A good couple of sections. The new spirit guide isn't somehting I saw coming, but once it appeared it made perfect sense. A bit like using a bear for healing, not obvious but it fits brilliantly. The further extension of her spirituality is a great bit of worldbuilding.

34.1 was quite different. I see she's finally done a bit of mountaineering, but seems a little distracted. If that swim doesn't cool her off I suspect she might try to find out how interested Tadrose is in more definate terms when she gets to Bravil. The experiance with the tree tied it nicely to the previous section's spiritual bit and made me wonder if spirit guides need be animal... The tree noticing her there made me smile. The different time scales you've given animals, trees and the land itself (I seem to remeber her getting a vision of an old Arimer site that way) works well.

I love how Teresa is embracing her wood elfness!

The scene with the tree was beautiful, going 'full circle' as she (the tree) glanced far below to see she (the elf) standing with her hand against her trunk. Quite magical!

And once again, Teresa's mind travels to Tadrose.
'Gods, why did romance have to be so treacherous? Teresa sighed. Shooting Daedra was easy, following what was in her heart was another matter entirely.'
Yes indeed, why does it have to be so complicated? There is so much truth in Teresa's words here.

We see tantalizing glimpses of the rich and massive Tamriel that Teresa lives in, ranging from the barren Elsweyr to the majestic conifers to the vastness of the Niben.

Well, my friend. After more than a year of preparation and collaboration, I say we allow the very different worlds of Teresa and Buffy to magically touch as they briefly and lightly intertwine. Let the Tournament of Archers begin!

As powerful as the scene was in the last chapter when Teresa finds the bear cubs - this chapter overwhelmingly surpasses it as one of my top (if not the top) all-time favorite chapters of "Not A Hero" history !!!

This chapter touches everything perfectly !! Teresa coming to an awareness of her feelings for Tadrose - and the TOURNEY !!! WOO HOO !!! Awesome Write, as always !!!

I am late to the party, but also have to congratulate you on an excellent job with the bear encounter. Bears and humans have an ambiguous relationship in real life, and some hate them. But, like Buffy, Teresa shows that bears are not all that different from us.

So Teresa wishes to wander the sands of Elsweyr for one thousand and one nights? Perhaps sooner than one might think?

Most everyone else has already commented on what stuck out to me, so I will simply echo them. Wonderous little wander you gave us!

haute ecole rider: It is a bit dense to read, but I recommend Joseph Campbell's Historical Atlas of World Mythology. It comes in a zillion books, only the first five were finished before he died. They are out of print, so used book stores are your only option.

One of my favorite quotes of his, and I think perhaps the most important one, was a warning not to take your religion literally, but rather to understand that it is all symbolism:



Olen: Way back when Teresa first came to Bravil she looked up at the mountains to the west and vowed to one day go there. That last scene was the fulfillment of that vow. A nice simple mountain too. No snow, cliffs, or exposed rocks.

Anything can be a spirit guide, so long as it serves as a symbol for some state of being or phenomenon. So a tree, a rock, a river, a mountain, a desert, etc... All are valid guides. Many religions see these having a spirit as well. That belief integrates into ES rather well I think, as all of Mundus is formed from the energy and physical being of the Aedra that created it.


Acadian: It was good to show Teresa back in her natural environment. In her home really, just being herself. I particularly enjoyed the scene with the tree, because as with so many other things concerning Teresa's spirituality, that is directly taken from my own experience.

Yes indeed, let the Torment ahem, Tournament of Archers begin! It is so much fun to be finally doing this.


mALX: Teresa does finally admit to herself that she is lovestruck doesn't she? Now she just has to get off her boat and work up the nerve to actually do something about it.


Ceidwad: I have always liked bears. I have one on my bed in fact (of the teddy variety of course!). I will admit that is a big reason for my putting so much of a spotlight on them in the TF.


Thomas Kaira: That is another of those mods I saw a long time ago, and never had any desire to bother with. Unlike Teresa, I am quite happy with Cyrodiil.


Next: After a relaxing journey into the mountains west of Bravil, Teresa returns to the city.


Chapter 34.2 - The Tournament Of Archers

Magnus was slipping behind the mountains to the west as Teresa swam up to Bravil. Even in the gathering darkness, the city was aglow with the light of torches, lanterns, and glowstones. There was always some illumination in the city after night fell, be it from the street lamps or homes of folk not yet abed. But this seemed brighter than normal to the willowy elf. Similar lights bobbed in the bay near the city, and the Bosmer's squinting eyes made out the dark silhouettes of several galleons riding anchor there.

Teresa continued on, swimming through the Niben Gate and into Bravil. The City Guard paid her no heed as she swam through the open channel in the city wall. In fact, she did not see any soldiers upon the lake side battlements at all. She thanked Raven for that. At least she would not have to explain herself again. Like the time she had leapt from the bridge at the North Gate and into the Larsius below…

Teresa found that every inch of the docks was crowded. Not with just the small dories of fishermen, but also with galleons like those anchored in the bay. Normally there might be one or even two such great ships found in the harbor. But Teresa counted over half a dozen as she came to a ladder rising from the waves. She hoisted herself up onto the quay, finding it deserted, and watched with satisfaction as the water rolled off her to puddle on the wooden boards under her feet.

Taking a moment to fix her hair with a brush and mirror from her Thieves Bag, the wood elf then made her way along the docks and up the stairs to Riverwalk. The stone-paved boulevard that hugged the northern edge Bravil's inner river was bustling with people. They were talking, laughing, drinking, and generally carousing. A few wore the velvet and silk of the wealthy, but most were clad in the simple flax of farmers, or finer linen of artisans and shopkeepers.

Could all this be for that tournament Olava had mentioned? Teresa wondered as she made her way through the traffic. She could not recall ever seeing so many people in Bravil during the day, let alone after nightfall. The chapel of Kynareth was quiet and dark as she walked past, as were the many warehouses that lined the southern edge of the street. But the taverns and shops along the other side were all brightly lit and busy with customers.

Following Riverwalk to where it ended at the southern tip of Silver Avenue, Teresa was greeted by even more crowds. She was starting to wonder if she was back in the Imperial City by the time she reached the Fighters Guild, and more than once she had to weave her way between pedestrians to get there.

Teresa felt relieved when the front door of the hall clattered shut behind her. One of the things she had always liked about Bravil had been its quiet and sparsely populated streets. Not to mention the trees and mostly wooden buildings. Imperial City snobs called it 'rustic charm'. Now it seemed as if all those city dwellers had descended upon her country home.

"There you are!" Pappy's voice caused Teresa to turn from the door. The Colovian stood in the entrance to the sitting room that bordered the foyer. He was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt that barely peeked through the black doublet he wore over it. It was all of fine linen - Teresa had never seen him in velvet or silk after all - and was clean and pressed. Even his boots were polished to a shine.

He's off to meet another of his women, Teresa thought. Or girls that is. She doubted any of them were more than two decades old. How he managed it was beyond the wood elf. If she could only have a third of his women…

"Have fun frolicking in the woods?" The Colovian took a moment to button up the top of his doublet and turned to look himself over in a small, oval mirror upon one wall. "I was worried you wouldn't be back in time."

"In time?" Teresa furrowed her brows in bewilderment. "In time for what?"

"Well the tournament of course!" the Colovian exclaimed, turning back to face the wood elf. "Some of the best archers in all Cyrodiil are going to be here to compete. The qualifications start the day after tomorrow. The finals are on the third of Frostfall."

"I don't really care about that sort of thing," Teresa said. "Although I suppose it would be interesting to see other people shoot for a change."

"Are you kidding?" the guild-commander said. "This is big. You place well here and people will be talking about you all over Cyrodiil. Don't you want to get your name in the Black Horse Courier?"

"Not really," Teresa shrugged. "I didn't learn the bow to become famous. I'm happy just staying alive."

"And that's why I hired you." The older man laid a hand on the forester's shoulder. "But you have to learn to broaden your horizons a little. Getting your name out there means more contracts, and people being willing to do favors for you. A little bit of fame never hurt anyone. It greases all the right wheels. That trick with the bear last week got you off to a good start. But this will get your name all over Cyrodiil. So I had Vincent sign you up this morning."

"What?" Teresa's eyes flew wide. "I can't enter that thing!"

