Somewhere between Kraag and Riften

Gille listened indiferrently to the talk going on about the subject of resting. He himself didn't care much whether they moved on or stopped to rest; they obviously didn't care about his oppinion either, as if they did, they would've asked. Some seemed rather put off by the open admission to worship of Hircine by one of the two resident attitude bearers, though once again, the Spellsword didn't much care. People can worship rocks for all I care. So long as they don't try to preach their wonderful faith to me or kill me for not following their craziness, I'm fine with worshipping anything from Akatosh to Mehrunes Dagon or even Sithis if they're one of those guys. 'Those' meant 'the crazy ones', but even if he didn't understand the appeal of worshipping a void or whatever the heck Sithis was (or wasn't? he never really got on well with those sorts of classes in the Guild), he was quite the tolerant person.

This is turning out to be quite the journey already. With a tiny smile, the Breton produced a bun from his robes. First stop and we're already arguing about stopping for rest; seems like these people really do need a leader. Maybe getting one is for the best, deciding these things by popular vote would take all our time and our stops for rest would end up being stops for voting. Vote, waste some time arguing about the results of the vote, realise too much time has passed.

No, to pull through this one we'll need a steady hand and Goliath is as good a place as any to start, if he's half as experienced a werewolf hunter as he claims. So long as he doesn't tip me off too much I suppose I can go along with this unvoiced decission; not like I'd agree to be the leader. Not like they'd ever choose me anyway, I'm probably the silent rookie, along with that other Breton, Gabriel or some such.

Gille rubbed his hands together for some warmth before deciding to screw it and produce a small, dim flame between his palms. There was no sense in not using magick now to prevent his hands from being amputated only to be slightly more capable later on; since he couldn't wear his gloves due to the dangerous route, this was the only other alternative. What I find amusing is how we are intending to stop for the night and then everyone volunteers to keep watch. Fair enough, they can all stare into the woods and I'll get some sleep; that is, if we even decide to do that. With a silent sigh, he put the flame out for a moment to finish the remainder of his bun before resuming warming his hands.

What I'd give for a nice cup of tea now. An all too familiar thought visited him, leaving a bit of a longing expression on his face.

Goliath's eyes were cocked in an odd expression, Why would they want me to lead? Because I've hunted these things and know the woods? I'm no leader, but it seems as though some are willing to follow. So be it. Goliath thought. "Well, I'm no leader, and I never intended to take control of anything, but if you all are willing to take in my trust... I will will humbly lead." Goliath then turned to Rolf, "Rolf! lead the mule through the woods, I'll stay up ahead along with Aitor." Goliath carried his great sword in one hand, and a torch in the other as he began leading the group through the misty and snow-covered forests. The crunching of snow beneath his feet was comforting to Goliath, strangely enough. But whenever he heard a quick rush through the soft powder, his heart skipped a beat. Even Goliath was wary at this point.

Soon enough, the forest cleared and the campsite he had talked about was there. "Rolf, secure the mule on a stake or something. I'll begin lighting the bonfire in the center of the camp." Goliath produced flint and some tinder from his rucksack, then found a god-send; dry wood that had grown out of the rocks that surrounded the campsite. The site was quite a safe place, and easily defensible. A massive boulder sat in the rear of the site, while many medium and smaller boulders lay around it. It was commonly known among hunters and travelers as a "Goed Rust" meaning "Good Rest". Suitable for the situation. Before long, Goliath had a nice fire burning in the center of camp.

He walked over to the mule and grabbed a small pot and a few metal cups. He reached into his own rucksack and brought out a small pouch. Goliath set the pot over the fire with a makeshift skewer sort of thing, and piled some snow in to melt. He then dumped in some of the sweet smelling herbs from his pouch. Just in about 20 minutes, this was all done. Goliath used a ladle he grabbed from the donkey and filled it with the clear, brown-colored mixture. He smelled it and smiled, pouring it into his cup and drinking deeply. "Ahh, Lotus Tea. Nothing better than the stuff." Goliath exclaimed. He then got up and svcked the rest on the tea down, setting the cup on a rock.

"Alright everyone, make yourselves comfortable. Get a good rest in, I'll go ahead and light more fires." And so he did, Goliath began lighting small fires within a small radius around the camp. He dribbled some of his own tonic on it to keep it burning longer, although the smell was unpleasant. It would however, maybe, keep the beasts away and the fires would burn longer through the night. After finishing, Goliath climbed on top of a small boulder as the others went about their own ways. He lit his pipe, and prepared for a long night.

We continued on. Goliath had accepted the role that had been thrust upon him, and I trusted he'd be up to the task. After a short while we came across a clearing in the forest, where apperently we were going to set up camp.

