[M] Skyrim: Rise of the Stormcloaks

[Rayne7]

Muttering curses, Wraith followed the trail of the others with his cloak wrapped around him. Having asked about them back in Dragons Bridge, he had learned of their departure into the Reach with growing annoyance with the world in general, specifically the random actions of others that made it more difficult for him to do his job. It was almost like they knew he would be calling on them for assistance and decided to play a joke on him by leaving before he could finish his earlier conversation with the Stormcloak Officer.

Hearing a sound to his right, Wraith sighed. It seemed the Gods themselves seemed inclined to laugh at him and his plans, for which he hoped Sithis was at least as bemused as he was. Seeing a man step out of the shadows and into the road, Wraith slid down from his horse with a tired sigh, hands gripping the hilts of his daggers at his back.

"Stop right there! Give me your gold, and nobody gets hurt." the man said, drawing a dagger from his belt.

Wraith eyed the man, noting his armor and weapon. "Are you a member of the Thieves Guild?"

"What?" the man asked, grip tightening on the dagger. "No, I'm not."

"Good." Wraith quick-stepped forward, bringing his left arm up to deflect the man's dagger even as he slid his own into the thief's ribs, then twice more before dropping the corpse to the ground. A quick examination gave him a forty-six septims and a silver ring of night-eye. Taking these items and noting there was nothing else valuable on the man, he climbed back atop Shadowmere and continued tracking the group.

An hour later, he crested a ridge from which he could see the others in front of a small house. He debated with himself whether to approach, and how to do so for a moment. On the one hand, he needed their assistance on the morrow to stop an attempt on Elisif's life. On the other, he could just as easily approach them tomorrow morning and leave early enough to get there; the Captain wouldn't be granted an audience into the evening.

Giving a shake of his head, Wraith made for the group, deciding to speak with them before they decided to move yet again before he could do so. Besides, he would need to do some planning with these people, and he decided to start with Lucine.

[StormWolf]

Carts creaked and wobbled along the uneven cobbling of the road out of Dragon Bridge and into the Reach, following the iron-grey waters of the Karth River. Bitter winds nipped at Starkad, tugging at the tattered ends of his cloak and biting at his fingers with a cold familiar to the Sea of Ghosts. Old, long-healed breaks in his hands ached dully in protest to the weather. A half-hearted curse dripped from Starkad's dry lips, questioning just where a north wind came from beyond the northernmost point of the world.

Mara sat upon her usual perch, every few moments unsheathing her new sword to study just how the sunlight danced across its carven surface. Knowing her father's stance on control, she all but vibrated upon the bench, legs bouncing on her toes.

"I hope they are not too far behind us..." said Mara, throwing a glance over her shoulder, but she paused halfway to tuck her pink nose behind her scarf.

"You will see them before I finish dinner, I assure you," Starkad sighed, his voice tight from the fading tenderness at his side. "Just be sure you do not begin to enjoy the feel of that sword in your hand, little flower." A singular eye regarded Mara, carefully, ensuring she understood his meaning. Gaze downcast, Mara nodded somberly, and slipped the sheathed sword into her belt.

* * *

It seemed Starkad hadn't even had a chance to properly clean his wounds and re-dress by the time there was a knocking at his door. In a blur of red and gold, Mara pounced from where she sat beside the hearth and landed at the door. Throwing back the bolt, she threw the door open with a brilliant smile like a sliver of segunda. To the others, this would have been the first time seeing Mara's features unobscured. Part of her was unmistakably of her father's stock; the color of her eyes and the red-gold of her hair was that of Starkad's beard. However, her ears were longer and situated higher on her head, ended in tufts of dark and ruddy fur. To the well-traveled individual, she would easily pass as one of the ohmes-raht,

"Hello Amber!" Mara's voice was bright as could be, "Welcome to Castle Long-Fang, in all it's glory." A tiny hand moved with a flourish about the homey little cabin. It was... quaint. Obviously put together by hands unaccustomed to building, much of the furnishings in a similar lop-sided state, or otherwise well-used long before it came into Starkad's ownership. Arguably, the finest piece of the home was the altar of antlers situated above the hearth, upon which Starkad's dreaded greatsword was laid to rest. Skyforged steel of the finest quality, the blade striped from the pattern-forging, the guard and pommel plated in silver, niello inlays allowing the nordic carving to shine in the hearth-light.

