What a rampage! Clearing out a vampire lair is an excellent job to give to the beast. I have to admit, I was worried the whole time that one of those villagers would finally summon the nerve to go into the vampire cave only to have a werewolf eat them. But at least I was not worried about Aravi catching the disease.

Oh wow, that ending was just perfect! Kharjo charges in ready for battle, and Aravi is going to have some explaining to do…

The scene you wrote works beautifully with this video! I absolutely love it!

I’m loving Aravi as a werewolf and cheered for her all the way through this! Wow! Such power, grace and. . . blood. I had headphones on when I watched it and the sounds were so cool. Guess she showed ‘em! No warning, no quarter for those damn vampires.

What a splendid surprise to see Kharjo at the end come looking for her! I’ll bet the wolf’s out of the bag now whether Aravi likes it or not. And you know what? I figure Kharjo will not be deterred by it (once he gets over his initial reaction).

Grits is so right: The synergy you have going between your writing and vids is wonderful. That last piece you wrote magnified the significance of Kharjo’s arrival here many fold. Well done, my friend!

Oh my... I've never been able to get my werewolves to be that BA. Though you know, I have heard a charging power attack in beast form will do serious damage.

Have to wonder what the villagers outside the cave thought about all the roaring coming from within, this is, of course, on the tail of a dragon attack on their homes.

But yay Kharjo! Very, very well put together video!

@mALX: Yes that was Kharjo at the end. Busted for sure! Glad you enjoyed it so much, Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: Aravi kind of left the posse behind. Aravi hates spiders too and would probably love it if I modded them out. I’m not going to do that though.

I bet it was totally different! Aravi is completely wild in beast form. I loved that kill on Alva, I hadn’t seen that one (or the decap for that matter) before. Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: Aravi let the beast out for a reason, but I think you are right, it did an excellent job destroying the vampire and his retainers. If a villager did go down, they would have been killed and eaten. I didn’t even think of that. I’m so glad you think the scene works so well, that was my intention. Thanks Grits!

@Acadian: The beast is a lot more brutal and strong than Aravi is. It cleaned out the vampires quickly, I suppose they weren’t expecting anything like that. Kharjo does catch up with her when he was tired of waiting.
I am very happy you think the scene works so well too. That was why I wrote it. Thanks Acadian!

@Liliandra: Werewolve’s standard attack isn’t very strong by itself, you really have to use the power attacks and the charging attacks when you can. Aravi didn’t have a lot of room so the charging attack would have been difficult to pull off. Funny, I thought the same thing too about the villagers! Had they hung around, they might have thought there was a dragon in the cave! Thanks Liliandra!

##############################

Just a few face shots of Aravi. She’s been wearing Elven armor recently and I think it is gorgeous on her.

One

Two

Three

These are beautiful! Two is my favorite, I just love her expression. The Khajiit helm with ears free is perfect! Wow, these are great!

I thought 'One' would be my fave till I saw 'Two' - LOVE that shot, it is my absolute fave of the three! ('One' comes in second, lol). Great shots !!!

Those first two are just gorgeous. I cannot decide which I like better. The first one is filled with warm light, but the second has an almost soft focus to it that makes it just amazing.

Wow, Aravi always looks gorgeous, but I absolutely love how her helmet lets her little ears (well, little by Buffy and Superian standards) stick out! Just the perfect thing to avoid ‘helmet ears’. The subdued lighting in that third shot really makes the scar on Aravi’s right cheek jump out.

Thanks everyone! I’m kind of surprised Two was the favorite, I was sure One would be. Acadian, you pointed out exactly why I liked Three. My favorite is One, I liked the way her eyes looked in that one.

##################################

I was intending for this to be short like the first scene I wrote, but it quickly grew to a full sized chapter on its own. I hope you all find it acceptable.

##################################


Kharjo crept past the bodies of two giant spiders, broken arrows left behind as evidence of Aravi’s passing. Kharjo smiled to himself. She’s always hated spiders. Now where is she? He moved into the narrow passageway that no doubt lead to lair of the vampires.

The feeling of foreboding that started at the inn spiked within the narrow passage. Those are her swords! And her pack! Sheathed and resting against the rough stone wall of the cave was her swords and next to them was her pack. Why would she leave her things here? Chills danced up and down his spine and tail. This was wrong. She would never leave her stuff like this. She needed her swords to fight. He took the rest of the passage nice and slow, listening for anything. The passage opened up into a room ahead.

He found the first body. Kharjo had seen plenty of violence in his life, especially after he started following Aravi. He wasn’t sure if he should be proud or ashamed that the sight of the dead rarely bothered him. This one was different. The man’s head had been torn off, and the body had been shredded. He felt sick and looked away, taking deep breaths through his mouth so the smell of exposed guts wouldn’t be as strong. What did this? Where’s Aravi?! He fought away of the image of Aravi’s body torn to pieces that leapt unbidden to his mind and pulled his axe from his belt. He knew if whatever killed that man was still alive in the cave, then Aravi couldn’t kill it, and he was going to die too.

