Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Tread Lightly (CLOSED Oblivion RP)

The hunt was long, slow and not really exciting. But Dak walked on without a break, following the track of the cart. It disappeared from time to time, but it really didn’t bother her. They’re heading to Morrowind, she thought. To the east. I’ll eventually catch up with them no matter the road I’m taking.

The weather grew colder with the end of the day. Dak allowed herself to take a break and had a bit of dry meat. It was no use to travel during the night, except maybe if the moonlights were strong enough. Unless she suddenly found a clue that made the risk worth the gain, she was not going to fall in a fissure and break her neck for the fun of it.

A column of smoke rising out of the distance made her tilt her head. Could it be…?

“…so he’s not afraid of being tracked down, eh?” she softly said as she got up and took her bow. It would be risky, but it was a golden occasion after all. And the tit will be in my debt. I suppose…I suppose I could use that, Dak thought as she resumed walking in direction of the smoke.

Ath moved about the camp then tended to the fire and started to cook some rabbit that had been caught while Dust had been passed out in the cart. The scent of the food definitely was mouth watering if you hadn't eaten yet, or loved rabbit. If he was worried about being tracked, he didn't show it though his bow was near. Eyes flicked over at Dust, walked over and would hoist her into a sitting position.

After that Ath moved back to the rabbit and pulled out a elven dagger then began to cut pieces of meat off it into a piece of cloth. He walked back over to her.

"Open your mouth."

Ath commanded since he didn't trust her with her hands in front of her, or unbound just yet. If she complied he would feed her since she couldn't herself.

Dust narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the fire, sinking deep into thought, almost lulled into security by the familiar smell of fire, of hearth. If I can run while he sleeps - how would I get out of these damn ropes? She gingerly tested them, flexing her wrists behind her back, wincing as the ropes pressed back tight. If I get lost here in the mountains at night, I'll be frozen wolf-food. She pursed her lips as the succulent smell of the roasting hare wafted, a painful grumble in her belly resounding.

Suddenly she was hoisted up, sitting properly with Ath'vesu's sharp gaze fixed on her. She barely kept from wincing and instead directed her energy to glaring, until the savory smell caught her attention again. Her nose twitched and her gaze slowly drifted down to the hare, another resounding rumble in her stomach making her grit her teeth. She only glanced up again as he spoke.

Open? Why - her frown slowly became a snarl as it dawned what he meant. He wants to feed me! Like a child! "I am not going to let you spoon-fed me," she snapped, though the smell was sorely tempting. It was almost painful - she wouldn't keep her energy if she didn't eat and drink soon. But to give in...

It felt strangely familiar. Memory came - I have no intention of bottlefeeding you. Lucien's dark, silky, sardonic tone echoed in mind. She growled and resigned herself to biting her lip, eyes focused forlornly at the meat as though she might absorb it through her gaze if she stared hard enough.

I'm really sick of being take hostage.

The ground was quite uneven and Dak almost fell three times in ten minutes. It didn’t help her mood to rise and she swore to herself that they would all pay: the Breton girl, the foolish Bosmer and that arrogant Altmer. Her revenge would be terrible…

She bite the inside of her cheek harshly for preventing herself to yawn, hoping she wouldn’t have to use her bow. She was good at shooting things, but not when she was half-asleep. They’re going to pay, she repeated to herself. They’re so going to pay…

(OOC: I'm sorry for the delay. I just have other things on my minds these days. )

Ath scowled slightly at the way Dust was acting when the food was offered.

"Eat, you will need the strength it provides, and your hands are not going to be untied any time soon."

Ath would try this again, offering her a morsel of the food and if she took it, he would feed her that way. If she didn't take the food then well he would scowl again and move away. No matter the course he would slip back to his original seat and began to eat his own food now. Eyes remained downcast for the process though he did speak.

"It has to be this way. You know this."

Ath stated plainly, though what had to be this way was up for debate. Was it the entire situation? Was it the tied up held hostage part, the part going after Astarill? Who really knew with the bosmer in his current mental condition.

Dust scowled as the Bosmer urged her to eat again - but then, he did have a point, as much as she hated to admit it. And it would be easier to think of an escape plan without hunger pangs distracting her. After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly opened her mouth. She usually preferred fowl to hare, but the taste was mouthwatering to her starved body. After a few bites she bit her lip, reluctantly requesting water.

