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Open The Wildstalkers

Amy was explaining her coming to be a werewolf when she suddenly stopped. Raz'gul could sense the hesitation in her voice as she quickly changed the subject. "Did you work something out with the stable guy?" Raz'gul decided to let it go i mean she didn't know what haunted him, and so he didn't need to know what was bothering her. "I procured us eight horses, the extra is for packing gear and supplies." He look to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I hope we can be friends." Raz'gul smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "I'll watch your back. Lets get back to the others." He and Amy walked back to the inn. The Orc wasn't sure what it was about this woman that made him change his attitude towards her, but something about her put him at ease and he was certainly glad to have her and Daryl along to help with some of the heavy lifting.
 
Luckily, Raz'gul hadn't presses her for more info. He went along with her question, saying they had eight horses. He then placed his hand on her shoulder. "I hope we can be friends." He smiled out of the corner of his mouth. It was rather goofy looking, with his big teeth and all. "I'll watch your back. Lets get back to the others." "Sounds like a plan," she said, smiling back at him. He was being very friendly now- perhaps he was looking at her human side rather than her beast one now. But Amy didn't care. She hadn't had many friends before, and a strong orcish one seemed like an especially helpful one. If the lizard didn't trust her, at least someone did.
 
As he and Amy returned to the Inn, Raz'gul looked for Beth hoping to inform her and Okan-Ru that the horses were ready. Also that they should get going quickly, after a quick scan he didn't readily see her. He looked to Amy "Interest you in a drink?" Without waiting for her response he sat at the bar and ordered several bottles of wine. He laughed looking at the bottles, he probably looked like a common drunk but he just wanted to be prepared for the trip.
 
Amy sat down next to Raz'gul. she hadn't seen the others at a first glance either. It was getting late; maybe they had gone to bed. she wrapped her fingers around a bottle and pulled it towards her. "Is this what you do when you can't sleep? Drink?" she asked. She did not want it to sound like she was judging him, but her tone was rather blunt. She took a sip of the wine as she waited for his answer.
 
Amy sat down next to Raz'gul and took one of the bottles of wine. "Is this what you do when you can't sleep? Drink?" she asked. Raz'gul took a big gulp of his wine, looked to her and said, "Honestly I usually work metal when I can't sleep." he stared at the bottle of wine. "This is what I do when I start to remember...." He stopped mid sentence, looked to Amy and just shook his head. "So how do you feel about us non-humans? Be honest, I've done work in Windhelm, heard it all. Doesn't help being a monster." He sipped from the bottle of wine, while he did so he took a scan of the room, probably out of habit.
 
"Honestly I usually work metal when I can't sleep." Raz'gul stared at the bottle of wine. "This is what I do when I start to remember...." He stopped mid sentence, looked to Amy and just shook his head. I'm not the only one with a troubled mind Amy thought.
"So how do you feel about us non-humans? Be honest, I've done work in Windhelm, heard it all. Doesn't help being a monster." "Really? They even gave crap to an Orc? I didn't think they were that stupid. Anyway, I like to think I'm not racist. I hate everyone equally," she smiled. "Well, except the Thalmor. I have a special hate for them. But who doesn't?" She copied his scan of the room, then took another drink. "But like I said, anyone who thinks Orcs are stupid because they're green or whatever better be ready for a beating. From what I understand, they don't mess around. And you know, Nords and Orcs aren't all that different. We both honor warriors, and the toughest one gets to be in charge." Amy was beginning to feel the buzz of her drink, between the one Okan-Ru had bought her earlier and now the half-bottle she had downed already. "So have you ever been to this tower we're setting off to see? Or maybe High Rock at all?"
 
"Really? They even gave crap to an Orc? I didn't think they were that stupid. Anyway, I like to think I'm not racist. I hate everyone equally," she smiled. "Well, except the Thalmor. I have a special hate for them. But who doesn't?" She copied his scan of the room, then took another drink. "But like I said, anyone who thinks Orcs are stupid because they're green or whatever better be ready for a beating. From what I understand, they don't mess around. And you know, Nords and Orcs aren't all that different. We both honor warriors, and the toughest one gets to be in charge." Raz'gul nodded. "Well I've pounded my fair share of men, for the most part I'm scary enough to be left alone." The Orc laughed slightly, "But get enough drink in people and I shrink, then in Windhelm they just think there are enough of them" clearly remembering a story. "So have you ever been to this tower we're setting off to see? Or maybe High Rock at all?"

