Agreed. The action is of the most important (and interesting) type; personal growth. With a strong new self image, will come the need to think about her goals and her role in the world. The coming episodes will be very interesting.

And ANOTHER character goes red...


...and I suspect it's all my fault.

:lol:

What the previous posters said, and what I've said before. I have made some serious notes on how to write from you. Thank you. professor UberRosa!

mALX1: Thank you. I seem to be finding good places like that to end each post.

Acadian: No nits! Well I found a few actually that I went back and fixed. Thank you muchly, more coming.

treydog: Thank you. Almost all of this story is internal really. That is why I wrote it in fact, to show Teresa for who she was before going further with her.

bobg: You hit the nail on the head my friend. Keep watching for just what you said.

D.Foxy: She was actually red to start with in the game. It was not until my 3rd or 4th draft that I decided to start her out as a brunette instead. I wanted her to undergo a physical transformation along with her emotional one, and I thought dyeing her hair would make an even greater visual statement than a simple change of clothing.

Oh, and again.


* * *

Not A Hero - 10 - For The Emperor

After buying some traveling food from Talasma at the Oak and Crosier, Teresa set off on her journey to Weynon. The priory was not difficult to find, even for someone traveling across the countryside rather than by the road. The chapel tower loomed high enough above the trees around it that Teresa could see it from quite a distance. Drawing nearer, she found that a waist-high stone wall surrounded the grounds, which were divided up by more low walls into cultivated fields, grazing for sheep, a stable, and a smithy.

It was a miniature city all in itself, Teresa thought. People dressed in ordinary work clothes moved to and fro tending the soil or the livestock, and she received more than a few stares when she leaped over the low wall and onto the grounds themselves. No one tried to stop her however, and Teresa made her way to the chapel itself.

There she found an actual monk, who directed her to their chapter house when she asked for Jauffre. The door was not locked, so Teresa let herself into the building. Within she found a simple but comfortable abode, and another named monk named Brother Piner brought her to Jauffre's office on the second floor. There he told her to wait in the anteroom outside, while he went inside to announce her.

So Teresa waited, but the monk did not return, nor did anyone else issue from the room that he had entered. Time seemed to drag on forever. What was taking so long? she wondered impatiently. She only needed a few moments to give Jauffre the damned amulet, she thought. Then she could get out of here and get back home.

She probably should have told Piner that she had the amulet, she thought, that might have gotten some action. But after what had happened under the prison, she did not want to take any chances with it. With nothing else to do, she paced back and forth, growing more frustrated with every moment.

Finally Teresa could take no more and shoved the door to the office open and burst inside. Within she found Brother Piner standing next to a young man in the same gilded armor that Baurus and the Emperor's other bodyguards had worn. A third man sat behind a desk across from them. He was a middle-aged Imperial, with a shaven head and wearing a plain monk's robe.

Teresa knew instantly that the seated man was no priest. He sat with his back too straight, his eyes were too hard, and his every motion was that of a soldier. Teresa had seen it all her life. You could always spot a legionary, no matter how hard he tried to hide what he was. Their soldier's demeanor was burned into them like a brand into a horse.

"What in Nirn do you think you are doing!" the last man growled, rising from his seat. "I have important matters to discuss with these gentlemen. Now wait outside and you will be dealt with appropriately."

Teresa felt herself wilt under his harsh words and even hasher stare. She wanted to squeak like a mouse and scurry off to hide. Exactly what she had done all her life when the watch turned their wrath upon her. But she did not do so this time, much to her own surprise. Instead she shut the door behind her with only a slight tremble in her hand. When she turned she saw the Blade had taken a step closer to her, and had a hand on the longsword at his hip, as if it were just casually resting there.

"I am here for the Emperor!" Teresa found herself spitting out with an extreme effort of will. "He sent me here."

"What?" the middle-aged man said in surprise, his tone more gentle now. "Just who are you? What are you doing here?"

Teresa took a moment to calm herself. For days she had imagined this moment. But now that she was here she did not know what to say. It was nothing like she had imagined. She felt like she was fighting the goblins all over again. He heart was racing, her throat was dry, her palms damp with sweat. She had to control herself, she thought. She had faced an assassin; she could face this soldier pretending to be a monk.

Rather than talk, she reached into one of her newly bought belt pouches and drew forth the Amulet of Kings. The Blade's hand fell away from his sword hilt and his eyes widened in shock, as did those of the other two men.

"By Talos!" Brother Piner gasped in surprised.

"Jauffre," Teresa said. The surprise evident on all three of their faces made her feel more in control of the situation. She looked to the older monk. "Are you Jauffre?"

