OOC: Still here.

Corvus

Peer-Mah was strangely elusive about the nature of the heirloom, a fact that disturbed Corvus slightly, the last time he'd taken a contract without knowing the full details he'd ended up surrounded up to his waist surrounded by daedra worshipers, specifically the doGdaM, with a werebear holding his pack for him. Ayla broke the silence of his recollection "So, what time will we set off in the morning?"

"I would hope we'd set off at sunrise, if we're travelling across country it's not exactly going to be an easy trip and we're going to need as much of the day as possible," he paused for a second to drain the remainder of the spiced red in his mug. "And if possible we should probably avoid moving by night, I'd rather not fall foul of some of the things that lurk in Skyrim's darkness," once again his memory was pulled to were-creatures he had a slight, perfectly rational, fear of the unholy matrimonies of flesh that were know to stalk these parts. At least we're not going to have to swim on this one, no chance of Weresharks. Wereboars, Werebears and Werewolves are more likely.

ooc: Let's just keep on posting amongst ourselves and hope Jonas catches up. I really don't want this to die so early on!

ic:

Peer nodded, realising he was at the end of his beer. "This one was also about to recommend dawn." He replied, nodding to Corvus, he didn't know anything about travelling through dangerous territory or land he was unfamiliar with so he was willing to give Corvus' suggestion a go. He pushed his chair back and stood up, "Would you all like another drink?" He asked, he was beginning to wonder if he should head home soon, he had a lot to prepare before leaving tomorrow and it was a long walk in the cold.

(OCC: I agree. I really like this rp so far. And there is definetly more to come. )

Ayla
Ayla listened to Corvus's suggestion but secretly thought otherwise. "Ayla, they are not like you." spoke a tiny voice within her. "You have the will to continue on through the night, but they do not. Rest easy, your time will come." Her thoughts were broken as Peer offered anybody else a drink; she waved her hand. "I'll pass, but thanks."

Peer-Mah

Peer nodded and continued over to the bar, figuring if they wanted something, they'd ask. "How's it going Peer?" The bartender asked, grooming his grey and fading hair. He looked towards Ayla, "Pretty friend you have yourself, didn't know you socialised with those kinds of people." He didn't sound insulting, but was obviously curious. The small town was aloof with rumours and any knowledge to spread your own was deemed expensive. Peer simply shrugged and went defensive. His mind raced on excuses he could create, words came to his mouth but he could only stammer.

"Well uhh, this one says, you see." He leant against the bar and continued to think, "They're from out of town obviously, friends of the family - You know, when Peer had the problem with bandits." He patted down his armour, "But anyway, this one would like another beer for the road?" The barkeep nodded and went to pour it. Peer knew the barkeep didn't beleive him.

"How is that bandit stuff now? All cleared up I hope?" He asked, wanting more information.

"Peer is delighed to say it is all sorted, all cleared up." He refined his answer, hoping it would sound real. Inwardly he remembered his brothers finger and tightened his clawed grip on the counter.

"And how's Bun-Mah? No one's seen him in a while now."

"This one believes he is touring Skyrim, to get away from the estate for a while."

"Well, good on him does us all good to have a nice holiday. Hope he's safe." The nord replied, plonking down a pint of ale. Peer paid and walked back towards the table.

"This one is not sure if the barkeep has spare rooms, but Peer must leave now, he has plenty to do to prepare for tomorrow. This one bids you well and hopes you will join him at dawn by the bridge." He bowed like his parents had taught him and left, beer in one hand and an unlit torch in the other.

Khura


As he leaned back in his chair, Khura watched as his new employer went to the bar for another drink. The talk of this particular job had peaked the interest of the Khajiit, Missing property, and Peer-Mah says his brother has toured Skyrim, with no one having seen this lizaard. Khura mused his own thoughts, he drew his katana and laid it across his lap, reaching for the whetstone kept in his satchel. Pouring a small bit of beer on the rough stone, he set about sharpening the blade.

Khura turned to his new partners, "So... allow me to ask, what is the experience of these ones Khura sits with. Have you all seen a fight, or tasted battle?" It was a simple question, and Khura desperately wanted to know who was watching his back during this new venture.

OOC: Sorry its short, but not posting anything was driving me nuts. I'm way too much of a perfectionist when it comes to writing. If I feel it isn't well-written, I pretty much don't post it. But for the sake of continuity, I'll make an exception.