Raz'gul sipped on his wine looking around for Beth and the others. "I've never left Skyrim, but I've been to damn near every corner. In a lot of ways this is as much my home as you Nords. Damned Ulfric." He grimaced and looked to Amy hoping he didn't offend her. "How about yourself?"
 
Raz'gul sipped on his wine looking around for Beth and the others. "I've never left Skyrim, but I've been to damn near every corner. In a lot of ways this is as much my home as you Nords. Damned Ulfric." He grimaced and looked to Amy hoping he didn't offend her. She just took another sip of her drink. "How about yourself?"
"Never left Skyrim either. I've seen my fair share of it though. I was a mercenary for a couple years before I joined the Companions. The group of kids I hung out with as a teenager liked to go out on little ventures and cause trouble, too, but we never went any farther than Whiterun or Falkreath." Amy would have taken another sip, but her bottle was empty. Amy changed to a more serious tone with her next question. "Do you think those whelps, especially the Imperial, will be able to take life on the road for that long? She cried when Okan-Ru took out those bandits, and I don't think the elf's even been outside the city before. I mean, every day this world just gets weirder and weirder, between the dragons and all."
 
"Never left Skyrim either. I've seen my fair share of it though. I was a mercenary for a couple years before I joined the Companions. The group of kids I hung out with as a teenager liked to go out on little ventures and cause trouble, too, but we never went any farther than Whiterun or Falkreath." She looked to her empty bottle of wine for a moment. Amy changed to a more serious tone with her next question. "Do you think those whelps, especially the Imperial, will be able to take life on the road for that long? She cried when Okan-Ru took out those bandits, and I don't think the elf's even been outside the city before. I mean, every day this world just gets weirder and weirder, between the dragons and all."

Raz'gul thought for a moment, clearly trying to choose his words carefully. "Honestly I don't know, there is no doubt they will be useful," He stopped to sip his wine. "but they need to tend the camp when we are going into trouble." Raz'gul looked straight ahead as he spoke his next words, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't so calloused to cleaving a man in two. But this is the life we live ya?" He popped the top and slid another bottle to Amy. "That Elf seems to really take to you, maybe she will surprise us all." Changing the subject but in no less a serious tone. "Whats the story of your tattoos?"
 
Daryl went up to his room, leaving Elizabeth down at the table she sat at before he left. The Orc had gone out, Amy following. Elizabeth was talking with someone else, everyone he was okay talking with was busy. He sat in his room, and realized he didn't have anything to drink. He stumbled over to the drawers, opened them up, mead. He had stashed them when he arrived, not hiding them, just put them there and forgot about them. There was 3, and he drank one and left the rest. He had had far too many drinks, but Daryl could handle his liquor. Walking slowly and barely managing to stand up he made it down the stairs, and saw Amy and Raz'gul drinking together. Daryl didn't want to join them, he couldn't have anymore to drink or he'd fall over. He ordered a few more though, some ale to switch it up a bit. After the amount he has had it all taste the same, after ordering three ales he gave a nod to the pair and proceeded to unsteadily walk up the stairs. He sat on the bed, placing the ales down in a triangle shape beside the bed. He couldn't sleep, so he just sat up. Elizabeth still wasn't back, he wanted to give her money to rent her own room. She likely had her own, but he wasn't sure. He began thinking about the trip about to take place, traveling across to high rock with a bunch of people he hardly knew. "what have you gotten yourself into." Daryl said to himself. Okan-Ru seemed like a good person, and he believed he got on with Amy and Raz'gul reasonably well. He found it funny he seemed to get along with the werewolves especially, he had been accused of being a werewolf once. He of course wasn't, he didn't need to be. He thought a little more, and came to realization. Elizabeth had paired off with someone else, and Raz'gul and Amy had also paired up. He wasn't necessarily outcasted, he just didn't think he could choose to befriend both parties. He didn't care a whole heap, but drinking made him think too much.


