Frito Bandito: Thank you, I shall try.
Jean-Moddalle: Maybe later, still need him to stick around. Thank you for commenting.
Hopefully you'll enjoy!
Spending couple of hours in sullen silence after Saar's attempt to escape, which included kicking the mercenary and her saving him from a troll, the two didn't do much talking.
Not when the Orsimer stopped to rest nor when the Nord gestured to walk again. There was just walking and silence between them.
And the Reach's nature around, so not much to see.
Most of the Reach is just bare hills, plains and rock because of its rugged ground which wasn't fertile. Only tough vegetation like juniper trees and animals like goats or sabre cats survived here. The only simple source of water around was the river that run at the bottom of the deep rift, which snaked through the whole region.
Glancing at the river on their left and then the uphill on their right Saar sighed unhappily. Didn't have much of opportunities to escape at the moment. Maybe he'll wait till they were out of the Reach's plains and see again if the environment would favor him.
Until then he would just let the Nord do all the work while he rested. Get her relaxed to think he would be a timid Orc all the way to Riften.
A wolf howled in the distance over the other side of the rift, a bird song as it fly over them and the river's running could be heard roaring below.
The midday was already gone but it was several hours till the sun would even start getting down.
Until then the mercenary probably wanted them to keep walking.
...Very few clouds were on the sky...
The Orsimer sighed again. He was getting bored of this.
With his perished bandit companions Saar would have been talking crap and fooling around, searching for a good place to create their hideout and start robbing people on the road. Though it was clear now that traveling to the Reach was a mistake, bloody Forsworns.
...Hopefully those madmen wouldn't ambush them too on the road. Though maybe the Orsimer could use it as distraction and shag off.
But it felt way too risky and the possibility to be Forsworns' prisoner again didn't appeal at all.
Unsurprisingly it was the mercenary who first broke the long silence. In a way the bandit was some happy for the disturbance in the dull marching.
The subject just could be something else. Anything else.
"Saar doesn't sound like Orsimer's name?" the woman questioned behind him.
The Orsimer snorted.
"You know lot of Orcs then?"
"...No?"
Over his shoulder with mocking look he replied.
"Then how do you know Saar isn't an Orc's name?"
The Nord looked away with slight blush over her cheeks. Mumbling something.
"What's that?" Saar called while looking where he was stepping.
"Nothing. So... You are not from Stronghold?"
Making growling voice of annoyance Saar didn't bother to answer. It didn't stop the girl from asking.
"I just thought, as you don't have a last name."
"No."
"Then where do you come from?"
A smirk widened onto his grey face.
"From your mom."
The stunned silence that followed made the Orsimer snicker.
"...You are an ass."
"Oh really?" the Orc stopped and turned around, standing at his full height as the woman walked to him with slight snarl on her face. He tilted his head with a smile.
"And what makes you think that, girl?"
And as they were now stopping why not rest a bit.
"How about you?" Saar started questioning in turn. "You awfully want to know things about me, but I don't know much about you. What's your story? What's your name even?"
"...Ulv."
Raising one brow the Orc waited but as she didn't correct herself... If she thinks he was going to answer and truthfully to any of her questions then she was dead wrong after that.
"You're a bad liar."
She reddened and scratched the side of her mouth.
"It is Ulv." she insisted.
"Sound's like a man's and lie's name. What's so secret about your name?"
"Why should I tell it to you? What would you do with my name?"
Scoff of unbelieving colored the Orsimer's gaze: "What do you do with any information of me then?"
"I want to understand."
"Understand what?! That how an Orc ends up as a bandit? Well I'll tell you: because of people see us different from them! You're just so curious about me just because of my race, isn't it? If I was a Bosmer or Altmer would you be so interested? If you're so keen to know of Orcs, why don't you just visit a Stronghold or something?"
The woman's voice also started to raise.
"Why are you so grumpy of me asking? I'm not making fun of you, I just want to understand! Isn't that better than just assuming?"
The Orsimer laughed hard and mockingly.
"You really are clueless brat! Answer is that people don't like Orcs! Nor Khajits. Especially Nords are eager to make that clear. Ask any Nord and you hear the same: Orcs and Khajits and Argonians are just two legged filthy beasts!"
