Just read your story and loved it..It is always nice to see a girly side and I think u did it very well..It was good to see Alawen showing off her scars proudly. If more ppl did that there would not be quite so much plastic surgery..My daughter is very proud if her birth mark. She got angry with a lady once who told her she could cover it up.. She told the lady she did not want it covered. Good on her I say..I think u did really well..I hope after the tournament is over that will not be the end of Alawen and their budding friendship??

In chapter 67, two wood elves enjoyed a respite along the banks of the Panther River. They discussed that the following day would be the third and final opportunity for tournament qualifications. Buffy learned that Alawen's mother was Diana - the focus of a love triangle spanning back forty years. Although Buffy suspected the ranger's father may be either Daenlin or Reman, she decided, with a bittersweet finality, to honor Alawen's wishes, and not to pursue the matter.

DFoxy- Thank you for your endorsemant of my humble efforts to struggle with the feminine viewpoint. I would be lost if Buffy did not speak to me so clearly.

mALX- The possibility that Daenlin might be Alawen's father does indeed have a tragic element to it. Thank you for the kind words.

Remko- I am so pleased that this story seemed to have the desired effect of a peaceful and precious afternoon on the river.

hauteecole rider- Thank you for the kind words regarding the two mares. Our friend mALX has been my savior in bridging the gap between what I want to get across, and the specific horse behavior to demonstrate that. WooHoo! I am SOOO delighted that you drew the unmistakable connection between Alawen and Ayla (Clan of the Cave Bear)! The scar, with its resultant 'ablility' that Alawen gained, serves to further obscure the race of her father. Just one of Cyrodiil's mysteries.

Digz- Buffy's afternoon with Alawen was very precious to both she and I. Your praise regarding the connections they made is like a soothing potion - for this was another chapter that made me nervous. Thank you so much for the confidence your encouragement gives me. -_-

SubRosa- Sweet and gentle with bumps. Combing out hair as a catalyst. Understanding that the identity of Alawen's father is very far from certain. Endorsing Buffy's decision. Thank you so much for perfectly understanding this story. :twirl:

Wolf- Thank you! Yes, Buffy speaks to me clearly - I know why, but it still amazes me. Regarding the plotweaving, allow me some disclaimers. My plot talents are meager indeed compared to the talent that surrounds me. For better or for worse, I use the device of a ball of yarn - like real life, some loose ends lead to answers, while others to red herring. Regarding the tournament storyline, I promise two things: The mystery of the scroll will be resolved and a Bosmer will win the tournament.

Destri- Please accept my apologies if I have mislead. Alawen's hair is brown in the game. Buffy described Alawen's hair as brown when the ranger first arrived in Bravil. Buried in the above story is the passage: Satisfied with the ranger's brown hair, I proclaimed, "There! All done." As the writer, it is my responsibility to paint the picture effectively; I see now that a couple more references in the story to Alawen's hair color would have made that clearer. Diana was blond, Alawen is brunette, Buffy is blond.
Based on the exhaustive testing done on Buffy at the Arcane University when she entered, it is clear that her father was indeed a Breton. Her racial aptitudes and abilities are a limited mixture of Breton and Bosmer (they consist, in total, of extra magic, resistance to magic and aptitude for archery). I suspect that is why she has gravitated towards the path of mystic archer. I would assess the chances of having Alawen similarly anolyzed by the University, to confirm her racial makeup, as close to zero.

mcbeanie- Yes! The recent fighting scenes were refreshing. Buffy gets cranky if she doesn't get to use her bow. Oh no! I must ask that you please bear with us for quite a ways. I estimate roughly 11 more chapters to complete the tournament storyline.

Koala- I'm pleased that Alawen's scar brought back a meaningful memory for you. I'm also glad you enjoyed a story that showcased the softer sides of Buffy and Alawen. I am sure the tournament will not be the end of the friendship between the two wood elves that seem to have much in common.


68 Bravil - The Tournament of Archers, Part 12 - The Star Wars Cantina

The Lonely Suitor Lodge was a rough and tumble, even unsavory, tavern. For those reasons, I normally avoided it, especially in the evenings. I was here tonight on business though. With the tournament in town, it was crowded, full of loud voices and the smell of stale mead. I was either jostled or groped several times as I threaded my way to an empty stool in front of the bar. Bogram gro-Galash, the barkeep, was busy sliding bottles along the top of his counter to thirsty customers.