I carefully scanned the area. Boulders blocked off one side of the area, making it easy to defend if an attack came. Nice choice, I thought with respect. While I had been examining the camp, Goliath had set up a fire, and was making himself a pot of tea. From my own pack, I grabbed my flask, which I cracked open and took a sip of. I poured some of the water over my gills, refreshing myself, then walked to the large boulder in the back of camp.

"Alright everyone, make yourselves comfortable. Get a good rest in, I'll go ahead and light more fires." I heard Goliath announce, then proceed to light a series of unpleasant smelling fires around the camp.

I sat down and leaned against the rock, laying my spear down next to me. I took a book from my pack and began reading it, trying to ease my mind. Before long, Goliath came and sat down on one of the smaller rocks near me and lit a pipe. I glanced up at the large Nord for a moment, then returned to my reading.

After a couple more moments, I glanced up at Goliath again. "You have experience with these werecreatures, no?" I asked quietly, "How long do you believe it will be before they attack?"

Depending on how many Werebeasts were in the woods, the would take between 2 hours or never come and attack us. this could be postponed by fire, and I was busy shouting at wet logs – as quietly as possible – to dry. The work was easy and simple, but also tedious and annoying. I kept aways since, well, I was constantly feeding a series of bonfires around the camp.

Eventually, once the fires were all big enough to last for a little while, I started rolling boulders around to create a wall of sorts from invasion. This was my kind of work: it required strength and Edurance, as well as wit. A few pieces of wood that I had yet to burn came in hand to bridge over a gap or pry the rocks around. By the time the fires were noticeably smaller, a makeshift wall of boulders and soft-wood (which burns poorly) surrounded three sides of the camp, with one side open to the forest due to lack of time and rocks. Oh, well. I thought At least we won't be surrounded.

I got back to drying and burning wood, but started to feel a little sleepy. I picked a handfull of labrador tea off the ground and staring chewing it, which kept me awake.

Veronika raised an eyebrow to Goliath, repeating his words "Humbly lead? Yea..sure" Veronika teased. Reaching in for her pocket, she retrieved the potion she gave him. It smelled bad enough, drinking it would be torture. Veronika gave it a dark look before drinking it all, after she swallowed, she threw the vile far off.

"Disgusting thing!" Veronika muttered. Looking around, she noticed some of them did not bear the ill look most of them had when they discovered she was a Lycanthrope. Was it possible that they did not hear Goliath's words about recognizing a Werewolf in its human form? If they were that deaf, then perhaps everything was good for her. It only seemed appropiate to get to know the rest of the group, getting a glimpse of the Nord fellow pushing boulders. Veronika went in and joined him, pushing more stones with strength that did not seem it could be from a mere Imperial girl. Veronika sighed, setting the boulder in its place among the others on the make-shift wall. She stopped, staring at the Nord who began chewing on some Labrador tea. Sitting down, she grabbed more mutton and began chewing on it raw, then grabbed a book titled "On Lycanthropy", and began reading that, no matter how many times she read it, she loved to read and re-read the mistakes written in the book.

"If you survive, what do you plan to do with all that gold?" Asked Veronika curiously, this time, being sincere rather than making off a joke or being rude. Everything has its time, she supposed.

Then she heard the Argonian ask Goliath a question, concering the moment of attack by the Were-beasts. Veronika just jumped in the conversation, calling out from beside the nord.

"When we sleep, perhaps. Right now, maybe. Werebeasts can be unpredictable. They run, kill something, eat it, then attack somewhere else. Unless, of course, they have the divine intervention of the Daedric Prince who guides them towards their destination. Which is why we must always be prepared"
She spoke with a harsh tone. Giving information about her kind was not something she liked to do, but hey, a hunter is a hunter, they do not always play sides. And besides, she needs the gold badly. Hircine would forgive her, he wouldn't risk killing a skilled Hound....or would he?

"Well, I'm no leader, and I never intended to take control of anything, but if you all are willing to take in my trust... I will will humbly lead." Goliath spoke as we all looked at him. Rolf then led us on into the forest, then we found ourselves an area that deemed safe enough. I observed where we were to sleep and saw that it was much surrounded by boulders. Quite a large boulder sat at the far end of the camp, while smaller boulders lay here and there. Goliath told us to make ourselves comfortable and have a good rest while he'd light a fire. I sat in front of the fire and started playing with it, when Goliath was finished.