At the corner of his den, the Ice Wolf watched with a poised bemusement, naked to the waist with an unsullied tunic draped around his bullish neck. A war axe hung lazily in his grip, but vanished around a door frame when familiar faces shadowed his doorstep.

"Please, make yourselves at home. Food should be ready soon, and drink is never in short supply here."

"That's a lie," Mara said, quick and keen as that new sword of hers, "Da drank so much once, I saw him breathe fire when be belched!"

[Fox Xalian]

Amber chuckled at the firebreathing comment. "Well I'm sure that was because he drank some Jehanna Firemead from High Rock" she said. It wasn't clear if she was making up the firemead or not, and her sisters didn't say anything in response to it. "That food smells wonderful, by the way" Adra said as they entered the house. They all removed their fur cloaks and hung them beside the door. "So are you ready to learn a bit about using your sword?" Lucine asked, the light from the fire causing her light brown skin to shine, but also kept half her face in shadow. "Please don't go as bad as father does, we don't have three weeks to spend on the sword not being a toy" Amber said, chuckling softly. "He only did that once and only because the idiot he was teaching was being an stupid little boy and swinging it around disregarding the others around him" Lucine replied. "Plus I'm sure her father has already given her that lecture" she added, smiling.

Lucine quickly went outside to the carriage and found a training sword to help teach Mara. "Okay first thing, the rapier is to be used differently to, say, an arming sword like this" she said, holding up the wooden practice sword. "Having a thinner blade it is better used for quick stabbing motions, and you can quickly redirect the point better then with other swords, but that is for a later lesson. First, you need to know how to stand properly" she said. She stood side-on to Mara so the girl could better see her stance. Lucine placed her right foot forward, no more then a regular length of her own step, bent her knees a bit and was on the balls of her feet with her heels barely touching the floor. The sword was in her right hand and her left hand was on her hip. "You stand like this, feet shoulder width apart, sword hand and the foot of the same side go forward. Your off-hand stays out of the way, either on your hip or behind your back to give your opponent less areas to hit" she explained. "And so you don't accidentally hit yourself" Adra added. "Adra would know all about that" Amber said, chuckling. "That was only once, dear sister. And need I remind you who nearly knocked herself out when she was learning how to fight with a staff?" Adra retorted. "Okay now let's see you try, Mara" Lucine said.

[lain]

Aura watched the others interact from the cart. Mara was certainly an interesting little girl. In fact, this little band she had ended up with seemed interesting, to say the least. She smirked and began to get up out of the cart to go inside, but she caught wind of someone nearby. With a gentle sniff of the air, she turned her head and saw one of the men from earlier. He had disappeared right after the battle with the Falmer. From what she remembered from the blur of battle, he had been quite capable.

"You follow us?" She hopped off the cart, her boots crunching in the snow. Taking a couple steps towards him, she watched him suspiciously. "Why?" she asked, eyeing him up and down. It seemed like he had already been in another fight of some sort.

Before he could answer she waved her arms as if to disregard her questions. "Inside. Better to talk inside." She figured that if he did have some kind of ulterior motive, it would be safest to outnumber him. There would be no way he could take on 5 trained people.

She turned heel and walked towards the cabin, hearing chatter as she others started to come outside again. The three women had come back outside and now were training the little girl in some kind of swordsmanship as they had promised. Wondering how the injured Nord was getting along, she walked past the girls and opened the door, finding him right on the other side of it. In fact, he was shirtless. The gash across his stomach made her wince on the inside. It didn't look pleasant at all.

"Thank you. For earlier. Very strong fighter." She smiled, a feint redness crossing her cheeks as she began to realize that he was not a scrawny Falmer. Feeling awkward, she changed the subject, "The other man followed us. Is outside. Not sure about him."

[Rayne7]

Wraith was only a short distance away when the pale elf had surprised him by approaching him. Eyeing the female, he was amused at her manner towards him even as he swung down from his horse to follow her until she went inside the cabin. Seeing the others outside, showing the Nord's daughter how to handle a weapon, he couldn't help but smile as he remembered his own lessons in swordplay. The banter of the sisters reminded him of the times prior to Astrid's folly, when Veezara, Gabriella, Arnjborn, and Festus were still alive.

