Open When in Skyrim, Do As The...?

[CapObvious]

Rumare nodded to Myra and sat on his bed roll. For a time, while Rathalos and Myra slept, he had a staring match with the prisoner. He wouldn't tell Myra why he really let him live. Why he didn't let Myra roast him out on the trail. The paralyze spell started wearing off, and Rumare waited for the Mer to scream for help. But no calls came. He just watched Rumare with intensity. "Carenen. Why?" Rumare looked away and spoke softly. "Why I ran away or why you're still breathing?" The Mer didn't speak, but Rumare knew what he wanted to know. "What we did back there was wrong, Armion. Whether you believe it or not, those people didn't need to die."

Armion didn't speak. Armion didn't just talk out of turn. That wasn't who he was. He always thought before speaking. Rumare would have been better friends with him if it weren't for the one splitting difference between them. "Just because you are too squeamish to take the lives necessary to keep us above the rabble, doesn't mean-" "IT'S STILL WRONG. Even if you are too blind to see it." Armion scoffed and looked away, like he had before Rumare fled, and after a moment, smiled. "You haven't changed a bit, Carenen." Rumare chuckled softly. "I haven't changed?" Armion laughed a little, but stopped due to the constriction on his chest. Rumare sighed and felt a sorrow harsher than even the skyrim weather. Armion read it on his face. "You have to kill me, don't you?" He guessed, looking off to Myra. Rumare nodded. "You know too much. About her and I both."

Armion looked down and sighed. "I understand. But I don't think you have it in you." Rumare looked to Armion, confusion all over his face. Armion spoke again. "You have too big of a heart." Rumare nearly lost his strength. Those were the words spoken by his father before he was sent of to join the war. It took everything in him not to break down and cry. "No, you can't do it. But I can." Rumare didn't hear him right. Rumare was about to scream but Armion cut him off. "If you let me go, I will be bound by honor and duty to tell them you are alive and well in Skyrim. No. I need to die, by my own hand." Rumare couldn't take it anymore. "No! The girl has a spell! She can wipe your mind, forget all about us!" Armion shook his head. "I am vigilant, Carenen. I will be sent back out and I will find you again. I know you Carenen." Rumare looked away and thought for a moment. "Untie me, Carenen, and I will take care of everything." Rumare kept thinking. He wouldn't let Armion kill himself. He wanted to wake Myra or Rath up so they could do it. Rumare began hyperventilating. Armion called for him. "Carenen!" Rumare leapt to his feet and cast his blade. "I won't let you do this to yourself. I'll do it." Armion didn't argue. He just said one thing. "Make it quick, my friend." Rumare exhaled. This wasn't death without cause. He knew what the Thalmor would do to Armion if he failed. Without thinking, he raised his blade and spoke, stifling any tears. "Goodbye, old friend." Then, with a quick lunge with his blade, Armion was no more.

Rumare fell to his knees and wept silently. This was what he had feared. The Thalmor had taken his family and friends from him and brainwashed them into nationalistic zealots with no hearts. He saw that in Armion before he died. He saw that in himself when he killed him. The Thalmor had succeeded in turning him into a killing machine. Rumare said a silent prayer for his friend, and slumped back onto his bedroll. He lied there for what felt like ages, until he finally wept himself asleep.

 

[Patricia]

Myra saw it all. She couldn't sleep, not after what she'd heard and learned from them. She had been suspicious of Rumare since they met; he had been too secretive, even for an Altmer. But she must have dozed off after a while, because the next thing she saw was the sun coming up, and the moons going down. She rolled her bag up and put it away. She held her arms and rubbed them. It was even colder than yesterday. She fastened a wool skirt around her normal clothes. Her dress was a lot heavier now, but also much warmer. She then pulled her cloak around her shoulders, and stoked the fire. She searched the back of the wagon for something to procure breakfast from, and found some strips of bacon wrapped in paper. Since they were only a day away from their next stop, they wouldn't need to worry about preservation. She had forgotten about what had happened last night. That is, until she almost tripped over the body. But she wasn't afraid when she saw him. She was concerned Rumare hadn't closed his eyes, or dragged him away, or even buried him. She put the paper down, and knelt beside the Thalmor Justicar. As much as she felt was wrong with this man, who let himself become a convoluted, delusional monster, she couldn't leave him like that. She had hoped to wake her friends to the delightful smell of sizzling meat, but she would have to wake them in a much more morbid manner. She closed the man's eyes, and opened her locket. She pulled a piece out (She had filled it of fragments from different shrines to the Divines), and hoped it wasn't a Talos fragment. She unfolded his hand best she could, as he was frozen and Rigor Mortis had set in, and put the piece in his palm. "Rumare.", she said shaking him awake, "We should bury him."

