Destri, I have the feeling that you are using 'humanity' in a different definition from Rosa.

Rosa is speaking of 'humanity' as a philosophical ideal, that level of goodness and morality which all humans, male or female, should aim for.

Of course, nearly all of us fail to reach the full potential of this humanity, but we can at least try to approach it. As Teresa does. And Simplicia. Vols made only one brief moral effort in that direction, and failed to follow through.

Your definition of humanity, methinks, is the innate character of a person. Which can also be called that - many others than you have made that same definition - but, alas, it's not Rosa's definition.

Those two last chapter were friggin' awesome. I can't start to fathom how the hell you manage to layer in sooo much emotion. I marvel....

And I still think Vols is great! I'd have cut up that wretched Dunmer in a million pieces too and make him watch the Slaughterfish eat some of his parts. Magic must be a "great" tool in torture keeping someone alive that would've died a loooooong time before. Hmmm........

haute ecole rider: Thank you h.e.o. This has always been one of my favorite chapters.


Olen: Thank you Olen. You are quite right. Teresa's promise marks a major turning point in her life, and that of Simplicia. Now she has a clear goal in front of her, rather than just the nebulous idea of making money.


Destri Melarg: What Foxy said. I strive to make all of my characters human. Well, at least the human ones. Seriously though, perfect characters are boring. That is why I make an effort to show people's warts as well as their good sides.

And yes, Teresa is sort of betraying a confidence. As if that would stop her from meddling! She is a woman, it is her job to stick her nose into other people's lives when she thinks she can make them better!


Acadian: You are right, my "the" must have washed away by Teresa's tears!

Thank you Acadian. This is a chapter that still makes me cry. I am glad I am not the only one who can feel the emotion. I am glad you noted the reference to Mara. This is the first time Teresa makes one to the Mother Goddess. It will certainly not the be the last


D.Foxy: Exactly.


Remko: Thank you. It's a chick thing.


All: No update this time. I am still working on the next chapter, which is all new. I will probably post the first segment at the end of the week. After that are two more new chapters. Since work has gotten crazy lately, I have been slower than usual in writing. However, the good news is we will be seeing people's favorites: Baurus, Methredhel, and Morcant.

Just as it is the job of the man to walk around perpetually tasting his own shoe leather! My apologies.

Next: Teresa pays a visit to a part of the city we have not seen yet.

* * *

Chapter 14.1- The Grandmaster

1st Sun's Height, 3E433

Teresa dodged aside as a cart loaded with limestone blocks clattered past her down Commerce street. The last thing she wanted was to get in the way of that leviathan, she thought to herself, the crowds of people were bad enough. As she nimbly wove her way through the gaggles of shoppers in the Market District, she found it hard to believe that just two days before the same street had been a battlefield.

Still, maybe that was why it was so busy, she thought. With so much devastation, people had to buy new things to replace what had been ruined. Half the patrons in Jensine's had been looking for furniture, which made the forester imagine that they must have used theirs as makeshift barricades just as she and the others had done. The rest sought out armor, weapons, and healing potions. The last of the Vilverin loot had sold by midday. She only wished she had more ingredients, otherwise she could have made a fortune on potions.

She found herself once more thankful that Raven had led her to Vilverin as she looked down at the dark brown leather that now sheathed her frame. The leftover spoils of the Ayleid ruin had yielded up more than enough for her to assemble another suit of armor. This one was of the regular style leather, rather than the revealing hides the bandits made. It felt a little warmer, but she hoped that legionaries and guardsmen would look at her a little less suspiciously than before.

A lone soldier stood guard at the massive gate that separated the Market District from the Palace District. However, he paid no heed to Teresa as she passed him by and strode into the dimly lit tunnel cut through the gatehouse. The forester noted the arrow-slits cut into the walls of the tunnel to either side, and the ominous-looking holes in the ceiling above. She would not want to be in the army that tried to force its way through here, she thought, it would simply be suicide.

Emerging from the gateway over a dozen paces later, she squinted in the harsh glare of the sun as she looked about herself. The crowds had thinned out as soon as she stepped into the gatehouse. Most of the people that did remain continued down the wide thoroughfare of Green Emperor Way, which ran straight ahead toward the base of White Gold Tower. That lofty spire rose impossibly high into the sky overhead, seeming to float in the air. How tall could it be? the forester wondered, a thousand feet? two thousand? How in the world could anyone have ever built something so amazing?

An elbow in her side brought her thoughts back to Nirn. One hand immediately fell to her purse, and the wood elf breathed a sigh of relief to find it still hung from her belt. The forester shot a dark look at the pair of snickering Imperials who swaggered past her down the street. Now her hand fell to the empty spot at her right hip where her arrow bag normally rested. Along with her armor, she had put aside another bow and a few arrows from the Vilverin loot. She had left them behind because bringing them to the Imperial Palace had not seemed like a good idea. But as she stared at the velvet-clad backs of the undoubtedly patrician youths, she wished she had ignored prudence for once.

Typical noble snobs, she fumed as she set her feet back into motion, they think they can push anyone around that they want. She'd like to see how long they would last on the Waterfront, or in the shantytown beyond.

The white-washed stones of single-storied barracks buildings rose to her right, and beyond she could catch glimpses of wide parade grounds. On and on they went, yet with only a few legionaries in their dark plate or simple tunics marching around them. Some of the buildings looked completely empty, given their shuttered windows. If there were people in them, she doubted they would shut themselves up on a warm summer day!

To her left Teresa saw the gigantic warehouses that made up the city's granary. All were curiously raised up from the ground by stone pillars, so the breeze flowed without hindrance beneath their floors. Each could only be entered by a wide ramp leading up to a pair of great bronze doors, making them appear like miniature fortresses.

She saw that most were decorated with frescos depicting stalks of wheat, cornucopias overflowing with fruits and vegetables, farm animals, and most of all, the goddess Mara. In some of them the great fertility goddess stood holding the universal symbol of marriage: two lengths of cord, both knotted together in the center to create a single strand. Yet in most she was depicted with a belly swollen by pregnancy, upon which a spiral was painted, while leaves and flowers grew from her hair.

The warehouses were surrounded by a tall, iron fence crowned with spikes, and the wood elf could see a pair of legionaries standing guard at the single gate leading in. As she watched, a wagon loaded with sacks of what she imagined was grain rolled down the ramp of one warehouse and clattered toward the pair of soldiers.

Teresa continued down the street to where it opened into a gigantic plaza that was sprinkled with mortals of all races. Much like in the Market District, all manner of citizens could be found making their way through the square. Here was an Imperial in velvet riding a dappled grey horse, there an Argonian shuffling in worn linen. Looking across the vast open space, the forester could see wide thoroughfares radiating out like spokes on a wheel. The nearest to her right led to the Elven Gardens District, and beyond that another made its way to Talos Plaza. While to her left yet another street ran to the Arena District.

All along the white pavestones rose marble statues of Emperors and other heroes of the Empire. Some she recognized instantly, such as Alessia and Tiber Septim. She had to read the names on the shining brass plaques at the feet of most of them know who they were however, and even then she had never heard of more than half of them.

Straight ahead - surrounding White Gold Tower - Teresa saw a final wall. This one was only slightly lower than that between the districts, but was made of the same gleaming white stone as the great tower itself, rather than the grey rock of the city's other walls. It curved around out of view to either side, and the forester knew that to reach the districts on the other side of the city, she only had to walk along the boulevard that circled the wall.

Tucked into the wall facing directly north was the bulge of a gatehouse, and it was to this that Teresa's feet took her. Standing along either side of the fiery bronze portals of the entryway were a row of soldiers. Unlike the simple, dark plate of the Imperial Legion, these wore armor of glimmering steel inlaid with golden dragons. Great crests of amber horse hair rose from their helmets, and swords of glittering mithril rode at their hips. Praetorians, Teresa thought as she stepped up to the gateway, only to be blocked by a pair of the soldiers.

"State your name and business in the palace citizen." The stern voice issued not from the slit of one of the helmets of the praetorians before her, but rather from another to her side. Turning her head, the forester saw that this one wore the transverse crest of an officer, and Teresa imagined that he must command the gate.

Hmm, this is new!

I like your description of the Palace District - it makes it seems so much more essential to the identity of the Imperial City. It rather exemplifies the centralization of power in Cyrodiil with the barracks, the granaries, etc.

The snobby Imperial youths are just asking for someone to take them down a notch or two! Too bad Teresa left her bow and arrow bag behind!

