Argis stared, a little surprised at what he saw. To the left stood a yet unused stable and before them a sprawling home. A small area beside the building’s entrance was fenced in, housing chickens and the beginnings of a garden. They stood in the shadow of the home’s second story and the open terrace that undoubtedly overlooked the area.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Nikolai breathed.
“Very much so,” Argis smiled.
“I’m glad. It belongs to the two of us.” Nikolai took Argis’ hand into his own, squeezing it tightly before letting it go. “Why don’t you go inside and get comfortable? I need to check around back for something.”
Argis nodded absentmindedly as Nikolai trotted away. It was the first place besides his childhood home that was something more than the residence of another. This was something he could be proud of. He told himself he’d had to thank Nikolai for this. It was more than he had imagined the man would have gone through. A home, custom made for the two of them.
With a slight smile on his face Argis disappeared into the home. Looking back on it he should have known something was strange but the smell of freshly made breads and foods just made Lakeview Manor seem homier. He shrugged of his pack and let it remain near the front door as he slowly traveled through another set of doors, these laying open and giving a welcoming view of large dining table and a fire already burning in the hearth. This was better than he could have imagined.
Glancing at the walls, Argis noted with a frown that there was a lack of weapon racks. ‘Guess I’ll just keep it on me for now,’ he thought, fingers trailing over the pommel of his blade.
“I knew I heard something! You’re. . . ”
Argis turned at the sound of a child’s trailing voice. A young girl stood in the doorway of what had to be the kitchen, her eyes wide was she stared at Argis. He knew that he shared the child’s confusion and it took him only a moment to realize that her eyes were glued to the hand that rested on his sword.
The girl didn’t wait for Argis to move or begin to respond before she let out a panicked shriek. He tried to talk to her, to make sense of the situation but he could hear clamoring from an adjoining room. She darted towards the sound, reaching the door as it opened and as a Redguard woman appeared. Argis had little time to react before the woman was weaving around the items in the room and pulling free her own weapons, a set of two scimitars.
Argis raised his hands, making it clear that he had no weapons but the woman either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t car. She lunged at him, swinging both blades with a grunt, and all Argis could do was dodge away. He turned and bolted towards the door that he had entered through. The woman’s voice followed him, spitting threats as she pursued.
Bursting into the open air Argis shouted for Nikolai, spinning around and producing his own weapon. The Redguard showed no fear and met him head on. The woman was a flurry of movement and biting blades. Argis deflected the strikes with ease which only seemed to enrage the woman as she tried for lethal strikes. With a snarl the Redguard struck low, pulling Argis’ legs out from beneath him with the dulled sides of her scimitars, and brought both blades of her head for a final strike.
“Rayya, stop!” Argis pushed himself away from the woman and to his feet, breathing heavily as Nikolai hurried towards them. The young Nord stopped beside the Redguard who was still staring Argis down. “I promise you, he is not an enemy.”
Re: Home Again (1b/?)
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Nikolai breathed.
“Very much so,” Argis smiled.
“I’m glad. It belongs to the two of us.” Nikolai took Argis’ hand into his own, squeezing it tightly before letting it go. “Why don’t you go inside and get comfortable? I need to check around back for something.”
Argis nodded absentmindedly as Nikolai trotted away. It was the first place besides his childhood home that was something more than the residence of another. This was something he could be proud of. He told himself he’d had to thank Nikolai for this. It was more than he had imagined the man would have gone through. A home, custom made for the two of them.
With a slight smile on his face Argis disappeared into the home. Looking back on it he should have known something was strange but the smell of freshly made breads and foods just made Lakeview Manor seem homier. He shrugged of his pack and let it remain near the front door as he slowly traveled through another set of doors, these laying open and giving a welcoming view of large dining table and a fire already burning in the hearth. This was better than he could have imagined.
Glancing at the walls, Argis noted with a frown that there was a lack of weapon racks. ‘Guess I’ll just keep it on me for now,’ he thought, fingers trailing over the pommel of his blade.
“I knew I heard something! You’re. . . ”
Argis turned at the sound of a child’s trailing voice. A young girl stood in the doorway of what had to be the kitchen, her eyes wide was she stared at Argis. He knew that he shared the child’s confusion and it took him only a moment to realize that her eyes were glued to the hand that rested on his sword.
The girl didn’t wait for Argis to move or begin to respond before she let out a panicked shriek. He tried to talk to her, to make sense of the situation but he could hear clamoring from an adjoining room. She darted towards the sound, reaching the door as it opened and as a Redguard woman appeared. Argis had little time to react before the woman was weaving around the items in the room and pulling free her own weapons, a set of two scimitars.
Argis raised his hands, making it clear that he had no weapons but the woman either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t car. She lunged at him, swinging both blades with a grunt, and all Argis could do was dodge away. He turned and bolted towards the door that he had entered through. The woman’s voice followed him, spitting threats as she pursued.
Bursting into the open air Argis shouted for Nikolai, spinning around and producing his own weapon. The Redguard showed no fear and met him head on. The woman was a flurry of movement and biting blades. Argis deflected the strikes with ease which only seemed to enrage the woman as she tried for lethal strikes. With a snarl the Redguard struck low, pulling Argis’ legs out from beneath him with the dulled sides of her scimitars, and brought both blades of her head for a final strike.
“Rayya, stop!” Argis pushed himself away from the woman and to his feet, breathing heavily as Nikolai hurried towards them. The young Nord stopped beside the Redguard who was still staring Argis down. “I promise you, he is not an enemy.”
“But my Thane-”