 

[CapObvious]

Rumare didn't open his eyes. He just nodded. He could tell from Myra's voice that she wasn't surprised at Armion's death. Odds are she was awake through the ordeal. He stood from his roll and walked over to the wagon, hoping to find some sort of digging tool. After finding the closest thing to a shovel he could, he inched himself closer to Armion's body. He knelt down, not afraid to be more public with his feelings among the others, and spoke to the deceased Altmer. "Let's go, my friend." Rumare stood the body up, then slung him over his right shoulder and carried him out of camp. The body was stiff, whether it was from the cold or the embrace of death Rumare didn't know.

After getting a ways from the camp, he laid Armion down and began to dig. The tool was small, so it would be a lengthy digging, but Rumare didn't focus on the digging. He was thinking about what to do next. Should he stay with the others? He had already put them in so much danger just by tagging along. What if he wasn't able to stop them next time? What if he lost his new-found friends to these monsters? He wouldn't able to forgive himself. After digging an appropriate sized hole for his old friend, he laid the body gently inside and began to cover him up. Rumare nearly began to cry again, but he stifled his tears. He was much too old to cry like this. Armion wouldn't have approved of his weakness. He focused back on the burial, trying to worry about the task instead of who it was for. With one last scoopful, he finally buried his first friend, and worst memory. "Goodbye." He whispered and walked away from the body.

Rumare began to think on the possibility of splitting from the group. It would the others out of harm's way, now that Rumare was not only a fugitive, but a murderer. With each step he felt his resolve strengthen, and his path became clearer. He couldn't leave Rath and Myra behind. They were all he knew in this new land, and they were his only chance at survival. Rumare shook away the screams of his fear and trudged onward, back to camp. Back to his friends.

 

[Patricia]

Myra cooked the bacon in a skillet over the fire, and handed a third to Rumare. She didn't want to wake Rath; a boy needs his sleep. She wrapped his share up, and sat away from the fire to eat her own. For awhile they sat in silence. "I'm sorry for your loss, you know. He was your friend. But at the same time, he wasn't the person who used to be your friend. From your reaction, your friend was gone for a long time. I... I'm sorry. That's not making you feel any better.", she stated quietly. Then she got an idea. "How about we practice while we wait for him to wake up? I'll use wards, you use spells. It'd help you blow off some steam.", she said, standing up and brushing off. She walked over to a small clear area, a few yards away from the wagon. She stood in a defensive stance, and conjured a strong ward. "And don't hold back. I may be a lady, but I'm a damned good mage as well.", she joked, peering out from behind the ward.

 

[CapObvious]

Rumare welcomed the idea. He hadn't used his more offensive spells for a while, save for his swords. But he did need to blow some steam, and Myra was trying to help. "Why not?" Rumare stretched his arms and prepared his stance, a lightning bolt in each hand. "I may be a bit rusty, however. It'd be best if we stayed away from the boy."

After taking a few steps away, he loosed his first bolt, but missed her wide on the left. Rumare grimaced, and could almost swear Myra was about to laugh at him. He loosed the other, and hit his target. After throwing a few bolts, Rumare started to put more effort into his blows, the anger strengthening his bolts. "Yah!" He bellowed with his next bolt, which he swore nearly blew Myra's ward. Rumare wanted to tone it down, but his anger was getting the better of him. Myra looked concerned, but Rumare couldn't stop. He was still steaming! Rumare charged another bolt, but held on to it. The bolt began to strengthen, and he could feel the lightning surging up his arm. He thought he could hear Myra calling his name but he couldn't just stop. This spell was overcharging, and had to be released. He couldn't hit her ward. He had no idea how much damage it would do to her. He looked to a tree far enough from the camp, and loosed the bolt upon it. "Gaahh!" He put all his effort into the bolt, and in the scream that followed. The bolt hit the tree and cracked the bark. Finally, all the built up energy drained, Rumare fell to his knees and inhaled. But before he could let himself calm, he heard a crack from where the tree was and ran for Myra immediately. "Get down!" She saw the tree and got away, just in time as the tree fell to the ground, shaking the immediate area. After making sure Myra was okay, Rumare looked to Rath, who was still sound asleep. "Gods. This kid could sleep through anything." Rumare looked to Myra, and after a moment, began to laugh.