I agree with Huate that the palace district feels more like a centre of power and a palace than the single tower in game, again your increase in scale and vision for the world adds a lot (and still manages to be fairly sympathetic about not drastically changing the world). The inclusion of grannaries as a nice touch.

And now to go into the palace... there's something she'd never have dreamt of.

Oh, a new mystery! I'm curious to find out what is bringing Teresa's feet to the palace.

I liked your description of the gatehouse she passed through, complete with arrow slits and overhead meurtrières.

Lots of architectural and city description. I know it is your intent to portray the IC as a massive city, and you did so here. I was pleased to see that you broke it up some with Teresa's thoughts ranging from why people would be shopping (good reasoning, Teresa), her new armor and the snotty young Imperials.


nits? The 'a' seems out of place or unintended here.

To me, 'slaked' implies quenched or sated. I wonder if you meant to use 'slacked'? Could it be as simple as a missing 'c' that spell check would not notice, since slake is a word?

We are of the same mind when it comes to our approach to the size of Tamriel. Your Palace District is one worthy of housing an Emperor. I especially loved the frescoes depicting Mara. I find it ironic that she would be holding the two cords symbolizing marriage considering that she is married to both Akatosh and Lorkhan. Maybe she should be holding three cords!

The wordsmith in me did cartwheels reading these lines:



Alliteration FTW!

Nits:

haute ecole rider: Lots more new stuff coming for a while. That is why it is slow coming out! The centralization of power is exactly what I was looking for when I populated the district. I made it so that in the event of an attack, even if all the outer districts in the circle of the city were lost, they could still hold the Palace District indefinitely (I figure the cisterns are under the palace, like the vast underground one that Constantinople had).


Olen: Thank you Olen. Teresa has been through the district many times going from one place to another, but has certainly never imagined going into the Palace itself!


Acadian: Mystery revealed this segment. I am tempted to go back to the previous chapters and add more description to the other gateways, and the walls in general. I only really thought about it when I was writing this chapter.

Thanks for spotting my nits, fixed.


Destri Melarg: Well you know what they say, if its not big, a girl's not happy... I do not think it is so strange about Mara though. She is not married to both Akatosh and Lorkhan at the same time. It is just that she is married to one or the other, depending on the religion. Seeing the same gods and goddesses with different roles in different areas is not unusual. For example, at the same time that Hekate was reviled as a goddess of ghosts, blood-sucking lamias (vampires), and other creepy things in Athens, across the Aegean in Caria she was a mother-goddess with baby Zeus suckling at her breast.

Good catches on the nits. I have been exhausted all this week, so have not been as good at finding them as usual.



Next: The Imperial Palace

* * *

Chapter 14.2- The Grandmaster

"My name is Teresa," the forester said, feeling her heart pick up its pace at the sight of so many soldiers, all staring at her with eyes as cold as glaciers. "I am here to see Baurus, the Grandmaster of the Blades."

The centurion stepped back into the bowels of the gate, leaving the forester to wait under the brilliant glare of the sun. As she stood there, she saw several other people pass through the open gates with nothing more than a nod from the praetorians. Some were legionaries in their armor or uniform tunics, others civil servants by their linens, and still more obviously patricians from their fine silks, velvets, and haughty manner.

How come they had walked through without so much as a second glance, while she got the third degree? Teresa silently fumed as she waited. Was it because she was a wood elf and not an Imperial? Because she was wearing leather instead of velvet? Or did the guards simply know the others from daily routine?

"Alright, you're clear to enter." The centurion's rumble came from the edge of the gatehouse. Turning in that direction, Teresa saw, and heard, him step back out into the light with a clatter of metal armor. "This must be your first time in the palace Bosmer. You'll find the Blades straight ahead and to the right. Look for the Basilica of Tiber Septim."

Teresa nodded, and sighed with relief when the mountains of gold-emblazoned steel moved out of her way and let her through the portal. When she finally emerged on the other side, the wood elf found herself standing in a sea of buildings clustered around the base of White Gold Tower. Made of white marble shot through with soft purple veins, these were not the plain insulas of the rest of the city, but rather towering basilicas and long arcades whose galleries offered cool shade from the summer sun. She even recognized a sprawling bathhouse, much like the ones she knew from the Arena and Elven Gardens Districts. Except this was of marble, and decorated with gold statues of leaping dolphins.

The buildings looked small, but Teresa knew that was only because of how close they were to White Gold Tower. If they had been anywhere else they would make her jaw drop from amazement. As it was, she had a difficult time keeping her feet moving, as everywhere she turned her gaze she met some new wonder that made her stop and stare.

The streets here were nowhere near as crowded as those of the rest of the city. Still, there was no shortage of people coming and going. Many were clad in fine linens, carried scrolls or portfolios jammed with parchments, and showed the stains of ink on their fingertips. Civil servants, Teresa thought to herself, she had heard that it took an army of them to run the Empire. Although why it would require so many papers and forms was beyond her.

Along with the bureaucrats came legionaries both in armor and dragon-emblazoned tunics, as well as more of the praetorians in their brightly-gilded steel. Patricians in silk and velvet strutted like peacocks, their noses so high in the air that Teresa imagined they would all drown if it began to rain. Each seemed to be attended by at least a handful of servants in linen, and the wood elf was thankful she did not have their jobs. Nor would she have wanted to be in the boots of the occasional armored bodyguard that flanked the well-heeled coteries either.

The Imperial Palace wasn't a building, but a city all to itself, Teresa realized as she forced herself along the main boulevard. The forester in her could not resist stepping into a park filled with cherry trees. Wandering along its pathways, she came to a long pond of crystal clear water. Gazing into its depths, she saw golden fish darting back and forth within. She could not contain the faint smile that crested her lips as she mounted the gentle arc of a wooden bridge that spanned the water and leaned against its handrail.

She did not know how long she stood there, just staring at the fish and the park around her, until finally the cedar planks beneath her shook under the hard tramp of feet. Turning her head, Teresa saw that marching toward her was an aged Imperial with closely-cropped white hair. He wore gold and red velvet that seemed like a uniform from its cut, and a sash of red silk was wrapped around his waist. An ivory baton studded with gemstones was in his hand, and a gigantic golden ring emblazoned with an Imperial dragon sat upon one of the fingers that held it.

Behind him came a much younger man, also an Imperial from his dark hair and olive features. He wore a less-ornate version of the red and gold clothing that the older man did, and carried a portfolio fairly bursting with parchments in his hands.

The white-haired man stopped beside Teresa, turning his gaze to the pond below and leaning heavily upon the rail of the bridge. The wood elf stared down at the sash around his waist, tied into a knot in the middle of his stomach. Where had she seen that sash? she wondered, and the baton? Then it came to her in a flash. Bruma. The general commanding the army had carried both!

"It is lovely is it not?" The voice of the Imperial was not the soft, polished tone of a patrician. Rather it was hard and rough, like stone grating across stone. The forester wondered if it was years in the legion that made him like that. Or had he always been that way? She tried to speak, but all she could do was nod in agreement. What do you say to a legate? she wondered, let alone the one who had saved all of Cyrodiil from the Daedra?

"I like to come here when things have gotten so completely fetched that it seems the gods themselves have taken a dreck all over us." Teresa gulped as the general continued. Had he really just said that, she wondered? She had never heard a nobleman speak that way. It was so… rough and down-to-Nirn. "It reminds me that this world is worth every sacrifice."

Teresa gazed at the fish lazily swimming to and fro in the water below her feet. She thought of the summoned bear that had saved her life just two days before, and of the ravens and crows that had guided her for months. "The spirits of Nirn are strong here," she thought aloud. She almost stopped herself after she realized that she had actually said it. But this time she did indeed throw prudence to the wind and spoke her mind instead. "It's quiet enough that you can hear their voices, if you just take the time to listen. They remind us that we are not alone, but rather are part of something far greater, and more beautiful, than our mortal eyes can see.

"You talk like a priest," the legate breathed, "but not the kind I normally meet around here." The wooden planks creaked underfoot as he straightened, and Teresa turned to meet his gaze. His eyes were fixed upon her now, seeming to size her up. "You aren't with the legion, or a bureaucrat, and you sure as dreck aren't a patrician… Are you one of Jauffre's boys?"

"I'm a girl actually." Teresa wanted to bite her lip. What had gotten into her! Yet still she found that she could not resist a faint smile at the general's words. Until she thought of the old Breton she had met at Weynon, who had most definitely not been a simple monk. Then she swallowed hard. "It's Baurus now though. He's who I'm here to see."