"It has to be this way. You know this."

"…Has to be this way?" Dust stared incredulously at Ath'vesu. "Guar shit! What the hell is preventing you from untying me? Revenge?" She simpered the word before lowering her voice to a hiss. "Pointless. Believe me, I know. It won't make your pain any less. It won't bring your friend back."

She sat back, glowering, awaiting his response.

As she approached the camp carefully, Dak stopped, knelt and takes an arrow from her quiver. She put it on the ground, took a little vial from her belt and poured its content on the arrowhead. She didn’t really know who she would find – if she was lucky, it would be the girl and the Bosmer – but she had decided to play safe.
She head on, sneaking, for examining the place before coming closer of the camp.

Ath got the water skin and placed the tip to her lips then lifted it up for her to drink. He went slowly so she wouldn't choke upon the water. When she had her fill he would set the water skin down and nodded his head slowly.

"Yes it has to be this way."

The bosmer repeated what he had said. For him, this was the only way he saw right now. Her words half fell on deaf ears, half fell on listening ears. A haggard laugh escaped from the wood elf and he would look at her with tired, pain and hate filled eyes.

"I already know he wont come back, but it will put things at rest when the altmers cold dead corpse is laying at my feet, my knife plunged into his heart."

Granted, a lot could happen between then and now but ultimately that is what he was thinking of what was going to happen. He then looked down into the fire, staring into it for a time.

"Who did you loose then?"

He had heard the part where she said she knew how it felt, thus he concluded she lost someone herself. Hey, at least he wasn't bent on hurting or killing her and just wanting to make conversation right? There were dozens of worse things he could be doing.

Dust eagerly drank the water, only forcing herself to slow down after a few desperate gulps. She pulled away when she had her fill, sated. Water dripped from her lips, down her chin - she scowled and tried to rub it away on her shoulder.

His first words only made her scoff, glaring at her lap. His second caused her to look up again, fear flickering across her features.

The altmers cold dead corpse… She shuddered, squeezing her eyes shut to push away the image. He can take care of himself. He'll be alright. He's handled worse. The thought brought little comfort.

"Who did you loose then?"

Dust looked up, blinking and repeating him. "Who?" She paused for a moment before giving a ragged bark of a laugh. "Honestly, sometimes it feels like I should go by who I haven't. My mother killed my father, at the bidding of my stepfather, when I was a child. And my mother died - not long ago." She saw no harm in telling him - perhaps it would appeal to whatever sense of empathy he had. Not so long ago. Near enough that it still hurt, her eyes stinging at the memory.

"I wanted so badly to kill him," she whispered, more to herself than the Bosmer. "My stepfather. To get some kind of revenge. I could have, too. But all that wishing and wanting and craving for revenge got me nowhere. Only further under the power of the Dark Brotherhood, and more and more alone."

She glanced up, biting her lip. "… Please, don't make me lose someone else I care about. Astarill is my friend. You know how much it hurts to lose someone you care about." She blinked away tears, bowing her head. "Would you inflict that on someone else?"

She could hear their voices, now. She had been right – she had finally caught up with the Bosmer and the Breton girl. They were apparently talking…about losing beloved ones. If the situation had been different, concluded Dak while bypassing the camp for getting the back of the Bosmer in her line of sight, the three of them could have formed a mourning club.

But things weren’t different. The Bosmer would likely die right here. And soon, the girl wouldn’t have to worry about being under the power of the Brotherhood, because there wouldn’t be a Brotherhood anymore.

Dak closed her eyes and whispered to herself a prayer to Kynareth and Arkay. She cocked her bow and closed one eye to aim, pointing at the back of the Bosmer. Then she released the arrow.

Will be posting some point this week, The past week I was in pulling med support for Kids AT and couldn't get on to post. I'm also gonna be gone July 7th to August 4th, I have Military Orders for 4 weeks of training. Sorry for the long time away.

Ath merely sat there looking into the fire for the time as he listened to what she had to say. Did he feel sorry for her? Yes, did he feel bad for what he was doing? Yes he did but he was still doing it. Did he want the altmer dead? Yes he did so very very much right now.

