Spread the word!
The Thalmor have defiled our homeland, and the Ninth Divine! Will you sit idly by while they do as they please? Even now, they have blocked Windhelm off from the rest of Skyrim, no doubt because it is where the Ninth is so openly revered and loved!
Rise up, Nords of Skyrim! Oust these foul elves from our province, whether that be by escort or by execution! Show them that their words are worthless and their threats are laughable! Do not give in to what the elves want from you! Rise up with us, and let's remove the Thalmor from Skyrim forever!
Glory to the true Nordic way of life! Death to the elves that oppose us!
"Yer a disappointment," Mia muttered quietly as Runael sat down at the foot of the stairs, just inside the Aretino Residence.
"I had my reasons for-" she began to say softly.
"What reasons could anyone have for condemnin' someone t'death?" Mia joined Runael at the foot of the stairs.
Together, Mia and Runael had managed to save Elenwen's life. She was recovering upstairs, in the back room; Mia had left her bed roll for Elenwen to lay upon and rest.
"You wouldn't understand," the Arch-Mage sighed.
"Try me."
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. The Augur of Dunlain told me that a loved one would, despite meaning well, ultimately betray me, and that an enemy would save my life from that betrayal. I wondered if Elenwen was the 'loved one' - I still do, in fact - and I thought that if she died..."
"I get it. If ya let her die, ya wouldn't need t'worry 'bout bein' betrayed."
"Exactly."
"Still, that ain't yer call t'make - and 'sides, if yer enemy were supposed t'save ya, it ain't like ya were gonna die or nothin'." Mia affixed Runael with a stare. "If this here... 'Augur' of yers said she were gonna betray ya, then at least ya had warnin'. Elenwen? She had no warnin' of yer own near betrayal t'her. She's important t'ya, aye? And now, yer the one betrayin' her, or the one what tried t'betray her."
Runael closed her eyes, mostly to break that piercing gaze. "Betrayal is never easy to accept. I've been betrayed before in my life. Even if I'm warned of it, it's not any easier to prepare for."
"If ya know the pain of betrayal, then why would ya wish it on someone else? If it ain't so easy t'take, then why would ya make someone else take it?"
Runael hadn't thought about it like that.
"Just 'cause ya been betrayed don't make it right t'betray others. There's a reason people want revenge on them what betrays 'em: it's 'cause it hurts so much."
"I know..."
"How ya think Elenwen's gonna react t'yer betrayal? Ya were gonna let her die, and without tryin' t'save her life, at that. It took me - me - tryin' t'save her t'make ya realize ya were bein' selfish."
Runael didn't answer. She didn't want to face that confrontation with Elenwen. The fact that she was dreading another confrontation with Elenwen was not lost on her, and she chuckled bitterly. "It's funny... I've betrayed her trust once already, and she didn't... take it so well. And yet, here I am again..."
Mia watched the mer for a time. "Ya gotta set it right afore it festers," she said after a moment. "If it festers, ya ain't never gonna make things better, no matter how hard ya try in the future; that pain will stay and grow the longer ya blow it off."
Runael looked at the woman, and smiled faintly. "You seem rough and tumble, Mia, but you're actually quite... insightful. You possess more wisdom than you let on."
"It ain't wisdom, it's experience." Mia returned the smile. "But thank ya."
"So you've been-"
"Betrayed? Aye, more times'n I care t'count. Mostly people tryin' t'kill me t'hoard loot from Dwemer ruins or Nordic ruins, but a few of them betrayals... very personal, very painful, even now. They were years and years ago, but as I said, betrayals fester if they ain't settled... and if I ever meet them bastards what betrayed me in the past, gods have mercy on them, 'cause I ain't gonna." Mia clenched her hands into fists.