Ayla
"allow me to ask, what is the experience of these ones Khura sits with. Have you all seen a fight, or tasted battle?"
Ayla turned her eyes on Khura, grinning. "Yes, I've been in a fight. It all started after I turned twenty. Almost every week somebody or something tried to kill me."

Corvus

The khajiit broke the silence"So... allow me to ask, what is the experience of these ones Khura sits with. Have you all seen a fight, or tasted battle?" he asked, whilst dousing his blade in ale as he sharpened it.

Ayla turned her eyes on Khura, grinning. "Yes, I've been in a fight. It all started after I turned twenty. Almost every week somebody or something tried to kill me." Corvus looked at the girl a little incredulously. Every week?

"I've been fightin' since I were little, grew up in the waterfront in the imperial city, started proper fighting when I turned 18, got myself some contracts and been doing it ever since," he looked as Khura as he worked his blade. "That ale won't do the blade any good, don't want to work it into the metal, it rots it, don't know why, just know it does."

Ayla
Ayla nodded, listening to Corvus. After he had finished speaking, and after a few momments of silence, Ayla stood. "Well, I bid you farewell, and I will see you two in the morning," she said, giving a small wave with her hand. She then turned and walked towards the door of the bar. One man who had one to many drinks tried to stop her, and after he said something probably raunchy and unappealing to her, Ayla punched him in the face, making the unstable drunk stumble back and fall over. She quicky opened the door and exited the building as the other men laughed at the drunk.
The winter winds beat at Ayla's face. After exiting the Dragon Bridge area, she stepped off the road and, after a few minutes of wandering, discovered an abandoned wolf den, and desided to make camp there. Finally out of the crazy winds, she tried to gather some old twigs and leaves and tried to start a small fire for extra warmth. She started a tiny little fire, which was so feble it disperced after a few minutes. Ayla sighed and tried again. This time the fire kept burning, and didn't burn out. She added a few more leaves and a larger twig to keep it going. Then Ayla layed down on her back, resting her head on a rock. She fell into a peaceful sleep.

(OOC: Hey guys, let's just move it along to morning.)

ooc: We need new blood! Anyone got a friend they would like to add to the RP? (I don't mean a second character, I mean an actual Rper!)

ic:
GM POST: The birds are the first to wake up, their chirps signalling the start of a new day. You hear a rattling and a few shouts as one of the local merchants begins taking a delivery from a rocky and well worn cart. Some would say this is the village at it's best, local traders and craftsmen hurrying about making sure they're able to fill their orders for the day. A bakery, the latest addition to the town rings it's bell to let everyone know it's open, the sweetrolls it offers are tempting for anyone with a hangover. There are no signs of war, the people of Dragons Bridge care for nothing but themselves, the village and the people within it.

The sun peaks over the mountains, the new day is about to begin...

IC:

Peer-Mah leans against the bridge, his large backpack by his feet. Every so often, he looks over his large book, it's leather hardback has obviously been opened many times before. He taps his foot and licks his lips, his eyes darting between each new face. The wind brushes past, tickling the fur on his boots and gloves. He smiles to himself, his strong teeth turning it into a snarl.

His mood obviously changes though as he looks back towards town, I did tell them to meet me here, right?

OOC: Still here guys, RL has been keeping me down a lot lately. But I still want to continue with this, as well as the other RP's I'm involved in. Be patient with me, cause it's been a hell of a month. Anyways, thought I'd just give the heads-up and notice. Sorry for taking up IC space with an OOC, I'll try and make a good IC sometime today.

ooc: Don't worry about it too much mate, there's no pressure. Just figured I'd grab another Rper to help move things along.

Corvus

As the sun rose so did Corvus, swinging his legs clear of the bed he had bought for the night. He shook the sleep from his limbs and doused his face in the icy water that had been left for him. The incessant pvssyr of the birds outside his window began to grate on his nerves in seconds. First day of a new contract, it's time for a fresh start. He'd drunk slightly too much the previous night and his head was punishing him for it. He went back to his water bowl again, stripped of his shirt and plunged his head beneath the water, holding his head under as long as his lungs would allow. After repeating the process a few times to clear his head he grabbed his things and packed his pack.

