt much more secure, especially since most of the fighting was taking place in Vaela's weakest element, melee combat. Although her sword was specially enchanted to deal with the Thalmor, her fighting skill wasn't. She survived a close few brushes, and therefore Nikolai advised her to advance with caution, and frequently took the lead.

    Upon arrival into the interrogation chamber proper, Vaela realized that thankfully, there was no one around. She was free to search the room for clues. "I'll stand guard at the door and let you know if anyone's coming." Nikolai offered. Vaela thanked him gratefully, and headed off to a recess to inspect her Thalmor mage robes first. As luck would have it, there was a note inside that read: The dossier about Esbern and other Thalmor prisoners are hidden in the main chest below the stairs in the Interrogation Chamber for your convenience. The note wasn't signed, but Vaela didn't care--she now knew the location of what she needed to find. "It's Esbern again." Vaela thought. "The Thalmor must really hate my Hall. Their dedication to finding this man is quite commendable."

    Suddenly, Vaela hit upon an idea. She changed into the Thalmor robes and reequiped her pouches and weapons. Now, if anyone caught her by surprise, she would at least have time to react, for Vaela was sure that the Thalmor would not unnecessarily strike at what appeared to be their fellow kinsmen. She informed Nikolai, who was startled at first to see a Thalmor wizard approaching, before proceeding to investigate the chests and drawers in the chamber with the assistance of a torch she had found and lighted with magic.


    After searching all the drawers in vain, Vaela turned her attention to the chests. She was about to pry one open when she heard a door opening. She shot a glance of caution to Nikolai, who had already melted into the shadows. He quietly signalled for her to hide as well, and the both of them crouched at opposite ends of the room, waiting for the intruders to reveal themselves. A troubling question lingered silently in Vaela's mind. Were we discovered?

    As it turned out, a familiar voice rang out that both Nikolai and Vaela recognized immediately. It was Malborn. "I told you, I don't know anything!" A high pitched Thalmor female responded hotly, "Well, the kitchen door was open, and the only person standing close to it with access, was you! Until you tell us where that woman went, Ambassador Elenwen will--"

    The female Thalmor soldier never got to finish her sentence, for Nikolai was on her almost immediately, snapping her backbone into two with his battleaxe. The other Thalmor soldier escorting Malborn only had time to draw his sword out before being severed into two by Nikolai. A startled Malborn froze in shock, then broke down in sorrow and frustration. "Now the Thalmor will be hunting me for the rest of my life! Gods damn it!" He spat dismally. Vaela approached him to calm him down, while Nikolai stood watching for anymore sign of the cursed Thalmor soldiers.


    When Malborn finally stopped his grumbling, Vaela returned to her work and searched the warden's chest. True to the letter's words, a Thalmor dossier about Esbern was there. However, no other documents were found. Frustrated and confused, Vaela searched the barrels nearby, but there was nothing inside but a few rotten fruits.


    "Are you done, Vaela? We should be going soon." Nikolai approached, advising her. Malborn nodded eagerly as well. With a sigh, Vaela quickly searched the area one last time and then left via a half-concealed door. It led to the back of the Thalmor Embassy, and the three of them made it out unseen and undetected.

    ~~~~

    "Well, that was a quick one." Vaela remarked once they had returned to the Sleeping Giant Inn. Nikolai grunted. "Yes. But now we'll have to see if our efforts were worth it. Where is that Malborn, anyway?" Vaela shrugged. "He told me that he was going to melt into the shadows like he has always done. Hopefully the Thalmor won't find him."

    Nikolai eyed Delphine as she entered before refocusing onto the few books Vaela was taking out from her pouches. Each of them took a single book from the pile of six books, and sat down to read them. A few minutes passed before Nikolai returned his book to the pile. "Useless." He muttered. Vaela returned her own shortly after as well. There were no leads to be found inside her book, and she hoped that Delphine was doing better than both she and Nikolai. She selected a new book from the pile and started flipping through it with haste. Delphine soon returned her own book, and reached for the last one. "Oh. That's Esbern's dossier. Nothing special." Vaela remarked, trying to play down its importance on purpose. "Looks like this little trip was a failure. I shouldn't have--"

    "Esbern? He's alive?" Delphine responded with shock. Vaela noticed that Nikolai was also looking astounded and astonished. Surely they can't know that he's a scholar from the Mage's Hall... Vaela mused. "What's so special about him?" Vaela inquired. She waited with baited breath for their answer.