"Hey! The lady and I need a drink!" The booming voice of Kurz gro-Baroth cut through the cacophony of arguments, threats, bragging and demands for more ale. He plopped himself on the next stool with a grin and looked down at me. "Good to see you Buffy. Remember me?"

"I do, Kurz. You and your brother were kind enough to let me practice on your guild's range when I visited Chorrol. It's good to see you again."

"Ok. What'll it be?" The busy Bogram wiped his sweating brow on a stained bar towel.

"A beer, and . . . ." Kurz looked questioningly at me.

"Tamika's, please," I replied.

Reaching into my coin purse, I tried to conceal how full it was. I had been shocked by how much gold Nilawen placed on her counter in exchange for the treasure Alawen and I had shared. Repaying Nilawen for my journal had taken but a few Septims.

"Keep your gold, Buffy," said Kurz as he tossed some coins on the bar when our drinks came. He then held up his beer.

"Thank you for the wine, Kurz." I clinked my metal goblet to his waiting bottle. "How do you think you shot today?" I said, trying to make conversation.

"Terrible of course," he laughed. "I don't really care though. Lum's the shooter in this family. I'll take an axe any day."

"Well, why are you competing then?" I cocked my head. "Couldn't you just support your brother from the reviewing stands?"

Kurz looked around and lowered his voice. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

The Orc leaned in very close. "It's my cover. I'm here on what they call a covert mission."

I freed my forearm from underneath the giant green hand as unobtrusively as I could. "Really?" After using a tone I hoped might garner more information without giving Kurz the wrong idea, I took a sip from my goblet.

"Yup ," he declared proudly. "Orders right from Vilena Donton herself. I'm investigating a murder. Tracking down the archer that killed that Altmer freelance mage named Earana."

My hand was barely quick enough to intercept a mouthful of sputtered wine. After drying myself and apologizing, I conjured a level voice as best I could, "why would the Fighters Guild be interested? Is that not a matter for the city guard in Chorrol?"

"Whoever shot Earana had to be a real good archer. Captain Bittneld figured this here tournament might draw out the killer. Rather than sending one of his guards down here, he decided to contract us to do it undercover."

I stared at my wine as I slowly swirled the goblet. "Any suspects?"

"Ha! That's the frustrating part. I'm supposed to keep an eye on Honditar over there." He jerked his thumb towards the Altmeri self-proclaimed mountain man. "Seems he's been bragging and hinting that maybe he's the killer. People say Orcs are dumb, but I know Honditar's no more the killer than you are, Buffy. That buffoon couldn't shoot a horse at five paces; I don't know how he gets anything to eat."

Kurz took a pull on his beer. "Nope, this had to be a pro. I bet it was the Dark Brotherhood, but they sure as troll dung aren't going to show up at an archery tournament. That Earana had plenty of enemies, starting with the head of the Chorrol Mages Guild himself - maybe he contracted the hit. Bah, this is just a wild imp chase. At least the guild is paying my tab for a week of drinking."

I was relieved, but curious. "Do you have any actual evidence, Kurz?"

"Just the enchanted Daedric arrow they found stuck in her body." The Orc slid a slender cloth-covered item from his quiver, placed it on his lap and lifted the concealing wrappings briefly. "See?"

I instantly recognized the sinister black and red Hatreds Soul arrow I had purchased from Ungarion. The very one that Earana never saw, as it flew halfway across Chorrol to stop her heart.

Kurz continued as he put the deadly missile away, "with a hefty bribe, one of the magic merchants in the Imperial City suggested I try talking to a supposed black marketeer here in Bravil. Turns out this Ungarion fellow either knows nothing about it or else he's keeping his mouth shut. Dead end, it seems."

"Sorry to hear that Kurz," I lied. Ungarion's very ability to keep his mouth shut reminded me of why I was here. "Um, I'm investigating a bit of a mystery myself regarding the archery tournament. Heard anything suspicious?"

We were interrupted by a crash of breaking glass from across the tavern. It seemed two Khajiit had taken exception to a Nord and introduced him to a bottle of wine. The child of Skyrim, with a frozen grin, Surilie-colored hair and unseeing blue eyes slowly slid to the floor.

