(( Excuse me my inactivity
I am currently swamped with commissions and work, I will get back to merry elf shenanigans in the near future ))
Would give anything to see Vadril’s version of “merry elf shenanigans.”
(( Excuse me my inactivity
I am currently swamped with commissions and work, I will get back to merry elf shenanigans in the near future ))
To Winterhold
That, finally, seemed to get Val’s attention.
His reaction was delayed, as though he wasn’t quite sure what to do, and he only turned around a little at first. It wasn’t until Elatos gave him a hefty pat on the back - and he sounded terribly solid under those furs - that Val took the reins in one hand and turned enough to look at Kae.
However, Val didn’t hold her gaze for long, instead nudging Elatos and tapping the sheath of one of the other pieces Elatos had taken from the crate. Elatos picked it up.
“This one? You want me to show her this one, do you? Fair enough, then,” chuckled Elatos, as Val’s attention returned to driving the cart. “I was going to save this one for last, but it seems like Val wants you to see it.”
The sheath alone was ornate, the outer crafted of intricately-woven black leather and trimmed with finely-carved ebony. With some considerable care, Elatos drew the dagger, revealing a blade of perfectly smooth, shining ebony. It, too, was curved and barbed, but it was far more decorated than the plain iron weapon Elatos had shown Kae before.
“Do not touch the blade.” Elatos said it with a great deal of seriousness. “Before I tell you anything else about this dagger, I have to tell you not to touch the blade. It’s sharp, and it’s made to stay sharp for a long, long time. If you were to stick this blade into a man’s thigh, it would be sharp enough to cut itself free, barbs and all. If the wound alone isn’t enough to see someone off, then the tearing and the bleeding certainly will be.”
The Dunmer opened his hand from around the hilt enough to show the same delicately woven leather that graced the sheath around the dagger’s hilt. The hilt itself was slightly wide in the middle, made to fit comfortably into a clenched fist, with a fairly wide guard at the top. At the bottom end of the hilt, though, a dark, polished ruby was set as the blade’s pommel stone. Elatos pointed out each of these features, his own admiration for his friend’s skill and attention to detail showing on his face and in his voice.
“But the best part,” he explained, “Is the blade.”
Forged of the finest, strongest ebony, the dagger’s blade was smooth and shiny, as beautifully polished as the ruby in its hilt. An intricate design was engraved along it, not only for simple decoration but to channel blood away from the weilder’s hand and keep the grip dry.
“It’s going to have to be someone special who takes this away,” remarked Elatos, looking over the blade once more as he held it. “So I’m afraid to say, I can’t let you hold it unless one of you is prepared to buy it.”
As Elatos’ gaze moved from the blade, to Kaeshira and then to Vadril, Val’s head was ever so slightly turned.
Now, he was listening.
Vadril stayed silent as Elatos launched into an obviously well-rehearsed sales pitch. While Kaeshira appeared captivated, himself he found the subject rather distasteful and therefore paid little attention to his words. Any sharpened piece of metal was capable of killing a man, and no matter how much you polished the tool or glorified the hand that held it, it was still a sloppy and brutish act.
Instead, as the other Dunmer talked, he focused his scrutinizing gaze on his appearance and mannerisms. Most of the time Kaeshira was too quick to trust - or rather, quick to exploit - to know when to be cautious. Sera, the Dunmer had called him. Aside from that distinct Morrowind custom, his manner of speech had a Cyrodiilic pattern to it - someone who had spent a great deal of time in the western Provinces. His smile was bright and genuine, and he had the weathered skin of a frequent outdoorsman.
He glanced over to Val, attempting to keep his movement as inconspicuous as possible. He only saw a mountain of thick furs. His eyes narrowed in thought as he stared at the massive man or mer, looking for any telltale signs that would reveal his homeland, race or - or anything. The giant had not spoken even one word, and still remained silent.
As trivial as it should have been, it bothered him.
“…prepared to buy it.”
As he heard those words, he quickly returned his attention to the couple that shared the back of the cart with him. He gave one look to the ebony dagger resting in Elatos’ hands and then looked over to Kaeshira, giving her a warning glare. Don’t even consider it.
“I have no use for weapons,” he said. “Like most mages, I suppose, I prefer to use less… crude means.” With an air of distaste, he inclined his head towards the nasty-looking barbed knife still sitting in Kaeshira’s lap. “Or, better yet, not to engage in a severe physical confrontation in the first place.”
To Winterhold
At this, a flagrant invasion of his space, Val’s patience for the tiny woman who was suddenly leaning between he and Elatos wore thin. He turned towards her, seeming to be easily twice her size, glared, and growled.
“Oi-oi-oi! Val!” Elatos frowned at him, raising his voice. “Be nice!”
Val’s growl lowered to another deep grumble, his breath fogging in the air as he huffed. Elatos patted him on the shoulder, and nodded towards the horses. They exchanged a glance, ever so briefly, Elatos offering Val a sympathetic smile, before Val finally tossed his head, and shook the reins to drive the horses on.
“I’m sorry,” said Elatos, turning around to face the two now sitting in the back of the cart. “He’s… a little wary of strangers. So!” The Dunmer’s face brightened once more. “What takes you to Winterhold? It’s a bit out of the way, is it?”