-
"Let me go!" the little boy cried out, his captors only tightened their grip. "Look at him, pathetic Imperial." A 16 year old Nord said. "Aw he wants his mummy!" another teenage Nord said. There were three of them, and one of them had the poor imperial boy pinned against the wall. The one pinning the boy to the wall began punching him in the chest and face, the boy was helpless as he was only 7. One of the others got the child into a headlock and began punching him, they threw him to the ground and stomped on him repeatedly. "I'm going to die." the boy thought. Suddenly, the boys cried out in surprise. Another teenager, slightly older than them, appeared from behind and pulled the captors off of the boy. He beat the teenagers down aggressively, and helped the boy to his feet. "You okay Daryl?" Merle said. "Ye-yes." a little Daryl squeaked. "They said they wanted to play with me." Merle sighed, "Daryl, you can't trust anybody. Hell I'm the only man you could ever count on." he said, leading Daryl back home. "Yeah I know...." the boy said.
-
Daryl tensed up, remembering several memories of his brother saving his ass. More recently it was Daryl saving Merle, but the last time Daryl just left him there. It didn't occur to him that he thought about it too much, it was his brother after all. He couldn't blame Elizabeth, she was just an innocent girl caught up in the mess. He could blame the thalmor but was it really their fault? The Thalmor didn't have a loyalty to Merle, they weren't the ones who left him with the enemy. They are the enemy, and Daryl abandoned his brother with them. He headed back downstairs, and as he walked over to the bar the innkeeper told him his room had damage done to it. "Hey, you, crossbreed." the man said, "Hell you call me?" Daryl snapped. "Well you ain't imperial and ya ain't Nord, so you're a crossbreed. I've met people who have had mixed heritage but-" The man was saying, but Daryl but in "Just get on with it." "I was in your room earlier and the drawers and door was damaged, you'll be paying for that." The man said, Daryl didn't look phased. "So you snoop in ya customers rooms?" Daryl said, growing agitated. "You're pathetic, ya come here and think you can break our stuff, ya come here thinking you own the place." The man was in his position to argue, Daryl had broken the drawers and spent some time hitting the door. Daryl knew the man was right, which only made him more angry. Daryl felt himself gripping his dagger, and felt the eyes of his companions on him. He slowly lifted his hand off and just gripped a fist, his knuckles going white. Daryl got ready to bash this man, demolish him, when he heard a familiar voice call his name.
 
Raz'gul popped the top and slid another bottle to Amy. "That Elf seems to really take to you, maybe she will surprise us all." Changing the subject but in no less a serious tone. "Whats the story of your tattoos?"
Amy thought for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond, and decided to just say the plain truth. "That group of trouble makers I mentioned earlier. A Khajiit was passing through town, said he could change the way you looked. Could give tattoos too. Between the skooma one of us grew and the alcohol we stole from our parents we decided we should see what he could do. I don't really remember why I chose this one specifically, but that's what happened. I still can't say I regret them though," she said, taking a sip of the bottle Raz'gul had slid to her.

"Hey, you, crossbreed." Amy heard the barkeeper say. She turned her head to see Daryl sitting a little ways away . "Hell you call me?" Daryl snapped. "Well you ain't imperial and ya ain't Nord, so you're a crossbreed. I've met people who have had mixed heritage but-" The man was saying, but Daryl but in "Just get on with it." "I was in your room earlier and the drawers and door was damaged, you'll be paying for that." The man said, Daryl didn't look phased. "So you snoop in ya customers rooms?" Daryl said, growing agitated. "You're pathetic, ya come here and think you can break our stuff, ya come here thinking you own the place." Amy hadn't seen Daryl sit down, but the alcohol may have helped with that. it sounded like Daryl was having some issues. He now seemed very angry. He slowly lifted his hand and just gripped a fist, his knuckles going white. Daryl got ready to bash this man, demolish him, when he heard a familiar voice call his name.
"Daryl!" Amy yelled, not entirely sure why. She walked over to where he was. She could smell the alcohol in his breath, and she was drunk. "Maybe you shouldn't be getting into a fight right now. You're really drunk, and it makes you look bad," she muttered to him. "I'm not saying he's right, but now's not the time."
 
Okan-Ru was stunned by Amy's reply. From what he could deduce from it, she was a savage. Not that he cared too much, it wasn't like he was clean himself, especially after the... display, at the camp earlier. As he looked down at the dried blood on his dagger, he felt the guilt of making Elizabeth cry surfacing again. Everyone was in and out for the rest of the evening. Raz'Gul left again, followed by Amy. It was becoming a theory of Okan-Ru's that Raz'Gul did not like to stay in one place for too long. He was beginning to create a lot of theories about the members of the group. For one, Raz'Gul and Amy definitely seemed to click. They just seemed to get each other, understand each other's problems. It didn't surprise him at all, those of the same blood were bound to know each other's pains.