"Yes," he said, his voice had lost all of its former anger, and now seemed filled with joy as he stepped closer, reaching his hand out to her. "I cannot believe it. You have the amulet!"

For a moment Teresa recoiled out of reflex. Then she steadied herself, and placed the Amulet of Kings in Jauffre's hand.

"My name is Teresa, and the Emperor said to give this to you," she said, now feeling calm, as if simply referring to him had brought her strength. "He said that he has another son. One the assassins did not know about. He said you know where he is. Find him, and give him the amulet."

For a moment Jauffre stared at the giant red gemstone in his hand with wonder. Then his features settled back into a mask of determination. He looked to the Blade first and laid his free hand on the younger Imperial's armored shoulder.

"Go Amulius," he said, his voice now filled with enthusiasm. "Ride hard to Kvatch as we were discussing and find out what is taking them. Bring them back here at once!"

The Blade saluted Jauffre, and Teresa almost felt like she would blush when he turned to her and did the same. Then he rushed out of the room with a clamor of armored feet.

"I do not know how you managed to get this," Jauffre said in amazement, looking back to Teresa. "But you did the right thing coming here. You may have just saved the Empire, all of Tamriel, from destruction. When the Emperor and his sons died, I sent my men for his last son. He was illegitimate, so his birth was kept a secret to avoid a scandal, and to protect him from the Empress. Now he is our last hope."

"But where are my manners?" Jauffre continued, now the kind host as he lead her to a comfortable chair next to his desk. "Come and sit. You must be tired from your journey. Are you hungry? I will send for some food."

Teresa let herself be led to the chair and sat down with relief. Her heart beat with relief. It was finally over! she thought. The moment she had put the amulet in Jauffre's hand, it felt as if a great burden had been lifted from her. She recounted her story at his prodding, and he plied her with sweet cakes and wine. He seemed surprised to learn that she had been in prison, and swore that he would have whatever charges there were against her dropped.

"Now," he said after she had finished. "How can I reward you for what you have done? I cannot give you a title, only the Emperor can do that. My order is not wealthy, but I am sure we can spare some gold though."

"No," Teresa said, shaking her head. "I cannot take anything."

"You have done a service to the Empire which cannot be dismissed," Jauffre said staunchly. "I must do something for you in return."

"You do not understand," Teresa said, tears welling up in her eyes. "He died right in front of me, and I couldn't stop it. He believed in me, and I just watched him die..."

"Do not carry that guilt with you," Jauffre said quietly, rising to lay a hand on her shoulder. Not the soft hand of a monk, but the hard grasp of a soldier. "Could have, would have, should have... Play that game with yourself and it will drive you mad. Believe me, I know better than most."

Teresa gently took his hand and moved it off her shoulder. While part of her desperately wanted to be comforted, she could not let a soldier see her this way. Her entire lifetime had taught her to never show them weakness, else they would exploit it. She did not think Jauffre would shake her down, but old habits die hard.

She rose, knowing that she had to get out of there. Jauffre did not try to stop her as she walked to the door.

"The new Emperor will know what you have done" she heard Jauffre say as she opened the door. "If you ever need anything, come and find me, or him. Anything..."

Teresa nodded. Part of her was screaming to take the money and live rich and fat for the rest of her life. But another part of her pictured the Emperor's face and remembered his words. He had given her something no amount of gold could compare to. What she did, she did for him, and nothing else.

Another winner, this. :tops:

Some wonderful, detailed descriptions, such as Teresa's approach to the priory, yet you know when to leave things to the imagination of the reader. The result is good detail, yet the story moves at a perfect pace.

You provide perhaps the most logical resolution of what to do with the amulet for those prefering not to launch quickly and deeply into the main quest that I could imagine. We have discussed your resolution, and I was delighted with how brilliantly you described it - you made it seem like that was exactly the way the main quest should go. Had only gamesas taken the same approach...

The waterfront rat is developing into quite a noble young lady of character it seems. I hope she will continue to develop an appreciation of the tough job the Legion does, and that they are not the enemy.

The way I wrote it does make more sense, it is how it would go in the real world after all, and Jauffre comes off as being the man in command that the head of the Order of Talos should be. It also makes the main quest really short though! But I do not blame Bethesda. They wanted people to be able to play any kind of character imaginable, and that makes it impossible for them to really custom design a plot around that character. I would have been happy if they had not included a main quest at all to be honest. The game world is rich enough with places and characters that it is fun to play just walking the earth and getting into adventures as they come along.

In other games where the main quest is a perfect fit for your character, you are also told who your character is, right down to their gender, history, and often name. Fable and Halo come to mind. I do not like games like that at all, because I do not want to be forced to play a space marine, or a boy from a village. What if I want to play a girl who is a pickpocket with a heart of gold that is always just one step ahead of the law? Or a Witch who people think is scary because she keeps to herself and talks to things no one else can see? Nope, you take what they give you and are stuck with it. No thanks.

okay /rant off.