"Bah! boy, girl, it's all the same in the service," the legate breathed. Then he pointed his hand somewhat back in the way Teresa had come from. "You've gone too far then. The Basilica of Tiber Septim is back that way, and off to the west a bit."

"Oh, thank you… sir." Teresa nodded to the older man. Not wanting to put her foot any deeper into her mouth than she already had, she scampered off into the direction he had indicated. As the forester did, she hoped that she had not indeed gone too far with her candor. Patricians were all so very touchy. You never knew what might set them off.

Set within your backdrop of the immense palacial grounds, this was a lovely interlude. Teresa found a piece of nature that spoke to her, and even an old warhorse who listened. We also learned who she seeks, within the surroundings that clearly make the wood elf so uncomfortable.

A rich and enjoyable read.

Now there's scale, sort of put me in mind of descriptions of the chinese beurocracy in their palaces, certainly you've effectively show how centralised power is in the Empire. You described the peaceful bit of nature amid the bustle well and the inclusion of the general was an unexpected touch but again enhances the depth and coheasion of things.

A nice iterlude, but I do wonder what Baurus has to say...

Nit:
Teresa scampered off, hoping she had not indeed gone too far with her candor. Patricians were all so very touchy. You never knew what might set them off. Not wanting to put her foot any deeper into her mouth, she nodded to the older man and headed off into the direction he had indicated. -- I think you embarrassed her so much she left twice.

In the space of just a few paragraphs you are able to paint a picture of this legate. He jumps off the screen to such an extent that I now find myself trying to think of scenarios in which Teresa might encounter him again.

He was right about one thing, Teresa does indeed sound like a priest. I love the way that you have handled her spiritual awakening. It has been a subtle thing that has built up over the course of many chapters worth of experiences. It is little wonder that those who grew up with Teresa now barely recognize her. The change in her is apparent to all of us who have followed her story from the beginning. The magic in your writing is that the moments that sparked the changes are only visible through hindsight.

Olen already found the only nit I spotted in this chapter. I echo his anticipation, it will be good to see Baurus again!

Little to add, other than to echo the others.

I really enjoyed the description of the Imperial Palace District - it puts me in mind of the Forbidden City and the Forum all in one. Quite impressive, I may say!

Teresa, for all that she has matured, is still quite young, as is highlighted by this:

She is also very observant:
among others.

And she gets to meet my favorite kind of character:
Old soldier! Even though he's a legate now, his years of soldiering in the ranks shows very well in the description of his voice and the words he spoke to Teresa.

Guess I ended up saying a bit more than I thought I would! Good job!

Acadian: Thank you Acadian.


Olen: Thank you Olen. To be honest I never thought of China, but you and Haute are right, the Forbidden City is a good analogy to what I created. I was looking to the Imperial Palace in Constantinople, and places like Diocletian's Palace at Split, Hadrian's Villa, and of course the Palantine Hill palaces in Rome.

And good catch on Teresa leaving twice. You are right, she was so flustered at meeting the general that she was beside herself.


Destri Melarg: I am glad you noticed the bit about Teresa's spirituality. I did not want the entire first half of this chapter to simply be Teresa walking around "oohing" and "aaahhing" the architecture. I needed to put something personal in, otherwise I was afraid of it becoming a travelogue rather than a story. So Teresa finding the one piece of the natural world in the palace was just, well, natural. Once there I used it as an opportunity to demonstrate just what you saw. How far she has really come.


haute ecole rider: Just a little bit to add I see! As I was saying to Destri, I wanted to put something personal in that segment, to keep it from becoming dull. I needed a person for her to interact with, and while I was going through who she might meet at the palace, Adamus Phillida jumped right out at me. I think he will be played by R. Lee Ermey in the Teresa movie...


Next: Teresa meets the new Grandmaster of the Blades.

* * *

Chapter 14.3- The Grandmaster

"Teresa, I'm glad you came!" Baurus' voice rang out across the shining marble floor of the basilica. Just as Jauffre had before him, he now wore the simple cassock of a priest rather than the banded armor of the Blades. Given the way he visibly chafed under the brown wool, Teresa imagined that he would have preferred the armor.

Teresa stepped away from the entrance and strode into the central atrium of the basilica. Marble colonnades stretched to either side, rising to a clerestory that ringed the building and filled it with light from its many tall windows. Frescos of intricate knotwork patterns covered the walls, only stopping where the vaulted ceiling rose to a peak high overhead. A half-dome hung over the apse at the far end of the structure. With no obvious supports, it seemed to float in mid air. A great pebble mosaic was set into it, showing Tiber Septim – sword in hand and bathed in light – becoming the god Talos.

Teresa was aware of her jaw falling open as she stared up at the semi-dome and the image set within it. Even after living in the Imperial City all of her life, she could not imagine how people could build things like it, or White Gold Tower. What kind of magic must it take?

"I wasn't sure how I would find you, but it looks like fate took care of that for me," the burly Redguard breathed as he stepped up to Teresa. Closer now, the wood elf could plainly see the exhaustion etched into the Blade's dark features.

"I guess so," Teresa mumbled, reflexively biting her lower lip. She was not sure what to say to the other man. Should she congratulate him on his new position? Given how he had gained it, she doubted he felt very proud about it. Yet she had to say something. "I'm sorry about Jauffre. I only met him for a little while at Weynon, but I felt better knowing that he was out there. Coming from a street rat like me, that's saying quite a bit."

"Aye, Jauffre," the Redguard's eyes dropped to the shining marble floor. "I don't know how I'll ever fill his shoes. Being a bodyguard was one thing. Being the grandmaster, that is something else entirely."

"Well, I never imagined myself doing the things I am now." Teresa released her lip long enough for a faint smile to escape her lips. "Yet here I am. If I can manage, I am sure you will do just fine."

"Well, you certainly have changed since we last met," the Redguard's eyes now took in the forester's willowy frame. "I barely recognized you in the leather. Or with that hair!"

"Oh yes, I dyed it." Teresa ran a hand through her scarlet tresses. "It was actually part of my disguise after I got out of the prison. I figured if people were looking for a brown-haired elf, I ought to become something else. I can't change the elf part, so…"

"That was good thinking." Baurus motioned Teresa to follow him into the shadows behind the columns to one side of the vast chamber. "I did my best to cover your escape from where I was as well."

"So I found out later," Teresa nodded as she kept pace with the larger man. "When I finally got back to the city I was afraid I was going to be thrown into prison again. But then I found out I had never been arrested in the first place!"

"Yes, that was me," the Redguard smiled now. "If word got out that someone escaped from prison the same night that the Emperor…" he stumbled on the words, and Teresa imagined he must feel the same lump in his throat that she still did whenever she thought of the great old man. A moment later the Blade was himself again though, and he continued on. "Well, it would not have taken the Mythic Dawn long to put two and two together and go after you. So I made sure that no one would ever know you were there."

"How did you do that?" Teresa asked as Baurus opened a door near the back of the chapel and led her down a spiral staircase made of stone. A single glowstone hung from a wall sconce, giving its dim, but steady light to the passageway down into the depths.

"I pulled some strings, and made everyone who came into contact with you an offer they could not refuse." Baurus opened another door at the bottom of the stair, leading Teresa into a short corridor lined with more doors. Unlike the temple above, it was made of small stones carefully fitted together, so light in shade that they were nearly white. It looked old, much older than the chapel, and Teresa was reminded of the catacombs beneath the prison.

"You might recognize Cilnius here," Baurus gestured at the only other figure in the corridor as they walked its length. Standing next to a door at the far end, he wore the banded armor of the Blades and stood at attention. A curved Akaviri blade hung from his hip, and he gripped a round shield in one hand. The helmet he wore obscured his features, but from the olive-skin she could glimpse through the 'T'-shaped slit cut in its face, Teresa imagined that he was an Imperial. "He was the legionary that arrested you."

Teresa stared. This was the same man who had knocked her unconscious in the alley? She never would have imagined it. Then again, when she thought back, it was not like she had seen much of anything except the armor he wore. Even now, she still could not tell what he looked like under his helmet.

For his own part, the soldier made no motion as Baurus stopped beside the door he guarded and produced a mithril key from his robes. Inserting it into the lock, Teresa was surprised when she did not hear the rolling of tumblers as he twisted the key and opened the door. It must be magical, she thought. He was certainly not taking any chances!

