Mid Year 13, 4E1

"Thought it would be a while before I had to walk this path again," I said to Tienaava as we walked, seeing as it had been a relatively long time since one of us threw a topic out for conversation. My mind rushed back to analyze the words instantly after I spoke them. Since we'd be stuck together for quite some time, I kept wondering what impression I was making on him.

"You'd be surprised the places our jobs take us." He replied.

I got the feeling the Yellow Road wasn't well traveled; the Inns were few and far between, and the same went for settlements. In fact, any piece of civillization was hard to find here. The terrian was getting gradually less hilly, a good thing because it meant no more strenuous climbs, but it was raining now. Eitherway, our determination was such that rain, mud, and even highwaymen barely seemed to phase us. Tienaava said there was an Inn nearby, and I'd, none the less, be glad to put an end to this constant walking, especially because there hadn't been anything to do but bounce conversational topics off eachother.

We came across a hill, what I thought I could safely conclude would be our last one, which seemed to attract Tienaava's eyes. Good, that seemed to indicate something promising.

"This way." He said, turning towards the hill. It seemed like an odd place to walk to get to an Inn, as it seemed to lead to nothing but more lush and mysterious wilderness. Still, he started walking up the steep hill. There was no visible path, but I trusted him. I, as usual, followed behind. I almost wished I could have been more useful in all of this. The hill was muddy, meaning getting traction was difficult and made walking up it all the harder. I startled myself by almost slipping half-way up, but thankfully made it to the top without any injuries.

Now at the top of the hill, I could see an Inn in the distance. Like a hidden treasure, it seemed to have been concealed by the wilderness and Cyrodiil's bizarre terrain. Unlike a hidden treasure, I had to wonder what the owner was thinking by putting it there. Still, it must have been somewhat known, otherwise Tienaava wouldn't be leading me there. Tienaava began walking down the other side of the hill, descending gradually down a vaguely visible wooden path.

I got an odd feeling of adventure as the hidden path became more and more revealing. It was like the path had been the leftover of an ancient ruin, like nature was trying to take it back, but clearly the Inn was still in business even though it was hard to see through the thick and mysterious woods. It seemed almost dreamy; a rainy evening, journeying such a long way to find out what happened to a friend. It seemed, in the slightest bit...fun, I guess, but that was because I'd still not fully come to terms with the reality of it. It was just like reading a book right now. I didn't really know what I should feel. Was this a time for hope, because we had an idea of where the missing Shadowscale was located, or a time for despair because it was evident he could be in great danger? I guess I couldn't say I had no strong feelings eitherway; I did, but they pretty much cancelled eachother out.

How big was the area of Bogwater we had to search? What would Goes-in-heavy be like after he was found? That, of course, depended on what made us lose him in the first place, which was the biggest question of all.

As we began our descent down the muddy hill to the bridge, I controlled each step carefully, trying to keep my feet firmly in the ground when they weren't moving to avoid falling forward; another thing I hated about hills. The mud made it far worse. Still, the path continued to be more and more appearant, until we eventually arrived at the shores of Silverfish river. The sand was hardly better for traction, making those particular steps tougher, but the path was now fully visible. There was a bridge to the other side of the river.

The bridge was rickety, and had a tendency to sway, but with the heavy rain already pouring on us, it wouldn't mean much if the bridge were to crack under our feet. I had plenty of experience swimming, and we couldn't get much wetter.

The Inn itself was surrounded by a stone wall, and actually looked rather nice when we were so close. At least, the outside did, as the plants growing our it made it like a very idyllic place.

Cleaver held the door opened as I went in, then tightly closed it behind us. The sound of the rain was now drastically muffled, and the Inn seemed to carry an aura of comfort. The fire crackled and gave off a nice warmth. All very pleasant.

Someone who appeared to be a mage was drinking heavily at one of the tables, while a Legion soldier was eating some meat at the bar. The smells reawoke my hunger. There were two free seats. Unfortunatly, I'd be sitting next to the Legionary, which always made me feel uncomfortable and nervous even when I couldn't think of anything to worry about. Whatever the case my hunger took much higher priority.

I sat down between Tienaava and the soldier. The stool was hard and didn't mold well with my body, but I had other concerns; hunger.

"I'm not saying Colovians are dumb. Some are just hard-headed." The hostess said to the Legion soldier, obviously continuing a conversation we hadn't heard the beginning of.

The soldier laughed "I hear ya!" He replied. I was annoyed just by his presence, given that, through my work with the Dark brotherhood, I'd seen what a bunch of fakes they tended to be. They did half as much for justice, yet were twice as pompous about it as any member of the Dark brotherhood I'd ever seen. The hostess, in a seemingly less friendly manner, dropped a menu infront of me and Cleaver, or, as I'd need to get used to calling him in public, Climbs-Rocks.

However, another question was coming into my mind. How would I feel about all this in the morning? How would this issue feel when my thoughts had time to fall into place. I was so immersed in my world of thought, I almost forgot my manners; as soon as I realized I politely put my tail next to my right leg.

I looked down at the menu. It felt great to be indoors, with the crackling fire and sound of rain beating down on the roof. My stomach was making all manner of bubbily noises as I looked at the menu. My hunger made me feel awake, but few productive thoughts were going through my head

I decided to just order a salad, since that would take no time to cook. Right now, I was there to get filled up. Taste was a secondary priority. I didn't even pay attention to what Tienaava ordered, I just watched the hostess make our meals, hoping mine would come first. I was somewhat spacey as I waited, no longer looking for a new conversational topic for Tienaava and me to examine and express our thoughts on. Infact, it was like I wasn't even concious until my meal came as the soldier and hostess continued their conversation.