Funny you say that, because in what I was writing last night a legionary that terrorized her as a child just saved her life...

This brought tears. I have played that scene a million times, but you made it come alive like it never has before!

Advice for Writers 101 always includes the admonition- "show, don't tell." To which the budding author responds, "What the ---- does that mean?"

What it means is this:

****

You do not understand," Teresa said, tears welling up in her eyes. "He died right in front of me, and I couldn't stop it. He believed in me, and I just watched him die..."

"Do not carry that guilt with you," Jauffre said quietly, rising to lay a hand on her shoulder. Not the soft hand of a monk, but the hard grasp of a soldier. "Could have, would have, should have... Play that game with yourself and it will drive you mad. Believe me, I know better than most."

Teresa gently took his hand and moved it off her shoulder. While part of her desperately wanted to be comforted, she could not let a soldier see her this way. Her entire lifetime had taught her to never show them weakness, else they would exploit it.

*****

If a character is 3-dimensional and believable, she will show what is happening. I agree with Acadian. One of my greatest disappointments with Oblivion was its linearity relative to Morrowind. However, as you and a great many other excellent writers have proved, the failure was as much mine as gamesas's. But I would have really liked a main quest fork here, as you have written it- Jauffre- "I can give this task to a more experienced courier- or you can follow the Emperor's wishes, if you are willing." The player character could still have been drawn in to the MQ at a later time....

Don't mean to natter on too long about that- it's just that your scripting is so much more authentic and reasonable. Which is yet another mark of the quality of your writing.

Wow, this is such a believable character. Simply amazing.
The little Bosmer girl has matured into a smart, lovely woman. Standing up to those 'soldiers pretending to be monks.'

Your pace and flow of dialogue is also absolutely spot on. :thumbsup:

You are an incredible storyteller and I envy your skill with writting.

It's quite fabulious how you are weaving the story in such a believable fashion with a very real character that feels.

I look forward to reading more.

We are fortunate to have a fan-fiction writer who knows how to tell it like it should have been.

I'm sure you already know your writing style is spot on so I only want to add that I enjoyed how you made an awkward game-moment into another moment of self discovery.

mALX1: Thank you mALX. The ending of that chapter makes me feel the same way. I am glad the depth of her feeling for the Emperor is showing through.

treydog: I actually have an article on Showing vs. Telling which goes back to my APA days. It helped me a great deal in figuring out the difference.

Winter Wolf: Thank you. Although you may change your opinion about how smart Teresa is after reading the next two chapters...

LeoEyes: Thank you Leo, welcome to Teresa's world!

bobg: Thank you B. The Main Quest does feel rather awkward, because of how they are trying to shoehorn your character into it. I am just fortunate in having just the right character that I could use it as a liminal event. At least the first two parts of the quest at least...


* * *

Not A Hero - 11 - The Wawnet Inn

Teresa's journey back to the city was uneventful. Once again she stayed off of the road and walked east through the forest, traveling mostly at night. She found the going was easier this time, as it was literally all downhill. Once more she gathered plants with alchemical properties as she traveled. A black bear followed her for a bit, but a few uses of her Flare spell convinced it there was easier game elsewhere.

Many days later she found herself on the western shore of Lake Rumare once more. She could not pass up the opportunity to strip off her gear and dive into the water. She had always liked to swim, but ever since her escape from prison it had become her special treat. It seemed almost as if it could wash the muck of her past away, and allow her to emerge from its depths a completely new person.

Heading south along the lake shore, she eventually came upon a small village of daub and wattle homes near the great western bridge to the City Isle. The sign on the road leading into it said it was named Weye. The sun had set some time earlier, so rather than pushing on to the Imperial City she decided to stop for the night.

In the center of the village stood a building larger than the others. The lower half of its walls was of small stones, and the top of daub and wattle like the other buildings in the village. A roof of thatch covered its two stories, and the large sign in front of it proclaimed it to be the Wawnet Inn.

The common room was small, but the patrons were few. Teresa had no troubles finding herself an empty table and sat back over a glass of wine and a handful of fresh bread and Argonian olive oil. She had never drunk wine before Weynon, but ever since then she had been thinking about how good it had tasted. The Wawnet Inn's fare was nothing compared to that of Jauffre's table, but it still tasted good after days of nothing but water.

