Breton and Bosmer

Dare you venture further?

Just here for gold	14.3%	[ 1 ]
Is this about Skyrim?	14.3%	[ 1 ]
Cool RP - the characters look interesting	0.0%	[ 0 ]
I like the story!	28.6%	[ 2 ]
What happens next?	42.9%	[ 3 ]
Total Votes:			[ 7 ]

[E is for Enigma]

-Private RP for E is for Enigma and Practice Medicine-

[E is for Enigma]

-Character Details-

Thessaly
Bosmer
5'6", warrior's build
Dusky skin, wavy black ear-length hair, dark hazel eyes
Wears layers of soft cottons and furs under light, well-patched leather armor
Carries twin scimitars at her back and a knife, purse, and satchel on her belt
Wears the Sapphire Dragon Claw on a leather thong around her neck
In her travel pack she holds:
-Spare short sword and several daggers
-Thief's toolkit she crafted in Whiterun with Adrianne's help
-Several pounds of travel food (apples, bread and cheese, also a salt pouch)
-Skein of water
-Flask of whatever booze happens to be around
-Extra set of clothes for under-armor
-Set of clothing for city wear
-Armor repair kit with needle, gut, and leather
-Arwen's whetstone
-Spare leather hip sheathes
-Spare health potion
-Purse of gold
-Hidden pockets sewn into the side hide jewels and more gold
-Roll of sleeping furs and blanket
-Oiled map of Skyrim from the Greybeards

Arwen
Breton/Altmer
5'10", thin build
Pale white skin, light blonde hair to mid-back, grey eyes
Wears fur and leather armor, with or without mage robes over
Often wears a dark cowl/hood
Carries extra gems and lockpicks hidden in the hems of her robes
Carries an enchanted Ebony bow with whatever arrows are available (usually steel), and a dagger on her belt
In her travel pack she carries:
-Waterskin
-Extra set of robes
-Sleeping fur
-Blankets
-Bottle of wine
-Purse of gold
-Purse of jewels and gems
-Lock pick kit
-Apples, a head of lettuce, leeks
-Wax stone

Ennis
Imperial
5'11", lean build
Peach skin, short red hair, gray-blue eyes
Wears traveler's garb; recently been made to wear stripped Imperial armor
Has hidden pockets and straps on his arms, legs, and torso that carry various throwing knives. Also carries one dagger in plain sight, which is mostly put to practical use.
Wears a gold and emerald pendant that protects him from 85% of magical damage.
In a shoulder bag he carries:
-Bard's fine garb and boots
-Harp
-Kit for instrument care (extra strings, softcloth, clipper, etc)
-Small whetstone
-Extra knives
-Rahgot's Mask
-Several purses of gold (of varying make)
-Journal, charcoal, and a penknife
-Ratty blanket
-Sleeping fur
-Waterskin
-Candles, stand and matches
-A few bottles of various non-lethal poisons

[E is for Enigma]

-The Story Thus Far-

Ivarstead
Thessaly and Arwen meet in the Vilemyr Inn and bond over drinks and the impending climb.
-Arwen shares her skills with magic, archery, thievery, and a predilection for drink.
-Thessaly shares her lack of familiarity with Skyrim, being a city girl from Cyrodiil, and her reluctance to publicly admit her identity as the Dragonborn.
-Arwen offers to make the climb to Hrothgar with Thessaly, exited at the prospect of adventure. Needing a guide, and not one to turn down an able-bodied fighter, Thessaly agrees.
Point of interest
-Thessaly left resources back in Whiterun
-Thessaly doesn't like potions
-Arwen has ability with Enchantment
-Thessaly seems bent on getting the Greybeards to 'fix the mistake' of making her Dragonborn

The Throat of the World
Thessaly and Arwen climb the seven thousand steps to the Greybeard's sanctuary
-They share a little of themselves, including Arwen's dream to attend the Mage College, and Thessaly's accidental arrival in Skyrim.
-They also trade magical ability; Thessaly can call fire, light, and some healing, while Arwen has a much larger repetoir, but still feels inferior to the memory of her parents, who were both accomplished mages.
-They're on the subject of romantic interests when a Frost Troll emerges from the storm. Between Arwen's fire arrows and Thessaly's twin blades, they defeat the beast.

High Hrothgar
-The Greybeards are receptive to the Dragonborn, but not her companion. Arwen goes back to a cave while Thessaly remains in the temple to rest before her 'test'.
-Later that night, Thessaly joins Arwen, stolen blankets in tow, to complain about their crotchety hosts before going to sleep.
-The next day, while the Greybeards teach Thessaly new Thu'um (Ro and Wuld), Arwen meets Lore; a god who asks her (and the Dragonborn) to help him bring peace to Skyrim, but vanishes before Thessaly gets back.
-On the way down, Thessaly nearly Wulds off the mountain.

(being edited)
---

Shroud Hearth Barrow
Back in Ivarstead, Thessaly and Arwen catch wind of a rumor about ghosts in the town's nearby ancestral barrow. A local man named Jonas offers them a valuable jeweled claw if they will investigate and rid the tomb of its restless dead, so that their ancestors may rest. Both girls enjoy the sight of its shining sapphire claws, and agree to the task.

Despite Thessaly's worry at the prospect of having to deal with something so unknown as a spirit, the barrow proves to be far more tangible trouble than that of a restless spirits. Arwen's sense of adventure carries her into the path of more than a handful of deadly traps, but they manage to make it through the first few rooms with their skins intact. Not so when they encounter the first wave of restless dead. They follow the voice of the spirit further into the tomb, only to find that it is no spirit, but an ambitious mortal mage, driven mad by his own alchemical disguise. The girls slay him.