"Well you just did!" The Colovian laughed. "You are one of the best natural talents I have seen. A few more years of practice and you'll probably be as good as Daenlin. Better even. You're already one of the best archers we've had here in the Bravil chapter. The rest of the guild too for that matter."

"I-" Teresa sputtered. This could not be real, she thought. He had to be joking. Yet the guild commander's features did not show the slightest sign of subterfuge. Nor did she see Vincent or any of the other members lurking around a corner to listen in.

"You can't be serious."

"As serious as an arrow in the head," Pappy said. "So be ready. Once all the guild archers come in from the other chapters, we'll all go down to qualify together. Probably on the second or third day."

"Pappy, I can't do this." Teresa felt as if the walls were closing in around her. Was he mad? She was no champion archer!

"You do it every day on the drill field," the Colovian insisted. "This is no different. Well, except for about twenty thousand people watching this time. Besides, I already paid your entrance fee, and its non-refundable. So be ready."

"But I-" Teresa stammered, staring at the guild commander's back as he stepped out the front door. Her head swam, and she leaned against the nearest wall to steady herself. Twenty thousand people watching!

The door opened a moment later, and Teresa looked up to see Pappy's head leaning back in.

"Tadrose is down in the forge," he said with a wink. Then the door clattered shut behind him once more.

Teresa stared at the closed door in amazement. How had he known she was going to look for Tadrose?

My heart will be in my throat with nerves (RE: how Tadrose will respond) - GAAAAH!

Teresa's musings on Pappy had me laughing.


I see a Foxy comment in the making here:





From the paragraph that starts "Well the tournament of course!" - to the end:

This is such a prime example of what makes Teresa so endearing !!!


GAAAAAH! I love this:



How did he know? ARGH !!! I will be a nervous wreck till that part comes out, lol. AWESOME WRITE !!!!! (As always, SubRosa - You ROCK !!!! )

Absolutely! It pretty much goes without saying, except for all the fundamentalists of all stripes out there.

Pappy's fun at Teresa's expense was enjoyable. The description of his evening wear was enticing as well. I kept seeing James West getting ready for a night on the town. Hot!

This could be the “I ♥ Pappy” episode!

When I read Chapter 34.1, I was really struck by the cool colors and water images in Teresa’s mountaintop setting contrasted with the smoldering eyes and underworld of fire and metal in her mind. Teresa has shown us what she sees in Tadrose, and now we can guess what Tadrose might see in Teresa.

You're playing with mods, aren't you? I can't get more than half-a-dozen together to do anything!

Like this?

'Now it seemed as if all those city dwellers had descended upon her country home.'
It is so comforting to know that Buffy is not alone in feeling this way.

"Not really," Teresa shrugged. "I didn't learn the bow to become famous. I'm happy just staying alive."
Wisely spoken, Teresa! One of those 'quoted for truth' comments.

"You are one of the best natural talents I have seen. A few more years of practice and you'll probably be as good as Daenlin. Better even.'
I know he ain't an archery master, but that Pappy has a great eye for talent!

"Tadrose is down in the forge," he said with a wink.'
Ha! Looks like one of Teresa's smiles that she directed at Tadrose was not quite faint enough to escape the notice of her guild commander.

What a fabulous intro to the Tourney, as Teresa so capably shares with us the bustle of land and sea activity that has descended upon her quiet city. And how very true to her nature that she must be coaxed - no forced - into entering the actual shooting event itself. A magnificent start!

Ooh, I like your prologue to Teresa's story... Gripping, and I felt like I could see through her eyes and identify with her in those moments of confusion, distress, and fear. I look forward to continuing with her story.

The TF gets richer. 20,000 people is a sale I wouldn't have considered, it promises to be interesting.


I liked this line. It makes the story deeper as a well placed throw away comment to something which occurred 'off screen'. Things like this go to show exactly how much depth and planning has gone into this and help make the setting really stand out. Also the guard must know her asthe crazy red haired bosmer by now...


I'm going to quote this again. Good line, it seems that Pappy is one of those people who notice things and know these things before they should (or before the people involved). It makes sense a good commander would be like that. It also suggests that he suspects Tadrose is also interested. Will Teresa finally pluck up the courage to ask something more pointed. It's interesting how much longer it's taken her to say anything to Tadrose compared to Ardaline, another good bit of consequence, and subtle.

Chapter 34.1

It is fitting that, after the profound effect that witnessing the ceremony of the harvest had on her, Teresa would seek solitude and communion with the spirits with whom she is most comfortable. She is becoming quite the mystic (archer?), isn’t she? Her journeys into trance are becoming easier and more frequent. Morcant said way back when that Teresa would find her own way, it is nice to see that her mentor was right.

Oh, and did you mean Clingman’s Dome in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee?

Chapter 34.2

I guess someone who’s as big a rake as Pappy would have no problem recognizing the drool dropping from Teresa’s mouth every time Tadrose steps into the room!

Between Teresa and Buffy there seems to be a distinct absence of female Bosmer legitimately trying to hit the targets! Here’s hoping that Alawen can awaken the old competitive instinct. I am very interested to see how you and Acadian negotiate what promises to be a most auspicious crossover event!

I did find one word jumble in this chapter:

She must mean THAT particular Clingman's Dome, because here is that mother bear bringing food to her cubs !!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBnGe9HDGBI


Climbing up to Clingman's Dome:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYNAkMQiGAs


*

I know I am far behind in this story but I just had to say I was very pleasantly surprised to recognize that Kahjiit! I'm enjoying the story a lot and I hope to catch up... eventually.

mALX: Well, Teresa did not work up the nerve yet!

That bear was hilarious! That is what they get for leaving food around in bear country.


haute ecole rider Just remember, you can't say fundamentalist without saying fun!

Pappy is one of those men whom I can see being dapper, but not too much so. I just cannot picture him wearing velvet or silk for example.


Grits Another vote for Pappy I see! I never considered the contrast between the cool shades of the forest to the fiery underworld of Tadrose. But now that you point it out, it is quite striking. And how appropriate that Teresa's passions lie within the latter?


ghastley: I have the best mod ever: fiction. I can make anything without even using the construction set!


Acadian: Our poor wood elves! Having to compete in that tournament just to make their mentors happy, and even worse, having to deal with the influx of people turning their quiet country home upside down! But I suspect that in the end both will find the experience far more positive than negative.


Lady Syl: Thank you Syl. The prologue is one of the things I created new for Teresa 2.0 here at Chorrol. One of the things that makes this version far superior to the old one over at the Beth forums. Just so you know, while the TF starts out following the main quest, it is only for a few chapters. It gets off the save the world train pretty quickly. Thankfully for Nirn, haute ecole rider's character Julian volunteered to step over to this reality to pick up the saving the world slack. Teresa will see it all happen from the sidelines as she fumbles her way toward her own destiny.


Olen: I drew the 20k figure from Pompeii, which was about that size. I figure that is a good size for the county seats to be, while the IC can be at least 100k, if not up to a million people.

Jumping off the bridge is something Teresa wanted to do since her arrival in Bravil. But there was no place to put it in a chapter, and it does not warrant a standalone chapter just for that. So I worked it into the background like that. I am glad it works!


Destri Melarg: Clingman's Dome it is! I was looking for a good RL mountain to base the one Teresa climbed on, and it was the winner. I figure the mountains along the Elsewyr/Cyrodiil border are similar to the Appalachians, so it was perfect.

You had me laughing at the remark about Teresa's drool! You cannot play a playa, and Pappy is one of the best of them.


King Coin: Hi King! Welcome to the TF! That was just the first of several cameos by other characters. The chapter I am currently posting has quite a few of them in fact.


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: In our last episode, Teresa returned to Bravil to find it packed with people in town for the upcoming Tournament of Archers. Worse, she found that Pappy had signed her up to compete! Next she seeks solace in Tadrose Helas' underworld.


Chapter 34.3 - The Tournament Of Archers

"So who are those for?"

The anvil upon which Tadrose labored stood before a glowing furnace of charcoal, underneath which Teresa knew lay a bed of heatstones. To one side sat a bucket, in which Teresa could see over a dozen arrowheads. Like the one the smith as working on, they all had heads that swept back in a long, graceful arc. Rather than forming a solid triangle, the back, inside edge of each was cut out, creating a 'V', with the point at the tip of the arrow.

