Re: The Astray Apprentice -- A Skyrim AAR (10/6/13)
Chapter Twenty Nine: A New Direction
Vaela snatched her dagger off the ground with great haste, and retreated before the rest of the High Guard could react. Nikolai took a few steps back and whispered to Vaela, 'if I can't kill them with this damned weapon, I'll at least distract a few of them. Give you and that person some time to finish them off." With that, Nikolai lunged into the fray again, sweeping his elven battleaxe in a wide arc, knocking aside some of the High Guard but not seriously injuring any. That, however, gave the person whom Vaela suspected was Erin some time to shoot another flanking High Guard in the chest and cripple him.
Before Vaela could even move, another two of the High Guard fell, clutching their sides in agony. They writhed in extreme pain on the ground, and the skin area around their arrow wounds rapidly festered. Vaela realized that their savior had poisoned the arrows beforehand. Taking a few more steps back, Vaela tried to calm herself. Her heart was still racing after her near death experience, and she was still partly traumatized. Two out of the original eight High Guards had went after Nikolai. Three lay dead or dying on the floor. That left three of the Thalmor High Guard still combat-ready. Those three had already shaken off the shock of the sudden attack, and had now refocused on the battle at hand. Two of them sprinted towards Vaela's savior, while the remaining one charged directly at her.
Vaela shrugged off her lethargy and terror to raise both her palms, and directed whatever energy she had left into them. The result was a spectacular burst of flames, not unlike the dual casting she had used in Bleak Falls Barrow. However, this time, it felt more powerful. The very air around Vaela's palms seemed to exude intense warmth and heat.
The High Guard charging Vaela reacted instantly, raising his shield in an attempt to deflect the flames. Vaela feared that the shield, like the rest of the High Guard's armor, would be enchanted and resilient to her magic. To her pleasant surprise, her flames stopped the High Guard dead in his tracks and scorched a hole in the High Guard's shield, penetrating his armor soon after. Vaela had no idea why this was happening, but she continued dual casting all the same. The High Guard struggled to take another step forwards, but the forceful impact of Vaela's magic hampered and hassled him to the point that he was unable to move in any direction. Vaela could not see his facial expression clearly due to the heat waves produced by her magical flames, but she could hear him screaming in pain. She almost felt a shred of sympathy for him, and almost felt as if she wanted to stop this torture to both of them. She almost felt like shouting out in frustration at the needless deaths she had to endure time and time again.
Almost. Instead, her instincts told her to keep channeling energy to her palms, and in no time, the screams stopped. The High Guard dropped his shield dramatically, and sank to his knees beside another of his comrades. He tottered pathetically towards the nearby river, seeking to extinguish the burning flames that were causing him indescribable pain. His armor was still alight and on fire, and there was nothing Vaela could, or would do to keep him from cooking inside his own apparel. Vaela averted her eyes, not for the first time.
Vaela didn't see any other High Guards within close proximity of her, and so she went to search for Nikolai. She found him frantically trying to shake off the two Thalmor soldiers that had pursued him since the start of the fight. He too was tiring--that much Vaela could tell. Praying to whatever gods she could think of, Vaela drew her enchanted dagger and crept up behind one of the High Guard. He had not noticed her, and was egging on his comrade in front of him. Vaela took a deep breath, then plunged the dagger down on the High Guard's neck guard with all her might.
To her relief, the dagger sunk deep into the High Guard's neck with a squelch, and the High Guard roared in pain. A purple surge of power flitted from vein to vein, and within moments the High Guard had stopped moving. However, his death had attracted the attention of his compatriot, who now turned to face Vaela. She tried to pull her dagger out of the dead High Guard's body, but her hands were slick with crimson blood and the dagger would not budge. Vaela looked up in fear. The other High Guard was bellowing in rage, and would have charged her if Nikolai did not shoulder-charge the High Guard. The two of the fell to the ground and wrestled, giving Vaela time to wipe the blood off from her hands and retrieve her dagger. She looked up just in time to see the High Guard get the better of Nikolai, raise its weapon above his head...
And get shot under the armpit by an arrow. The High Guard yelled in pain and kicked Nikolai aside. The High Guard stood up, pulled the arrow out of his armpit, and promptly received another one in the head. Vaela gasped as the High Guard toppled to the ground, not getting the opportunity to rise again. And with that, the battlefield condensed into silence for the first time in minutes.
Vaela kicked aside the lifeless corpse of a High Guard and sheathed her dagger as she helped Nikolai up. "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly. Nikolai nodded and wiped some blood off his armor. "Don't fret. I'm fine." Then, looking around, he asked, "where's the person in white?" Vaela turned around and saw the figure at the other end of the house, searching the bodies of the dead High Guards. She pointed this out to Nikolai, and the duo made their way there together.