It is in a search for clues about the mage and his business that Thessaly reveals to Arwen a personal flaw--the street-raised Bosmer girl cannot read. She makes light, but it is one of her deepest shames, and is relieved to hear Arwen shrug it off. From the mage's journal, Arwen manages to glean his purpose there--that he had been searching for the exact claw Jonas had offered them for their services in order to get his hands on some greater treasure. On the way out of the barrow, Thessaly decides to investigate a last unexplored room, and finds an intricate door set with an intricate puzzle and four familiarly arranged notches. It seems the claw is a key. Both girls are excited by the idea of the riches beyond, and make their way hastily back to Ivarstead--only to find that the claw has been stolen.

A swift investigation reveals one extra town guard than had been there before. Following the armored man out of town to a secluded spot on the road finds the girls their thief--a redheaded man who bargains for the claw, then blubbers for his life when confronted. The girls decide to tell him that they will sell him back the claw when they're finished finding out what's beyond that door. But the thief makes such a pitiable sight that Thessaly shows him a little kindness before they leave him behind.

Once more into the barrow the girls go, claw in hand. The way back down to the mysterious door is uneventful, with both foes and traps dispensed, but it still takes some puzzling and prying to get the door open.

In the lower, sealed part of the barrow, the girls find a few valuables--Arwen finds an Oakflesh spellbook--and more undead. Thessa takes a barbed arrow in the back. After a healing, it's left nothing but a scar and a hole in Thessa's already worn out leather armor.

Further along, Arwen manages to get herself dropped through a trapped grate and into a deep pool of water. She's rewarded for her soaked armor with a treasure-filled sunken chest. The path upward leads them to a single skeleton and more traps. Thessa keeps Arwen from being smashed by a battering ram with a dragon shout, surprising them both. Thessa's glad for her companion's minimal injuries--she's not as skilled as Arwen in healing arts, though the Breton offers to teach her.

They break into the upper locked room to rest and dry off. Its only occupant is an old chest. Thessaly goes through thirteen lockpicks and a hand cramp before she loses her temper and hacks the old thing to pieces, then breaks them up for firewood as they examine the insides. The golden armor Thessaly finds inside Arwen identifies as Elven-make, as well as a pair of similar daggers.

In their rest time, Arwen makes a display of her enchanting power, recharging the spell on her bow as Thessaly takes the blunt out of her blades. Arwen offers to enchant Thessaly's equipment, when they get the chance, and gives her a bit of a lesson on telling enchanted items from non-enchanted.

Once they're dry and rested, they head back out into the barrow. Further along, they sneak up on a crowd of skeleton archers and manage to blow them up with a well-placed fire jug lamp and an oil-soaked floor. They're too busy celebrating their victory to notice the pair of coffins at the top of the step, and have the misfortune of encountering an undead mage. It is only by Arwen's protective spell that Thessaly is saved from an ice spike through the chest. The Bosmer girl displays another rare bit of magic that draws on her own life force to cast.

Once recovered, they continue on, encountering more undead and traps in spades, which they deal with as they come. However, Thessaly's frustration at her companion's lack of self-preservation when it comes to traps mounts with every step that they take, finally culminating in another temper tantrum when Arwen deliberately triggers a deadly trap on herself. Her tirade is interrupted by skeleton archers, then draugr, then druagr mages, the horde outnumbering the girls nearly four to one.

In the middle of the battle, one of the druagr surrounding Arwen is attacked from the shadows by a thrown dagger, which Arwen utilizes to attack the rest. Both she and Thessaly take wounds from the undead, but eventually they all lie slain. Before they have the chance to lick their wounds, one last foe rises--a druagr overlord; an undead warrior with the power of the Thu'um. Trapped in the room, the girls have no choice but to face it. The battle is dire, and nearly costs both of them their lives, but they defeat the creature together. Thessaly nearly drowns, but is only just revived by Arwen when a new figure steps into the room.

The redheaded thief from Ivarstead calls to Arwen--he wants the claw they used to get into the barrow, and he's willing to threaten their lives to get it. In their weakened state, there's not much they can do, but Arwen isn't about to go without a fight. She tricks the thief by casting a shock rune that catches them both. A Shout from Thessaly further disables the thief, and allows them to regroup. But Thessaly's show of power reveals what she is--and the thief pacifies. If Thessaly is indeed the Dragonborn, he would give anything and everything to join her.

Arwen calls for the thief's death, exuding vehement hatred. Thessaly doesn't seem to want him dead so much as under control, but hands the decision off to Arwen. The mage proves to be not quite as bloodthirsty as she seems. She agrees to let the thief--named Ennis--join them, but lays down the law. Several of them, in fact; that he confess his crimes to the folk of Ivarstead and beg their forgiveness; that he pledge life and limb to Thessaly's service; and that he never touch Arwen ever, for any reason. Not to be dissuaded, Ennis agrees, making a spectacle of his pledge.

Eager to be done with this business, Thessaly and Arwen prod Ennis into the lead as they head deeper into the tomb, Arwen's arrow at the thief's back. In the very next room, they are met with reward for their trials; a treasure chest. Arwen knows a trap when she sees one, though, and calls it. Ennis offers to take care of it, then relinquishes the contents to the ladies, who have truly earned it. But Thessaly is distracted by something farther along in the cave.

At the end of the room, a word wall calls to the Dragonborn. It fills her with its knowledge as she is compelled to recite the words on its surface, teaching her a new Shout (Kyne's Peace). Ennis is fascinated by the whole event. For Thessaly, the reading is different from before; she attributes it to whatever the Greybeards did to her at Hrothgar, and is displeased with the new word, so disgustingly close to her fairytale ability to call to wild beasts. Now, it seems, she can calm them. Thrilling.

Arwen investigates the contents of the chest, discovering a wealth of weapons, armor, other artifacts, and multitudes of gold and gems. She reserves Thessaly first choice, but tosses Ennis a stone to help pay for the bounty he will obviously have to pay off when they get back to Ivarstead. He is surprised by the gesture. He gets to pay for it as the girls burden him like a pack mule with the loot. Arwen is loathe to touch a staff they find inside, claiming it to be Necromantic in nature. Thessaly doesn't have the Breton's magical sensitivity, and so carries the staff herself.

