I like the way Tadrose shows her concern. A firm word and a soft touch. Then breakfast!

I didn’t even notice Mad Josse’s absence from the ambush, but it was probably for the best. I don’t see him sitting out the next fight however. I liked the realization Teresa had after breakfast, dining among the dead. That would take something.

Cliff hanger!

The idea of a braying donkey in the middle of a sneak attack makes me think so too.

I'll be interested to see how Kireteki figures into the next part, if they're going underground. Perhaps she'll be part of the guard on the entrance, to stop any escaping? And I can't wait to see how and where the stakes are going to be put to use.

Riveus walked on into the camp and repeated his report to Pappy. However, Tadrose stopped the wood elf before she could follow him. "Promise me something Teresa." The dark elf's voice was quiet enough that no one else would hear. But it was strong as iron. "No more mistakes like last night."

This is great! Tadrose had to bring it up, and she did it in just the right way. Followed by breakfast.

Gods, she had just sat down and had breakfast amidst a sea of corpses. Had she become so callous, that it truly made no impression upon her?

Of course Tadrose and the others just did the same thing, but I would expect Teresa to give the thought a negative slant when she applied it to herself. I like the description of the Fire Hand markings and the speculation that goes along with it. How fun to see Teresa leading the group through the trees!

Acadian: Yep, Kireteki had to return to her carrier to refuel and rearm before coming back to Nirn for another sortie. I finally had the chance to reveal the reason for the chapter's title last episode. The title is something I spent a lot of time working on, from the original working title of "A New Battlemage". Number Seven's cargo will be coming up in about three episodes. It will play a central role in the next battle with the goblins.


King Coin: Tadrose (and Pappy) both know that yelling at Teresa is not the way to straighten her out after she has goofed up. They both know that Teresa is smart enough to know when she's made a mistake. All they have to do is remind her that they know too.

Dining among the corpses was just one more little way that I wanted to show how far along Teresa has come since she first joined the guild. She is a veteran now, and little things like this are how I have been trying to reveal it.


ghastley: You are right, Pappy would rather not have an ornery mule in his sneak attack. Or any attack for that matter. Besides, he needed someone to hang back and protect Maesa, just in case things went badly, and a goblin slipped by them.

Kireteki will indeed be flying another sortie to County Bravil. We will not be seeing her for another four episodes or so however.


Grits: Tadrose certainly knows how to bring things up where Teresa is concerned! And you certainly know Teresa well enough to expect her to find some way to put a negative view on herself, and completely ignore everyone else doing the same thing! The ending was fun to write, since we get to see Teresa back in her natural element again, doing exactly what she is meant to be in Pappy's Guild: a scout.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa and Riveus hunting down the last of the goblins who escaped the night ambush. They rejoined the rest of the guild at dawn, and sat down to breakfast among the dead goblins. Teresa learned from the others that each of the goblin's body was marked by a brand in the shape of a hand. Tadrose speculated that this might be the work of their shaman, and that she might be an expert in fire magic, rather than shock.


Chapter 43.11 – Hand of Fire

The entrance to the mine itself was a large cave yawning in the face of the ridge that ran from east to west. Teresa imagined that it was wide enough to drive a fully-loaded wagon through, and would still leave room to spare at either side. There was a large empty space outside the mouth of the mine, which the forester imagined might be a place for wagons to park and load or unload cargo.

This area was now lined with crucifixes driven into the rocky soil. Strung up on them were corpses. Most were burnt, and all were missing large amounts of flesh, usually starting from their legs. The feathered shafts of Imperial arrows sprouted from several of the poor wretches, and Teresa remembered what Riveus had said about putting the captured miners out of their misery. She bit her lip as she stared at the mutilated bodies. She did not envy the Colovian for having to make the decision to do that. Yet from what she could see, it had been an act of nothing but mercy.

A road of dusty, hard-packed dirt ran south from there, flanked by a line of buildings to either side. Rectangular structures made of small, carefully fitted stones, they looked like warehouses or barracks. One was obviously a smithy from the forge that stood beside it. Another must have been a stable from the hay-lined window that opened from its upper floor, out of which jutted a simple crane for lifting bales.

Surrounding the settlement was a wall of high timbers, whose tops were sharpened to points. All were blackened from fire however. In many areas the tree trunks had collapsed into nothing but piles of ash, leaving wide gaps in the protection of the wall. That must have been the work of the goblins, the forester mused. Again, Teresa mulled over what Tadrose had said, that this goblin shaman may prefer fire. It had certainly been quite a blaze that had brought down the miner's fortifications.

The rest of the guild halted down the slope behind Teresa, and out of sight from the settlement below. Only Pappy came forward, and Teresa found him at her shoulder a moment later. She turned her eyes back to the outpost, and scanned for any signs of movement. She saw none. If there were any goblins down there, they were either inside the buildings, or hidden away in the darkness of the mine.

"I don't see any guards," Pappy whispered. "But they're down there. Probably hiding from the sun is all. Teresa, go down there and take a look. If you can do it quietly, kill any sentries you find. Riveus, be ready with your bow if things go pear-shaped. I'll get our battlemage to summon up her helper too."

Teresa had been expecting the middle-aged Colovian to order to her scout the outpost. She reached into a pouch built into one of the light green miran plates that sheathed her hips. She drew forth a potion etched with a symbol of a shrouded eye, and drank it. When she tried to put the empty bottle back in her pouch, she found it had vanished, along with her hand, the bag, and all the rest of her. She smiled faintly, even though no one could see it.

"Talos' balls," Riveus hissed from beside her, eyes nearly popping from his head in surprise.

"That's our Teresa," Pappy whispered across the empty space that now lay between the two men. "Always full of surprises."

Teresa made her way down the small ridge as quickly as possible, taking care not to disturb any of the loose rocks that littered its slope. She knew all too well that her potion would not necessarily leave her completely undetectable. She could still be heard, and a clever opponent might even notice her footprints in the dirt. Worse, one of the goblins might know the spell to sense life, or possess an object enchanted to do the same. Kurdan's lieutenant Ra'jhera had such an amulet, and she had paid dearly because of it.

But if anyone detected her, there was no sign. She darted through an opening in the wall, to the first line of buildings. There she slid down an alley between two of them. All was still quiet when she came to the edge of the street beyond. Picking the building nearer the mine, she skulked along its front wall, and eased through its open doorway.

It was a bunkhouse for the miners. Simple rattan beds were stacked two high along the walls. Many were now thrown over, or smashed to bits. Likewise with the small tables and chairs that dotted the room, and the chests that must have contained the worker's belongings. The entire building looked like a tornado had gone through it, throwing everything hither and thither. There were blood stains everywhere, along with flies and other insects. But no sign of bodies.

The goblins had taken them all to the mine entrance, Teresa imagined, for snacks.

The forester found the rest of the buildings in the same condition. There were more barracks for common miners, what looked like a dorm with small, individual rooms that she imagined was for their supervisors, and even a single home for what must have been the administrator. Along with them was a mess hall and a storehouse filled with picks, timbers, glowstones, and other supplies. Then there was the smithy, a smelter next to it, and a warehouse. There was even a row of privies at the farthest edge of the settlement.

In the stable she found several wagons and carts. She also found the corpses of all the horses, torn apart and half-eaten. A lone goblin was also there, face nearly buried in the guts of one horse and greedily munching away.

Teresa could not contain herself. The miners were one thing, but the horses, they were defenseless animals. Before she knew it, she had drawn one of her daggers and stepped up behind the goblin. Its black blood showered down across the horse it was devouring a moment later, and Teresa's armored form swam into view once more.

That had cost her a potion. But the forester did not care. She continued her search without drinking another. Now that she no longer had to cross an open space like that between the outpost and the forest, she was not worried about being seen. Years of living on the streets had taught her how to move silently and remain hidden.

She found another goblin lurking in one of the bunkhouses, rooting through the broken furniture. Teresa imagined it was searching for treasure. One arrow later, and its corpse joined the debris that littered the building.

And there's Teresa's temper again, thankfully it's directed instead of having her blow up.

A wonderfully rich description of the area outside the mine. I could picture it perfectly and loved how you evoked the image of driving a wagon into the mine to give life to the size of its entrance.

Teresa’s observation that some of the crucified miners had been killed by Riveus really emphasized the horrific barbarity of this goblin tribe. I was glad to see Teresa give Riveus credit for his acts of mercy.

’Worse, one of the goblins might know the spell to sense life, or possess an object enchanted to do the same. Kurdan's lieutenant Ra'jhera had such an amulet, and she had paid dearly because of it.’
Yikes! A stealthy wood elf’s worst nightmare!

Teresa’s getting pretty comfortable with that dagger. I’m glad she’s helping deliver justice for those poor miners and righteous vengeance for their horses.

Teresa’s search through the damaged buildings made me think of a zombie movie. Nicely tense. I wanted to use my hand to shield my eyes! And then, ugh, a goblin engaged in gobbling.

The thing I liked the most even though it made me shiver was how the scene with Riveus shooting the miners was evoked without having to be shown. I thought that was very well done, and the kind of thing that a whole story could be written around.

Well, Pappy said to kill the sentries. I guess that could include the snackers and treasure hunters, since they could also raise the alarm. I get the sense that there are a lot of miners who are unaccounted for. It could get ugly in there.

I am really enjoying reading this story.

What a gruesome scene at the mine. Riveus made the (hard) right choice. I remember Boone in FONV making a similar decision. I agree with what Grits said about Riveus. The scene came readily to mind.

What to do with an empty vial when you don’t know where to put it? Go get ‘em Teresa! I found it mildly surprising that she was more upset by the dead horses than the crucified miners. Witnessing the goblin messily eating from it might have been part of the reason.

I’m wondering what the mine’s going to be like. Is there a spell to remove the sense of smell?

That reminds me of that place in Fallout New Vegas, can't remember the name of it...Actually, there's a couple of places, thinking about it...but yeah...A horrible scene brilliantly done...

Actually, the whole description of the mine is amazing...Absolutely amazing...*Applauds*...



That made I chuckle... ...When in doubt...Invoke divine parts!!...

An amazingly cool episode that ranks amongst the ones I've enjoyed most... ....

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

PS...Loved the previous episode too btw...I just never got 'round to telling you that...Sorry.. ...

liliandra nadiar: You are right, for once Teresa's fury did not erupt at a socially awkward moment!


Acadian: I have found myself trying to use written-world comparisons whenever I can rather than simply saying "ten feet", as the latter tends to sound sterile. The first is evocative, at least I hope so.


Grits: I never thought of a zombie movie. But you are right. The mining outpost has all the look of a zombie city. Everything is in a shambles, blood and entrails all over, everybody is dead, etc... I did go with the less is more idea with the arrow-shot miners. Like you said, I was hoping it would stir people's imaginations of what that scene must have been like.


Silver Dreamcatcher2525: Hi Silver Dreamcatcher! Welcome to the TF. I know it is a huge monster to try to read all of it, but I am glad to hear you are enjoying Teresa's tale.