Runael sighed, and leaned against the wall nearest her. "...My first real betrayal was Ancano," she murmured. "He was a Thalmor Ambassador to the College of Winterhold. I was sent to help him accomplish his mission: to become the Arch-Mage of the College. Elenwen... when she sent me, it was because he was my instructor in Destruction magic, several decades ago. I hadn't seen him since, but it was... an unusual reunion. He was equally relieved and annoyed that I was there - relieved it was me, but annoyed that she thought he needed help. As things developed in the College, with me at the center, things between Ancano and myself became... strained.
"It boiled over when he tried to kill me twice - once in Labyrinthian, sending another Thalmor agent after me, and again at the College, when I was trying to stop the Eye from threatening... everything, really. He was trying to abuse it for his own ends; the fact that I was trying to stop him and save everything apparently came as a betrayal to him."
"Were that the only time ya been betrayed?"
She shook her head. "The rest aren't as notable, though. They're ancient history by now."
"Hmm... but if ya ask me, that don't seem like betrayal. Seems t'me like he were becomin' an enemy t'the College and everyone everywhere, and ya fell in with that number."
"But-"
"No. Ya don't understand what it means t'be truly betrayed. When that damn cat tried t'kill ya from behind, when ya weren't lookin'... that were betrayal. He weren't yer enemy until then. No, with this Ancano prick, ya saw the tensions buildin' over time, and ya took the chance t'protect everyone from him. That ain't betrayal, that's survival."
Runael smiled faintly once again. "True... In any case, I was right. You do possess wisdom."
"Experience," Mia said, as if correcting her.
"Experience usually becomes wisdom."
"Eh... fair enough."
They heard footsteps approaching the top of the stairs from behind them.
"She's awake," Adalla said quietly. "And... she wants to talk to you, Runael."
Runael looked at Adalla over her shoulder, then back at Mia, and back to Adalla once more. "Alright."
"She said you don't have a choi- oh." Adalla blinked; apparently, she hadn't been expecting the Arch-Mage to agree so readily. "Um... alright then." She stepped to the side so Runael could step by her.
"G'luck," Mia said, patting Runael's shoulder. "If yer gonna save what ya got with her, yer gonna need it."
"Thank you, Mia. For everything." She rested her hands on the woman's shoulders, then slipped her arms around her in a brief hug. "I can see why Adalla likes you. You're honest and blunt, and mean well too. Not everyone can say the same."
The woman blinked as she was hugged, but returned it slowly. "Thanks... I think."
"It was a compliment."
"Then thank ya." She let go of Runael, then reached up to gently smack her cheek. "I ain't, however, tolerant of people what try t' get outta confrontin' the inveri... inriver..." Her brow furrowed.
"'Inevitable'?" Adalla offered.
"Aye, that's the word. Inemitable."
"Inevitable," Adalla repeated, looking amused.
"S'what I said," Mia protested.
"No, you made the 'v' an 'm'. Big difference."
"Wha? Oh."
Runael giggled softly, and started up the stairs. "You two will be happy together, I know it. You're fated for great things, and will accomplish much at one another's side."
"You're making it sound like more than it is," Adalla said, blushing profusely.
"Oh. You're not like that?"
"No." They both said it at the same time.
She smiled over her shoulder as she stood in the doorway. "Well, you've got synchronized responses perfected, at any rate," she teased. "You had me fooled."
"Thellias, news from our scouts." Anasteria was holding a tightly-rolled scroll. "Whiterun seems to be on the move - and advancing on Windhelm's position."
"Oh?"
"Either that, or they're preparing something for Riften. Given our blockade, though, I think the former is more likely."
"Hmm..." He rubbed his chin lightly, gazing out over the city of Windhelm from his position. The sun was starting to rise now, and pitched the ancient city in a beautiful glow. He had to admit, he wouldn't mind waking to the sight from that moment forth... but it wasn't worth living in Skyrim for the rest of his life.
"Your decision?"
"Let them march. Our scouts will keep us informed if they advance on Windhelm directly, and not Riften. If they make their way towards us, we'll prepare for them accordingly."
"You're not-"
"Worried? No. If it's simply Whiterun, as I suspect it is, we outnumber them - and we have the advantage of the barricades. My biggest concern is with that priest... if he's leading the charge, we may have a challenge on our hands."