Goliath and Broken-Scale sat on the boulders. Goliath lit a pipe and Broken-Scale was reading. I saw the Argonian lean over and asked Goliath a question concerning werebeast. The Imperial girl jumped in on the conversation.
"When we sleep, perhaps. Right now, maybe. Werebeasts can be unpredictable. They run, kill something, eat it, then attack somewhere else. Unless, of course, they have the divine intervention of the Daedric Prince who guides them towards their destination. Which is why we must always be prepared," The Imperial Girl said harshly.
Another line about werewolves. Great. But this made me think. Again. She had recently announced to being a worshiper of Hircine and she wasn't a normal Imperial girl and hunter. She was agressive, you could say. I grew more and more suspicious of her with every word that spilt out of her mouth. Could she be a were-wolf? I thought. No. No. I musn't jump to conclusions. She is a follower of Hircine, dosen't mean she's a werewolf. Could she?

I sighed, and started poking at the fire with a stick, hoping it would catch fire, so I could start a little mini-fire by the camp fire.

'Goed Rust'

Gille was quite happy about their choice of camping; it was better than their previous location for sure, and it served to demonstrate that Goliath was probably quite a sound choice for a leader, at least for now - the fact he knew of this place, and possibly others like it, meant he knew the land and a thing or two about battle, unsurprisingly for a Nord. Welcome traits for a leader for sure, particularly with the situation they were in. Which was, as the Spellsword found annoyingly hammered again and again by his fellow adventurers, very grim. Although he didn't believe they would be attacked on the first night, being cautious didn't hurt when dealing with werewolves - the Imperial seemed to know her lycanthropes well and he couldn't help but agree with her assessment of werewolves.

Lighting the pipe Goliath had borrowed him again, Gille settled down not too far from where the other Breton, Gabriel, was, playing with some sticks and the fire for some reason. Although looking straight at him, Gille's eyes seemed to have turned glass - you could definitely tell he didn't see what was straight ahead of him right now.

So we spend the night here... I suppose that's the best option. Something about this feels off, though. This isn't an usual Skyrim night, I'm sure everyone can tell that; there's something afoot. Maybe it's just the king's sock juice screwing with my head? He rubbed his chin before shaking his head slightly. No, I haven't had anywhere near enough of that stuff for it to start playing tricks on me. Besides, this isn't me drunk... I know myself and it's just not. I'm not even babbling about priestesses of Dibella. No, either there's something wrong or I'm just paranoid. And I don't think I'm ever 'just paranoid'. You don't thrive off of paranoia out there, although I've heard it does help.

There really is something off about the whole of this... The king's speech sounded off somehow. And it isn't just that Nords are rubbish orators, no. Sighing to himself, the Spellsword lowered his eyes from the fire, focusing on the tip of the pipe. The smoke that clamly drifted through the cold night seemed so peaceful, it was upsettingly out of place. Gods damn it, why can't I place my finger on this? What is wrong here? How was the king wrong? Or is it the others that I'm worried about? You can't deny, there's something off about all of us, as well, me included... I don't think they view me as a very trustworthy sort. Never trust the silent ones, that's an adventurer motto all of them probably know all too well, as do I.

"That's not how Bretons make fire..." Deciding that there was no point in worrying about this - whatever it was - now, in the middle of the wild, Gille instead chose to strike up a conversation with Gabriel. Being the only other Breton in the party, not to mention of similar age as well, he suddenly seemed rather interesting; if nothing else, it was a good way to pass the time until sleep decided to come. Maybe he even knew some news from the Iliac.

"Which part of the Rock are you from, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

When arriving at Goed Rust, Goliath the "leader" began building some type of a defence so it would be impossible for us to be surrounded, if attacked. Aitor stepped into the grove and sat down. He watched the others, namely Broken-Scale and the girl talk to Goliath. After a while he stood up, raised his fist and released it. A dark cloud appeared right next to him and his red eyes went purple just for a second. After a while, the cloud disappeared and a Daedroth was now standing next to Aitor. He looked into the Daedroths eyes, and as if talking to it, he commanded it to follow its new leader, Goliath. It did what it was told and slowly walked up to him. Aitor soon came up to Goliath and said: "You're doing the night shift? Well use him. You can command him from now on. Beware though, he will only last for about 2 hours". Aitor walked back to the fireplace, picked up his mace and placed his body on the floor, with his weapon in his right hand.

He was hoping that no one or thing would attack today because he really didn't feel like fighting. He closed his eyes and really quickly fell asleep, ignoring all the other events that were happening around him. He had a dream though, a nightmare. He knew it was a dream, because it happen nearly every time he fell asleep. Blacklight again... "They" even follow me in my dreams.

