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talldarkandroguesome · 11 months

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4th of Midyear, Sundas

We arrived to Riverhold without much issue. The weather was treacherous and there was the way the road seemed to disappear at times, but having seen it before, we were able to correct and stay on the road.

The heat did cause us to have to stop more often than we normally would. WE were very thankful for the Outpost ration of water, as we had so much less space to carry such things traveling on foot.

And we spent a great deal of times moving slow and cautiously, our eyes to the skies that we were not being followed by any large, blue figures in the sky. Mulaamnir could well have been intending to track us back to Tharn to kill him. After all, the dragons seem to be siding with Euraxia.

We made our way into town and found Sir Cadwell just outside the Inn. He asked if we had time to talk and it seemed urgent for a man that was so often in another place in his head.

It started with the usual strangeness, but soon got right to the point. The dreams are certainly visions. Ones that seem to disturb even him. They must be awful to go through indeed for him to feel that way, given his high tolerance for the bizarre.

Apparently they take him over and he claims to be seeing out of someone else’s eyes. Then as suddenly as it starts, it ends.

I could somewhat understand that feeling, for I have something akin to it each time I use my Prince’s blessing to glimpse the hidden secrets of others. It takes over your own ability to think, feel, hear, or see. It is as though you are in the moment of the vision rather than where you are. I imagine it is similar, at least.

More disturbing than that, however, was what he said next. He explained that he dug to find the skull that was supposed to be buried in the grave, but that it was not there. They dug well more than twice as deep as anyone would bury a body and found nothing.

I was particularly worried because I had thought before that he said he had found the skull. Apparently he had not. That it was only supposed to be a skull and it was gone. Given how things have been coming together with Euraxia and the dragons, it is hard not to believe that something about this is related. The timing seems too uncanny.

After all, Euraxia has already managed to orchestrate a way to ensnare Tharn to do as she pleases, so what would be to say she would not do the same in this instance. Beyond that, we know she has many powerful necromancers under her banner and Sir Cadwell is very much... well mostly very much dead. He is an odd case, certainly. But there could be something to that.

This feeling is only intensified by the fact that Sir Cadwell is convinced someone got to the skull before him and he has a foreboding feeling. If he is in any way connected to that, it would behoove us to listen to that intuition.

He then became his usual cheerful self and said, rather brightly, that Tharn had been asking after my arrival to speak with me. So I thanked the poor soul shriven knight and went to speak with the man who makes my blood boil in every sense of the word.

I found him in the same side room, this time around a war table with Captain Nala-Do and the Speaker. They were all staring at a map with the gravest expression on their faces until I came in.

Tharn met me first, of course. He told me in a whispered voice, which the Khajiir present could certainly hear, that his proposals so far had not been well received. He was trying to account for the dragons as well as Euraxia’s troops, necromancers, and undead warriors.

I could understand why that was tricky. I certainly had no suggestions I could think of. Not that I was particularly well versed in the politics and resources of the region, but how do you battle multiple dragons, let alone an army? I just have no experience with such grand strategies.

Tharn asked me how I fared in finding the source of the undead and if I had run into Khamira. I gave him the brief explanation of what I saw and how many we killed, but also stressed that she had, as far as I could uncover, any number more of them. And with the necromancers, an untold amount of dead to raise for her purposes. Especially with them digging up graves to supply their army.

I was surprised to see that, after acknowledging the dire picture I painted, that he suggested we celebrate the victory we had accomplished. Of course, he seemed to think there would be few more for us, but he did genuinely seem to want to celebrate. Not what I had expected.

I asked if he had spoken to Sir Cadwell, but was cut off by Tharn before I could even explain. He thought Sir Cadwell was half mad and although a good asset, that we had bigger, more important things to worry over than some dream or another. I tried to tell him it might be more than that, but he gave me a pat on the shoulder and said it was sweet of me to worry over the old fool, but this was not the time.