The innkeeper was an attractive Altmer woman named Nerussa, and when Teresa asked for a third glass, she began talking about wines and how she liked to collect them. Teresa liked how she kept her golden hair tied back with polished little sticks that dangled tiny jewels from their top ends. It looked very elegant, and showed off the delicate curve of the nape of her neck. Teresa wondered how Nerussa did it, and offhandedly fiddled with the unruly locks of her own crimson mane.

"So if you ever come across shadowbanish wine, you will be sure to remember me, right?"

Teresa blinked. She had been paying more attention to how Nerussa looked than to what she was saying.

"Yes, shadowbanish wine, in the old forts," Teresa replied, trying to remember what the Altmer had been talking about. "If I ever find any, I will be glad to bring it to you."

A middle-aged Breton man came in a moment later. He wore rough clothing of sack cloth, and walked with a noticeable limp. Sitting down at a table next to Teresa, he gave her the same mildly interested glance that the other patrons had when she had entered herself. She got the feeling that they did not get too many Bosmer foresters in Weye.

"Bring me some of that pale ale Nerussa," he said loudly to the Altmer woman as she walked back to the bar. "That'll ease the pain."

"Is that leg still bothering you Aelwin?" Nerussa asked a moment later as she brought him a tall glass of foaming liquid, which did not look very pale to Teresa.

"Ahh, it still acts up," the Breton man fussed. "Never healed right in the first place the priest says, now they can't fix it 'cause it's too late."

"So what are you going to do about those fish?" the Altmer asked.

"I dunno," Aelwin replied, staring morosely into his glass before downing a mouthful. "I was so close too, only a dozen more to go and I would be set."

At that point the two of them looked over at Teresa, noticing that she was staring. That is when Teresa noticed that she was staring herself. Feeling like she had just walked naked through the Market District, she instantly lowered her gaze to her wine while her ghostly white cheeks blossomed a shade of crimson to match her hair.

She emptied her glass in one quick gulp, and feeling a desperate need to escape the common room, rose and walked not a little unsteadily to the bar. Had she drank that much? she thought. This was only the second time she had ever drank wine. She wondered how much really was too much?

"You mentioned you had rooms?" she asked Nerussa, feeling proud of herself for not slurring her words. See, she told herself, she could hold her liquor.

"Yes, there is a room upstairs if you would like it," the Altmer replied with a smile. Teresa wasn't sure if she was smiling at her embarrassment, or if maybe she saw something she liked?

Probably the embarrassment, Teresa decided, taking Nerussa up on the room and passing several coins to her across the counter. Walking up the stairs was no challenge to a seasoned forester such as herself; nor was entering the room. Getting out of her cuirass was however, with all of its straps and buckles and laces. In the end she wound up spending the night sleeping in it and nothing else. In spite of how Teresa would have liked Nerussa to have come to visit, she was thankful that the Altmer did not.

You are really warming up to the story, it gets better with each chapter. It is nice Teresa's personality coming out, she is a dear!

Very, very nicely done, again. :read:

The very familiar, but through different eyes with different perceptions. Noticing previously unnoticed subtlties such as Nerussa's stick twist.

"she instantly lowered her gaze to her wine while her ghostly white cheeks blossomed a shade of crimson to match her hair." I couldn't resist just one quote. Simple sentence that says alot, and says it beautifully.

Oh no! Stuck in her armor!

Ha, we can all relate to that. Beautiful. :foodndrink:


Please tell me that we are going to find out the family background of Teresa. Please, please ??!!??
A Bosmer with ghostly white skin. I must know. :whisper:

Hmmm.....

Is Teresa gay? I am getting that impression...

If she is, this will be the first writer-created character that is gay - Crassius and the others are NPCs. Should be interesting!

Okay, so I've seen this mentioned a few times now and finally decided to read it. And I actually read it all the way through. Please do keep in mind that I'm not a fanfic person. It's very, very easy to lose my interest and I generally don't have the time to read anything of length anyway. Actually, I didn't really think much of your writing up until about the third chapter. Up to that point, it looked merely average. After that though, I feel everything really came together.

I have to say, this is only the second fic I've ever read that's entertained me with a female main character. It's simply that most writers are male (Which usually ends up not good for obvious reasons.) or females that make their characters Mary Sues and end up marrying them off to Lucien Lachance or something similar. Which always ensures I start reading stories with a female lead with a certain amount of wariness. Your writing however, has, for the second time, allowed me to go around that barrier. So definite congrats for that.

Your writing at this point is excellent and is of a good length. Your character is engaging and realistic, and everything flows very well. Honestly, I don't really have any criticism to add. The worst thing about this fic so far are some of the rather... Odd comments by your readers.