King Coin: Of course Teresa is more upset over the dead animals than the dead people! To her animals are people too. But people who often cannot defend themselves, or run away. So to her the crime is all the more horrific against the horses in the stable than the miners. Funny you mentioned the smell, because Teresa is about to get a nose-full.


McBadgere: I have always like invoking divine parts. One of my favorite is "By the Iron D**k of Thor!" which I think was in a Neil Gaiman comic.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Yesterday's episode was preempted by work. So TotFS will air today instead. In our last episode Teresa used an invisibility potion to go down and scout out the mining camp. She found it in a shambles, with all the bodies of the miners gone (except for the corpses she had already seen on posts outside the mine entrance). She did find two goblins however, whom she killed without remorse.


Chapter 43.12 – Hand of Fire

With the last of the outpost cleared, all that remained was the mine itself. Teresa expected that the goblins would have lookouts placed at the entrance. They had in the only other goblin lair she had seen, long ago on the City Isle. Slipping through an alley between buildings, she moved down to their back walls, away from the mine entrance. Once it was completely blocked by the structures, she darted beyond the protection of the burnt wall that warded the western side of the outpost.

Moving behind the blackened tree trunks, she trusted them to keep her hidden from goblin eyes. Making her way back toward the mine entrance, she halted when she came to the ridge. There she paused to think.

There were no goblins in sight. But the interior of the mine was dark, and she knew anything might be lurking within the gloom. She could use her night eye goggles, but the brightness of the sun overhead would be blinding. If she only had the right ingredients, she could brew up a potion to detect life. But even if she did, that would take more time than she imagined Pappy wanted to wait. She had already taken long enough to clear out the settlement. She would just have to get in close and deal with whatever was there. Best to give herself whatever edge she could.

Raising one fist into the air, she thought of Raven. Pouring her magicka into that image, she opened her fingers and let the energy spill forth. A disc of blue light sprang to life before her eyes. It fell to the ground, and a sleek black bird took shape in the air behind it. The raven flew around her, then landed upon her shoulder a moment later.

Teresa looked at the bird. She wished that he could speak. Then he could fly into the cave, and see how many guards were there. As if bidden by her thoughts, the raven leapt into the air with a raucous cry. A moment later the sleek bird vanished into the blackness of the mine, and the ragged screech of a goblin came to Teresa's pointed ears.

By reflex, she drew an arrow from her gorytos and set it to Ravenfeeder's nock. She had drawn it back to full extension when her raven appeared once more. He flew only a few feet from the entrance of the cave however, and landed upon the hard-packed dirt with a flurry of ebon wings. His head turned from Teresa, and then back to the mine. He cried out once, and then a second time, as he stared into the darkness of the cave. Then he turned his gaze back to the wood elf, and waited.

So there were two of them, Teresa thought with a faint smile. That meant she would have to get off two shots before they could raise an alarm. She bit her lip. She was not sure if she could do that. She would have to be very fast. Or get her first shot off with complete surprise.

She knew just how to do that. She released the tension on her bow and drank another invisibility potion. Then she drew a second arrow, and crept forward along the side of the escarpment. She took her time, minding the numerous loose stones under her feet. She stopped at the entrance of the mine, and prayed to Raven that the goblins did not have enchantments to detect life.

She waited there for long moments as her eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom within the mine. Still, she was able to smell the goblins before she saw them. Unlike the deep, comforting musk of an animal, their scent was foul. It reminded Teresa of rancid meat, and when she finally did see them, she learned why.

The smell was coming from the untanned skins the pair of goblins wore. The loincloths lacked the thick pelt of fur that one would see on an animal hide. Rather the skins were smooth and olive-toned. Like the that of a Nibenean…

Teresa fought the urge to vomit as she took in the two monsters. Aside from the bloody human skins that covered their nether regions, neither wore clothing or armor. Each carried a wooden spear tipped with chipped flint. Given the sparse equipment, she imagined that they must have been very low in the goblin hierarchy.

She looked down. She knew that she would have to set down one of her arrows to get a good grip on the stave of her bow. But if one of the goblins saw that arrow appear after she let go of it, the invisibility from her potion would fail. Years of living with Methredhel - whose birthsign allowed her to turn invisible - had taught Teresa the curious the ins and outs of how invisibility worked. For example, she knew that it did not make her truly invisible. Rather it played upon the mind, and prevented people from realizing someone was there. So long as she did nothing to make the goblins suspicious that they were not alone, like picking something up in their view, or opening or closing a door, they would never sense her. But once their minds were convinced that someone else must be present, the illusion would fail.

She needed a distraction. A glance back to her raven provided her that. The bird leapt into the air with a loud cry, and flew into the mine entrance. He circled around the heads of the goblins, who flinched away even as they flailed awkwardly at him with their spears. Teresa wasted no time, and leaned one of her arrows against the wall of the tunnel while they were distracted.

Her other missile was on the nock of her bow an instant later. She took a second to aim at the nearest goblin, and loosed. Without waiting to see if it hit, she scooped up the arrow she had staged and set it to her bowstave. The first goblin fell to the dirt as the second arrow leapt into the air. A moment later it made itself a home in the second goblin's head.

Teresa drew a third arrow and pulled her bow back to full extension. Her gaze flicked from one goblin to the next. Yet neither stirred. The raven landed upon one, and began pecking at an eyeball. Teresa eased back on her bow, and moved past it to the second monster. From the way the feathers of her arrow grew from its face, she knew it would stir no more either.

She took a deep breath, and eased the broad-headed arrow back into her gorytos. Stepping back into the light of day, she motioned to the others on the ridge above that all was clear.