Ennis suggests and Arwen confirms they take the shortcut out of the barrow, through a rather raw-looking tunnel beyond a nearby door. Though Ennis seems unconcerned with its condition, Thessa is glad when they're out of it. Arwen's lust for danger carries her right on through. The tunnel emerges into the mad mage's workroom, and as they continue to make for the surface, Thessaly muses on this treasure he died looking for. What other secrets might the claw unveil? Why does this thief want it so badly?

The trio pauses once out of the barrow to arrange themselves. If they're going to sell the loot acquired in the barrow, it's going to have to look like the items belonged to them in some way, and weren't plundered from the ancestors of the villagers. Ennis makes an interesting request of Thessaly--to hold a valuable-looking pendant of his, in case he is taken into custody and searched. A gold pendant with a well-cut green stone, and obviously enchanted. It seems very important to him. Arwen contemplates how she might be able to use this to her advantage.

On the way back, Arwen explains her distaste of necromantic magic, mentioning that sensitivity to magic is in her blood, but catches herself nearly admitting to having Altmer blood, afraid of what Thessaly might think if she learned. Thessaly, burdened with much of the heavier loot and just glad to be out of the tunnel, doesn't notice--but Ennis does.

Ivarstead
It's suppertime as they return to Ivarstead, and there is no audience readily at hand for Ennis' confession, so they head for the Inn. Ennis inconspicuously checks hidden places on his person, preparing contingency plans should this all go south. But Jonas and the town guards are inside getting food with the rest of the populace, and he has to make his stand. It goes over smoothly--Jonas woefully underestimates the price of his 'heirloom', and the emerald Ennis hands over as bounty more than covers the expense. Then Arwen begins ordering Ennis around, to show that he is well under hers and Thessaly's control. Ennis takes to it quickly, acting the meek manservant. It makes Thessaly a little nervous--if he had many masks to choose from, will they ever know the true face beneath? Doesn't stop her from taking advantage of his voluntary servitude, though. After dinner she gets him to carry the heavy loot up to her room--before he offers to shine them up. Thessa agrees, and Ennis naturally reaches for Arwen's staff and bow. The mage reacts quickly and harshly to him reaching for her treasured possession, slapping his hand away. She advises him never to touch her bow. Ennis loses his grip on the other weapons and rather adds to the spectacle, but apologizes for his mistake, making a show of his clumsy nervousness. Unamused, Thessaly takes her twin scimitars from him, not wanting them damaged, and helps Ennis carry the weapons to a vacant room, before paying the innkeeper for its use.

When Thessaly goes back to ask after Arwen's bow, she admits that her parents enchanted it for her, and that it is monetarily valuable otherwise. Any damage incurred on Ennis' part would result in his very violent demise. Thessaly declines the offer for anything else to drink, and decides to head up to her room. She strips off her armor, noting the wear and deciding to find a blacksmith's workbench in the morning. She also pauses to examine Ennis' pendant. Remembering what Arwen said about sensing the enchantment of an item, she gives it a try, but comes up with nothing.

Much later in the evening, after Arwen has gotten herself quite drunk, she stumbles upstairs to find Thessaly in bed, still considering the pendant. She invites herself in and snatches it to take a look. She seems disgusted with what she finds in it, and tosses it angrily back, exclaiming that Ennis will get it back when she says so. When Thessaly asks why, Arwen drunkenly explains that it has an anti-magic enchantment on it, which probably protected him from her shock attack in the barrow. She goes on to complain about Ennis 'swill spewin'.' Thessaly isn't sure of him, and even suggests they could leave early in the morning without him. Arwen reminds her that he's still got their gear, and figures he'll drop the act eventually.

The next morning, Thessaly is up at the crack of dawn to repair her armor, working at a small station owned by a woman named Helena, just outside a near-depleted iron mine. As she's working, Ennis comes up with the polished weapons to sell. Helena is reluctant to buy them from the thief until Thessaly vouches. As Helena takes the weapons away, Thessaly and Ennis have a chat about his staying with them. He seems desperate for Thessaly to accept and even trust him. Thessa asks him to be honest with her. Both of them hope this will improve things, and leave it at that. Thessaly also suggests he buy himself some armor with the coin they made off the weapons, since he doesn't seem to have any.

Arwen hears the last of their conversation, including Thessa's bid for honesty, as she comes up to greet them, commenting to Thessaly how she doesn't they'll get a straight word out of the crooked man--also she doesn't like his pendant. Ennis gives Thessaly a look as if to ask why she showed Arwen the pendant, but Arwen catches the look and deflects the suspicion by claiming she'd felt it at her back when Ennis had held a knife to her throat. She tells Ennis he'll get it back when she says he can have it--that if she finds she has a good reason to fry him, he needs to fry. Accepting and enduring the hostility, Ennis is intensely interested in a short change of topic when Thessaly mentions the little control she has over her innate Shouting power. But Thessaly is reluctant to speak more on the subject while still in public, and Ennis decides it's a good time to go purchase his new armor.

While Thessaly patches up her armor, unwilling to buy a new set from so sparse a place as Ivarstead, Arwen confesses having seen an interesting change in her since Hrothgar. A power that she can't understand bothers Arwen a bit--Thessaly is no less unnerved by the idea of an unwilling change in herself, any less than she was when she first discovered her identity as the Dragonborn. It makes her wonder about the father she never knew, if the blood of the dragon had come from his veins. She's never liked all this change being forced on her, but as Arwen tells her, 'Evolving is not a choice, but the inevitable. To stop change is to die.' Once they've had enough of the heavy conversation, Arwen heads back to the inn to pack, eager for them to be on their way.

Ennis emerges soon after to reveal his new armor--very obviously of Imperial make and quite ill-fitting. Before they can head out, Thessaly offers to fit and strip it of the Imperial icons that could get him killed--probably what Helena was plotting. She sends Ennis to the inn to purchase road provisions while she fixes his armor, and is disappointed when she has to hand over coins out of her own pocket--Helena swindled Ennis out of all the gold they made off the loot they'd handed over. Ennis takes happily to the task, intending to purchase a variety of food in hopes of learning more about the palettes of his traveling companions--anything to make a better impression. He sees Arwen back at the inn, and has the opportunity to make a new observation--the archer's love of vegetables.