Refocusing on the moment, he called out to them. "I need to speak with all of you; there's a situation you need to be aware of for tomorrow."

Motioning for them to follow, he stepped inside the little house where he found the now-flustered falmer with the Nord bare to the waist. Eyeing them momentarily before shaking his head, he caught the Nord's eye. "My apologies for intruding. But I've just acquired some information that is disturbing to say the least, and I will require aid in dealing with a situation in Solitude tomorrow. It concerns the life of Jarl Elisif."

[StormWolf]

Shifting her feet furtively in the loose soil, Mara kept looking back to Amber's positioning. It was odd, not the Nord way of fighting that her father used, nor what she saw sell-swords, free-lancers, or merchant guards use. Before today, Mara had never seen a real fight. She'd never seen her father swing naked steel against anything other than game or the iron oaks of the Reach. While it was not the posture she was accustomed to seeing, it felt natural to the girl. Mara found balance second handed as she poised on the balls of her feet, hand at the small of her back. Rocking to and fro on her legs, slightly bent, she looked to Amber for recognition, as any student would a tutor.

Just inside the hut, Starkad had poured himself a mug of stout Riften ale, black and bitter, but better suited in chasing off the fingers of cold that would make a healing wound ache. Weather-warped floor boards creaked as the pale elf woman entered, the Nord's maned head tilting as a wolf when it hears the scampering elk. He could feel her eyes on him, and he turned in time enough to see the pinkish flush blossom on her cheeks.

"Think nothing of it. I wasn't fighting for you," said Starkad in a somber sardonic tone, emptying his iron-banded tankard with a loud gulp. No sooner than she had there was further company, another familiar face from the incident at Dragon Bridge showed himself. Starkad's brow quirked at the man's darting gaze, and grunted. This was Starkad's home. He could dress how he liked! It was not his fault company shadowed his doorstep when he was halfway through getting changed.

"If I understand Jarl Elisif's character, she is always sure there is some plot against her." Starkad grunted as he shrugged into a fresh tunic. "I did not fight for her in the war. On the contrary, I think she'd have my head for helping Ulfric pry the crown from her dainty brow," Starkad's tone was a low growl as he poured himself another mug-full.

"Gone are my days of fighting for honor's sake. Honor doesn't patch my roof or feed my child. What can the Jarl do for me? Better yet, for her?" He jerked his chin to Mara as she danced the sword with the Amber, taking direction from Lucine and Adra as well. "If the Jarl expects me to go back to what the songs say I was, solely on a whim of fancy, she is a stupid as she is pretty."

[Fox Xalian]

Lucine, having become pleased with Mara getting the hang of stances, had walked back into the cabin, leaving Adra and Amber to help her with basic fighting skills against a practice dummy they kept dismantled in their carriage. "I'm sure she can provide compensation if we helped. If nothing else we'd be stopping the unlawful overthrow of power. Plus would you really want to see someone who isn't fair on the throne of the Blue Palace? Ulfric might install someone who hates non-Nords and half breeds; imagine if that happened and they came here and saw Mara" Lucine said. She looked to Raven and Aura and then outside to her sisters and Mara. No matter what was decided tonight, nothing would be the same again. "Of course if you don't want to come and help it's up to you. But I know once we save Elisif I'll definitely be asking for a reward of some kind, since she would owe anyone who comes to save her" she said, looking back at Starkad. A certain glint in her eye, one that experienced soldiers would recognize shone through, she could tell his worth just from that small fight against the Falmer. "And if money is what you want then technically I can hire you as a guard and I'd have to pay you to come with us" she added. Just then she heard Amber's voice from outside. "Do we have any healing potions in the carriage?!" she called out. "Yes, why? I thought I told you not to injure Mara" Lucine called back. "It's not Mara who's injured" Amber replied. At this Lucine turned around and saw Adra holding her own hand tightly, her rapier, Shivona, laying on the ground, and a small bit of blood on Mara's blade. "What in Oblivion happened to you?" Lucine asked with a slight chuckle. "She got the tip of the sword through a gap in the guard" Adra replied, smiling a bit. Amber quickly handed Adra the small red vial. Adra thanked her and quickly downed the contents, she pulled a face like she had just drunk a very bitter drink. Lucine shook her head and turned back to Starkad. "So how about it? Come and help us save a life and possibly get rewarded handsomely? or at least be hired by me and be paid for making sure no one makes a move on our carriage?" she asked.