"Cilinius, say hello to Teresa," the Redguard said with a nod to the forester.

"Sister," the Blade rumbled with a short nod of his head in Teresa's direction. Then he returned to standing with such stillness that the wood elf thought he might be mistaken for a statue.

Sister? Teresa wondered as she nodded her head in return and followed Baurus into the small chamber beyond. Why had he called her that? For the first time since Julian had told her that Baurus had wanted to see her, Teresa began to wonder if the new grandmaster might have something more in mind than tying up a few loose ends from the Oblivion Crisis…

The room was very simply furnished, and brightly illuminated by glowstones perched atop sconces in either wall. A wide desk of dark brown teak stood near the far wall, and a few chairs sat before it. It was flanked by bookshelves brimming with dusty volumes, and a large chest bound in iron sat behind it.

"The others involved have received similar promotions," Baurus explained as he walked around the desk and sat down behind it. "The optio who had been running the prison desk is now serving in Daggerfall as a centurion. The legionary who carried you to your cell is now an optio in Morrowind. And the librarii who did your paperwork is now a monk in the Order of Talos at Weynon. Thankfully there hadn't been time to put you in front of a magistrate, otherwise I probably would have had to put him on the Elder Council!"

So that was how it was done, Teresa thought to herself as she sat in the one of the chairs before the desk. Give them a carrot, and keep them where you can watch them at all times. In return they were probably all quite happy to keep their mouths shut. It made her wonder how many times Baurus and those like him had made criminal charges - or even people - simply disappear. The thought was not a comforting one, and made her think of something Simplicia had said just before the Daedric attack.

"So was that you and Julian at Luther Broad's Boarding House a while back?" she asked, hoping she was not going too far in prying. "I heard a Breton was killed there."

"You heard about that?" the grandmaster said with a ghost of a smile as he poured out two glasses of wine from a crystal decanter atop his desk. Handing one to Teresa, he leaned back and took a sip from his own. "That was us alright. I tracked down a Mythic Dawn assassin there. He was one of those who killed our agent Cnaeus the day it all started. You remember, the man in the alley."

Teresa nodded, she would never forget the Imperial who had died at her feet, trying to warn her of the doom that was hanging over all of them. If only she had known then what she did now, she thought with a sigh.

"So what did you hear about it?" Baurus asked quizzically.

"The word on the street is that he crossed a patrician, who sent two Redguards to get even, then bribed the legion to cover it all up." Teresa lifted the glass to her lips, and allowed a mouthful of the cool, fruity liquid to slide down her throat. It was smooth as silk and bursting with flavor. Tamika's, she knew. One thing she liked about the Blades, they never went cheap on their wine.

Baurus nodded. "That is even better than I could have hoped for," he admitted. "The only thing better than total secrecy is a cover story that the public invents themselves. That way even if the truth does come out later, no one will believe it."

Teresa felt a chill run along her spine at his talk of cover stories. It made her wonder how much of what she read in the Black Horse Courier - or heard people talking about - was real, and how much fabricated by the Empire?

"Julian and I weren't able to take him alive," Baurus continued, "all those zealots used poison. But we still got a lead that took us to the rest of their cell in the Imperial City. From there we were able to find their headquarters at Lake Arrius."

And? And? And?

I hope you don't leave me hanging too long with this conversation! It is good to see Baurus again.



Did you mean either sword in hand and bathed in light, or sword hand bathed in light? A teeny bit of confusion here. Each version conveys a very different image of the mosaic.

I think I like this version of T meeting Baurus after the Crisis better than in the original. That seemed a little rushed, especially considering the lengths Baurus went to cover up Teresa's presence in the Prison the night Emperor Uriel was assassinated. And you're right, the best cover stories are the ones the public makes up.

What a neat scene within a richly described setting! I could hear the small sounds echoing from the marble floors and columns.

I love the feeling of spies and intrigue you seem to be weaving into the Blades. It was wonderful, of course to see Baurus again. As always, I was delighted to hear mention of our Fair Lady of Anvil.

Great line!

I see that perhaps wood elves are blessed with the finest of taste to fully appreciate the wines of Tamika.

Sister? Oooh. I can just imagine where this might go. I wonder if I'm right and, if so, what choices our Teresa will make?

Nit?

And another subplot developing, 'Sister'... well I think I can guess what that means, along with "The others involved have received similar promotions," I suspect that Teresa may be one who was 'involved'. Certainly she knows rather more about the secret service than they'd like. But will she accept, and what will they want from her? I have genuinely no idea and can't wait to find out.

Given the way he visibly chafed under the brown wool



And that is enough to make anyone fine in my book. I hope she accepts if only for the wine.

A very enjoyable meeting but I want to know what happens next.

To quote mALX: AARGH!!! CLIFFHANGER!!!!

Like the others I want to see this conversation finished! Baurus didn’t bring her there simply to catch up with the young woman he met one night in passing. The ‘sister’ line is a tantalizing morsel that leaves the mind reeling. Teresa of the Faint Smile a spy? Yes, please!


Funny, Baurus doesn’t look like a Corleone.

You are missing a period after the word ‘wall’. And did you mean ‘sconces’? A ‘scone’ is a biscuit-like quickbread made of oatmeal, wheat flour, barley meal, or the like. It is also a village in central Scotland which was the site of the coronation of Scottish kings until 1651. In this context your use of it makes more sense, but it still seems strange that a scone would house a glowstone.

And also in honour of our (temporarily) missing MalX

AAARGH! WRITE A NEW CHAPTER SOON OR I SHALL COME AND HOWL OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR!!

*note: if that was the voice of nautee Foxee speaking, the verbs would have been reversed...hee hee*

haute ecole rider: And next the conclusion of the chapter. Thank you for finding Talos' sword, it was supposed to be in his hand. That Septim is a slippery one...

Every time you say T, I keep thinking of Mr. T.


Acadian: Thank you Acadian. I must admit though, when you said lady of Anvil, my first thought was of Parwen, thanks to the BF.

Thank you for finding my errant to, it was off gallivanting with Tiber Septim's in above.


Olen: Thank you Olen. You saw exactly what I was trying to convey.


Destri Melarg: Cliffhanger? I'm not the one who killed off Teresa half-a-dozen chapters ago and am only now showing that she did indeed survive being poisoned and stabbed...

Sconces was right. As much as I am a fan of the Stone of Scone, I think it would be out of place in ES.


D.Foxy: But I have not finished posting this chapter yet! You already want another! I am working on it though, and it features the appearance of fox...


Next: The conclusion of The Grandmaster.

* * *

Chapter 14.4- The Grandmaster

"Julian said a lot happened that no one knew about," Teresa breathed before taking another sip of the delicious wine. "She said they took the Amulet of Kings as well."

"They did." Baurus' face darkened then, and Teresa wondered if she should not have mentioned it. "The Mythic Dawn had a spy in our ranks - Brother Piner. He's the reason they knew so much. Where the Emperor and his sons would be, who their guards were, where the escape route was in the tunnels. He gave them everything."

"Piner?" Teresa wondered aloud, "he was the one I met at Weynon!" The young elf's mind whirled. She remembered again how Piner had tried to persuade her to tell her why she wanted to see Jauffre. He had been trying to get information from her to pass along to his true masters! she realized.

"The night after you were there, he murdered Prior Maborel and took the amulet." Baurus had a sour look on his face. "It was only at Lake Arrius that we were able to catch up with him. We broke their backs there, but Mankar Camoran escaped to his Paradise with the Amulet of Kings."

"Mankar who?" Teresa felt confused. She had never heard of anyone by that name.

"He was the leader of the Mythic Dawn," Baurus explained. "His writings go back over four hundred years, to the time of Tiber Septim. We think he was a high ranking noble in the Aldmeri Dominion, probably a member of the Camoran dynasty. One thing we do know for certain is that he has hated the Imperial Family since Tiber Septim conquered Summerset Isle and Valenwood. He spent four hundred years plotting his revenge, and this was his master stroke. Killing the Emperor extinguished the dragonfires in the Temple of the One. Without the amulet, it was impossible to relight them. Most of us didn't realize it, but the dragonfires were what prevented the Daedra from creating lasting gateways to Nirn."

Teresa nodded, her mind awhirl with Baurus' revelations. When she had carried the Amulet of Kings through the wilderness, she had only imagined that it was a tool to prove who the rightful heir was. But now from what the Redguard was saying, it had been Nirn's only protection from the hordes of Oblivion! To think that she had held such a thing in her very hands…

"So this Mankar wanted the Daedra to invade Nirn?" Teresa wondered as she stared down at her trembling fingers. "Why?"