He was about to turn back to the war table when I said there was one more thing. I had spoken with the dragon, Mulaamnir, the same one who had attacked the outpost. I mentioned his warning for Tharn and I as payment for our freeing him and his brothers, and the fact that he called Euraxia his puppet.

Tharn seemed to think that the warning given was because Mulaamnir was afraid of our capabilities, otherwise he would not have talked to me. He would have simply killed me. So lucky for me I did not have to make that explanation to the House.

Tharn thought it particularly funny that Euraxia, who liked to think she was always in charge, was being played in turn and idly mentioned that she would not take kindly to being called a puppet to anyone. Even a dragon. And how he wished that she would listen to reason and see she was being used.

I was rather ruffled by the way Tharn was, once again, treating me, so I asked him why not. Why not try telling his sister that.

Apparently I was not sarcastic enough because he stopped and started to think about. Then he proposed a parlay, stating that it was not likely to go far, but it might give the Defense Forces time to regroup.

Then... he complimented me. Or at least I think it was not an insult based on his tone. He told me I was starting to think like a Tharn.

He handed me a beautifully decorated cudgel and said that the Speaker had given it to him in payment for services, but he did not accept payment, so I should take it. I was about to mention that he accepted it, even if he did not wish to keep it, but instead, I decided that it might be rather useful to have a gift from the Speaker of the Mane. It might get me into places in Elsweyr I would not otherwise. And what better way to impress Qau-dar’s Clanmother? She would know its importance right away.

As I was considering this, Tharn rambled on about this good idea for sending word to Rimmen that he would be coming to meet with Euraxia. He seemed to think that she should at least treat him as was befitting his station and that she would be curious enough to accept. Then he told me to get prepared to travel, though he leaned in and told me that he should like to see me in his chambers before I left.

I told him I would attend him there, then said more loudly that perhaps we should come up with a plan for negotiations before leaving. He lifted his head haughtily, saying he already had one. I almost rolled my eyes.

Distracting her with wit, charm, and words she can barely comprehend? And he says they are barely siblings!

Then he grabbed my chin and tilted it from side to side and said it would also be me. I raised an eyebrow at that, but he said that his sister could never resist a pretty face. So I would pretend to be his bodyguard and personal valet. That it would be the perfect cover for my being by his side and it might entice her to be more amenable during their talks.

First the House, now Tharn, I really am just the whore of any politically-minded entity around.

Tharn told me I should go and get ready and that after attending to him in a little bit, that I should head on without him and he would meet me up. I told him that if I was a bodyguard or a valet I would be attending him throughout and if she had anyone keeping intelligence for her and we were not to arrive together, it would immediately become apparent that something was amiss.

He waved his hand and told me very well, but I could see that he understood the importance of my warning. He knows enough about my skill set to know that I am right.

Tharn excused himself to draft a letter to send by courier to Rimmen and I took the opportunity to speak to the others present. I asked if they had heard all of my conversation with Tharn and they exchanged a look before nodding. I told them I figured they must have with how loud he whispers and they laughed.

The Captain was particularly displeased with the idea, but she and the Speaker seemed to see the reason in it. The Speaker, in particular, thought that any time that could be bought to try and regain resources and regroup was useful.

Captain Nala-Do warned me that despite Tharn’s confidence, Euraxia was almost certain to betray us. I thanked them both for their wisdom and said I shall do my best to buy them as much time as possible. No matter what it took.

Then I had Nettle and the guards go to restock supplies and I went to attend to Tharn’s personal needs.

He is off having dinner with the Speaker now, but told me to be prepared to attend to his needs further after he finishes, that he might be fully relaxed before heading out on the road.

I had my meal and the three bottles of wine I ordered put on his tab. The coin means little to him but at least I do not have to worry about the House speculating about my spending.

#ESO #TES #RP #Dunmer #Elder Scrolls Online #The Elder Scrolls

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