"You fought him too?" Anasteria asked, blinking in surprise. "And he...?"
"Yes, he beat me. Him and his little cronies. They didn't hurt me physically, thanks to my armor, but they did wear me out and escape before I could recover. Still, if I weren't in my ebony armor... I don't want to imagine what could have happened. He's formidable, for a priest."
Anasteria nodded solemnly. "He is. He left me injured back in Alinor. He left me for dead, but underestimated my own resilience. If he shows his face here, he'll pay for it very dearly."
"Alone, we couldn't beat him... but together, we are stronger." Thellias gave Anasteria a smile.
"Let's hope so. I didn't fight him alone in Alinor; I had two other soldiers fighting alongside me. He killed both of them and left me wounded, and I'm wearing glass armor. He managed to wear you out, and you're wearing ebony."
"When did you become a pessimist?"
"You're holding out too much hope, Thellias. If that priest comes here, we may not be able to maintain the blockade. Don't forget he escaped from prison and fought his way through Alinor, overthrew the crew of a ship, and sailed it to Solitude. He's more dangerous than you're giving him credit for."
He shook his head. "On the contrary. I have a plan, now that I've fought him once before... and now that I know he's back in Skyrim. If he comes here, he will fall. I can guarantee it."
Anasteria didn't seem convinced, because she sighed wearily. "If you say so. I just hope you're right... this one self-proclaimed 'voice of Talos' is putting the Dominion to shame."
"Why's it that people seem t'think ya and I are together?" Mia asked after a while. Runael had since disappeared to speak with Elenwen, leaving the woman alone with Adalla. As Mia and Runael had done not that long ago, Mia and Adalla were both sitting on the stairs.
"Probably because we get along so well, and we seem close besides?" The mer shrugged. "Those are the only things I can think of."
"I ain't gonna lie, ya mean a lot t'me, but it's frustratin' t'know that these people jump t'concul... t'coclun..."
"'To conclusions'," Adalla said with a smile.
"Aye, that." Mia sighed, and leaned against Adalla lightly. "S'what I get for not knowin' how t'read and what a lotta bigger words mean."
"'Conclusions' isn't that big of a word."
"Is t'me." Mia closed her eyes, and allowed her breathing to match Adalla's own. After a time, their breathing was in sync.
It was at times like this that Adalla had no idea what was on Mia's mind. She was the very image of peace, content tranquility, when she was like this. She also knew that Mia was typically... 'vulnerable' like this, insofar as allowing another to touch her - even if said touching was because Mia had leaned against the mer. This made Adalla wonder, though... did Mia truly feel so safe and comfortable with Adalla? Were they truly so close that Mia had no reservations letting her guard down completely around the elf?
"So, hey, I been thinkin', Adalla... and don't ya go off sayin' that that's a bad thing," she added.
"I'm only kidding when I say that," the mer responded.
"Well, I ain't kiddin' 'bout what I'm gonna say." Mia was silent for a time; Adalla wondered what was on her partner's mind. "Thing is... I been a loner most me life. Even when I were younger, I didn't have friends. Acquir... acquit... aqua..."
"Acquaintances?" Adalla asked.
"Aye. I had... acquaintances, was it? No actual friends, though. Me living situation, growin' up... it weren't exactly a happy life for me. I got t'know a few people, but I ain't ever actually made friends with 'em. I weren't ever in one place for too long, excludin' when I were-" Mia stopped herself. "No. Sorry, Adalla, but I ain't ready t'talk 'bout that yet... the details of me past are..."
"As much as I'd like to know, I won't push the matter."
"Thank ya." She sighed softly. "The point I'm tryin' t'make is that yer my first real friend. Yer the first person what ever seemed t'give a damn 'bout me, wanted t'stick with me... didn't wanna make me uncomfortable just 'cause yer curious 'bout somethin' or the other." Mia took a deep breath, and let it out very slowly. "What 'bout ya? Ya had friends afore me?"