"Greetings." Nikolai began when they were within earshot. "Whoever you are, the both of us would like to thank you for saving our lives. What can we do for you?" Vaela, however, was far more direct than she would have originally liked. "Erin...is that you?"
While Nikolai bent down to check that the High Guards were really dead, the figure in white removed her helmet and spoke calmly. "That I am. It is good to see you again, apprentice." Nikolai looked up in confusion. "You two know each other?" he asked, but received no reply.
Vaela laughed gratefully. "It is you!" She exclaimed in delight. Erin afforded herself a smile, but Vaela could not stop gushing praise in awe of her. "You were truly magnificent! I have never seen anyone take down the Thalmor like that! I've seen what you are capable of, back when we were adventuring in Bleak Falls Barrow, but this has surpassed all of my expectations!"
Erin placed a hand on Vaela's shoulder. "I am glad that you appreciate my skills. However, there is much for us to discuss, and many things we have to do." She then glanced at Nikolai. "May I know who this is?" Vaela grinned at Erin, blushing slightly. "He's my bodyguard." She replied. That answer made Erin raise an eyebrow. "Really?" She asked. Vaela nodded, then realized in a flash what Erin was afraid of. She chuckled loudly, instantly defusing the tension in the air. "You can trust him. I swear to you, upon my life, that this man is trustworthy. In fact, he's the most trustworthy man you can ever hope to meet, if I may say so. He and his family has helped me ever since we parted, Erin." That answer seemed to satisfy Erin, who grunted. "Come, let us head to the Inn. You both look tired and hungry, and in desperate need of nourishment." Erin slipped on her helmet and led the way, with Vaela and Nikolai following close behind.
~~~~
The Inn was warm at the very least, even if it did not serve the greatest food. Vaela chewed twice on a stale loaf of bread before discarding it. Erin sighed and reached into her burlap pouch. "Here. Have some of these." She handed Vaela some fresh meat. "I hunted for these on the way here. Eat. You'll need your strength." Vaela gratefully accepted the offer and munched on the meat. It smelled great, and tasted even better. Eating it alone seemed to fill Vaela with the energy she needed. On the other hand, Nikolai settled for some hot stew instead.
"Is this place safe?" Vaela asked.
"Don't worry. No more of those Thalmor will be chasing you, not for a few days at least." Erin replied confidently. Then, she lowered her voice and leaned in, asking Vaela, "what I'm more concerned about is if anyone in black has been stalking you."
Vaela scratched her head in a vain attempt to recall the memories of the past few days. Finally, she smiled and shook her head. Erin, however, did not smile. "That is both good and bad, although it is more good than bad." This puzzled Vaela greatly, and after a sip of water, she asked, "how did you find me, Erin?" Erin looked around the inn, which was sparsely populated. "Not here." She stated. Erin stood from her chair and walked up to the innkeeper, who acknowledged her with a grunt. "A room for one night." She then tossed a sack of coins onto the counter. The innkeeper grunted again and indicated the largest room the inn had to offer. Erin beckoned to Vaela and Nikolai, and the three of them went in and sat down in a circle. Erin did not remove her helmet, and so Vaela did not remove her hood either.
"Now, to answer your question," Erin started, but before she continued, she drew a deep breath, as if pondering some huge dilemma. Then, she answered with the slightest modicum of uncertainty, "I've been following you." Vaela and Nikolai looked at each other in surprise and confusion. "Following me? For what?"
"To observe you." Came Erin's cryptic reply. This befuddled Vaela and Nikolai even more. "Observing me? For what reason?" Vaela inquired somewhat preposterously. Nikolai too was also on edge, as he felt very protective of Vaela.
"You will know when the time comes." Erin replied. "Something big is going on, something that will affect all of us. Your Master, whom you came to rescue, is not here. Instead, a group of powerful High Guards were lying in ambush for you, and would have killed you if not for my intervention. He wasn't at the Thalmor Manor either, the most logical place for him to be held. You have been led astray, apprentice. That much you can be sure of." Each one of these words stung Vaela's heart, as she realized what Erin was hinting at.
"But what's going on?" Vaela asked, desperate for answers. "Why can't I find my Master?"
Erin gazed fondly at Vaela, with a twinkle in her eyes. "You will know when the time comes. All will be revealed to you when the time is right. Now is not that time." As Vaela's frustration mounted, Erin asked gently, "do you trust me, Vaela? You know that I mean you no harm at all." Vaela snorted. "Of course I trust you. There's no reason for me to think otherwise. You've been a good friend to me since Bleak Falls Barrow, and I still have to find a way to thank you for saving our lives."
"Good. Very good." Erin stated with approval. "I will help you find your Master soon. But not yet. What you must do now is to train hard at the College of Winterhold. The mages there are experienced. Did your previous Senior tell you anything about them?"