That said, I despise reviewing something without leaving some sort of critique, but since I really have nothing to add, this will probably be the only review you'll get from me. I'll be keeping an eye on this though, I guarantee it.

mALX1: Thank you. This scene and the next are ones I did not originally plan on happening this way. Rather they are an example of what happens when you follow the character, rather than the plot. As often does in those cases, it worked out far better than I expected, and reveals much more of Teresa's personality in the bargain.

Acadian: Thank you. I had to work on that one line quite a bit to get it where it is now. I wanted something subtle, but very telling. I am glad it finally works.

Winter Wolf: I was never really planning anything for Teresa's family background really. In fact, her being an orphan with no idea who her parents is very important for some of the relationships she has. One that will be shown later in Not A Hero, and the other in Act II and Act III, which are on the horizon.

To tell you the truth though, her pale skin is just a result of the author being a goth girl (well, sometimes I am a goth girl, except when I am not of course...) who likes to play characters like that.

D.Foxy: Is Teresa light-hearted and carefree? Not especially. She is more of the serious/angsty type, at least in Not A Hero and the following stories. She will crack a faint smile from time to time however. It is true that this last chapter and the one following it do have a much lighter, more humorous tone than the rest of Not A Hero though.

Ambrose51: Hello Ambrose, and thank you for the compliments. You have a very colorful avatar btw. (which I suppose is the point of it, says Miss Obvious...). I know exactly what you mean about men writing women and women writing men. Our societal programming makes it difficult for starters, then our hormones jump in and make it worse. In fact, I was just talking about that with Acadian last night.

I also know what you mean about those first chapters. Those are the ones where I was basically stuck on a rail following the game's plot. They were very difficult for me to write because of those constraints. It felt so good to get the story out of the Under-Prison and out into the light of night, where I had the freedom to really start building Teresa's character in a steady, believable manner.

Not A Hero - 12 - Go Fish

* * *

Teresa woke early next morning with a slight ache in her head. Her alchemical gatherings had borne fruit however, and she felt very pleased with herself when she produced an echinacea root. Having no mortar and pestle with her to grind it down, she simply cut off a small piece and ate it. That would take care of her head pains, she thought proudly as she dressed and headed down to the common room.

Nerussa was already awake and there to greet her, taking Teresa somewhat aback. She had hoped to slip out of the inn without any further embarrassment. Now she would have to talk with the Altmer woman and try not to act like an idiot, something she seemed to be having a problem with since meeting her.

"You know, someone really should help Aelwin," Nerussa said, apparently to no one in particular, as she produced a small bread roll for Teresa's breakfast. Since there was no one else in the room but the two of them, Teresa had the distinct impression that she was that no one in particular.

"With his leg?" Teresa asked. "I am not a healer. I would not know what to do."

"No, with his fish," Nerussa said.

"With his fish?" Teresa replied, feeling completely lost. "What about his fish?"

"He only needs to kill a dozen more Rumare Slaughterfish to fulfill a contract he has with an alchemist in Skingrad," Nerussa explained. "He is doing some kind of experiments with their scales. Aelwin was hoping to use the money to retire and live in the city. But now he can't even do his regular fishing with his leg the way it is, let alone catch the slaughterfish.

Teresa could see where this was going. Her instincts told her to bolt. There was no way she was going to go out and tangle with slaughterfish. A lifetime on the Waterfront had taught her that. There was a reason they were called that after all.

So a half hour later she was standing on the shore of the lake, wondering why on Nirn she had agreed to catch the fish for Aelwin.

It was Nerussa's eyes, Teresa thought, those damned soft amber eyes that sparkled just so when the morning light shone through the window. Teresa sighed. She had always heard of women doing this to men, but never to other women. It was not at all fair! she thought indignantly.

Well, there was nothing for it now but to get it over with, she decided. Stripping off her leather armor and leaving it in a pile on the beach alongside her bow and her arrow bag, she waded into the water wearing nothing but her underwear. Normally she liked the water. But normally she did not go looking for slaughterfish either...

In one hand she held a small cage filled with cut up fish. As soon as it hit the water it began to ooze blood and fish guts all around her. Aelwin explained that he used this to attract the slaughterfish. He had offered to give her the spear he used to kill them, but she had declined. She did not know the first thing about spears. It was just a big heavy stick to her. Instead she readied the third and final spell that she knew - Absorb Life - which unlike her Flare spell would work underwater.

So, feeling completely disgusted she waded out into the reddening water and went hunting for slaughterfish. It did not take long before Aelwin's bait proved its worth, and Teresa found one of the long, snakelike slaughterfish winding its way toward her through the murky water.

She had seen them often enough in her frequent trips into the lake. However, on those occasions she had never tried to actually get their attention by ringing their dinner bell. Now as the slaughterfish closed in, she wondered how it could even shut its mouth with so many big sharp teeth.