"Hey!" roared the voice of Bogram the barkeep. "Quit wasting good wine. I expect you cats to pay for that!" The brief gap in noise around the tavern was quickly refilled with raucous laughter.

Ignoring the disturbance, Kurz scratched his head. "No, can't say I've heard anything suspicious about the tournament."

"Well, thanks anyway. I wish you luck with your investigation." I turned away from Kurz, hoping to signal the end of our conversation and began studying the crowd, looking for clues. The dazed, wine-covered Nord was slowly climbing back to his feet, apparently not much the worse for wear. The pair of Khajiit had already scurried away.

I was struck by the mix in the tavern. Every form and color of ears, skin, fur, scales, horn, fang and tail was in this lively bar. Most of them were armed with an equal variety of weaponry. Suddenly I felt a large arm slide gently around my waist.

"Say, Buffy. Since we both got mysteries, maybe we could work together." Kurz was way too close. "You know, spend some time and get to know each other a little, hmm?" He elevated both heavy eyebrows twice. "Don't you have a place around here that's a little more private?"

How could I have been so stupid? Well, na?ve was probably more accurate. Although not intentional, it was clear that I had encouraged the Orc to think I was interested in him. I cursed myself and lamented that I had no mother to teach me about men. The University did not even offer a class to learn about the confusing creatures.

As I removed Kurz's left arm from my waist, he smiled pleasantly and completely encircled my lower thigh with a dinner plate-sized right hand. Gulping nervously, I hoped to get out of this without paralyzing the amorous Orc.

I felt a small, soft hand gently fall upon my shoulder. "Buffy! Imagine seeing you here!" My head snapped towards the woman's voice to see the smiling face of Luciana Galena, my upstairs neighbor.

"Luciana!" I exclaimed gratefully. "How wonderful to see you."

The Breton replied, "Say, how's that Blood Lung disease you got? Aren't the rats in this town terrible? Some people never fully recover, and I hear it's contagious." She smiled at Kurz, then winked at me. "Have you been to the chapel to get it cured yet?"

"Why, um, er. . . no, Luciana." I covered my mouth and coughed gently. "I surely must get over there soon though."

The Orc's massive hand immediately released my thigh. In fact he sat further back and his eyes opened wider. "Can you believe it, Buffy? I just plain forgot I'm supposed to have dinner at the guild tonight with Lum. He'll be pissed that I'm late. You two ladies have a nice night." Kurz was on his feet and headed for the door.

Luciana quickly slid onto Kurz's now vacant stool, her eyes flashing angrily. "What in the name of Sanguine are you doing? This isn't your dainty little guild hall or the chapel, you know. Buffy, if you're going to flirt in a dive like this you need to know how to control the consequences."

"I-I didn't think-"

"Damn right you didn't think! You're not a child anymore. You've got the goods to play with the big girls now, and you're a smart young woman. If you come to a bar, let a man buy you a drink, and encourage him to talk, he's going to want to sleep with you. If you're not ready for that, then don't do it. Got it?"

Luciana was probably ten years my senior. She had a delicately curved figure and her shining black hair framed a pretty, although somewhat hardened face. I had seen her melt men with her lilting voice when she took a mind to. I felt very inadequate. "Luciana, you're right. I really need to learn more about men. I was just trying to look into a potential problem for the tournament. Kurz was a familiar face, and I figured he might know something."

"If you get in trouble like that again, you can't be subtle. Once a fellow's hands start wandering, he's not thinking with his brain. Throw up, complain about your period or whatever it takes." Luciana, then cocked her head and softened her voice. "Ok, lecture over. Now, what kind of information are you snooping around for?"

"Oh, anyone behaving suspiciously," I replied. "How about Jee-Tah?" I pointed across the tavern. "He can be dangerous, right?"

"That big Argonian with the Blackwood Company? Sure, but he's more of a hired axe than a thinker."

I was startled by a sudden tap on my shoulder, and turned to see a rough looking Nord smiling at me. He pointed at my goblet. "Need a refill, sweetheart?"

