Chapter 6: Assassins, Blades and Hot Springs, Oh My!
Eronor ran forward accompanied by an assassin hot on his heals, "You've returned! Help! I thought they were travelers but then they attack us!" Us was more of a high pitch squeak as he ducked to the ground to dodge a blow from the assassin's blade. Fury rose up in Tsamusa as she thought to her first encounters with them. The shepherd dropped his weapon and fled toward the city.
The assassin met her eyes and she glared, "Grab it, Martin." Martin quickly reached down and picked it up. Then the assassin struck at him and she blocked him. Martin took a swing and stabbed him in the shoulder. "Together now!" And they both brought back their weapons and struck. Her dagger and his imbedded deep in the joints of his armor. He went down and the pair grinned, "See. You were born to fight off assassination attempts." they ran to Brother Piner outside of the Priory House who was being attacked by assassins.
"You're back then, Chosen."
"Don't call me that." She slashed at the back of the neck of his assailant, causing him to fall to the ground with a cry of pain. "It's such a silly title. Call me- Ah!" an assassin slashed a cut in her forearm. She cursed and stabbed him. Martin delivered a blow to the back of his skull and he went down.
"That's quite a name."
"No, it's Tsamusa. That was for that bastard." She kicked him as they moved onto Jauffre. He was outside of the temple fighting off three at once. "Jauffre!"
"The Amulet! It must be protected!" She ignored that and jumped into the fray. She got a good shot on one of them when one slipped in and stabbed into her thigh. She felt the muscles rip in her and pain shot through her. Martin took that one out with a roar and was at her side helping her put pressure on the wound.. Jauffre killed another and Brother Piner finished off the last. "The Amulet!" He ran to the house and after tying a piece of cloth Martin had torn from his robes around her leg, she hobbled after them putting her weight mostly on Martin. They reached the house to find the door to a secret room off the library. It was open and Jauffre was on the floor inside. "It's gone. All hope is lost. We can't light the Dragonfires without it."
She cleared her throat loudly, "At least we've got the heir, right?" She nodded her head toward the man next to her suggestively.
Jauffre's face turn to them and lit up, "Thank Talos, Martin! You brought him back! Alive!"
"I said I would." She winced as she tried putting weight on her leg.
"You're injured!"
"It's just a -Ah!" Jauffre had touched her leg. "Don't do that."
"You need a healer." Brother Piner said examining it as well.
"And you've got one." That was Martin. He guided her out of the side room and back into the main house setting her gently on the step in the foyer. Hesitating, he put both hands over, but not on the wound, letting his healing spell wash over her. She took deep breathes as the pain began to dull. Soon there was a patch of her pale white skin showing where her leather armor had been pierced. "It's just a patch up job but it should carry your weight.." She got up and stretched it, it was stiff and it throbbed a little, but it was more like a slight cramp. Nothing she couldn't live with. "Well?"
"That's amazing. I've never seen a healer do that all in one session. That was less than five minutes." Martin blush again. "Aww, don't be embarrassed. It's a compliment. Haven't you ever been complimented before?" She giggled.
He glared, at her, still pink, "Yes! But you have to take it easy or you'll rip the muscles I just repaired."
"Okay. Jauffre, this place isn't safe for Martin anymore, is it?" He shook his head, "Do the Blades have a place they can keep him safe until... Until whatever you plan on doing next happens?"
"No where is truly safe against the power arrayed before us. However... Cloud Ruler Temple. It's our stronghold in the North, far from prying eyes. It should due for now"
"That's good. Where is it?"
"North of Bruma. Hidden in the mountains." She shivered, "Is something wrong?"
"No, I just.... Really don't like the cold, that's all."
It was Martin's turn to laugh, "You faced down six assassins and you're worried about a little cold weather?"
"Yes. I hate the cold with a passion that exceeds almost all others."
"We have a hot spring in the temple." Jauffre interjected.
Her ears perked, "Really?"
"Yes, that would be good for your leg. Help it heal nice and pretty." she knew she was being lead by the nose. To bad, she just had to think of that hot spring and she was in.
"First we grab some stuff to eat then we go. Me and Martin here are starving."
They arrived at the fortress as the sun was setting. They'd taken horses, much to Tsamusa's protest but when her legs started to ache again she climbed on Prior Maborel's. The fortress was massive and it's gates left quite the impression. They opened slowly and an Imperial walked out to meet them. "Jauffre! Thank the gods, we all thought-" That's when he saw Martin, his eyes grew wide, "Grandmaster is this-"
"It's alright, Cyrus." He dismounted and she and Martin followed suit. "I have two people I'd like you to meet. Tsamusa is this fine young lady. And this is Martin Septim." the Blade gave a slight bow.