Screenshot

Swallowtails, Teresa thought, good for unarmored targets like animals, or goblins. They were very different from the narrow, leaf-shaped heads that she used on her own arrows. Those were better against armor, although not quite as effective as pincushion arrows, which were the most slender of all. Yet the pincushions were of less use against unarmored foes, where hers were still effective.

Screenshot

An assortment of hammers, tongs, and other tools hung from a wall nearby. Several tables were arrayed with finished weapons of human and elvish steel. Tadrose had once told her that the latter required three times as long to create as the former. That was the only reason she bothered with the inferior human metal. Even for an elven smith, there were still only so many hours in the day after all.

"These are for Daenlin, from The Archer's Paradox." Tadrose Helas looked up from the red-hot arrowhead that she was tapping upon with a hammer. "He's a bowyer and a fletcher, but not a metalworker. So I make all of his points. In return he supplies us with all of our arrows, and occasionally free archery instruction."

Screenshot

"You know, I still haven't gotten around to going to his shop," Teresa said. "Even though I pass by it every morning on my run."

"You should go in and look sometime," Tadrose said as she tapped away on her anvil. "Introduce yourself. As well as being a shopkeeper, Daenlin is the best archer in Bravil. He has won the tournament for the last seven years in a row I believe."

Sparks and tiny bits of dross flew from the glowing metal of the arrowhead with each small strike of Tadrose's hammer. Teresa used to think of blacksmiths as being big, hairy men swinging gigantic mauls around their heads. Yet upon coming to Bravil she found that reality was quite the opposite. A good smith did not have to look like a bear, nor did they bash away with every ounce of strength upon their anvils. Tadrose had laughed when she told Teresa the latter. That would numb one's hand in no time at all, the armorer had explained. Metal work was not about simple brawn, she had explained, but rather it was an art form. It required endurance to work for hours to be sure. But patience and an understanding of metal was as important as brute strength. If not more so.

"About that tournament." Teresa bit her lower lip, and looked around the forge. "Did you know that Pappy entered me?"

"Yes, of course Gaius did." Tadrose continued to work on the arrowhead. "It will be an excellent opportunity for you."

"But I don't really want to." Teresa pouted, staring down at the arrowhead the armorer labored upon. "Besides, everyone will be watching me."

"So that is it then," Tadrose's face was split by a smile as faint as any of Teresa's. "It is no different from combat. Just focus on what you are doing, and do not let the fear and excitement get to you. That is why we train for hours a day. So our bodies can do it even when our brains are elsewhere. When the time comes, you will know what to do."

"That's easy for you to say," Teresa huffed. "You won't be standing out there in front of the entire city!"

"I have before," Tadrose replied, and Teresa wondered if she detected a trace of sharpness in the other woman's tone. "In front of far more people than in this little city."

"I'm sorry Tadrose, I didn't mean it to sound like that." Teresa stared down at her feet. By Raven, could she do nothing right?

The armorer's hammer went silent, and Teresa looked up again to see the grimy elf standing before her. Teresa could have sworn that the dark elf's crimson eyes glowed with a fire brighter than that of the forge as Tadrose reached out and took her hand.

"No apologies necessary dear," the dark elf said in her husky voice. "I can see you are nervous. Just have faith in yourself. You are a good archer, a little inexperienced, but you have real talent. You are already better than many of the other archers I have seen in my ten years in the guild, and you get better every day."

"Pappy said that too," Teresa bit her lip once more, and stared back down at her toes.

Tadrose released her hand, and a moment later Teresa felt the vice-commander's fingers touch her chin. She let the other woman lift her face to look back at her once more. It took every ounce of Teresa's willpower to keep from throwing her arms around the armorer and kissing her. As it was a long, heavy breath escaped her throat, and she rubbed her hands against her hips to keep them occupied.

"Gaius is a good judge of fighters," the dark elf said. "I think this will be good for you indeed. You always underestimate yourself Teresa. It is time you learned to appreciate your abilities. This tournament will make them very clear I should think, even to you."

Teresa wanted to say that was what she was afraid of. But as so often happened when she was near the fire-eyed elf, her voice had deserted her. Instead she nodded, and did her best to simply appreciate the feeling of the Dunmer's fingers upon her skin.

I'd say Tadrose is interested. Seems to me that even if Teresa's afraid to make her own move that inviting a certain dunmer out for a drink or visit to a theatre might be a good option... though I somewhat doubt she will. After the competition when she feels bouyed up however... That's my prediction.


Some more history. She certainly plays it close though, who is she and what's she running from? Mysteries like this drive this piece far better than a save the world plot ever could.

I also like that the FG makes Daenlin's arrowheads. It's a good observation that the heads wouldn't be made by the bower or flectcher. That they exchange services rather than money reinforces how the fighter's guild is a part of the community. Good details.

Nit: looked up from the white-hot arrowhead - strictly this would be too hot for steel and would ruin it (if not melt it!), for forging you want more red or orange at most. It is a fairly obscure one though...

I agree with Olen, the mystery surrounding Tadrose’s past probably makes her even more alluring to our tongue-tied Teresa (gotta love alliteration). That was a great bit of character building with Daenlin. Being a master archer and fletcher does not make one a great metal worker. It also opens the door for some natural interaction with Teresa in the future. I think that there is an important distinction that Pappy and Tadrose are trying to make with Teresa. Her time training in Bravil has given Teresa a new found pride in her own physical capabilities. Now it is time for Teresa's self consciousness to step aside and allow others to appreciate those capabilities.

I said this on Buffy’s thread, but it bears repeating here: It is a glowing testament to both writers that we as readers simply don’t care about the cavernous conflict in the time-lines of these two realities. For Teresa the Oblivion Crisis is over, but Buffy is still pondering her impending foray in to the Gate at Kvatch!

You know, I had completely forgotten about the time conflict! Just like in treydog's Bloodmoon fiction, it's of no real consequence that the timeline in that story doesn't match up with the timeline in the ES Lore.

So Teresa still hasn't made that move with Tadrose yet? Believe me, I know the feeling! It's not just your voice that disappears, it's your breath too! Aigh!

I'm not able to view the first two screens, but the great Tadrose (third) is opening just fine. Teresa seems so unsure of herself in dealing with Tadrose, continues to feel as if she has said the wrong thing whenever they are together - VERY touching side of Teresa, that awkwardness, and speaks of the importance Tadrose's opinion means to her. As always, an AWESOME WRITE !!!

Simply beautiful!

I love the feel you gave us for Tadrose's forge and work. I could feel the heat, hear the tap of the hammer and see the sparks flying. Wonderful, rich detail of not only her work, but how it relates to another artisan like Daenlin. And what better segue than Daenlin to lead into Teresa's concern about the tourney?

Once tourney talk started, what a great job you did of balancing 'I wanna kiss you' with 'You gonna shoot well'. Seriously, what a delight to share Teresa's nervous, uncertain and awkward feelings that are more about Tadrose than shooting arrows. You did a magnificent job of capturing those feelings.

What a brilliant contrast. Not so long ago, Teresa the competent forester was verbally outmaneuvering both Chance and Alleron. Then she was the law of the land during the harvest. Yet here she was, down in the forge, huffing and pouting and stammering. And biting her lower lip; to paraphrase Nerussa, Goddess, she's beautiful when she does that. I'll bet she doesn't even realize she's doing it.

What a very tender moment between Teresa and Tadrose. I'm surprised she was able to hold her feeling sin as well as she did!

Best of luck in the archery tournament, Teresa! All of your skills will be needed here, from a steady hand to the finest selection of arrows. Good thing Daenlin knows enough about fletching to name his store after one of the most important principles of archery one can understand. If he's supplying the arrows, they are sure to fly straight and true (unless he is a devious saboteur, but that would seem woefully out of character for him).

Most will defenitely need binoculars - or they'll miss all the action!

Chapter 2a. Excellently written. I especially liked your description of the Blades' armor. Describing things like that can be rather difficult, and I struggle with describing the attire of my characters. But you did it wonderfully. I am anxious to see what happens next in Teresa's version of this well-known part of the game. The differing interpretations I have found here are so interesting to see. It just shows how very differently people can perceive the same event, which helps to make one more broad-minded and understanding about differences of perception.