It was a fairly relaxed evening. He rented a room for another night, well aware that they would be leaving the next day. He reached deep into his bag and found polish, and spent a good hour and a half making sure all of his gear was clean, shiny, and most of all blood free. It hadn't really hit him that he was going on an adventure, but as he finished polishing the tip of his spear, making sure not a single red speck remained, everything hit him at once. It felt like he had just run face first into a brick wall. First excitement, and joy. He was thrilled to be setting off on such a fantastic adventure, especially with such a fantastic group of people. He really was beginning to take a shine to all of them, and he couldn't wait to get on the road with them. Then it came to him. Nerves. What if they ended up hating each other? What if morning came and everyone just decided they weren't gonna do it and they were all going to go their separate ways? The adventure would be over before it even begun, and that would... he couldn't even begin to predict just how much that would upset him. He was nervous already, but he knew that as soon as they were on their way they would stick together. He finally decided, once he was finished, he would need another drink to calm his newly found nerves.

He sat at the bar with his bottle and buried his head in his hands. He didn't sweat normally, but his scales were moist and warm. He couldn't tell if it was the sweltering heat of the inn's fire, or his nerves. Elizabeth was at the table, he didn't know if she had left or if she had just sat there the whole time. Beth was there too. He looked up when the door opened, and saw Raz'Gul and Amy stride in. They scanned the room, as if they were looking for something or someone, but seemed to miss them completely. They seemed very distracted. They sat and drank, chatting and chuckling, scanning the room, once, then twice. And then again. And every time they missed them. There was definitely something causing them to be unfocused, and Okan-Ru began to worry that they had decided not to come along, and had made no deal with the stables to secure them horses. He went to stand, when Daryl came stalking down the wooden steps, and was immediately approached, rather aggressively, by the innkeeper. Okan-Ru made sure his dagger was in its place by his side, and got ready to step in if things got heated between Daryl and the innkeeper. As confident as he was that Daryl would smash the man, he really didn't want him in jail.

"Hey, you, crossbreed!" The innkeeper really wan't helping himself by angering Daryl, if things got heated the scrawny man didn't stand a chance. "Hell you call me?" Daryl's response was aggressive, and he could tell he was becoming impatient and frustrated with the man already. "Well you ain't imperial and ya ain't Nord, so you're a crossbreed. I've met people who have had mixed heritage but-" His smug comment was cut off halfway before it reached his interesting story. "Just get on with it." From what he could decipher from the hurled insults, Daryl had completely wrecked his room. Daryl's hand went to her dagger, and Okan-Ru took a large step forward. Daryl's hand moved from his dagger to his sides, clenching into a fist, and his knuckles began to turn white. Okan-Ru began to stride forward, ready to intervene and hold Daryl back if it came to it.

Amy beat him to it, and he was moving in when she spoke to him. "Maybe you shouldn't be getting into a fight right now. You're really drunk, and it makes you look bad," she muttered to him. "I'm not saying he's right, but now's not the time." He followed in, placing a hand on Daryl's chest and leaning in to whisper. "Look, Daryl, we could do without you being in prison when we set off tomorrow. I'll pay for it. Just stay calm." He turned to Amy. "Grab Raz'Gul and take him and Daryl to the table over there with Beth and Elizabeth." Next it was the innkeeper. He held out a bloated coin purse, and let it drop into the man's hand. "That should cover the damages, and a round of drinks for my friends over there." The innkeeper reluctantly agreed, and soon they were all sat at the same table once again. Okan-Ru did not want to be the one to spark the conversation, and he definitely didn't want to lecture Daryl. So he sat, quietly, sipping his near empty bottle as he waited for the innkeeper to bring the round over.
 
Raz'gul was about to explain his tattoo to make her feel more comfortable. He was, thankfully for him, interrupted by the sound of Daryl and the innkeeper getting into it. The Orc laughed in his head thinking. That inn keeper is in for a beating. The Orc not one to pass up a fight and feeling some small kinship with Daryl prepared to get up and come to his aid. But Amy was up and yelling. "Daryl!" She clearly had a calming affect on the man. "Maybe you shouldn't be getting into a fight right now. You're really drunk, and it makes you look bad," she muttered to him. "I'm not saying he's right, but now's not the time." She talked him down.

Raz'gul decided to go sit with Okan-Ru whom he just noticed was sitting at a table. "Ready to go soon my friend?"
 