I suppose my surprise at Teresa’s stronger reaction to the horses was the miners were tortured for fun before being killed. I suppose the goblins did the same thing to the horses too. I’m not complaining though. She just thinks differently from me, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
~~~

The interaction with the raven was very cool. I wonder how difficult it would be to make a mod. I was already thinking of trying to make a hawk companion, and having the ability to scout ahead with it.

Ugh, human leather. Not much of a surprise from the goblins, but still horrific. Interesting explanation of the workings of the invisibility spell (or in this case, potion). The Raven is up to the task again! I see it settles down for a well-deserved meal!

Raising one fist into the air, she thought of Raven. Pouring her magicka into that image, she opened her fingers and let the energy spill forth. A disc of blue light sprang to life before her eyes. It fell to the ground, and a sleek black bird took shape in the air behind it. The raven flew around her, then landed upon her shoulder a moment later.

I love this part! Teresa’s summoned raven is so neat. What an excellent teammate. And hungry too, it seems.

I also really enjoyed Teresa’s thoughts about the limitations of invisibility. That was a great explanation.

The goblins’ skin clothing was gross, and a hint that things in the mine might be grosser. Yikes, here they go!

‘Yesterday's episode was preempted by work.’
Whew! I was beginning to twitch from missing my Saturday dose of TF! Hope the work stuff went okay and doesn’t get in the way of goblin killin’!

‘Teresa expected that the goblins would have lookouts placed at the entrance. They had in the only other goblin lair she had seen, long ago on the City Isle.’
Nice nod to the perpetual pair of goblin guards outside Fatback Cave on the southern tip of Imperial Isle.

Wonderful stealth operations by our forester. I was delighted to see how close she and Raven have become and the way Teresa can call the bird to her and communicate. Raven provided a great distraction – just what our scout needed to sink her arrows into the pair of guards.

Human skin loincloths and pecking at goblin eyes. Yikes! Just the gritty images to match the horrors around that mine.

I find myself thinking "a summoned bat would be more useful in a dark cave" - I must restrain myself from a new mod!

"Go for the eyes, Boo"

Ew...Skin loincloths...But then again...I suppose a bear might think much the same...Or it might not...I do not know...Robert is just saying...Is all...

But aamywho...Brilliant stuff...

Loved the conjoured Raven...Also loved the telepathic thing between them...Which makes sense...They're connected by magic, so why not by thought too...Excellent!! *applauds*...

Oh yeah, I also loved the meditation on invisibility thing...Always cool when we see how the magic in the various worlds work...

Another brilliant chapter...

Loved it!!..

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

King Coin: The hawk companion might be doable. But I think it would take a lot of work. Have you seen the hawks up close? Bethesda did not do a very good job on their model or textures, because they were only meant to be seen from a distance. Their animations are not very good either. They look fine from a distance, but are clunky and robotic when you get close enough to really see them. I think they would need to be completely redone from scratch.


Grits: Now that Teresa is finally using invisibility herself, I had to come up with an explanation for how it works, and does not work. I spent a while mulling it all over in my head. Since it is an illusion spell, I decided to go with the idea that it works on the mind, rather than actually physically bending light around you (or stop it from reflecting off of you, which is really how we see things). The old Vampire: The Masquerade P&P rpg had a wonderful power for the Nosferatu clan called obfuscate that worked the same way. People could physically see you just fine, but their brains just would not acknowledge that you were there.


Acadian: It was good to once again show Teresa in her natural element here, sneaking around and relying upon her wits and a few tricks up her sleeve. A while back I started working out how summoners command their conjured critters, and decided that the spell creates a telepathic link between them. Not necessarily on the conscious level though. Rather the summoning just knows that the summoner wants them to do, and they do it. That is how I have been trying to portray her summoned Aedra as well.


ghastley: Perhaps a summoned Bat-Man?


McBadgere: I see I am not the only one who can imagine how a bear or wolf or deer might feel about someone wearing buckskins, or wolf armor. That is assuming that said animal had the mental processing power to think so abstractly, which thankfully I do not think they do.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa faced with the conundrum of how to kill the two goblins guarding the entrance to the mine, without them raising an alarm. With a little help from her summoned raven, and an invisibility potion, so was able to manage it. With the above-ground areas of the mining camp clear, she ended the segment by signaling the rest of the guild that it was safe for them to enter.


Chapter 43.13 – Hand of Fire

Now it was Teresa's turn to relax while the others went to work. She remained within the darkness of the mine shaft and stood guard. In the meantime the rest of the guild set to the task of fortifying the settlement outside. Her summoned raven kept her company, although Teresa had to recast her spell numerous times in order to prolong his existence. Teresa knew the latter was good practice, and vowed to start spending time doing so every day. Otherwise she would never become skilled enough to summon more powerful animals, such as wolves or bears.

The sound of hammers rang in the distance, and Teresa hoped the noise of their work did not get the attention of the goblins deeper in the mine. At Pappy's prompting, she had made a brief exploration farther inside. She had found several twists and turns in the tunnel as it led down to a natural cavern far below. That was where the rest of the goblins were camped, in a haphazard village spread amongst the rocks and tucked into the walls of the cave. Teresa prayed that they remained down in the main chamber, and did not venture up the tunnel. So long as they did, she doubted they would hear the work outside. But she knew it was only a matter of time. She hoped that the others worked fast.

She could see little of what the other fighters were doing. Most of it was out of sight, in the alleys between buildings. But she could plainly see a barricade that they had created across the road at the far end of the settlement. It was partly made of wagons they had overturned, and partly from wooden hedgehogs they had constructed from the stakes they had brought with them. They were simple affairs, each consisting of a long horizontal pole with rows of sharp stakes protruding out in four directions. It sat upon the lower two sets of stakes, and presented the other two up and out, into the breasts of any who would try to pass.

Time dragged by, and Teresa was certain that a goblin would appear at any moment. Finally the others tramped back into sight. Most filed into the mining office, which was nearest to the tunnel. She noted that Riveus climbed to the roof of the same building, and lay down out of sight. Then her eyes rested on Pappy, who walked to the tunnel.

"We're ready kid," the Colovian declared in a quiet voice. "Head down there and make the biggest ruckus you can. We'll be ready when they come out."

"Just be sure that battlemage is ready to get me out," the wood elf said, "old man."

"She'll do her job," the guild commander insisted. Then he lowered his voice, and leaned his head closer. "But keep your scrolls handy just in case."

Teresa's hand drifted down to her pouch of scrolls. One would summon a sylph. The nature spirit could lift her up and fly her to safety just as the Dunmer's Winged Twilight could. She hoped she would not need it.

Pappy clanked away in his legion and orcish steel. Teresa renewed her summoning, and pulled her night eye goggles down over her face. The tunnel sprang to noon-day brightness as she slinked into its depths. Out of habit, she took her time and moved with caution. Not a sound betrayed her presence, and she came to the main chamber of the mine without encountering a single goblin.

The large cavern was a different story however. It teemed with the monsters and their homes. Made of hides supported between sticks and bones thrust vertically into the ground, each goblin house was simply a collection of the little walls arranged in a circle, with a space left open to enter or leave. There were no doors, or roofs, and the crude enclosures littered the rough, uneven ground. Numerous smaller cave entrances gaped in the walls of the chamber, all shored up by stout timbers. Thanks to Maesa and his description of the mine, Teresa knew that those were passages dug by the miners, while the cavern itself had been naturally formed.

According to their new battlemage, the rank and file members of the tribe would live in the main chamber. The shaman, her apprentices, and the male leaders would live in the side passages. There too would be their skeever corrals and mushroom farms. Teresa wondered if they would have had time to create either of the latter? If so, she imagined that she might be able to harvest some potion ingredients.

Her eyes were drawn to a pyramid of skulls piled up near the center of the chamber, that rose up to at least the height of a goblin. Teresa saw not only human and mer heads there, but even a few of Khajiit and Argonians as well. Scattered among the sentient remains were also the skulls of deer, wild pigs, birds, wolves, dogs, horses, and other animals. All thoroughly denuded of flesh and polished until they gleamed.

The forester's eyes went from the gruesome trophy mound to the stretched hides that formed the walls of the goblin homes. Some of those bore the thick pelts of animals. But like the loincloths the sentries wore, many were smooth and olive toned…

Teresa drank a potion to shield her and increase her magicka regeneration. Then another to protect her from shock magic, and finally a third that would ward her against both physical harm and lightning. Between all of the potions and her armor, she hoped that she could take anything the goblins could throw at her.

Ready for anything, she crept out into the open. She pulled out an arrow and staged it in the dirt at her feet. Rising to her full height, she set another arrow to the nock of her bow and drew it to full extension. She cast her eyes across the goblins, and set them upon one that carried a spear. She aimed low, and her arrow buried itself in its leg a moment later.

The goblin screeched loudly as it fell into the dirt. Her second arrow drove into the belly of the goblin beside it. That one dropped with an ear-splitting scream as well. Fanged visages turned to stare at Teresa, as everyone in the lair locked eyes upon her willowy frame. The cavern filled with an eerie racket of high-pitched screeches, and the wood elf turned to flee.

The whoosh of flame drowned out the cries of the monsters, and Teresa dove to the floor. The heat of an oven rolled over her, and bright light filled her night eye-enhanced vision. She sprang to her feet when the light died away, and raced from the chamber as fast her feet could carry her.

Fire, she thought. The goblins had attacked with fire magic, not shock. It was just as Tadrose had suspected. This tribe was different from most.

There was no time to mull that over any further, for she heard a score of goblin feet pounding on the rock and dirt behind her. The trip uphill was harder than the way down. But her daily runs around Bravil stood her in good stead, and she had barely raised a sweat by the time the light of day filled her goggles. Pushing them back up onto her forehead, she raced out into the comfort of Magnus' rays. Her summoned raven cawed beside her, and swept down the street in front of her.

Teresa did not stop until she reached the mining office. There she turned to look back, and waited for the goblins to appear. After long moments, they burst from the darkness of the mine, snarling and screeching for her blood. She smiled faintly at the sight, and once again ran for it. Her feet took her down the length of the main street. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw that each alley she passed had been blocked off by hedgehogs and overturned wagons, mining carts, and even furniture. Finally she came to the barricade that sealed off the end of the road as well, and stopped.

A glance up revealed the white-haired Dunmer battlemage on the roof of one of the buildings at the end of the street. Teresa did not see the Winged Twilight at all. The forester turned to look back the way she had come from. The street was filled with goblins. There had to be at least two dozen. Most carried crude, stone-tipped spears or knives, though some bore no weapons at all. One wore a vest of horizontal bones, and clutched a sword of human steel in both paws. Teresa imagined that had to be one of the berserkers. He was plainly the leader of the assembled goblins.

It was the berserker that led the way as the monsters closed in on her. Rather than continue their headlong rush, they slowed to a cautious walk as they drew nearer. Green faces ringed Teresa, snarling and hissing from all sides. Her raven swept into them, grasping for their eyes with his claws. That caused them to back off as they jabbed their spears and knives skyward.

Aw hell yeah!!...Peter Jackson, eat yer heart out!! ...(no, not really...Get back to work...Third film indeed....)

Loved the description of the mine again...Fantastic stuff...

The night vision goggles are well cool...Kinda Tank Girl-ish... ...

The skull-pile and the skins were a gruesome image... ...Well done!!... ...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

I’m enjoying the continuing evolution of Teresa’s skill at summoning her Raven.