He threw a few coins down onto the bar on his way out as a sort of tip. The air outside was cold, fueled by the mountain ice surrounding them. In the distance a bell was ringing, in time with the ringing between his ears. He rubbed his temples as he walked, steering himself round the sickly sweet smell emanating from the town's bakery. Despite his slightly blurry eyes and unsteady legs he spotted Peer-Mah leaning against the town's bridge up ahead. As he got closer he spoke quietly, his voice surprisingly rough "No one else here yet?" He joined Peer-Mah leaning on the bridge, mostly for the improved balance it offered.

Ayla
Ayla sat up. She felt the cold morning air run over her shoulders. She stood up, brushing the dirt from her armor. The small fire had died in the night, and now all that was left was a small pile of burnt straw and twigs and leaves. Ayla flipped her head down, and pulled her hair up into a messey pony tail, to keep her hair out of her face. She exited the small cave, and exited the forest, which wasn't far from the road. Her cheeks were a rosey red from the night cold. As she walked again down the road to Dragon Bridge, she could hear the sounds of morning activity in the small settlement. Ayla made her way into the town, and began to smell the sent of freshly chopped wood. Her eyes then focused on the bridge, which looked like it had the head of a dragon over it. Then she spotted Corvus and Peer-Mah leaning against the bridge. She could see across from them a steep dive into a river. She stepped towards them. "Hello," she said, her voice a little wavery from sleep, "Are we just missing one more?" Ayla crossed her arms and relaxed her posture.

Peer-Mah - The Dragon Bridge

"This one is pleased to see you have come." He welcomed them warmly, he had been tossing and turning all night, hoping that they would help him. He felt confident they would succeed now, seeing them prepared for the journey was a big step towards rescuing his brother. He was a little nervous about Corvus though, the man seemed dizzy and almost relied on the bridge for support. Peer thought little of this however, he wasn't very astute about things such as body language. He felt giddy as Ayla came forward and said hello, asking if they were waiting on one more. She looked just as pretty as she had last night. This one is acting like a fool! he cursed to himself, attempting to control the butterflies in his stomach while he forced a smile.

"Peer is unaware about the other man, although he was all too quiet last night." Peer shrugged, he wasn't used to speaking about a Khajiit in a warm light. Perhaps it is best he doesn't come after all. "We shouldn't wait too long though, peer is wasting precious moments." He reached into his satchel and produced some sweetrolls. "This one wonders if you would like to share his breakfast?"

Ragmyr

The sun was still hidden behind Skyrim's tall mountains but the sky was already starting to brighten up, illuminating the road ahead. It was cold and quiet, bringing peace to Ragmyr's mind as he took a bite off an apple. His mind was filled with regrets. He was thinking of his days in the Legion, his son and the little gold he had in his pocket.

Ragmyr arrived to the small village. He knew it well, he had stayed in the inn a few times lately in his mercenary work. He looked at the poster one more time, it didn't look very professional, it was simply signed Peer and the meeting point was the inn at night. There were no details on the assignment.

"The night is gone but maybe I can find this Peer in the meantime", thought Ragmyr as he opened the door to the inn. It was empty and there was no one behind the counter. He sat down on a chair and waited for a few minutes before a man, still in his sleepwear, walked by.

"Oh, um.. Hi there stranger, I didn't see you there" Said the man, visibly startled by Ragmyr's presence. "It's unusual to have visitors this early. How can I help you?"

"I'm here for a job. A man named Peer is the contact. Do you know him?" Asked Ragmyr as he stood up.

"A job heh? Oh Peer, what are you getting yourself into? I hope this is not about Bun-Mah..." said the man, sighing, looking down at the floor. "Yes, stranger, I know Peer. He's an Argonian and he was here last night. Now, he's probably in the estate. Head to the Dragon Bridge, you should see it from there."

"Thank you" said Ragmyr immediately turning his back.

"Oh and... don't let him do anything stupid, will ya?" Added the innkeeper.

Ragmyr, waited a second looking at the innkeeper over his shoulder, trying to decipher his words. This wasn't relevant to him. There was a job offer and he was going to make sure he got paid. Nothing else mattered. Without replying, he continued walking outside.

As he approached Dragon's Bridge, he could see an Argonian there and two other individuals. He looked at the poster one last time. "Looking for three men, huh? Just my luck" he thought as he stepped into the bridge.