The next room held more bodies. A man, shredded and torn like the first, lay beside a shallow grave containing old corpses. The vampire’s food. Kharjo took only the time to confirm that none of the dead were Khajiit before moving on. His nerves were almost shot and the silence of the cave did not help calm him at all. This place is a tomb. If she was alive, wouldn’t he be able to hear something? He wanted nothing more than to run forward as fast as he could calling for her. Calm down Kharjo.

Moving through the next passage on silent feet, he concentrated on his hearing more than his sight. His ears flicked around nervously, trying to detect any sound. As he moved deeper, he thought he heard something. He stopped to hear better …Is that breathing? He moved a little farther in and listened again. Yes, it is! It sounded shallow and labored to his keen ears, it couldn’t belong to anything capable of tearing a man to pieces. He couldn’t help it, he abandoned stealth and ran. It was coming from a large chamber with a high ceiling and a long table in the middle of the room. And slumped on the ground next to a throne on the far end was Aravi!

“Aravi!” His elation quickly turned to horror. She was completely naked and covered from head to toe in blood. He ran to her and saw more details. She had partially healed weapon and frost wounds on her chest, arms, and thighs. While her entire body was covered in blood, he noticed her mouth and hands by far had the most.

“Aravi? Are you alright?” Her eyes were out of focus, she was miles away. She didn’t say anything. He took off a gauntlet and checked her wounds and didn’t find anything immediately life threatening. “Here drink something,” he offered her his water skin. Her eyes focused on him, then the skin, and she reached out to take it. It dropped to the floor with a splash of spilled liquid and Aravi hissed in pain. He recovered the skin, noting multiple cuts and swelling in her hands. He held the skin for her so she could drink. She sloshed the water around in her mouth and spit it out. That’s when he noticed the mess next to her. Raw, chewed up meat lay in a pool of blood and other juices. Later he thought to himself. Get her out of here first.

He gave her more water and she started shivering. “Can you walk?” She weakly shook her head. He took off his cloak and wrapped her in it. “Let’s get you out of this horrible place then.” Then carefully, he lifted her over a shoulder and took up his axe in his free hand. Then slowly and carefully, he carried her out the way he had come. She didn't say a word to him.

~~~~

Aravi abruptly woke from a dreamless sleep. She was disoriented at first, but quickly realized that she was in a bed at the inn.

“This one is sorry to wake you, but you need to drink these.” She heard a liquid being poured into a mug. “Can you sit up or do you need help?”

As she gingerly pushed herself up, her hands ached fiercely, and all the memories of last night came crashing down on her. Kharjo noticed. “We’ll talk about what happened later. You need to drink these potions and rest more.” He offered her the mug. “Drink.”

She drank, it was a cure disease potion. The taste was familiar to her. It was a waste, but she did it anyways. One look at Kharjo told her there would be no negotiating with him. He was seated at the end of her bed. He may have looked relaxed to anyone that didn’t know him well, but she could tell he was tense.

When she was done, she offered the mug back to him and he refilled it with another potion. After drinking that, the ache in her hands had vanished, and the mug was offered one more time. Cool water that she sipped at gratefully.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.” She was starving. The thought of eating made her feel sick however. Kharjo must have seen the lie for what it was and gave her a piece of bread. She nibbled on it carefully, and when it was gone, she accepted the rest of the loaf.

“What was wrong with my hands?”

“The alchemist said you had broken three fingers and your left wrist. The skin was torn away as well. She was the closest thing this town had for a healer, so she made sure the bones were in the right place before giving you healing potions.”

Aravi processed this and experimented with her fingers and hands. She shouldn’t have any trouble with her swords and bow. They sat in silence while she slowly finished the bread.

“You should get more rest,” Kharjo said when she was done eating.

Aravi shook her head. “No, I want to leave this place. Let’s go.”

“Are you strong enough for travel?” he asked doubtfully.

To demonstrate she got out of bed and stood up straight. The effect was ruined when she had to retrieve the cloak that fell to the floor and hold it over her form. Her ears flattened to the sides in embarrassment and she felt her face burning. She had just given him quite a show. “I need some clothes Kharjo.”

Kharjo chuckled and gestured to her pack sitting on the dresser up against the wall opposite her bed. He left the room and firmly shut the door behind him. As he left she saw a dagger belted to his waist. Kharjo thought she was dangerous. He had sat where he would be difficult to reach by someone waking up in the bed. The realization hurt her more than she expected and she sat on her bed, the corners of her eyes stinging. She let the tears fall, but did not make a sound. After a few minutes, she dried her face and pulled herself together. She stood, let the cloak drop again, and went to the pack. After dressing, a look in the pack verified what she had suspected: Kharjo had taken all her weapons.

She still had some of her potions and she chose one to restore some of her energy. She sighed and shouldered her pack, wincing at the aches and pains that flared briefly. She didn’t relish the conversation that was going to take place as soon as they were out of town, but she hoped he would trust her again.

~~~~

They left the dreary town behind and walked in silence for nearly an hour before Kharjo abruptly stopped.

“Aravi owes this one some answers.”

Aravi knew this was coming. “What did you see?”

“This one saw you in a cave full of dead vampires and their slaves. They had been torn apart and eaten. Your mouth and claws were covered in their blood. What did you do?” Kharjo’s voice was intense and he had assumed a fighting stance. He had all but drawn a weapon on her.