And of course, I am thrilled to read the story of a sister Bosmer.

Olen: The Mysterious Tadrose Helas™ does seem interested. But does she know that she is interested? Only time will tell. White-hot be picked.


Destri Melarg: Making Teresa's self consciousness step aside is no easy task!

Acadian and I have spent an extraordinary amount of time and effort in coordinating this event, making certain that they mesh in as many places as possible, even given the obvious differences between F's. I am glad all that careful work is paying off! I have been looking forward to posting this for a very long time, over a year in fact. I have seen plenty of characters make cameos in other Fictions. But I have not seen the same event taking place in multiple Fan Fictions, shown from the different povs of the protagonists. It is sort of like the Tales Of (the Mos Eisley Cantina, the Bounty Hunters, Jabba's Palace, etc...) Star Wars anthologies, where they take a single place and time and show the stories of all the characters involved.


haute ecole rider: Not to mention her self-confidence disappears! Poor Teresa! It is so easy to proposition someone you just met, when you have nothing to lose if they reject you. But when it is someone you know, who is already a regular feature in your life, it can be a nightmare. Because if they do turn you down, or worse, are creeped out by it, you still have to deal with them every day.


mALX: IE would not open those pics because they were hosted on another site. I copied them and put them on photobucket, so they will work now. The scenes between Teresa and Tadrose are a joy to write because they allow me to show that awkward uncertainty in Teresa.


Acadian: Teresa huffing, pouting, stammering and biting her lip? That can only mean Tadrose is around! It is amazing how quickly all of your hard-earned professionalism and maturity goes right out the window when the person you are smitten with walks in the room!


Thomas Kaira: Teresa will need all the luck she can get, for Tadrose as well as the tournament!


D.Foxy: And Teresa did not even notice Vincent's entrance! That does not say much about him, especially seeing that she has only ever had sex with a man once before...


Lady Syl: I spent a great deal of time working on the Blade's armor. It is not very easy to describe. I could have said lorica segmentata, but then 99% of the readers would just be scratching their heads.

One of the things I love about reading fan fics is what you said about seeing how different authors portray the same characters and events. Often time their perception of a character completely overrides my own original thoughts, and I simply cannot imagine them any other way. Such as how mALX made Fathis Aren an irrepressible womanizer, or Acadian made Honditar a blowhard.

Us Bosmer girls have to stick together! Especially since those Imperials say they would rather sleep with a horse...


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: In our last episode Teresa tried to pout on Tadrose's shoulder, but found the armorer just as adamant about her competing in the tournament as Pappy was. The next day she meets the first of the other FG archers in town for the tourney.


Chapter 34.4 - The Tournament Of Archers

After the next morning's workouts, Teresa went to work in the guild's alchemy workshop. There she spent several hours turning the lavender she had gathered into healing potions, replenishing the guild's depleted supply. When she finished and cleaned up, one of her hands fell to the coin purse that dangled from her belt. That too was now replenished, thanks to a surprise from Pappy earlier in the day.

"Everyone who works for the guild receives a monthly stipend," the guild commander said. "Whether it's giving training sessions, working in the armory, making potions, or just sweeping the floor. That's why the last fetcher lied about being an alchemist."

Now she fully understood the reason for the Colovian's brutal entrance examination, where he insisted that she demonstrate the efficacy of her healing potions. It had never occurred to her that the guild would pay people directly. But now that she knew, it did not surprise her that someone would lie. Some people would do anything for money.

With that in mind Teresa made her way down the stairs from the third floor. She passed the landing at the second floor - where all the living quarters were - and continued down toward the ground level of the guild hall. Halfway down the last flight of steps she found herself face to face with Tavian. The youthful porter was leading a wood elf up the stairs. Her red hair was so dark that it was nearly brown, and her green eyes sparkled as she looked up at Teresa. She wore mail armor that was dusty from travel, a worn pack was slung over her back, and a Fighters Guild amulet dangled from her neck.

Screenshot

"Teresa," Tavian paused on the steps to make way for the forester. "This is Parwen, from the Skingrad chapter."

"Greetings," the other wood elf smiled. If she had been a human, Teresa would have guessed her age at about thirty. So she imagined that would put her well over a hundred, perhaps even two hundred years old. Glancing down to the other woman's waist, Teresa saw the ear of a bow rising from a combined bow case and quiver that dangled from one of her hips.

Screenshot

Only a shortbow, Teresa thought to herself. A longbow would have been as tall as the elf was. Yet the shaft of the weapon looked strange to Teresa's eyes. It was not straight, as a bow ought to be when unstrung. Rather it was curved back and forth, like a serpent. It was also made of the golden wood of a sila tree, and seemed to be augmented with long strips of bone or horn on one side, and what she thought might be sinew on the other.

"Well met," Teresa said, forcing a faint smile to her lips. Aia said she never smiled, and that it made people think she was unfriendly. Parwen was the first archer she had met in the guild who was also a wood elf, and she wanted to make a good impression. "I hope you like Bravil. Did you come here on a contract, or for the tournament?"

"The tourney," the other elf replied as Tavian slipped past Teresa and made his way up the stairs. Parwen followed, and Teresa tagged along. "You have a lovely river leading into the city. I've been walking along it for the last few days."

"That's the same way I came my first time!" Teresa exclaimed. "Did you see any of the bears? Some of them like to swim in the river."

"No," Parwen replied with a smile that quickly faded. "I did run across a troll though. Nasty bugger. Nearly got to me before I put it down. That reminds me, do you have an alchemist here? I was able to save some of the blood."

"You are looking at her," Teresa smiled shyly. "I just finished making a batch of healing potions. But I can put that blood to use to make more tomorrow."

"This one's yours." Tavian stopped at the door beside Chance's room and opened it.

Parwen stepped within and took a moment to look over the plainly-furnished room. A rattan bed sat against one wall, flanked by a dresser to one side, a mirror and water basin on the other, and finally a simple writing table. A chamber pot sat in one corner, and an arming rack rose up from another. The elf walked up to the bed and set down her pack next to it, then began working loose the buckles on her bowcase.

"Do all of you have your own quarters?" the archer said under raised eyebrows. "At Skingrad we have two communal rooms to sleep in. One for the men and the other for the women."

"They say this place used to be the biggest inn in Bravil, back in the silver rush days," Tavian offered from where he leaned against the door frame. "When the silver ran out - and all the money with it - the inn was too expensive to keep running. I hear the guild bought it cheap."

"Lucky," Parwen sighed as she set down her bow case and went to work on the straps and buckles of her armor. "I'd be tempted to move out here just for the room! But it's too far away from Valenwood."

"Have you been to Valenwood?" Teresa asked eagerly. She moved to help the other elf. It was never easy to get in and out of armor. Even her leather took time to put on or take off.

"That's where I'm from," Parwen replied. "I only came up to Cyrodiil for the work. But my parents and the rest of my family still live in the forest."

"So what's it like?" Teresa asked. "Valenwood I mean?"

"It's the most beautiful place on Nirn," Parwen said wistfully. "The sila are like pillars of gold rising from the ground. Ripe aloria and garlas fruit hang from their branches in bunches bigger than your head. The old cities spread out through their branches, with buildings made of emerald miran leaves. People dress in clothing of darker green talurn flax, or yellow butterweed, and blue bogleaf. Everywhere you look, you are in the heart of nature. Even in the middle of the city."

"That sounds amazing!" Teresa's eyes fairly glowed at the description. By Raven, she simply had to go there, someday.

"It is, especially after being cooped up in Skingrad for a while." Teresa helped Parwen discard her mail cuirass. She wore a simple linen tunic underneath, stained with sweat and the mineral oil used to protect the metal links of her armor from rust. "Oh, I am so glad to get out of that metal. Do you have a bath? I'd love to get cleaned up before changing."

"Sure," Teresa said. "I can take you downstairs and show you." She turned back to the door, and saw that the sandy-haired Imperial was still standing there, eyes glued to Parwen's figure. "Maybe Tavian would like to scrub your back for you?"

The teen's cheeks blossomed like rose, and he scampered down the hall when Parwen looked in his direction. "Too bad he ran off, " she chuckled, "he might have learned something!"