    "He's our father!" Nikolai said bluntly, startling both Vaela and Delphine, of which the latter raised a questioning eyebrow. Vaela simply stared blankly at Nikolai as if she had seen a ghost, and repeated quite lamely, "Father?" Delphine nodded earnestly. "My brother," she indicated Nikolai who frowned, "has been searching for him for the past two years. He's been missing since three and a half years ago, and we assumed that he was captured by the Thalmor. Thanks to you, we now have answers." Delphine explained. It was now Vaela's turn to be surprised. So me and Nikolai actually have much in common because someone important to us was lost, and now we're related by this Esbern guy... Vaela pondered. Nikolai saved my life once, and I saved him once as well...it's as if fate made us all related.

    "Let me see..." Delphine trailed off as she moved in to examine the dossier about her Father. She shared it with Nikolai and the both of them read silently, their eyes scanning through the text while Vaela stood still, quiet and lost in her swarm of thoughts. A few moments later, Nikolai's exclamation of surprise finally brought Vaela back to reality.

    "He's living in...the ratway? What on earth is that?"

    Vaela traded blank gazes with Nikolai, but Delphine seized the book and nodded knowingly. "I should have guessed...our father was always the wily man. The ratway's the city under the city--a connection of tunnels under the town of Riften. It's smelly, dirty, and no one in their right minds would live there. Well, not unless they wanted to hide from the world." She explained. Nikolai responded at once. "Then that's where we need to go."

    "Hang on." Delphine said, scrutinizing the text more closely. ”This note...the Thalmor have sent a hunting party to escort him to a place called the Aldmeri Domain. Any idea where that is?" Delphine asked, looking up. Vaela and Nikolai shook their heads. Delphine sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Well then. I guess it's my job to find out the location of this place. You two head to the Ratway and locate my father, and bring him back here. A more knowledgeable man you'll never find, so he may be able to help you in your fight against the Thalmor. I'd very much like to meet my father again after all these years." A look of melancholy entered Delphine's eyes as she uttered that sentence, but Nikolai placed his hand on her shoulder and comforted her, and she was back to her chillingly efficient self within seconds.

    "It's settled, then." Vaela announced, her eyebrows narrowing as a sense of determination gripping her. "We'll find Esbern while you locate this 'Aldmeri Domain'." Delphine nodded earnestly, and once again Vaela had a new destination to go to. She glanced at Nikolai, who set his eyes on the wooden door and squared his jaw in preparation of the task ahead.

    ~~~~

    "This place is disgusting. I feel like throwing up." Vaela remarked callously, feeling the urge to retch at times difficult to suppress. The ratway was more of a snaking tunnel of rubbish and stench, rather than a city under a city. Vaela already had to deal with two dirty thugs covered more by muck and grime than armor. She proceeded around each disgusting bend with her sword drawn, her six watched by the ever vigilant Nikolai.


    Normally in such close quarters, Nikolai would have taken the lead. However, the duo had discovered firsthand that there was so much spilt oil on the floor that Vaela's flames could easily cause the oil to ignite and relentlessly burn a bandit to death. They were also more likely to be ambushed from behind than from the front in such a despicable place, so a stout rearguard would serve them well. Vaela wasn't on the alert for bandits anymore, though. She had already come across a corpse torn apart by lightning bolts--a Thalmor speciality and therefore a sure sign of their presence. She had already informed Nikolai, who had begun to sweat, the droplets appearing occasionally on his furrowed brow and forehead. Vaela herself burned with fury and disgust. Why did I have to come here of all places? She grumbled, her teeth clicking together ferociously. Then another bandit appeared out of nowhere and she was forced to singe him with burning fire.

    Another few minutes of cautious sneaking followed before Vaela caught her first real sign of the Thalmor presence in the ratway. A mage dressed in the typical Thalmor robes blocked the only tunnel that headed deeper into the ratway. Vaela would have to go through him--she had no other recourse. Unfortunately for her, as she turned to Nikolai to signal her intent to attack, the Thalmor mage turned around for a cursory glance. Vaela's eyes met the Thalmor's own, and for a moment a mix of pure emotions flowed from one being to the other. Hatred, surprise, anger and frustration combined to create a superfluous, burning tension in the air that could not be contained. Vaela burst forward and channelled intense flames from her left palm, while the Thalmor mage desperately tried to shield himself.


    The flames scorched right through the unprepared mage's chest, and he screamed in agony. Vaela pushed past him, leaving Nikolai to finish him with a blow to the head. Wary of any other Thalmor accompanying the fallen mage, Vaela burned a pool of oil on the floor, sparking an explosion of fire and a sweltering heat wave. That was a bad move though, as two other Thalmor soldiers behind the tunnel ran over to investigate. Nikolai swiftly dealt with the threat, killing one with a staggering blow to the chest, and then bashing in the head of the other after kicking him in the chest.