Aravi looked at her feet in shame and kept carefully still, her hands where he could see them.

“I’m a werewolf.” She cringed when she heard him draw his axe. Keeping her eyes on her feet, she said “I’m not a monster.” I hope.

Kharjo was silent. She stayed still and waited for him to say something. Or use his axe.

“So you are a werewolf. How does this one know you won’t kill him?”

“I wouldn’t, I can control the transformations. All of the Circle of the Companions are werewolves. They all live in Whiterun and they’ve never killed anyone in the town. We all can control when we change.”

“If you can control the transformations, then why did you do it last night?”

“I know what happens when I let it out. I wanted them to feel terror before they died. That’s why I didn’t want you with me. When I transform, I surrender my body and mind to the beast. Nobody would have been safe.”

Kharjo was quiet again. He still had his weapon ready. “You are sure you can control the transformation?”

“Yes!” Aravi said, looking at him, desperate for him to believe.

“How did you get this curse? And when?”

“The Companions invited me to join the Circle. To become one of them, a condition was to become as they were. Werewolves. I rejected it at first, but then I learned that werewolves were immune to every disease. Including vampirism. So I accepted.”

“But why? You said the dragon protected you.”

“I wasn’t honest with you. I carried the disease within me for a long time. In Cyrodiil I became infected with the disease too many times and I could not be rid of it. I could only slow it down. I came to Skyrim, I had heard that the cold climate would further slow it down. It worked, but I still wasn’t rid of it. Then this opportunity came along and I was desperate.”

Kharjo considered her words carefully. Then he belted his axe at his waist. Aravi let out breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“This one believes you. What choice does he have? If this turns to be a foolish choice, he will probably not live long to regret it.”

“Thank you Kharjo. I promise I’ll never harm you.”

“This one will hold you to it.” He flashed a quick grin before turning serious again. “Is there anything else you should share with this one? Think carefully. Anything like this again and this one will leave you and return to his caravan.”

“No, there isn’t.”

Kharjo’s voice was heavy with anger and sadness. “This one thought you had died last night. Don’t do that to him again.”

The pain in his voice shamed her and she looked back down at her feet. They resumed walking. Kharjo murmured to himself, “This one feels like he’s had to battle for every scrap of knowledge he has of her.”

After a while Aravi asked, “May I have my weapons back?”

His hesitation was barely perceptible before he handed them over. “So you were turning into a vampire when this one met you?”

Aravi thought about it as she belted her swords to her waist. “Yes, I guess you could say that. I had the disease for a very long time and I kept ahead of it with potions. I suppose it would have eventually won.”

“And you say it is gone now because of your new…” he searched for a word, “condition? How do you know?”

“It’s gone. I didn’t know for sure until you woke me this morning. I always had nightmares after fighting vampires when I had the disease. I didn’t have any last night.” She smiled at the thought.

“Was it worth the price?”

The smile faded. “I… I don’t know.”

Holy Cow! This had me riveted from the first word to the last! Absolutely AWESOME fascinating chapter !!!!! You brought such a depth to both Aravi and Kharjo with this chapter !!!!

I loved Kharjo's reactions, every single line of them! And Aravi's explanations - things we didn't know about her, like the true reason she went to Skyrim, the struggles she's had to keep the vampirism at bay (we knew about that) - this chapter went a long way toward explaining why Aravi took the werewolf onto herself. It went a long way into showing us the inner Aravi we have only guessed at. Totally Awesome Write from beginning to end !!!

- HUGE WRITE !!!

Chills danced up and down his spine and tail.
This was a wonderfully Khajiitish description.

The first part told from the pov of Kharjo is a real treat. It is so nice to see the world from our favorite former caravan-guard for a change.

Aravi's awakening was as awkward as I expected. Kharjo is taking no chances I see. Obviously he has realized that it was Aravi who tore everyone in the cave to shreds, not to mention ate them.

If this turns to be a foolish choice, he will probably not live long to regret it."
This sounds exactly like the Kharjo we know from the game. You have recreated him perfectly.

So now everything is out in the open, including Aravi's past in Cyrodiil. He's taking it very well. But then, a man in love tends to be that way. So I am not surprised either. This is certainly a major turning point in their relationship. Which is to say it can finally move forward, as it was basically stuck in place where it was before, because of the secret of Aravi's lycanthropy.


nits:
and the silence of the cave did help calm him at all.
I think you meant did not?

Wonderful, KC! You really captured both Kharjo and Aravi here!

“I need some clothes Kharjo.”
Exactly the right touch of humor at exactly the right time.

“I’m not a monster.” I hope.’
Powerful stuff!

‘Kharjo considered her words carefully. Then he belted his axe at his waist. Aravi let out breath she didn’t know she was holding.’
This one thinks Kharjo is a keeper! His actions speak volumes.

“Was it worth the price?”
The smile faded. “I… I don’t know.”
A very strong and evocative ending.