"It's an honor, your Majesty."
"Thank you, Cyrus." He said, mustering up as much certainty as he could. She noticed he stood taller and spoke a pit more loudly. "But the honor is mine."
"Shall we head up to the top then? Everyone is waiting." They ascended the stairs. A cold wind blew down them and it sliced through her thick clothes. Damn snow, she thought bitterly. There must have been at least a hundred stairs leading up to the temple. With each stair she grew more anxious with no just cause. They reached the top and were greeted with a loud cheer. There were two lines of Blades on either side. Tsamusa stood back at the stairs as both Jauffre and Martin moved forward. She watch with her arms folded and a proud smile crossed her face. Jauffre cleared his throat to speak.
"Blades!" Everyone was silent, all eyes were on the monk, "Dark times are upon us. The empire and his sons were slain under our watch. The empire is in chaos but there is yet hope. Here is Martin Septim. True son of Uriel Septim!"
"Hail, Martin Septim! Hail the Emperor! Hail the Dragonborn!" They were all cheering and hailing their new Emperor.
"Your Highness, the Blades are at your command. You'll be safe here until you can take up your throne."
Then everyone was looking to Martin. He looked to Tsamusa nervously and gave him a don't-look-at-me shrug. "Um... I'm not use to speeches but... I want you to know I appreciate all that you have and are doing for me. I hope I earn the faith you all have in me in the coming days... That's it. Thank you." He looked to Jauffre pleadingly and he stifled a laugh.
"Well then. Thank you Martin. Back to you duties every one. We still have jobs to do."
She'd done it. Martin was safe and secure in these walls. It really put her mind at rest. She approached him and he smiled weakly at her, "Not much of a speech, eh? Didn't seem to bother them though." She was shaking from the cold. He put an arm around her. That helped a little.
"You did fine."
"Blades saluting me. Hailing me as Martin Septim." He seemed so uncomfortable here, then he saw her looking and he smiled a little. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I know I would be dead if it weren't for you. But... They expect me to suddenly know what to do! How to behave! They want an Emperor to tell them what to do and I haven't the faintest idea!"
"Well, we need to get the Amulet back, for starters."
"Of course. The Amulet of Kings. So we... I... Can light the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One and stop the Oblivion invasion."
"And you'll be Emperor."
"That will take some getting use to."
"No one said being Emperor was easy." She was glancing around at the scattering Blades, searching their faces. Martin watched her curiously.
"Do you think I can do this?" that brought her attention back rapidly.
"I KNOW you can do this. Just relax."
"I guess I should settle in some. You should go get some rest. That leg won't heal on it's own, and of course your shivering madly." Jauffre walked to her. The old monk smiling happily.
"Aren't you two charming together? May I steal her away for a moment?" He nodded and Jauffre lead her away leaving her side open to the cold once again, "I should tell you that, if you want it, there's a place in the Blades for you."
"Jauffre! You can't be serious-"
"I know you had a life outside of this crisis but we could really use your help. Think it over if you must. Heal, eat, drink, get warm and sleep. Then we'll talk again." with that he walked away.
A female blade walked up to her, "Hey there! How's it going? I'm Jena. Pleasure to meet you."
"Same. I'm Tsamusa."
"Nice. I like it. Feels kind of exotic."
"Thanks." She smiled, she was going to become fast friends with this lady. "Hey I was kind of looking for a Blade. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find-"
"It had better not be my Captain Steffan! Or I swear I'll-" She gripped her hilt and Tsamusa raised her hands in surrender.
"No! I don't even know who that is, Jena."
Jena blinked a little absently at her, "Oh. Then who are you talking about?"
"Baurus. He's a-"
"Oh! You have a thing for Baurus do you?" She flushed scarlet, "Well, he hasn't been to Cloud Ruler Temple for years. Since he was a trainee. He's out trying to gather info on the location of the Amulet of Kings, though. I heard the Captain talking about it."
"Oh." She said hanging her head trying to hide her disappointment, "Well, good. It's nice to hear he's working hard. Could you point me to the hot spring?"
"Point you? I'll take you to it! I was going for a dip myself actually. Walk with me, talk with me, tell me about yourself."
"Well, my parents died when I was little. Vampire attack."
"Oh tell me! Tell me!" Jena turned out to be quite hyperactive. Bouncing off the walls, never staying silent. Jena finally had to go take up her shift with the watch and she relaxed. The hot springs felt so good on her wounds. Even her old shoulder wound that hadn't healed properly felt so much better. She might have been a little to relax because she fell asleep sitting upright, in the water.