"He was mad." Baurus put it plainly. "Julian and the others who stormed his Paradise and regained the amulet said as much from his rants. Destroying the world was his idea of creating a Golden Age. Thank the Nine we had Martin, or we never could have gotten to Camoran. Martin never talked much about his past, but it was clear he had run-ins with Daedra when he was younger. Thanks to what he learned then, he was able to create a gateway to Camoran's Paradise - some strange Oblivion realm that Mankar Camoran had created with the help of his master, Mehrunes Dagon."

"So did the glowing stone Julian took from the Oblivion Gate have something to do with that?" Teresa asked. The other Redguard never had answered her question about that when they had talked the other day, and it had been in the back of the forester's mind ever since.

"Oh yes, Julian mentioned you saw that, even though you weren't at the battle. That's quite a trick…" Baurus took another sip of the wine. "That was a Great Sigil Stone, the power source of the Great Gate. We needed one in order to create the portal to Camoran's Paradise. So we tricked the Daedra into creating a Great Gate at Bruma in order to get it."

"You wanted them to attack?" Teresa's eyes widened, and she was certain that her jaw had dropped to the floor.

"We had no choice," Baurus explained, staring deeply into Teresa's eyes. "It was all Martin's idea. Believe me, I thought it was crazy too, so did everyone. But it was the only way to get the Sigil Stone. Still it's no less crazy then handing the Amulet of Kings to an escaped prisoner."

Teresa looked down at her lap, keenly aware of how warm her cheeks were becoming.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed, we've all had to do things we never imagined." Baurus started in a friendly tone, then his voice turned somber "It's got me thinking though, I wonder how random some of these things have been. I mean take Martin. His past knowledge of the Daedra made him exactly the right person we needed. Or Julian, who just happened to return to Weynon at the right time to head to Kvatch, after the first group sent there had been ambushed thanks to Piner. Or you? Was it pure chance that put you in the alley at the same moment that our agent watching the Mythic Dawn was killed? Or that you were accidentally put in a cell that is never supposed to be used?"

"What are you saying?" Teresa now looked back up at the Redguard, feeling her eyebrows furrowing as she stared at him. "That the gods arranged it all?"

"I wonder." Baurus put his fingertips together in a steeple resting under this jaw. "You, Julian, and Martin, all of you were exactly the right person, and just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. Can it really all just be coincidence?"

Teresa felt her cheeks turning warm again. The idea of her being the right person for anything was just ludicrous. Yet somehow she did not feel like laughing. Could Baurus be right? Could there have been an unseen hand shaping events, shaping their lives, all along? She thought of Raven, and how many times he had led her to where she needed to be, and she knew the answer.

"There are no coincidences." She was probably more surprised than Baurus at her words. "And somehow I don't think you brought me here to tell me all of this."

"No, and yes," Baurus now smiled faintly himself as he leaned back in his chair. "Most of this will probably be released to the Black Horse Courier soon. But I thought you had the right to know what you were a part of. And that is what brings me to the reason I wanted to see you."

Now the Redguard leaned forward, and his features became serious once more. "Have you ever thought of becoming a Blade?"

If he had not looked so serious, Teresa would have laughed in his face. A street rat like her, be one of the Empire's elite? That was crazy! Yet Baurus' eyes were so intent, his features set in such a somber mask, that she knew this was no joke. He really meant it!

"I…I…um," she stammered. What do you say to an offer like that? "I can't do that. I pick plants and make potions. I'm not a fighter. I could never even stand up in all that iron mongery you people wear!"

"The Imperial Bodyguard is only the smallest part of our organization," Baurus explained, leaning back in his chair. "Most of the Blades are secret agents. People who watch and listen, and report back what they find, without being noticed. You've already proven you can do it. The way you slipped out of the prison and turned up at Weynon, leaving no more sign of your passing than the wind, that was brilliant! You are exactly the kind of person we need."

'Me, a spy?" Teresa squeaked. That seemed even more preposterous than her being a bodyguard! "I don't know the first thing about spying on people. I'm just a girl from the street."

"It doesn't take an education from the Arcane University," Baurus murmured. His dry, sardonic tone gave Teresa the distinct impression that he was growing impatient with her answers. How could she tell him no without making him angry? she wondered. The last thing she wanted was to be on the short list of the Grandmaster of the Blades.

"Baurus, I really appreciate what you are offering me." Teresa swallowed, picking her words carefully before continuing. "But I don't think I am ready for something like that. I spent all of my life living in the gutter. I had never set foot outside the Imperial City until a few months ago. Now I see that there is a great, wide world out there, and I need some time to figure out where my place in it really is. This is just too much for me right now."

Now Teresa rose and stepped away from her chair. Baurus sighed, and stood as well. In that moment he looked so tired, so utterly worn out, that Teresa felt her heart lurch. She knew she was letting him down, and she wished it could be some other way, but he was just asking too much.

"I'm sorry Baurus." Teresa bit her lip as she stared into the Redguard's brown eyes. "I wish I could be the person you want me to be. But I'm just not like you and Julian."

"Yes you are." The grandmaster spoke with a resolve that was as firm as iron as he met the forester's gaze. Then his tone softened, and he stared back down at his desk for a moment before raising his brown eyes again. "You just don't know it yet. Just keep in mind what I said, and one day, when you're ready for it, come and see me."

"I will." Teresa smiled faintly. That she knew she could do. She turned for the door, but the voice of the Redguard brought her around again.

"Do me a favor while you're out picking plants." Baurus sat down and pulled a blank sheet of parchment before him. Dipping the point of a quill into a pot of ink, he began to scrawl across the page. "Keep an eye out for trouble. We smashed the Mythic Dawn, but some of their sleeper agents are still out there, and there is no telling what they might do now that they've been left to their own devices. Not to mention all the other cults, revolutionaries, and just plain monsters that are up to no good. The Oblivion Crisis may be over, but that doesn't mean that Tamriel is safe. If you see anything, let me know."

"I'll keep both eyes open." Teresa vowed.

"This is the address of one of our drops." The Grandmaster rose and handed the forester the parchment. "Send a letter here, and it will get to me. Use the legion relay posts. I'm sure you've seen them. They'll know the address and won't ask any questions."

"Sextus Clodius, at the Merchant's Inn?" Teresa said aloud, reading from the sheet. "Who's that?"

"Nobody," Baurus said, "he doesn't exist. Remember that name. Once you do, I want you to burn that sheet. Don't let anyone else see it."

"I'll remember." Teresa folded up the page into a tiny square and slid it into the top of one of her boots. "Thank you Baurus, for everything. I'll never forget what you've done for me."

Then like the wind, she was gone.

I love how you wove the Main Quest in and out of this with some neat twists and, of course, mention of Julian. Well done!

Somehow, I knew Baurus was going to ask Teresa to become a spy for the Blades. You handled her decision wonderfully. Closing the door, but not tightly. . .

I felt very much in Teresa's head. I felt what she felt, and she led me to the same conclusions she reached with her Teresa logic.

I see Teresa's trademark is contagious.

Just like a creature of the forest - or perhaps a secret agent?

As with every other story on this forum, I am desperately trying to catch up, but from what I've read of yours...wow. Your descriptions are so detailed and real that they pull me into the setting. The Imperial City at the beginning was fantastic, and while I can already tell that you're following the game's main story line, starting on the peripheral of the game with your prologue was a wonderful touch. It made your main character that much more distinct in my mind, and her emotions were described in such a real, gritty way, especially her musings over being hanged. One of my favorite aspects of her personality is that Teresa isn't adventurous or brave, or at least, she isn't in the chapters that I've read. I imagine that she'll develop quite a bit over the course of this story, but for now, I'm left with a character that is fairly timid and uncertain. It's a nice contrast to stories with figures who are already skilled in combat and whatnot at the beginning.

That said, I'm very much looking forward to reading more, even if it takes me an eternity to get to the latest posts.

Why am I getting a horrible feeling that Sextus Clodius is meant to be...to be...ARRRGH...

But Teresa would be perfect as a spy!

Regarding your comment, I have a good friend who is named Teresa, but we all call her T. She doesn't go around calling everybody a fool, either. Sorry.