I love Kharjo’s thought process that if Aravi couldn’t defeat the creature, he was as good as dead. The videos show Aravi taking the lead, and this really brings it home. It was creepy and very engaging to visualize Kharjo working his way through the cave having just watched Aravi in beastly action. With her blood-soaked condition and fresh meat barf in a steaming pile, he has some hard truth to face. I love how he took care of her so tenderly, even though he had concerns. You bring Kharjo to life so well!

She had just given him quite a show. “I need some clothes Kharjo.”

How funny. I’m sure that modest Aravi does not want to think about how she got cleaned up and wrapped in the cloak in the first place! Like mALX said, it was great to hear for sure from Aravi what the videos have shown about why she’s made these choices. I think Kharjo’s caution is probably part of Aravi’s high opinion of him. He charges in when he needs to, but he is not reckless. His showed that he had real concerns about his safety, but he was right there anyway. Also it was great to have him stand up for himself when she admitted that she lied. Getting this out in the open was such a big step for both of them.

“It’s gone. I didn’t know for sure until you woke me this morning. I always had nightmares after fighting vampires when I had the disease. I didn’t have any last night.” She smiled at the thought.

Yay! But this chapter really showed the price she pays. Yikes, her poor hand!

I really enjoyed this, KC!

@mALX: Thank you very much mALX! I tried to reveal a little about her and review some of what we already knew, but Kharjo wouldn’t. Thanks again!

@SubRosa: Thanks for spotting that nit, I had dropped another ‘not’ somewhere else too but caught it on my final edit.

Perhaps Kharjo went along too easily with Aravi’s explanations, but I couldn’t have him leave for a while as he is present in the next video. Lol. I rewrote Kharjo’s POV 3-4 times trying to get it right, so it’s good that you enjoyed it. The most important thing for Aravi now is that she doesn’t feel like she needs to hide anything from Kharjo now. She can really trust him with anything. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: I thought of you when I wrote Aravi getting out of bed and losing her covering. A little humor was needed in that chapter. I am relieved that you think I captured both Kharjo and Aravi. I liked ending with that thought too. On one hand, the vampire is gone. On the other, she must turn into a beast periodically, and she has no control over what it does. Thanks Acadian!

@Grits: Aravi’s always been the better fighter of the pair, and Kharjo has no problem admitting that if she couldn’t handle something then he certainly wouldn’t. Finding Aravi as he did was very damning; I think if he didn’t already have strong feelings for her, it might have gone much differently.

Poor Aravi’s still naked when she wakes up! Best not think about how she got clean or she will be red furred again like in Cyrodiil! The confrontation was difficult to write, so I’m glad you liked. Thanks Grits!

#################################

Some screens tonight. I’ve been away for a few days, only checking PMs, and all of you have postings I need to see. My next video probably won’t be posted for another couple of days while I catch up and see about doing some more writing.

Thinking of home

Aim

Descending

These are all awesome shots! My fave has to be "Thinking of Home" due to her expression in it, but it was a hard toss up !!!

Awesome angels and lighting on the shots. Favorite is also 'Thinking of Home'.

Wow, what they said. These are all great!

I especially love Descending, because Aravi is looking to the side. That's something I really miss from Oblivion.


Yay!

Thinking of Home was definitely my favorite. Aravi has this wonderfully somber look of introspection on her face, that the title is exactly what I think when I look at it.

Welcome back! We’ve missed you and Aravi. Thanks for the pics! They’re all great, but I really like her aiming in with that bow.

@mALX: Again I am surprised in your choice! I thought Aim or Descending would be your favorite. Thanks mALX!

@liliandra: Are you saying Aravi’s an angel? Kidding! Thanks for stopping by!

@Grits: I really miss that too, I really liked how that picture turned out. It was a little tricky to get right. Thanks Grits!

@SubRosa: Another tally for the first one. That was the first view I had of Aravi after getting home so of course I had to tie that in with the subject. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: Did Buffy help you choose the bow one? Thanks for the welcome back Acadian!

#############################

Another batch of screens today!

Aravi’s dress

Sizing up

Starry night

Sword practice in the College of Winterhold
One & Two

I like Aravi's new dress! The embroidery along the fringes is especially nice. Sizing up is startling. I never realized that Kharjo was so tall!

Two of the sword practice was my favorite of all. I love that look on Aravi's face!

I like Aravi’s dress as well. The laced up top and colors quite suit her! I like how that helm in the picture with Kharj lets her ears poke through – earrings and all! As I look at the pair of great sword play pictures, I’m struck by how nice the Skyrim armors look. Wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

These are all great, it would almost be hard to pick a fave - if you hadn't added in "Starry Night" - that has to be my top fave. I love close-up shots of her face, love the different expressions she makes. Awesome shots, all of them !!!

I really enjoyed these! Starry Night has to be my favorite, I just love it. This is such a fun set of screenshots!

@SubRosa: Kharjo isn’t actually much larger than a regular Khajiit. I adjusted his size to be 1.02 times standard male Khajiit, and Aravi to be .98 times standard female Khajiit. Female Khajiit are already .95, so I believe that makes Aravi .93 and Kharjo 1.02.

I bought a new graphics card and activated the HD graphics packs Bethesda released and I am loving all the detail, especially on the clothing. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: The dress really does suit her, it’s nice, but not overdone. The mod that lets the ears poke through the helm was such a good idea, she wouldn’t have been able to tolerate smooshing her ears inside. Thanks Acadian!