Before I could respond, Luciana replied curtly, "go take an ice bath, snowman, we're busy. Besides, we're a package deal and you can't afford us." I was impressed to see the Nord move on. He wandered over to assist an Imperial, sitting unsteadily on her stool, who seemed to have lost control of the top several buttons of her blouse.

Luciana then pushed my goblet of Tamika's away. "If you're going to hang around in here, don't let any of these skirt chasers buy you a drink - they'll think they own you. Oh, and don't drink wine - too easy to spike and advertises when you need a refill. Keep one of these in your hand." She grabbed two empty ale bottles from the bar top, handed one to me and pretended to take a swig from the other. "See? Can't tell that it's empty. You can also whap amorous drongos on the head with it if you need to. Catching on?"

Indeed I was. "Thanks for the education Luciana. I had no idea-"

"Of course you didn't. Look, Buffy. I didn't mean to be so hard on you. I know you lost your mother before she could teach you these things, and those brainy mages you hang out with have no idea where lower urges meet real life." She absently drummed her fingers on the top of the bar. "Now, where were we?"

"Suspicious characters and the tournament," I replied. "Honditar?" The Altmer at the other end of the bar was now gesturing with animated hands to an attractive black-haired Dunmer, no doubt bragging about some imagined exploit.

Luciana laughed. "That windbag? I took him home with me the other night to warm my bed and lighten his coin purse."

"And?"

The Breton chuckled. "It's amazing what you can get men to say or do when you've got one of these to bargain with." She gestured vaguely towards her lap. "He's talking like a big shot archer to turn the heads of as many gullible girls as he can. His little brag-'em-to-bed scam will be done tomorrow when I'm sure he'll fail to even qualify. He's all talk and no action." She grinned mischievously and added, "and now, thanks to me, he's broke."

Luciana placed her hand on mine. "Look Buffy, this is going nowhere. If I'm going to try and help, you can't dance around vaguely. Everyone in this bar is suspicious in one way or another. You have to tell me exactly what's going on here."

Old friend, did I say you knew the feminine mind? WAS I RIGHT!!! You were.... absolutely HILARIOUS!!!

My mind is still conjuring up fresh images...of a groping orc being stopped, period, by the mention of that period...hmmm...methinks Buffy should get an alchemist to whip up an iron-rich perfume to heighten that illusion...

methinks also I better stop now.

:rofl:

:rofl: This has to be the best chapter yet! I never realized the Orc was such a randy race! I just have too much trouble picturing...GAAAAK BLEAH !!!


I picked my favorites, but the whole chapter was awesome!










Awesome Write!

So Kurz is a secret agent I see! Sort of at least. I liked Buffy's reaction upon hearing the news. Good thing for her that not only Ungarion knows how to be discreet, but that Kurz is also too good-hearted to suspect a friend.

The fight, if you can call it that, between the Nord and the two Khajiit was a good touch at reinforcing what a dive the Lonely Suitor is. Even Teresa thought it was too seedy to want to spend the night there, and she was a street urchin!

Kurz's advances were also a good touch, and quite natural. That is one of the problems with being a woman. Men! I loved Buffy's thought about wishing the University had a class on them! Luckily Luciana came to the rescue, in more ways than one. You really made her come alive. Snowman indeed!



A good ES metaphor here:
I conjured a level voice as best I could

And another one:
this is just a wild imp chase

*SPLURT!* Uh, good thing I already swallowed my tea! This made me laugh out loud! And I kept laughing through the rest of the conversation about men!

I love Luciana Galena! She is one of my absolutely favorite Bravil characters! How nice to see that another sees her almost exactly the same way I do!

And mALX! Orcs are nuthin' but testosterone! Of course they would make passes at pretty women!

I so enjoyed this chapter, and the atmosphere of Bravil's most notorious dive.

One nit:

It's Suitor.

The tourney will take eleven more chapters? Delicious!

That was a superb chapter. To see Buffy get paid out on for the whole chapter was fun indeed. The choice to use Luciana as the street / man wise woman was lovely.
I could almost feel Buffy squirm on her seat through the whole Kurv and Luciana episode.

The only thing that Buffy seemed to remember was to not show the coins in her purse, everything else was a disaster for her. You could say that she is only half clued up.

The mention of Earana made me gasp in surprise, wow, good thing that Ungarion has held his tongue. If that word gets out our little Buffster is in one load of trouble.
Blackmail, anybody?