Goliath was smoking his pipe and surveying the grim and rather foreboding forests that surrounded them. As he took a drag, and the calming buzz of his strong tobacco set in, Broken-Scale asked him a question. However, before he could respond, Veronika had her own input on the question, "When we sleep, perhaps. Right now, maybe. Werebeasts can be unpredictable. They run, kill something, eat it, then attack somewhere else. Unless, of course, they have the divine intervention of the Daedric Prince who guides them towards their destination. Which is why we must always be prepared." The young woman said. Goliath nodded, She's one of them, as am I, the two of us know more of the beasts than any scholar or scribe could ever hope to.

"The fires I lit outside of the camp, the ones that give off the odor, will last maybe four or five hours. The scent burns the noses of lycanthropes in their bestial form. We should be safe, so long as the fires burn and give off that scent. When they go out however, we have to be on guard. But, I don't think they would attack us in this state, Veronika. They may be werewolves, but they know that in these tight quarters, we have a choke-hold on them. I also assume that Hircine himself has given them warning of us, that they know we are here to kill them. This will make them even more wary. They are beasts, but they are intelligent, very intelligent."

With those last words, Goliath looked at Veronika and gave a half-smile. Sort of a, I don't want to be your enemy, look. He then turned to Broken-Scale, "Rest easy Broken-Scale, we'll be fine. Get some rest, you look tired. But if you wish to watch, the company is always welcome." Suddenly, Goliath was... actually very startled. A massive creature stood before him, its eyes locked with his. He'd only heard of Daedroth, but he'd never seen one up close, only once he saw one in Morrowind when he took a job for the Telvanni.

Aitor was standing next to the creature, "You're doing the night shift? Well use him. You can command him from now on. Beware though, he will only last for about 2 hours." Goliath was shocked, he'd thought the Dunmer was a cold and smart-mouthed bastard, apparently he may have misjudged him. "Thank you, friend. Rest easy." So the Dunmer went off to sleep... like a rock. Goliath looked at the beast which stood before him, its reptilian eyes and large form were impressive to Goliath. He reached his hand out and rubbed its nose, the creature gave out a large sigh. This made Goliath chuckle.

"Hahaha, for a Daedra you're awfully easily amused aren't you?" The Daedroth gave an awkward, and almost annoyed groan, as if it understood Goliath, "My mistake then." He scratched its nose once more and gave it an order, "Go behind the camp, see if anything is watching or waiting." The large creature then lumbered of, its tail make a mark in the snow, Goliath tried covering his laughing at the large awkward creature. It was a fearsome beast, even scary, but it was also quite funny. The Daedroth was out of sight and most-likely behind the camp when Goliath was taking a drag from his pipe, suddenly a sickening crack was heard, followed by a dog-like whimpering and the Daedroth gave a fierce growl.

"Looks to me like one of Hircine's pets made the first mistake. Don't screw around with Daedra bigger than you."

In response to my question, Veronika jumped in and said, "When we sleep, perhaps. Right now, maybe. Werebeasts can be unpredictable. They run, kill something, eat it, then attack somewhere else. Unless, of course, they have the divine intervention of the Daedric Prince who guides them towards their destination. Which is why we must always be prepared."

Goliath nodded at this statement, and added to it, "The fires I lit outside of the camp, the ones that give off the odor, will last maybe four or five hours. The scent burns the noses of lycanthropes in their bestial form. We should be safe, so long as the fires burn and give off that scent. When they go out however, we have to be on guard. But, I don't think they would attack us in this state, Veronika. They may be werewolves, but they know that in these tight quarters, we have a choke-hold on them. I also assume that Hircine himself has given them warning of us, that they know we are here to kill them. This will make them even more wary. They are beasts, but they are intelligent, very intelligent."

He looked at me after sending a placating smile at Veronika, saying, "Rest easy Broken-Scale, we'll be fine. Get some rest, you look tired. But if you wish to watch, the company is always welcome."

I opened my mouth to respond, but I was cut off by the large Dunmer who was standing next to a massive Daedroth. He asked Goliath, "You're doing the night shift? Well use him," indicating the Daedroth, "You can command him from now on. Beware though, he will only last for about 2 hours." The Dunmer then walked off and went to sleep, though I could tell it wasn't a peaceful one.

Goliath sent the Daedroth back behind the rocks, and soon enough, we heard the sound of a dog-like whimper, and the deep growl of the Daedroth.

I finally got the chance to respond to Goliath. "I'm okay, not too tired. It's just different, hunting these beasts. Normally, I hunt people. And the people I hunt don't stalk me back." I said, chuckling quietly. I picked up my spear and stood up to be more level with the rest of the group, then added, "I'll keep watch as well. I don't usually sleep on my hunts, anyway."