"Look, Daryl, we could do without you being in prison when we set off tomorrow. I'll pay for it. Just stay calm." He turned to Amy. "Grab Raz'Gul and take him and Daryl to the table over there with Beth and Elizabeth," Okan-Ru told her. She grabbed Daryl's arm and walked back to where she and Raz'gul had been sitting. She invited him to join them, but he went and sat with Okan-Ru instead. Amy shrugged it off and led Daryl to where the girls were sitting.
"Hello, ladies," Amy said as they sat down. "Did I miss anything interesting while we were gone?"
 
Raz'Gul approached Okan-Ru, and sat next to him as he waited for the drinks. "Ready to go soon my friend?" Okan-Ru was glad to know that there was another just as eager for the adventure. "Yes. That is, given that everyone else is ready. I trust you secured horses for the journey?" He had full faith in the Orc, and knew he would have done what he said he was going to do. The innkeeper walked over with the drinks and placed them in front of him. Okan-Ru nodded his appreciation, and scooped up the drinks. "C'mon, let's go join the others," he said to Raz'Gul. He walked over and placed the drinks on the table, and then sat down to join the conversation.
 
Beth managed to talk to Elizabeth for quite a while, before Daryl got himself into a sticky situation with the barkeep, and the whole group ended up sat round their table. She decided that they had delayed for too long; they needed to go now, if at all.
"Right then, are we heading off? I want to see this Direnni Tower."
 
Beth took charge of the group, and finally said what Raz'gul had been waiting for. "Right then, are we heading off? I want to see this Direnni Tower." He went ahead and said, "I have eight horses ready to go at the stables, the supply horse has been packed, as has mine. Once everyone gets their things we can be off." he stood for a moment and said. "Lets get this going we have a decent journey ahead of us."
 
Beth had suggested they leave now, and Raz'gul finally had his chance to tell everyone about the horses. "Sounds good to me. I say we grab our things and meet over by the horses," Amy said. If this barkeep didn't like 'crossbreeds,' Daryl wasn't the only one who might be having a problem. From what she could tell, Elizabeth and Beth were both of mixed heritage too, and Amy was really only three-fourths Nord.
 
Okan-Ru sat and waited at the table, when Beth said "Right then, are we heading off? I want to see this Direnni Tower." Before Okan-Ru could answer, Raz'Gul stepped forward and said "I have eight horses, ready to go at the stables, the supply horse has been packed, as has mine. Once everyone gets their things we can be off." Okan-Ru went to speak, but this time Amy beat him to it. "Sounds good to me. I say we grab our things and meet over by the horses," she said. Now Okan-Ru finally got the opportunity to speak. "I agree. We should get going as soon as possible. I'm going to go and grab my things, sell what I don't need and but some other supplies." He went to his room, grabbed his gear from his chest and walked out. He glanced at the table, unsure of if everyone was still at the table.

The air was cold as always. There wasn't a lot of choice in regard to shops, so Okan-Ru decided the general store was his best bet. He sold his set of spare clothes, and brought some cheaper ones. He stocked up on food, lots of it, and water. You never knew when you were gonna need it. He wasn't sure what the others had, so he brought four tents, two fishing rods, plenty of bait and spare hooks, and other things that might come in handy, such as medicinal herbs and some sleeping mats. He bought some cheap chairs that could be disassembled for travel, too. The last item on the list was a cooking pot.

Now that he had everything he needed, Okan-Ru headed for the horses. No-one else was there yet, so he claimed a large black one that looked strong and rugged. He loaded it with gear, sacks full of food on one side, a sack with his armor, clothes and weapons on the other, and then all of the additional gear wherever it fitted. Once he finished, the others started arriving one by one. He watched as they loaded a horse and then mounted it. He was eager to set off as soon as possible.
 
Beth rushed back to her room at the College, picked up everything she needed, and ran back. She left things like random sets of clothes, and food that had been rotting for the past few weeks. When she reached the horses that Raz'gul spoke about, she saw Okan-Ru already there, atop a large black horse. She grinned at him, then climbed onto a reddish-brown horse that was just a little bit smaller than Okan-Ru's. She felt she had to name it, and threw some names around in her head. She finally chose one:

"Flare." Beth took the horse for a ride around the town and found that the name suited the horse; apart from its fiery colour, it took off from a standing start unbelievably quickly, as if propelled by an explosion. Its eyes were bright yellow, and seemed to glow in the shadow of the burnt-out houses. She took the horse back, making sure to stay on it; this horse was hers.
 
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