Her story though did not fall on deaf ears and maybe, sorta, slightly a small sliver of doubt may have started to worm its way into his thoughts. Ath silenced that train of thought though and he was about to speak as he went to lean over to stoke the fire when the sound of a bow was heard and he suddenly lurched forward with the impact of the arrow.

The only thing that saved him was his movement towards the fire so it hit his back shoulder instead of his back. A groan escaped from Ath and he crawled best he could towards his bow and arrows, though with the injury he didn't know if he could draw. He didn't know who was out there, bandits? Guards? Monsters? Likely one of the former or the later due to where they were and his not knowing Dak was following them.

Choices choices.......he was hurt, likely wouldn't be able to fight off anyone with anything but his dagger. Choices choices and he wasn't sure what to do. Fuck it he, pushed to his feet through a haze of pain and if Dust had not gotten up and ran off by then or done something else, he would move over towards her.

"up! up girl and lets go!" He hissed.

If she did that then he would get her on the horse that were unhitched from the cart and get up on it himself and quickly ride into the night. ((Hope that works! If it doesn't I will change it when possible!))

It was difficult to tell if he even listened. Dust gazed intently at the Bosmer's face, shadowed and flickering in the light of their fire. She heard a soft whistle as he bent over the fire - she thought it was only the crackle of the fireplace, but his movement and groan of pain told her otherwise.

Everything happened quickly - he was up, moving, obviously in pain. An arrow - bandits? Dust stood hurriedly, even as Ath'vesu lurched towards her, telling her to go.

Bandits - if she stayed, she would die - she couldn't possibly fight with her hands bound, but this was also a chance to escape. There was so little time - after a moment's thought she moved, ushered along by the Bosmer, to the horse. He moved behind her to ride the horse off, sending them in a flurry of movement.

Dust breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't be facing bandits alone and bound. Perhaps she should have taken advantage and ran, but in the mountains at night, already pursued, survival would have been unlikely.

But… Dust bit her lip, craning her neck to try and see the extent of the Bosmer's wound, and to look behind them to see if they were being pursued. How long could he possibly hold out?

The Bosmer’s reaction would have amused Dak more than anything, if she still had been capable of such a feeling. It remained her of the deers she usually used this paralyzing poison on; since they ran away, the blood and the adrenaline brought the poison to the heart faster, and they collapsed on the ground a few moments later. The Bosmer would fall from his precious horse in no time. And hard.

The only risk was the Breton girl. She was a healer, if she decided to heal her abductor despite everything, there was nothing Dak could do for preventing it to happen. She just had to keep her fingers crossed and to believe in the common sense of her Sister. And it was an idea she hated to the core.

Despite her body’s laments , Dakari decided to ran.

Ath could feel the wound, the pounding of his heart in his chest and weakly he pulled out a dagger reaching around and he would cut Dust's bonds to her hands. He couldn't fight right now and as much as he didn't want to admit it needed her considering the arrow was in his back. The arm fell limply to her lap then and he leaned forward against her, breathing heavy.

"S...s..something." He groaned out in response to the rest of his sentence.

Yes, normally one would fall from the horse, the adrenaline making the stuff faster but he had his arm around the woman and was leaning forward so that helped him some as the horse ran but unless Dust did something to keep Ath from falling, or hell she could let him fall and be off, she would soon feel him starting to slip to the side. One could only hope she didn't feel safe enough on her own right?

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

Dust inhaled through her teeth, trying to think through the sudden whirlwind of noise and activity - heal him, or not? She pulled her hands free when he cut the binds, glancing back to see him breathing heavily, in obvious pain. She grimaced.

She couldn't face many bandits alone, that was certain. She might be able to teleport safely to the Isles, but that would take precious moments where an arrow could lodge neatly in her back. But this would also be her only chance at escape, it seemed.

Still…

She growled and turned as best she could. "Hold still as much as you can," she ordered, her voice shaking as the horse galloped beneath them. She felt him slip and hurriedly grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt, trying to force him to lean on her. Gods dammit. She wrapped an arm around the Bosmer, hardly able to hold on, fumbling for the reins desperately until she managed to tug the horse to a stop. Hopefully the bandits would stay behind, raiding the cart, and give her time to heal him.

