They all hated him. Seras knew that, they had hated him for a long time. He knew why too, but didn't care enough to try and change himself. He took Samisul's words like he had took many before his, with a cold, blank look, one which he kept even as Iris somewhat disappointedly kept her cool and the question of a new leader was made. Seras looked over each of the commanders as Iris did. Do'Shar, too quiet, too easy to anger; Hjorn Bear-fist... maybe? He seems like he might be the type. Haki, once again, maybe; the new soldier, Gerald, too inexperienced. He anolysed everyone, but didn't need to as Do'Shar suddenly begun the nominations.

"Haki should do it; at least for the time being. He knows the castle better than anyone." His voice was rugged and deeper than a usual Khajit's. They seemed to take Haki by surprise.

"I would rather someone else." He replied, remaining sat. "I can't run a castle, I'm a general, nothing more." He took a few more moments to think. "What of Burd? He's in the hospital wing at the moment, but he seems like-"

"Burd is too young." Seras interrupted, waving away the idea with his hand. "He doesn't know how to lead men, how to make them think what you think. He's not a true leader."

There room was silent once more, as the greatest minds of the castle, the soldiers who the people depended on to keep them alive, struggled to think of anything with Savard absent.

"I think you can do it, Haki." Samisul responded, turning to the giant of a man and setting his jaw. "From what I've seen and heard of you, you are a great leader of men, and a great man to accompany."

"I'll have to remark on the importance of that last point." Dimitri added, his eyes settling on Seras. His lip quirked slightly. "A leader has to be respected and loved by those beneath him. Savard was. In my opinion, it is one of the most important points of an effective leader. Which means-"

"-The egotistical Dunmer is out of the nomination pool, then." Iris cut in, finishing Dimitri's sentence before he did. She casually waved this remark in Seras' direction, before returning her hand to chest, folding her arms again. "Have we agreed to disagree then? Because that gets us nowhere."

"Well if egotism knocks Seras out of the nominations, that makes the Redguard equally ineligible." Hjorn commented, but was turned on by Samisul.

"His actions were dictated by his culture, not his personality." The Imperial defended, folding his hands. "Obviously none of you have visited Hammerfall if you blame his behavior on being like Seras. Most Redguards are very honor bound and dutiful. From what I had heard in my times there, the Swordsingers are thrice as prideful and traditional than their kin."

"A swordsinger would make a better soldier than commander, though. What use are all his skills if he's cooped up here in a castle?" Dimitri countered.

"I'm agreeing with the tan Imperial. Our sword-swinging armored death-bringer would be better on the field than here." Iris cut in, forcing Hjorn to hold back his comments with a wave of her palm for silence. "And he neglected to put in his vote, so ignore his eligibility anyways." Iris sighed, unfolding her arms and raising them at her sides in frustration. "Well, the only nomination to receive any sort of agreement if for Haki. If my vote counts for anything..." Iris looked to Haki and flashed him a smile, before lowering her arms and pointing at him. "I'd agree on you as well."
--------------------
Jalin grunted as he hefted Arybeth's body from the ground, rising to full height with her cradled limply in his arms. If one were to look twice, and carefully a third time, it looked almost as if the Ansei was crying. Almost.

"Master? Master?! Master!" Jalin called out in the fresh morning air of the desert valley, the sand and dust dancing in the rays of light that shined through the Hall of War windows above. Like the other students, he'd heard the news; there had been a fight in the dunes in the cold of night. Orc raiders had come from the mountains, and the Ansei of the Hall had chosen to stand their ground and protect the people of the nearby village. Now, the warriors were returning.

But they carried a sack between them as they came, and respectfully laid this on the ground. Jalin balked. It couldn't be...

"They swarmed us, using spiked gauntlets and war hammers." One of the Ansei spoke, gripping his side where a rib had been broken. "They had prepared for us, knew a way around the Sword Tremor; They knew Master was the only Second Level Ansei in this Hall."

Jalin collapsed to his knees before the sack, still unable to fathom Master's death. As the injured went to the local temple for healing, Master's second, the successor in case of his death, placed a hand on Jalin's shoulder.

"It was his time, young Jalin." The Redguard child looked up at the masked warrior, disbelief in his eyes. "We cannot live forever, my child. Nor can we erase our own weaknesses. One day, our weakness will be our death. But what makes us Ansei is this; when our time comes, we do not cower in fear, or flee in vain hopes to survive. We face our deaths with hot blood and cold steel, daring the Gods of War to take us. If they deem it our time, then it is the best we can do."

"His soul lives on in the swords of his students, my child. So long as you live, breathe, and fight, he will not die."

Jalin laid her down on the ground, in a place where there was currently no tombstone. Like his Master, Jalin would bury her with her sword in her hand; like she should have died. And she would live on in his swords, taking Hurak blood for as long as he could swing. It was the only thing he could do for his apprentice. Leaving her laying there peacefully, Jalin turned and headed into the street, seeking out the smith, hoping he may know where Arybeth's sword had gone.

Haki was flattered, and the more he thought about it, the more that the position of leading Mountainholm seemed inviting. But yet again, that damn Seras had to pop in with his own comment. God he hated that man.

"Haki is a fighter, not a leader." Seras said, loud as ever. "Say what you like about me, but I know politics, I could keep this place in shape-"

"-What are you suggesting, dark-skin?" Do'Shar refused to even acknowledge him by name, and he already knew what Seras was proposing, he just wanted to hear it straight out, without all the damn monologuing.

