Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Adrynn glanced behind him to see Velanya jogging to catch up with everyone. She was in a white frilled shirt with a black vest over top of it along with a pair of leather breeches and boots. Her ebony sword was belted at her waist. He blinked so his mind could register exactly who this person was. The auburn hair and distinctive Imperial Dragon tattoo on her right eye reminded him that it was Velanya. She looked completely different out of her armor. He caught himself looked and glanced away, smiling softly. Garila's going to kill me.

 

"Velanya, you look . . . Different. Not in a bad way though. Nice clothes," Adrynn said as she caught up. He gave her a soft smile and opened the door to the dining hall for her.

 

Glancing behind to see where Kriak had disappeared to, Adrynn noticed a large, menacing figure in armor making its way up the hall. Instinctively dropping into a half-crouch, Adrynn drew his dagger from behind his back and readied it in front of him. The deadly ebony blade glinted darkly in the torchlight.

 

"Who are you? Name yourself!" Adrynn called out down the hallway.

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

"Thanks," she said in response to Adrynn's compliment. She noticed that he had somehow picked up a crimson and black brocade shirt, and he didn't look bad himself. But before she could say so, the Redoran had crouched into a ready position, ebony dagger in hand. Velanya whirled to face what Adrynn had seen, Frostfang ringing out of its sheath. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Adrynn, the two of them blocking the hall to prevent any advancement on this intruder's part.

 

The slowly-approaching figure raised his hands, and as he neared, Velanya recognized the garnet eyes of Kriak.

 

She gripped Adrynn by the shoulder, "Hold, friend. It's just Kriak. It seems he decided to change his attire as well. Although I admit, he could have picked a better choice of outfit," she added, taking in the dark array of spikes and plates.

 

She sheathed Frostfang and addressed the hunter, "So the woodsman has become a warrior, I see."

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Adrynn recognized Kriak as well and stood up, sheathing his dagger behind his back. He took in the different armor. Once again, the hunter surprises me.

 

"Kriak, you are full of mysteries. Once a hunter, now dressed as a warrior. What other surprises about you await us?" Adrynn asked, his crimson eyes matching Kriak's stare.

[Zephyr2011]

Kriak wwas slightly taken aback by Adrynn's reaction to his new attire but then he smiled to himself, Well what did you expect? You are wearing you're old armor again. He opened his mouth to identify himself when Velanya answered Adrynn. He laughed a little at the warrior remark. True the armor was sturdier but that was where the similarities ended.

 

"I thought that, given recent developments, my old armor might need to come out." Kriak said. "As for suprises, there's quite a few, perhaps I can share some of them over dinner, presuming the regulars of the fort aren't about." Kriak said nonchallantly as he walked past the pair towards the dining room. When he passed them he checked the sockets of his armor, there was one on the back of each of his hands, one in the middle of his chest and one at the top of each of his boots. He felt the ones on his hands and glanced at the other three. Within each socket was a misty dark stone, the one on the back of his left hand glowed faintly, as it had for a long time but the others remained dark, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. Still only Moon-Eye, that at least, is a comfort.

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Adrynn nodded to Kriak's explanation. There was more to this hunter than meets the eye. Far more than Adrynn could hope to understand at this moment. Once again, he opened the door and motioned for Velanya to go on ahead of him.

 

"Ladies first," Adrynn said with a small smile.

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

"Surprises may be all we have to our advantage, at this point, " Velanya said simply, before moving ahead of Adrynn. As she brushed by the Redoran, she leaned close and whispered, "I need to talk to you in private after dinner."

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Adrynn grinned at what Velanya had whispered in his ear. He nodded. "Very well, Velanya. After dinner it is," he said, coming through the door and finding a seat at the table. He noticed Edward and the others were already there, waiting.