    The duo then proceeded onwards to another bend in the tunnel, and they treated it with the same care as the rest, but this time with Nikolai in front. There were no more Thalmor soldiers however, and the duo proceeded a few hundred meters more before being stopped by a big, bolted and locked door. Nikolai put his ear to it, and indicated to Vaela that he could hear movement inside. Nikolai initially tried to fiddle with the lock, but he quickly discovered that it was too difficult to pick. Nikolai lighted a torch and proceeded to stand guard at the door while Vaela knocked on it.



    They waited impatiently for an answer, and when Vaela sensed someone finally shuffling his or her feet to the door, she sighed with relief. She was afraid that they would be unable to get through simply because of an unbreakable door. "What do you want?" A grouchy, depressing voice questioned. Vaela was about to speak when she noticed the expression on Nikolai's face. His brow fluttered, and his eyes blinked non-stop, as if he was trying to grapple with something. Eventually, it looked as if his mouth won his internal wrestle, and it opened to pronounce a single, incredulous, disbelieving word.

    "Father?"

    A momentous, silent moment passed before an equally incredible reply wafted back through the door frame. "Nikolai? Is that really you?" Nikolai's face broke into a wonderful smile of pure joy, and he replied jovially that he was indeed Nikolai. Immediately a whirl of action broke out from behind the door. Keys jingled as they were inserted into cranking locks, a discordant din that jarred and clanged. The door took at least thirty seconds to unlock, time during which Vaela fretted uneasily and looked behind them for any sign of intruders. Nikolai however, was too happy to contain his excitement, and tapped his feet on the floor whilst humming a tune. When the door finally swung open, Nikolai rushed in emphatically to embrace the man standing behind the door. Vaela stood guard as father and son exchanged hugs of relief and love. Vaela stood watching them. The man Nikolai was embracing had greying hair, had little to no facial hair save for a small amount of stubble around his mouth. He still looked physically fit and appeared every bit the part of a scholar.

    When Nikolai and the man who was presumably Esbern broke the embrace, Vaela trotted in quietly. "And who's this?" The old man asked. Nikolai grinned widely and took Vaela's hand, leading her into the room. "This is Vaela, father. A member of the Mage's Hall and a very good friend." Esbern's eyebrows immediately narrowed, and he scratched his chin in irritation. The change of tension within the air was palpable, and Nikolai immediately sensed that something was wrong and went to close the door. Vaela could guess with some accuracy the source of Esbern's frustration.

    "The Mage's Hall, eh? I haven't heard that name in a long time."


    "I am really from the Hall, Senior Esbern." Vaela improvised, curtseying. Esbern cackled for a moment before catching his breath. "Senior, eh? I don't suppose you learnt that from thin air?" He raised a disapproving eyebrow. Vaela stumbled over her own words as she introduced her background and tutelage under Senior Sonje. Nikolai was jittery and frequently shot worried glances at the room door, but Esbern listened to the tale with great interest, occasionally interrupting in his own way, exclaiming in astonishment "why did she do that?" or "I would have done that differently...". Nikolai had to exchange 'don't do that' glances with his father at times to stop him from interrupting too frequently. When Vaela finally finished her tale, Esbern's eyes were glaring with renewed interest and flashes of his intellect. "Perhaps I could record that down somewhere...that was a very enthralling, novel story."

    At this moment, Nikolai, who had been sweating profusely for the past few minutes, strode forward as he wiped the gleaming beads of perspiration of his face. "Father, please. We must leave here at once before more Thalmor soldiers arrive to box us in. This isn't the best of places to discuss things." Vaela was struck at once by his words, for she had forgotten that she was still in dangerous territory where the Thalmor could corner them, especially if they had seen the bodies of their comrades. Vaela agreed with Nikolai, and Esbern was quickly escorted out of the cramped and sweltering room.

    "The exit is this way." Nikolai announced, striding ahead and heading straight for a rusty old gate that led to a dark tunnel. Then, he froze. Vaela walked over in order to see what was happening, and to her horror, someone was staring at them angrily from behind the gate.

    It was a Thalmor mage.
    Last edited by Swaeft; March 16, 2013 at 05:04 AM.

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  19. #99
    Bullet Storm's Avatar Libertus
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    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    A mage? But she dealt with much worse, hasn't she? Good cliffhanger though, and i am eagerly awaiting the next update!

  20. #100

    Default Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR

    Ah i remember that quest from the main questline. Took me a while to figure out i had to get that guy xrunk to sneak off.

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