"Peer, is it? Name's Ragmyr. I'm here for the job. Still hiring?"

ooc: Added your sheet to the OP Smig!

ic:

Before anyone was able to answer his offer of breakfast, a huge nord stood before him, "Peer, is it? Name's Ragmyr. I'm here for the job. Still hiring?" Panic struck him as he'd only brought enough starter funds for three people. He imagined how angry Khura would become if he arrived only to find out this nord had taken his share.

"Umm." He mumbled, his eyes darting to the other companions, he felt pressured and could feel his hands begin to tremble slightly. "There was another, but this one doesn't know where he is. Perhaps he doesn't want to come along?" He looked once again to the other companions, not really expecting them to do anything but he hoped they would.

"Peer has decided it is not worth waiting for the other, if he doesn't want to come along - That is his decision." Peer nodded and stuffed the sweetrolls into his satchel. "We are travelling to Riften to retrieve a stolen artefact from my family. If you accept, you will be given 300 septims now, and 700 after. It's a simple job, I just needed a hand." He shrugged and produced two large bags of coins and offered them to Corvus and Ayla.

"Well? Will you be joining this one?"

ooc: Added two maps to the OP. Check them out!

"Riften, huh? That's quite a trip." Said Ragmyr, pausing for a second.

His ankle isn't what it used to be, it hurt at every step even though he did his best to hide the pain. He was hoping he wouldn't go that far from Solitude. Still, he desperately needed some gold and a thousand for a simple assignment wasn't a bad deal at all.

"I'm in." he said as he extended his hand, expecting his first payment.

Ayla
Ayla accepted Peer-Mah's gold, and put it away. She looked at the huge nord that stood now beside her. Ayla felt very small compared to him, but it was ok. She nodded when Peer let him into the group. "Shall we set off then?" she asked the group.

Peer

Peer nodded to Ayla's suggestion, and handed the newcomer his pay, "This one has a map which he would like to suggest?" he began to walk, hoping the others would follow him, "He suggests he go East, travel north of the road towards Markath to pick up some fresh supplies and water before heading through the mountain range far East of Markath. This one believes it should be the hardest part of the trip, but it's not without reward as it will save us lots of time." He took a bite out of one of his sweetrolls, "Then, it's the long journey to Windhelm and after that we travel south to Riften." He smiled as he said it, it all seemed to simple and easy to do but he also assumed it was going to be fraught with danger and battle.

"Anybody have any questions before we begin?"

Corvus

Ignoring the newcomer Corvus turned his attention to Peer-Mah. "That sounds like a plan to me," he adjusted his pack on his back, shifting it's slightly uncomfortable weight around "whatever we decided to do though, we'll need to do it soon." Corvus was already feeling the itch in his mind and body that he got before doing a contract. "We'll need to get as much distances behind us today as possible so we're well rested to cross the mountains.

"As for questions, well, I don't remember asking, or anyone else for that matter but can you tell me how many bandits we'll be facing?" Corvus genuinely could not remember anyone asking and he put it down to the alcohol he'd consumed the night before.

Ragmyr - The Dragon Bridge

The Argonian handed over a bag of gold. Ragmyr's attention was split between counting the gold and listening to his plan. It sounded like he had put a lot of thought into it. It also sounded like a lot of walking around, which Ragmyr could do without, but he wasn't going to make it obvious that he may not be fit for the trip. He just wanted to get this over with, the thrill of danger was lost to him over the years and a thousand gold would keep him afloat for a while, until he could find some other occupation.

His attention was suddenly drawn to the other two hirelings as one was asking a question about this assignment's dangers. Ragmyr was saddened by the sight.

"So young. So eager. Just like my boys." he thought. Ragmyr was like that once, excited with the prospect of testing his strength and skill on the battlefield, until the war reared its ugly head. Now he hates it. Too many times he had to comfort mothers and widows. Too many times he had to clean his sword from the blood of good people. Their crime? Being on the other side. There were enough deaths hanging over his conscience already. Ragmyr wanted out.

"After this, I'm done." he thought, as he trailed the others along the bridge.

Ayla, Dragon Bridge.
Ayla shook her head to Peer's question as they began to walk. She walked behind Corvus, humming a tune. She had a small skip in her step as they walked. The sun gazed down on the four as they walked, and a small mist hit them from the waterfall behind the bridge.