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse Dining Hall

 

Velanya silently took a seat between Caius and Adrynn, and across from Edward and Kriak. Lecuaro sat at the head, to Caius's left. Dar was nowhere to be found.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, Mess Hall

 

 

Lecuaro looked out over his new compatriots. Such a diverse mixture of people and skills in one place...an occurrence he would have thought impossible when he was younger. When the servers put their plates on the table, it took Lecuaro a couple minutes to register its aroma and exit his trance-like thinking state. He had scarcely begun eating when he felt a slender yet strong hand on his right shoulder. He looked up and saw his second-in-command, Nenalaamo, grinning at him.

 

"I do believe that you're up on the lute tonight, Commander. I brought in your Northern Summerset Isle lute for you." He said.

 

Lecuaro suddenly remembered that he, along with Rondolas and one of the other top archers at the fort, were tonight's lute players. He had forgotten with all of the recent events. He was dreadfully tired and still kind of shamed by the Pescrami earlier, but he elected to play anyway.

 

"Oh yes...thank you Nenalaamo." He replied as he rose and headed for the playing stool situated in the center of the room.

 

Nenalaamo took Lecuaro's seat for the duration of the Breton's performance. He looked at the others with a warm smile.

 

"You haven't heard how a lute is meant to be played until you've heard Marczon make the strings dance." He said.

 

Lecuaro took up his lute in his hands. It was a beautiful work of art. Dark hardwood with gold trim and outfitted with strings composed of deer tendon and scamp hair. Thirty years he'd been playing it...twenty-seven of those years without a pick. He used little flat pieces of mulch or metal during his first three years, but then began to shun them once he saw people playing lutes with their fingers. Through blends of self-teaching and instruction from others, he eventually mastered this technique himself and had regularly been named the top lutist of the garrisons and forts he'd been in throughout his career. The grizzled commander sat straight upright and positioned his hands and fingers.

 

Lecuaro heard the crowd quiet as he got ready to play. He slowly panned around the room, stopping on the table with Adrynn and the others last. They all had expectant looks on their face, but Adrynn's and Velanya's countenances communicated a slight sense of surprise as well. You play the lute? He could feel the thought resonating from their looks.

 

He then turned to his lute and briefly thought about what to play. He immediately thought of "The Love of Dibella", a pretty, sort of fast-paced song he'd heard in one of the Imperial Cult shrines in southern Vvardenfell. He thought it would be the perfect uplifting song to ease his men's tired psyches. With a few clicks from his mouth to help remember the tempo, he began to play.

 

As he started, he glanced back over at Adrynn and Velanya. Adrynn's look hadn't changed much, but Velanya looked like she new what song he was playing. He smiled slightly and looked out over his men. He loved music...it was his favorite entertainment.

Edited September 6, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Mess Hall

 

Velanya was taken by surprise with Lecuaro's talent. His fingers flew upon the strings with the greatest of ease, and she found herself entranced for a moment. Then, after a few bars, she suddenly recognized the tune he was playing: "The Love of Dibella." She recognized the song as a popular Cyrodiilic tune, played in taverns and theatres across the Imperial Province.

 

Some of the other soldiers in the mess hall whooped and began to clap to the beat. As they did so, it was as if a heavy cloud had been lifted from all their shoulders. She looked at her companions. Kriak and Adrynn watched Lecuaro intently, but their expressions were unreadable. Edward was patting his foot to the tempo. Caius's eyes sparkled as he grinned, and he cast a wink at Velanya.

 

Taking the wink as a cue, she suddenly stood and picked up the first verse, her voice ringing out over the tables. She had never sung in front of this many people before, but she somehow felt compelled to do so - and she was not afraid. The joyous notes from the Commander's lute and the merry clapping of the soldiers filled her with confidence.

 

As they approached the chorus, Rondolas and another archer began playing harmony with Lecuaro...and another voice joined in. Caius stood beside her, he and Velanya splitting into two parts as they had done earlier. There were a few more whoops and cheers from the legionnaires, whose faces were alive with the spirit of the music.

 

As Velanya sang, she met Lecuaro's gaze, a smile tugging at her lips. It would be moments like these that would keep them going in the darkest of hours.

Edited September 6, 2011 by AurianaValoria1