Teresa could not prevent an eyebrow from rising at the other woman's remark. Parwen was not shy, that was for certain. As the other woman pulled the boots from her feet and tossed them aside, Teresa wondered if she might enjoy the poetry of Sappho… Then the dark features of Tadrose Helas blossomed in her memory, and any romantic thoughts she might have had for Parwen wilted from the comparison.

"I need to get some new clothes too," the other woman smiled up from the bed. "I wasn't able to bring anything with me. Once I get cleaned up, want to go shopping with me? I saw an entire city's worth of merchants in the fairgrounds just outside the main gate."

"Oh I haven't been there yet," the younger elf said. "I would love to go with you!"

So Parwen has a recurve composite bow? I've been reading about the Scythian/Mongolian bows (which were adopted by the Chinese, Koreans, et al).

I loved the screenies, especially of the Sarmatian woman. Those steppe tribeswomen certainly didn't muck around in the bad old days! No wonder the men are so tough and fearless - they have to keep up with the women or get left behind!

Loved their teasing of Tavian! I've done that from time to time, just to make 'em blush!

A newcomer! And a most intriguing one at that. Looks like Teresa has found a new friend... and a new rival.

Your description of Valenwood was excellent, it made my faithful companion a bit homesick from reading it. I do hope he'll be able to get back there someday, but we are a bit tied up at the moment.

And troll blood, too? I do believe I've run into that a few times in my game, seeing as I've changed pretty much every single part of it. Such changes include the additions of lore ingredients, and troll blood made the cut (bad pun intended). I look forward to seeing what Teresa does with it.

Once again, Teresa displays her value as the guild's alchemist, and her ability segues smoothly into the introduction of Parwen via troll blood.

Great introduction of Parwen here! She provides Tavian an opening to give the history of the Bravil guild hall. Her gear gives Teresa the opportunity to describe the interesting bow and case Parwen carries. Finally, the older elf gets to display her love for her homeland with some lovely description. Nope, the Skingrad elf does not strike one as shy!

Know what's more dangerous that a wood elf lass with a full coin purse? Two of them shopping! And Teresa just got paid! It does indeed seem that, at least for the tournament, shopping in Bravil rivals that in the big city. I hope the two ladies avail themselves of it.

Thank you for the trouble you went through so I could see the pics, I appreciate that.



That awkward uncertainty is one of the most endearing qualities about Teresa (out of the many facets that make her a joy to read).




I loved this. Teresa's feelings for Tadrose have moved to a deeper level that goes beyond the physical attraction. She is experiencing her first steps into what that means by walking away from the possibilities with Parwen. That makes the fear of Tadrose's possible rejection feel that much more like the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over her ready to tear her if she makes a move towards or away from Tadrose. As exciting as it may be to think of Tadrose's feelings being reciprocal, I still find myself holding my breath with nerves that she may not be and Teresa could be hurt.

AWESOME WRITE !!! (as ALWAYS !!!)

Some nice descriptive touches here. I enjoyed the comparison of the Bravil guild hall with the Skingrad one. Clearly not all guild halls are created equal. I had assumed in my roleplaying that the FG and MG built their guild halls from scratch, but actually your explanation accounts for the disparity much better. (for a Mages' Guild example, compare the lack of food in the Cheydinhal guild hall with the copious amounts available in Chorrol.) It makes more sense that the halls might have had previous owners, I think.

Finely crafted as ever. Parawen is exactly the character who was required, she fills so many purposes. I'm not up on Valenwood lore (what I have heard seemed a bit silly (the green pact for example)) so I'm looking forward to replacing the cannon with the TF version which from what I've heard sounds fascinating. I wonder when she'll find time for a quick trip there.

She also seems to be exactly what Teresa needs. She isn't shy, and wants to enter the tourney so in many ways is opposite. But she's also an archer and a bosmer. I wonder if some of her might rub off on Teresa, and what she'll do when she realises what's going on between Teresa and Tadrosa, as I'm sure she will. I suspect, like other things about her, it might horrify Teresa, but be exactly what's needed...

And as for the shopping... I'm looking forward to it, but is Bravil ready?!

From 34.3: I love the way Tadrose handles Teresa’s attempt to whine, firmly but gently. Then she offers the kind of encouragement that Teresa can believe, and remember. If she wasn’t too distracted by her touch. Yay Tadrose!

From 34.4: I loved Parwen’s description of Valenwood. Skingrad is such a city of stone, it would be hard for a wood elf to love it. Then, yay, shopping coming up next! I’d much rather read about it than go myself.

I'm staying out of this, because if Gudrun notices shopping going on without her.......

Chapter 2b--I like that you added some of your own dialogue, and that you didn't stick to the dialogue in the game. It's much better with your own additions. I also liked how you described the strange sense of greatness you get from the Emperor--he was certainly no ordinary man, apart from his title and position...

"Eeep!" Teresa squealed, and fell on her backside as she tried to jump away. This gave me such a comic image, making the little wood elf Theresa seem almost mouse-like--in a cute way, of course!

(And those men who say they'd rather sleep with a horse than a Bosmer--they really don't have a clue what they're missing out on! )

haute ecole rider: I have decided to make all the bows from Valenwood composite bows. After doing some digging around, I chose the Hunnish Bow in particular. Even though that was too big to use with the gorytos of the Scythians/Sarmatians. I am using a little creative license to have the bow still fit in one. When Teresa and the other fighters make their qualifications, we will learn more about it, including some pictures.

I have been entranced with steppe nomads for many years now, especially the Scythians and Sarmatians. Back in my Rome Total War days people called me The Lady of the Plains, thanks to how well I used them. I recall there is a quote from the Old Testament where someone says that "Scythians quivers are like an open grave" A reference to how they ravaged the Middle East in the 7th Century BCE. I would not call them the bad old days though. Women still have not quite gotten to the same level of equality that we had back then. It is ironic how the so called "barbarian" cultures were much more liberal in outlook than those of the "civilized" Romans and Greeks.

This guy in Hungary makes composite bows according to the old styles, both with modern materials, and the old-fashioned way. I am so tempted to buy one. This is a fascinating article about some composite bows that were actually uncovered in western China.


Thomas Kaira: Teresa has yet to wrap her brain around the idea of the other archers being competition. She is still getting used to the idea that she will be competing herself!

I decided to make Troll's blood have healing effects to start with. It seems so obvious, since they regenerate. I went with the blood instead of the fat simply to be kind to my characters. Draining the blood from a corpse has to be much easier than cutting out all the body fat!


Acadian: You have thoroughly dissected all of my intentions in the previous episode. Ready to hit the stores?


mALX: Teresa is indeed getting in way over her head with Tadrose, now that no one else can hold a candle to the Dunmer armorer.


Ceidwad: The halls are all so very different between cities, that I figured most were not built to order by the FG, but rather just taken over from previous owners. Be they former mansions, shops, etc... Otherwise I would imagine they would be more similar to one another. Plus, this gave me a good way to relate some of Bravil's history, concerning the silver rush days, and how it all went bust.


Olen: Bethesda does not tell us much about Valenwood, and as you noted, a lot of it is silly. So I have had to do most of it from scratch. I got the idea for the golden sila trees from the way that elven weapons tend to have golden-colored wood handles. The rest kind of flowed from there. We will eventually learn a bit more when Teresa gets some Valenwood-made armor, although not in this chapter.


Grits: Whining will get you nowhere with Tadrose! Given that Tadrose did touch her, I doubt that Teresa cares if she forgets what she said or not!

I have always disliked Skingrad, because of its architecture. The buildings are all of stone, and crowded in on one another. It feels claustrophobic to me. I feel sorry for the wood elves who have to live there. It is no wonder Glarthir went nuts!


ghastley: Let's go shopping with the bears! That will clear out those crowds on Black Friday!


Lady Syl: Those first few chapters where the TF follows the tutorial dungeon were the most difficult to write. It felt so constraining. I was almost as relieved as Teresa was to finally get out of the sewers and under the light of the moons.

Teresa falling on her butt was one of my favorite scenes to write! Mouse-like is exactly the image I was going for with the early Teresa. From such humble beginnings, she makes a great journey.


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: In our last episode, Teresa met Parwen, another wood elf archer in the Fighters Guild, who has come to Bravil for the tournament. Next, shopping!