So Pappy has set his trap and sent Teresa in to bait out the quarry. Well, they say the Guild of Fighters is good work if you’ve got the stones for it. Once again, Teresa demonstrates she certainly does.

She makes it back to daylight with a flaming horde of angry greenies in hot pursuit. With her back against her own fighters’ barricade now, and surrounded by elf-eating goblins, I’ll bet she’s getting pretty nervous and wondering where her darn air power is. Saya don’t fail us now!

‘But her daily runs around Bravil stood her in good stead, and she had barely raised a sweat by the time the light of day filled her goggles. Pushing them back up onto her forehead, she raced out into the comfort of Magnus' rays.’
Yup, all that joggin’ is paying off now! Not a criticism, but just a personal observation – when I was SCUBA trained by the Navy, we were taught to pull our goggles/facemask down around our neck instead of up onto our foreheads so they could not get knocked off and lost. Similarly, in the desert, we pulled our sand goggles down around our necks for the same reason when not in use. I figure Hollywood likes to have their actors push ‘em up onto their forehead ‘cuz it looks cooler.

I love the depth and richness you've given this wonderful 'TF Fighters Guild Quest'!

Nit: ’… and finally a third that would ward her against both physical harm and lighting.’
I may be confused so I ask your forgiveness if that is the case, but I’m wondering if you meant lightning instead of lighting here?

Hmm, perhaps when they are done with their fortifications, they could make a nice big smoky fire in the cave’s mouth and smoke ‘em out! And then they’d have to crawl through the flames too!

Ah, Teresa’s going in to draw them out. Yikes! I don’t envy her!

She’s making a hell of a lot of noise. No outright killing shots, nasty and painful wounds that may lead to the goblin’s demise in minutes or even an hour. Teresa’s getting her revenge.

They’ve got a nice trap set up, though I imagine they will have to go inside after the shaman. Teresa's ringed in now by goblins, where's her ride out? This could get very tense if it's late!

Teresa knew the latter was good practice, and vowed to start spending time doing so every day. Otherwise she would never become skilled enough to summon more powerful animals, such as wolves or bears.

How neat to see Teresa thinking about the future, and improving her summoning. I really liked this.

Pappy clanked away in his legion and orcish steel. Teresa renewed her summoning, and pulled her night eye goggles down over her face. The tunnel sprang to noon-day brightness as she slinked into its depths.

I love this contrast between Pappy and Teresa the scout. Teresa has awesome gear now. I still had clanking Pappy in mind when she drank all those potions that she made. Teresa is such an asset to the FG!

Teresa did not stop until she reached the mining office. There she turned to look back, and waited for the goblins to appear. After long moments, they burst from the darkness of the mine, snarling and screeching for her blood.

Ha! She was really hauling tail. The image of Teresa and her raven standing in the empty street waiting for the goblin horde to catch up made me smile.

Um, hello, Saya? Winged extrication, please?

Saya's going to pull a last minute rescue, isn't she? -_-

What is it with Dunmer and arriving in the nick of time? (RE: Tadrose at the end of Hunter's Run ) I hope Saya knows the Winged Twilight-in-Shining-Armor routine won't score any points with Teresa. She already has a Noble-in-Armor at her (near) beck and call.

Teresa's really been putting those points in Athletics, hasn't she? Outrunning an angry tribe of Goblins is no simple feat. (/chance: but it is a fast feet)

McBadgere: I was going for a Peter Jacksonish moment when the goblins all closed in slowly at the end. I could picture the same scene in Moira, just before the Balrog made his appearance and scared all the goblins off.

Teresa's goggles have always been a part of her kit, way back from the very beginning. There is a mod that adds them. Actually, there are a couple of mods that do. I ended up combining them both so I could use the goggle model from one, and the scripting for the night eye effect from the other.


Acadian: It would be hard to imagine the Teresa we knew in the early chapters doing what she did last episode is it not? She has indeed come a long way since then. Especially thanks to Pappy's tutelage.

I think I will use that pushing up/down issue in the future. It would be a good thing for someone to point out to Teresa in the future. Or perhaps they will be knocked off her head at some point and she will learn the hard way?


King Coin: I see you picked up on the reason why she shot for the legs, rather than the chest. Just as you said, she wants them to scream and make a lot of noise.


Grits: I want to keep Teresa's use of summoning magic alive and well. As others have pointed out in the past, perhaps some day she will put her bow aside altogether, and become a pure magician?

Once again it was good to show how the differences between Pappy's iron mongery and Teresa's silent as a ghost gear make her a special part of the guild.


liliandra nadiar: Maybe all those old westerns where the cavalry show up in the nick of time are popular in Morrowind. It was good to show the benefits of Teresa's morning runs around Bravil. She has turned herself into quite the athlete. I often wonder about sports in Tamriel, and what kind of team games they might play? Hand ball, jai lai, rugby? I could see the FG being having a team and being part of a local league, in something.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa standing guard at the mine entrance while the rest of the guild built barricades across the alleys between every building of the settlement, and across the main street at the far end. This has turned the entire outpost into a cul-de-sac, whose only way in or out faces the mine. Then Teresa went inside the goblin lair and got their attention. She raced out of the mine and down the barricaded street with a horde of goblin warriors hot on her heels. Now finds herself trapped between those goblins and the same barricades created by her guild.


Chapter 43.14 – Hand of Fire

Teresa was reaching for her scrolls when the sound of her raven was drowned out by the noise of much larger wings. A shadow spilled across her, and Teresa glanced up to see Kireteki swooping down upon her. The Winged Twilight's taloned feet reached down and grasped her by the shoulders. Then Teresa felt herself drawn up into the air, and she looked down to see both the goblins and the street fall away beneath her.

The crackle of lightning filled the street below, and the sparkling energy burst into a wide ball that engulfed the goblins. The creatures screamed and lurched in pain. Few fell to the ground however. Teresa imagined that for the spell to affect such a wide area, it had to sacrifice some of its potency. Still, with the goblins trapped as they were, it was only a matter of time before they were all killed that way.

Teresa turned her head away as Kireteki slowed, and found the roof of one of the outpost's buildings rising to meet her feet. The Winged Twilight let go of her when she was only a foot away, and Teresa dropped the rest of the distance. As Pappy had taught her, she let her legs collapse under her and tucked into a roll that would absorb the impact of the drop. Springing to her feet, she raced to the edge of the roof and drew forth an arrow.

The far end of the street lit up with another lighting ball. The goblins who could, turned to flee back toward the mine. Once more, that was directly toward Teresa. Thankfully this time she was up and out of their reach. She saw Riveus standing upon the building across from her. Below the Imperial Forester, the rest of her guild raced out into the street and formed a line of steel across its breadth. Now the goblins were trapped.

A glance back to the mine entrance revealed Mad Josse, bow in hand and fingers glowing with magic. If any goblins slipped through the guild, or managed to climb the barricades ringing the street, Josse would prevent them from retreating to the mine. Likewise, he was their rearguard, against any more goblins that might issue forth.

Teresa paid the old man no more heed, and turned back to her own task. Raising her bow, she took sight on a goblin darting for one of the alleys across the street. Her arrow sank into its side, and it fell to the dust. Her eyes picked out another clawing at the boarded up doorway of the mess hall, and she buried a swallowtail in its back.

Across the street from her, Riveus did the same, shooting any goblins that might try to escape through the barricades on Teresa's side of the road. Wherever the goblins clustered in the middle of the street, a ball of lighting erupted in their ranks. Finally, Kireteki swooped around the outer edges of the outpost, ready to scoop up any that manage to escape.

The lightning stopped as the remnants of the goblins met the line of fighters in the road. There was a loud clatter of stone on steel as shields and breastplates turned aside the goblin's weapons. The noise was followed by gangrel screams as the monsters fell beneath the weapons of her guild mates. Teresa could not resist spending just a moment watching the fighters as they stood and traded blows with the monsters. Just like in drill, they did not waver or break their line, not even to advance upon those goblins that shied away. They remained in formation though it all, presenting an impenetrable wall.

Individual bolts of lightning from Saya reached out for the retreating goblins. Teresa and Riveus added their arrows to the deadly rain. That persuaded the remaining goblins to once again throw themselves upon the fighters in the street. That ended the same way as before, and soon more goblin corpses littered the ground in front of the line of fighters.

The distant sound of flame came to Teresa's ears. The forester turned to see Mad Josse reeling away from the entrance of the mine, smoke rising from the leather armor he wore. Several goblins stepped into view, clearly female. All were much larger than the other goblins, and their torsos were draped in human and animal hides. Most carried daggers, but one was unarmed. Its fingers danced with flames, and Teresa wondered if it might be their shaman?

The forester drew an arrow from her gorytos and thrust its head into the jar of poison that hung from her waist. She had not needed of the latter since she had gotten Ravenfeeder. The bow magically poisoned every arrow she set upon its string. But she had a special brew in the flask, that would silence one's ability to use magicka.

She set the poisoned arrow to her string and drew her bow to full extension. She knew that she was too slow. The other goblins were moving in on Josse, and the magician was readying another spell.

But Josse had not been idle. He raised his hand in a fist, and when he opened it, a spriggan formed in the air between him and the goblins. The forest guardian's inhumanly long fingers reached out, and a head rolled across the dirt.

The spriggan burst into flames a moment later, as the goblin mage turned her magic upon the forest spirit. Teresa's lips formed a hard line as she stared at the goblin, and sent her arrow across the space between them. The mage recoiled with the missile buried in its stomach, and Teresa cursed. She had been aiming for the chest after all. Still, the goblin fell to the dirt, and the magic instantly died from its fingers.

Mad Josse drove another arrow into the mage a moment later. The spriggan lifted one hand, and a grizzly bear roared to angry life in the mouth of the cave. After that the nature spirit stretched out her arms, and a white light suffused her burnt frame. As the glow died away, Teresa saw that the blackened and scorched bark of her body had been replaced with healthy brown wood, green moss, and blooming pink flowers.

Teresa held her fire as the bear went to work upon the remaining goblins. The mine entrance was just too crowded now for her to risk another shot. Since Josse appeared to have things well in hand, she turned back to the street to see the last of the goblins there fall with one of Riveus' arrows in its back.

Teresa wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. They had won their second battle against the goblins! Her eyes danced across the figures in the street below, and settled upon Tadrose. The Dunmer warrior was unharmed, and she looked up to meet Teresa's gaze. Tadrose flashed a smile, and the wood elf felt her heart soar. Thank Mara she was not harmed!

Aw hell yeah!!...

Amazing fight!!...Dammit!!... ...

Whoa!!...I knew Uncle Mad Josse was my fave character!!...Damn that was sooo cool...Forest Guardians rock!!...Loved that bit when the Spriggan renewed/healed itself, absolutely brilliant idea...

Brilliantly done as ever...

Love it!!...

Nice one... ...

*Applauds heartily*...

I bet Teresa was thankful for her armor, getting hoisted around by the Twilight. The trap is sprung and the slaughter shall begin. In Teresa’s position, I would have a difficult time not sparing a moment to watch the fighters as well.

The shamans of the tribe appear, and Teresa and her special bow are needed now. Mad Josse has an interesting summon, though ill-suited against fire. Teresa’s ‘miss’ still put the mage out of play. I couldn’t help but grin when the spriggan healed herself and pretty flowers bloomed.

Now, was that it? Or are there more in the cave? Liked the ending, both elves confirming the other was unharmed.

Old business: What a brilliant idea to have someone like Pappy or Tadrose point out the wisdom of Teresa pushing her goggles down instead of up within the story!

’As Pappy had taught her, she let her legs collapse under her and tucked into a roll that would absorb the impact of the drop.’
A superbly executed parachute landing fall after a timely rescue!

Wow! All of Pappy’s planning and preparations come together as the trap is fully sprung and his guild holds firm like an iron phalanx – just as he trained them.

I loved the spriggan summon, her bear and your entire description of her from appearing out of the air to healing and blooming pink flowers! Old Josse must know our friend Morcant!