Balarithgaer remained silent most of the time at the gully, observing his fellow hunters, chatting and discussing were-beasts in the dim smog from the fire and pipes. He was surprised actually, he seemed to be the only one that was adverse to smoking pipes, he just couldn't stand the stench. Although, he had tried a little Moon Sugar before, boy, would it be handy here. Everyone seemed to be getting along fine, Goliath and Broken-Scale were discussing werewolves, when the Imperial joined their conversation as well, despite seeming to know a bit too much about werewolves and worshipping Hircine, she seemed nice enough. So did the Bretons, they were discussing their history beside the fire, and Aitor was summoning some Daedra, and giving it to Goliath.
Balarithgaer sighed, as he drank the Wormwood and Venison juices he'd heated up on the fire. Despite being a cannibal at heart, Balarithgaer wasn't opposed to making potions from plants, and drinking plant material. As he finished the small glass of the warm juice, he sighed, and unfurled his bedroll. He watched Aitor sleep, it was a disturbed sleep too, there was something...off withe the Dunmer.
He tucked himself in, and was nearly asleep when he heard a sickening crack, a wolf-like whimper and a fearsome growl. By Azura! What in Oblivion was that?! Balarithgaer started listening to the night.... there were growls, howls, whimpers, squacks and all sorts. It took him a further 20 minutes to sleep, and he had a broken sleep, dreaming about wolves ripping faces off, and vampires with blood on their fangs.

"The fires I lit outside of the camp, the ones that give off the odor, will last maybe four or five hours. The scent burns the noses of lycanthropes in their bestial form. We should be safe, so long as the fires burn and give off that scent. When they go out however, we have to be on guard. But, I don't think they would attack us in this state, Veronika. They may be werewolves, but they know that in these tight quarters, we have a choke-hold on them. I also assume that Hircine himself has given them warning of us, that they know we are here to kill them. This will make them even more wary. They are beasts, but they are intelligent, very intelligent."

Veronika nodded, rubbing Canis roots work as well, for the Werebears though, this worked for any Lycanthrope. Looking around the campsite, she was quick to notice that they were drug induced, some smoking, others drinking something. Veronika drank wine once in awhile, but mind altering drinks wasn't her thing. She liked to have a "Clear head", if Werewolves ever had such a thing. Veronika noticed also that Goliath gave her a smile, a smile she recognized often when someone was intimidated by her, or when they were "family". Interesting enough, she wasn't the only Beast among men. Veronika did not smile back, but kept the same frown she had before. First, he chokes me, making me seem like a little doll in front of all, he reveals my nature and then he smiles at me like nothing happen? Maybe I should have a blade to his throat and reveal him to everyone, Veronika spoke in her mind. But she did start the conflict by speaking against his dead sister, his reaction was understandable. Veronika walked off at the edge of the site, crossing her arms, folding them tightly and staring off into the wild of Skyrim, deep in her thoughts feeling very guilty. I should be out there, with them. Not here. But it was something that had to be done, if Hircine punished her, so be it.

It had been quite a while – the wet dead wood was all dried and waiting to be put on the fire. The crazy Dunmer had summoned a Daedra that had already killed a werewolf, I was feeling good. Also, almost everybody was awake. I admittedly was slightly neglecting my watching duties in prayer to Kyne and the spirit of Shor – battle was clearly going to happen at som point that night. I gathered a lot more Labrador tea to chew on before heading over to Veronika.

"Do you mind taking over the watch? If you want to get some sleep, then that's fine, but making this wall was tiring and i'd like to grab some rest."

Veronika was approached by Hjolifur, he requested her to keep watch as he caught up on some sleep. Veronika wasn't tired anyway, she rather take rest during the day, so it was all good.

"Sure. Fine" Veronika mumbled "Get some rest, i'll take it over from here" She muttered, walking over to his previous location. The Daedroth just killed something, a wolf or perhaps greater, which made the night more peaceful. Veronika had to admit to herself, out of all the nights she felt alive and active, this one made her particularly lazy. She barely even moved from one spot to another, all she wanted to do was lay down and rest. Not sleep, but just lay there. But, she had to do something, so she decided to go along with the Nord's request. He would pay her back in the morning, she would make sure of it.

"Thank you"

I said one more prayer to Kyne before shouting away some pinecones on the ground. I rested, doing breathing exercises until i fell asleep. The ability to Thu'um is controlled by, basically, how much Kyne likes you, how many shouts you know, and how strong your lungs are. Kyne despises Werebeasts, and so I had pleased her well. Because I worked in the College of the Voice, and although wasn't a professor knew more than some of them, my knowledge of shouts was relatively broad. Most of what stopped my from using my voice as a siege engine – as nordic Warlords did in battle with Resdayn long ago – was my horrible lung capacity. I had smoked to much in my life, and that kind of power was far beyond my reach.