 

[Patricia]

She felt a little better, and could see that he felt better as well. Then she remembered the Nord in Windhelm, and froze up. "Could... Could I get some Offense practice in? I want to be... prepared for whatever could come next. Maybe later, if and when Rath wakes up we could try some 'bound' practice. Using a bound weapon could reduce magicka use, and defend ourselves better close range. But for now, I'd really like to practice Destruction."

 

[Rathalos_lord_of_the_sky]

Rath stood up dead trees surrounding him. The forest was dark except for a light that shone on Rathalos.
"Hello my child."
He Immediately bowed as figure walked out from behind one of the trees. "Rise." She said in a soft sweet voice.
"Yes mi'lady? What did you call me here for." She grabbed his hand, her skin made Rath's pale skin look dark.
She gently caressed his had. "You've been faithful." Rath nodded. "I do all for the glory of you. You have made me stronger than any meat." She stepped into the light. A young woman stood before Rath. No older than he was. He hugged her. "Thank you." Rath began to sob. "The others..." She placed a finger on his lips. "I know my child. It is not your fault." He drew his sword and bowed before her. "I will do anything to avenge them."
The forest caught fire and blood rained from the sky.
She lifted his head and stared into his eyes.
"No."

Rath opened his eyes. The others were standing around a tree laughing.
He slowly got up stretching and re-equipping his armor.

 

[CapObvious]

Rumare acknowledged Rath as he got his armor back on. "Don't forget your breakfast, boy. Gonna be a while before we can stop to eat again." Rumare looked back to Myra and smiled. "Yes. I'll get my ward up and you throw everything you have at me. Don't worry about hurting me, either." Rumare cast his ward and waited for Myra's onslaught.

 

[Rathalos_lord_of_the_sky]

Rath looked out into the distant. "Maybe for you, but I believe I'll be eating soon enough."
He picked up the food Myra had set aside for him. "Bleah, bacon." He didn't want to discourage her by not eating it so he walked over to the caravan and placed it inside. "Maybe a dog will like this?"

 

[Patricia]

She concentrated, but not for long, and a small ball of fire started to grow in the palm of her hand. At first, she just threw them at his ward, calmly, like a game of catch, but soon enough she began to throw stronger and larger balls of fire. She started to feel a little... Angry. Furious is more like to say. She threw another ball of fire, larger than the others. She though about the man following them. She threw another, larger still. She though about the burial. She spun and, using both hands this time, burst forth a huge ball of fire, pushing Rumare back a little ways. She snapped out of it, and shook her head. She switched to lightening now, and made sure not to loose herself again as her hand crackled with the blue electricity. She had been told she got caught up when she used fire, a lot more than was healthy. Her old tutor told her that it was her perfect element, something he had come up with to explain over-strengthed phenomena in magic. She rarely used fire more than to build a fire, or to heat something with her hands. Lightening was more her speed. After a while, she was sweating and a bit tired, and finally stopped, about to remove her cloak. "We should go, before it gets too late and we have to camp again. We should reach Winterhold just before midnight, if we leave now. Thank you for your help.", she said taking her hand away from her cloak, and nodded to him as she walked away to pack up the remaining supplies. "Rath, it's your turn to drive."

 

[Rathalos_lord_of_the_sky]

Rath looked at the horses. "I don't think they'll like me. The prey tends to fear the predator even when it means no harm. I haven't approached them yet but I will try." He looked away as he slowly approached the horses. "It's okay guys. I'm not gonna hurt you." The horses danced in their harnesses. Rath took a step back, he was only 2 feet away from them. "I'll try. You guys might want to hold on tight." He climbed up into the seat. The horses looked very nervous. "It's alright guys."

 

[CapObvious]

Rumare grabbed his things and tossed them into the wagon. He jumped up on the left side of Rath and waited to embark. "He looked to Rath, who seemed troubled. "How are you feeling, boy?"