He cast a glance over Vadril.
“You’re a mage, if I ever saw one. You’ll be headed for the College, will you?”
When an overtly mortified expression briefly flashed across Kaeshira’s face, Vadril bristled and shifted as if preparing to pull her away. However, she quickly withdrew from the immediate vicinity of the hulking figure with a deeply insulted look and sat down across him. He raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing - likewise, the two companions on the driver’s seat seemed to be having a wordless conversation of their own. He only turned his full attention to them when Elatos spoke up again.
“Yes… the College,” he replied flatly, propping his travel pack against one of the crates and making sure it wouldn’t topple over. “I have duties there, and Kaeshira kindly agreed to accompany me, as she has some times before. Although I do admit,” he continued, meeting the other Dunmer’s eyes, “we have never had the chance to travel in the company of such… friendly kinsmen.” His eyes briefly flickered towards Val’s wide back.
To Winterhold
“Ha ha.”
Elatos leaned a little further down from the side of the cart to take Kaeshira’s hand and, shaking his hair out of the way, pressed a kiss to her fingers.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Kae,” he said, lowering her hand just enough that he could meet eyes with her over it. “Winterhold, was it? I don’t think that’s too far out of our way.”
Val audibly grumbled from the other side of the cart, and looked the other way. She’d flirted with him; of course he was going to flirt straight back.
He had barely had time to politely shake the other Dunmer’s hand before the exuberant Bosmer forced herself between them again, assuming that certain sugary tone she always used when she tried to get what she wanted. Had the Dunmer and his companion not stopped to offer a ride, he felt she was prepared to sweet-talk them to it anyway.
“Thank you, Kaeshira,” he said rather rigidly, on his face the same frown he always wore when dealing with strangers. While he knew she enjoyed this kind of attention, he preferred that the others wouldn’t misinterpret the Bosmer’s advances. “Since it appears you have already decided for us, I believe time is wasting while we stand here at the side of the road.” He nodded briefly at the Dunmer on the driver’s seat and moved to the back of the cart. “Shall we?”
To Winterhold
Kaeshira heard the cart approaching behind but never bothered to turn and look. It was only when the horses pulled up aside did she glance up, and instantly a grin parted her lips. How exciting. Men she hadn’t met.
Vadril looked like he was about to say something to the two men, but the Bosmer was quick to shove herself in front of him. “Oh, you could certainly give me a ride, sweetie,” she said, giving the Dunmer a wink, her hands on her hips.
To anyone who knew her Kaeshira’s reaction had been predictable, but his expression still wore a frown of disapproval as the Bosmer so boldly took over the situation. When she exchanged pleasantries, he quickly took in the sturdily built cart, the few crates in the back and the thick burlap canvas that was partially spread over their cargo, before returning his attention to the mer that had spoken. The Dunmer had a light, youthful tone to his voice and the smile on his face seemed genuine. He looked… harmless enough.
His eyes drifted to the Dunmer’s silent companion, wrapped in furs that only left his eyes visible and wearing what looked like an exotic helmet. Despite his slightly slouching posture he saw he was of remarkable height and his shoulders could easily rival any Companion of Whiterun in width. His eyebrows knit together. A bodyguard?
He returned to look at the Dunmer who clearly was the one who did the talking. “Winterhold is our destination,” he said curtly.
To Winterhold
Kaeshira didn’t exactly enjoy the thought of heading north. The snow and the cold were some of her least favorite things, and as much as she detesting lying about the College, being with Vadril made it somewhat… Tolerable. Besides, it was sometimes interesting to hear what the mages had to say— Even if they all seemed to hate her.
Balancing on the trunk of a fallen tree, she glanced back at her companion and chuckled. He seemed a bit more quiet than usual today. She assumed he was still reeling from their little ‘moment’ that happened days before. There was no sense asking or pressing the matter. Let him think, she told herself, trying her best to keep her mouth shut while they walked.
Of course, that didn’t last very long.
“Vaddy,” she piped up, watching the rabbit she had been following scurry off into the bush, “did you have any pets in Morrowind? Were there animals? Were they cute?”
Vaddy. She insisted on calling him that, no matter what he said or did. Chastising her on it at this point would have been pointless. She had been silent for an unnaturally long while.
“Not really,” he said a bit absent-mindedly, indulging her inclination to small-talk and following her gaze to the foliage where the little animal had disappeared into. “I never spent too much time in the wild. Even the horses shipped from the mainland had a tendency to die after a week on Vvardenfell. The island has a very unique, self-sufficient ecosystem that thrives by attempting to eliminate any invading organisms.” He paused. “Had,” he then corrected himself.
To Winterhold
The weather had been favorable, and when Vadril and Kaeshira left Riften that day, the bright sunshine made the slight northern chill in the air barely noticeable. For now Vadril had his heavy cloak stowed away in his pack, knowing it would be needed once they reached Windhelm.
The past few days had been… mentally very draining for him. But, for whatever reason, the Bosmer’s presence felt almost reassuring to him, at times trailing behind him or skipping ahead with a carefree bounce to her gait, or sometimes darting off after a - a squirrel or whatever she found fascinating at the moment. She would have little interest in the business of the mages at the College, but she had wanted to come anyway.
Somehow, it gave him a vague sense of normality.