@mALX: And here I thought you were going to like the second practice picture! I love taking close ups of her face, and the stars made a great backdrop for it. Thanks mALX!

@Grits: This was a varied collection, wasn’t it? I thought you’d like Starry night, thanks Grits!

###########################

The rest of the journey to Winterhold was blessedly quiet after Morthal. Chilly, but quiet.
Aravi’s power has grown significantly since she first tried to gain entrance to the College of Winterhold, and is granted entry this time.

6:06

The Winterhold guards are a charming bunch.

Yay, she’s in!

Aravi's signature head shake was perfectly timed, lol. The basic entry into the College, lol. Has anyone found a desk in that room? She says the bed and desk are yours, I could never find any desk, lol. Great Vid !!

“Is that fur coming out of your ears?” “No, it’s steam!” mALX is right about the head shake probably being the best response. *sigh*

I could see her ‘You feel chilly’ mod at work.

Congrats to Aravi! I’m so glad that Kharjo was able to come in with her!

"Is that fur coming out of your ears?"
"I am a Kahjiit..."
Boobie prize to the guard.

J'Zargo vs Kharjo... Fight!

Coin, I have been following this story, you just don't realize it .

Woah, at first I thought Aravi was dead when Kharjo was looking at the decapited body with the spilled entrails.



Rather be a Lycanthrope than a vampire, eh? This was interesting. A feline who transforms into a canina who has the spirit of a wolf and the soul of a dragon . I agree with mALX. You brought depth to them and had them even closer than they already are.

Congrats on the new card, and HD graphics!

I have always wondered what Skyirm's lawmen have against lollygaggin'?

I think you can just shout at the symbol on the ground, instead of using the spell Faralda tells you to. Most of my characters cannot shout though, so to me it is kind of moot.

So Aravi is going to school. I wonder if that means toga parties! Taking apart the Arch-Mage's wagon and putting it back together again on the roof?

Oh look, its the resident Thalmor spy! Talk about a slimy fellow.

@Grits: Remember me telling you about them? This was why. Thanks Grits!

@mALX: All the rude guards needed some kind of reaction from Aravi. Glad you approve. I was wondering about the desk too! Is it invisible? Thanks mALX!

@Acadian: I enjoyed your steam response! Aravi being Aravi, they just get a head shake. Thanks Acadian!

@liliandra: J’Zargo vs Kharjo? That’d be hilarious! Thanks liliandra!

@DE: You’ve been sneaky!

Aravi’s been battling vampires and vampirism for a long time, she started back in Cyrodiil. She got infected with the disease so many times that she really couldn’t be rid of it, giving her vivid, disturbing dreams and occasionally made her burn in sunlight like a vampire. When she learned she could be totally rid of the disease, she took the opportunity, not really thinking what it meant exactly for her. Thanks DE!

@SubRosa: I never tried shouting at the symbol, perhaps it will work. Aravi’s going to be a typical college student and attend the first class and not show up for any others! That Thalmor just screams ‘bad guy!’ doesn’t he? Thanks SubRosa!

####################################

Aravi attends her first obligatory lecture before meeting some of the other students.

8:54

####################################

A lone screen shot to share as well

The wolf

Holy Cow, I def was not expecting the dragons at the end !! It seems like they are attacking in twos a lot lately, but only one dies each time after all that fighting - she only gets one soul and one looting !!! Urk !!

Awesome screen, I am assuming that is Aravi in her wolf form? Loved todays episode !!!!

Have you noticed that in spite of not being the Mages Guild, the College still uses the same basic eye symbol?

Good old stick in the mud Tolfdir. Dangerous this, volatile that, disaster is inevitable. Let's get started already!

J'zargo is certainly a practical man. Small, valuable things, that easily fit in pockets and will not be missed. Not furthering the racial stereotype that Khajiit are thieves! Not one bit.

Two dragons attacking Winterhold at once? You must be using that same mod liliandra is. It is a good thing that wood and thatch do not burn, otherwise the whole place would have been destroyed!

Here come the dual swords! This will not take much longer. Nope, just about two seconds. Then, there can be only one!

I wanted to laugh when I saw the screen say "You feel comfortable" as Aravi is standing beside the dragon skeleton!

SPEW !!! Someone owes me a monitor!

That screenshot! Wow. How did you even think of that one? Really neat.

Dragons!! Two dragons in Winterhold, that was awesome. Mages shooting fire and ice, plus the guards finally doing something other than harass the town’s only visitor. That Thalmor guy was even in on the fight! I loved the peek-a-boo around and through that ruined house. That was way more exciting than a lecture! All of the college kids are going to want to hang out with Aravi now.

I like that angle with the three Khajiit during the lecture.

Yes! I noticed that in the last vid when she joined the College and again in this one.

I loved sitting in on the magic lesson with the impatient college kids.

J’Zargo: “May you walk on warm sands.”
Next scene: Aravi trudging through a freaking blizzard! Brrrr!