The mistake is mine. I was thinking of the match between Buffy's hair and Diana's but I said that Daenlin had a talent for siring blond Wood Elfs.

Kurz gro-Baroth investigating the murder of Earana? For someone who claims a certain ineptitude with plots you are weaving this one well enough to make Mephala jealous. The implication of Earana's murder as a plot founded by Teekeeus is an especially nice touch.

I echo everything already said about Luciana Galena. I don't know why, but she is always my favorite reason for visiting Bravil.

"my bloodlung cured? *cough-cough* No. why?" Loved that!

My current character, Aramir the coward, is inspired by Buffy. Also a character from my Morrowind mod.

Plus she'd have used Cobra Dance about thirty seconds before Buffy didn't.

The Breton chuckled. "It's amazing what you can get men to say or do when you've got one of these to bargain with." She gestured vaguely towards her lap.


O? They have LAPTOP COM PUTAS in Oblivion? I deed da not a-know that!!!

What a great chapter. I loved the seedy world of the Lonely Suitor lodge you painted, but best of all was the completely unexpected plot twist, with 'the authorities' being dangerously close to identifying Buffy as a murderer. An incident long ago has been woven expertly back into ther story. I think the implications of this are enormous. Up to now Buffy has been a free agent, able to go where she wants, do what she wants and obligated to no one. This has now dramatically changed, she is entirely in the power of Ungarion; not I imagine a comfortable place to be. This could take the story in a much darker direction.

There are so many intriguing plot lines now that the simple question 'Who will win the archery competition?' pales into insignificance. Masterly storytelling.

My wife has requested that I ask if Daenlin has ever seen Alawen before and wonders what he will do when she shows up to qualify.

I can see a little wood elf getting herself into more trouble than she can handle..She is too little and ill equipped to be playing with the big boys.. Thank goodness for girl friends and girl power!! I hope he does not find out Buffy was the slayer of Earana, she could be in even deeper doo doo..Another good story..

I don't care so much for the forum's new scrunchy eyehurting format.. What happened to the nice way things used to look and what's with all the wasted space to the sides?

Ha - very nice bar scene, Acadian - you got the raucous, funny, pick-up-y, brawly tone so well, and the exchange with Luciana and Buffy was great. I really do enjoy how you shine a light on so many minor NPCs and bring them to life, even if it is just for a bar scene or something.

As for complaints about the new forum format - I know admins are looking into things. However, there is an active couple threads in Community Discussion that offer a number of alternatives for sort of re-skinning and even resizing the forums as a possible work-around.

In chapter 68, Buffy picked up some valuable survival tips from Luciana Galena in the rough and tumble Lonely Suitor Lodge. Unfortunately, she learned nothing towards her purpose of locating the missing drain marksman scroll that she fears may be used to sabotage the archery tournament. It seems she will have to make some decisions about who to trust if she expects to solve the mystery.

DFoxy- I am so pleased the last story afforded you a few chuckles! I certainly had fun writing it, much to Buffy's chagrin.

mALX- Yes! Those rascally randy Orcs. Unfortunately, Buffy is not done with them for the evening. :nope: Thank you so much for the wonderful comment my friend!

SubRosa- I so appreciate that you share your impressions in some detail. Your comments are always so wonderfully helpful at letting me know what is working.

hauteecole rider- WooHoo! :dancing: I was delighted to learn that Luciana's rescue of Buffy caused you a laugh. How neat that we see Luciana similarly! You made my day when it seems you don't mind that the tournament will take several more chapters. Thanks so much for catching my misspelling so I could fix it.

Wolf- Thank you for your wonderful comments. Blackmailing the squirming Buffster? :whisper: Oh Wolf, your prescient abilities are scary.

Destri- I'm so pleased you are enjoying my humble and temporary foray into plots and subplots. I think I have things lining up, although I would never attempt the level of sophistication of a Destri or mALX. Thanks also for enjoying Luciana.

Remko- I'm so glad you also enjoyed Luciana's rescue of Buffy. Thank you!

MyCat- I am both honored and humbled that Buffy had an influence on your character Aramir! Yes, Cobra's Dance has saved Buffy several times.