"Yes. Runael was my best friend, remember? I told you about that, I believe. And even before Runael, I had many friends back home in Alinor."
Mia was silent now. It made Adalla worry a little, and also made her wonder what she was thinking about. She carefully slipped an arm around her partner's shoulders and gave her a small, one-armed hug.
"...I think part of the reason I ain't had any friends in me life is 'cause them people what I considered t'be me friends were... well, they betrayed me trust. As a kid, that sorta betrayal left a big impression on me - and not a good one. I thought t'meself that no matter who they be, a 'friend' were just gonna stab ya in the back for their own purposes. I had trust issues... still do, at that." Mia glanced over at Adalla. "Yer the first person what's ever earned me trust despite me problems trustin' others, Adalla."
"I..." Adalla had known she'd earned Mia's trust, of course... but to be the first?
"Adalla. Promise me ya ain't gonna abandon me. After meetin' ya, and travelin' with ya, I just can't imagine tryin' t'live as I did afore: alone."
"Mia..." the mer murmured softly. Her partner's words... they were very unlike the woman, and yet they still made her smile. "Wherever you go, I go. If you would fall, I will fall at your side; if you would succeed, I will be there to share in your triumph. But more than that... I will stay by your side because I want to." She wrapped her arms around Mia and hugged her tightly. "So yes, I promise that I'll never abandon you."
"Thank ya. And I promise t'watch out for ya, no matter what. If somethin' would threaten ya, I'll be there t'protect ya; if someone were tryin' t'take advantage of ya somehow, I'll be there t'make 'em pay."
"Don't promise me you'll die for-"
"If it means that yer gonna be despairin' 'cause I'm dead, then ya have me word that I won't throw me life away. Though, that goes the other way, too: ya can't throw yer life for me own for the same reason as ya."
Both women jumped a bit when they heard Elenwen's voice yell "Are you kidding me?!" at the top of her lungs.
It had been child's play for Vernanye to infiltrate the ranks of the Thalmor. The only true difficulty had been finding a set of elven armor to wear. Fortunately, she'd encountered a lone Thalmor scout northwest of Windhelm; when the scout had attacked her on sight for being a 'traitor', it had been a simple matter to eliminate the scout for Vernanye. Orders on the scout revealed the existence of a blockade around Windhelm, and that the scout was to report back with his findings of the northern region of Skyrim.
To slip past the blockade, pretending to be a scout, was so easy, it almost made Vernanye burst out laughing. She, of course, had no interest in facing Thellias again; she'd chosen Windhelm as a safe place for two reasons: the first was that, because of the blockade, there was no true danger to be faced in the city; the second was that the scout's orders had mentioned Runael being in Windhelm.
The older sister in Vernanye felt protective, and wanted to help her younger sister however she could. To that end, she was willing to step into Windhelm and fight the Thalmor, if need be.
The tricky part now was learning where Runael was located in Windhelm. The city was not exactly the friendliest place for a high elf, and Vernanye was drawing enough spiteful looks as it was. If the Thalmor were blockading the city to get Runael, there was no doubt they would be all but eager to throw her out to the Thalmor.
And yet, the elder sister knew that Runael wasn't quite so easy to get rid of. A gut feeling told her that Runael was still hiding somewhere in the city. It was just a matter of finding the one place that felt... right.
To that end, any of the homes for the citizenry were an automatic 'no'. They wouldn't harbor Thalmor fugitives when it was they who were causing the blockade. Shops were a likely guess, but Runael was never skilled at picking locks, and although she'd tried to grasp the long-forgotten concept of picking locks with Alteration magic, the Arch-Mage of the College had never actually gotten the hang of it. Considering night had fallen, the shops were all closed and locked.
She also highly doubted the Palace of the Kings was where Runael was. The Jarl would sooner kill Runael than let her stay there, considering the blockade.
That left... the inn, which was just as unlikely as any other place, and a home the people of Windhelm seemed eager to avoid. When Vernanye casually asked about the mysterious home, they said it was abandoned, but that there were voices from within now - and suspected it was haunted.