Oh, how funny for that dude in the dark robes to calmly stroll by Aravi and the dead fire dragon as she is absorbing its soul! I bet most of those arrows she recovered from its body were hers!

Yikes, the werewolf is one scary looking cat! Aravi, what big teeth you have.

Awesome! I love Aravi in wolf form! She did well to choose Lycanthropy to combat her vampirism. It was interesting that her body had built an immunity to mundane manners of a cure.

I loved the video and the dragon battle was epic! They always pop out at the most unescessary times, hehe.

@mALX: She got the other dragon too, I just didn’t record that one. It was in the middle of the road and she got some loot from it. Be sure that I would show the loot if it was something very interesting.

Yep, that’s Aravi as a wolf. Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: That first lecture by Tolfdir makes me think of the Harry Potter books every time.

Whew! Just imagine if those buildings were built out of combustible materials! The whole town would be gone!

Just a dead dragon. No biggie. Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: Thanks on the screenie! How’d I think of it? I’m not even sure. I was looking at the wolf in 3rd person and decided to get a close shot of the face.

Aravi went around the corner of that ruined house and though Sh--! I thought it was funny the Thalmor was pitching in even. Aravi naturally went to stand with the other Khajiit when she saw him. Thanks Grits!

@Acadian: I think that eye is kind of a universal symbol of magic. It is kind of neat that it showed up here as well though.

On J’Zargo: That seems to be the way most Khajiit in Skyrim bid farewell. It’s the thought that counts, right? Thanks Acadain!

@LL: It was very effective at getting rid of her vampirism, but she’s just traded one set of problems for another! At least she only has to deal with this one once in a while. Her vampirism problems were truly bad in Cyrodiil. Thanks LL!

##############################

Aravi’s arrived in Markarth for the first time, and I’ve taken a few screen shots.

Resting

In front of the palace (my favorite)

Research

And I don’t know why I’m posting this one; I really don’t like how it turned out. I’m going to retry this one later.

I can't pick a fave in this bunch, I love them all !! (including the one you didn't like) !! That posing mod is awesome, this is like a glimpse of Aravi and Kharjo in their private moments! What city/player house is that? All Awesome Shots !!!

Aravi: Khajiit could have sworn that nightshade is not supposed to be part of bread mixture....
Kharjo: *nomnomnom* ! ... ?

Kharjo: This is thinking Khajiit is being too stubborn again.

Love the screenies. Aravi looks rather happy to pose in from to the Palace.

I also recently found an amusing Khajiit song that made me think of Aravi. here

I love them all! That elven(?) armor looks stunning on Aravi. So nice to see her relaxing with K-Kat.

Curse you liliandra! Now that wonderful sneaky song will be stuck in my head all day!

I think my favorite of those is that last one. It looks like A&K just had an argument.

Here’s another like for the last one. I love how they look somewhat peeved with each other. Their friendship is strong enough to withstand some disagreements!

My favorite is Research, though. It’s like catching a glimpse of them just going about their lives.

LOL, liliandra!

@mALX: It’s Markarth, and it’s the Silver-Blood Inn. Glad you like them, and none of them was an obvious favorite to you. That means they all rocked! Thanks mALX!

@liliandra: I love your captions! I saw that song a few months ago, but thanks for bringing it back! Thanks liliandra!

@Acadian: The elven armor was going to be temporary, but I think it has earned its spot as Aravi’s new armor set. Thanks Acadian!

@SubRosa: I retook that screen shot with that in mind, and I think the shots turned out much better. Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: Research was a close second for me, but I love those outdoor pics. Since everyone said they looked like they were arguing, I retook that one with that in mind. Thanks Grits!

###################################

Argument (retake)

Why are you sitting on the table?

###################################

Aravi wandered the corridors within the upper level of the Hall of Attainment. The College’s newest members, like herself, are given rooms in the lower level. Many of the rooms up here were not in use she could see. Furniture was shoved aside and boxes and crates were stacked in their place. Who knew what they contained? A thick layer of dust showed that they have not been disturbed for some time.

As she walked the halls, began to get a feeling of being observed. Turning, she saw a ghostly wolf behind her, standing in the middle of the passage. Surprise brought her hands up and her body into a defensive stance. Shouldn’t have left my dagger in my room. She felt peculiar walking the grounds of the college armed and armored, so she had changed into the simple dress she kept and left her weapons behind. She was regretting those choices now. Those mages aren’t really unarmed anyways. The wolf just looked at her. When it became clear it did not intend to harm her, she tried something else. She smoothed her dress and kneeled, offering a hand like one would to a dog. It wagged its tail and came to her. She patted its head when it came into arm’s reach. The spectral wolf was substantial, and she ran her fingers through its thick fur coat while it sniffed her over. As she petted the canine, there was a vague sense of familiarity.

An unseen signal caught its attention and it bound down the corridor, disappearing down the stairwell, Aravi completely forgotten. Her curiosity peaked; she followed as quickly as she could in the dress, grabbing bunches of material in either hand. Why did I wear this stupid thing? she asked herself as she descended the winding staircase. Because it is pretty, she allowed. And Kharjo likes it too.

As she reached the last step, she couldn’t tell where it had gone from there. I wonder if…? She drew upon her power as a mortal with the soul of a dragon and spoke: “Laas.”