"Well I'm a Nord and I don't think like that!"
"Oh really?!"
"Yeah really! I have Khajits and Argonians as friends! I don't know any Orcs only because I haven't met them outside my quests, where I only meet those who are bandits and ready to kill me! So apologizes if I-!"
Absurdly stopping in mid sentence and heated argument the mercenary turned her head and listened silently.
Looking also at the direction they had walked from Saar did the same.
...Nothing, just wildlife.
But the woman's reaction unnerved the Orsimer who could only think that Forsworns were around. He was tired but if those people were around, he was ready to fully run.
"What is it?" he finally hissed and the mercenary gestured to be quiet. Then, before he was going to demand again, she said: "We have to hide, now."
Giving a quick glance Saar whispered.
"And where? We are middle of nowhere!"
"Just keep walking and fast", the Nord started pushing him to turn and walk forward.
The mercenary was looking from left to right to see any place where she and Saar could hide in and quickly.
What she heard was footsteps, but also something smaller running on four legs. They were walking behind them but what she was worried was the dog with them.
If it would sense them then it surely would alarm its companions to them.
It could be just other travelers, adventures or mercenaries but she didn't hear anything from them that she was familiar of. The clattering she heard was like coming from small bones... Not a positive sign.
"Is it Forsworns?" the Orsimer asked as they kept half-running forward side by side.
"I'm not sure", she said silently. "But I don't like how they sound."
She ignored the Orc's confused look.
"Just keep moving", she muttered.
A bit of ahead there was a small path diverging from the main road down to the rift. There was no way telling what was down the narrow path.
But that had to do. There was only deep rift with a river on their left and long uphill on their right so it would take too much time to run up and find a good hiding spot there.
Pointing at her founding the mercenary run ahead, hearing the Orsimer panting behind.
Running down the path the woman however suddenly stopped as she heard sounds coming also from there. Sounded like there was a camp at the end of it, small, and there were people too.
Good or bad? Where the same as the ones behind? Maybe they wouldn't be hostile?
"Why we stopped?" the Orsimer growled as he tried to catch his breath next to her.
"There's people down there too", she explained, looking behind them. They couldn't back up, the ones behind were closing in.
"I'm not hearing anything", the mer said, clearly trying to hear what she was. "Are you screwing with me?"
"No- Crap, let's keep going", taking a hold of the big orc's arm the mercenary pulled. But he didn't budge, glaring down at her.
"Now!" she growled, hardening her grip. She heard them clearer now!
"I am not-"
Saar was not sure was this girl sane after all, she hearing someone approaching them that he didn't hear nor see.
But now he heard it, faintly. Someone was yelling something in the distance, at the road they had walked off, and then dog's barking that started getting closer and fast.
Brows drawing over his eyes the Orsimer looked at the mercenary.
"How-"
"Now will we go?"
"But you said there's people down there too?"
"Maybe they are not bad."
"And the people coming after us are?"
"Then what we do?!"
"I don't know!"
The two of them heard and watched as a grey, big mutt appeared from the main road to the path.
It had a leather collar with bird skulls and feathers on it. The dog barked angrily when seeing them, running towards.
Cursing the mercenary lifted her crossbow and shot at the beast but he dog was fast, avoiding the arrow and kept running towards them.
Dropping her weapon the woman pulled out a dagger and readied to stab the beast to death.
However, then the dog's masters arrived and they where Forsworns, fur armors on with bone ornaments and seeing them one readied their bow as other one was ready to throw a spear.
The spear holding one gave a command and the dog stopped, barking with bared teeth at the dagger holding Nord and hands bounded Orsimer.
The Forsworns started slowly approach them, one's arrow pointing at the mercenary while the other was ready to throw their spear at the bandit.
That's when Saar lunged to aside, jumping towards the rift and its river.
Grasping onto the Nord's backpack he pulled her along.
The Orsimer wasn't sure why he did it, taking the surprised woman with him. Maybe as a meat shield if the Forsworns would shoot? Maybe because even if the woman was a mercenary and taking him to Riften, she didn't deserve what the Madmen would do to her?
Whatever the reason was, they were rolling down. Again.
Saar really was having enough of the Reach and its hills, cliffs and all things you can roll down!
Over a ledge they flew and dropped down into the roaring river of the Reach.