[lain]

"You are... irritating." Aura huffed at the Nord and his sarcastic remark, but then watched them debate among themselves when the other man entered the house. It seemed as though the Nord wasn't very keen on the idea. From what she gathered, someone of importance was possibly in danger. "Elisif...?" She thought for a moment. The name was foreign to her as most everything was above ground. She only remembered the bits of history that she had studied and been told by word of mouth by the Falmer.

"This lady might die?" Elisif asked the man who had shown up unexpectedly, "I will help." She smiled, having no idea about the war with the Imperials and Stormcloaks. "I would like more money." She nodded, agreeing with her female counterparts. "Mr. Stick-up-butt can stay. More for us." She cut her eyes at the Nord, feeling a strange feeling of irritation mixed with disappointment. She figured that such a strong warrior would have a better attitude... but what did she know? Perhaps all Nords were like that.

[Rayne7]

Wraith's eyes narrowed on the Nord as he spoke, assessing the man. He was a warrior, of that there was no doubt. The Ice Wolf was a legend among the Stormcloaks, but the man standing before him seemed a mere shadow of that legend. He was broken, and the little girl was the only thing holding him together. It was pathetic, really, though understandable. Regardless, that only helped the assassin's cause for now.

"Actually, Elisif is unaware of this plot. However, fifteen thousand gold and a decent place to live sounds like a good reason to me. And if she can't pay it, I will. I give you my word." Wraith said, crossing his arms. "He's got men among the guards of Solitude and in the Blue Palace. And in spite of Ulfric promising her safety, his Captain is going to make an attempt on her life."

Leaning back against the wall, he eyed the others critically. "I'm going to need every fighting man and woman I can lay hands on to ensure his failure. More than that...." he shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find more opportunities should you provide aid. If you accept, of course?"

Raising an eyebrow, Wraith once again addressed the large Nord. "Think about it. A place where your daughter can grow up with decent food and clothing. Proper protection from the elements, no worrying about Forsworn bands raiding, and a chance for a normal and decent childhood."

[StormWolf]

"Talos!" Mara swore, her rapier dropping from her nimble fingers. "I'm so sorry! I did not mean to..." Fumbling for a clean rag, she passed it to the redguard woman to staunch the bleeding until the potion took effect. Fur-tufted ears flattened back, both out of embarrassment for herself and shame she felt for her father. Mara thought the world of him, naturally, and knew he had been deeply wounded... but she had never taken him as a common mercenary. Let alone a rude host! No offer of food nor drink for any of the guests. Huffing a breath, Mara poured water for their visitors, at least, and bowl to fill with stew should hunger strike them. Despite the sour mood that hung in the air, Aura's words brought a smirk to Mara's lips.

Seated at the edge of his table in a sullen silence, Starkad emptied the last of his mug and set it down with a thunderous crack. Sinuous arms folded over his broad chest in a closed gesture, swishing the rich ale as he mulled over the prospect. Not long ago, he had showed apart the portcullis of Solitude and wetted his sword on scores of their armsmen. Surely, the city still bore scars of his presence, and Jarls were not often known for their forgiveness. It was the rogue who drew Starkad from his ruminations, one baleful eye burning beneath a flaxen brow.

"Good and innocent women die every day, elf-maid, and no one blanches," said Starkad, his voice like a hammer-blow. "Ulfric is of the old ways. He would sooner challenge the waif to single combat than employ an assassin..." His eye looked over to Mara, then, seeing a flickering spartan of resentment in her. "If this Captain is intent on the Jarl's life, it is of his own ambition, I think. If the Jarl can ensure comfort and security for Mara, and a courtier's education, I will see to it this Captain chokes on his aspirations." Starkad regarded the rest of the room, a somber gisn't with a flaming mane of gold.

"Is this agreeable?"