 

[Patricia]

Myra got on the wagon and rubbed her hands.

 

[Rathalos_lord_of_the_sky]

Rath sighed. "I've been better. Yah." The horses began to walk pulling the caravan behind it. Every few minutes the horses would turn and look at Rath with worry.

The trip was very uneventful. The clouds rolled back in as another storm approached. and a light snow was falling by the time they made it to Winterhold.

"Why..?" Rath was beginning to question Myra's sanity. He was used to the cold but this was almost unbearable even for him.

 

[Patricia]

Myra was freezing, and even though the snow was only lightly falling she was still almost blind. She walked the horses in to a stall, and nestled the wagon safely between two buildings and a wall after everyone was off, so nothing would get lost or stolen. No one needed anything other than their money, and she was dying for something to warm herself up. She walked to the Inn, and the first thing she did was ask the Innkeeper for their rooms. This time they each got their own, and they were warm, but they were simple and they had to go to a community bathchamber. Still, a bath was a bath, and she needed to warm up badly. Even though she was wrapped up in warm wool, (one of the advantages of wearing dresses), she was still almost blue. But she looked at Rath, and saw how he was shivering. "You go warm up first. I can wait. I'll get you a hot drink, alright?", she told him, clutching her cloak tighter. She went up and got some hot mead for herself. She'd get him his mead when he came back. She started wondering about him as Rumare got his drink, about why he was away from Skyrim; his home. About his past. Even though they were friends, she found herself feeling more like his mother, taking care of the boy, and making sure that he was fed and warmed. But then she realized he was alone. Where was his mother? His family? This made her uneasy. She brushed it off and took a drink.

 

[CapObvious]

Rumare took a long swig and inhaled. He turned to look around the inn and absorbed the atmosphere. This was way to nice of a place in this heap of a town. He needed to go for a walk however, and guessed checking the town out at the same time would be interesting enough. He turned to Myra and sighed as he noticed she was worried about Rath. Maybe this was a chance for some alone time. "I think I'll take a walk around the town and see the sights. Clear my head a little. You want to come or keep an eye on the boy?"

 

[Patricia]

Myra figured that everyone needed some alone time after a stressful few days. "You go on ahead. I'm going to stay here and... I don't know. Sulk?"

 

[Rathalos_lord_of_the_sky]

Rath nodded his head. He walked up to the counter and sat down. "What can I get you?" The Tall Nord behind the counter asked. "How about Rum?" The man nodded as he pulled a bottle of Rum out from under the counter. Rath dropped 10 gold on the table, the man shrugged and took the gold.

Rath sighed as he entered his room. "I'll have to feed soon." He looked at the bottle. "No." He sits it beside his bed and walked out of the Inn. Rath noticed smoke in the direction that they came from. He began walking in that direction

 

[CapObvious]

Rumare looked to Myra, about to ask what she meant, but she was right. They all needed time to themselves. Instead, he nodded and headed for the counter. "Bartender, What's special about this place?" The barman looked surprised. "Special? About this place? This town is a ghost town, traveler. But there are two places you could check out while you're here." The Barman caught Rumare's attention for sure. "What are they?" The Barman sighed as he began to speak. "Well, we have the college here, the best place for aspiring mages. If that isn't your interest, nearby is that Azura monument a ways from here. Dark Elves built it a while ago. It's quite the sight." Rumare listened to what the barkeep was saying, but saw Rath walk out of the inn alone. Rumare, trying not to be rude, smiled at the barman and nodded. "Thanks, I'll have to check those out." He walked for the door and spoke aloud. "Sorry, if you excuse me for just a moment."

 

[Rathalos_lord_of_the_sky]

Rath slips and slides on the Ice. He surveys the camp. Two men stand talking. They're both Thalmor.
Rath growls "Bloody elves." He slowly approaches the camp sword drawn. "Halt. You are interfiering with Thal-" Rath plunges his sword deep into his chest, stabbing straight through him. He falls back in a pool of blood.
The other man draws an Elven sword and tosses a weak lightning spell, striking Rath. He hisses and growls at the Thalmor. "Run." The Elf drops his sword and begins running away. Rath looks at the sky. Another storm is rolling in. "It's unlikely he'll survive the night."
He then turns to look at the other one. He slices his side, and recites a blessing over feast.