The impact hitting onto the water knocked them both out of air, separated them and the current pulled them with it.
Gasping Saar fought against panic inside, knowing it would make his flowing worse, especially with his armor. He needed to relax and not fight against the current that pulled him. Getting onto his back the Orsimer adjusted to the river's flowing, which wasn't easy with bounded hands but he was experienced with surviving in a water.
Just had to be calm and not fight the current. Soon Saar noticed that...
...He didn't see the Nord.
Looking around the Orc tried to find the woman over the waves. Feeling slippery coldness running against his backbone when not seeing.
...Had he killed her? Pulling with him into the river? That hadn't been the intention when he escaped from the Forsworns with her.
Saar suddenly went under the surface as something rammed onto his back, pushing him under and then rolling over him. Under the surface the Orsimer saw a body.
Eyes widening he automatically grabbed onto the body before it moved out of his reach.
Getting himself back up, gasping for breath the Orsimer instinctively pulled the smaller body over him, holding from the wolf hide on them, as he tried to float on his back.
Keeping the mercenary close to him Saar noticed her being limp and none responding, her eyes closed.
His muscles were starting to wore out, after long walking, jumping and now working to keep himself and the other alive in the running river.
Closing his mouth, as the current pulled them both for a moment under the surface, the Orsimer started looking for any kind of place to rise from the river. In either side it was too steep and the current was getting faster, with that and weakening muscles it was harder to stay afloat.
He could let the woman go and on his own more likely survive.
The wolf hide that the woman wore was slipping off of her anyway, as he hold onto it and her.
Peeking over the woman the Orsimer heard and then saw how the water rose some and foamed ahead.
A waterfall.
...Did he anger some god with something he had recently done? First Forsworns, the mercenary and now a waterfall?
Apparently he had, as if like a sign the wolf hide came off from the Nord and she started slipping from him.
Cursing Saar let go of the stupid animal hide and tried to catch the woman but her armor's back was slippery. Without him she would drift at the current's mercy and certainly drown. Because he had pulled her with him.
In the moment of panic, not able to free his arms to put them around her, the Orsimer bit down into the Nord's shoulder. Where the armor's collar showed the cloth beneath and the soft flesh of her neck.
Saar tried not to bite to draw out blood but he had tusks, thick and from their tips sharp. Or the intact one was, the broken tusk's tip was rugged.
He first only faintly tasted the tone of blood before he wrapped his lips around the woman's skin to keep water from getting into his mouth.
He tasted the blood clearly now, though trying not to drink it. Needed to concentrate to survive here.
Though, was he strong enough to pull them both through the waterfall? Kicking Saar tried to steer towards the river's right bank. It didn't help, just wasted his energy.
The waterfall was right in front of them. The current was pulling strongly them to it.
Closing his dark brown eyes Saar prepared for the mauling. At least he tried to save them both, not just abandoning her to save himself.
That would be the few things he wouldn't regret in his life at least.
...Well. He felt himself stupid. Rather much. Really silly.
How should have he known, that there wasn't one but two waterfalls one after the other? And that the water was as shallow between them as drunk's mead in tankard's bottom?
After the small drop the big Orsimer had no trouble to stand up, walk himself and with his hands pull the woman to the river bank with no problem.
With sour expression the wet, panting Orc laid the woman onto her back and started pressing down her chest with his palms in rhythm.
Soon water poured out of her mouth, she started coughing violently and instinctively turned onto her side to empty her lungs.
She coughed like she never had, feeling like she was coughing her guts out and feeling warm, bitter fluid coming out from deep inside of her.
When there was no more strange liquid inside to get rid off, her body calmed down. But it was tired and hurt.
The Nord draw in deep breaths, kept laying on her side and felt wet to the bone. Her shoulder was aching like someone had stug her with a dagger.
That crazy bastard, what was he thinking?! She could have drowned, she didn't know how to swim!
Opening her eyes she looked up the Orsimer who was sitting next to her on the gravel ground. He was catching his breath, shoulders rising and falling, bound hands resting against bent knees. He glanced down at her.
From this angle... He looked big. He was bigger than her even when they stood side by side, the top of her head reaching a bit under his chest. Now as the mercenary laid on her side next to him, she felt somewhat... Intimidated.