Arwen has Ennis grab Thessaly's equipment along with their food, as she's eager to head out. Still playing the kicked dog, Ennis complies. He uses the opportunity to sift through her belongings, hoping to learn what he can. He finds her cunningly hidden stashes of gemstones, and also finds that she carries no potions. Odd for an adventurer.

Arwen gets back to Thessaly before Ennis does, overbearing the working elf with her morning personality. To distract her from her impatience to leave, Thessa asks Arwen about a previous topic of discussion--enchantments. Arwen tells her that she has no enchantments on her armor because she's never liked the idea of needing it. When asked the same question, Thessa says she's never seen the sense of spending so much gold on something that could be taken from you so easily, or what might need replacing in short order, like armor or weapons. She recommends lightly that Arwen invest in poison-resistant enchantments for her apparel, just before Ennis arrives with breakfast.

Thessaly continues their earlier conversation about enchantment to keep Arwen occupied while she attends to the tedious task of fitting Ennis' new armor. When the thief pipes up, however, the discussion grows into a philosophical one about life energies and souls, unexpectedly revealing Ennis to have a priest's views, having been taught by one. Moving onto the subject of allegiances, Ennis has to admit that he would have to publicly declare for the Empire if prompted, having come from Solitude and being Imperial besides, though he cannot agree with their stance privately--joining Thessa and Arwen's abstinence sounds more appealing. Arwen wonders if he is simply pandering. When prompted to test the new fit of his armor, Ennis makes a small business, including an unnecessary show of dexterity and acrobatics before they pack up and head out.

Road to White Hold
The only one familiar with the eastern regions of Skyrim, Arwen leads the way north and west out of Ivarstead and onto the open road. Their first trial (for Ennis at least) is to cross a shallow section of river, where the thief conjurs a myriad of fears, including that of being swept over a waterfall and drowning. He also goes to much trouble to keep his travel bag dry--so much so that though he ends up falling in and soaking his pants, he keeps his pack well above water. The ladies are less than sympathetic to his soaked clothing, but give him the brief time and privacy needed to change into a second set. They come across a few wisps, and are enchanted by them up until the Wispmother attacks. Thessaly gets a rare taste of what fighting a spirit is like when her normal blades go through it harmlessly, but neither girl is completely unprepared. Thessaly carries silver-gilt blades, and Arwen has the power of fire on her side. Together, she and Arwen dispel the creature's shades, but one wrong choice puts Thessaly in immediate danger--until a thrown silver knife catches it in the back, dispelling it. To Arwen's amusement, Ennis rushed into battle without pants. He quickly retreats to remedy this when it's pointed out, a little discouraged that he would recieve more mockery than help for his services. Arwen and Thessaly retrieve their fallen gear--having to melt it out of any icy encasing with a burning-hands trick Arwen shows Thessaly--and the remains of the witch before rejoining their embarassed companion. Before the head off, Thessa hands his silver knife back and thanks him. He's a bit more cheerful after that.

Valtheim Towers
After some perilously sloping trails through the mountains--which Arwen takes to like a spirited mountain goat--the trio arrives at a set of towers over a river. Hungry from their travels, they decide to take lunch here, as it seems fortunately deserted. As well, they seem to have fled in a hurry, leaving their coin behind, which Arwen and Thessaly find in a trapped and locked box, which they disable and loot. Then, while Thessa goes to scout the rest of the towers, Arwen is left to count out the haul while Ennis makes lunch. Alone, Arwen decides she wants the truth from Ennis. The thief does his best to persuade the mage that he's not who she thinks she met in the barrow--as she has observed, he's quite the accomplished liar and actor. He finds it unfortunate that their first impression of him was one of his uglier masks, but it was just that. There is more discussion of his half-truths before Thessaly returns with what little valuable resources she could find--a quiver of steel arrows for Arwen. For all their mistrust, though, the girls still eat the sandwiches Ennis made for them. When Thessa mentions posting watch in case the bandits return, Ennis hops to, sprinting up the tower with no regard for the heights, giving Arwen and Thessaly time to talk. Arwen knows there's something she doesn't like about Ennis, but can't quite tell what is keeping her on edge. Thessaly has a mess of fears about his presence--including drawing too much attention to her Dragonborn status--but values strength in numbers enough that she considers trying to talk to him instead of abandoning him on the road. Arwen seems similarly amiable, and there's no more talk of deserting the thief--though they keep a look out for any more suspicious behavior.

Thessaly braves the heights of the tower to give Ennis his share of their loot--a gesture that surprises them both, as it was Arwen's idea--and to tell him a tale of her past about a man who took advantage of the zealousness of the Thalmor and paid for it with his life. She lets him work out what message he likes, but the memory gets her thinking about the Thalmor. When she rejoins Arwen, she asks about their presence in the north, realising that now, as the Dragonborn, she's practically a walking testament to Talos' divinity. A run-in with them now would be all to easy and the living nightmare of her childhood self--nothing she's looking forward to. She asks Arwen to keep it on the down-low, and to make sure Ennis does the same. However, all the talk of Altmer brings Arwen's secrets to the surface, and she ends up confessing her parentage to Thessaly, who takes it better than expected. She knows better than most that you can't pick your family, and the air is clear. But the more she speaks about her parents, the closer Thessaly comes to the realization that they might not be around anymore. Thessa does her best to sound bolstering, but steers away from the sensitive topic after a time, asking whether or not it was time to get moving. Eager to go, Arwen summons Ennis with a bellow, then hands off the vile staff for him to carry. He's a little confused when Thessaly doesn't want to cross the bridge and travel north over the hill. She explains there's a flatter route north of Whiterun, but speaks of her knowledge defensively, and insists they won't be going into Whiterun itself. Ennis keeps note and Arwen decides not to pry, insisting instead it would be an unnecessary delay. Thessa is grateful for her friend's support.