"That I am given control." Seras's words came upon the hall like an execution order, silencing everyone before Haki finally snapped.

"Tell me you're not serious." Haki said, his temper barely keeping below the surface. "I'd rather a common beggar be put on the throne than you. The people would hate you sooner than they would hate the Hurak."

"Be that as it may, you know that as far as politics and strategy go, I'm pretty much your best option." Haki hated that the man was right, he hated that Seras was in fact one of the cleverest men in the room. That didn't stop the fact that he simply could not be allowed into a position of power though, he couldn't allow it.

"No." He said finally, with a determination that silenced Seras if only for a few seconds. "I won't allow it, no one here will either." He only now realised that he had come off his chair, now stood straight, he looked to the others, seeking their support.

"Figures he would." Hjorn remarked with a huff, placing one foot on the table and leaning back in his chair. Iris' response was far less anti-social or rude, but hardly pleasured.

"You seem to think political and strategic power is all that matters in a leader, huh? You must be Redoran, or Indoril. Dres is stretching it." She spoke, looking at Seras directly now, and unfolding her arms. "Perhaps you don't know it, but my work in espionage has given me contact with a variety of leader types, and I know what makes them good and bad. The geniuses were complete ass holes, and their fate was revolutions, revolts, mutinies and infamy. The more mediocre leaders became legends amongst their people. They were good leaders, maybe not as good as the ass holes, but they were also good people, so they gained respect and love from those below them."

"It's an old proverb in the Nordic tribes. Ignore your enemies, but never deny the advice of friends. Asses are enemies; Savard was a friend. If I was there, I would have placed myself before him, and taken the Hurak's dagger." Hjorn carried on, rising from his seat and pointing at Seras. "If the Hurak were about to decapitate you, I'd let 'em. And then I'd kill 'em when they finished."

"Likewise." Dimitri nodded.

"Boys! SIT DOWN!" Iris yelled, throwing her hands down. For a moment, her anger broke through her calm facade. "This is getting us nowhere fast. The fact remains it is unanimous the ego isn't going to lead. We don't need to resort to this sort of talk to affirm that!" Iris relaxed, shoulders easing, before glaring sidelong at Seras. "Your comments are negative to the rest, unhelpful to the whole, and you're only inciting chaos. Please fall silent, before I do it for you." Her voice had returned to its calm, and that calm seemed to ooze with the threat in her words. One more remark from him, and a Silence spell would put him out of commission.

Seras met Iris's eyes, and for a moment, he seemed subdued. "As you wish." He said with a lack of emotion and coolness that seemed his trademark. He sat there for a few more seconds before, without another word, he stood, calmly and courteously bowing to Iris.

"I have given my opinion." He told her, "Now, like the Redguard before me, I must depart. My reasons are my own." Although there was no apparent malice in his words, something about them made Haki feel uneasy, and as Seras began to leave the room with a measured and smooth walk, Haki's eyes didn't leave him for a second, not until he had left the room completely.

"I'll kill him." Haki said, bluntly. "I'll actually kill him if he tries anything." Do'Shar's head nodded in approval as a small rare smile spread over his lips.

"I'd keep an eye on him." A new voice came from the chair at the other side of the table. It was Gerald, who had been silent throughout the entire meeting. "People like him... they have a habit of making themselves a nuisance."

"Oh, don't worry, we will." Do'Shar's voice, as ever, was completely serious. "He already has the most important people in Mountainholm against him, he can't do anything." After saying that, he glanced at Iris, before looking back at Haki. "I believe I've already stated who I believe should be the new leader of Mountainholm, Haki, do the others agree?" His gaze turned to the rest of the room.

Samisul watched Seras leave, his eyes mimicking Haki's. His lips remained tight as the man left and the others spoke of killing him. Iris cut the air with her hand at Haki.

"You will not kill him, or arrange his death. He's full of himself, but he's also a part of this stronghold, and without him our chances of surviving drop yet again. We watch him, but we don't kill him. We kill Hurak, not men." Samisul nodded at Iris' words, before setting his hands on the table.

"I think she should lead." The words brought silence to the entire room, and hung in the air. A thick fog of unexpected speech that clung to the ears of those who had heard.

"I... I..." Iris began to stammer, one hand reflexively moving to one of the two braided tails of hair. Her other began to pick at the leathers of her Myra outfit nervously. "I'm-"

"Compassionate, kind, fair and sound of judgment, confident, and respectable." Samisul cut her off.

"And also as experienced in command as I am in the application of mascara." Dimitri snorted, shaking his head. "And if you'd seen her in her work outfit, 'respectable' wouldn't apply much."

Iris jutted her lower lip at this. "Well I'm sorry you consider practicality to be improper, but it helps me finish my job." She snapped back, her words biting before she cast an appreciative smile to Samisul. "I thank you for the nomination, but I'm hardly fit; I'm better for espionage and advising. Not leading."

"Anyone can see that; honestly, Samisul, sometimes you are just too soft-hearted for a soldier." Hjorn chided, before setting his own hand on the table. "I think we are all in agreement on Haki's command, yes?" As Hjorn changed the subject, Iris still felt uneasy, and scooted herself away from the center of the circle of attention.

OOC: Oh politics, such sweet sorrow, how I would have never guessed this RP would have fallen into this at the start

IC: "If I am to be in command." Haki said, looking towards Iris, who had sneaked away from the centre of attention. "I want Iris to be the second in command, full stop, if I am to die while leading, she takes command, while I live in leadership, her decisions are to be obeyed at all times."

