lilith

Welcome to TESA Walrus!

Welcome to TESA!

Not seeing any shelter, ready or otherwise in the immediate area the trio again mounted the steeds and pressed forward still following their quarry however, this time not at breakneck speed with shelter in mind. They were not long on the trail before a meadow came into view with William spurring his mount ahead to begin his routine of reconnoitering the area where he intended to rest. Upon finding a suitable camp spot, William motioned to his companions to join him. The spot abutted a precipice that would do nicely for protection from the wind and unwanted advances. Jayn and Fiska immediately set about to start a fire and remove the few scattered rocks from the bedding area as William took leave to see about perhaps catching some fish in the nearby creek. The day was gloaming into twilight when last of the repast was finished. William had not only managed to catch a few fish, but had brought back some eggs he had spotted as well. The trio had fallen into silence and began tinkering with distractions of their choice; William was carefully tending to his blade while Jayn poured obvious affection into the cleaning and care of her crossbow. Fiska not wanting to waste the very last of the daylight sitting in front of the fire soon wandered off to collect local flora. Standing just off the road on the entry to a small meandering path Fiska pulled her attention from the satchel of items she had gathered thus far as she felt their eyes long before espying the Thalmor and their captive on a forced march through the unforgiving countryside. Orcs have never seemed to fare well in any regard let alone high regard amongst the other races and Fiska had her own conjectures as to why. An Orcs thoughts however, is other races should be the ones considered savages as it’s they who lack the humanity that is not only fostered but enforced in a stronghold setting. Other ponderings are just mental meanderings, in a stronghold, there is only one premise taken into consideration; is it good for the clan, what benefit does the tribe gain? If the ideal does not pass those particulars then an Orc would do well to pay no more mind towards obvious self-absorption. Fiska often wondered how an Imperial or a Nord could wage war with one another, even to leave their own for dead to save their own hides. An Orc would never entertain such a notion. All for one and one for all is exemplified in a stronghold. But yet, she had seen it with her own eyes, the myriad and mixed up bunch of villagers with their bundles and bales winding their way towards Riverwood and she could not deny the closeness of the community, they were working together and humanity was shining brightly without the rigors of stronghold life. How quickly her life had changed, or so it seemed, but it had been a long time in the making; years watching her brother grow, years watching the evilness ripen to a festering sore. At times, she had had visions of wounds the healer held no power to heal. Thinking of this in the back of her mind while mindlessly preparing the ingredients for potions all was clear to see, as if it set on a shelf in front of her for a lifetime. And it had, her brother was no good for his own self let alone the stronghold. He had proven that time and again, there was an undeniable selfishness inherent in his every move, every action and every word. He had put the stronghold in jeopardy more than once, and here, now, she was the one left to wonder the fate of the others, “odd thought from the banished,†Fiska said aloud as she finished closing her satchel. The night had overwhelmed dusk and her gaze followed the disappearing Thalmor and quarry “of all, there’s the true savages†she again spoke aloud. They were out of earshot and she could have continued her tirade with no fear of retribution, but turning aside instead to focus her attention to returning to camp and her newly found companions. After all, one thing she was certain of, lessons learned in the stronghold as a child would serve her well throughout life. As dawn broke, the cascading light woke Fiska to find William had gone leaving Jayn and herself to fend the camp. Fiska was a bit unsettled by this notion but Jayn assured her this was as William was wont to do, “if we’re lucky he’ll bring back something more to eat.†Fiska found herself readily agreeing, the previous days ride had not been easy and not knowing how much longer they would ride, Fiska was grateful for any additional time. Jayn and Fiska nearly had all the belongings stowed upon the horses before William returned. As Jayn opened her mouth to speak, William pre-empted it by tossing a few fish alongside the dwindling fire. Fiska could sense the concern in William and thought he’d make a good Orc, he had after all rose early to confirm his bearings and the direction they were to travel at daybreak to not only follow, but ultimately catch up to, his friends and this so-called Avatar or whatever it was. Moreover, all three knew the forces they encountered at the Tavern that night would not be far behind. The trio set off quietly, each absorbed in their own thoughts as they tirelessly followed the trail of their friends. More than once Fiska leaned forward to speak to Jayn only to realize Jayn was muttering to herself, it was a barely audible whisper being lost in the wind, but the tone gave Fiska enough pause to stop her from speaking her thoughts. It seemed as though they traveled this way for hours, Fiska’s grip never relaxing, she preferred to travel on foot, the biggest reason being what she felt right now, achy, sore and as if she would topple off at any moment. Nay, she was not concerned in the least about Jayna Wind-Arc’s ability to control Odin; it was the beast itself, snorting and panting, as it surely seemed ready to take flight speeding just above the ground. The trio was quickly traversing a rise afore them, which seemed to stretch into the sky when the apex came into view with no clue as to the direction of the path, just blue sky and green treetops were to be seen. William commanded his steed in a beautifully orchestrated jump, the path had ended and with his lifetime of experience, William led his horse to alight in the perfect spot to continue his forward motion without missing a beat. It was good Fiska’s attention was captured by the beauty of man and beast melded into one; she had no mind that Jayn was artfully guiding her own steed to follow in the previous footfalls. Breaking through the dense shrubbery onto the edge of a clearing, William slowed Night to a stop, being bathed in the mid-morning sunshine the small field had a benign sense to it, almost surreal, but yet there was an eerie feeling emanating from its sparkling dewdrops, enough so that all five in their party felt it. William turned to face Jayn and she nodded her acknowledgement, the silent conversation was quite apparent to Fiska as she too tilted her head in assent. Guiding Night into the clearing William’s attention was keen and sharp; he could recall many a time when things were not what they appeared and this felt no different. Even after traversing the center of the clearing, the trio never let their rapt attention ease; it was not until Night’s nose had entered the shadows on the other side that it was heard, a snarling grunting noise, the type to make your skin crawl. Swinging his steed round, William made to charge at the sound knowing whatever it was, it obviously had the advantage and that did not sit well with him; nor with Jayn, as she too had whipped Odin around and amidst the commotion Fiska had slid off his back to land on the ground between the sweaty beasts. All three faced the clearing to watch whatever it was advance; there was nothing there, there were no sounds, “Not even a bird†Jayn quietly said while intently peering into the dark foliage abutting the clearing on the other side. Fiska moved forward and William raised his hand in caution, pointing towards a clump of bushes receded in darkness about a rod distance from them. With the knowing looks of like-minded souls shared, Fiska stepped forth into the clearing and bellowed as only an Orc can do, “show yourself!†Everything seemed frozen in time, the silence was deafening and ever so slowly the noises returned, one by one at first, the crickets and bees to a cacophony of sounds pierced by the mating song of a nearby forest bird. Cocking her head to one side Fiska scanned her surroundings; there was nothing there, nothing of note besides her companions atop their steeds, performing the same actions. Satisfied and unnerved at the whole interlude Fiska returned and regained her place behind Jayn upon Odin to continue their original goal, to catch up with and render assistance to her companions friends, Duncan, Rae’Gar and by propinquity, the Avatar.

Yay! How fun!

Welcome to TESA!

Welcome to TESA!

Very impressive Arion! Well done!