Winds of the Ashfall: An Elder Scrolls Tale

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 20

Tirdas the 13th of Hearthfire 4E71 Afternoon

After passing through that door in the cliff face above the harbour on the Karth River, Alaron Suvaris followed that dimly lit tunnel for a short distance. A crudely carved stairway began to rise up through a larger cavern, leading to a more purpose built stairway enclosed within stone brick walls. The staircase continued onward and upward for several flights. In fact, there were so many runs of stairs that he'd quickly lost count of how many levels the ascent might have represented. Though the climb seemed arduous, it still seemed a welcome reprieve from the persistent rain coming down outside.

Eventually, it appeared that he'd finally arrived at his destination. Though it looked as though the staircase continued on upward, it seemed that the long stone corridor ahead led out to the city street. He could see a local city guard leaning against the wall just near the far end and also briefly observed somebody dashing past the opening in the muted daylight.

The Solitude guard appeared slightly startled as he noticed someone coming along the corridor toward him. Presumably, the noise of the rain falling outside masked the sound of his approach. Stepping away from the wall, the helmeted guard didn't immediately say anything, only seeming to be taking the measure of an unfamiliar Dunmer drawing near.

Beyond the open metal gates at the end of the corridor, it seemed that there might be some sort of cover overhead. The rain appeared to be falling heavier on either side of a relatively narrow section immediately outside.

Given that the guard remained silent, Suvaris chose to speak up first, affecting a courteous tone. "Good day to you."

The guard hesitated a moment. "And to you… though it ain't looking all that good."

Suvaris inclined his head. "Well no, it does seem that the rain is not looking likely to pass so quickly."

The guard shook his helmeted head. "No, it ain't. You up from one of them ships down in the harbour?"

Suvaris thought that it seemed perfectly evident, but he remained polite. "Yes, from the Zamsar."

A subtle movement of the guard's helmet indicated that the name probably meant nothing to him. "Temple or tavern?"

"Yes well, I'm expecting to find someone who has gone to the tavern."

The guard shrugged slightly. "Long as you ain't here to cause any trouble. Just head off to the left, through the marketplace. Tavern's on the right, just short of the front gates. Can't miss it."

After thanking the guard for the directions, Suvaris pulled up the hood of his heavy cloak and continued on his way.

Having never before been there, he didn't know all that much about Solitude, aside from what he'd previously read. Of course, he knew of the famed Blue Palace of Haafingar, where the ruling High King of Skyrim resided. He knew that each of the holds of that northern province were ruled over by a Jarl and that the High King ruled over them all. That was about the full extent of his knowledge in that regard.

He also understood that there was meant to be secondary castle located in Solitude, where the Imperial Legion was stationed and a northern residence for the Emperor was traditionally maintained. Of course aside from that period of turmoil during the Stormcrown Interregnum, the High King of Skyrim still maintained fealty to the standing Emperor of the aligned provinces.

The only other notable thing that he knew of in Solitude was the famed college for bards. He'd often thought it somewhat curious that Nords would hold such a thing in such high regard. Though he'd known some Nords to break into song when thoroughly inebriated, few would mistake what was heard for cultured performance. Even so, he'd observed troupes of performers in the Imperial City reputed to have perfected their skills at Solitude's Bards College and almost without exception, they all seemed a far cry from drunken Nords in an ale-house.

Up above where Suvaris had departed that corridor with the guard, he observed a stone walkway. That was the reason for the partial deflection of the rain coming down. It appeared to connect from that structure he'd just departed to a section of what he presumed to be that Imperial castle of the city. At least, he assumed that the fortified stone walls rising up above represented what he imagined must be a castle.

Just around the corner, a stone well stood by an open square. There were several market stalls arranged in a loose half-circle. However, nothing was under cover and nobody was standing about in the rain. A couple of sealed crates were chained to a post, but the open marketplace was obviously not operating at all during the inclement weather.

He could hear the sounds of a blacksmith working metal coming from up above and across the street. A column of smoke rose from a forge or the like. Though he couldn't see much from the street, it looked like some timber awnings provided some cover for the smith.

A little further along the path, Suvaris observed some other stores located within proper structures. They seemed a mix of general supply, except for the one on the right which appeared to service alchemical requirements and similar. Given that the structure seemed a little large for just an alchemy store, he casually wondered if that might have previously been the location of Solitude's Mages Guild, from back when that was still a going concern.