S'lider- Thanks so much for letting me know that the seedy world of the Suitor came to life for you. It's a good thing that Buffy knows Ungarion's illegal black market secrets - they each have knowledge that could bring the other down. :ninja: They also have use of each other, and even a hint of friendship they would be reluctant to admit.

bobg- Thank you Mr & Mrs Bobg! Alawen has never heard of Daenlin, so we suspect Daenlin has not seen Alawen before. With her brown hair and forty years of age, it may be Alawen's shooting style, rather than her appearance, that perhaps sparks a memory of Diana.

Koala- Thank you for the kind words. Yes, Buffy is frail, and playing with the big boys does intimidate her. Sometimes, a bow is just not the right tool. Eschewing the use of blades except for cooking or cutting arrows free, she is thankful for the great equalizer of illusion magic.

Leydenne- I'm so glad you enjoyed Buffy's 'Star Wars Cantina' scene! I'm pleased to hear the admins are looking into some of the concerns with the forum's appearance. :foodndrink:


69 Bravil - The Tournament of Archers, Part 13 - Jabba the Hut

I had known Luciana Galena, albeit not well, all my life. I was reassured somewhat by the fact that the late City Swimmer had called the Breton a friend. I wanted to trust her, and frankly wasn't doing well at all on my own. "Luciana, I fear there is a powerful archery scroll loose in the city that could sabotage the tournament. Whoever has it is both dangerous and violent. Probably cunning, too."

"Why didn't you say so, instead of dancing around the milk thistle bush?" Luciana frowned. "There's been someone trying to sell such a scroll alright. Further, he meets every bit of your description, and then some." Suddenly, her face went pale. "Uh oh, speak of the beast."

I followed her eyes. The handle of a giant warhammer protruded well above the left shoulder of the armored Orc that had just entered the Lonely Suitor Lodge. His cruel eyes quickly surveyed the tavern with a fanged scowl, then he headed for the staircase. Most of the crowd parted for him; those that didn't were roughly shouldered aside. He then disappeared upstairs.

Kurdan gro-Dragol's involvement made perfect sense. He embraced the worst part of Bravil's dark side - loan sharking, extortion, and anything else where violence could generate profit. He was a one-Orc organized crime ring. More than anyone else in Bravil, he could instill fear - the kind I had seen in Ungarion's eyes when the black marketer refused to divulge who had bought the drain marksman scroll.

"Be careful, Buffy." Luciana poked me in the chest with a finger. "Don't tangle with Kurdan; it's not worth it. He's mean, smart and would kill his own mother for a fistful of Septims. You should just forget about that scroll."

She then pinched some color back into her cheeks and rose to her feet. With hips swaying, and fingers twirling a lock of shining black hair, she drifted towards a visiting merchant with a heavy coin purse displayed at his belt.

Luciana's bar stool was quickly taken by a smooth-talking Dunmer who offered to buy me a drink. Clinging to my empty ale bottle as if it were full, I shook my head, then ignored him and returned to my thoughts.

Finally, I took a deep breath, let it out noisily and set my bottle upon the bar. Standing, I rearranged my bow and quiver, then made my way to the stairs and up to the second floor of the Lonely Suitor Lodge.

"Well, if it isn't little Buffy. What do you want, twig?" the Orc snarled.

http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv43/Acadian6/Buffy%20I/ScreenShot262.jpg

Normally, I considered the term for a young wood elf rather endearing, but certainly not coming from the menacing Kurdan. I held my position at the top of the stairs. "I understand you have a scroll that could help me win the tournament. I'd like to buy it."

"Betraying the current champion, is it? I didn't think you had it in you, kid. I like that." Part of his upper lip rose slightly.

Ok Buffy, so far so good. I had figured that appealing to his sense of justice would have simply gotten a laugh. I dropped my coin purse on the small table at the top of the stairs, allowing the sound to emphasize its considerable weight.

The Orc glanced at the bag of gold, as his tongue slid out to lick a yellow fang. "That'll get you in the door." Cruel dark eyes then very slowly worked their way from my head to my toes. "How about we slide into my office, get comfortable and we can discuss what else it'll cost you." His gesture made it clear that by 'office', he meant the nearby bed.

http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv43/Acadian6/Buffy%20I/ScreenShot263.jpg

After my experiences downstairs, why was this not a surprise? I wished I had taken the time to learn a little more from Luciana. Well, here goes. "I am but a clumsy young elf. With this gold, surely you could afford a woman of more skill and experience?"