She turned again, running her hand down his slumped back until it hit the shaft of an arrow. Gritting her teeth, she pulled - the arrow came loose with a sickly squelch. She dropped it and immediately placed her hand on the wound, releasing a spell to knit back muscle and flesh, to stem bloodflow, to help them escape.

"You owe me," she grumbled, struggling to hold his weight against her without toppling off the horse. Adrenaline helped, but he had to recover quickly if they were to escape - she couldn't support him much longer, and she'd done all she could for healing. She could only wait, and hope.

Even if for what, she wasn't entirely sure.

Dak could hear the horse galloping away, the voices. She followed them for a while, feeling wearier at each steps. Her whole body felt numb, she would have to rest soon. …I should have killed the horse, she scoffed with disgust as she realized her mistake. If I’m lucky, the beast will break one of its legs. Or they’ll disturb a bear which will kill them. But luck was never on her side.

…I hate my life, concluded Dak. The horse was nowhere to be heard anymore. With a groan, Dak looked up at the trees around, searching for a high one with big, strong-looking branches. She would rest until dawn, she decided, and would resume the hunt tomorrow.

Eventually chosing what looked to her like the perfect tree, she climbed up carefully until reaching a good branch, and took some time for looking at the surrounding.

Ath could feel the healing magics running through his body, feel the wound knit together and the purge of the paralysis poison inside of him. Slowly the bosmer came back to the world. His grip upon her grew tighter and he groand as he moved. Well, hell, he now owed her for saving his life.

"Thankyou."

He gasped out softly, still a bit weak from the healing as he had lost blood after all, and there still remained traces of the weaking poison inside of him. He nudged the horse forward though at any rate.

"Continue on till you find a suitible campsite."

He would bring his bow about, knocking an arrow weakly, and set about to glancing around. IN his weary state though he doubted he would be to much help unless there life depended upon it. He almost wanted to tie Dust's hands again, but she had saved his life and well he needed her help right now.

Dust felt an odd mixture of relief and frustration when Ath spoke, thanking her. Well, she'd see just how grateful he was shortly. For now, they had to get somewhere safe. At his word she took the reins and continued on, grumbling to herself. "Don't know how to find one in this bloody darkness..." She could cast a spell for light, but it would only draw attention and perhaps they were still being pursued. She heard the nock of an arrow on the Bosmer's bow - perhaps he was thinking the same.

After half an hour of riding as fast as she could urge the horse to move along the rocky, harsh terrain, Dust tugged the reins and brought the horse to a stop. There was a flat, rocky ledge here under an overhang - a good of a campsite as they were likely to find.

"Here." She moved off the horse, then if he allowed it aided the Bosmer off as well. She narrowed her eyes at him, gazing intently, trying to assess the situation. He was still weary, that much was clear. He would need rest after his blood loss. Did she dare run off when he slept? Perhaps, if he forgot to tie her hands up again. Or perhaps she could negotiate for her freedom, for him to end this madness while they still could.

She would guide the Bosmer to the ledge and urge him to sit, looking around and cursing softly. She had no supplies, and she wasn't exactly skilled at survival in the wild without even basic amenities. No blankets to protect them from the cold, and no way of collecting wood for a fire in these mountains. Plus, the possibility of bandits in pursuit, and she was still technically a hostage.

Wonderful.

She sighed, dragging a hand over her face and sitting near the Bosmer, giving him a sharp glare. "Now what?"

(Sorry about the late post, guys - I think RPR is glitched for me, it seems to be continually eating my mails and failing to send me messages even though I'm subscribed, bah.)

There was nothing to see. Only trees and rocks. The shapes of the mountains eerily stood out against the night sky. And there were wolves howling. That’s the solution, Dak thought as she closed her eyes. I’ll let the wolves take care of them. They can eat the girl too; it’ll spare me the troubles of killing her later. The linnet will not be pleased, and I’ll have another speech from Ocheeva, but I don’t care anymore.

Screw this, I’m returning home.

(OOC: I think I’m going to stop this RP here. Since the characters are out of Dak’s reach now, it would be unrealistic of her to find them again. She’s not that good. So thank you for the RP everyone, it was fun. )