As the word left her mouth, she felt her soul give it true meaning. It was a strange feeling, but not necessarily unpleasant. Each word in the dragon tongue felt a little different, and as her familiarity with each word grew, the strange feeling diminished. The words she used the most no longer had a peculiar feeling.

Her vision faded momentarily and came back, with silvery-red tongues of flame dancing within every living being. Her eyes were drawn to her own living quarters. The shape of a large Khajiit that she recognized as Kharjo was inside along with what must be the ethereal wolf.

The flames dispersed and she walked to the threshold of her room, her bare feet noiseless upon the cool stone floor. Inside, Kharjo was sitting on her bed, hunched over the wolf and ruffling its fur with his hands. A translucent tongue lolled happily at the attention. Aravi stood in the open doorway and watched them, a small smile on her face.

After a few moments, Kharjo and the wolf noticed her simultaneously. “Aravi!” Kharjo said in surprise. “Look at what this one has learned!” With a yip, the ghostly wolf disappeared in a crackle of energy. After a second of startled silence, Kharjo continued, “This one can summon the spirit of a wolf!”

Aravi’s smile widened at his enthusiasm. “How did you learn that? You told me you didn’t have any skill in magic.”

“This one doesn’t, but his soul is familiar to this one and he is able to call him to Khajiit. The Dunmer Brelyna Maryon showed this one how.”

“That was a specific wolf?”

“Yes, when this one first came to Skyrim to work for Ahkari as a guard, it was a bitter winter. A wolf was following our caravan at a distance and at night this one set out the remains of our hunt for him. This became routine, our caravan would set out bones or some meat for the wolf every night and he became more comfortable with us. After nearly a year and a half, he stopped showing up to get his food. We never knew what happened to him.”

“Did you ever name him?”

“We called him many things, but his most common name in our camp was J’Renrij.”

“What does that mean?”

“You don’t know?” Kharjo had a look of mild surprise on his face, ears perked forward. “It means ‘clumsy bandit.’ We made fun of him, and whenever something disappeared from the camp, we jokingly blamed it on him.”

He sat and looked at her for a moment. Aravi didn’t say anything, preferring to allow him to form his thoughts. He moved over on the bed and patted the spot beside him. “Come, sit with this one. He would like to hear why you haven’t learned the Khajiit tongue.”

Aravi’s ears flattened to the side, revealing her emotions to Kharjo. He was quick to apologize, “This one didn’t mean offense; he only wished to know why you weren’t taught Ta'agra.”

Aravi replied, “No it’s alright, you didn’t offend me.” She made her ears raise, but it was no more genuine than a forced smile. She sat next to him on the bed, her tail twitching nervously. Should I tell him? She felt ashamed. I should tell him. Otherwise he might think I am hiding something dangerous from him. Again. She really didn’t want to share this story though. He doesn’t really need to know though. I could just lie.

He’d know that I’m lying.

Does it matter?

Yes. Yes, it does.

“I’ll tell you.” She stood and closed the door, then returned to her spot next to him on the bed. I will tell him the truth.

But how much? Not all of it surely.

Most of it.

Kharjo waited patiently, teal eyes never leaving her as she debated with herself.

Trust him. With that thought she decided.

“I don’t remember my parents very well anymore and I didn’t have any siblings. I have no memories of Elsweyr, if I was ever there. We were traveling with a caravan, and I remember that it was cold. My parents and I shared a bed to keep warm; I slept in between the two of them. I remember the smell of straw. The camp was attacked in the night. They must have been killing the sentries, because I remember a scream waking everybody up. I was told to stay where I was and my parents left the tent.”

Aravi looked at Kharjo. He was listening intently, ears perked in interest, and eyes focused upon her.

Aravi swallowed, bracing herself to relive the memory. “Many of the camp were killed. I remember watching strange men piling bodies of familiar people in the middle of the camp. I hid in my tent but my parents didn’t come for me. Instead a man cut it open. I tried to scratch his face, but he just picked me up and hit me.”

She felt Kharjo put a hand on her back. The touch gave her some strength and she continued.

“I don’t remember anything of the raid after that. I don’t know if my mother was killed, taken, or somehow escaped, I never saw her again. They chained up the survivors and took us to Morrowind. At some point, they stopped at a tower and waited for nightfall. A tall, pale man came out when the sun set and bought some of the humans and elves. I later figured out he was a vampire.

“When we reached a slave market in Morrowind, I saw my father sold on the same day. I took longer to sell because I was a child and not as useful. A Dunmer man bought me and took me to a plantation. I was worked in the fields for a few years, doing simple things a child is capable of, until I started my cycle.”

Aravi’s face burned at this part, but she didn’t hold it back. She didn’t look at Khajo either; it was somehow easier to tell him that way, despite his hand lightly touching her back. “Then I was selected for transfer to the house staff. I was taught to clean and cook among other things. I was overjoyed to not be in the fields anymore. However, I learned from the other women that there were other expectations of the household slaves in addition to keeping everything clean. I wasn’t selected to attend the master as often as the other girls; he only wanted me when he had something… strange in mind.”