Her mind still racked with confusion and disquiet, Vaela recalled her Senior Sonje telling her that a mage named Faralda was an old friend. She mentioned this to Erin, who grinned widely. "Ah, yes. Faralda. She was my childhood friend. Go to her, and learn more about magic. You are going to need it." Erin stood and made to leave.
"Wait! That's it?" Vaela remarked quizzically. "What about finding my Master? What about all the oddities in my adventure? What about you?" Erin paused, and repeated the same statement she had said earlier. "All your questions will be answered in time. For now, stay in this room and recuperate. Your journey to the College of Winterhold starts early tomorrow. I will make sure that no one troubles the both of you tonight. Have a good rest." Erin said on her way out. Despite that, Vaela had one more question. "Erin!" She called out, "at least answer me this. What are you?"
Erin turned around, smiling widely behind her white winged helmet. "Me? I am a Warden. Now go and rest. I'll be here tomorrow morning to give you more instructions then. Good day." Erin strode out of the room. Perplexed, Vaela yearned to ask more questions, but her exhaustion and a newly induced headache convinced her otherwise. She could see that Nikolai was just as tired as well. "Come on, let's tuck in." She urged half-heartedly. "You aren't hurt, are you?"
Nikolai shook his head. "I'm sorry that I failed to protect you adequately." He stated miserably. Vaela immediately countered this notion. "Please don't feel this way. You are already helping me a great deal, and I cannot imagine where I would be without your support and presence. Let's recover our strength first. Maybe we can get more answers from Erin tomorrow." Nikolai looked into Vaela's kind, twinkling eyes, and watched as she yawned like a little girl. "Alright then." He acquiesced. The both of them removed their unnecessary armor and garments, and hit the sack even as their heads touched their pillows.
~~~~
Vaela stirred. Something was in her mind, preventing her from sleeping. Was it the anxiety of the day's events?
No. A familiar presence could be felt in the deepest regions of her soul. Something that she had experienced before. With a flash, Vaela realized where she was in. "Hello again, Vaela." The voice intoned. Vaela sat bolt upright, only to realize that she wasn't even sitting down. The area surrounding her was all blue, and only that same voice could be heard.
"Things are moving apace now. You must be prepared for the trials ahead."
Vaela was now more disconcerted than ever. This wasn't just a simple dream. Someone was talking to her in real time. Vaela couldn't even see her body. "Where am I?" She asked.
"Let me show you." The voice responded.
The air around Vaela cleared quicker than she imagined possible, to reveal a lone figure standing upon what appeared to be the peak of a mountain. Strong gusts of wind whirled around, sending clumps of snow flying. A source of light that Vaela assumed was the Sun bore down on the mountain from the horizon. It was a beautiful, yet somehow dispiriting scene. After taking in the magnificence of the environment, Vaela shifted her focus to the figure in white.
The figure was garbed in almost the same exact armor as Erin had been wearing, except for a few notable enhancements. A pair of pure, majestic wings were visible on the back of the armor, appearing to be a much bigger version of the ones on the figure's helmet. Something resembling a cape or a piece of a gown stood out from beneath those wings, making the outfit seem even more regal and royal. Try as she might, Vaela could not 'walk' to the figure, who did not move either. The quiet solace of the high mountainside slowly engrossed Vaela. Until the figure spoke again.
"You must be wondering where you are now, and what is happening to you." The voice began. "Do not worry, no harm will befall you while you are in this state. It seems that you are the chosen one who can hear and see my memories. Heed my instructions well, and you will benefit greatly from it. Time is not our enemy yet, but it soon will be. Your enemies, indeed, our enemies, move against us quickly. We must act now while we have the chance. Most of what I'm saying now may sound like gibberish to you, and you are not to blame for that. In summary, follow what Erin tells you, and trust her. She will help you."
At the mention of Erin, Vaela's eyes lit up as she realized that the figure was probably related to Erin. "Who are you?" Vaela dared to ask. The figure spoke without moving. "I am a friend. One that longs to meet you, but will never get the opportunity to do so. I am the High Warden of the Mage's Hall."
Suddenly, the blue fog encircled Vaela again, and she was withdrawn from that false reality. Someone was shaking her. Vaela's eyes flew open, and in her haste, she almost hit Nikolai in the mouth. Vaela apologized, red in the face, but Nikolai chuckled. "Wake up, sleepyhead! Erin says it's time to go! We're going to Winterhold!"
Vaela rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It seemed that her own life was no longer in her hands.
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Originally Posted by Templar Knight
) But I'll leave that in the past now. I would like to extend my thanks for this wonderfully encouraging post of yours. I suppose a MOBI file is a format for the Kindle device, which is really really cool. Thanks for being so supporting, and it's nice to have you back too!