I finally fell asleep, and dreamed of Shor fighting Maloch Mountain-fart over the lifespan of a Nord. It was an interesting dream, probably induced by my knowlege that we would be attacked soon.

As I was poking sticks into the fire, Gullie, another Breton sat by me. "That's not how Bretons make fire..." Gullie said to me. I smiled and cocked my head to one side.
"Which part of the Rock are you from, anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" Gullie directed the question towards me.
"Hmm. Well we moved around quite alot, but I was born in Ilessan Hills until the age of fourteen, we started going here and there before settling in Daggerfall and then, of course, Skyrim. Thanks for asking, by the way." I paused. "How about you. if you, youself don't mind me asking as well?" Then I waited for my answer.

Gullie seemed like a kind fellow, and already, I started trusting him.
"So." I said. "May you show me how Bretons light fires?" Waving the sticks in the air.

'Goed Rust'

"Me, I'm from Alcaire. Nice little town, a bit too out of the way of everything for my taste though. Still, home, or at least it was, what, seven years ago? Damn, it's been long since I've stayed in one place. I guess if I hadn't moved out of the Guild, I'd still be taking classes or some such." It felt weird talking about home; he hadn't used that word for a very long time, since a man leading Gille's lifestyle had none to speak of. The Mages Guild and his parents' house before that were probably the only two places he could call that in his whole life and, unless something changed, he probably wouldn't find himself another home anytime soon. It wasn't just a matter of not wanting to anymore; he probably couldn't, too.

When Gabriel mentioned Bretic fire, the Spellsword smiled, snapping himself out of the more nostalgic thoughts that were beginning to creep in. "Oh, that's simple. I'm pretty sure most Bretons can do this, it's just that they don't know it. Even the Reachmen with whatever craziness it is they call magick can deliver." With a quick snap of his figners, Gille produced a small flame that swiftly set fire to the wooden sticks. The trick was in making the spell weak enough so that it didn't burn the wood to a crisp in a matter of seconds, but not too weak so that it was still capable of setting it on fire, not just dissipating worthlessly and just making the wood smoulder a bit.

"'Course you have to move quick before they burn down, but you have to admit, it's better than messing around with flint or whatever."

As Goliath sat on the rocks, he smoked the last of his pipe, its tobacco spent. He knocked the ashes out gently and placed it back in his rucksack that he carried across his back. Veronika walked away from the sight, a look of anger, or possibly disgust? Maybe even worry? "Broken-Scale, keep a sharp eye, I need to go and have a talk with our Imperial friend." Goliath jumped off the boulder he sat on and landed with a thud in the snow. Slowly, he made his way through the deep pockets of the white powder and towards Veronika. "Something bothers you, my kin?" He asked. Hjolifur had traded watch places with her beforehand, and she looked displeased with it.

"Veronika," Goliath now spoke in a softer voice, trying to be more understanding, "I know this is difficult, killing those who you consider kin. But as I said before, they are merely toys for Hircine to use like the pieces of a chess board, they are simply pawns. They aren't true werewolves like you and I. These beasts cannot change, they are forever cursed with wolf-hood. Hircine has no love for us, or his worshipers, he only rewards the wicked who commit acts of terrible violence towards his mightiest beasts. I once tracked a Were-bear when I was 17, through the mountains for five days. Its name was Brugha. After the fifth day I found his lair and killed him. I took his pelt to Hircine's shrine in my village and prayed for judgment and protection. Instead, he kills my sister, turns my brother, and then curses me." Goliath now stood face-to-face with the young Imperial girl.

"When I was cursed, I didn't know what to do, I tried using it as a gift like you have. But after turning one night and killing several innocents, I realized my place as a Lycanthrope was Hircine's one mistake. I sought out the witches of the Glenmoril Coven, on Solstheim. They told me of a ritual that would release me of Hircine's control, that being, when a full moon rises I turn. I agreed to the ritual, and I know it well. Now I am able to use my curse as a gift." Goliath stepped back, piece by piece he undid his armor and arms. He stood in the snow in only his bearskin loin-garb, his physique... incredible. He did not do this to show off to the Imperial woman, but to show her his gift.

With a groan, and a few very painful contortions to his body, now stood before Veronika a great brown-furred werewolf. Goliath. Standing at nearly 8 feet tall. He then spoke, his voice sounding raspy but still maintaining his deep voice, "My will is my own, sister. Not Hircine's. If you agree to perform the ritual, you will truly be a foe not to be trifled with, your enemies will fall before you in a bloody mess. You are a free spirit, a free beast of the twilight hours." Goliath then slumped to the ground, once again writhing as the transformation receded. He quickly put his armor and weapons back on his body, as he was freezing from falling in the snow.