North of Whiterun
Steering clear of any more personal subjects, the trio speak of Arwen and Thessaly's trip to High Hrothgar, much to Ennis' delight. He's a little less thrilled at hearing their experiences, and curious as to why Thessaly wouldn't want to learn from them, regardless of their perceived treatment of her. They agree to disagree.

Another river crossing--to Ennis' chagrin, being not a big fan of being wet--leads them onto the field north of Whiterun. But the trio keeps themselves in surprisingly high spirits, especially Ennis and his few shenanigans. And when Arwen doesn't reprimand him for his antics, in fact playing along, Ennis' heart soars. Perhaps he is finally growing on them. Thessaly is a little more reserved, her heart heavy so close to the place she briefly called home. Ennis' clowning around provides a mild distraction, but soon the party is set to the task of finding a place to camp for the night. Thessaly's mood is improved a little more by squashing Ennis' and watching him be harassed by a goat.

Once they've found a suitable site, Thessa immediately takes to the field for scrub for a fire, leaving Ennis and Arwen to deal once more with the meal. They discuss Thessaly's mood and their mysterious destination. Ennis' ears perk up when Arwen mentions the horn they're supposed to be after, revealing he knows much and more about it, with which he begins regaling Arwen with much enthusiasm as he grabs out a quill and a notebook. Though he doesn't share its contents with Arwen, he jots down ideas for the beginning of a song of the Dragonborn's quest. In truth, one of his many reasons for following Thessaly and Arwen is to have the opportunity to record first-hand the epic adventures of the Dragonborn.

After a while and Thessaly does not return, Ennis decides to go looking for her. In his absence, Arwen is paid her second visit by the entity named Lore. She points out to him that she would look less crazy if he'd crop up while the others were around, but Lore prefers Thessaly not know about him just yet. He brings Arwen a warning; a vision of snow and walls and flame. The warning brings uncomfortable memories for Arwen of the tragedy she left behind not so long ago. He tells her the fire in his vision is meant to be a false comfort, to disguise ill deeds of men, but that he is incapable of giving her more detail--trying seems to bring him pain. When Arwen asks more about the ability, he bestows upon her a gift--a sort of clairvoyance that will help them to find their goals. He disappears unexpectedly just as Thessaly and Ennis return with firewood, Ennis looking a bit worse for wear. Thessaly explains how Ennis tried to 'help' her uproot some deadwood, but some miscommunication ended with her kicking a branch into his face and smashing his nose. Knowing it was at least in part due to her foul mood, Thessa repents a little by helping him staunch the pain and blood flow with a healing spell. Arwen commends him for attempting to surpass her for number of injuries incurred in a single day.

As they set up the fire and the makings of supper, the subject of Arwen's eating habits finally comes up--Thessa finally comes to the realization that her companion is vegetarian. But there is no discomfort about it for either party, and they quickly move onto other conversation. Arwen tells the other two about a previous companion and one-night-stand who had feelings for her she didn't return, and which ended messily. It brings up a topic of unrequited love, on which each party member has a differing opinion. After Ennis mentions he has a foster sister, Thessaly puts it together--much to Ennis' horror and protest. Arwen still mocks him mercilessly. Ennis protests he's never had romantic troubles; it was his sister plagued with that unhappy burden. When prompted, he even shares more about his adopted family, seeing about giving honesty a try, and admitting that his adopted father, one of Solitude's priests, had kept a shrine to Talos hidden when the Empire had demanded it destroyed, for people to worship as they liked in secret. When he speaks of the pain and destruction caused by the Empire and the Thalmor, Thessa nurses a suppressed indignant fury. What could this boy know of conflict, sheltered in an Imperial city so far from the true suffering she felt and witnessed in Cyrodiil? But she keeps quiet. Ennis explains it was the conflict between the Empire and Talos' believers that helped fan the flame of his interest in history and inspire his true fascination; in dragons and in the legends surrounding them. When Thessa has had enough of this 'legend' talk, she abandons the conversation and heads to bed.

Ennis' lack of travel gear becomes woefully apparent when he settles down next to the fire with little more than a shred of blanket. The girls wish him luck with the elements before curling up in their own furs and going to sleep. Ennis' night is not so restful, waking every few hours to the cold and a dying or dead flame. At one point during the night, the aurora appeared overhead and his discomfort seemed marginally less awful. When he wakes the next morning, he finds a heavy fur over him. Thessa as much as admits to giving it to him, claiming she wouldn't take him for healing to Whiterun if he got frostbite and that he can keep it if he can carry it--she was too warm with it on. Her mood is still dark, what with a night full of uncomfortable dreams about the nearby town she wishes to leave behind sooner rather than later. She even begins packing Arwen's things when the mage groans about being made to leave her bedding, prompting that they'll find actual beds in Morthal and she can sleep as long as she likes there.