Chapter 34.5 - The Tournament Of Archers

Since they were nearly the same height, Teresa loaned Parwen a spare chemise, bodice, and skirt. Yet there the similarities between them ended. For the older elf's chest nearly erupted from the low-cut top, and her hips threatened to burst the seams on the skirt. Now that was what a woman was supposed to look like, Teresa thought sourly, as opposed to herself.

Magnus was working his way down the sky as the two women made their way through the North Gate and across the wide, wooden bridge over the Larsius. Sprawling along the Green Road west to Silverbridge was a sea of tents, lean-tos, and other shelters. Some were large affairs that would have fit over a dozen people. Others so tiny only one might squeeze within. It was a veritable city of tents, and seemed to nearly swallow up the livery that sat beside the bridge.

Turning to her right, Teresa saw that the great parade ground that stretched away to Niben Bay was now closed off with a wattle fence and packed with more tents. At the far end of the sea of canvas structures rose a great wooden amphitheater. The beams and braces holding up its seats were in clear view, like bare bones, so obviously it had been built in a hurry. Or it was not intended to be permanent.

They found that entry was through several gates, and stood in line to wait their turn to get inside. Several men in the mail armor of the Bravil City Guard waited at the entrances, or prowled among the queues. So this is where the soldiers who normally patrolled the lake side walls must be, Teresa imagined. Looking away from them, Teresa noted signs posted at regular intervals along the fence.

To all who shall see these presents, greeting. Know ye that Count Regulus Terentius welcomes you to the fair waterside city of Bravil, and publishes the following information, that ye may more fully enjoy the Tournament of Archers:

There shall be a three day qualification period, from the Thirty First of Hearthfire to the Second of Frostfall. During the qualification period, desirous contenders shall each shoot one round. For this tournament, a round comprises three flights of three arrows each. The first flight is medium range, slow-fire. The second flight is medium range, rapid-fire. The third flight is long range, slow-fire. On the Third of Frostfall the top ten archers will appear before the judges, and each shoot three rounds. So shall be chosen the Champion Archer of Cyrodiil.

Then it was their turn to enter, and Teresa found that they had to pay a quarter drake to pass through the gates. In turn their hands were stamped with green ink, so that they might freely enter and leave for the day. Teresa imagined that they changed the color of the ink every day, so that someone could not pay once and be able to enter for all four days. Now she began to see how the tournament was funded. As she and Parwen stepped into the vast city of tents, she wondered if the merchants also had a pay a fee to be there as well? Or if they gave a portion of their profits to the tournament?

Either way, she imagined that the promoters must all be rich. For the fairground was packed with mortals of all races. It was true that most were plainly commoners. But as she noted to Olava during the blessings, the farmers were all now well-paid from their fall harvest.

Everywhere she looked people were buying things. Clothing, jewelry, weapons, scrolls, potions, paintings, everything under the sun. In addition to the regular merchants there were fortune tellers, masseuses, actors, mimes, and musicians. Finally the smell of food competed with that of unwashed bodies, and she saw that every so often a section of the tents was given over to hot food stands like those of the Imperial City, only of wood rather than stone. She saw a mix of everything, from Imperial beef, sausages, and dumplings, to Redguard wraps, Khajiit refried beans, Leyawiin shrimp, Dunmer ash yams and kwama eggs, and more cheeses than she could put a name to. Everywhere she looked, there was something new to see and smell.

"This is just amazing!" Teresa breathed.

"I know," Parwen agreed, having to nearly shout to be heard over the noise of the crowds. "That's why I always come to these things. I never come close to winning. But I don't care. It's worth it just to shop!"

That made Teresa wonder. Parwen was clearly a veteran of the guild. Yet she did not think she could win? The thought of losing clearly gave the other Bosmer no concern, even with all the people who would be watching, and even more reading about it in the Black Horse Courier.

And why should it matter? Teresa asked herself. It is not like it is for real. Parwen was not going to die if she missed a target. Maybe Tadrose was right. Maybe there really was nothing to worry about? This was all just practice in the end.

"Take a chance on The Warlock's Luck!"

The strident voice caused Teresa to turn her head. She found that the source was a youthful-looking Altmer in a small kiosk. His hair was dark red, and brushed back from his forehead in a pronounced widow's peak. Arranged on the velvet-laden table before him were scrolls, potions, rings, a mortar and pestle, and several books. Lining the simple wattle walls behind him were more of the same.

Standing further back in the kiosk was a woman. Teresa imagined that she might be a Breton from her sandy-brown hair and eyes. Yet she was taller than most Breton women, and not as slight. So she might have been at least part Nord for all Teresa knew. Like the Altmer, she was dressed in ordinary flax, albeit clean and neat. Unlike him, she did not seem at all enthusiastic about the fair.

Her interest piqued, Teresa walked over. That is when she recognized the banner over the small tent. The Warlock's Luck was a shop on Riverwalk. She passed by it every time she made her morning run, not to mention every time she went to the Mages Guild. Yet she had never been inside.

"Welcome gentle ladies!" the Altmer cried as Teresa stepped up, Parwen hovering behind her shoulder. "I have everything magical under the sun, and all at reasonable prices. I have potions that can make you irresistible, scrolls that will let you summon salamanders of fire, undines of water, or sylphs of the air. I have heatstones, coldstones, and glowstones; all sorts of stones in fact!"

Teresa looked it all over. Most of it appeared to be the same ordinary things that the Mages Guild sold to people to make daily life a little easier. A moment later Parwen was tugging on her arm, and before she could say anything, Teresa found herself dragged into a dressmaker's tent next door.

The forester's jaw nearly fell to the grass when she looked at the elegant gowns of velvet, lace, and silk that hung from the wattle walls. There were Redguard crop tops and belts made of coins, short Dunmer skirts and matching silk hose, Imperial corsets of leather, lace, and brocade; chemises and bodices, longer Imperial skirts, everything imaginable.

She wondered what Tadrose would think if she saw her in such clothing? Would the Dunmer like what she saw? Would she find her irresistible? Or would she need one of the Altmer's potions for that?

"Well good afternoon ladies. The gods must indeed be smiling, to have sent two such lovely daughters of the forest to our fair city." Teresa and Parwen both turned to see the author of the voice standing in the open doorway of the tent. He was a Dunmer, with long, dark hair tied in elf braids to either side of his ears. He was dressed in soft blue velvet that was decorated with cloth of gold. A sapphire ring sat upon one of his fingers, and he held a staff in one hand that Teresa could feel brimming with magicka from even where she stood.

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"Please allow me to introduce myself, if I may be so bold." The dark elf did not so much step forward as sweep across the intervening space. "I am Fathis Aren, Associate of the Arcane University, and Court Mage of Bravil."

Teresa tried to say something, but found that her tongue was a stone in her mouth. What on Nirn was she going to say to a man like that! She was stunned that he would even notice her at all.

That is when Teresa realized that she was not the one who the Dunmer was staring at. Rather the court mage's fiery eyes were taken up by Parwen's curves, which Teresa again noted were nearly bursting from her bodice and skirt.

"I am Parwen, archer of the Fighters Guild," the older wood elf said, "and allow me to introduce my friend Teresa, also of the guild."

"I am honored." Fathis reached out to take Parwen's hand, and elegantly bowed to kiss her fingers. "You must be new to Bravil, for no man could miss a lady as striking as yourself. Perhaps I might be of some service? I should consider it my duty as a gentleman to provide an escort to the sights and sounds of the City of Mara."

"I should indeed look forward to that good sir," Parwen's voice suddenly shifted from her earlier, down-to-nirn manner to one of formal polish and grace. She stepped closer to the court wizard, and let him slip his free arm around her own.

"Parwen!" Teresa whispered, stepping closer to take the older elf by the other arm and tug her away. "That's Fathis Aren. I've heard about him. He's notorious for his affairs with women."

"Oh you silly girl," the other elf whispered back through smiling lips. "I don't want to buy the stallion, just ride him for a few days!"

With that Parwen turned back to the Dunmer. Within moments the pair went out the door of the tent and vanished into the street outside. Teresa stared after them in amazement. Parwen had just abandoned her to walk off with a man she didn't know!

And why shouldn't she? Teresa thought to herself. Parwen was a grown woman. She clearly knew what she wanted, and what to expect. Just like Nerussa. There was no reason for Parwen not to take her pleasures where she found them.