"Veronika, become a true hunter, become a true Werewolf, and bear your gift proudly. Hircine gave this curse to us, you may see it as a gift now, but if you allow me... I can make you into a creature even Hircine would fear. Tell me, are you ready to become a true hunter... sister?"

"Broken-Scale, keep a sharp eye, I need to go and have a talk with our Imperial friend." Goliath said to me, hopping down from the boulder he was sitting on.

"As you wish." I said.

I glanced over at Veronika, who had replaced Hjolifur on watch-duty. She was standing alone near the edge of camp, looking angry, and, perhaps, sad. Why would she be sad about this hunt? Unless . . . No, she can't be a werewolf. But it would explain the "talk" Goliath had with earlier, I thought.

I shook my head, then climbed on top of the large boulder, looking out into the woods away from Veronika and Goliath. The Daedroth was pacing angrily, blood scattered in the snow around it. It didn't look like a normal wolf's blood. I looked out into the woods more closely. I could see large silhouettes in the fog, dashing back and forth. I raised my spear warily. I didn't expect the beasts would be stupid enough to attack with a large Daedra standing in front of me, but I knew that threatened creatures can do desperate things . . .

Gullie was in some sort of trance and I felt that I was prying. So when I asked him on making a Bretic fire, he snapped out of it.
"Oh, that's simple. I'm pretty sure most Bretons can do this, it's just that they don't know it. Even the Reachmen with whatever craziness it is they call magick can deliver." He said. Then Gullie snapped his fingers, setting the sticks alight. A smile spread across my face. Sweet. I thought.
"'Course you have to move quick before they burn down, but you have to admit, it's better than messing around with flint or whatever." He hinted.
"Golly! Well, thanks. I apprecitae it." I thanked him. Then I tried doing the same. I snapped my fingers a few times before getting it, but I was too tired to care right now.
"Well." I said wearily."I'm gonna head off to sleep now. See you in the morning." Then I walked off.

As I set out my bedroll, I saw Goliath stride to where Hjolifur was on the lookout. No, not Hjolifur, someone else now. Hjolifur is with us now. I looked around to see who was missing from the camp and realised it was the Imperial Girl that was now guarding.

I let my head hit my pillow as I set myself into a night's rest. "I can guard when needed. And please wake me up if need be." I told everyone before subcumbing to sleep.
That night, I had a dream. That same dream again. I've been having this nightmare ever since the slaughter of my town, which had haunted my dreams:

I see my dad and all the townsfolk in our town. Everybody is carrying out their lives as usual. Clouds loom over the town, and the trees slowly close in, and it gets dark. Dad goes to check out whats happening and I follow him and stand next to him. I try to scream out, to warn him of what was to happen, but nothing but a silent scream escapes my lips. That's when the vampires come at us. They run from all directions, agile, mouths wide open revealing fangs and strings of saliva hangs from their mouths. A scream of fear uproars from my town and my vision becomes red and vainy, my head spins until the screaming has ceased. I look around at the horror and see that the vampires are now looking at me. Fangs bared, hands claw-like, they look at me hungrily, as blood and drool drips from the corner of their lips and lunge at me and the dream ends there.

I woke with a start. Sweat beads ran into my eye and I felt like to blood has drained from my face. I'm not a vampire myself, I can assure you that, but the dream always makes me wonder. I sighed, are we going to be attacked? The thought lingered my mind. I turned over, and fell asleep the second tme.

Veronika stood there, her presence being intruded upon by Goliath, he began speaking to her about Lycanthropy, how she was a pawn of Hircine. More drivel being spoken again. She finally understood his story, he worshipped him and in the end, he lost those dear to him. It was no different than Veronika's case, she lost her sister, her grandfather and her mother. From tragedy or disease, causing her to run away from home and come to Skyrim. But it was a bit different as well, since his case was far worse. Hircine gave her power, he was taken away something and given another. Veronika sighed, about to walk away until he came face-to face with her. He revealed his bare chest, to show his "gift", he turned into a large brown Werewolf, opposed to her black and dark form when she transformed. The toweing beast made her look so small, but she wasn't afraid, he was able to control himself. Then he spoke to her and then receded back to his human form. Veronika was amazed, but she did not admit it. Then he asked the question she expected. He even reffered to her as his sister. Because he lost his or she simply had the same gift? She could not tell, maybe both.