As they've come farther north and west from the lands with which Arwen is familiar, Ennis takes the lead, claiming he knows the road that will take them to Morthal. He mentions the place was rather creepy, but Thessaly believes silently that anyplace would be better than here. They continue north. On the way, Ennis pelts the girls with questions. The further they get from Whiterun, the more amicable Thessaly is to them, but that's not much more than she was originally. When he brings up the dragon claw and the puzzle to which it fit, Thessaly notices he's trying to weasel more information out of them without giving away what he wants. When she confronts him with it, Ennis admits to the crooked questioning, remembering she asked him for honesty, so he asks straight out if they have any more dragon claws. Thessaly didn't know there were more, so that answers his question, but he goes so far as to admit that he has two more of them, not naming them as the Ivory and Coral. When asked, he explains that he's found descriptions in books and in his travels of at least three or four more and that he's endeavored to collect them. Privately he dreams of traveling not only Skyrim but the rest of Tamriel looking for them, making a name for himself as the Dragon Scholar. He knows this is largely unrealistic, but still harbors it in a small place in his heart. But when he mentions he used one of them to open a tomb and didn't stop to make sure it was clear of danger, Thessaly goes off on him for putting folk in danger--what if some inexperienced adventure goes down there not knowing what to expect? Or worse, what if the druagr decided to flee their underground prison and seek out new victims? When Arwen steps in to defend Ennis' claim that this wouldn't be his fault--though she makes sure to give him a glare on principle to remind him that she does not like him--Thessa puts some distance between them to cool off and come to the conclusion that she was taking out feelings of guilt on Ennis. When she realizes that part of this guilt is from feelings of responsibility towards anyone affected by the druagr, their rising connected to the existence of the Dragonborn, she is hit hard. When did she start thinking like this? Like some bloody hero? That wasn't what she wanted to be--not ever. Before she can explain herself to Arwen and Ennis, though, the thief spots some nearby shelter, and the three make their way into a fort mercifully equipped with a tiny tavern. The three file inside out of the awful weather and into the cozy warmth.

Fort Fellhammer
The tavern is well-occupied by less than savory characters, most of whom eye Arwen with an appreciative, predatory look. Thessaly squashes jealousy, knowing she'd desire the attentions of none of these men, until she lays eyes on the bartender. He's rather charming to both Thessaly and Arwen. Ennis seems to notice nothing as he thaws by the fire. As she and Arwen join him at the only unoccupied table, Thessa asks him what the hell he's doing traveling Skyrim without a winter coat anyhow. He sleepily mumbles that a squirrel stole it. Both she and Arwen chalk the reply off to his being half-asleep. The bartender brings them their drinks, sparing Thessaly a short wink before she watches him walk off.

It's only once they've each had at least a mouthful of their drinks that Thessaly starts to sense something is off. By the time she realizes that the drinks are drugged, it's too late. She attempts to fight them off, but the room is spinning and she can't kill them all. The bartender catches her as she loses her balance and passes out.

The first to awake in their adjacent cells is Arwen, who begins making a furious racket at their predicament, waking Thessaly in time to greet their visiting captors, including their leader--the bartender, a man called Bronson. They chuckle at Arwen's pointless rampage, and wake Ennis to make sure their prisoners are all aware of the situation. Ennis comments that this isn't the worst place he's ended up after a night of drinking, but when one of the rogues promises to make it that, Ennis decides he doesn't want to know why. Arwen continues to rage at them, hurling insults, threats, and whatever she can get ahold of in her cell to throw. But when she tries to cast magic at them, nothing comes out. Bronson points out a soul gem and explains the dampening spell they have in effect. (34)

[Purplish Space Rock]

Outside, the wind whistled and snow beat down on the windows of a somewhat spacious building. Inside, the fire was going and crackling nicely in the corner, keeping the place warm and comfortable in Skyrim, a very cold place. It was a tavern, and the tavern was bustling with people, being evening, when most people got off their shifts as shopkeepers, or they shut down their stalls for the night. Furs hung on the wall and doors were closed on the second floor, the first floor doors open; they all led to rooms for travelers and adventurers. Men and women of all different professions and walks of life gathered around tables and bar chairs to talk about trades and their wares, most people coupled or tripled up. As the hours dragged on, the evening turning to night, the bar emptied out quite a bit, and several of the first floor doors had closed, with people finally turning in.

A hefty man sat at a table just inside the door, and a skinny blonde woman entered, in thick fur armor and a fur shawl over her shoulders. She was inordinarily thin, gangly, and for a woman; her hair was quite yellow, and she had odd grey eyes, which peeked out over the shawl. She slipped it down from her face, revealing that she was rather pretty, and they greeted each other with smiles. She approached the bar for a drink before sitting across from him, still smiling. They spoke briefly and he handed her a small coinpurse of gold, its contents jingling pleasantly. The woman leaned forward on the table, evidently interested in what the man had to say as they started to speak to one another. Their smiles faded a little as they evidently spoke of business, the woman's cheeks turning pinker and pinker with the more alcohol she drank.

[E is for Enigma]

Night had long since fallen on Ivarstead when a weary traveler entered the town.

Not that it was much of a town to enter. As someone used to the paved streets and high rising buildings of the cities of Cyrodiil, the elven woman was constantly surprised by the size of these tiny settlements. How did people get along when they had to deal with one another day after day? To be grouped here together, possibly unwillingly, as none of them had the means or inclination to seek life elsewhere? These were the kinds of traps you were born into and died in, as far as she was concerned. Unless you were exceptionally skilled or clever.

Fortunately for Thessaly, she happened to be both. Unfortunately, her luck of late seemed to balance that out.

It still surprised her every time she thought about it--to the point that she had almost convinced herself several times that it all had been some great trick. But there was always that memory to bring her back. The glow of the dead beast's eyes and the feeling of its language on her tongue. She'd tried the shout again on the road, when no one had been around, just to check that it wasn't some pipe dream or mad hallucination. The fourth time, she had startled a random traveler she hadn't seen coming around the bend. She'd managed to convince him that it had been a freak gust of wind, but not by much. At least that was proof enough that she wasn't mad--though that fellow probably didn't think so.

She didn't see anyone around in town, but that was no surprise considering the hour. If she tried it again now, the noise would undoubtedly rouse folk. Best to just keep that to herself--at least until she started up the mountain.

She glanced to the west, where the behemoth grew out of the ground across the river. It had loomed in her vision for weeks after the Greybeard's call, never far from her mind. But she was no hearth-warmed pet, to come when called. So what if she drank dragon souls and spat their words? Wasn't by any choice of hers. If those old hermits wanted to talk to her, they could damn well come down and get her themselves. At least, that's what she'd told herself while she galavanted around Whiterun with the Companions.

The thought brought a stray smile to her lips. It was the first time she'd felt at home since Cyrodiil, was with them. The smile turned sour. Boy, had she screwed that up royally.