Aravi got up and went to the small table and picked up a pitcher of water, still not looking at Kharjo. She didn’t want to see his face. She poured some water into a goblet and gulped it down. She drank too fast and started coughing, further embarrassing herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she pulled away from the touch. Still not looking at him, she poured another cupful and drank more slowly. Kharjo gave her space. “If you don’t want to talk anymore, that is fine, this one had no idea you were a slave.”

Aravi nodded. She felt tears running into her fur. Don’t cry.

“For what it is worth, thank you for trusting this one. It was very brave of you, and means much to this one.”

“Just promise me you won’t tell anyone I was a whøre.” Her voice was thick with anger, grief, and shame.

“This one promises.” He sounded like he had something else he wanted to say but he didn’t give it voice.

She heard his footsteps and the door open. He left and gently closed the door. Then she was alone. She went to her bed and laid on it. Normally it is a comforting thing for her, the silence of an empty room. As the minutes passed by, the feeling never came, instead she felt more ill at ease. Kharjo now knows more about her than anyone else ever has in her new life. She never told her best friend in Cyrodiil, Vilja, that she was a slave in Morrowind. Her thoughts lingered on the Nord in the blue gown for a while, always voicing her thoughts without considering them. Aravi missed her.

Then Aravi thought about Kharjo, and realized that his presence was comforting to her. He had become a symbol of stability and strength to her. When she thought of him, the image of a great tree standing strong while a storm blows around it came to mind. She almost laughed at the idea, but she couldn’t find fault with the image. She felt like she could rely on him through anything. When they fought together, even if it was dragon they faced, he never abandoned her. Suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t lied, or told him anything but the truth.

She stood up and went to the door. She opened it and looked around for Kharjo. He was just outside her door, seated on the floor with his back against the wall, waiting. She stepped out and took a seat on the floor next to him. She lightly touched the back of his hand and whispered, “thank you.”

He flipped his hand over and took hers.

An interesting encounter with a familiar. I wonder who summoned it? Kharjo! So he has gone beyond just using staves now. Very cool. Although there is a certain wry whimsy to a feline summoning a canine.

J’Renrij's history is very neat. Clumsy Bandit is a great name, and I love how they blamed him for everything.

So Aravi does not speak Khajiit? Now she is going to have to spill the uncomfortable beans. Again, I loved her internal monologue as she decided whether or not to tell Kharjo, and what to tell them.



nits:
I saw few minor thing, but only one jumped out:
“Just promise me you won’t tell anyone I was a mother of mine.”
I don't think that is what you meant to write.

Why does Aravi hang with Spectral hounds when she can call upon her ancestors in the Hunting Grounds? Oh yeah, because she's not in wolf form, haha. Anyways, a relief it didn't turn out to be hostile.

For some reason, Kharjo made me chuckle. "This one can summon a Spirit Wolf!"
I love the light-hearted dialogue in this chapter.

And we're given a bit of her history in this part, with the revelation of her father being a slave from Morrowind and her as well. I must say, this is very interesting. Her history in slavery and Lycanthropic nature is sort of . . . eerily familiar . Good chapter!

Hehe, @ Subrosa. Stupid censors, I hate them.

Those are gorgeous screens!

Kharjo has a spirit wolf! How neat! I loved Aravi’s internal debate about revealing the reason for her unfamiliarity with Khajiit ways.

I must say, it was a wonderfully wise decision on your part to have Aravi not speak ‘Khajiit’. Such a distinctive manner of speaking is delightful from Kharjo, but would be challenging for both you and readers if both our cats talked that way. It also gives a wonderful bonus in identifying who is speaking when the two are talking. Again, great choice!

You handled the nature of some of Aravi’s ‘household duties’ as a slave with a perfect mixture of clarity and delicacy, choosing just the right words.

Yay, a mention of dear Vilja!

‘Then Aravi thought about Kharjo, and realized that his presence was comforting to her. He had become a symbol of stability and strength to her. When she thought of him, the image of a great tree standing strong while a storm blows around it came to mind. She almost laughed at the idea, but she couldn’t find fault with the image. She felt like she could rely on him through anything. When they fought together, even if it was dragon they faced, he never abandoned her. Suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t lied, or told him anything but the truth.’
This is beautiful and flows so naturally from what we know of both Aravi and Kharjo.

What a great piece of Aravi fiction!

What a fun way for Aravi to discover Kharjo’s new summoning spell! J’Renrij has a lot of charm, and that was a neat story from Kharjo. A glimpse of caravan life. I love your description of Aravi using her Voice.

You presented Aravi’s emotional tale of loss and enslavement with just the right touch. I thought of her modesty, kindness, and personal dignity that come through so well in her videos as she struggled with what to tell Kharjo. I wonder if that early memory of a vampire nudged her toward her career in Cyrodiil.

Kharjo behaved exactly the way Aravi thinks of him. That was also beautifully done. The little hand clasp at the end!

A wonderful addition to Aravi’s story, KC!

GAAAAH !!! I love "Argument" !!!!!!!

Both Aravi's and Kharjo's background stories were powerfully written - Loved this segment !!! This must have been very hard to write, you did an Awesome job on this !!!