Alkorahn watched as his fellow tribesmen battled bravely to defend him. He watched in awe as the Urshilaku warriors fought with their usual discipline and precise movements. It was almost a dance that every Urshilaku knew. They complemented each others movements in harmony. Alkorahn realized that he had stalled too long. He took a deep breath and began to run towards Ald'ruhn, the city their savior was believed to be.
---
Valnor watched from a distance as his fighters met the Urshilaku. His rogue dunmer ashlanders and scattered orcs were falling, but their numbers far outweighed the Urshilaku. He agreed with his second-in-command, Nyph, that it was a diversion. Why else would the ashlanders risk everything? While known for bravery, ashlanders were not know as stupid. They did not survive by attacking everything they saw, but by making rational decisions on whether or not to run or to fight. The dunmer Valnor, Nyph, and his hand-picked warriors went around the main battle and searched for what the Urshilaku did not want him to know about.
---
There was a dunmer almost the size of an Imperial standing there, he was holding a claymore that was leaning against his broad shoulder. All around him were dead ashlanders, all dead. Ahnaressu recognized one as the Ashkan of his own tribe, and he presumed the others to be the Ashkans of the other tribes. The unusually large, muscular, dunmer was standing there laughing as if he had won a great victory. He was saying something, but Ahnaressu could not make it out, much less read his lips. He could only understand one phrase. "I killed all of them." The large dark elf turned, as if he noticed Ahnaressu for the first time. He started to say something as he readied his claymore for an overhead chop.
---
Ahnaressu shot up out of bed. Relgar was crying again. Ahnaressu was still disturbed by his constant nightmares. He had dreams every night. It changed from seeing his mother slaughtered to seeing that strangely large dunmer every night. The boy got up, dressed himself, and gave his brother some scrib jelly instead of the usual comberry sauce. As soon as the baby finished his meal, Ahnaressu picked him up and made his way out of the inn.
---
Alkorahn ran on, through the exhaustion. He knew what his kin went through just to help him get away. He would not let them down. He quickly prayed to the Ancestors for speed, and then picked it up a little bit. He did not ignore the feeling that someone, or many someones, were following him. He felt his dagger for reassurance, though he doubted he could fight more than two at a time. Scared to look back, he ran on.
---
Valnor, a large, broad-shouldered dunmer, ran ahead of his group, easily outrunning them. He was only about ten paces behind this Urshilaku runner. He realized that this runner was a messenger of some sort, and obviously the reason for the diversion that was the battle. He was matching Alkorahn's pace, and was not gaining or losing any ground.
---
Alkorahn glanced back, even though he really did not need to. He knew of the runner behind him. Alkorahn was known for a high endurance, which was why he was chosen for this task. He was a long distance runner, and was well built for it. Alkorahn also noticed that this dark elf chasing him was also well built and accustomed to running hard.
---
Ahnaressu walked out of the Ald Skar Inn, where he was greeted by the morning sun. He walked down to the Rat in the Pot, where he could be found socializing or eating as of late. As he walked in he was greeted by the local Thieves Guild operator, Aengoth "The Jeweler" he was called. "Hey, my little sneak." the bosmer said in his high-pitched, almost squeaky voice. "Hey, Aengoth." replied Ahnaressu. Aengoth waved his hand at the dunmer boy and joked saying. "I was talking to Relgar." The baby merely continued to suck his thumb. "Sit down, Ahnaressu." Aengoth said as he pulled a chair out for himself. Ahnaressu did the same. They had a lengthy conversation about Ahnaressu's recent joining of the Thieves' Guild and his recent completed task. "You did good, kid." Aengoth said, "You deserve this." he said, handing Ahnaressu one hundred drakes. Aengoth's mouth opened slowly in shock.
Ahnaressu sensed something wrong and stood up and turned around, facing a drunk breton that was obviously trying to pick a fight with the younger and smaller ashlander. Ahnaressu handed the baby to Aengoth and swung his left fist to the right, connecting with the breton's face. The drunk clumsily swung back, and the blow was easily dodged by a sober dark elf. Ahnaressu retaliated with a straight-forward punch. Even though the breton was drunk, he was more experienced in bar fights than the thirteen year old dunmer. The drunk caught Ahnaressu's fist and twisted it viciously. Ahnaressu cringed in agony. Suddenly, he lost all control. His emotions took control of his body. Ahnaressu pulled out his dagger and shortsword. Dagger in his right hand, shortsword in his left, he slashed the shortsword back and forth from left to right, aiming for the breton's throat. The breton's intellect was obviously suffering because any sane man would have backed away from the swinging, slashing sword and viciously stabbing dagger.
Aengoth noticed that Ahnaressu lost control. He knew what happened and he used his illusion powers to paralyze the crazed boy. Aengoth noticed the error in his plan as the bar-fighter punched the paralyzed dunmer to the ground. Aengoth quickly used the same spell on the breton, and carried the boy out.
---
A few hours before Ahnaressu's fight, before the dawn broke, Alkorahn was still running, and this huge dunmer was doing the same. Alkorahn knew this would be a test of endurance and if his follower caught up to him, there would be a fight that the Urshilaku would likely lose. Alkorahn spat, muttering curses as he ran. He was exhausted, and he slapped himself a few times to keep himself from falling alseep. He looked back and noticed that the dark elf behind him was gaining ground slowly. That only drove Alkorahn further. He would not fail his tribe. At least, he would try his hardest.
(c)2005 Dantrag
On to the next chapter