He also casually wondered where the old Fighters Guild had been in that city. He'd heard how that last Guildhall in Skyrim had finally closed up around fifteen years back. He'd thought that Chorrol's Guild Master had been intending to try to convince them to reconnect with the Guildhalls of Cyrodiil. However, that never came to pass.

Just where the guard had suggested, Suvaris spotted the tavern. He noticed a line of pigeons of bedraggled appearance huddling along the eaves at the side of the building. Though they were obviously trying to keep out of the rain, he considered how that might not be their only concern. Given what he'd seen down by the waterfront with that hawk taking a gull, he imagined that they commonly needed to remain wary of such concerns when the skies above were not quite so transparent.

Nearing the tavern, Suvaris noticed that the sign hanging from the front awning appeared much newer than the building itself. According the signage, the establishment was called the "No Solitude Inn". The image below the name featured a caricature of two smiling faces peering over tankards. Presumably, the current owner of the place thought that the name sounded especially clever, suggesting that nobody should come there to be alone.

Stopping under the dripping awning at the front of the place, Suvaris released a heavy sigh, then opened the timber door to step inside.

Though he'd heard nothing much from the outside, the inside of the No Solitude Inn seemed immediately as noisy as any other rowdy tavern where sailors might gather whenever they were at port. The thick stone walls certainly managed to contain the noise quite well.

Suvaris pulled back the hood of the heavy coat he was wearing and released the toggle buttons holding the front closed. He'd considered taking it off, but that seemed like it would be far more trouble than it was worth. It would be easier to leave it on.

Numerous voices echoed throughout the tavern, seemingly competing with the sounds of music coming from further inside. It wasn't just a single individual playing music in a corner of the tavern. From what he could tell, it sounded like a group of musicians were performing. At least one person was playing a stringed instrument of some sort, with another playing a flute, and a third individual keeping a beat on a drum. They were somewhere over to the right behind a wall, but the sounds reverberated throughout the tavern space. Presumably, the performers must have trained at that Bard College, as each they seemed quite skilled, as near as Suvaris could reasonably tell.

Though the music was not at all untuneful, it really did serve to make the place much noisier than he might have preferred. Perhaps more so, because so many of the tavern's patrons were not content to merely listen to the performance. Though some clapped along with the beating drum, many others sought to maintain other conversations, creating a noisy background dissonance.

Though the space immediately about the main entryway remained relatively clear, the same could not be said for everywhere else in the crowded tavern. Suvaris didn't make it very far before he found obstruction.

A boisterous Nord with long fair hair and a full beard, which failed to contain his gleeful grin, blocked Suvaris' path. He seemed quite likely to spill some of the ale from his tankard. "Dunmer. My gray-skinned brother… from the east. No solitude in here. Drink… drink and be merry." The big Nord laughed loudly at his own comments, then stepped aside, taking a long sip from his tankard.

Suvaris merely returned a respectful nod, then shuffled past, trying to make his way toward the service counter that he could see several paces ahead. Though it wasn't really so far to the northern side of the tavern area, getting over there seemed challenging. There were several more bodies standing between his position and that service counter. Some were in motion, but a number of them remained in place with drinks in hand. It seemed that there were far more people in the tavern than the seating could accommodate.

Though they seemed to make up a significant proportion of the patronage, they were not all Nords. A few paces out from the counter, a couple of Imperial men seemed to be engaged in a jovial discussion with a well-dressed Breton man. No matter who moved past them, they weren't voluntarily shifting from that position they'd claimed.

Just nearby, a male and female Redguard stood side by side, close to the western wall. Only from the way they were dressed, they looked like they might be desert traders or the like. They seemed notably out of place in Skyrim's northern capital.

Just briefly, Suvaris noticed two of those Redguard sailors from the Zamsar sitting on a bench seat in an alcove to his left. He still didn't know their names. They either hadn't spotted him passing by, or else just didn't care. He remained relatively unaffected either way.

Suvaris thought that he'd noticed another Dunmer male of rather fair complexion leaving the service counter. However, he quickly realised the mistake. He wasn't a Dunmer of a paler shade of gray. His eyes weren't even red. He was actually a fairly tall Bosmer with a dusky tan. Many, but not all of the Bosmer more commonly seen about Cyrodiil and nearer to their native Valenwood looked less like that.