It seemed most likely that a 'haunted' house was where Runael would be hiding; it wouldn't have surprised Vernanye if her younger sister was actually responsible for the rumored 'haunting'.
If she was, though, was she alone? The orders hadn't mentioned anyone else, but she wasn't sure that Runael would make commotion alone, trying to encourage the rumors of a haunted home. If she was hiding with others, who was she with?
Once the alleged 'haunted house' came into view, so too did a familiar woman standing outside of it; instead of the leather armor Vernanye was familiar seeing the woman in, she was wearing casual clothing; had she not known who it was, she'd have assumed she was just another citizen of Windhelm. Vernanye sighed and let it trail to a brief chuckle, then stepped closer. "Oh, the company my sister keeps," she mused. "Who'd have thought you'd be in Windhelm, though?"
"You." Irileth, the Housecarl of Whiterun, was all but glaring daggers at the former Regent of Whiterun. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm assuming you haven't heard yet, then... that I'm wanted by the Thalmor."
"You're wearing the armor."
"It's elven armor. Even bandits can wear elven armor. That aside, I was wearing it to slip by the blockade. Being Thalmor once made blending in rather easy."
Irileth didn't seem all that convinced, but she shrugged it off after a moment.
"So, was I right assuming my sister's in this home?"
The Dunmer shot Vernanye a look. "Announce it to the whole city, why don't you?" she grumbled. "If you're here to talk with her, hurry on in. I'm not drawing-"
"A lot of attention, I know. You look lovely in those clothes, by the way."
The high elf could almost swear the Dunmer was blushing at the compliment. "Th-thanks, I think." She gestured to the door. "I'm not sure exactly where she is, but it's not a big home; you'll find her easily."
"So she's safe."
"She is. So is Elenwen."
"Ah." Vernanye's expression twisted to one of immense distaste. "She hasn't died yet? Shame."
"Funny you should say that. She was attacked not that long ago, by a Khajiit she and Runael both trusted."
"E, yes? Runael told me about him; he has ties with my husband's guild." Her expression darkened. "He also threatened my husband to get something from me, when I was still the Regent."
"Which guild?"
Vernanye grinned. "Some guild situated out of Riften. For the life of me, I can't recall the-"
"Why am I surrounded by thieves, or people who think thief-like activity is fine?" Irileth grumbled under her breath.
"Is he still alive?"
"The Khajiit? No. We killed him after he attacked Elenwen. He tried to kill Runael from behind when her attention was redirected, and switched targets to Elenwen when he realized attacking Runael wouldn't help his situation."
"So how was Elenwen saved?"
Irileth sighed heavily. "I'm not enthused about it either, believe me... but Runael and Mia took care of her."
"Mia?" Vernanye's brow quirked.
"You don't know her. She's a friend of Adalla's. They're both inside, as well. They haven't explained in detail why they were coming to Windhelm, but they did say they had business here."
Vernanye's lips pursed, but she nodded nonetheless. Irileth was wrong, of course; the name 'Mia' was familiar to the high elf. She was determined not to let it slip, though. "Fair enough. So if Runael and Elenwen are both here, then I'll assume the blockade was set up because of them. I had the feeling it was set up because of my sister; these orders alluded to that much." She pulled out the paper, and handed it to Irileth. "Plucked those off the Thalmor scout I killed and took the armor from; that's what he got for attacking me and trying to bring me back to Thellias."
The Dunmer read the orders with a frown. "Nothing new here... it just confirms our worst suspicions..." She folded them back up and handed them back to Vernanye. "If only I could get word back to Whiterun... no doubt Heimskr would lead an offensive against the Thalmor here."
"Heimskr." The high elf chuckled quietly. "Somehow, it does not surprise me that he escaped Alinor."
They were both silent for a time.
"Irileth. I want you to understand that anything I said and did to you in Whiterun wasn't personal. You were the former Jarl-"
"Current Jarl," Irileth corrected her. "The Companions reinstated him after they joined the anti-Thalmor movement sweeping through Whiterun. That didn't happen until Heimskr returned."