Do'Shar could see it already, Haki was taking command, not in a bad way, but he could see it in the man's eyes. It was dawning upon himself that he actually would have to lead the keep, for better or worse. He'd seen it all before, but seeing it happen with an old friend was so much more different. It was... interesting. With an air of finality about him, he stood up, first glancing at Haki then looking upon everyone else in the room. "If anyone does not wish Haki to step up to Lord of Mountainholm, then say it now."

Haki looked up at the Khajit, everything about him screamed dominance in a way that few other men seemed capable of, Jalin, maybe, and some might consider himself to have that air, but needless to say he was glad Do'Shar was on his side through this struggle. When he glanced back at everyone in the room, he realised that his heart was beating faster than ever before. Did he actually want this?

It didn't matter now.

That's what he told himself, this was for the people, they needed a figure of strength, and he would give them that.

OOC: Oh crap...look who's back...



Now, let's see if I can get him back into the swing of things...

IC:

What...what the hell happened? As Lance slowly began to regain consciousness, the question seemed to repeat through his mind without end. What happened? I remember...walking? Walking with the others, almost at the castle, and then...a Hurak? A shaman. And a fireball...a big fireball...

Gods damn, everything hurts...

"Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect to see you waking up anytime soon."

Lance slowly cracked open his eyes, only to find himself immediately blinded by the sudden burst of light in his face. He slugishly attempted to move, but the very attempt sent waves of pain through every part of his body, and all he managed was a strained groan. Slowly, his vision returned, and he was greeted by the sight of an elderly Breton man standing over him, wrinkled forehead meeting wispy grey hair half way up his head.

"Just relax, son. Tell me where it hurts," the Breton man asked, his voice calm, and in Lance's opinion, disturbingly nonchalant.

"Just all my bones...and organs..." Lance grunted, forcing himself to sit up in the large bed he'd been lain upon. He looked up to the Breton, curious. "Where the hell am I, anyway? What happened?"

"You're in the hospital wing of Mountainholm," the Breton replied matter-of-factly. "Which is where you've been since the recon team found your half-frozen ass outside. You were in pretty rough shape, too; burns, open wounds, not to mention frostbite...some of the men didn't think you'd make it."

At the mention of frostbite, Lance quickly looked down at his body, ensuring that everything was still there. He gingerly flexed his extremities with a slight sensation of pain jumping through them, which satisfied him that everything was still attached, and noticed that his hands were bandaged. "So, what's the word?" he asked.

"Well, you seem to be alright now. Everything's been healed; I'd say the pain should subside once you get moving around a bit," the Breton remarked. "Just wait here a while longer, and I'm sure one of the guards will be by to fill you in on anything you need to know."

"Thanks, pops," Lance replied as the Breton walked off. As his strength began to return, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, removing the bandages from his hands. I wonder where Karst and the others are? he wondered to himself, unwrapping his bandages. Hope they made it here in better shape than I did.

"Holy hell, you're awake." Came the voice of a man, a soldier too. He walked over briskly to where Lance sat, a big grin upon his unshaven face. "You can thank me for findin' your sorry ass out there." He told him, "Looks like the healer did a good job on you anyway, that's important, I guess." The man seemed to be happy that Lance was awake, but also somehow preoccupied, as if he had something else to do. "You know you were out for nearly a full day in here?" He asked, "You were out there for two, at least, we sort of worried that you wouldn't make it, you were lucky."

It was then that the healer left, seemingly satisfied with his work. He said goodbye to the soldier and nodded at Lance, before heading out of the keep into the freezing cold.

"You've come around at an... interesting time." The soldier told him, looking just beyond the hospital wing to where two large doors were closed, it looked like an important room lied within, and two guards were positioned outside. "We've got pretty much all of the commanders in Mountainholm sat in there discussing politics and who's gonna' be the new leader of this place." He then looked back to Lance. "The old leader, Savard, one of the best men you'll ever meet, died not a few hours ago." His words were sombre, all hope that had come from the talk about the meeting gone from his voice. "From the looks of it, the meeting hasn't gone so well, we've already had about three different people storm out of there, one of them a big guy in ebony armour, didn't want to get in his way I'll tell you that!"

After that speech, he sat down nearby Lance, both to wait for the meeting to finish and to find out some more about the man they'd found out there in the wastes. "So, what's your story then?"

OOC: DarkNova, you're back!

IC: Iris took a larger step back, her hand coming up to her chest and splayed out as if holding her heart and preventing it from falling out of her ribcage. She would have taken another step back, minus the fact the wall was in her way. So she just leaned on it instead, silent as she looked at Haki with an incredulous stare. Did he just-?

The silence held for some time, and after a minute Hjorn rose from his seat, adjusting the collar of his fur lined chainmail. "I think it has been decided. Lord Haki, allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your new position, and pledge my loyalty to your throne."

"I as well." Dimitri added, also rising and setting his sword before him on the table.

"And I suppose, on behalf of our Redguard friend, I do the same. I have a feeling he would have approved of this decision." Samisul commented, rising as well.

Iris remained silent, eyes now wandering to her feet, and her hand moving away from her chest to fondle her braid. It was her favorite part of this outfit; the hair style.

OOC: [censored] yeah! Good to be back.

IC: Lance gave an appreciative nod to the rather large guard who had addressed him, rubbing his now unbandaged hands together in an attempt to get the feeling back. "Thanks for taking the time to find me out there. I'm not exactly used to this kind of weather," he remarked, his tone revealing the magnitude of his understatement. Had he known where he was going to end up when he began this little expedition, he would have brought something heavier than his suede jacket. Like a woolen robe. Or maybe a parka.