That is when Teresa remembered why she did not like the Absorb Life spell much. It required her to be close enough to touch her target. As the slaughterfish closed in, she wished she had taken Aelwin up on his offer of the spear after all.

The slaughterfish's first strike was at the cage of fish chunks, propelling itself forward with a flick of its rope-like tail and sinking its long fangs into the iron bars. The bars of the cage bent slightly with the impact, and Teresa was barely able to hold onto it with her left hand as the slaughterfish jerked to and fro.

By now she had built up a charge of magicka in her other hand and reached out to touch the fish. Releasing the energy through the symbol of her spell, the energy ground down into the body of the fish with a flash of brilliant crimson light. Teresa suddenly felt refreshed, her headache vanishing altogether. The fish on the other hand, had an entirely different reaction.

It let go of the cage and turned to look at her with its glassy black eyes. Teresa did not like that look at all, nor the look of those teeth as they came at her. That was all the incentive she needed to drop the cage and hastily kick her legs for shore. Years of swimming had taught her to move swiftly through the water, and she called up every last measure of that speed as the slaughterfish pursued her into the shallows, nipping at her very heels.

Teresa said a silent prayer of thanks to the Nine when she reached the shore alive and with all of her toes. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she felt herself want to shrivel up and hide under the sand. She had been beaten by a fish! she thought in disgust, a fish! She had even lost the bait cage in the bargain.

Looking back out into the lake, she saw that her antagonist had followed her right up to the edge of the water, still snapping its teeth and trying to bite her. Teresa skipped back out of reflex, and noticed her bow out of the corner of her eye. A faint smile came to her lips as she ran to grab it and her arrow bag.

The slaughterfish was still where she had left it when she came back. It seemed to have trouble swimming in the shallows, and could not get back out into the deeper water. That gave Teresa plenty of time to nock an arrow, take careful aim, and shoot it through the head.

This gave Teresa a plan. She made the short trip to Aelwin's home to obtain a length of rope. While he could not conceal his surprise at seeing the nearly naked and soaking wood elf on his doorstep, he quickly produced the cord she desired.

It was only when she was on her way back to the beach that Teresa wondered if it was only surprise he had been looking at her with. The more she thought about it, the more it reminded her of how guards at Chorrol had looked at her...

The thought made her start to turn red again. Especially when she started to notice how the rest of the people in the village were watching her as she walked by. By the time she had returned to the beach she was thankful to be back to the slaughterfish.

Teresa took out her arrows and stuck them into the sand point down next to her bow. That would make them easier to grab than if they were in the bag, she knew. Then tying one end of the cord around her ankle, she swam back out into the lake to find the fish cage. Thankfully she had not gone too far out when she encountered the slaughterfish, so it was not difficult for her to recover. Tying the other end of the cord to the cage, she then began swimming along the shore looking for more fish.

Once again, it did not take long until one showed up to feast upon the fish parts in the cage. Teresa did not try to use her spell against it, but rather swam for shore immediately, and repeated her previous tactic of shooting the pursuing slaughterfish when it became trapped in the shallows.

She spent the rest of the day fishing in this manner, moving along the coast with her bow and arrows when she had exhausted an area of fish. Aelwin came out at midday to treat her to a lunch of honeyed bread and goat's milk, and remained to watch in amazement as she continued to draw the fish in and shoot them from shore. By the time the sun was setting Teresa had caught the last of the slaughterfish that he needed.

"I cannot believe it!" Aelwin said in amazement. "You got them all, and without a scratch on yourself. You are unbelievable little lady, and so kind to help an old man like me. I don't know how I can ever thank you."

"Well..." Teresa mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed. After all, she thought, it was really Nerussa who had talked her into it...

"I do not have much, but I suppose I could give you this, seeing as I am not going to need it anymore," Aelwin went on, holding up his right hand to show Teresa the ring he wore. It was turquoise, and decorated with dolphins leaping over waves. She thought it was quite lovely.

"It is called the Jewel of the Rumare. My father gave it to me," Aelwin explained as he took it off his finger. "It has been my secret weapon every since I started as a fisherman. It allows you to breathe underwater you see, and prevents anything you carry from being damaged by the water."

Teresa was dumfounded when he set the ring in her palm, and could not suppress a faint smile as she set it on her finger. It was far too big, but instantly shrank to fit perfectly around her skin a moment after she had put it on.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. Then she wrapped her arms around the old Breton and gave him a hug. She felt very warm and content. She told herself it was because of the ring. She was only beginning to imagine the things she might do with it. Like swim with her leather armor and bow. But there was a nagging feeling deep inside of her that was telling her that her joy came from somewhere else entirely, perhaps even from the look of gratitude she saw in an old man's eyes...