Though not uncommonly muscular or even stout, most Bosmer males either directly from Valenwood, or only a few generations removed, tended to be far shorter in stature. The females tended to stand a little taller, but generally with notably slender frames.

He'd often suspected that it had something to do with the strict adherence to the Green Pact with Y'ffre, upheld by most Bosmer of the Valenwood. He imagined that a diet excluding all greenery had to have some sort of adverse affect over several generations.

That seemed supported by the evidence that many Bosmer growing up well beyond the Valenwood for a few generations, and eating the same as everyone else, seemingly grew taller and broader.

Casting aside his distracted thoughts, Suvaris finally had made it to the service counter by the northern wall. A younger Breton woman stood behind the bar with a slightly weary expression. She cast a look of expectation his way. "What are you here for?"

Suvaris raised his eyebrows, casting a quick glance over the listing of what was on offer. "Ah… well, perhaps a… Nord mead?"

The Breton behind the bar returned a stern nod, then set to filling a tankard.

Suvaris didn't really want the drink, but since he was in a tavern, it served the purpose of keeping up appearances. He soon exchanged coin for mead.

The Breton noted that he didn't seem completely done. "Something else?"

Suvaris met her gaze more directly. "I don't suppose that you've noticed a younger Dunmer in here, perhaps of somewhat similar appearance to myself?"

The Breton woman shrugged. "Think there's a few Dunmer in here. Some off the ships, I expect. Can't say if any of them look like you. Maybe… you oughta go take a look around for yourself."

Suvaris returned a gracious nod and retreated from the counter with his tankard in hand. He found a spot just off to one side to stop for a moment. Looking about, he couldn't immediately see anybody who might be who he was looking for.

Seated at a table in a corner not far from the service counter, but where the performers could still be seen, there was a family of Nords with two noisy and restless children, who seemed reluctant to remain in their seats.

On a bench seat by the wall near that family, he noticed an older Dunmer male was sitting with a female of similar age. He expected that they might be husband and wife.

He looked about the other tables and seats of the main area in view. He spotted another Dunmer among a group of Nords and Imperials, but he was surely too old and dark of colouring to be that Travlon.

Suvaris then noticed there were more people upstairs, where a balcony overlooked the middle of the tavern space. He couldn't see how many people were up there, but it looked like quite a few. He decided to make his way for the staircase over the eastern side. Even if he didn't find him up there, he thought that he might stand to gain a better view of the whole place from up above.

Shuffling past a group of rowdy Nords clapping the musicians on, Suvaris found the wooden stairs at the back and made his way to the level above. There were a few more people standing about with drinks in hand and some more seated over nearer to the railing of the balcony.

Among a mixed variety of individuals, he finally noticed a younger Dunmer leaning against the wall near the balcony. A few boisterous Nords were seated at a table just next to him.

Suvaris managed to make his way through the throng to where that other Dunmer was standing and sipping from a tankard. At a glance, he thought that he could see something of his brother in his look. The musicians had paused to allow a wave of applause to pass and one of them announced that a singer was about to join them.

Suvaris tried to quickly gain the other Dunmer's attention before the opportunity seemed lost. "Travlon, Travlon Suvaris?"

The younger Dunmer turned slightly and looked up from his tankard with a suspicious frown. Aside from clearly recognising another Dunmer looking his way, he appeared otherwise unmoved. "Why? Whatsit to ya?"

"My name is Alaron Suvaris."

The younger returned another suspicious frown, only taking a moment to examine the strange face. "So what?"

Suvaris released a little sigh. "My brother's name was Travlon and his wife's name, Evyna. They had a young son called Taron, my nephew."

The younger Dunmer's expression slowly shifted. He appeared slightly less defensive and possibly more confused. "Me old man's name was Taron."

"Taron Suvaris?"

"Well, yeah. Didn't have no family but. Got orphaned back when the lizards rampaged through the homeland."

"Hoy, you two. Want to hear the bards." A large and hairy Nord cast an angry expression in their direction.

Suvaris responded with an understanding bow, then gestured to Travlon, inviting him to follow him away from the Nords, toward the back of the upper level. Still looking somewhat uncertain, the younger Dunmer did as he suggested.

"So wot yer tryin' to say is… wot yer sayin' is ya reckon we're related?"

Suvaris returned a sage nod. "I believe so."

Travlon's expression conveyed his doubt.

