-I don't think such a violent move was necessary captain, now she is going to get all the wrong ideas from us... -
-Quiet Ricard! Something that was supposed to be extinct just appeared from nowhere, killed half of our troops, burned down the fort, feasted on our companions, and I have reason to believe this girl is directly involved. So no, right now I don't care about first impressions! -
This is bad, if he is this worried about this girl maybe we should have stayed more vigilant, what in oblivion is going on?
-Right now we can't risk a trip to one of our hideouts in the major holds, we should ride to my property in Falkreath, from their we go our separate ways, lay low for a few days, gather as much information as we can and regroup in the Sanctuary.- said the captain.
-Why don't we just kill her and be done with it?- asked Julia
-Just because the captain thinks she is involved with what happened at Helgen does not mean she played a major part, and it is even less likely she knew about the dragon.- answered Brennan.
-I still think she is more trouble than she appears to be, we may not be as attuned as the captain or Ganlon, but I know you feel this as well, this girl's essence is not natural.- said Julia
-Yes, not natural, precisely, elementary, No! Brilliant deduction! Quiet you, don't shout, they could be listening! Well, they damm well better be listening, if we keep our deductions to our selves they will think we are mad! Mad!- shouted Ganlon, not quite to us, but in our general direction.
-Anyways, we should get moving, I spotted the dragon flying away a few minutes ago, but I have no desire to stay here in case he returns.- Ralthos said, opening his mouth for the first time since the captain left the girl unconscious.
-Right- I said- Shall we move then captain?-
-Yes, while you were arguing I scouted the path ahead, there are a few wolves down the road, but they will move as soon as the cart starts moving- said the captain as he signaled our cart to move
Sophia was exceptionally quiet, she seemed shocked, I don't blame her though, most nords are brought up fearing dragons from their bedtime stories, and even if hers was not a typical nordic childhood, I’m sure she read all about the winged beasts, and what they did to her distant kin. Silence loomed above our cart for a while longer, until slowly it was broken and some chatter began. Ralthos and Deestan started to argue about what bowstrings were best, and what arrowhead was more lethal and at the same time aerodynamic, overhearing the conversation I gathered that Ralthos preferred frostbite spider silk bowstring, paired with an elven style moonstone arrowhead, while Deestan defended the greater durability of horsehair string, along with the stopping power and wounding properties of a large dwarven arrow.
Sophia started to cheer up after a while, and began a conversation with Ganlon trying to convince him to teach her how to make potions to fortify her strength, and maybe a special oil for her sword to increase the power of it's energy slashes. Meanwhile Brennan approached the captain and brought up a topic about an interesting tome he read that talked about the advantages of defensive techniques in a battle, to which the captain explained:
-Different from most Imperial soldiers, I just don't see the appeal of plated armor and a heavy shield, the way I see it, if you don't want to get hit, simply move out of the way. And if that movement is followed by swift yet balanced steps, one can find oneself at a vantage point, with the enemy facing the opposite direction and a perfectly presented opportunity for a finishing move, of course this works much better if you time your movement along with your enemy's charge, moving him into a position where he will be vulnerable and unbalanced.-
-Easy for you to say, but it depends more on the type of weapon you’re using than anything else. For example, your falchion is thick and extremely sharp, aided by it's exceptional weight. So in the hands of a seasoned swordsman like yourself, you can locate the openings and crevices of a heavy plated suit and open them up, and because it is made of such a fine and expensive material such as ebony, your sword tears through mail and plate with some ease. My style is very different from yours as you know, I like to drag the fight on for quite a while, bleeding my opponents with my scimitar and making them feel tired, after some time they simply fall to the ground. You do see how a more defensive style would be beneficial for me don't you?-Brennan replied.
-But you still have to move a lot, and standing like a tower with heavy armor and a big shield does not fit a scimitar user, even if you do bleed your opponent you still have to do something similar to my strategies, but instead of tripping your opponent into a unbalanced stance then going for the neck with one strike after when they try to turn, you pass your blade on one of the armor's weak spots while you turn, effectively putting you in a good position, drawing blood, and no need for turtling after it, especially if you manage to cut a tendon- said the captain.
-Well you’re probably right, but the fact is, my weapons aren't equal in quality to yours, and cutting chainmail with steel isn't as easy as with ebony.- said Brennan.