A nice conclusion to Teresa's association with the Blades. Yes, I know she may return in the future, but this is a really nice way to wrap things up for the time being. Teresa can go on collecting plants and learning how to defend herself, and learn her place in the world before revisiting the possibility of spying for the Blades. But I've noticed that Baurus didn't exactly accept her 'no,' temporary as it is. After all, what is that request for information?? Spying? Intelligence gathering right along with plants. That man is devious!

Cliffhanger?!? Me?! I have no idea what you’re talking about!

I love Baurus’ summation of the events in the MQ. So Brother Piner was a spy for the Mythic Dawn?! That really does explain a lot, actually(like how he managed to survive his encounter with three of them even though he is a self-proclaimed Blades dropout). I really thought that Teresa was going to take Baurus up on his offer. Her reasons for turning him down are clear, albeit slightly disappointing. Oh well, maybe after she has made enough potions.

It’s funny, those of us who are reading both this and Old Habits know that in the other story Julian took the Amulet to Jauffre. You would think that an inconsistency like that would have caused more trouble. It is a testament to your skill as a writer that it didn’t even occur to me until just now.

Now, that is an interesting twist. Brother Piner a spy... who would've guessed?
Loved it Rosa

I had expected her to refuse (and suspect her reasons are more than just those of confused identity and confidence), however I agree with haute on two counts, it was good to leave to door open and you showed every bit how devious and clever the head of the blades must be - and is. He has her spying anyway (albeit in a less directed way) and for free. Clever...

Now it makes me wonder what she plans to do next (a bit of statue hunting I suspect) and what she'll see which requires reporting (necromancers perhaps?) to carry on this foreshadowed line.

Great stuff.

I finally caught up! Simplicia's story had me in tears though.

Acadian: Thank you Acadian. I was worried about this coming across as a big infodump, but I wanted to finally answer some questions about the events of the Oblivion Crisis. It is funny about that faint smile, whenever a character makes one now, I think of Teresa.


Ornamental Nonsense: Hi O.N. Welcome to the TF! Let Baurus pour you a glass of Tamika's and sit down by the fire.

You have highlighted one of the things that makes Teresa such a fun character for me to write (and I hope for others to read!). She is not your standard hero type, filled with confidence and super-ability. Instead she is an ordinary person with a rather low self-esteem who tries to be a better person.

I am a big fan of character-driven stories, so the TF revolves around Teresa and her personal growth. Events around her shape that, as do people, but in the end it is about what is going on her head. Looking back from where I am right now to the beginning it is amazing how much she changed, and there is still plenty more to go!

Teresa will not be following the main quest however. She starts that way, but gets off that train rather early. The events of the Oblivion Crisis continue on without her, and she will see them from the periphery. The Crisis finished in Chapter 11, and the last three chapters since have been dealing with the aftermath. Next chapter will see Teresa setting out in an entirely new direction.


D.Foxy: You think he might be a device for determining latitude?


haute ecole rider: Well, she would be rather noticeable with that flame red hair and pasty white skin. Still, you are right, she is good at finding things out.

I am glad you caught that with Baurus. He does not take "no" for an answer, and still has Teresa spying for him!


Destri Melarg: I think the only way to explain many of the things in the MQ is through a traitor in the Blades. Besides in a story filled with spies and assassins, treachery is a staple.


Remko: Thank you Remko.


Olen: Indeed, Teresa did have unspoken reasons for turning down Baurus. Her sense of unease from the hidden machinations of the Blades is a big one. The idea of a secret organization shaping the face of Tamriel from the shadows scares her. At the same time she really does not have the kind of self-confidence (yet) to become a spy. Finally, she has a clear purpose now: making Simplicia's dream come true.


MyCat: Thank you cat! That is exactly what I am hoping for. Simplicia really has had a sad life. Maimed, alone, no skills, no hope, and no future. It makes me want to cry as well.


All: No new post, probably not for a while. Work has been crazy and I have not had much time or energy to write. I can barely keep up with other people's stories lately. I am working on the next chapter though, which shows how Teresa, Methredhel, and Adanrel met as children, and includes appearances by some other characters we have met in previous chapters as well.

first things first, hello. after reading about Acadian and Buffy's adventures i have stumbled upon this gem. i have spent the past few days reading Teresa's story and i love it, i would go into individual chapter detail but it would take some time to type I'll just say that it is a brilliant story and i can't wait for the next chapter

@ hazmik: Yes, Teresa's story is a gem! I'm glad you found it.

@ SubRosa: Thanks for the update. I hope things settle down for you, and we will all be patiently waiting for more TF goodness!

Delicious writing SubRosa.

The way you tied up all (some ) of the loose ends was a joy to read. Julian is the perfect character to weave in and out of your story. I am so glad that you have remained steadfast, loyal and true to Teresa. This epic tale continues to go from strength to strength because the characters are soooooo real.

Teresa knows her limits and you write within those limits. She does what she can to help her friends around her but will never become an uber protagonist. The pains you have gone to when writing says a lot about your skill. Bravo !!

I really enjoyed when Teresa realized that she had been carrying around the Amulet, the important piece in the whole MQ saga. Lol.

And Brother Piner. Wow!! And Teresa, a spy. Wow!!

Did I say it was delicious??

There is so much for me to catch up on, that I do not want to write a book…. So I will just savor the material and note the impressions that come from it.

Chapter 8

Teresa is happy in the wild, yet still has much to learn- e.g., how to gather edible plants. Your descriptions of the enlarged Cyrodiil are breath-taking and remind the reader that it is worth pausing every now and then to just look.

Our first view and conversation with Morcant is magnificent- she is wise without being stuffy, clever without being superior- in other words, a perfect teacher.

“Did you ever actually stop and pay attention before?" Morcant asked pointedly. "Or were you too wrapped up your mundane life to notice? It takes two to dance you know."

Had to quote that standout description of how most of us live. The world waits only for us to wake from our slumber…

8f- “So different from how they had treated her in the in first…” An extra “in” crept in- ach, now it’s got me doing it!

Things I did not mention and meant to- your vision of welkynd and varla stones is much more satisfying as opposed to the “one and done” in-game. Of course, if they were rechargeable in-game, they would be a bit over-powering- unless the welkynd stones were much more rare… or perhaps came in 2 varieties- magical-recharging and light-giving. (Visions of mods begin dancing in a furry head).

Your continued “oblique approach” to the events of the crisis allows this story to go in such wonderful directions, while at the same time reminding us that those events are happening “in real time.”

8h
More magic lessons!

The (slight) sparks that fly between our headstrong Teresa and the wise Morcant was a fun scene, especially when the older elf decides that a demonstration is in order. “First, you have to get the mule’s attention.”

Will have more to say when I read more. But this is such fun to catch up on- esp. with all the changes.

hazmick: Thank you haz. Teresa is glad you like it, and would smile faintly if she were not so embarrassed by the praise!


Winter Wolf: Thank you Wolf. Writing Julian was a lot of fun. I have always liked doing cameos of other characters. Hers was certainly the largest, and most influential!


treydog: Thank you dog. Morcant is meant to be a very down-to-Nirn character. A little prejudiced in certain regards (such as the Mages Guild), but generally someone who feels both humbled by her experiences, but also confident enough in herself to not need to boast.


Next: Teresa catches up with an old friend. I have to give a special shout out to Destri, for without his inspiration this entire chapter would have never been written.

* * *

Chapter 15.1 - Old Friends, Not Forgotten

10th Sun's Height, 3E433

Teresa paused to wipe the sweat from her brow and cast her green eyes southward. Hills covered in heather and strewn with boulders met her gaze as far as her eyes could see. Wild goats and antelope grazed off to one side, and geese honked across the sky overhead. Turning to look back, the forester saw the ghostly white spire of White Gold Tower floating in the azure summer sky. Three days walk, she thought, and she could still see the phantom of its shape. It was even more incredible far away than up close.

"The lake must be somewhere nearby," the forester said, turning to the other Bosmer woman with her. "We can cool off in the water once we're there."

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into this," Methredhel breathed, likewise wiping away the sweat that poured from her forehead. "Let alone doing it in all this leather. We should have worn those Redguard crop-tops I saw at the Copious Coinpurse."

"That's more Adanrel's style than either of ours." Teresa bit her lip. She was not sure if the thief really meant what she had said about coming to the wilderness with her, or if the other wood elf was only joking. The forester hoped it was the latter, but was afraid that was not so.

"Especially now that she's 'waiting tables' at the Rampant Razorback," Methredhel chuckled.