"My brother, Travlon, his wife and their son, Taron, all lived in a small farming village, just south-east of Kragenmoor. As did I, my wife Morena, and our children Arisa & Varen."

The younger Dunmer shook his head. "Dunno any of them other names. Only that me old man's name was Taron… and he named me Travlon, after his own father."

"He would have only been very young when… when it all happened." Suvaris paused with a grimace.

Travlon shook his head again. "As far as I know, me old man got found by the River Thir… when he was real young… and got taken to Mournhold with lotsa others. Dunno nothin' about any other family. Reckoned that he had none. None alive, anyways."

Suvaris went on to explain what he knew. He'd been told that all his family and his brother's family had perished in an accident while fleeing from the Argonians headed in their direction. He'd been away on Fighters Guild business when all that happened and failed to make it back in time. He further explained how after losing all his family, he'd eventually ended up staying in Cheydinhal after helping others make it over there. Up until just a few weeks before, he'd held no idea that Taron might have survived. He'd mourned them all and long ago resolved to live with his great regrets, channelling his energies toward helping others.

Taking it all in, Travlon seemed to struggle with the details. It wasn't necessarily that didn't believe it, only that he hadn't known most of it before. He told Suvaris some more of what he knew of his father. After passing some time in Mournhold, he understood that his father eventually ended up living with a family of farmers over near Bosmora by the coast.

Only after being prompted, Travlon revealed that he'd also lost his father when he was fairly young. He understood that Taron used to work on a sea-going fishing vessel and then one day, he just never came back. The ship was believed lost in a storm while there were out on the eastern sea. His mentioned how his mother worked with the fishmongers at Bosmora, when he was young. However, once he was old enough to make it on his own, she took off with a travelling trader from the north and he hadn't seen her since. He didn't seemed interested in saying any more about any of it.

"Dunno wotcha want from me. Maybe we're blood related, but it ain't like we're real family. Not really. Didn't even know you existed until now."

Suvaris tilted his head slightly, releasing a little sigh. "I suppose that I'm not really expecting anything. I wasn't even convinced that I'd find you… or that you truly were my brother's grandson."

Travlon shrugged. "Well, I s'pose it looks like I might be. Leastways, from the sounds of wot ya say. Don't reckon it changes nothin' but."

Suvaris returned a resigned nod. "No, I suppose that it doesn't really change what lies in the past. Even so, I'm glad to know that something our family remains. I wish… I wish that I'd known…"

Travlon finished emptying the last of the content of his tankard. "Yeah well, ya didn't know. So, that's that. Like ya say, can't change the past."

Suvaris again nodded, indicating his acceptance. "No, can't change the past. I'm still glad to know that I'm not the last Suvaris. Added to that, you're still quite young. You've plenty of time to start a family of your own."

Travlon scoffed. "B'vek, ain't got nothin' like that in me sights. Never know, I s'pose."

"There's always time." Suvaris was trying to sound optimistic, but it was somehow coming out as rather maudlin.

Travlon again looked to his empty tankard. "Well, it's been ah… been real interestin' ta meet ya, but I can't hang about. Gotta get me arse back down to the ship. We're hopin' ta have another go at headin' out again in the mornin', if the weather let's us."

Suvaris felt like he wanted to say much more, but he was feeling at something of a loss in the moment. Even so, he reached for something more before the younger Dunmer walked away. "Well, Travlon… I'm travelling on the Zamsar. We may well meet again, if we're at the same port… at the same time. After that, I'll be heading back to Cheydinhal."

Travlon returned a sharp nod. "Yeah, got it." With that, he turned and walked away.

Suvaris watch him walk off, feeling rather despondent. He remained standing by the back wall for several moments just going over his thoughts. He wasn't really sure what he'd been expecting once he'd finally found Travlon, if he found him. Only that he imagined that it might have been something different from actually what transpired.

Without enjoying it all, he drank down the mead he was holding. After a short while, he'd decided that it must be getting rather late in the day and that he should probably start making his way back down to the Zamsar before it was any later.

Leaving the tavern behind, Suvaris pulled up his hood and stepped back outside to the street. He paused for a lengthy moment under the awning in front of the place. He noted the mist about the hot glass of the burning oil lamp hanging from the wooden beam extending outward from the awning. Any hope that the rain might have finally passed was quickly dismissed. Though the drizzle seemed perhaps a little lighter than earlier, it show no sign of actually stopping. In some fashion, the weather seemed to reflect his mood.