"Nah, I like 'em young and trainable." Kurdan raised a dark eyebrow.

Well, that didn't work so well. I tried to remember more of what Luciana had told me. As uncomfortable as I was, I had no trouble summoning a desired flush of embarrassment to support my freshly fabricated backup plan. "Um, Kurdan, I'm sorry, but it is an awkward time in my cycle. I fear you would find things. . . colorful."

"Oh for the sake of Malacath!" Kurdan snapped. "Do you think an Orc cares about that? Make up your mind or we're done here."

There was no reason to believe that a lie about having some contagious disease would forestall the inevitable. I dropped the act and picked up my bag of gold. "It's not going to happen, Kurdan."

"Hey, if you got frost-enchanted pants, that’s your problem. I already sold the damn scroll anyway."

"WHAT?!?" I shouted furiously. "You would have let me -" Stop, Buffy. This isn't going to get you anywhere. You already know this Orc is pond scum. I managed to lower my voice to a hiss, "and who, pray tell, did you sell it to?"

"What's it worth to you, tree hugger?"

Hadn't we just gone through this? "Not what you're asking, Orc."

"Get out."

As I glared up at the Orc across the room, I could feel my jaw tighten and the magic straining to escape my clenched fist. "Or what?"

The unconsidered response that had just escaped my lips reflected a hot temper rather than clear thinking. Kud-Ei had told me once that wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment. Of course, Boderi had assured me that bad judgment gets you killed. I gulped, hoping to emerge wiser about my temper, rather than dead.

Kurdan's hand slowly moved towards the handle of his warhammer. His voice seethed with venom. "Take your best shot, you frigid, gutless wench."

I knew what the Orc was doing. Despite killing many Bravilians, Kurdan had never spent a day in prison. His tactic was to goad an opponent into attacking first. He was well-equipped to survive almost any first strike, then slaughter his assailant and claim self-defense. It was my move.

Maybe by alternating spell and bow, I could control his mind long enough to win; but then again he might get one hit with his warhammer - that's all it would take to kill me. I sure didn't have any maneuvering room up here, and I was painfully familiar with how much space it took to stop the charge of an Orc. Perhaps I could make it downstairs, only to have him kill half the patrons in the bar during the brawl that would surely ensue.

I took a deep breath and swallowed my temper. "You win this round, Kurdan." Calming my glowing hand, I started backing slowly away from the deadly encounter.

"You've earned a dangerous enemy tonight, Bosmer."

Continuing to back down the stairs, I replied with more calmness than I felt, "so have you, Orc."

Once outside, I leaned against the old building, breathing deeply of the cool freshness and allowing my heart to slow its pounding.

I whispered into the dark air, "Daenlin, I've been poked, groped, threatened and hit on all night. I surely hope you appreciate what I'm putting myself through for your silly tournament." With a small smile I added, "you're worth it though, my friend."

I slipped the coin purse into my pack, and wandered aimlessly, pondering what to do next. Despite the late hour, Bravil was still quite alive with the banter of vendors and visitors. Thieves and pickpockets moved quietly, with watchful eyes, among the streetlamps and shadows.

Searching for the elusive scroll, among the hundreds of men and mer that now swelled Bravil for the tournament, was akin to seeking a particular drop of water in the Niben.

I needed eyes and ears that moved freely, but unnoticed, in the dark waters of the night. With a plan now forming, my feet turned towards home. A brief stop there would provide the tools I needed - potatoes, carrots, venison. . . .

Hey, old friend - that was quite good!

Buffy is now REALLY beginning to think for herself...without having the deus ex machina Acadian whispering in her ear.

Smart move, Buffy. And she learned a valuable lesson. Scum will have no hesitation about lying, cheating or just plain anything to get a free...er...act of reproduction. And some have no qualms about 'running a red light' as well.

Berry Sundae? Aunt Flo? Spoultry? ARGH !!!! ROFL !!!!

Ooooh, that was very realistic and gritty! And Buffy's smart enough to back down when she's overmatched. Good girl! There's other ways to find out about that darn scroll.