Having T&T’s eyes search each other out after the fight was just the perfect ending to this heart pounding and exciting fight.

You and I have not mentioned it for some time, but let me compliment you on your consistently outstanding management of both post length and frequency. I quite love your once a week posting schedule and average episode length of about 1500 words. I know it can be a challenge, but you clearly realize it is easy to overdo a good thing.

I'm thinking we might have seen the Shaman, but not the War Chief. There's still work to be done inside the mine, and they haven't been able to prepare the arena there. Teresa has scouted the area, so at least they know the lay of the mine, and can do a bit more planning before they go in.

And they don't need to be in any hurry, provided there isn't a back way out. Presumably they'd know that from the details of the contract.

Nice embellishment of what the Spriggans always do just when you think you've won! Teresa needs to talk to Josse and learn that spell!

It was fun to see the plan working! Mad Josse and the spriggan + bear were my favorite part. As others mentioned, the spriggan’s healing complete with pink flowers really made me smile. I could almost hear that maddening giggle. Of course here it would be music to her allies’ ears!

Teresa wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. They had won their second battle against the goblins! Her eyes danced across the figures in the street below, and settled upon Tadrose. The Dunmer warrior was unharmed, and she looked up to meet Teresa's gaze. Tadrose flashed a smile, and the wood elf felt her heard soar. Thank Mara she was not harmed!

Yay! A sweet moment after the blood bath. I’m sure that Teresa is the only one who will notice that her arrow went a hand’s span south.

I wonder what Pappy has planned next!

This has been an exciting and exhilarating romp through the lovely hills of the Western Niben Basin. I've loved everything from the departure from Bravil to this latest installment.

I agree with Acadian's suggestion that Teresa learn to pull her goggles down rather than up from her eyes.

And this line:
Made me smile. It made me recall the wonderful scene in The Magnificent Seven where James Coburn shoots the bandit from his horse from an impossibly long distance, and young Horst Bucholtz admiring aloud that was the best shot he'd ever seen. Coburn says *disgustedly* The worst! I was aiming for the horse!

Loved the spriggan and the bear. Always felt irritated that those forest creatures always wanted to kill you in the game. Nice to see them on our side for a change!

McBadgere: Amazing fight it what I was hoping for. I had given a lot of thought to Mad Jack Josse using illusion magic, namely command spells. But he just did not strike me as the type to go around mind-controlling others. So I went with the nature summons instead, which I think fit in with his Mountain Man background rather well.


King Coin: I was thinking that same thing about the armor, and the Twilight's claws. Even when she is not trying, I bet those would draw at least a little blood when she picks someone up like that.

We have all seen those Spriggans do that heal animation of theirs (and groaned inwardly every time). I wanted to show some details on exactly how her body was healing. Since appear to be made of wood and bark and such, I emphasized the moss returning, and flowers blooming to show it returning to full health.


Acadian: I knew the fighter pilot would recognize the parachute landing. I am sure you have done plenty of those in your time. I imagine that Pappy has leapt out of many second story windows in his life, with angry husbands in pursuit. Developing that skill to land without harm has doubtlessly kept him alive all these years!

I see you noticed the post lengths. The original way I broke up this chapter was with longer posts. But I did not like it, and decided to go back and break it down into smaller pieces. Like you said, I think it makes for easier reading, especially when there are so many other excellent stories here that we all want to read as well.


ghastley: That spellcaster did not have a staff, so it was not the shaman. She still lurks below. Likewise the war chief was that big, armored fellow Teresa saw back at the roadside ambush. Being top dog, he would have wanted to be in the place where he could get the most glory (else he might not stay the top dog).

Like you said, now they have the goblins trapped. Thanks to this being Lady Scaurus' mine, they know the layout and can presume that the goblins have not been able to make any major changes, since they moved in only recently. There would be air-shafts to the surface however, but being vertical, I doubt any goblin could climb out of them. They would need a levitate spell, which we all know is illegal in Cyrodiil.


Grits: I love it when a plan comes together. So does Pappy. I never quite understood why the Oblivion Spriggans giggle, it seems kind of odd for a plant-like creature to do. I find I like the Skyrim version's swarm of bees sound much better.


hottie collie rider: Scenes like that one in the Mag Seven are exactly the kind of thing I was trying to channel with Teresa's slightly errant arrow. I think there was a similar one in Quigley Down Under? I have to watch that movie again. I wanted to show that in spite of how far she has come, she is not perfect all the time. I never liked how the Oblivion animals were so homicidal either. Hence my mod to make them friendly of course. They do them better in Skyrim, where they have a specific distance you have to get to them before they become aggressive. So you can often just walk around a bear or pack of wolves, than have to fight them.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode saw Teresa now trapped against the barricades as the goblins slowly closed in. Kireteki swooped down and flew off with our heroine at the last moment however, depositing her to safety on a rooftop. In the meantime Saya plied them with lightning balls, and the rest of the Fighters Guild marched out into the street to block the only unbarricaded route out of the outpost. The battle was on, with the goblins trapped between the guild's melee fighters and Saya's magic. At the entrance of the mine, several female goblins attacked Mad Josse, who was standing guard there. One was a magician. However, a silenced arrow from Teresa stopped its magic, and Josse's conjured Spriggan (and its conjured bear) then made short work of the goblins. Soon, all of the monsters on the surface were dead, with no casualties among the Fighters Guild.


Chapter 43.15 – Hand of Fire

"Form up, we're going down into that mine!" Pappy barked. "First file is up front with me in a double line. Second takes the rear. Archers in the center."

Teresa fell into formation with the others facing the mine, effortlessly stepping into place in the middle of the column with Riveus at her side. Half of the fighters formed two lines in front of her, with Pappy in their second rank. The other half did the same behind her, led by Tadrose. Saya stared dumbfounded, until Teresa grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the center of the armored column.

Mad Josse waited behind. Teresa could see the mountain man was fuming. But Pappy had won out the latest argument with the Breton. Josse went to work taking down dead miners from the posts upon which they hung near the entrance of the mine. Teresa wondered if his nephew was among them? His summoned spriggan lent her claws to help with the task, while her own bear simply lounged in the sun. Teresa was glad for the two summonings being there to guard their only way out, along with Josse. She had to admit that for all of his bluster, the mountain man was no slouch in a fight. If any goblins still lurked outside, they would have their hands full trying to get past those three!

Josse's mule Number Seven also stood nearby, and stared at the fighters as they marched into the mine. In the meanwhile Lady Scaurus' agent - Laberius Maesa - vanished into the mining office. Teresa imagined that he might be going through all of the paperwork that still survived.

"Little prick is probably looking for a count of how much gold the mine's supposed to have," Vincent grumbled, "so he can blame us if its short."

"Put a sock in it meathead," Pappy growled. "We all have to do our jobs. Just keep your mind on yours."

Those without night eye enchantments drank the potions that Teresa had provided to see in the darkness. At Pappy's word, they followed with more potions to armor themselves against magical and mundane harm. Teresa only wished she had the time to brew some potions to resist fire, since these goblins appeared to favor that over shock. If wishes were dragons, she thought, everyone would fly…

They marched down the sloping tunnel, deep into the bowels of Nirn. Like the others, Teresa braced herself for the inevitable goblin attack. They were walking into the very heart of their lair. Pappy said they had probably killed all of their warriors. But their females still remained, and by all accounts, they were even more dangerous than the males. Worst of all, their shaman still lurked somewhere in the depths ahead. For the magician they had killed at the entrance had not possessed the shaman's staff. That had been but an apprentice.

"We're almost there." Teresa said to Pappy as they approached a turn in the mine shaft. "It opens up not far after this curve."

The guild commander called for a halt, and turned to look back. He said something to Vincent, and the Breton dug through the commander's pack. A moment later the younger man produced a bottle, pulled the cork out with his teeth, and took a long swallow from it.

"This is it you meatheads." Pappy took the bottle from Vincent and knocked back a long guzzle from its depths before passing it on to Chance. "We clear them out of this main cavern, and it will just be mopping up after that. That means we're gonna have one big fight on our hands. Stay in formation, follow commands, and we'll win this."

"That shaman's our biggest threat," the commander went on. "She's your responsibility Saya. I want you to hold back and wait for her to show herself. No magic until you see her. Then you pour on everything you have and don't let up 'till she's dead."

"But my lightning balls can clear out the cavern," the Dunmer mage insisted. "I can finish them all with just a few blasts!"

"And that shaman can do the same to us," Tadrose said from the rear. "You do not lay your trump cards first. You do it when it will win the game. That is precisely what you are going to do for us."

"Our vice-commander took the words right out of my mouth," Pappy agreed. "Teresa, Riveus, you two keep your silence poison ready too, just in case. If you have a shot at any mage, don't wait for my say so, you take it. Otherwise fire on command."

Teresa nodded as the bottle came back to her. She saw by the label that it was flin, thirty years old if the label was correct. She took a tentative mouthful, and winced as the fiery liquid burned its way down her throat. She wished Pappy had gotten a bottle of Tamika's instead. But she imagined that was not manly enough for the Colovian soldier. She could not wait to hand the bottle to Riveus.

"No quarter," Pappy continued. "Don't forget what these little fetchers did to the men outside. Remember those skins they're wearing. I am not gonna let a single one of you end up the same because you got some stupid ideas of honor or mercy in your head. These aren't people, they're monsters. And we know what to do with them, don't we? These fetchers have had their way with miners and farmers long enough, now let's go get some payback!"

"Oorah!" the fighters all shouted in unison, Teresa among them. She did not know how to feel about shooting a mother goblin, or her child. But she did know what to feel about them eating the people outside, and wearing their skins as clothing. She vowed that would never happen again.

They marched forward once more, and in moments the tunnel opened up beyond the ranks of fighters before Teresa. At a command from Pappy, his file advanced just into the cavern. They spread out into a single line that was anchored at the walls to either side, forming a slight bubble with Teresa, Riveus, and Saya behind them. Tadrose in the meanwhile, remained out of sight back in the tunnel with her half of the guild.

At Pappy's command his fighters went down to one knee. That gave Teresa a good view of the chamber, where goblins swarmed to and fro. It reminded her of an anthill that had been kicked over. She drew forth an arrow and set it to the nock of her bow. Her questing eyes looked for anything that might be a shaman, but none of the goblins she saw carried a staff.

"Archers, fire at will!"

At the guild commander's word, she and Riveus raised their bows and began shooting into the goblins. Teresa did not think about what she was doing. She simply loaded, aimed at the shapes in front of her, and fired. It was just like practice.

"Incoming!" Teresa tensed at Vincent's shout, and went down to one knee behind the Breton. A wave of heat washed over her, and her vision filled with flames. She held her breath while the fire licked all around her, and gritted her teeth against the pain that washed across her body. She prayed that Aldariel's enchantments would protect her from the worst of it, and simply endured.

"Did anyone see where that came from?" Pappy's shouted as the fire died away. All around fighters groaned and cursed, but none answered. Teresa dipped an arrow in the poison jar at her hip, and rose to her feet. Her eyes scanned the chamber, but as before, there was no sign of the shaman.

"To the right!" Ancondil called out. Teresa followed his pointing hammer, only to see a fist-sized ball of fire roaring toward them. With no time to aim, she simply loosed her arrow in that direction and hoped for the best. Then she was down on her knees again, just as the ball of fire blossomed into an inferno that engulfed them all once more.

"We're sitting ducks sitting here!" Chance coughed through the smoke as the flames subsided a second time.