The guard went on to tell him how the old leader of the fortress, Savard, had been killed just hours earlier, and how the commanders were now discussing the political situation. What this equated to in Lance's mind, though, was that they were squabbling over who got to call the shots. His attention didn't truly pique, however, until he heard the remark about the 'big guy in ebony armour.' Jalin! Lance immediately thought with a sense of relief, grinning to himself. He should have known that the one man powerhouse was too arrogant and stubborn to have died.

"So, what's your story then?"

Lance looked over to the man sitting next to him. "Who, me?" he asked, though rather pointlessly. Well, there's nobody else sitting here. Ugh...maybe being outside that long froze part of my brain. Lance gave a slight shrug to the guard. "Not much to say, really. I was travelling up here with the others, when I got blasted by some lousy Hurak [censored]-tard. Must've knocked me out cold, though, because the next thing I know, I'm waking up here, feeling like I got mauled by a bear." The Imperial glanced at the nightstand next to his bed, and, much to his relief, found his appropriated Hurak gauntlets resting there, along with his jacket. He reached over and grabbed both items, putting them on as he sat.

"Don't suppose you can tell me how the rest of my friends are doing?" Lance asked as he put his hands inside the heavy chainmail gauntlets. "They would've been with the group that showed up here, I guess."

OOC: Gonna update the Dramatis Personae sheet soonishly.

IC: Haki smiled nervously at his men, "I can't believe I'm doing this." He added, he looked down once more to realise his hand was shaking slightly, he couldn't remember the last time he had actually shaken out of nerves like this. It was barely noticeable to anyone else, but to him it felt like his entire body was shaking. He calmed himself.

"Right, we have a lot to sort out now." He told them all, "But some of it can be done later, right now we need to decide how to tell everyone about Savard's death, and what we tell them." This was the part of being a leader that Haki did not really want, decisions, morale, deceit, he didn't doubt that Savard had lied a thousand times while being here to protect people, but that was Savard, he was good at that sort of stuff, he was a genius, Haki was a soldier. And a painfully blunt one at that, he'd been told.

~-------------~

"Well, I don't know about all of your personal friends." The soldier told Lance, frowning. "But we lost quite a few of our own taking out that Hurak compound, apparantly though the amount of prisoners there more than doubled the amount we sent to save them, god knows what the Hurak were keeping them for." He sighed, before adding, "God, can you imagine what it would have been like to have been kept there, imprisoned by the Hurak?" He was of course, completely unaware that Lance was there, he was one of the one Savard had got out with his plan.

"All that I know is we lost about thirty soldiers taking out the compound, but we get near two hundred captives back. Chances are, if you ask around, your friends will be staying somewhere. Try the local inns."

How to break it to the people... Iris had already thought about this for a short time before the meeting. Her conclusion was that a soldier was not fit to make the announcement, as their abilities with the power of words were lackluster at best. And now, she was to be in charge of these men, as a second in command...

"Haki." Iris rose her voice slowly, looking from the ground to level her eyes with the large man. "I'm honored to be your second in command, but I am no soldier, or tactician. If Vivian was here, he would fair better than me; he at least has some experience from the Fighter's Guild. I'm only good for messaging and information gathering." Iris removed herself from the wall, stepping towards the center again.

"But I am also far better than anyone in this room at public speaking, I'm sure. Allow me to make the announcement, but spread the word of a gathering in front of the castle."
--------------------
"I never met this lass myself, friend." The Orc replied, face solemn from the news Jalin had given. "She likely went ta the other smith, just a few blocks down this here street. Sorry about what happened ta her."

Jalin simply nodded, silently turning and leaving the smithy, face as stone set as ever. Hopefully Arybeth's blade was there, so she could be buried as a proper warrior.

ooc: DARKNOVA!! *flying hug* Good to have you back.

ic: Karst looked over at the wine bottle, raised it to her lips and took a long drink from it, then rammed the cork in and set it back on the table. "I'll just leave it. It's not strong enough for what I need right now anyway. I swear, if I ever find that shaman again, I'll kill him, cut off his head and piss down his trachea.."

"Gods, Karst.. That's not healthy." Zant said, a little shocked at the graphic nature of what she'd just said.

"What? He'll be dead, it's not like he'll mind." Karst shrugged, getting up and slinging her pack over her shoulder, "Besides, don't want 'im to be thirsty in hell, do I?"

"I meant it's not healthy to think like that. And that's just sick, sis. More than normal for you, even."

Karst just looked at him and shook her head. "What the hell's that supposed to mean? Look, I'm pissed off, okay? I'm sick and friggin' tired of this crap and I'm not going to take it anymore. Just like the Daedra before, the Hurak have screwed my life up. I could've been happy, I could've had a family and finally put all this crap behind me and they stole that from me. So, I'm gonna let 'em know what I think of that with some good, old-fashioned carnage."

"Karst.. I understand you're upset, but being violent like that isn't good.." Zant insisted.

Cracking her neck and back, Karst went to the door, then sighed and turned, looking her brother straight in the eyes. "Look, I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of dealing with jerks and idiots and stupid humans and their incapability to lead their people. I'm sick of the elitist nobles that think I'm below them just because they were born rich, sick of the military jerks that think they own me just because they've got a uniform, sick of the sixist, ignorant asswipes acting like just because I don't have a dike, I can't do anything for myself and I'm sick of being treated like crap for being a half-breed. I'm about ready to bite the throat out of the next jack-off that mouths off to me for any of it and spit their blood in their face." She growled and shook her head, her voice calming a bit now. "I'm thirty-four, Zant, with a son to feed and raise and care for, practically on my freakin' own. I don't need this [censored]."