And no reason for her not to do the same with Tadrose, Teresa thought. Except of course, that the dark elf was probably not even slightly interested in her that way. She would just make a fool of herself if she tried. Just as Ancondil had the first night Teresa had met him, and she had done herself the next day with Ardaline. Of that Teresa had no doubt.

Teresa sighed. Why did love have to be so complicated?

The forester made her way back to the entrance of the fairgrounds. She really did not want to explore the tent city alone. She knew that Ardaline would soon be finishing up for the day at the Mages Guild. Perhaps the Altmer alchemist would join her? Then the two of them could return to the dressmaker and get down to the serious business of trying on clothes.

That's just not fair, you promise shopping then Parwen turns out to be as easy a mark as Fathis and Teresa doesn't buy anything...

I like your description and the reality of the whole thing. It is funded, of course but it's a detail which adds a lot and could esily be missed. It felt like a fair too, lots for sale and most of it not really worth looking at. Still she found a few shops, the local ones having a stall makes perfect sense again.


A clever little morsel of characterisation there, that she picks out those things sort of shows what's going through her mind. I suspect a chapter ago weapons might have come higher but certain thoughts are growing and clothing and jewelry are suddenly more important...

What I really liked was:

She's just watched Parwen accept an invitation and has accepted that trying is as big a part of the archery as winning, but there's still the 'except'. It's very Teresa, she's far more firghtened of being rejected by Tadrose than she is of zombies. Parwen worked well to really bring this out and her internal thoughts suggest that sooner or later she'll try...

I'm still betting after her competition...

Maybe that's what Julian should have done!

Again it feels like a Renaissance Faire, with tents full of eye-popping shtuff that are priced higher than the clouds, and I can smell the street food already. Dang! And it really feels like spring, both in your fiction and here in RL, which makes your descriptions come even more alive.

Poor Teresa - it's clear which way Parwen bends!

Chapter 34.4

Parwin indeed makes Valenwood sound like a wonderful place. Teresa should be wary though, I saw no mention in there of Wild Hunts and cannibalism!


Or the poetry of Teresa?

I guess we can assume from this that Nerussa has been relegated to the ‘pleasant memory’ section of Teresa’s psyche!

Chapter 34.5


Go Parwen! I am sure that Fathis will attest to the fact that sleeping with her is better than sleeping with his horse (er, no offence Superian . . . and Blanco)!

I imagine that this ranks as Teresa’s second most mortifying moment, right below walking in on Nerussa in flagrante delicto!

You did a wonderful job on Fathis, and an amazing makeover of him as well !!! Teresa's reaction when Parwen waltzed off on his arm was odd, but she pulled herself together nicely very quickly.

You know I have to quote this, my fave line of the episode, lol :




Hilarious line !! Awesome Write !!!

They have said it before, so I will say it again.



*whistle of slowly decreasing pitch* *CRASH!*

That had to sting.

At least Teresa handled it well. Good that she knows that when a woman has made up her mind, it's nigh impossible to change it (as she very much understands).

What a wonderful job of capturing the renaissance fair feel of the tourney grounds! You very smoothly provided us some details about what might make such an event tick, from charging admission to charging vendors to even the timing to coincide with fall harvest flush pockets. And such a wonderfully tempting array of foods!

Having Ungarion (and his assistant) operating an annex to his magic shop was fun to see, as was Teresa's enthusiastic reaction to the dress shop.

Again, you use Parwen to provide a fabulous contrast. From her voluptuousness to her cavalier attitude regarding the competition to her willingness to waltz off with an attractive pair of red eyes.

"Well good afternoon ladies. The gods must indeed be smiling, to have sent two such lovely daughters of the forest to our fair city."
The dark elf did not so much step forward as sweep across the intervening space.
These two passages brilliantly capture Fathis. He does have a thing for wood nymphs and is smooth enough to float across the ground!

And finally, Teresa pulls at our heartstrings with her bewilderment over the complexities of love. This was beautiful!

A very colourful description of the Tournament of Archers!

I particularly like your portrayal of the event as a gathering of cultures, for example:

She saw a mix of everything, from Imperial beef, sausages, and dumplings, to Redguard wraps, Khajiit refried beans, Leyawiin shrimp, Dunmer ash yams and kwama eggs, and more cheeses than she could put a name to. Everywhere she looked, there was something new to see and smell.

and

The forester's jaw nearly fell to the grass when she looked at the elegant gowns of velvet, lace, and silk that hung from the wattle walls. There were Redguard crop tops and belts made of coins, short Dunmer skirts and matching silk hose, Imperial corsets of leather, lace, and brocade; chemises and bodices, longer Imperial skirts, everything imaginable.

Bravil really comes alive during the toournament!

It’s a good thing Parwen dragged Teresa into the dressmaker’s tent, it sounds like she will owe Teresa a new outfit with all of that bursting!

I love how you not only show us such a variety of food and fashion, but also tie each to a specific region or culture. I think Ardaline will be much better company. Far less likely to ride off on a stallion, and a better friend to chat with about that most important topic, Tadrose.

9a - 10e

I really enjoyed these chapters. It was very fun to read even though this sequence is mostly traveling from place to place. I like the scale you applied to Cyrodiil, I always thought it was tiny in game. The descriptions of the farming communities and shipping outposts were great!

And a fighter's guild master named Pappy?!

Olen: Teresa would indeed sooner fight Dread Zombies than face Tadrose's rejection! Sooner or later she will try indeed, and I would not bet against you!


haute ecole rider: Julian did ride the stallion for a few days! But maybe she should have ridden a few other stallions too, like Carandial, or Burd...


Destri Melarg: Valenwood does sound quite prosaic from Parwen's lips. I enjoyed writing that, but at the same time it was very difficult as well. Since Bethesda does not tell us much about the place, and most of what it does is just ridiculous (such as that Green Pact nonsense).

I would like to go more into Teresa's current feelings for Nerussa, but there has never been a good place for me to do it. Rest assured though, you are not off the mark.


mALX: I have always been disappointed with the elves in the game. They are supposed to live for centuries, and elves being beautiful and young-looking is a standard of the genre. But most of them look so old in Oblivion. It ought to be the other way around. So while I was modding the game to make most of the people nicer to look at in general, I made the elves younger in appearance.


Thomas Kaira: I did have fun with that stallion line. I am glad so many other people liked it as well! Poor Teresa, makes a new friend and gets ditched by her the same day! That is being a teen alright!


Acadian: I of course drew heavily upon my own Ren Faire experiences in writing about the fairgrounds here. Keep looking for Ungarion and his assistant in future chapters. This was just an introduction.

And Fathis does indeed have a thing for Wood Nymphs does he not? Without a snow white Khajiit around to distract him, he tends to run rampant.


Ceidwad: I did make an effort to try to make the tourney as cosmopolitan as I could. I was not only drawing on my Ref Fair memories there, but of outdoor festivals in general, where there is usually food from all sorts of ethnicities.


Grits: Bursting indeed! I wanted Parwen to be a physical counter of Teresa, all curvy and busty, the woman Teresa wishes she could look like, but never will. I agree on Ardaline too. I cannot imagine her riding off on a stallion!


King Coin: The game is small, but it works for a video game. Otherwise like New Vegas, you would walk for miles and nothing would ever happen (this seems to be a common complaint). But 12 miles or so does not make a realistic province for fiction. So I had to buff it up quite a bit if I was going to make a believable world. I am glad it works.

You will be seeing a lot more of that FG Commander in the future! Keep your eyes peeled on that Vice Commander of his while you are at it. She will play a big role in the Teresa's life.


Previously on Teresa of the Faint Smile: Teresa visited the tourney grounds with Parwen, only too be ditched by the other guild archer. Next she returns to the guild hall, and meets two more archers in town for the tourney.


Chapter 34.6 - The Tournament Of Archers

Magnus hung low over the western mountains when Teresa said her goodbyes to Ardaline and returned to the guild hall. She nearly crashed into Ancondil as she stepped up to the front porch. The Orisimer - usually clad in elegant velvet or silk - was now girded from head to toe in heavy Dwemer armor. Long bronze plates fell down his torso, and exquisitely carved pauldrons jutted from his shoulders. Smaller pieces etched with similar carvings encircled his arms and legs, and an elegant purple and blue skirt hung from about his waist. In one gauntleted hand he carried his war hammer. Its long haft was of golden sila wood, and it massive head of elvish steel, decorated with the image of an eagle's head.