"Yeah, on her back." Teresa rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe she's working at that dive. They are so cheap, they make the girls all sell at least one drink a day so that they can call them barmaids. Just so they can hire women who aren't in the Prostitute's Guild."

"Hey that's the Waterfront," Methredhel said, "cheap is a way of life. Still, she's the first of us to ever have a real job."

"Hey, I have a real job," Teresa insisted. "I'm an alchemist, and an explorer."

Methredhel did not reply. Instead the thief stared off to the west, where the ground rose to a rocky hill. Her brow furrowed as if she was puzzling something out, and she lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the sun.

"What is it?" Teresa said, one hand drawing her bow stave from her back and the other reaching for a string. "Do you see something?"

"No, it's nothing," the brown-haired wood elf turned back to Teresa. "Just my eyes playing tricks on me. Everything is so, weird out here."

"What do you mean?" The forester still took the time to string her bow. "It's beautiful out here. A little hot, but what can you do about that?"

"It's all so empty, so wide open," Methredhel said, glancing back to the west, "It's so strange after the city."

"I know, isn't it wonderful?" Teresa looked up from her ready weapon, and she could see that the other elf felt anything but the way she did herself. She had seen it in Methredhel's eyes from the first day. The thief did not see the same paradise that she did. What the other woman did see Teresa was not sure, but it obviously felt foreign to her. They really had grown apart, the forester thought glumly. Ever since she had met the Emperor, she and Methredhel had lived in different worlds.

"Hey, there's nothing there!" Teresa heard Methredhel call out as she purposely strode in the direction that the thief had been looking. The forester set an arrow to the nock of her bow, and scanned the boulders above for any signs of movement. All was still however. There were no sounds of rocks falling loose under an ambusher's heel, no heads poking around rocks, nor any sign of anything else untoward. "Are you always like this?" the other Bosmer asked as she sprinted to catch up.

"Always pay attention to your instincts," Teresa murmured, still advancing up the slope and looking around cautiously. "You never know what you might find."

With that, the two wood elves skirted around a large boulder and reached the crest of the rise. Before them was a road of hard-packed dirt. To their right it vanished in the hills heading toward the Imperial City. While straight ahead it meandered back and forth down an incline. Finally it vanished into a massive pit dug within the surface of the ground. The depression must have been at least a hundred yards across, and rather than dropping straight down, it gradually fell in a series of terraces. The road curled along each level, and finally disappeared into a pool of crystal clear water that filled the bottom of the pit.

"It must be an old quarry," Methredhel observed. "Doesn't look like anyone's been here in ages."

Teresa unstrung her bow and slipped her arrow back into its bag. She was drawing the pack from her back when she noticed the other elf doing the same. "Are you thinking what I am?" she fairly giggled with a faint smile, looking back to the inviting waves below.

"Last one in's a rotten kwama!" Methredhel cried, tearing off at a run.

A relaxing stroll in the woods with Methredhel gives Teresa a chance to catch her breath after the business with the emperor and that 'Oblivion crisis' that everyone was going on about. It's a shame that Methredhel doesn't share Teresa's passion for the forest.

One question: What's a Kwama?

SubRosa, this was beautiful! You did wonderful justice to the hills and forests.

I'm with you, Teresa - it's beautiful out here! Oh well, at least you tried, and that shows a great deal of affection for Methredhel. You can lead a wood elf to the forest, but you can't make her drink and all that. Methie is just an old lockpick in the mud.

Kind of bittersweet, the sad distance now between them. You can't go back to being a street urchin stealing bruised apples.

Prostitute's guild? Oh my. Maybe Teresa should consider one of the guilds, but not that one!

Well, we are greatly relieved to hear that there are at least a couple other wood elves for whom the statement, 'Water makes her clothes fall off' rings true.

As you know, some of my fave Teresa stories are ones just like this. We learn more of Teresa and just feel, 'ahhh'.

Oh, for hazmick: A kwama is a Morrowind creature - http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Kwama

Thanks Acadian. I've never played Morrowind. Looks...interesting.

Back into the wilds then, but with Methredhel. You caught the confusion of people who like the empty country when confronted with those who (rather inexplicably) don't perfectly, and I'd guess from experience.

A prostitute's guild?! Well it's an interesting addition anyway.

Still swimming in any natural water which can be found, this I approve of, though you haven't offered much indication of where they are. I'm sure something will happen to draw them a bit closer... but what

One nit:
She was not sure if the thief really meant what she had said about coming to the wilderness with her, of if the other wood elf was only joking. -- a matter of or or of if I'm not mistaken

A wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Teresa returns to her natural environment, only to find out that it's not 'natural' for everyone. Oh well.

Growing apart happens to everyone at some point or another. Bittersweet to see that happening here.

Funny that I should read this now, when I have just returned home after a wonderful walk through the local state park here (woods, wetlands and a riverbank). Your description of the area just jumped off the page at me.

B'wana, Kwama be an insect - in the TES world.

Still reading as fast as I can while still doing justice to your prose:

9a


Apparently, Teresa was rattled enough to misplace her preposition.


Be careful with that; too much honesty can be as bad for you as too much fresh air!

You again show your descriptive power with Teresa’s survey of Cheydinhal.

9b

The business with the welkynd stones was an excellent way of revealing a number of things about Teresa- she is not an experienced haggler; although she has learned a great deal about nature, “civilized stuff” like where to sell your goods is still new to her.

9c

This whole installment is lyrical and lovely. I especially enjoyed Teresa’s overt understanding of her own spirituality.


With awareness of self often comes awareness of loneliness- and it never gets easier.

9d

The way you animate your vision of a larger Cyrodiil is masterful- the fenced towns giving way to stockades, etc.

The letter was priceless, especially the part about: “Oh, never mind about the armor. Why would I need armor? Just forget I said anything.” And the mention of the Oblivion Crisis events also gives us a sense of the wider world.

9e
Funny how ruins or caves seem smaller once you have explored them.

In re- Bubbas and their gun-racks, you would have to come up with a TF equivalent for the usual mundane-world contents- an umbrella, a cane, and a contractor’s level….

Loved the horse-ferry. Not so much the vision that came while Teresa was on board- but the Crisis is not over….

Yes! You decided to explore more of Teresa and Methredhel’s relationship. Thank you for the shout-out. I am genuinely touched, given how small my contribution to this wonderful interlude was.

You have left us with a lot to digest here. Hautee found the perfect word to describe this brief chapter: Bittersweet. I always had the impression that there was a bit of hero worship in Teresa’s relationship with Methredhel. I have no idea how your forester talked her thieving friend out of the city, but I think there is a part of her that now regrets it. I can understand why, in the wilds it is Teresa who is confident and self-assured. Removing Methredhel from her usual haunts has diminished her in Teresa’s eyes. It is always hard to discover flaw in one’s hero. For my part, I thought it was nice to see Methredhel as the fish out of water for once. Usually she is so confident in what she is doing that it verges on the annoying. I have no idea how this is going to inform the rest of Teresa’s story, but I am going to have a lot of fun finding out.

The addition of a Prostitute’s Guild and the Rampant Razorback provide more succulent meat to the already rich bounty that is your Waterfront. We just HAVE to see them in action now!

I saw only one nit:

hazmick: Thank you haz. I see Acadian already handled the kwama issue. Kwama eggs were a common foodstuff in Morrowind.


Acadian: Thank you Acadian. Methie is indeed lockpick in the mud. She is a city girl through and through. Her theme song would be You Belong To The City by Glen Frey.

Water does indeed make Teresa's clothes fall off! In fact, that is how this next segment begins!


Olen: Thank you Olen. The Prostitute's Guild is in Oblivion. The History of the Fighters Guild mentions them being formed during the Interregnum, along with the FG and a slew of other guilds.


haute ecole rider: Thank you haute. Teresa and Methredhel have indeed been growing apart ever since the beginning of the story. Yet as we shall see, both have reasons to hang onto their relationship as long as possible.


treydog: Thank you dog. The Oblivion Crisis is only reaching its crescendo! (at last where you are) your testosterone should like chapters 10 & 11.


Destri Melarg: This is only the first segment, much more to come, all inspired by your suggestion to see a story with Teresa, Methredhel, and Adanrel as kids. After this segment, we will be going back in time to see just that.

You are quite right, Teresa has always been a little in awe of Methredhel, and this chapter will show why. However, she has always seen a few chinks in her armor as well, again, as we will see.