"...My point is that, at the time, you were the former Jarl's Housecarl. I was the Regent of Whiterun. Our stations... collided, for want of a better word. I never had anything personal against you."
"You had me fooled," the Dunmer grumbled.
Vernanye smiled lightly. "For what little it may be worth, I'm sorry. I may not have been the definition of 'nice' to you and the Jarl, but in the end, I did respect both of you. It was that respect that made me order house arrest instead of imprisonment in the dungeon."
She was silent for a time. Vernanye knew the Housecarl of Whiterun was thinking about what the high elf had just said.
"I find I can't say the same, unfortunately, but nonetheless..."
She chuckled quietly. "I never once assumed I had your respect, Irileth. One has to earn it, and I know I did nothing to earn your respect, nor that of the Jarl. In contrast, you two were respectable figures from the very beginning; it was easy for me to learn respect for both of you."
They were silent once more, and this time, for much longer. It gave Vernanye time to think about what would happen next. The scout's orders had specified lethal force to anyone trying to leave Windhelm and ignoring the blockade; they were, in effect, trapped in the city.
"Maybe I can start earning your respect. Trapped in Windhelm as we are, we won't have much food for very long. If Runael and Elenwen aren't going to turn themselves in, the Thalmor won't lift the blockade. The only solution I see is-"
The door opened. "V-Vernanye?" The speaker was Adalla, and she sounded shocked to see the former Regent of Whiterun standing just outside the house.
"Adalla. I was just discussing with Irileth our plans for the Thalmor's little blockade, and how its impacting us." She cast a quick glance at the woman standing next to the mer.
Mia. This was the one Vernanye was after. Still, she had to be very careful... one wrong move, and she was through before she could even get started.
"Mia and I were just going to check it out, see if we couldn't find weaknesses in the blockade to exploit."
"Aye. 'Sides, it's gettin' noisy in there. Elenwen's bitchin' at Runael again, and she ain't tryin' t'keep her voice down. Can't hear it out here, but she's bein' quite loud right now." Mia stretched her arms above her head - and locked eyes with Vernanye. "What ya lookin' at?"
"Nothing. Well, if you two are going to search for weaknesses, let us know what you find. It may be helpful for planning." Vernanye turned toward the door of the residence.
"Planning of what?" Adalla asked.
Vernanye glanced over her shoulder with a smile.
"Breaking the Thalmor's blockade, of course."
A.N. - And now, everyone's present. Now, things will begin to happen. This story is very near its end, yet I know for a fact that there are, at least, a few more chapters yet.
I'm looking for a new job. Three for three on 'extreme negativity' at the workplace is not a good thing for my own stress levels, especially not when I'm trying to remember every little thing about the job. I have no idea what I'll be doing next, but I know for a fact it won't be fast food.
I finished up the Dragonborn storyline in-game again. This was not a simple matter for Vess, my ranger/thief wood elf; she was level 21 when I read Waking Dreams, and had a level up to 22 before I learned the second word of the Dragon Aspect Shout. Of course, I had a slew of other issues to go along with it, too. The first time I tried it, Miraak murdered me when I fell off Sahrotaar, and took my damned sweet time getting back up - which was bullshit. Second time, Miraak glitched out after absorbing the first dragon's soul and restoring himself to full health; I brought him down the second time, but he went perma-invulnerable and just backed away from me - no absorption of the second dragon whatsoever. The third time, Sahrotaar turned on me toward the end and killed me with a single, full-duration breath attack. (Little bastard is no joke for a level 21 ranger/thief!) The last attempt went without a hitch (although Sahrotaar again turned on me, but before he could kill me, I used my level-up to fully restore myself and sink a point into Light Armor).