"I agree, but for now, just get some rest. Please. It's not good for you to get worked up like this."

"Zant, I'm not ten, and I'm not going to just take this."

"Sis, please. Just calm down. There's nothing we can do right now, anyway."

"Like hell. I'm not gonna just sit by while--"

"Karst!" Zant roared suddenly. She just squeaked and flinched. Zant had never yelled at her like that before, and the look in his eyes scared her. "You need to take it easy a while. You wear yourself out now, you'll have nothing left to fight back with later. Just calm down, get some rest and worry about it once you've gotten some sleep. I can't be here tonight and I want to know you're going to be okay and stay out of trouble."

"I.. You.. You yelled at me." Karst said, her voice fearful. "You've never yelled at me before.. What.. what's up with you?"

Zant sighed. Hell, the full moon must be closer than I thought. "I.. I'm sorry, Karst. I didn't mean to upset you, I just.." He went to put a hand on her shoulder and she stepped back, eyes wide and scared, like a kitten whose tail'd just been stomped on. "The full moon's getting close and I get edgy. Sis.. you know I'd never yell at you on purpose, I--"

"N-No.. It.. it's fine. I just.. You've always been gentle and sweet to me, like a few minutes ago. This.." she gestured at him, "This scares me. How do I know you're not dangerous? I'll just.. be one of the inn taverns or.. something. I need a bit."

"Karst! Wait.. I.." Zant started, but she was gone. His ears and head drooped and he leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry.." he finished to the air, then slid down to the floor and balled his hands into fists. "Why now? Why with her? I.. I hope she'll let me explain.. I hope she won't hate me. If I alienated her... Gods.. what the hell am I anymore?"
_______
Down the road a bit, Karst walked with her hands again rammed into her pockets, though this time she looked less angry and more scared. "He's never yelled at me before.. Ever. Not even when I really deserved it. I don't think he'd hurt me, but.. how can I know for sure?" she muttered.

As Jalin walked out of the smithy, Karst walked right into him and fell flat on her back, her hands not coming out of her pockets in time to help her. She looked up at Jalin and just tilted her ears back another notch. She didn't even have it in her to gripe at him right now. It didn't matter. Instead, she just got up and started off in the direction of the inns again, not making a sound except for the small yell of surprise and slight pain when she fell down. I need a drink so bad. Hell, I wonder if anyone here sells skooma?

ooc: Four day old spelling errors, lol.

OOC: It's Aula! Thanks; good to be back.

IC: "God, can you imagine what it would have been like to have been kept there, imprisoned by the Hurak?"

Lance tightly pursed his lips in irritation, the distinct sensation of getting punched in the ribs, hard, coming to mind. "Yeah...not fun," he replied simply, fairly certain that the guard hadn't caught on to the irony of the situation. Which suited him just fine; he was much more interested in finding the others than having a debate on the finer points of subtlety with the mystery man.

When the guard mention the inns, however, Lance perked up with excitement, jumping off his bed with only minor pain shooting through his joints. "Yeah, that makes sense!" he replied, though it was made more in general than actually at the guard. "I'm sure somebody at the inns will know where they are!" He turned back to the man, and gave a single wave of thanks, grinning like some hyperactive teen. "Thanks again for the life saving and everything!" he said one last time, putting on his jacket as he made for the door leading outside. "Appreciate it!" And with that, he made his way into the frigid cold outside.

Lance dashed out of the hospital, eager and utterly unbridled. The picture of Karst and the others safely around a fire in the inn played delightfully in the Imperial's mind, casting a smile across his face. It wasn't until after he'd sped a fair distance from the hospital, however, that he realized the quitessential flaw in his current plan, which brought his speedy exit to a hault. He stopped smack dab in the middle of a handful of buildings, a dazed look on his face.

"Uh...where's the inn again?" he asked to nobody in particular.

He glanced around in all directions, rather put off by his own inability to pick out an inn from the various other buildings. How hard is it to pick out a freakin' inn!? he thought to himself as he meandered by the various buildings. Then again, the inn could be in a totally different part of the fort; it's not like he had a map, and he had no idea how the place was laid out, either. Hell, for all he knew, he ran past the damn thing on his way out of the hospital.

This, of course, is where Lance's thinking clearly veered away from that of any methodical individual. Whereas a methodical person would have decided the most effective course of action would simply be to take the time to actually find the inn, Lance believed this plan to be to lengthy and unnecessary. Instead, he fell back on a considerably more impulsive plan, one that required less time to carry out.

"Jalin?" he cried out, slowly resuming his forward momentum as he yelled. "Arybeth? Karst? You guys out there?" he asked, unsure if any of them were even close enough, or even outside for that matter, to hear him.

"Shut up you!" came an angry voice from off to the side. "You wanna attract every Hurak from Leyawinn to here!?"

Lance dismissed the angry beratement, however, and continued his rather hit-and-miss method of searching. "Guys? Can you hear me?"

Haki was happy that he wasn't going to be the one who had to make the speech, he wouldn't know what to say to so many people, Iris seemed like she was the sort of person who could handle that.

