“Legends don't burn down villages,” Ulfric purred and Liriel felt her throat go dry at that voice. It practically radiated power and sent shivers down her spine. This was a very powerful and dangerous man, even if he was just a human. Hah. Just a human – there was very little just anything about this one. Liriel could believe people were willing to die in his service. She was almost tempted to offer her own services... but not for Talos. Humans didn't just randomly get made gods when they died, it didn't make sense. The Aedra were the ancestors of elves, not humans, so humans weren't gods, couldn't be. At least, that was what they told her back home, but then again they'd utterly failed to warn her Skyrim had dragons, so possibly the Thalmor's Ministry for Education wasn't as infallible as she'd been led to believe.
“Nord ones do,” Shevawna muttered in Liriel's ear, blue eyes glaring at Ulfric. Liriel really hoped there wasn't a repeat of the carriage incident. That was all she needed, some short Forsworn human running her mouth off and getting her in trouble. She had enough on her plate what with the dragon.
“We need to clear these rocks!” one of the soldiers cried from upstairs, kneeling before the rockfall blocking the way. Unfortunately, the dragon chose that moment to smash the wall open and breathe fire through the gap... and Shevawna chose that moment to nudge Liriel and make for the door.
“Liriel, with me!” the young Reachwoman hissed.
“What, why, are you insane?” Liriel hissed. “The dragon'll get us.”
“No it won't, it's over there, that's why we need to run now while it's busy!” Shevawna said cheerfully, darting out of the door.
Liriel was sure that made perfect sense in some world, but not in this one. So why she left the Nords to their own devices and ran after Shevawna, she couldn't rightly say. Maybe it was Ulfric and the unsettling effect he was having on her. Maybe it was all the Nords shooting filthy looks at her out of the corners of their eye. Or maybe she just had a weakness for short silver-haired lunatics in bizarre tribal clothing. Who could tell?
~~~~~~~~~~
Sadly for them both, when dragons were concerned, over there became over here very quickly, as was proved when the dragon soared over their heads, wheeling round and landing some distance away, blocking the way to the gate.
Happily for them, although rather less so for the injured villager lying in front of the dragon, it didn't seem to care about them. Shevawna dropped into a crouch in the shadow of a burning inn, Liriel following suit. Which meant they got a prime view as the dragon burned the man to death while his son looked on.
Then that legionnaire who'd been reading the list was there, cajoling the boy to safety as the dragon flew off and sending him off with another villager. And then the man who that villager had just called Hadvar turned round and looked straight at them both.
“Still alive, Altmer?” Hadvar called. “Follow me if you want to stay that way!”
“How did he see me??” Liriel shrieked, before turning to Shevawna. “More to the point, why didn't he see you?”
“I guess I'm just the sneaky type,” Shevawna grinned. “Come on, let's get after him. We can overpower him, get his sword, cut loose, and then they'll see who they chained up!”
“You are actually insane, aren't you,” Liriel whispered, but she followed anyway. Best to keep the crazy woman where she could see her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
There followed a mad dash through the burning village, keeping to the shadows, trying not to lose sight of Hadvar, and then finally into the keep, the dragon still audible but at least it couldn't get them in here.
Liriel sank on to a bed, exhausted but knowing it wasn't over yet, not until they got out of this place. What she'd do then, she had no idea, but she couldn't think about that. Just survive, that was all.
Shevawna was crouching behind a pillar, eyes and ears on the door. Oh good, more lunacy.
“Shevawna, what are you doing?” Liriel sighed, not in the mood for this.
“Waiting,” Shevawna said cryptically. “Hadvar comes in, you distract him, I sneak up and knock him out. Then we cut our bonds off on his sword, kill him, loot the room, find you some proper clothes and run!”
Re: Blood (Magic)'s Honour 1.4
“Nord ones do,” Shevawna muttered in Liriel's ear, blue eyes glaring at Ulfric. Liriel really hoped there wasn't a repeat of the carriage incident. That was all she needed, some short Forsworn human running her mouth off and getting her in trouble. She had enough on her plate what with the dragon.
“We need to clear these rocks!” one of the soldiers cried from upstairs, kneeling before the rockfall blocking the way. Unfortunately, the dragon chose that moment to smash the wall open and breathe fire through the gap... and Shevawna chose that moment to nudge Liriel and make for the door.
“Liriel, with me!” the young Reachwoman hissed.
“What, why, are you insane?” Liriel hissed. “The dragon'll get us.”
“No it won't, it's over there, that's why we need to run now while it's busy!” Shevawna said cheerfully, darting out of the door.
Liriel was sure that made perfect sense in some world, but not in this one. So why she left the Nords to their own devices and ran after Shevawna, she couldn't rightly say. Maybe it was Ulfric and the unsettling effect he was having on her. Maybe it was all the Nords shooting filthy looks at her out of the corners of their eye. Or maybe she just had a weakness for short silver-haired lunatics in bizarre tribal clothing. Who could tell?
~~~~~~~~~~
Sadly for them both, when dragons were concerned, over there became over here very quickly, as was proved when the dragon soared over their heads, wheeling round and landing some distance away, blocking the way to the gate.
Happily for them, although rather less so for the injured villager lying in front of the dragon, it didn't seem to care about them. Shevawna dropped into a crouch in the shadow of a burning inn, Liriel following suit. Which meant they got a prime view as the dragon burned the man to death while his son looked on.
Then that legionnaire who'd been reading the list was there, cajoling the boy to safety as the dragon flew off and sending him off with another villager. And then the man who that villager had just called Hadvar turned round and looked straight at them both.
“Still alive, Altmer?” Hadvar called. “Follow me if you want to stay that way!”
“How did he see me??” Liriel shrieked, before turning to Shevawna. “More to the point, why didn't he see you?”
“I guess I'm just the sneaky type,” Shevawna grinned. “Come on, let's get after him. We can overpower him, get his sword, cut loose, and then they'll see who they chained up!”
“You are actually insane, aren't you,” Liriel whispered, but she followed anyway. Best to keep the crazy woman where she could see her.
~~~~~~~~~~~
There followed a mad dash through the burning village, keeping to the shadows, trying not to lose sight of Hadvar, and then finally into the keep, the dragon still audible but at least it couldn't get them in here.
Liriel sank on to a bed, exhausted but knowing it wasn't over yet, not until they got out of this place. What she'd do then, she had no idea, but she couldn't think about that. Just survive, that was all.
Shevawna was crouching behind a pillar, eyes and ears on the door. Oh good, more lunacy.
“Shevawna, what are you doing?” Liriel sighed, not in the mood for this.
“Waiting,” Shevawna said cryptically. “Hadvar comes in, you distract him, I sneak up and knock him out. Then we cut our bonds off on his sword, kill him, loot the room, find you some proper clothes and run!”