The Rampant Razorback was my way of coming up with a name for a really cheap brothel. Something like Porky's only more ES-ized.


next: Water makes wood elf's clothes fall off.


* * *

Chapter 15.2 - Old Friends, Not Forgotten

Teresa sat on the wild grass with a sigh of contentment. The green blades tickled her slender legs, and the sun blazed hot upon her bare skin. She glanced at the turquoise band of the Jewel of the Rumare beside her pack and the pile of her leathers. She knew that all she had to do was slip it on her finger, and she would be instantly dry. But the water glistening along her pale skin was the only relief from the blistering rays of Magnus overhead. So she would wait instead, she thought, and relish the coolness while it lasted.

Glancing at Methredhel beside her, Teresa felt her blood flow hotter. The thief was as naked as she was, and lay stretched out on her back with arms out over her head. Droplets of water glistened across the other Bosmer's smooth skin like a robe of diamonds. Her brown hair - turned dark from the water - was drawn back from her face, showing off her high cheekbones and soft lips.

The forester had to resist the urge to reach out and caress her naked frame. Biting her lip, Teresa turned her head to avoid the temptation, and was thankful for the fact that Methredhel had her eyes closed. Damn! Teresa silently cursed, usually she could force herself to ignore how attractive some other women were. But usually they were not naked and soaking wet beside her…

"Lay down and relax," came the voice of the thief. "This is the most fun I've had since we came out here."

"I'm sorry," Teresa bit her lip once more. "I thought there would be more trees in this part of the island to give us shade. There are plenty on the north side. It looks like it's all heath down here in the south."

"Relax," the thief repeated, "it's not your fault it's hot. What do you expect from Sun's Height on the City Isle?"

"I know." Teresa turned back to look at Methredhel, who she found was now staring back at her from eyes the color of emeralds. "I just wanted things to be perfect, you know, and Adanrel didn't even come at all."

"You worry too much," the other Bosmer shook her head. A moment later her hand fell to rest upon one of Teresa's knees. "You always did. She's just working is all. They'd fire her if she was gone for a week. Everything is fine."

"You don't like it, do you?" Teresa looked down, staring at the long, slender fingers of the other woman's hand. The soft bronze of her skin leapt out starkly against the pale white of Teresa's own flesh. "Out here I mean, in the wilderness."

The forester heard the other woman sigh. and saw her rise to a sitting position from the corner of her eye. The thief's fingers rose to cup the side of Teresa's cheek, turning her face to meet her own. A crooked smile crossed Methredhel's features. It spoke volumes to Teresa, who knew from experience that it meant the other woman felt guilty about what she was about to say.

"I think I understand why you love it so much out here," the thief began, "No smell, no filth, no thugs, no soldiers. But it's just so eerie how quiet it gets, how empty it feels. I'm used to having walls to sneak behind, crowds to blend into. Out here, there's nowhere to hide." Then the other woman winked, and Teresa knew that she was trying hard to be cheerful. "There's no hot food stands either, or pockets to pick. Nothing for a city girl like me to do!"

Teresa felt her heart sink like a pebble tossed into Lake Rumare. She had so hoped that Methredhel would feel the same joy and freedom that she did from being in the wild. They could have travelled Cyrodiil together, picking plants, making potions, and just discovering what the world had to offer. Yet that was just not to be. Methredhel really did belong in the city, and Teresa knew that she had been a fool to hope otherwise. They really did live in different worlds now.

Teresa nodded. She did not know what to say, and Methredhel did not press her for a response. So instead the forester looked down again. Her eyes settled upon her pack, and on a whim she leaned over and began to rummage through it. A few moments later she drew forth a long, slender dagger in a sheath of soft brown leather. Its gently curving handle was made of amber wood, and was overlain with a latticework of gold branches and flowers.

"Happy birthday!" Teresa smiled faintly and handed the dagger to Methredhel.

The other woman's eyes lit up as she stared at the weapon. Drawing it from its sheath, her green eyes lingered over the sweeping blade of golden metal. The elvish steel flashed brightly in the sunlight, as if welcoming the embrace of an old friend, and Teresa had to squint when she looked at it. Yet even in the glare, she could still clearly see the elegant branches and leaves etched upon the surface of the brilliant metal.

"This is real elven steel!" the thief gasped, "and the handle's sila wood, from Valenwood! Where did you get this?"

"Vilverin," Teresa breathed. "I knew you would like it, so I kept it. I was waiting for the right time to give it to you. I guess now is as good as ever."

"It's beautiful!" Methredhel exclaimed, "just like you." The next thing the forester knew, the other elf wrapped her arms around her in a warm embrace. Teresa closed her eyes and sighed, wishing the moment could stretch on forever. The thief leaned away far too soon for the forester's liking however, and looked into her eyes.

"You don't have to give me this," the other elf said. She slid the blade back into its sheath and held the dagger out to Teresa. "Really, I'm happy with dinner at the Bloated Float. It's not like we're rich. You should sell it."

"No, I want you to have it." Teresa insisted, and was gratified when Methredhel pulled the blade back. "I just wish I could have been there for your actual birthday."

"Well, it's not your fault you were arrested!" Methredhel laughed. "It happens to the best of us after all. I wish you hadn't been though. Adanrel said I got so drunk that I tried to climb the mast of the Float and nearly fell into the harbor. If you were there, you wouldn't have let me get that grogged."

"Good thing you didn't turn invisible!" Teresa allowed a real smile to escape her lips as she thought of the star sign the other woman had been born under. "If you passed out, no one would have ever found you."

"Not until Hieronymus Lex tripped over me at me at least," Methredhel chuckled and began to pull her clothing on. "About the closest he'll ever get to catching a real thief. You know it's funny, you're the one who was born under the Thief, but I don't think you've stolen anything since we were kids."

"That's ok," Teresa slid the turquoise band of the Jewel of the Rumare on, and instantly felt her skin and hair dry. Reaching for her leather, she followed the other Bosmer's example and began to dress. "You've pilfered more than enough for the both of us! Being born under the Shadow certainly has been good for your purse, and bad for those of everyone else!"

"Hey, that reminds me of how we met…"

Aaw, poor Teresa. so near yet so far away from Methredhel. Will we see Teresa hookin' up with anyone in the future? A thief? an inkeeper in weye? The next chapter sounds intersting. good job.

SubRosa, this is a lovely piece - er, um. . . I mean interlude. The only thing nicer than a naked wood elf drying in the sun is two of them. You managed their actions and dialogue, along with Teresa's thoughts in a way that truely did justice here.

What a pleasure to read. Wonderful how you wove in Teresa's time at Vilverin (the dagger) and how you incorporated the birthsigns of both elves. What a handy ring that Jewal of the Rumare is for Teresa!

Just the perfect touches of oh my, ahhh, bittersweet smiles and even a giggle or two.

I'm so pleased that it seems you may linger on Teresa and Methie for a bit.

Ahhhh.


Nit? Did you mean to use the masculine form for Teresa's heart? I would have thought perhaps 'its' pace?

So now we get to see how Teresa and Methredhel became such fast friends in the first place?

I look forward to seeing the time traveling.

As for Teresa's attraction to Meth, it's sad, really. Reminds me of all those romantic triangles where the second fiddle never gets the girl!

Poor Teresa, she'll find someone suitable eventually I'm sure. It was very smoothly written, you worked a lot of description in there but with dialogue so neither became too static while you layed some more ground (and background like the birthsigns).

And now we get to see how they met and a bit mroe of Teresa's history.

Nit (?):
Chapter 15.1 - Old Friends, Not Forgotten - that's two 15.1s, previously you've numbered each part individually (I think). Me? Bullet counter?

I think you have captured Love which in its teenage form is, whether gay or straight, achingly bittersweet. Especially if it is doomed from the start...that adds an especial poignancy.

I love this story so much. Not only does Teresa feel so real and believable it seems as though she might walk off the page any moment, her friends and the people she meets do too! I also really enjoy the way you diverged early from the main quest in order to explore Teresa's journey - one which feels very true to her as a character and lets us see her growth as a person. What I think you also do especially well is explaining why Teresa does the things she does, giving her motivations for her actions - something which I think is easy to skip over given that we're all used to the "go here, deliver this package" style that is actual gameplay.

The last chapter was brilliant - I really felt for Teresa, discovering her best friend who she was also in love with can't share a really important part of her life with her. I've had experiences like that with friends (who hasn't?) and this tugged at my heartstrings. Poor Teresa!