"He's right," Pappy grumbled. "Fall back! Archers first, fall back!"

The fighters rose to their feet as Teresa, Riveus, and Saya backed into the entry shaft. Before them the fighters also stepped backward, collapsing into a double line once more. At Pappy's command, they retreated to the next turn in the tunnel, where Tadrose's file opened their ranks, and allowed Pappy's to march through to far end of the column.

"We form a new line here," Tadrose declared. "If that shaman wants to use that magic against us now, she'll have to get up in our faces. Now stand ready, they'll be on us in a second."

The sound of clawed feet scrabbling on rock and dirt reinforced the Dunmer's words, and the new front rank of fighters readied their shields. A moment later a wave of female goblins poured from around the corner, and leapt upon them. There was no coordination or attempt at teamwork between the creatures. They simply cast themselves right onto the guild members and stabbed with knives or clawed with their fingers. Some even hurled rocks, or tried to bite the fighters with their teeth.

Valerius, Morghak, and Storm-Tail held firm under the assault however, and did not waver from their positions. The goblins came in so close, that the swords and axes of the mercenaries were of no use. So they just held their shields up, and did their best to shove the smaller creatures off of them. Tadrose stood just behind them, and stabbed at the goblins with her longsword. She held the greatsword with one hand on the hilt, and the other half way down the blade. Teresa knew that by halfswording that way, it not only made the Dunmer's blows more powerful, but also far more precise.

Teresa stepped up as well and stood just inches behind Storm-Tail. Whenever a goblin leapt onto the Argonian, she leaned forward and braced him from behind. She held a mithril dagger in one hand, and it sank into the flesh of all the creatures that beset him. Out of the corner of her eye, Teresa saw Riveus doing the same, standing behind Morghak and lending his strength - and dagger - to the Orisimer's.

Teresa was not sure how long they fought that way. It might have been just a few minutes, but it seemed to drag on forever. She tried not to think. Rather she simply did what Pappy had taught her to do in their daily training sessions. Her knife was slick with blood when the whoosh of fire once again filled her ears.

"Goblin mage!" Valerius shouted. A stream of fire roared upon his shield, only to evaporate harmlessly upon its meteoric glass surface. Teresa peered beyond Storm-Tail's elven helmet, and saw a large goblin standing a few feet in front of their line. It held out one hand, and the flames seemed to pour from its fingers, as water would from a spout.

Then another goblin leapt upon Storm-Tail. The monster's stone knife skittered harmlessly off the Argonian's elven panoply. Its head dove for the young fighter's throat, and its long teeth gnawed at the mail that guarded his scaly skin. Teresa ignored the mage, and sank her dagger into one of the goblin's eyesockets. She held on tightly to the hilt as Storm-Tail shoved the creature away, and was thankful that the goblin did not take her dagger with it as it fell to the ground.

The crackle of lighting filled the air, and Teresa had just enough time to see the dazzling energy slam the goblin magician into one of the walls of the cave. Standing at the other end of the blast was Tadrose, who had stretched her arm out beyond Valerius to aim. As Teresa watched, the vice commander fired another blast into the mage. With that the monster lay still, now a blackened lump of roasted flesh.

The remaining goblins fled after that. The guild stood their ground however, and at Pappy's command Saya went to work with healing spells on those who had been injured. In the meantime his own file marched forward, and took the lead once more. When they were finally ready to move again, he led the way back toward the main chamber.

’Saya stared dumbfounded, until Teresa grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the center of the armored column.’
Buffy can identify with Saya here. My gosh how far our stringy elf has come since she was a cowering street rat back on the Waterfront! This sentence speaks volumes about Saya’s world as well as the world that Teresa now confidently embraces.

’In the meanwhile Lady Scaurus' agent - Laberius Maesa - vanished into the mining office. Teresa imagined that he might be going through all of the paperwork that still survived.’
Or perhaps cleaning his sullied silken trousers after seeing first hand how Pappy’s guild earns their living.

’If wishes were dragons, she thought, everyone would fly…’
Delightfully TESish application of ‘if pigs had wings’ as Teresa realizes that ‘ye dances with who brung ye and fights with what’s in yer pack.’

I loved it when Pappy took a long pull of that ‘potion’. I suspected not one of Teresa’s protective elixirs, but Nordic whiskey or such. You rewarded my suspicions in short order by revealing it was flin! Testimony to how well you have, over time, painted Pappy’s character for us.

A wise retreat from the big cavern back to a very tense fight in the passageway. Wonderful touches you used to describe the front rank’s reliance on their shields and Tadrose’s precise halfswording over the front rank.

Pappy's hard training of the guild really pays off here. Instead of chasing after the fleeing gobbies, our brave guildmates are holding their ground and recouping their strength. They understand more fighting still lies ahead of them.

How nice to come home from work at the Apple Store to see this update! Like Acadian, I find the length of the posts very well done - it gives us an epic battle in very nice chunks that allow us to digest each portion thoroughly before the next one. And I agree with you, it gives us a chance to read other good stories on this forum (though I don't have the time I used to have).

I enjoyed every part of the organized march into the mine.

"This is it you meatheads."

Yay for Pappy! As Acadian said, you have made him so vivid that the flask could only have contained flin.

"Incoming!" Teresa tensed at Vincent's shout, and went down to one knee behind the Breton.

I thought this part was great. They fell back so neatly, and no one tripped over Saya. Perhaps she was watching Teresa this time!

The crackle of lighting filled the air, and Teresa had just enough time to see the dazzling energy slam the goblin magician into one of the walls of the cave. Standing at the other end of the blast was Tadrose, who had stretched her arm out beyond Valerius to aim.

Woo hoo, this is my favorite part! Go Tadrose!!

Loved the intensity of this...I was almost as scared as they were with all the close-quarters fighting!... ...

That was brilliantly done btw...Loved it!!...The idea of Tadrose having one hand on the blade of her greatsword while plunging it into goblins was ace!...Between that and the lighting at the end, Tadrose does most definately rock!... ...

Absolutely brilliant stuff...Loved it muchly!!...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Ha! It was amusing at first to see Saya out of her element, however the humor fled quickly. She’s going to be fighting with them, and she doesn’t know what she’s doing! Teresa’s going to have to watch out for her, and I’m a little concerned about some of the other fighters, she could hit one of them if she’s surprised!

A bottle of Tamika’s? A nasty cave is no place for fine wine!

And the battle begins. Smart retreat, and I enjoyed the description of the soldiers holding the line with their shields, being supported by the second line. Spears would be handy for this.

A brief respite, then onward. Very good chapter.

I love the pacing of all this battle. The goblins are frantically attacking, like they alway do, but the Guild is doing what it should, and being very methodical and efficient about it.

I presume the fire-hurling Shaman is again a lesser one, and the big fireballs are yet to come (if Teresa can't silence her first). In-game they do seem to score a lot of friendly-fire hits, especially on their own summoned zombies, so hurling them in such tight quarters is quite in character. One hopes Saya is more circumspect with her lightning.

Acadian: Saya's being lost as the guild snapped into formation was indeed meant to show just how out of her depth the new battlemage is amongst Pappy's veterans. Where Teresa and the others have spent months in daily training, Saya has not. I wanted to subtly illustrate that.

That 'potion' in Pappy's pack (hmmm, can I alliterate more? ) was directly inspired by the same scene with the guild before the Battle of Bruma. Only this time Pappy did not have a Countess' wine cellar to raid for the flin. As you said, it was just so in character, how could he not produce such a bottle?


haute ecole rider: Just as you said, I wanted to illustrate in that post just how professional Pappy's guild are. Everyone standing in line, never breaking formation even when tantalized with the sight of an enemy's back. Harald lost the Battle of Hastings because his levy infantry would not stay in formation, and insisted on chasing after the retreating Norman cavalry. They paid dearly for that mistake. Pappy's guild will never do the same.


Grits: I could not let Pappy steal all the excitement from Tadrose. The last post gave me a wonderful opportunity to now only showcase our vice-commander's leadership skills and swording skills, but also pull out that destruction magic she learned as a young aristocrat in Morrowind.


McBadgere: Those half-swording moves of Tadrose are all taken from RL longswording. Halfswording plays a very important role in using either an arming sword or longsword, both for defense and attack. It gives your parries strength, and allows you to stab with incredible precision and power. It also allows you to use every part of the sword as weapon, not just the blade. The Arma has some very good examples on this page about Talhoffer's longswording manuals from the 15th century.


King Coin: You hit the nail right on the head with your observation on Saya's being out of place in the middle of the marching column. For all her impressive magical skills, she is out of her element in a professional army.

Teresa would argue that any place is a good place for fine wine!

Now you are making me miss spears in ES games again. Imagine having a phalanx of Amazon hoplites to throw against those gobbies?


ghastley: Like you said the gobbies are frantic and unfocused, while the outnumbered guild is the exact opposite. This whole chapter was a wonderful opportunity for me to show just how professional and well-trained Pappy's guild is. Yep, that was another apprentice in the tunnel. I picture every shaman having 3 or 4 apprentices serving/learning from her. We will finally be seeing the shaman herself in the next post.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode saw the guild march down into the mine itself. At the main chamber they met a barrage of fireballs, and were forced to retreat back into the tunnel leading to the surface. There they formed a new line of resistance, and fought off a furious - if uncoordinated - goblin counterattack. After the few surviving goblins fled back into the mine, Pappy marched the Fighters Guild back to the main chamber once more.


Chapter 43.16 – Hand of Fire

He stopped before they reached the opening however, and motioned Teresa and Saya forward.

"That shaman's still out there," he said, "and she's gonna be waiting for us, just like the last time. Teresa, have you got any more of those invisibility potions?"

The wood elf checked her bag, and produced her last one.

"Outstanding! You go invisible and sneak out there. Find yourself a spot with a good field of fire and wait." The guild commander produced a scroll and began to unroll it. "Then I'm gonna summon up a salamander and send it out there. Saya, I want you to do the same with your Daedra. With any luck, that will flush out their shaman. Then she's all yours Teresa. You give the all clear, and we'll come charging out there."

Teresa and Saya nodded as Pappy drew forth his scroll. The forester drank her potion, and crept out into the main chamber. Many of the crude hide walls of the goblin homes had now been trampled down, and the cavern floor was scattered with debris. There were far fewer goblins than before, sprinkled all around and trying to hide behind whatever cover they could find.

Teresa tip-toed along, silent as a grave. She did not go far however. She still remembered how she had gotten cut off from the others during the night raid on the goblin camp. Poisoning an arrow, she set it to her string and waited. Looking from one side of the chamber to the other, her eyes searched for the goblin shaman.

Pappy's salamander swept into the chamber with a blaze of fire. A gigantic serpent made entirely of flame, it seemed more like the Aedra was swimming through the air rather than flying. Propelled forward by whips of its powerful tail, the spirit roared around the room in a wide circuit. The goblins screamed and shouted, and many sprang from their hiding places as it drew near them.

The sound of leathery wings came to Teresa's long ears a moment later. She turned her head to see Kireteki fly into the room. Almost instantly a ball of fire erupted from the left side of the cavern and sped toward the Winged Twilight. The Daedra dipped her wings and rushed down toward the ground. The magical fire roared past, and blossomed into an inferno against the ceiling above her. Kireteki's wings snapped out once more, and she leveled her flight off just a few feet from the stony floor.

Teresa spun in the direction of the attack, and drew spidersilk back under her ear. She saw several forms at the entrance to one of the side passages. One held what could only be a staff. It was not easy to aim with an invisible bow and arrow, but her daily practice sessions behind the guildhall had made it all automatic. She did not need to see the tip of her arrow to know where it was. She simply lined that spot up with her target and let fly with her poisoned missile. But before it could land, one of the other goblins leapt in front of the shaman. Her arrow buried itself in its form, and the figures there became a jumble.