He didn't think that the sun had actually set behind the mountains quite yet. However under the heavy cloud overhead, it already seemed as though night had effectively fallen over the city. Even if had been after sunset, with both moons likely remaining hidden behind the thick blanket of dark cloud, it seemed an even gloomier than typical evening was ahead.

Gazing outward, across and down the street, similar oil lamps burned out the front of the other buildings immediately in view and he could see some other enclosed streetlamps off in the distance, which had also already been lit. There seemed just enough light for anyone to navigate the streets, if they chose to be out in that terrible weather. Aside from what seemed to be either a drunkard or a beggar snoozing by a pushcart beneath the awnings of the store across the street, Suvaris seemed to be the only person standing outside at that particular moment. Obviously, Travlon was long gone and probably close to the docks by then.

He might have reasonably expected to see a local city guard posted by the fortified city entrance or something like that, but none were in view. He supposed that they might be out on the other side of the gates, or else up somewhere in the ramparts above. It was fair to think that nobody really wanted to be out in that weather, if there was any way to avoid it.

With a heavy sigh, Suvaris started to head off back in the direction of where he'd previously come from. Just as he was passing the alchemical store on his left and making use of the cover from the awning extending from the front of that place, he changed his mind, considering going back the other way instead. He wasn't at all certain of the logic of it. He didn't really know whether the other path was shorter or longer than the way he'd come earlier. He just felt like walking the path via that small hamlet outside of town, instead of going back down to the waterfront via that seemingly endless staircase through the rock.

As he was crossing the distance between the two buildings, Suvaris thought that he heard shuffling noises near the back of the alchemy store. The sounds of his own footsteps and that of the rain falling upon his hood obscured what he could clearly hear. He heard what sounded like a dull thud as he paused. Turning his head, he just barely caught sight of what seemed to be the movement of a figure in the shadows behind a tree. Though it remained difficult to easily see, he thought that it looked like someone leaping up onto the wall or else something at the back of the building.

The figure immediately disappeared from view into the shadows. His curiosity piqued, Suvaris shifted a few steps nearer. He just caught view of some movement on what looked like an elevated surface of some sort behind the building. He thought that it looked like a large bundle was being dragged further into the shadows.

His thoughts combined what he thought he'd heard with what little he could see, to assemble a likely sequence of events. He tenuously decided that something large had just been tossed up onto the ledge of the wall at the back of that alchemy store and that someone had jumped up there to drag it away. It also seemed that there was more than just the ledge of the stone wall, possibly an elevated platform behind it or the like.

Given that it was dark and rainy, nobody else was around, and whoever was back there was acting very quietly with no lantern or other light source, it all seemed highly suspicious. It was perfectly fair to conclude that it was probably somebody up to no good.

Suvaris sighed inwardly, taking a few more steps in that direction. It could be easily argued that whatever was going on was not really his concern. However, his conscious nagged at him, telling him otherwise.

As he was cautiously approaching a little closer to the stone wall near the back of the building, he considered that rather than disturbing a smuggler or thief, he might well have been risking the interruption of something even more dangerously nefarious. Whatever was tossed up onto that elevated platform seemed suspiciously large. A combination of instinct and imagination told him that the dark bundle seemed suspiciously close to the size of a person.

Before he'd made it past the tree to get close enough to the stone wall, he heard a scraping noise. It sounded metal on stone. That noise was followed by a clanging thud.

Suvaris held in place, trying to peer into the shadows. He really couldn't see any movement, or much of anything. Since that last noise, he'd heard nothing but the sounds of falling rain. He cautiously stepped up onto a large pile of rocks next to the stone wall, but still sensed no indication of anybody there.

He quietly sighed again. Uncertain of exactly what might be going on, he couldn't shake his sense of suspicion and bring himself to just walk away.

With slightly more difficulty than he anticipated, he managed to cautiously climb up onto the stone wall at the back of the alchemy store. Remaining crouched down, he paused in position, slightly annoyed that water had run down inside the sleeves of that heavy coat that he was wearing over his armour. There was still nothing or no one to be seen.

The only thing that he could clearly tell was that there actually was a relatively small stone platform up there between the back of the building and the much taller stone wall rising up to those smithing stores out the front of the Imperial castle.