-True, but fixing this is simple, get better quality scimitars!-
They continued to argue for a while, Brennan saying that this was his master's scimitars so it had sentimental value, and the captain going on to say that all the feelings in the world would not sharpen your swords edge or improve its durability, only an experienced smith and quality materials would. Seeing as everyone was a bit more relaxed I started a conversation with Julia since she was the only person in the cart that still seemed worried.
-So, you’ve been quiet, quieter than usual even- I said.
-I have been thinking, which do you think is a better physical attack spell? I was wondering between ice and lighting, you see, with ice I can form a spike in my hand, and strike while expanding the spike to cause more devastation on flesh. But if I was to imbue my arm with lighting, not only I could have a more perforating blow that could make a hole in a quality armor, but also have a faster strike, aided by the lighting's speed, that would send shock through the target's body, causing burns and muscle spasms. And before you ask, no, I don't think fire has a good effect for a touch spell, the only thing it does is burn, with no special properties that could be useful up close without melting your own face away with a possible explosive blast.- answered Julia, avoiding my statement.
-Well I can certainly see how ice would have its advantages, but it seems to work better on a slow target that is absent of armor, I would certainly fear the lighting more, as a hit like that, especially from a skilled caster like you, has the chance of going through my armor like if it was paper, and while the freeze effect of the ice could be useful, I see the shock as a more direct hit, and the ice as a good way of preparing for the shock. And now that I have answered your question tell me, what is bothering you?- I replied.
-I’m just worried ok! I’ve been working with the captain for far too long to know that he gets himself in dangerous situations far too often, and I’m sure this girl will bring trouble, one way or another!- she said.
-You would do anything for our captain wouldn't you?- I asked
-He would do the same for us...-
-Than don't worry, I for one have complete faith in the captain, and if it means saving any of you, I would go through anything, so please, as I have in you and in our family, have faith in the captain's decision-
She nodded silently and began to look away into the cold lake. As we closed in on the captain's property I began to notice the girl on Sophia's lap to turn in her sleep, either she was waking up or she was having nightmares. Sophia did not take any chances though, she quickly tried to soothe the girl, while asking Ganlon for more of the sleep substance. After sedating her we arrived and began unloading the cart. It was a big plot of land, it extended from the hillside down to the lake, and in the middle of it sat a large mansion, given to the captain after the jarl of Falkreath recognized him as a thane of the hold. Inside it was a house to envy some of the solitude nobles, it had a large entry hall, decorated with all sorts of furniture, mounted heads, weapon plaques and even a small fire pit in the middle. Moving into the main hall there was a large dining table, with a cooking spit by its side and a container with the ingredients, not the meat though, that he kept in the basement, along with other ingredients he needed to keep fresh. They were kept with frost salts and grinded ice wraith teeth, a technique he learned with a vendor in Riften. The captain went upstairs, to put his stuff in his bedroom, and check his books for something written on the winged beasts.
Sophia walked up to the guest bedroom to lay the poor girl to have a restful sleep, while Ganlon moved to the greenhouse to check on his mushrooms. Ralthos and Deestan immediately past through me and started to eat and drink the captain's stock, and as I moved into the armory to sharpen my weapons and fall asleep in a chair there I say Julia going up to join him in his bedroom. While sharpening my sword the exercise was warming my hands, and when I felt too tired to continue I got up and sat in a chair, drifting into sleep.
The next morning I woke up after a night without dreams, Ganlon did not sleep as always, and the captain was having his breakfast, his hair was not tied in his usual form, that was the first time he took his hood of since Helgen, with his long grayish hair and well kept short beard, and he was already drinking a glass of wine with a loaf of bread in the side. In the floor were Deestan and Ralthos both passed out in different corners of the room, and I could hear Sophia and Julia upstairs, taking care to keep the girl sedated.
-You will stay here and gather what information you can about this situation, I will leave you with Ralthos and Ganlon to research about the dragon and gather information about the civil war.-said the captain without looking at me.
-Sure, but what will you do now?- I asked.
-I will leave shortly to the sanctuary, from there I will dispatch Julia and Sophia to the holds to gather additional information on the jarls and their positions.- he answered.
From there I made my way into his library and began to separate the tomes on dragons, ancient nordic folklore and history. After a while I was joined by Ralthos, who brought an additional pile of documents that he said were useful to our research. I then heard the front door open and saw the rest of the group pass us by as they carried on to the sanctuary.
-Sigh, this is going to be a long night...
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