The tavern wasn't hard to find. It was perhaps the largest building in this poor excuse for a town. She glanced at the name as she entered, but it didn't stick. Just another strange jumble of northman syllables that sounded like someone talking drunk. But then, they were probably drunk when they named it. Bloody nords and their mead.

The cold wind of winter followed Thessaly inside the hearth-warmed building. Even in her fur-lined leather armor and layered clothing, it was nice to shed the chill of the northern night air. She closed the door behind her and stalked in. She walked quietly, removing her helmet and fluffing her short black hair as a way to subtly check the twin scimitars at her back. She knew that some folk up in the north didn't take kindly to elven faces and dark eyes, but she wasn't interested in hiding who she was. It was a rare nord who turned down the extra gold she paid for privacy. They made a little extra, she didn't have to worry about thieves, and neither of them saw much of the other. Everybody wins.

She went up to the bar, marveling briefly at the strange way these places so strongly resembled one another, and shifted her armor to get at her belt purse.

"Hullo there," she purred, giving the nord proprietor a charming smile. "I'd like a room for the night. A quiet one, if you get my meaning. And extra blankets."

She placed ten gold on the bar top, then five more to emphasize her point. Then she glanced over at the tall blond across from her. The woman's rosy cheeks and unfocused eyes made Thessaly's fingers itch. She wondered how much trouble it would be to relieve this one of her drinking money, but thought better of it. Always steal on the way out, and never steal from drunks when they're drinking. With as much as they shelled out, they always knew where their purses were, and they raised a fuss when they couldn't find them. Better to leave early in the morning and take the purse as they were sleeping it off--if there was anything left.

Some mead sounded pretty good, actually.

"And uh," she added. "I'll have what she's having."

She tossed a few more coins on the counter.

[Purplish Space Rock]

The bartender, a surly-looking man with a bit of a pot belly, mumbled something in the affirmative and placed a flagon on the counter, filling it with some sort of dark red wine from a thin-necked bottle. The two in the corner continued to speak for a while longer, before the skinny woman finally noticed who had entered the bar. Perhaps she was a little more inebriated than she’d meant to make herself, but she couldn’t kid herself; she enjoyed the drink, and she would not lie to whoever asked. She took up her flagon and pulled her shawl over her shoulders again, to avoid leaving it behind. It was expensive, and although she definitely had the gold to replace it, she didn't want to go through the trouble of finding one of comparable quality.

“Thank you, Brenon, but I must be going,” she said softly. They gave each other parting waves and the woman crossed the tavern to approach the Elven woman, a little sheepish. If that was who she thought it was, she would b ecstatic. “Excuse me,” she said, hopping onto the stool next to her. Arwen was still very red, and the red wine had stained her lips petal pink. “I don’t mean to disturb you, but I guess it couldn’t be helped if I wanted to ask a question, but- but you’re who I think you are, aren’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question; she knew very well who she was speaking to, but she made an effort to be polite. From afar, she looked a little ill, being so thin, but up close, it was clear that she was rather pretty and delicate, though she also looked a little like a songbird. “I mean, I know you are who I think you are, but that isn’t my question. I suppose my question is more like- what’s your name? I’m Arwen. I know you- I mean, I know who you are, not that I know you.” Arwen gave an awkward smile, tracing her fingertips along the metal on the top of her mug. “I hope I haven’t disturbed you too much.”

[E is for Enigma]

Thessaly had only taken a couple sips of the offered beverage--a little more sour than she was used to, but booze was booze--before one of the few remaining tavern-goers approached her out of the blue.

She watched the woman warily, leaning back when the most certainly inebriated woman began tilting in her direction. Thessa kept a carefully wary face on. The woman's words were a bit of a mess, but Thessa was fair certain what she was getting at. The last thing she needed was for her little language problem to leak out.

She let an amused grin split her face, as if to indulge a drunk's ramblings.

"I think you're mistaking me for someone else, lady," she replied, giving the blond a pat on the arm. "Why don't you call it a night? I think you've had enough to drink, eh?"

[Purplish Space Rock]

Arwen straightened up, noticing she was getting a little too close for comfort. “My apologies,” she said, pulling on a lock of her hair. “Please don’t lie to me. I know when someone’s lying, and you’re lying.” The hefty man in the corner finished his drink and rose, leaving the tavern quietly, his sack of coins tinkling. With the bar nearly empty, the bartender came out from behind the counter with a cloth and a small basin, wiping down the tables out on the floor. The blonde one reached onto a nearby table and took a sweet roll, fiddling with it before she pulled a piece off.

She waited until they were more alone before she spoke. “You’re the Dragonborn,” she said softly, glancing around. The bartender hadn’t heard her, continuing her work silently. Arwen turned her attention back around, shifting in her seat. “I can hold my drink well enough. You’re here because you heard the calling, aren’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question. “To climb the steps, right?”

She took a proper bite of the roll, big grey eyes still focused on the stranger. "My name is Arwen. What's yours? I know you're 'the Dragonborn' and everything, but I've never heard your actual name."

[E is for Enigma]

Thessaly choked on her drink when the blond woman mentioned 'dragonborn'. She glanced quickly around, wiping her face, but no one appeared to have heard her.

She considered all the ways she might deter this woman from this line of questioning. Avoidance seemed to go nowhere, and from the intensity of her gaze, Thessa figured denial wouldn't go over too well, either. How the bloody hell could she tell, anyway?

"Sure, alright," Thessa said, trying to sound noncholant. "I'm planning on climbing those steps. But only because those old hermits at the top made a big mistake and they're gonna fix it."

She took another swallow of wine. The woman was still looking at her expectantly. Oh, right, that other question.

"Thessaly," she answered finally. "Just... quit calling me that, yeah?"

[Purplish Space Rock]

Arwen’s face broke out into a broad smile and she made a noise somewhere near a giggle. It was hard to tell exactly what sound she meant to make, what with the drink and all.