"Do'Shar, send the word out to the people, gather in front of the castle for an announcement." Do'Shar nodded at Haki, before quickly leaving the room. "All of you are free to go now, but I want you at the announcement in about twenty minutes." He stood as he said it, and then moved closer to Iris, patting her on the shoulder. "Thanks." He simply said, a smile almost spreading across his face. Then, like Do'Shar, he left the room, but he headed up the stairs towards Savard's quarters. The least I can do right now is clean it up a bit, the guards will have already disposed of the dead Hurak.

That brought his thoughts to another thing, Savard's funeral. He would do it after the announcement, he decided. Have him cremated in the centre of Mountainholm, that's what he would have wanted. The small corridor leading to Savard's old quarters was devoid of guards or people, probably the first time he had seen it like that.

Upon entering the room, he sighed.

Still a mess, the soldiers had done their best with the blood, but the room still looked like a warzone. In fact, it all overwhelmed him slightly, and without warning he collapsed onto a miraculously unbroken chair and just sat, head in his hands, in utter silence.

Iris smiled weakly to Haki as he patted her shoulder, the strong man almost making her lose balance with his simple pat, but she held firm. When he left though, Iris' smile slipped, and a frown grew in size across her face.

"Miss?" A male voice interrupted, but Iris was staring at the floor so didn't see the speaker. The accent was colovian, though. I'm going to be second in command, of an entire garrison worth of men... their lives... in the hands of my decisions and plans. Her hands clenched into fists, and then she moved to one of the chairs, throwing herself into it.

"Miss Marcy?" Iris looked up at the speaker, indeed an Imperial; Samisul. He looked concerned, and Iris grit her teeth.

"Why did you suggest ME?" She snapped in a low tone, hands moving to clasp the sides of her head. "By Vivec, I'm not fit for leadership of any capacity. Maybe a small group of people, but even then I'm hardly qualified. Did it once back in the Crisis, didn't enjoy having to deal with them. I'm not that kind of material. I'm a spy; a shadow-lurking behind the scenes piece of the action."

"Well, I have faith that you can do it." Samisul remarked calmly, leaning his hands on the table. "You took good control of the council, almost naturally. And if you cannot be a leader, you would at least make a good figurehead for the public eye, as they would be more likely to trust you and take comfort in your words."

Iris smiled halfheartedly at this compliment, before reaching out and gingerly pushing Samisul backwards by his forehead. "Captain Hjorn was right, you're a very softhearted soldier. I suppose I ought to get ready for my speech." She sighed, getting up and leaving without another word.
-------------------------
"Jalin?" The word came out shortly after Karst had ran into the Ansei, jolting him back into awareness of the world around him. If not for that accident, he might not have heard the call at all. It sounded familiar, somewhat annoying and comical.

Even though he had held out a hand to help Karst up, she had recovered and ran off of her own accord, so Jalin instead turned to the source of the sound, to see a single figure moving through the chilly afternoon air (OOC: I think it's near afternoon now, yes?) aimlessly. Jalin moved forward, one eyebrow raised quizzically at the approaching being.

"Lance?" He guessed, answering back to the call as he approached. "Weren't you dead?"

ooc: Ugh.. this is the first time I've been sick in years. It svckS.

ic: Karst hadn't noticed the hand up that she was offered, but she'd barely gotten a couple meters away when she heard a familiar voice call out, and called her by name. "Jalin? Arybeth? Karst? You guys out there?" The voice sounded worried, maybe even scared. Another voice told it to shut up and was ignored in its entirety. "Guys? Can you hear me?"

Turning, she saw a comfortably dressed, tall, slender figure and stared a moment. Wait.. is that.. I thought he was dead.. Holy crap, it is! Karst took off at a lightning run, blurring by Jalin and hearing his similar thoughts on Lance's assumed demise, before plowing into the man at barely reduced speed. "Laaaaance!" she yelled as she ran, then immediately hugged him about his stomach, her head resting on his lower ribcage. She'd almost forgotten how tall he was. This was the up she'd really needed at the moment. "Ohmigosh it's so good to see you." she said, then laughed. "And here I thought humanity's greatest member had died. Where the [censored] have you been hiding?"

OOC: Ah, don't worry about it, Aula. Getting sick once in a while, it's good for ya. Builds yer immune system!

IC:

"Lance? Weren't you dead?"

A wry grin broke out across Lance's face as he recognized the collected, nonchalant voice that spoke to him. Same old Jalin... Lance thought to himself. There he was, practically ripped from the gaping maw of death itself, and the Redguard was too wrapped up in his 'tough guy' persona to admit how much he'd probably missed his good Imperial friend. Not that he'd expected, nor really wanted, an emotional outburst from the man; the only emotional outbursts he'd seen from Jalin had ended with a high body count.

All these thoughts raced quickly through Lance's mind, as he turned around to face the Redguard. What caught his eye, however, was the zooming blur of white, topped off with red, that rushed towards him, and the Imperial felt a sense of elation rise up in his chest. "Karst!" he cried out, happily wrapping his arms around her as she embraced him in a hug of her own. "It's great to see you too!"

She proceeded to ask him about where he'd been 'hiding.' "Well, they tell me I've been in the hospital for the last few days. Apparently, they found me half frozen outside the city," he explained to Karst, though loudly enough so Jalin could surely hear him. "They say I was pretty banged up. Honestly, if it's not a pack of ravenous wolves, it's a giant ass fireball; I'm starting to get the feeling the Hurak don't like me." He glanced up at Jalin, an obnoxious smile growing on his features. "And you missed me, didn't ya buddy? Thinking I was dead and all. Don't worry, though; your secret is safe with me!" he cried out, before looking back down to Karst.