Teresa cursed as her body swam back into view. She drew forth another arrow and poisoned it. She heard another fireball blossom to life. Gritting her teeth, she ignored it and concentrated on her task. Thankfully the shot was not at her. She raised her bow once more to find that the salamander had sunk its flaming teeth into a goblin near the shaman, and was shaking its head back and forth like a dog with a ragdoll.

Teresa let fly once more, and this time she saw her swallowtail sink into the shaman's leg. The goblin went down to one knee, dropping its staff to the ground. Teresa smiled faintly, and raised her hand to signal Pappy and the others to come forward.

She readied another arrow as the guild marched into the cavern and formed a line. Many of the remaining goblins leapt upon them. Teresa noted from their small size that some had to be children. Her guildmates dealt with them and the adults in the usual way. Others fled into the side passages, and it was these fleeing creatures that Riveus picked off with his arrows. Kireteki did likewise, swooping around the walls of the chamber and picking up any goblin that she could lay her claws upon. The Winged Twilight flung the creatures head-first into the walls, cracking their skulls apart like grapefruit.

It was the shaman that Teresa was most interested in however. The wood elf doubted that one arrow would finish the goblin leader, even with Ravenfeeder's deadly poison. With the right potions, the shaman would be right back in the fight in no time. That could cost her guild dearly. So she ignored the rest of the battle, and focused her eyes upon the small knot of goblins that fought with the salamander. One of them had to be shaman.

Drawing her bow to full extension, her eyes scanned the chaos of goblins before the side tunnel. Most appeared to be males. The shaman's personal guard perhaps? They wore armored vests made from bones, and wielded steel axes and swords with both hands.

Teresa could not see the shaman behind them however. So she waited with her composite bow at full extension, knowing that sooner or later, one of the bodyguards would step the wrong way, and leave her with a clear shot. She did not even consider running over there. That would separate her from the rest of the guild, just as at the roadside camp.

Someone else did run that way however. Teresa saw glittering mithril armor, with a wisp of white hair falling from beneath the rim of the helmet. It was Saya! What was that damned fool battlemage thinking? Did she want to get herself killed?

Teresa bit her lip, and glanced back at the rest of the guild. Should she go after the mage, or remain with the guild? If she went after Saya, she would deprive the guild of her support. But if she left Saya alone, they might be returning to Bravil without their new mage…

"Damn you stupid slitch!" Teresa cursed as several of the goblin bodyguards vanished into the side passage. The salamander was still outside, ripping apart every monster it could plant its flaming jaws into. Kireteki joined the elemental spirit a moment later, and between the two, the goblins guarding the passage had their hands full. Saya easily slipped around them and vanished into the shaft a moment later, and Teresa knew what she had to do.

She raced across the chamber, leaping over rocks and dodging around the goblin homes that still stood. She ignored the goblins she passed. She knew the others would take care of them. A few tried to stab at her with knives, and some even threw rocks. She trusted to Aldariel to protect her, and sped on without a thought.

Darting past the summoned spirits, she sped through the tunnel as fast as her feet would take her. Under different circumstances, she would have taken it slowly and been mindful of traps. But Teresa knew that Saya would discover any of those the hard way, so she did not waste a moment on caution.

Brilliant light filled the passage before her, and Teresa knew that Saya had found the goblins. Or more likely the other way around. This was the goblin's territory. By now they would know all of the ins and outs of the mine. It would be child's play for them to spring an ambush upon an unwary pursuer.

Teresa rounded a corner, and saw that trap spring shut before her eyes. The tunnel widened out into a long chamber, before suddenly narrowing down to a tight passage at its far end. The upper walls along either side of the room had been dug out, creating what seemed like wide shelves running the length of the chamber.

Saya stood at the far end of the room and faced off with the goblin shaman, who stood in the entrance to the tunnel beyond. The shaman was flinging fire spells once more, confirming Teresa's fears that it had a dispel potion or two hidden away on its person. Saya gave back with her lightning, and the room glowed with dazzling light from the magical duel.

However, what Saya did not see were the two goblin bodyguards slinking out from the rock shelves to either side of the room behind her. One lifted his war axe with two hands as he crept toward the Dunmer's back. The other hefted an arming sword, the weapon's blade so long in comparison to its body that it was the equivalent of a man wielding a greatsword. It too, skulked quietly toward the unsuspecting battlemage.

Teresa stopped at the entrance to the room, drew an arrow, and fired. The elven swallowtail easily pierced the bone armor worn by the axeman and he fell face-down into the dirt. The other raised his sword with both hands, and prepared to bring it down upon Saya's head. A second arrow buried itself in the back of his skull, and the sword dropped from nerveless fingers as his corpse crumpled to the ground.

Teresa set a third arrow to her bow. She stepped sideways to get a clear shot at the shaman, when Saya moved closer to the goblin. Her mace rose and fell, only to be swept aside by the goblin's staff. The Dunmer countered by punching her shield into the shaman's face, sending it staggering back. Her mace followed once more, and this time its mithril flanges sank deeply into the monster's skull.

Teresa eased up on her bow, and shook her head. Even now the battlemage still had no idea how near she had come to death. The wood elf watched as Saya pulled her mace free, now covered in goblin brains. It was not until the Dunmer knelt down to begin searching the shaman's corpse that the wood elf trotted over.

"You bloody fool," the angry words spilled from Teresa lips, as if of their own accord. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

The battlemage whirled around and sprang to her feet. "I needed no help from you," the Dunmer sneered.

"Really?" Teresa fumed. She reached out with one hand and grabbed the other woman by her gorget. Pulling her away from the shaman, she pointed to the goblin bodyguards. "You never even saw them, did you? They were about to spit you like Saturalia ham when I got here."

Saya stared from one goblin corpse to another. Her mouth dropped open, and what could only be a genuine expression of surprise blossomed across her dusky features. Teresa shook her head again, and pushed the other woman back the way they had come from.

"You never leave your partners," Teresa grumbled. The memory of her own near death the previous night was fresh in her mind as she shoved the other elf back toward the main cavern. The Dunmer did not say a word as she stumbled from the chamber, and Teresa bit her lip to keep from saying more. What right did she have to be sanctimonious? She had done nearly as bad herself. Still, that did not keep her from fuming. But whether her fury was at the Dunmer, or herself, she was not certain.

Excellent showing by Saya, including making the most fundamental (and usually fatal) rookie mistake.

I was delighted to see Teresa taking on the mantle of the Ninth Cohort pilus that Julian has been holding out during this entire battle. I'm sure Julian breathed a sigh of relief too. Teresa has come a long way from her rookie days with the Fighters' Guild, thanks to Pappy and Tadrose's tutelage.

I have one nit, and it is stylistic more than anything else: While most people would accept this as is, I know from personal experience that terriers and dachshunds kill rats and other vermin this exact same way. Thus I would choose a more "natural" metaphor in the place of a common pet's toy, mainly to demonstrate how lethal such a move is for a live prey animal.

Teresa’s going to snipe the shaman? Sounds like a good plan. I wonder if the shaman will be smart enough not to show herself to a couple of summons though.

Firing an invisible bow would be very difficult I would think.

Saya’s charging? If she survives, Pappy’s going to tear her a new one. Maybe Teresa too for going after her. She’s not used to working as a team. I’m glad Teresa got to show her the error of her ways, even if it may have been a tad hypocritical. Now it’s back to the lines.

Excellent stuff!!....

Still love that Winged Twilight...Loved that bit where it dropped out of the way and then caught itself further down...Loved that!...

I loved the fact that Teresa went after Saya anyway...Despite the danger to herself...That was cool...Yes, the irony of her scolding the Dunmer was great, but nevertheless, Saya is alive to get said scolding...And that's the important bit... ...

Fantastic story...Love it!!...

Nice one!!...

*applauds heartily*...

I loved the salamander, of course! And Kireteki’s aerial maneuvers were a treat to see!

Oh wow, Saya made a big mistake. It will be interesting to see how she handles it after the surprise wears off. I’m sure Pappy and/or Tadrose will have some words for her. I also wonder what the two of them will say about Teresa dashing off after her. I guess sending Teresa out away from the rest of the group in the first place gave her license to use her own judgment.

It was fun to see Saya work her mace and shield. She seems to be worth the trouble.

"Damn you stupid slitch!"
Oh my goodness, what a censor-crushingly creative new insult. I can imagine a handful of words that blend perfectly to form such a befitting insult!

'Saya gave back with her lightning, and the room glowed with dazzling light from the magical duel.'
I love the colors that magical duals can conjure in Oblivion and smiled at the picture you painted here.

"Really?" Teresa fumed. She reached out with one hand and grabbed the other woman by her gorget. Pulling her away from the shaman, she pointed to the goblin bodyguards. "You never even saw them, did you? They were about to spit you like Saturalia ham when I got here."
This paragraph was perfect in so many ways, from Teresa’s use of ‘gorget’, to the wonderfully TESish Saturalia ham, to the surprise we knew would dawn on Saya’s face. More importantly, it introduced the wonderful blending of Teresa’s emotions as her anger mixed with second thoughts and confusion over her own choices. Once again, we see Teresa being Teresa – even as she has learned and continues to learn so much. You’ve done a great job of portraying Saya as a competent but inexperienced battlemage. I hope her aggressiveness and willingness to dirty her lovely hands is properly channeled and not quashed; I suspect Pappy, along with T&T are just the right examples to learn from.

I'm with Acadian on the censor-detector-defeater, great wordplay. I'm also adding 'Slitch' to my Chorrol.com vocab. Call it redistribution of originality.

I would like to bring up an old topic, namely, Pappy. I get the Gunny Hartmann references, but I don't think that's the best fit.

Rather, I think he's Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway, of Heartbreak Ridge. Why, you ask?

Pappy's a drinker. So is Highway. Pappy's a fighter. So is Highway. Pappy has the Grass Crown, highest military decoration in Tamriel. Highway's got a Medal of Honor, the equivalent. Pappy's got a record, but is too d@mn good to be fired or forced to resign. Similarly, Highway will stay in till he ages out, because he's that good. Pappy throws everything he can during training. So will Highway. Pappy wasn't just a formation fighter, but led troops hunting down outlaws as a legionary. Gunny Highway leads a Recon platoon, a very close equivalent.

Lastly, Gunny Highway looks a lot like that handsome devil Clint Eastwood, with is much closer to Pappy's appearance than R. Lee Ermey (no matter how handsome that man is, as well). Just saying.

But on to the actual raid. This whole sequence is handled with impressive pacing, great descriptive narrative, and insightful glimpses into Teresa's mind. After all, those who rage loudest against a given mistake are likely to be the ones to have done the same previously.

Things have gotten a lot more exciting for Teresa since I've been away, finally everything seems to be going well for her...I just hope it lasts.

I'm loving the inclusion of the Winged Twilight, I always thought it strange that there were so many things to summon in Morrowind but in Oblivion everyone seemed to forget about them

I'm also loving the character of Storm-Tail, I think he's my new favourite character in Teresa's epic adventure and I wouldn't mind seeing more of him in later chapters (unless he is destined to die of course, in which case I'll raise a cup of nightshade tea in his honour )

haute ecole rider: Teresa is indeed a veteran now. Although I assure you her assumption of the mantle of pilus is only because other, more qualified members were not present to do it instead!

I am going to keep the doll reference, because I think more people will identify with that from playing with their pets.


King Coin: It did not occur to me how difficult it would be to aim a weapon that you could not see until I was writing those sentences. Then I realized that you have no crosshairs/aiming reference. You would have to rely purely upon your experience in using the weapon. Thankfully Teresa has had a lot of practice!

Teresa's scolding was a bit hypocritical. But then it is often the people who have made the same mistake, who are most critical of others doing it later. At least Teresa knows what she is talking about.