When it was ready and brought to me, I dug in without hesitation. I ate it at full speed, thoughtless as animal. I didn't really take time to think about the meal. I had the feeling I was going through the day almost the same way. I knew so much was transpiring, and I had a feeling I would regret not taking time to step back and think about it in the morning, because by then I'd be deeper in this "Scar-tail" issue than I was prepared to be. Still, I couldn't help it. It was so unexpected, and there was so much to take in all at once, that I didn't know where to start.

Tienaava and I both ate in silence, making me almost forget he was there. By the time I was finished, the Legion soldier had gotten up and left. I was ready for something extra by the time I finished my meal. The salad had done wonders for my hunger, but I knew I'd feel more content to have a bit more food. I couldn't say I felt anymore accute, but certainly more comfortable.

The "extra" I decided on was a small bowl of black berries. As she poured the berries into a bowl, I remembered the coldness coating my skin. Obviously I was still wet from the rain. I half said, half-mummbled to Tienaava "I think I'll go sit by the fire." I picked up my bowl of black berries and headed over to one of the empty chairs which was coated in the fire's glow and warmth.

I watched the fire with a spacey fascination as I put black berries in my mouth and chewed them almost mechanically, watching the fire slowly devour the log and up in an infinitely light, graceful manner. It felt almost like a product of my imagination. Being so exhausted, my mind felt like it was drifting out of conciousness as I watched. My thoughts, the falling of the rain onto the roof, and the fire all seemed to begin to meld inseperably. Tienaava, I presumed, was still eating what he'd ordered. He needed to dry as much as I did, though.

It had been an amazing 3 weeks. It had felt as long as 3 months. So much satisfaction, so much stress, so much adventure, so much of everything that made my time in Cyrodiil so memorable. But, I wondered, had I really taken it in as much as I should have?

I got up after finishing the black berries to give the bowl back to the hostess. Tienaava was eating the last bit of his meal while I did so, and pushed his plate away before I even turned back to the fire.

"The two of us would like to stay for the night," He said to the hostess. I had a feeling he'd purposely spoken before I could get out of earshot "Could you accomodate?"

"Why yes, I have two beds upstairs. They're not the nicest beds in Cyrodiil, but they're cheap. 20 gold and they're yours for the night." Hearing the hostess herself depreciate her beds made me feel slightly apprehensive about sleeping in them, but at least the fact that there were two of them allowed me to dodge a rather awkward situation.

Tienaava looked up at me, and I gave an approving nod. It was probably my turn to pay, seeing as he payed for the healing potions, and I immediatly reached into my pocket, pulling out exactly the cost of the beds. I handed it to the hostess. I'd probably be about ready to go to sleep once I'd dried off completely. I went back to sitting by the fire. Not long after, I heard Tienaava lift up his stool to join me.

I stared at the fire with a seemingly mindless but endless amusement, watching little splinters of wood burn and fall. At a micro-level, the destruction felt so...epic. But I knew my attention shouldn't have been on such petty things. I'd felt such a range of emotions today, and I felt somehow disoriented. I knew I needed to be more serious about this, but how? Rescuing "Scar-tail" wouldn't be as casual an affair as Claudius Arcadia, but what was I supposed to feel? I knew this assignment might be the greatest test of loyalty and friendship, maybe even dedication, I had yet to face, but that meant I had nothing to compare it to.

But right now, my eye-lids felt heavy as led. I wanted to dry off before going to bed, though that was it as far as activities for the rest of the day.

So little happened as I sat by the fire that it was hard to estimate how much time had passed, but, at some point, for no particular reason, I decided I was sufficently dry and told Cleaver I was heading off to bed purely on willpower. I then remember the slight apprehension I had for the beds upstairs. It was time to see what these beds looked like.

I walked up the steps, around the chimney. The floor creaked as I did. The Inn had a rustic feel, more so than Witsetutsi's, and it gave it an adventurous charm. I hoped the beds would, at the very least, be clean. Nothing would be too uncomfortable to fall asleep in at this time, as I was enveloped in a hearty exhaustion, but I wasn't sure I could deal with bed bugs or anything of that sort.

The second floor of the Inn was odd. It seemed to have a second, significantly smaller area for dining. The layout to the Inn looked a bit...off. I opened a door to reveal the next set of steps, which led to the top floor, where the beds were.

The beds seemed to be located in an attic of sorts, resting on loosely layed wooden boards, in a fashion that didn't seem at all organized. It seemed like this whole place was once a house, made into an Inn very recently.

I pinched the covers, lifting them like they were diseased, just to be sure. The bed didn't look outrageously comfortable, which was actually a good sign, as it seemed to be what justified the price. In other words, the bed seemed clean. I ran my hand across the mattress just incase, but didn't feel any anomalies.

I didn't bother to make any preparations, I simply put myself under the covers and sunk into the bed. There was a moment of bliss as I cuddled up with the covers, even though they weren't very soft. I closed my eyes, entering my own little Void; peace and darkness with only a few subtle colors moving around in a patternless way. One question went through my mind before falling into the embrace of darkness, however. Would I wake up miraculously enlightened, knowing how I should feel about Goes-in-heavy's whereabouts, maybe even an idea of what most likely happened to him, or would my thoughts feel just as unsorted in the morning?