And it was then that, without even realizing it, Lance's playful, youthful expression took on a more genuine, appreciative look. Out of everyone in the whole group since they'd left the Imperial City, Karst had been the one who Lance had felt he'd grown the closest to. And to see her again truly meant something special to him. "And how about you, Karst?" he asked, gently rubbing her back with his hand. "How ya been holding up?"

Karst began purring as soon as Lance had returned the hug, quietly at first but getting progressively louder, her glee at seeing the Imperial again barely contained. She laughed a little at his quip to Jalin, a typical Lance reply, then looked up at him as his voice and expression got more serious and caring, smiling at the feeling of having her back rubbed. "And how about you, Karst? How ya been holding up?"

Suddenly, a vice of cold gripped her heart. She didn't want to burden Lance or make it so that Jalin couldn't say hello to him if he wanted to, but at the same time she felt he deserved not to be lied to. Something about him told her he'd rather get the cold, painful truth than a sugar-coated, fake 'everything's fine' sort of response.

"I.. I'm not gonna bull-[censored] you, Lance; I've certainly seen better days. I don't know if you know yet, but Arybeth and Juliek were killed today, along with Savard getting assassinated. The Shaman got free somehow, whether the Hurak assassins freed him or he broke loose is unknown, but what I do know is that we lost friends today. And to top it off, my brother just yelled at me, which may not seem like a big deal but.. he's never yelled at me. Even when I really deserved it.. I.. I'm scared of everything right now. I don't feel safe anywhere, my friends are dying around me and now I'm scared of my own damn brother, my only blood relative left that I didn't have to make myself." Karst informed him somberly.

"It brightens my day to see you still alive though, Lance." She added, squeezing him. "Maybe.. if you don't have better things to do of course.. we could go grab a drink together again later? I really need someone to talk to and I think I've burdened Odeen enough to last several elven lifetimes already.. I.. I'd understand if you've got more important stuff to do, though."

ooc: Yeah, you're right, but that doesn't stop the fact that it still svcks hairy ass.

OOC:
:lol:

IC: Jalin walked up to the two as Lance and Karst embraced, and when Lance commented to him, the Redguard actually smiled. It was a small curving of one corner of the lip, more of a contented smirk than anything else, but it was genuine. It shone in his eyes as much as his face.

Even though Karst brought up the subject before he could say anything in response to Lance, Jalin still placed one gauntlet-clad hand on the Imperial's shoulder. "I always miss my comrades. I simply show my remembrance of them in a different way. But it is always a pleasure to see a comrade rise from the grave and escape the grasp of the Gods of War. Especially in a time like this, when we need everyone we can." These last words signified the fall of his smile into a serious line yet again, as he became all business.

"Karst speaks the truth. Arybeth is dead, Juliek's body missing, and a guard killed. Savard has been slain by the Hurak; they are apparently capable assassins as well as brutish warriors. The captains are choosing his successor now, and I have been promoted to a general within Mountainholm. I have no idea what will become of this place now. But I must recover Arybeth's blade from the local smith, and lay her body to rest with the respect she deserves. Excuse me." With a nod of his head, he clanked down the snowy street, leaving Karst and Lance alone.

Jalin's confirmation that he had indeed missed Lance, something that normally would have elicitted a far more jovial response from the Imperial, was instead met with only silence, as he stood, still holding Karst, with a confused look upon his face. His dark green eyes looked almost as if in another place, looking blankly into nowhere in particular.

Arybeth...is dead? he thought to himself, almost in disbelief. He didn't want to believe that he would never again have the chance to speak with her, and revel in her rather dry sense of humour. She had been with the group since the beginning, and although the two of them had never quite seen eye to eye, he had appreciated her company, in the time he'd known her.

I wonder if she knew that? he wondered silently to himself.

Lance managed a slight nod of his own towards Jalin as the Redguard made his way towards the blacksmith, going to recover Arybeth's blade. Lance remembered how much she'd hated fighting, killing, even when it meant taking down the Hurak. As Jalin moved down the street, away from Karst and himself, Lance silently prayed to the gods that Arybeth would no longer need her weapon, and that she could know the peace she couldn't afford in life.

But, despite the tragedy that had fallen upon the group, Lance was determined to move forward. He was going to be there for Karst and the others, when it seemed that they needed each other the most. His eyes snapped back into focus, and he looked down at Karst with a compassionate smile. "Hey, grabbing a drink with you is always important stuff in my book, Karst," he told her, rubbing her back gently. "I'm just sorry I haven't been around the last couple days. But, I'm here now, so whenever you like, we can grab that drink."

*OOC* ...What? All my classes are ending, I'm a busy person right now. Fortunately this shall soon change! =D */OOC*

The Khajiit watched as the gates opened, expression not changing visibly as the parting structure revealed the man beyond. His eyes passed over the other, as if carefully inspecting him for faults before moving his legs and beginning his approach. There was nothing loose about his gait; he appeared to march as if he were walking among a hundred other men in a military formation, the most noticeable difference being that, rather than steel-covered heels stomping firmly into the snow, his feline paws stepped quietly like those of a thief. The quiet clattering of his armor was the only distinct sound signaling his approach.