McBadgere: Kireteki's aerial maneuvers were fun to write. I was thinking of how some birds of prey will fold in their wings so they can drop down at great speed to attack an unwary victim below. Then snap out their wings to arrest their fall.


Grits: I keep thinking about trying to make Salamanders in Skyrim. I think the Ice Wraiths look perfect. All you would have to do is replace the ice effects for a fire one. Like that one spell that lets you summon a flaming familiar.

Did you notice that Saya's mace and shield work at the end was exactly the same as what Pappy used on her in her 'audition'? I wanted to show that Saya was indeed learning things, and putting them to good use. Sadly, she still has a lot to learn when it comes to teamwork and prudence...


Acadian: As much as I would love to, I cannot take the credit for "slitch". I got that from the old pen and paper RPG Shadowrun (one of the best RPGs I have ever played). That game had an incredibly deep and rich history and culture it created for the world. Among that were some excellent slang terms. I have also gotten "dreck" from there.


Captain Hammer: Pappy is mostly inspired by the fictional portrayal of Greg "Pappy" Boyington in the t.v. series Black Sheep Squadron. In spite of all of its over-the-topness at times, I admit I love that show. I think Robert Conrad did an excellent job of portraying a larger than life macho hero. I usually cannot stand those types. But he pulls it off with not only charisma, but a soft touch as well. For example, he says "please" and "thank you". Plus he is just a fun character.


hazmick: Good to see you back Haz. I hope you were not drinking any of that nightshade tea! The Winged Twilight has been a lot of fun to write. I always loved them in Morrowind. Like you I was disappointed that they were left out of Oblivion. It would have been nice to have a daedra or two you could summon who were not out to destroy the world.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: The Fighters Guild resumed their attack upon the goblin settlement last episode. During the fighting, Teresa witnessed Saya breaking formation to pursue the goblin shaman down a side passage. Fearing Saya was going to get herself killed, Teresa followed. She was just in time to save the Dunmer from being killed by two goblins who were sneaking up behind the battlemage while Saya was dueling with the goblin shaman. Saya finished off the shaman with her mace, only to learn of the trap she had nearly fallen into when Teresa showed her the dead goblins at her back. Afterward Teresa hastily took them back to the main chamber to rejoin the others, scolding Saya from leaving her teammates.


Chapter 43.17 – Hand of Fire

The fighting was over by the time they returned to the central chamber. Pappy's salamander roamed the edges of the cavern, cruising like a slaughterfish looking for a meal. Kireteki too, hovered in mid air, and swooped down to join Saya as soon as the battlemage stepped into view. The other fighters stood in a group near the center of the chamber. Several were bent down on one knee, and seemed to be clustered around a supine form. Teresa bit her lip once more, and raced past Saya. Please Mara, don't let it be Tadrose laying there, she thought. Let it be anyone but her.

Teresa breathed easier when she saw it was Storm-Tail who lay on the stones. His elven armor was scorched and blackened, and had been stripped from his left arm. The scales there had been burned black, and the Argonian's face was covered in what the wood elf hoped was only soot.

Teresa felt a pit yawn open in her stomach. Just a moment before she had been wishing for it to be anyone but her lover there stretched out in the dirt. Now she wondered what kind of person that made her, to hope for another person to suffer?

"Where in Oblivion have you been?" Pappy growled as the two women approached. He rose to his feet, and stalked toward the pair like a hungry lion.

"I was trying to keep our battlemage from getting killed," Teresa muttered, looking from Storm-Tail to Pappy.

"Undur Kurv!" Morghak spat in the dirt. "You ran out on us." The orc shoved past the guild commander, and for a moment Teresa thought that the green warrior was about to pounce upon her. But the Orisimer stepped past the forester and grabbed hold of Saya's mithril cuirass with one meaty paw. Her other hand cocked back into a fist.

Kireteki was quicker however, and clamped her long claws down upon Morghak's wrist. Blood seeped through the joints in the orc's armor, but the mer did not make a sound, or loosen her grip upon the summoner. The Daedra raised a wing to sweep across Morghak's face, and Teresa found one of her daggers in her hand, ready to bury itself in the Winged Twilight's armpit.

"That's enough!" Pappy barked. He stepped into the near melee, and shoved Orisimer, Dunmer, and Daedra apart with a great heave. Valerius and Chance leapt forward to help pull Morghak back, and Pappy turned his attention to Saya.

"You keep that thing in check," Pappy growled as his eyes flicked to the Winged Twilight, then back again to the battlemage. "Or I will. I've got a man down because you weren't here to back us up with magical support. "

"But I killed the shaman!" Saya protested. "You're the one who told me to go after her, and nothing else!"

"I didn't tell you to run off like some damn jekosiit!" Pappy growled back in her face. "You never, ever, leave the team. Do you understand that? We all stand together, or we fall apart. Now get over there and make yourself useful, and heal Storm-Tail."

"But I-"

"Not another word," Pappy stepped aside and pointed a finger to where Storm-Tail lay. Teresa now saw that Tadrose knelt beside the Argonian, and realized that she had not left his side during the ruckus. "We'll talk about this later."

The battlemage visibly fumed, but said nothing. She strode to where Storm-Tail lay as if she owned the mine, and knelt down beside him. Reaching out with one glowing hand, she laid it upon his arm, and the Argonian's body filled with white light. She knelt there for long minutes and poured her energy into Storm-Tail's withered flesh. In time she drew away with a sigh, and wobbled unsteadily. Kireteki was instantly there, and eased Saya down to a sitting position.

Teresa felt an odd sense of satisfaction at the Dunmer's exhaustion. She was a trained battlemage - a graduate of the Arcane University - and still healing others took a toll upon her stamina. A glance back to Storm-Tail dispelled that line of thought however. For the Argonian had opened his eyes and now looked around. His scales practically gleamed in Teresa's night eye-enhanced vision, and seemed as whole and healthy as ever.

She knew that she could never have healed someone with injuries as bad as Storm-Tail's had been. She simply lacked the magicka. With potions to restore her energy perhaps, but only after a long time…

Still, she was glad that the Argonian was better. That was all that really mattered after all.

"The mage?" The taciturn Argonian asked, his eyes moving from Tadrose to Pappy.

"Taken care of son," Pappy replied. The Colovian laid a gentle hand on the Argonian's shoulder. "How you feeling?"

"This one feels ready to pull the ears off a swamp troll," Storm-Tail smiled. It was an expression that made many people flinch, as it bared his array of pointed teeth in a grim rictus.

"Well, goblins will have to do," Tadrose laughed and slapped the Argonian on his armored back. He rose to his feet with the help of the vice-commander's arm. She handed him his curved Akaviri sword, and brushed the dust from his elven panoply.

The others crowded around to add their voices, and friendly pats, in congratulation. Vincent made a crack about Argonian barbecue, which elicited groans all around. Then finally Pappy broke it up and was all business again.

"Alright you meatheads," he said. "We still got a mine to clear out. I see almost a dozen side passages here. I'll bet you septims to sausages that there's still goblins hiding back in them. We're gonna split up into twos clean 'em out. Riveus, Teresa, Saya, you three stay here and make sure none of them fetchers get past us. Storm-Tail, you head up and check on Josse, then tell the Lady's agent that he can come down and get to work."

"This one can fight," Storm-Tail argued, placing his hands on his hips in a defiant posture. "Storm-Tail needs no coddling."

"I know, I know," Pappy nodded, holding his hands up to mollify the young fighter. Then he put an arm around the shorter Argonian's shoulder, and led him toward the tunnel leading back to the surface. "But I need to make sure there aren't more goblins sneaking around out there and bushwhacking Josse. He's an old man you know, and not all there upstairs." Pappy winked and tapped his forehead with a finger. "And that Maesa, he's a porcelain princess. One look at a live goblin and he'll probably fill his silk stockings with shite. But if anything happens to him, no one's gonna want to hire us again. So I need you to stick to him like sugar to a Khajiit's tongue, and make sure nothing happens to him. Our guild is depending on you."

Teresa smiled faintly as the youthful fighter walked off, undoubtedly fully convinced in the paramount importance of his mission. Had she ever been so naïve? Probably worse, she snorted. Then Tadrose put an arm around her, and all thoughts of the Argonian evaporated from her mind.

"Are you sure you'll be alright going into those tunnels by twos?" Teresa said as she leaned into the dark elf.

"It will be fine," the vice-commander smiled reassuringly. "There will only be a few stragglers left by now. Besides, those passages are narrow, more fighters would likely just get in one another's way."

"Let's move it people," Pappy groused as he walked back to the others. "We're not getting paid by the hour."

"I will see you in a little while." Tadrose withdrew her arm, and took a step away.

By some impulse that surprised even herself, Teresa reached out to take hold of the dark elf's arm once more. She leaned forward, and kissed the other woman gently on the lips. "For luck," the forester smiled.

"Who hoo!" The hoot erupted from Vincent, who was staring at the pair along with Chance. The Breton held out his hand, palm open. The Redguard said nothing. He merely shook his head and passed a handful of copper coins to the shorter man.

Teresa shook her head as well, and stepped away from Tadrose. The wood elf watched as the vice-commander and Valerius strode to one of the tunnels and vanished within. Teresa hoped that they would find nothing inside. Only then did it occur to her that she had made love to both of them. In fact, they were half of all the lovers she had ever had in her life.

By Dibella, what a strange thing was that?

Good to be back, you know me: nightshade tea all round!

Poor Storm-Tail! You had me worried for a moment there but I'm glad to see he's alright. Saya might have the university education but she needs to learn to do as she's told if she's going to stick around with the guild (which I hope she is).

I had to smile at your comment about Teresa and that pilus mantle! Of course, that's exactly how one becomes pilus, because there is no one else around to do it!
I respect your decision, as you are obviously writing for the audience. I only pointed out that a rat (or some other vermin) might be a more appropriate metaphor since it is not clear from your world-buliding if spoiled pets are common, or if dogs are used more as working animals (as they typically were in much of the medieval world). I took the latter approach, and if you are using the former approach (where pets are more common among middle and lower class folks, rather than being limited strictly to upper class women as lap companions), then your reference is perfect!

Now on to the latest installment. I'm glad Pappy ripped both Teresa and Saya, and that he was able to break up the battlemage, Daedra and Orc as he did. If he hadn't, I hate to think what would have happened!

I'm with hazmick there - you had me guessing about Storm-Tail's fate. Whew! I'm glad Saya did come through in the end. But I agree that she has to learn to get over her stupid pride and self-centeredness and focus more on her team-members. Else she might find herself facing a horde of goblins by her lonesome self.

That last paragraph made me think. Hmm, I only count three? Whom am I missing? I recall Nerussa of Weye Inn, am I forgetting Methredhel perhaps? Interesting that half of all her lovers should be working together in the same tunnel. I'm with Teresa there!

Teresa never hit Methredhel. She did get busy with Nerussa of course, then Valerius, Aela, and finally Tadrose.

First things first: I counted Aela as number three, but I would have missed Tadrose since I didn’t think they’d done the deed yet. Oops.

Pappy was awesome throughout. I love the orcish and Khajiiti (I’m guessing) swear words! It didn’t take long for Teresa to start kicking herself and feeling envious of Saya’s education. And the fallen Storm-Tail provided the focus for both.

I was relieved to see Strom-Tail healed. I really like him. The toothy, rictus grin made me hoot with appreciation, Vincent-style. Outstanding! Teresa thinking of him as the “youthful fighter” made me smile. She has come a long way.

I also applaud Saya’s healing. She may be a haughty slitch, but she has the skills!

’Let it be anyone but her.’
How well you’ve developed Teresa over the years I’ve been privileged to know her. As soon as this thought left her worried mind, I knew she would quickly regret it. And you very soon proved me right.

Pappy was great throughout, and I’m still entranced by Saya’s protective summon.

I really liked your description of Saya’s healing, especially how she was drained and wobbly after. I’m so glad that Storm-Tail was healable.

'I'll bet you septims to sausages that there's still goblins hiding back in them.'
Loved this ‘dollars to donuts’ adaptation!

The light touch you used surrounding the obvious bet between Vincent and Chance was just perfect. Let us smile and imagine the exact details of their wager!

Well, here’s hoping that Tadrose is right and that only stragglers remain.

Nit:
‘So I need you to stick to him sugar to a Khajiit's tongue,’
I suspect you wanted the word ‘like’ before ‘sugar’?