“I thought so,” she said, a little louder. “Bards have been telling your story in song all over Skryim. I’ve heard that you can speak with the voice of a dragon.” She started tearing bits of the sweet roll off again, dropping them all over the counter instead of eating them. Maybe she was a little too drunk, but there was no turning back from it now.

“I won’t, I won’t. I’ll keep it down. I understand- if I were in your position I don’t think I’d want it to be common knowledge, either.” Arwen looked around at the bartender, on the other side of the bar, picking up plates. Being a dirty little sneak, she reached around the counter and helped herself to a bottle of something that smelled heavily of alcohol, pouring it into her flagon. She replaced it, moving as quietly as she could. “So, you’re climbing the steps. I am, too. I arrived here yesterday, and I spent a little time clearing out a mine for a settler- it was overrun with skeevers, see. What’s supposed to happen for you up at the top of those steps? I'm not terribly familiar with the lore. I study magic and archery, primarily, not so much history.”

[E is for Enigma]

Thessaly grimaced and gestured for Arwen to keep it down. Her new friend seemed to be a bit of an exuberant drunk.

So, she was headed up the mountain, too? Numbers couldn't hurt, if this woman was headed in that direction anyway. And if she cleared out a mine, she couldn't be terribly useless in a fight. Thessaly shuddered. She didn't like spiders.

"I've got no idea," she replied to Arwen's question of what was supposed to happen once she got up the mountain. She made a noise halfway between a snort and a laugh. "I'm a little new to this. All of this. I haven't exactly been in Skyrim very long. I'd heard of Talos before, but I had no idea that there could be another dragonborn... much less me." She took another long drought from her drink, finishing it off. She considered the empty cup, then held it out to Arwen, as if asking her for a refill.

"So, you're a study in magic and archery, huh? What do you know about mountain climbing?"

[Purplish Space Rock]

"Where have you been, then? I've never ventured outside Skyrim, myself." Arwen finished off the sweet roll and turned in her seat to properly face Thessaly, fiddling with her flagon again. "I don't feel the need to travel outside it. There's so much to do here, people to help, people to extort. It's how I've made my fortune, extorting people. And stealing." Speaking of stealing, Arwen reached behind the counter again, after a quick glance around. The bartender was gathering plates and platters near the door, so she reached behind the counter and picked up the wine again. "Shhh," she said, smiling and pouring Thessaly another.

Arwen seemed to notice how loudly she was talking, considering the empty tavern, and she quieted down, clearing her throat a little. "You would be surprised at all the valuable things people leave laying around in their homes. The same for caves- I found a lovely bow in a cave, a while back. It's the one I still use today. It sets your target on fire, it's lovely. It's also the most accurate I've had, and I've owned my fair share of bows."

Arwen was a talker, even when she was sober. She was a high-energy person, and needed to keep moving- hence the clearing out caves and climbing the steps. "Yes, magic an archery. I know enough about mountain climbing, I suppose. I've climbed a few in my time, and I plan to climb those steps to the mountain top, but I'm certainly no expert. I don't think I've got all the gear I need, but I manage well enough to do my work. Why do you ask?"

[E is for Enigma]

Thessaly raised her cup in silent thanks and took a swig, then glanced nervously about the room as Arwen began rambling about her less-than-legal exploits. They were fine and dandy with Thessa, but she wasn't certain advertising such skills in an upstanding place of business--regardless of backwater status--was the best idea. She was fair certain she'd counted at least one guard outside. One guard wasn't hard to take care of, but she'd gotten this far without a bounty on her head, and she wasn't about to start on account of a light-fingered busybody who couldn't hold her liquor.

On the more comfortable subject of setting folk on fire, Thessaly felt her brows raise. She'd heard of weapon enchantment, but had never tried it herself. Seemed a lot of trouble, as magic often was, though the stuff sold for a pretty penny. She glanced over Arwen's shoulder for a look at the bow in question.

"Well, I'm not so used to mountain-climbing," she told the Breton woman. "I'm a city girl from Cyrodiil. Highest thing I ever climbed was a three story building." She lifted her cup in the direction of the giant, ice-coated rock outside. "That's no building."

[Purplish Space Rock]

Arwen followed Thessaly's cup with her eyes, the sclera a little pink. "Mountain climbing isn't so hard, as much as it is physically intensive." She looked down into her own flagon, which was still half full, and decided she'd had enough. She set it down and slid it away from her, down the counter. "I hear it's more stairs than anything else."

There was a pause in which Arwen stared a bit blankly, toward the ceiling. As if she'd had an important revelation, she gasped a little and her eyes went wide. "Goodness, I just thought- do you want me to come with you, to climb the mountain?" she said, eyes wide and bright. Her eyes were so big, opening them all the way like so made it a little creepy. "I can help you! There are wolves, and maybe snow bears and ice trolls!" she said as she shifted in excitement. The thought of working with the Dragonborn made her vibrate with glee. "Oooh, it would be so much fun? Can I come with you?"

Arwen finally yawned and looked rather sleepy- properly sleepy, not drunk-sleepy. "If you let me come along, I'll be up bright and early, I swear. And I swear I won't get in your way. I'll follow behind you all the way, and I'll even be quiet if you want me to."

[E is for Enigma]

"Oh, there are stairs?" Thessaly asked, perking up. Stairs, even icy stairs, sounded better than the alternative.

At Arwen's exclamation, Thessa couldn't help but grin lopsidedly. The taller woman reminded her a bit of an old friend, whom she would never admit to missing, but after having traveled a while without one of the companions or someone else dogging her trail, she had to admit that the lone wolf act wasn't terribly appealing to her. And Ice Trolls? She had no idea what one of those looked like, but it couldn't be pretty.

"Heh, I'm not stopping ya," Thessaly said. "Bumpkin like you'd probably make better time up the hill than I would anyhow." She took a last swig of her stolen booze. "But getting up early's for farmers and working stiffs--neither of which am I. You sleep off whatever you had so much fun downing. We'll head out after breakfast."

Maybe this whole Greybeard business wouldn't be as much a pain as she thought.