Absolutely beautiful. Again. You have such a wonderfully light touch that I feel as if my work clumps around in combat-boots by comparison. One thing though:

"Her alchemical gatherings had borne fruit" :slap: pun-smack!

Wow, Teresa knows how to "chum" the water when she is fishing! I am impressed! I love the thinking Teresa does, it really helps to get to know her - Awesome chapter!

:read: Thank you again SubRosa.

INCREDIBLE! :celebration:

If I went into detail at all the brilliant subtle 'just right' touches here, my post would be as long as your story.

I did see one tiny thing. I know well the feeling of missing something despite many, many self-edits: "You are unbelievable little lady, and so kind to help and old man like me." I believe you mean 'an' old man (like me )

This story - the whole darn thing - was a jaw dropper for me. How does she do it? Gee, I wish I could do that! Could I ever? Maybe not, but I sure am inspired to try!

As I alluded above, I will not quote any favorite parts of you story, for I fear I would not stop...

OMG? More please! But, enough gushing about the author.

Teresa. Teresa is adorable. What a pleasure to share her journey of self-discovery! She has a heart of gold and an endearing character that so easily steals a place in our hearts.

Fanfics on this forum: many.

Fanfics copied to Microsoft Word: five.

This thread included - Yes.

'nuff said.

treydog: I knew about the pun. I just could not resist!

mALX1: That is actually how I did the Go Fish quest, without the chum cage of course. It was only after I had finished writing the entire story that I realized it probably would have been a lot smarter to do it all in a boat. But since there are no boats in the Elder Scrolls universe (at least none that ever leave their docks, except to sometimes teleport to other places for quests), it did not occur to me while I was writing it.

Acadian: Ah, there is my faithful editor again. I am glad I do not have to pay you for every time you catch a typo! Else I would be broke and your grandkids would be through college thanks to me!

D.Foxy: In Word? I write in Word. I can just send you the file if you like, rather than you going to the trouble of copying every post. That gets to be a lot of work after a while.

Very nice. I truly admire the writers on this forum that add so much color and depth to what can be a dreary quest and you are among the best.

bobg: Thank you, that means a lot coming from you. After all, your Angel and Sarrah fiction is one of the reasons I wrote this.


* * *

Not A Hero - 13 - A Sort of Homecoming

After spending the evening enjoying Aelwin's surprisingly tasty grilled slaughterfish, Teresa spent the night sleeping on a spare bedroll in his house. She knew it was not the smartest idea. Methredhel's roommate Adanrel had made that mistake and paid for it. It was not something that they talked about, but everyone knew what had happened to her. Still, somehow Teresa did think that Aelwin was something to worry about, and the night passed without incident.

The next morning Teresa bathed in the lake again, and washed herself with the extract of a vanilla plant she had gathered, giving her skin a soft, welcoming scent. Thinking of how lovely Nerussa's hair was, she spent nearly an hour fussing with her own back at Aelwin's home. She could not make it as elegant as the tresses of the innkeeper, but after finally combing out all of the snags, parting it on the side, and brushing it across her forehead, it at least looked better than before.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Oblivion072.jpg

When she finally felt presentable she said her goodbyes to Aelwin, who was preparing for his journey to Skingrad to deliver the slaughterfish scales. Teresa debated saying goodbye to Nerussa. Part of her very much wanted to see the tall high elf again. But another part of her sensed that Nerussa was trouble, at least for her. After all, she was the entire reason Teresa had spent the previous day swimming with slaughterfish...

This time Teresa listened to the prudent half of her nature. Turning away from the Wawnet Inn, she set her feet to the great western bridge and the Imperial City beyond. She was not used to being awake so early in the morning, and could not stifle several yawns as she made her way across the massive stone edifice. By the time she reached the other side she was well awake however, especially when she set her eyes upon the familiar sight of the watchmen standing guard at the city gate.

Were they on the lookout for her? Teresa wondered as her heart beat faster. Could Jauffre have had time to clear her name already? Did the senior Blade even intend to do so, or was that just a lie he told her before sending her right back to her prison cell?

Teresa did not really think he would do the latter. He seemed to be a man of his word. But that did not mean the watch were not looking for her in any case. So just as at Chorrol, she forced herself to act calm and relaxed as she walked toward the city gate. I am just your ordinary Bosmer, she thought, nothing to look at here.

"Good morning citizen," one of the watchmen said as she walked up to the gateway. Teresa felt the urge to bolt rise within her. With an effort of will she retained her casual pace, and turned to look at the Imperial.