In a weird excited way that she didn't have energy to study more closely now.
Pushing herself up, grimacing from hurt left shoulder the woman looked at the running river in front of them.
"Saved you this time", the Orsimer spoke. "Now I own just two favors to you."
The silver blue eyes squinted as she slowly turned her face towards and up to him.
"You pulled me in."
The Orc shrugged.
"Better the river than the Forsworns. Trust me."
"I can't swim." the Nord explained as she reached to lift the armor's shoulder part to see what had nicked her. She frowned when seeing two bleeding, two thumbs' thick wholes in her. "But thanks... Anyway..."
"Oh, those came as I couldn't take a hold of you. Had to bite into you, nothing personal. Sorry about that."
The woman's whole body went rigid and her gaze snapped back to the Orc. He raised a brow to her shocked expression.
"You did what!?"
"I bit you, hold onto you", Saar explained, smiling sheepishly. "They will heal, not deadly."
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, Oblivion no!
The woman rose quickly to stand, a staggering a bit. She grasped onto the mer's shoulders.
"Did you drink my blood?" she demanded with slight panic in her voice.
"Mm, maybe? I didn't try to, I don't feed-"
"So you did?! How much?" the woman's fingers were gripping onto the bandit's armor with whitening knuckles.
"I- Some? Why?" the Orsimer asked with pure confusion.
"You have to puke." the Nord commanded with grave voice.
"What?"
"You need to puke Saar, now."
"And why in the Oblivion?"
The Orsimer did not like how the woman was holding him and telling to puke, looking at him like this was serious. Why was it serious?
"Please, Saar you need to puke!"
The Orc didn't like this at all, no idea what this was about, but the woman's almost desperate, scared tone made him scared in turn.
Smacking her hands off the Orsimer stood up, turning around.
"Fine", he growled. "I'll... Puke, like you said."
Was she sick or something? The Orsimer turned his back to the mercenary and started trying to puke. Pressing his stomach and gagging until he vomited out, the bitter taste in his mouth. After the unpleasant act, spitting the awful taste, the Orsimer turned towards the woman who seemed relieved.
"You got a disease?" he asked while wiping his mouth. He grimaced as she nodded.
"Something like that." she answered and lifted her unharmed shoulder's arm to reach her back, but then halted, looking behind her.
"...Whe- My- Where's my hide?"
"Oh, it came off as I tried to keep you afloat."
"...And my backpack?"
"In the river."
...Covering her face with one palm the Nord sighed heavily.
Saar could not feel a bit... Responsible for loosing her stuff. But, it was either drown or survive. And she at least still had her weapons.
"Thank you for saving me", the woman mumbled, sighing again and looking around them. "Know where we are?"
"No idea", the Orc said while also looking around. "New to this region."
"Me too."
"Well ain't we lucky."
The mercenary laughed dryly.
After moment turning and looking the bandit slapped lightly the mercenary's shoulder, accidentally the one he had bit, as he said: "Hey."
The Nord didn't wince but she did tense, growling low in her throat and glaring up to him as she protectively shielded her hurt shoulder and took a step away. Bit of heat on his dark grey cheeks the Orsimer awkwardly pointed away from the river, over the bank where behind there was smoke rising.
The two walked up the bank and came to a road and saw a big house in front of them. The smoke was calmly rising from its chimney.
"Good find", the woman said, smiling up to him.
Shrugging his shoulders Saar looked away from her to the building. "Didn't nothing special."
"Still, good that you saw it. Come on, maybe they can help us."
As the mercenary started walking towards the building, the bandit followed behind. He was an Orsimer whose hands were bound. Not the best impression to give anyone whose help they needed.
As the two were going to step the stairs up to the house's porch, the outdoor opened and a man stepped out while carrying a heavy looking, empty kettle.
The all three of them halted, staring, until the red headed Nord spoke.
"Welcome travelers to the Old Hroldan Inn. I'm Skuli, the owner. You here for a night or just having a drink?"
The woman smiled apologizingly.
"I'm very sorry but we actually need help."
Raising a brow the man looked at the Nord woman and the Orc man, their wet appearances and the Orsimer being bound.
Ever calmly, with unsurprised expression, the inn keeper answered: "I see."