As he neared the other man, he stopped, standing up to his full height. He did not completely dwarf the other, but certainly appeared more massive. "So," he said, voice still not recovering from its long periods of silence, "who are you?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You look like you need those, but it will take a lot longer to heal if you just lay around all the time, especially on the part that hurts." Reissa removed the gloves covering her hands, though they were not much help and still left her hands feel as if they would shatter were she to smack them against a hard surface. She stuck them in her armpits under her robe. "Besides, it's better to just do it now and not risk it being worse than you think later. I don't have much money for food, anyway, so it isn't like we'll be feasting and that will solve all our problems."

ooc: Hey, FC, remember way back in ColdHarbour when Fedura was almost a decent person? Heh.. That was quite a miracle, wasn't it? *has been reading old threads*

ic: Fedura was very uneasy about the idea of another female touching her. "I.. I can heal it in a bit myself." The Dunmer excused herself pathetically, "I just need a bit of eats and sleep. I've got some bread and meat in my pack, but it's probably not much good. Certainly not enough for the both of us."

In truth, there was more than enough for a decent meal for both her and Reissa, but, being broke and not wanting to share what little she had for fear she might starve to death later, she lied. Fedura was known for a good many things, but kindness and charity, or even common civil decency for that matter, were not among them.

"I've only got six gold, but I think you should take it." she added a couple moments later in a rare display of the aforementioned missing qualities, fishing the coins out of her robe and holding them out in her leathered hand. "It should at least get you a loaf of bread and a drink. I can get by with just water for now. I.. I'm not good with gratitude and stuff, but.. thanks for the help, uhm.. Reissa, right? I'll be fine here by myself for a bit, you go get something for yourself."
_______
Zant sat on the bed of the former noble siblings' house. He'd drained the bottle of wine Karst had cracked open and was now hunched over, elbows on his knees and face in his hands. It was rare that something bothered the warrior cat enough to make him take to drinking, but the possibility of making his sister, his only remaining family, hate him was enough to do the trick.

"I wonder if there even are any Gods anymore. I've followed the Nine as best I could all these years but.. this.. Why would they do this? First Mehrunes Dagon, now the Hurak. So many innocent people.. dead. And to what purpose?" he mused to himself in partial drunkenness, "If this is some kind of divine plan, I don't want anything to do with it.. And what is it anyway? A test? A cleansing? Or have they just forsaken us?"

Zant shook his head and grunted, pushing himself from his seat. "I think I'm beginning to realize how Karst feels; one tragedy after another, it never ends."

Leaving, he walked over to one of the inn/taverns and approached the innkeeper and bartender. "Gimme a beer.. actually.. make that two." Zant stated depressively.

"Somethin' wrong, m'friend?" the old Imperial asked as he filled a pair of tankards.

"Yeah, but.. I don't really want to talk about it." he admitted. The Imperial shrugged and set the alcohol on the counter.

"Your call, my feline friend. Here, hope this helps. Eight gold, if you'd be so kind."

"Thanks.." Grabbing the two beers and tossing the gold on the counter, he sat down at a table in the corner and took a long gulp from one, posture slumped and ears set back. One elbow rested on the table, his chin in his fist, the other held the handle of the metal tankard. Gods.. I hope she doesn't hate me. I've never seen her look so scared.
_______
Karst just hugged Lance numbly as Jalin spoke. Part of her wanted to apologize for screaming at the Ansei, and another part wanted desperately to catch him with his armor off so she could kick him in the groin until his genitals fell off, and then maybe a few times in the face after that. At the moment, the craving to kick dominated the urge to apologize, but more than either one, Karst was simply glad to see Lance living and breathing. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, Lance's brand of arrogance didn't make her want to hurt him like arrogant behavior usually did with her. She actually found it oddly pleasant, perhaps even comforting in a way. After a bit, though, Jalin left and Lance spoke to her. When she looked up, he was smiling at her.

"Hey, grabbing a drink with you is always important stuff in my book, Karst," Lance informed her, still rubbing her back reassuringly, "I'm just sorry I haven't been around the last couple days. But, I'm here now, so whenever you like, we can grab that drink."

Karst smiled a tad herself and let go after another little squeeze around his middle. "Thanks, Lance. I'm just glad you're back. If you're up for it, how's about now? Hell, I'll even buy. I'm just grateful for the company.." she said graciously. "Pick a tavern, any tavern. There's one in each inn from what I hear. I don't care much which one."

ooc: You get to decide if we stumble into Zant in Lance's inn of choice or not, Nova. ^_^

Jalin found the smithy easily, seeing as there were only two in the stronghold, and entered with purpose, moving straight to the counter without even closing the door behind him. The smith looked up at the approaching Redguard in surprise, but managed to hold himself together well enough to inquire as to the Redguard's reason for being in the shop.

"Did you have a customer by the name of Arybeth, average height, short haired noble girl with an ebony longsword?" Jalin asked without skipping a beat.

"Yeah... why?"

"She was my apprentice. She just died." These words came out with a skipped beat, as he seemed to hold back a choke at saying them, but remained steady in tone. The smith was not quite as unemotionally trained, however, and his face dropped at the news.

"Oh... my.."

"I came to retrieve her sword. I wish to bury it with her, out of respect." Jalin cut into the smith's miniature mourning, snapping him back from his silence. Nodding, he headed into the back of the smithy to find the blade. When he came back, Jalin already had the money on the table, and took the blade with an appreciative nod before departing.

He didn't get far from the smithy doorstep before a soldier stopped him on the road. "General Jalin. Commander Haki want's you to report to the castle in twenty minutes for an announcement." So they've decided who shall lead, then.

"Very well, I will be there. Carry on."