Still crouching low, he cautiously shifted forward a little. In the dim shadows, Suvaris found what appeared to be a sewer cover set into the surface of the stone platform. At least, he thought that it seemed just like the sewer covers he'd observed back in the street. That seemed to add up with the noises he'd just heard. The figure in the shadows had most likely gone down through that access point and then pulled the cover back into place.

Perhaps a little late to be thinking about it, he reminded himself that he'd left his proper weapons back on the ship in the lockup. He only had a short dagger on him. Though he didn't have his helmet or gauntlets either, he was wearing the rest of his armour. Aside from his underclothes, that was all that he generally wore at most times.

Unwilling to turn away from further investigation, Suvaris paused a moment to prepare the most powerful frost spell that he knew, as well as a shielding spell to reinforce the effectiveness of his armour.

With the shielding spell cast, his dagger in one hand and the frost magic ready to be called upon, he shifted the metal cover aside as quietly as he could manage and then cautiously peered down inside.

It seemed perfectly dark and quiet down below. He pulled back his hood and listened more intently, but there seemed nothing to hear or see. Finding the top of a wooden ladder seemingly affixed to the wall below, he cautiously started to descend.

Suvaris cringed inwardly at the subtle creaking noises resulting from his movement on that wooden ladder. He'd specifically chosen to leave that heavy sewer cover exactly where it was, rather than trying to drag it back into place. He didn't want to risk making any unnecessary noise and also wanted to leave an easy exit available.

A few moments later, Suvaris found the bottom. It felt like solid rock beneath his boots. There seemed that there was nothing to light the way. Pausing again, he could still see nothing or hear nothing, but for some distant dripping sounds. He could feel a rough stone wall just behind the ladder.

Keeping his hand upon that wall, he took a tentative step toward his left. Though it seemed cool and damp down there. He noted that he could sense none of the smells he might reasonably expect from a sewer. There was a distinctive musty smell on the air, but nothing worse than that.

It was only once he'd followed along the wall a few paces and found a corner, that he finally noted the faintest glimmer of some light coming from somewhere off to his right. He crouched down and observed that the distant light appeared to be coming from somewhere at a higher elevation. It took him a moment to understand that there was a ramp or stairway between his position and the distant light.

Though he couldn't really see where he was going, he carefully edged his way forward. Along the way, he found a couple of timber supports up against the stone wall, as well as something made of metal leaning against the wall that might have been lamp-stand or the like. He continued forward for several paces until he found what seemed to be a stone step, with another one just above it. That told him that it was a flight of steps, rather than a ramp. He became more convinced that it wasn't a sewer, but he held no idea of exactly what that place was about.

As quietly as possible, Suvaris continued onward, taking care not to stumble upon the shadowed steps. He'd still yet to hear or see anything down there. He felt that he might have been more comfortable if he'd run into trouble right away, rather than having to go look for it in the darkness.

That dim light coming from up ahead still cast nothing far enough to illuminate his position, but it did serve to provide a beacon. Perhaps half way along those stairs he was slowly climbing, he paused with his hand upon another timber support. He thought that he saw something rapidly pass between the source of light and where he was standing. It was either that, or he'd blinked. He couldn't tell which. He held in place for a moment, listening intently.

Just as he'd decided that there was nothing to hear and was ready to continue, he thought that he heard shuffling noises on the stone. Though it was hard to make out, something like a choking sound made it to his ears. That was followed by a dull thud, then a second thudding noise shortly afterward.

He imagined that even if he rushed forward, it would be far too late to put a stop to what he suspected those sounds to represent. Instead, he cautiously continued upward as quickly and quietly as he dared, keeping very close to the wall on his left and minding his step to avoid stumbling.

Just nearing the top of the steps, he could finally see the source of the light. A single lit lantern was sitting upon the stone floor, just near an open passageway off to the right of the space small ahead.

Without entering that space at the top of the stairs, Suvaris held position, trying to see or hear whoever or whatever was up there. He held his dagger at the ready in his right hand and remained prepared to unleash an ice attack from his left, but he had yet to observe any probable target.

Just as he'd decided that he was ready to edge forward, he found himself unable to move at all. It didn't feel quite like paralysis magic, but he seemed unable to move his limbs or even shift his weight. Aside from some movement of his eyes and still being able to breathe, every other part of his body refused to respond to his will. He was suitably alarmed by that circumstance, but seemingly unable to do anything about it.

~O~