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"Teresa!" the Orisimer cried in delight. "I feared I would miss you today."

"Well good thing you did, else I would be flatter than pita bread!" Teresa winked as she looked over the heavily armored mer. "Are you on a contract?"

"I have just finished one," the other fighter replied as he opened the door and stepped aside so Teresa could enter first. "Storm-Tail and I are taking shifts today guarding a diamond merchant. He is here from High Rock for the tournament. Tomorrow it will be Chance and Vincent's turn."

"Over at the fairground? I just got back from there." Teresa shook her head and stepped into the vestibule of the guild hall. Ancondil was ever the gentleman, she thought. Even though he knew that her desires lay with her own sex. "You have your work cut out for you. It's packed with people, probably half of them cutpurses!"

"Oh no, he is at Silverhome on the Water." The orc followed her into the hall. "He only sees customers by special appointment."

Teresa nodded. Now she understood. This was not someone here to sell to commoners, but the patricians. Teresa had not seen many of the latter at the tourney grounds, or on the city streets for that matter. But she did not imagine that such a merchant needed to deal in volume. One sale to a patrician would probably pay for the entire trip from High Rock, and then some.

"I must say I am famished," the orc went on as he headed for the stairs. "Would you care to join me for a repast once I divest myself of this armor and refresh myself?"

"I'm sorry, Ardaline and I ate at the fairgrounds." Teresa bit her lip, now wishing she had waited to return for dinner. "I can see what we have in the kitchen, and make you something while you take a bath."

"Oh that would be delightful Teresa," the Orisimer smiled from the staircase. "You are truly an Aedra among mortals."

"Don't say that until after you taste my cooking!" The wood elf cried, bringing a chuckle from the armored orc as he rose out of sight.

"Who's cooking?" Vincent's voice drifted from the sitting room. A moment later the Breton's head poked through the doorway, and his face fell when he saw Teresa. "Oh, more grazing. A man needs meat you know. How about you roasting up some good Colovian boar for a change? Or a big, fat, Bruma steak?"

The front door opened then, and a pair of orcs strode in. The first wore a Fighters Guild amulet over a cuirass that Teresa instantly recognized as being munition armor: iron that made up for its low quality with extra thickness. An unstrung longbow rose from his back, along with the long haft of a battle axe. His head was shaved, except for a single, long ponytail that rose from the back of his skull.

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Behind him came a mer with nearly identical features as the first, so much so that Teresa imagined that they must be related. He wore his hair in the same fashion as Ancondil however. With a jet black mane falling from his ears down to his shoulders, yet shaved bare above that, except for a single, long ponytail rising from the back of his head. He did not wear armor, but rather went bare-chested, revealing a torso banded with thick muscle under his own guild amulet. A longbow also rose from his back, and he carried a long war hammer in one meaty paw.

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"Make that two more steaks wench," the first orc proclaimed. Teresa instantly felt her ears grow hot, and curled her fingers into fists.

"And a couple of tall mugs of ale!" the second added. "That boat ride makes a man thirsty!"

"Get your own damn dead animals," Teresa hissed. Flames crackled from her fingertips, and she realized that the symbol for her Burning Hand spell was now firmly etched in her mind. She had not even had to concentrate to call it up, or her magicka. It had all simply happened by reflex, just as Pappy had trained her to do.

Teresa turned on one heel and strode from the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her limbs trembled from adrenaline. By Raven, she felt like she was in a fight! How had she let them set her off so easily?

"I see you got on our Teresa's good side," she heard Vincent say. A moment later she slammed the kitchen door behind her, and the rest faded into silence as she looked through the cupboards to see what she could make for Ancondil.

* * *

Teresa stood behind the guild hall, staring at the targets at the opposite end of the field through the lenses of her night eye goggles. She willed her hands to be steady as she drew an arrow and set it to the stave of her longbow. Drawing the string halfway back, she sighted in on one of the mer-shaped butts. In her mind's eye, the gray rings of straw that filled it turned orcish green, then she pulled the string back to her cheek and loosed.

Teresa readied another arrow. But before she could shoot she heard the back door to the guild hall open and shut, followed by the sound of boots squishing on the damp turf behind her. Turning, she saw that the bare-chested orc was walking up to her. Again, the symbol of her Burning Hand leapt into mind. But this time Teresa was able to restrain herself from summoning her magicka to accompany it.

"I didn't know you're an archer," the Orisimer said. "We thought you were the porter."

Teresa turned back to her target. Without thinking, she drew the bowstring to full extension and fired. She did not re-aim. She just looked at the target and loosed. Afterward she blinked. The arrow rose from the exact center of the butt. A perfect shot.

"How in Oblivion can you see a thing out here?" the orc went on, not taking the hint that she was ignoring him. Teresa heard him step up beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him squinting through the darkness down the field. To Teresa it was lit up as bright as day. But she knew that without the magic of night eye, the field would be shrouded in darkness. The only natural light was that of the stars overhead and the occasional torch atop the city walls at the far end of the field. "Hey, is that a bullseye?"

"When I shoot, I hit." Teresa said, glancing back to the orc. He towered over her, practically bursting with muscles. This close, she could also smell the musky odor of his body. "Don't they have shirts where you come from?"

"Shirts are for ponces," the orc's eyes danced with mirth. "I'm Lum gro-Baroth," he said, extending a hand to her. "That was my brother Kurz back there. He's a mama's boy. That's why he wears a shirt."

Teresa could not help but to crack the ghost of a smile at the massive fighter's words. She looked down at his open hand. Forcing the symbol to her spell from her mind, she reached out with one gloved hand. It disappeared into his gigantic paw, and Teresa realized that he could probably crush every bone in her hand if he really wanted to. Yet his handshake was firm, but not painfully so, as Pappy's had been when she first met him.

Perhaps he was not so bad after all, Teresa thought as she turned back to the targets and loosed another arrow. He was making an effort to be friendly after all.

"If you're going to compete, why don't you practice with me?" she said. "We can set up some glowstones so it's easier to see."

"Well you're all right Teresa!" Lum grinned and slapped a hand on the forester's back. She nearly fell over from the force of the blow, and wondered what it would have felt like if he had hit her for real? "Kurz went out to the taverns already, but I'll go get my bow."

First impressions count. Or do they?

I see that you also used the 'shirts for ponces' comment. It's one of the things that makes Lum stand out.

Teresa may have become better at combat, but I see she still has trouble with her temper, especially when treated so summarily as the two brothers did.

And what happened to Ancondil's dinner? Or will that be answered in the next chapter? I'd hate to leave an Orsimer hungry!

*

GAAAH! I didn't see a mod to make the races look better on your site! I have tried my best with the CS (including making everyone younger) and my Fathis never came out looking that good. If you upload the mod, will you give me a heads up? I'd like to DL it !!!

I'm intrigued by this diamond merchant, if it is a subplot I can't wait to see what happens !!


I like the name: "Burning Hand" spell - perfect nomenclature !!!

Teresa is surrounded by Orc in this chapter, lol. - I'm still wondering what Pappy is up to. Giving Fathis a run for his Septims? ROFL !!

Awesome Chapter !!!


*

What a fabulous job you do with the speech and mannerisms of Ancondil, and it is always a pleasure to see him. How can we not love him?

Nice aspect you bring in with the high end merchants and that they would do business differently - and have notable security requirements that could involve the FG.

And a fabulous introduction of Kurz and Lum as they step squarely into pissing off our wood elf! I'm so pleased that Lum has already begun to make amends. You have quickly made Lum likable, despite his initial misstep. Nice touches to have Teresa struggle with restraining her 'burning hand' symbol, as well as seeing her target in shades of orcish green!

Nits:
The Orisimer - usually clad in elegant velvet or silk - was now girded from head to toe in heavy Dewmer armor.
I think you want 'Dwemer'.

"I see you got on our Teresa's good side," she heard Vincent's say.
Looks like a casualty of final edits in the second clause. I bet you had 'she heard Vincent's voice say' and only partially made the change to 'she heard Vincent say'.