And yes, she needs an education about handling pond scum with pointless procreative acts on their minds (and yes, that pun was intended!).

I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

First off, I recommend to everyone to look http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1081516-forum-style-alterations/ in order to learn how to overcome the horrors inflicted on this forum by its technical staff. Stylish makes it readable again, and much easier to look at with Solid_Moose's tweaked green theme. Of course you need Firefox, Google Chrome, or Opera to use it, but you really should not be suffering under the yoke of any other tyrannical browser anyway.

A very tense, blood-pounding entry, all without a single bit of violence. That was nicely done. Just as in horror movies it is better not to show the entire monster at once in order to let the audience imagine what it might be like, the threat of violence is often more powerful than the violence itself, for the same reasons. It reminds me of the old Sergio Leone westerns where every actual fight had a lead up to it that was at least five times as long, building up an incredible amount of tension as you wondered "what is going to happen next?"

This was also a nice chapter because it keeps Buffy as a down-to-Nirn character, by showing that she is not all-powerful. Indeed, it shows us her understanding of her own limitations.

Speaking of which, I loved your reference to the Clint Eastwood classic:
a fistful of Septims
Come to think of it, that story would translate quite well into the ES world. Especially since it was originally samurai fiction.

Kud-Ei had told me once that wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
Quoted for truth.

I needed eyes and ears that moved freely, but unnoticed, in the dark waters of the night.
Time to go talk to the beggars then?

nits:
With rhetorical questions one can use either a question mark or full stop, but I think in this case the question mark might work better:
With this gold, surely you could afford a woman of more skill and experience."

Kurdan? KURDAN?! Why didn't I see that coming?! When you think about it, he is the obvious culprit. It just goes to show how well-played this mystery was that his name never even occurred to me. Your portrayal of him is spot-on. The Orc literally made my skin crawl (actually, it was a mosquito, but I did jump). :bolt:

Hey Buffy, you can access the roof across from the Lonely Suitor by climbing on top of Lucianna's place (but I'm sure you know that already), from there it's an easier shot than the one you used on Earana (assuming that Kurdan ever leaves).


Hopefully it won't prove to be temporary, you're pretty good at this.

In chapter 69, Buffy learned that the dangerous Orc, Kurdan gro-Dragol had sold the drain marksman scroll that jeopardizes the archery tournament to an unknown buyer. She dodged a potentially lethal encounter with the Orc and began formulating her next step in the investigation.

DFoxy- Thank you, for everything my friend.

mALX- I appreciate the 'colorful' comments. You're wonderful!

hauteecole rider- Thanks! She has learned to back away sometimes. She still hasn't learned to avoid temper-induced confrontations though.

SubRosa- Thank you so much for picking up on the fistful of Septims, Kud-Ei's touch of philosophy on wisdom and for the cues that do indeed speak of beggers. Concur on your nit - thanks!

Destri- I'm so pleased you found Kurdan effective. He may indeed have earned himself a place on Buffy's 'A' list.

Announcement.

It is with both sadness and excitement, that Buffy and I are packing up and moving . The reasons are numerous and I would be happy to discuss them privately via PM.

Because of the abruptness of this decision in mid storyline, I will be happy to share any spoiler details regarding the tournament privately.

Please accept my apologies for the sudden decision.

Thank you so much, dear friends. :hugs:

Oh beth, what have you done to our precious forum :shakehead:

Anyway; I can understand you are moving and I think I will as well.
Loved your latest chapters m8! Of course it was Kurdan :facepalm:

Sorry to hear you are moving on. Shame - you all have built up a supportive community that welcomed people new and old and made this section actually supportive and a good place for folks to try out their writing chops.

As I have noticed a few sharp comments regarding the recent forum changes in some of the fanfic threads, I will post here what I have PM'd some people and posted elsewhere on the forums - the admins and IT folks have already made some changes and will be making others - there's a lot of other things they have to consider, but they certainly are listening to folks. I think more than a week's grace is certainly warranted. But that is merely my opinion.

School has kept me very bussy the last few weeks and I am sadend to say I wasn't able to keep up with the story. I have returned to read two awesome new chapters, but my joy as squashed when I heard the you had packed up and moved on. I hope all is well. Your humble fan Digz!