"Good morning," she said, doing her best to pretend that she was not an escaped prisoner. She even forced a faint smile to her lips and paused to talk to the man. "How are things in the city? I have been away for a very long time."

"Everyone's talking about the Emperor's murder," he said, and Teresa detected a quaver in his voice. "Emperors have been assassinated before, but never anything like this. No one even knows who was responsible. Now with no heir..., we are in for dark times friend."

Teresa was stunned. In all of her life the men and women of the Imperial Legion had seemed like towers of stone; incapable of fear or doubt, and unmoved by pity, compassion or any other form of soft emotion. Yet this man, who she suddenly noticed might be even as young as herself, sounded like any ordinary person.

"Do not worry," Teresa found herself saying in a conciliatory tone, thinking of Jauffre and the secret heir. "Things will work out, you'll see."

They had better, Teresa thought as she passed through the gate. Until this moment she had not thought of anything beyond delivering the amulet to Jauffre. What the guard said was right though. Who were those assassins who knew so much about the Emperor, down to his secret escape route? Who was behind them? Did this mean a civil war throughout the Empire?

Normally such thoughts would never have entered her mind. Until she woke up in prison and met the Emperor, she had never thought further than how she was going to eat that day and how to stay out of the way of the Imperial Watch and the ruffians that did not obey the Thieves Guild's rules about killing.

What would a civil war do to the city, and the people in it? she wondered. Starvation? Disease? An army breaking down the walls and storming in to murder everyone? Now she understood why that legionary was so shaken.

Still, she reminded herself that Jauffre was out there looking for the heir. He would set things right. Then there was Baurus. Teresa did not need to be told that the Redguard would stop at nothing to find those responsible and take revenge. As strange as it was, Teresa was glad to know that there were people like that in the Empire, who would do the right thing.

She broke from her reverie in time to notice that her feet had taken her completely through the Talos Plaza district and into the Elven Gardens. Unlike the Talos Plaza, which was purely for the elite, the Elven Gardens was a neighborhood of artisans, merchants, nobles on hard times, and other folk who never had to really worry about where their next coin was coming from. It was not rich, Teresa thought, but it was nowhere near poor either.

After her time in the forest she felt a new appreciation for the quiet bedroom district with its numerous trees, flowerbeds, and bushes. Yet still, the hard stone walls of the city seemed to close in from all around. She had never really thought about it before, but everywhere she looked in the city there was a wall. Everything was shoved tightly between those walls, pressed together like the contents of a too-small backpack.

Teresa shook herself. What was she thinking? This was home after all. Nothing in Tamriel compared to the Imperial City. Nothing was bigger. Nothing was grander. Looking up at the exquisite shape of the White Gold Tower, she was reminded of the graceful lines of the strange ruins she saw outside of the prison sewer. You could see that tower everywhere in the city. Even when she had journeyed from the city for days, she could still see it rising in the distance.

Looking back down to the street, her eyes fell upon a dirty man in ragged sack cloth who was begging for coins. Now this was the city she knew best, she thought with a sinking feeling in her heart. It was place of people with no hope and no future. As she looked on, two watchmen marched over to the beggar and with barely a word grabbed him by both arms and dragged him away.

He should have known better, Teresa thought. The watch did not tolerate begging in neighborhoods like the Elven Gardens or Talos Plaza. They would let you pass through as long as you did not stay. But stopping and asking for money was right out. If the beggar was lucky they would toss him into the tunnel to the Waterfront. If not, he would probably spend the night in the prison.

Now that was the Imperial Watch that Teresa remembered. Yes, she was home indeed.

Teresa noticed people looking at her as she made her way down the main thoroughfare to the Market District. Only then did she notice that she walking directly down the middle of the main boulevard. She never did that. It was the surest way to be spotted by the watch and shaken down. No, she and all the other street urchins kept to the alleys and side streets in neighborhoods like this.

Out of reflex she looked for the nearest alley and headed for it. Then she stopped herself. She was not going to skulk in the shadows! she told herself. Not after what she had been through. Pulling herself up straight and tall, she went back to walking right down the middle of the street.

That is when she noticed not only that people were looking at her, but how they were looking at her. It was not with the usual scorn, disgust, or pity that the well-off people reserved for gutter rats. They were looking at her altogether differently. As if she was a person, and apparently an interesting one. A few of the men even gave her the same kind of hungry look that the Chorrol guard had, while some of the women gave her one of what might even be envy.

She looked down at her willowy, leather-clad frame. It did not really show anything at all, she thought. But the leather did move with her rather well, and the greaves did cling tightly to her legs and hips. That was one of the things she liked about them. The leather fit like a second skin. Still, she was certain that she did not detect even a trace of feminine wiles, not like she had seen in Nerussa's eyes...