So Elisif followed, at least until Madanach recalled there were half a dozen men getting changed up ahead and told the women to wait while he returned with everything belonging to Elisif, leaving her to get changed in private while he steered Cicero off. Elisif seized on her scaled gear, feeling pleased beyond measure to be out of rags, with Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane at her side. She also examined the Forsworn armour Madanach had given her. Not bad, although the magicka enchantments weren't that useful to her. Still, she pulled the gauntlets and boots on. Better archery skills would do her no harm.
The Forsworn were all waiting for her by the gates, all watching Cicero dressed in their gear, throwing a few moves with his axe and dagger and cooing.
“Look, look, Eola and Maia, Cicero is a mighty Forsworn warrior!” Cicero giggled. He'd exchanged the motley for Forsworn armour and did look very fearsome. Eola told him he looked adorable, taking him to one side.
“Prison rags over on the pile,” Madanach told her, coming into view, dressed in his own Forsworn gear, a glass war axe at his side, all of it glimmering with one enchantment or another. “Not wearing our gear?”
“Not tonight,” said Elisif. “Might give the wrong impression.” She threw her hateful prison rags on the pile of the stuff that had formed in the corner, before taking in Madanach properly. There'd been something about him even in prison, some dignity to the man. Now he was dressed in Forsworn gear again, all fur and feathers and bone and skulls for Shor's sake, he was positively radiating menace. Strangely, Elisif didn't find it frightening. He noticed her staring, smiled and then let his eyes travel over her in return.
“Now that's a little more like it. That's a couple of nice swords you have there, ap Davrha.”
Elisif nodded in acknowledgement, not entirely sure she was able to speak. Her inner dovah, quiet for so long in the mine, was starting to growl, although not because it saw him as an enemy. No, she had a horrible feeling it liked what it saw, and even worse, she had a feeling he'd realised that too, because that was a victory smirk if ever it was one. Barely glancing at the rag pile, he flicked his wrist and sent a jet of fire into it, keeping the magic going until the whole thing went up in flames.
“King in Rags no more!” he laughed and Elisif forced herself to smile, repressing the little stab of jealousy, of him having the power of fire, frost and lightning at his command and she was a Dragonborn who couldn't even breathe fire. It was so unfair.
Not that she actually wanted to be able to breathe fire, of course. It was just a bit galling that she couldn't.
“And now,” Madanach laughed as he watched all their prison rags burn. “Gwadorai, inyeenai, Davrha-Brenhina. It's time to claim our freedom. Are you with me?”
The roar of approval from the prisoners, princesses and one red-haired Imperial lunatic shook the room like a dragon landing.
“No murdering innocent people!” Elisif shouted, reminding Madanach of his promise of earlier.
“Don't worry, if they stay out of our way, we'll stay out of theirs,” Madanach laughed carelessly. “Come on, let's go! For the Forsworn!”
“For the Forsworn!” came the answering cry as everyone else ran out behind him. Elisif chased after, just hoping that when push came to shove, Madanach would keep to that promise.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The first obstacle came as they emerged into Markarth itself, the night sky twinkling above them, Masser approaching its zenith. Elisif could have cried to see the stars again and breathe fresh air, and she'd only been down there a day. How were the others feeling, she wondered.
She shot a glance at Madanach, seeing him staring at the sky like he'd never seen it before, face open and hopeful and wistful all at once, that odd smile on his face that wasn't the usual smirk or gleeful grin. The one that reminded her he was a man like any other. The others had similar expressions as they stared at the sky, none of them quite able to believe they'd made it out. It was really quite moving.
At least until Thonar Silver-Blood's voice rang out.
“Madanach! You've gone too far this time. I'm going to put you down once and for all!”
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timeasmymeasure
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 15.9
Date: 2013-11-23 12:27 pm (UTC)The Forsworn were all waiting for her by the gates, all watching Cicero dressed in their gear, throwing a few moves with his axe and dagger and cooing.
“Look, look, Eola and Maia, Cicero is a mighty Forsworn warrior!” Cicero giggled. He'd exchanged the motley for Forsworn armour and did look very fearsome. Eola told him he looked adorable, taking him to one side.
“Prison rags over on the pile,” Madanach told her, coming into view, dressed in his own Forsworn gear, a glass war axe at his side, all of it glimmering with one enchantment or another. “Not wearing our gear?”
“Not tonight,” said Elisif. “Might give the wrong impression.” She threw her hateful prison rags on the pile of the stuff that had formed in the corner, before taking in Madanach properly. There'd been something about him even in prison, some dignity to the man. Now he was dressed in Forsworn gear again, all fur and feathers and bone and skulls for Shor's sake, he was positively radiating menace. Strangely, Elisif didn't find it frightening. He noticed her staring, smiled and then let his eyes travel over her in return.
“Now that's a little more like it. That's a couple of nice swords you have there, ap Davrha.”
Elisif nodded in acknowledgement, not entirely sure she was able to speak. Her inner dovah, quiet for so long in the mine, was starting to growl, although not because it saw him as an enemy. No, she had a horrible feeling it liked what it saw, and even worse, she had a feeling he'd realised that too, because that was a victory smirk if ever it was one. Barely glancing at the rag pile, he flicked his wrist and sent a jet of fire into it, keeping the magic going until the whole thing went up in flames.
“King in Rags no more!” he laughed and Elisif forced herself to smile, repressing the little stab of jealousy, of him having the power of fire, frost and lightning at his command and she was a Dragonborn who couldn't even breathe fire. It was so unfair.
Not that she actually wanted to be able to breathe fire, of course. It was just a bit galling that she couldn't.
“And now,” Madanach laughed as he watched all their prison rags burn. “Gwadorai, inyeenai, Davrha-Brenhina. It's time to claim our freedom. Are you with me?”
The roar of approval from the prisoners, princesses and one red-haired Imperial lunatic shook the room like a dragon landing.
“No murdering innocent people!” Elisif shouted, reminding Madanach of his promise of earlier.
“Don't worry, if they stay out of our way, we'll stay out of theirs,” Madanach laughed carelessly. “Come on, let's go! For the Forsworn!”
“For the Forsworn!” came the answering cry as everyone else ran out behind him. Elisif chased after, just hoping that when push came to shove, Madanach would keep to that promise.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The first obstacle came as they emerged into Markarth itself, the night sky twinkling above them, Masser approaching its zenith. Elisif could have cried to see the stars again and breathe fresh air, and she'd only been down there a day. How were the others feeling, she wondered.
She shot a glance at Madanach, seeing him staring at the sky like he'd never seen it before, face open and hopeful and wistful all at once, that odd smile on his face that wasn't the usual smirk or gleeful grin. The one that reminded her he was a man like any other. The others had similar expressions as they stared at the sky, none of them quite able to believe they'd made it out. It was really quite moving.
At least until Thonar Silver-Blood's voice rang out.
“Madanach! You've gone too far this time. I'm going to put you down once and for all!”