"The past is a wilderness of horrors, Goliath. I lost my family, but I was strong enough to survive, I refused to accept my lot in life and now I am in control of my fate. What is a Hound without it's master? Nothing. We need Hircine as much as he needs us. Who else would of granted me marvelous gifts in return for slaughtering my enemies?" Veronika barked, louder and bitterly. But he did have a point, to have the power to shift at will, without using any stupid artifacts was something very interesting. Veronika could only imagine the people she could kill doing it, the people she could devour during the day. But yet, being free from Hircine, someone she considered a Master and Prince, seemed like treachery. It was all so tempting.

"A tempting offer, Goliath" Veronika said, scratching her ear. "I'll think about it" Veronika finally said after moments of silence.

"The past is a wilderness of horrors, Goliath. I lost my family, but I was strong enough to survive, I refused to accept my lot in life and now I am in control of my fate. What is a Hound without it's master? Nothing. We need Hircine as much as he needs us. Who else would of granted me marvelous gifts in return for slaughtering my enemies? A tempting offer Goliath. I'll think about it." Veronika answered him. Goliath hung his head, he had to convince her, there was far more to Hircine than she knew.

"What is a Hound without its Master you ask?" Goliath repeated her words sternly. "A Hound without a Master is a free one, one who go beyond its chain that tightens around its neck. Veronika, do you realize what you're saying, you're a slave; a pet to Hircine!" Goliath put a hand on her shoulder, he was a tad nervous because of the wild young girl's unpredictability, but he overcame it. "Veronika, we are brother and sister by the one who gave us our "gift". I tell you as your kin that our Father is nothing more than a manipulative slave-owner. He controls the beasts at his own will. When you change at the full moon, do think it is by your will? When you hunt and taste the succulent blood of your prey, do you think it is truly your kill? No. Hircine is the Master of his Hounds, as you said. He reaps what we sew. Break the bonds and you will discover what its like to be a true hunter, a true master of your own fate. Veronika, you must trust me," Goliath looked into the woods, into a pair of red eyes, "what makes you think those creatures wouldn't kill you? Do you consider them your brothers and sisters, Hircine controls them, and he would have you killed by them in the blink of an eye."

Goliath stepped back two paces from Veronika, "Veronika, if you truly want to discover what its like to be free, to be the greatest of all Hounds, then allow me to perform the ritual. You will experience physical and mental freedom beyond what you could possibly imagine. However, I'll leave you to think about it. Be careful, my sister." With this, Goliath walked back to camp and sat on a rock next to Broken-Scale, once again lighting his pipe and inhaling deeply. He watched as one of his protective fires burned out suddenly, it wasn't a smoldering thing, the fire just dissipated. Something was wrong, something else was watching them, and it wasn't the beasts.

"Broken-Scale, be ready. Something WILL happen tonight." Goliath drew his sword and laid it over his shoulder as he still sat on the rocks. The hunt was now on. Not only for the beasts, but for their own lives.

Goliath must've finished speaking with Veronika. I glanced over as he lit another one of his pipes, and noticed one of his fires suddenly go out. It didn't smolder, and nobody touched it. It just disappeared. I frowned, concerned. Werewolves can't do magic, can they? No. There's something else out there, I thought, eyes narrowing.

"Broken-Scale, be ready. Something WILL happen tonight," Goliath said, drawing his weapon. I could tell he was as anxious as I was.

"I suspected as much," I said, sling my spear over my back, and notching an arrow into my bow, ready to fire, ready to kill. "But I've dealt with worst than these over-grown mongrels, these glorified puppy dogs. But should we wake the others, perhaps warn them?"

I could see more red eyes appear, all of which looked towards the extinguished fire. I aimed between the eyes closest and whispered, "Try something, dogs. I dare you . . ."

"What.... what's happening?" I said. I hadn't hunted, or been hunted by, an animal that could fight well in quite some time. I shook of my short sleep, donned my armor (I slept naked), and drew my broadsword and shield.

Are these wolves, bears, something else, or all of them? were-bears were actually simple to fight, albeit hard. The most difficult Were-monster to fight – in my experience – is the were-lion, a beast which has both strength, I'd imagine that Were-crocs were similar, but where as Were-lions had found their was into the reach, The Argonian Crocodiles had yet to make it into northern Tamriel – at least my knowledge at the time.

I suddenly remembered that we alson were fighting vampires. These were out of my experience as they normally didn't hang out with Hircine's pets. Maybe there is another magic controlling them.

I woke again over the hustle. Some of our group had their weapons drawn, eyes darting over the gnraled trees, like athritic fingers. I jumped up and quickly put my chainmail armour on and grabbed my bow and arrow. I looked around me; observing everything. What are we to be attacked by? Then I noticed that one of the fires have extinguished and beyond that were deep, red eyes, stalking our every move. Werewolves? Vampires? I didn't know what, but we were going to find out soon.