And yet, even then, the fight against Miraak - and several other matters earlier in the day yesterday - were faced with issues. For example, Miraak had issues entering the green 'slime pools' (y'know, those things in Apocrypha if you stand in them) in every fight I had against him. On another character, I had a ton of game lag when it came to ore veins - that is, I would press the A button on my controller, and several seconds later, the character would actually start mining; similar issue with one of my new favorite spells: Event Horizon, introduced by Spectraverse: Magic of the Magna-Ge. I had a brief delay with actually getting the Event Horizon to appear, and banishing it to finish off my enemies early? That, in itself, took several seconds as well. I know I installed a bunch of new mods yesterday morning, but I have no idea which mod it might be that's causing these issues; I hope to the gods it's not Sounds of Skyrim, because that's a lot of fun. I have my suspicions, but I can't be too sure until I turn them off one at a time; everything was working flawlessly before yesterday's newly-installed mods.
On the recommendation of someone who reads this story (you know who you are :P ), I've installed Alternate Start: Live Another Life. I like it, and have done three of the alternate starts: 'shipwrecked off the coast', 'attacked and left for dead', and 'just want to escape this cell'. It was with my 'shipwrecked off the coast' character that I discovered the mining issue. When I ended up in Dawnstar and mined for profit/materials for armor and weapons, it became quite obvious I was having issues. I can't help but find it funny that all three characters, no matter how I envisioned them turning out in my head when I created them and chose their paths, have all murdered innocents for equipment/valuables. (Those poor Revelers you sometimes encounter on the road... they were no match for my 'just want to escape this cell' character. One carries an amulet that increases your carry weight limit, though. She has a 2040 bounty in Eastmarch, though, so... worth it? *shrugs*)
With the resolution of Dragonborn's questline again, Vess has gone some places Mia hasn't gone yet. She nabbed the Dwarven Black Bow of Fate from Kagrumez. I haven't used it since acquiring it, primarily because I've put more of an emphasis on catching up her thieving for a time. I've heard it argued that it's one of the best weapons in the game, though, which may be debatable - while I did cast off an unenchanted Daedric Bow so I could actually run around again (I need to stop hoarding books from Apocrypha - that carry weight adds up real quick!), the Daedric Bow dealt 12 more damage than the Dwarven Black Bow of Fate. This, of course, is just the weapon damage alone - and thus, doesn't speak for the 50% chance to afflict one of the three attributes (Health, Magicka, Stamina) by 20 points. If it procs Health, then yes, the Dwarven Black Bow of Fate does more damage - but I have no control over when or where it triggers. I guess that's why it's called the 'Black Bow of FATE' - because if it doesn't proc, it was 'fated' not to happen. (Herp.)
Vess also has the distinct honor of being the first character EVER to set foot in Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak's room. EVER. As in 'I have never been in his room until just yesterday, or even the Palace of the Kings Upstairs section before yesterday afternoon.' I snuck in, thinking the guards would get all irritated if I was there - because let's face it, the guards in Whiterun, Riften and Markarth are all irritable when it comes to 'visiting' their respective Jarls. I don't know if it's a mod conflicting with guard behavior, or if they really don't care, but I was spotted at one point by one of the guards, and he didn't tell me to leave because I was trespassing. That kind of ruined the fun (especially considering ALL the guards in Oblivion didn't take too kindly to you being in the Count/Countess' chambers, if memory serves right). Still, I took every coin I could, and anything else of value that would fetch a decent price. Now I just need to get Vess into the Thieves Guild and sell the actual stolen goods to Tonilia... (Because let's face it, Vess' Speech skill is NOWHERE near high enough for me to have access to the perk that lets you sell stolen goods to legit merchants. Lower to mid 30s, but that's it.)
I can't say for certain when I'll have the next chapter of Flames up, but it should be soon. At this point, the only thing I have to consider is 'do I want another Runael/Elenwen confrontation before the story's end?' Part of me says 'yes', but then there's the part of me that knows how that's going to turn out if I do include it. Then there's part of me that wants to just leave you all in suspense and wondering 'what the hell was said between them?!'
Either way, I should have the next chapter up soon.
-Spiritslayer