Marudil: Blood And Arrows Ch. 4

• Posted by MarkusMasterThief October 8, 2014 - 829 views

  

  The first of the Imga that struck at Marudil was met with a savage blow to its head, slicing open its face and splashing blood upon the wood elf's armor. Another of the apes struck at Marudil's side from behind, catching him off-guard just long enough for a third ape of the group to stick an elven blade in their enemy's shoulder. Though wounded, Marudil gritted his teeth and pulled the knife from his shoulder, stuffing it in the chest of the ape that planted it. His mind raced with a feverish mixture of frustration and impatience. He had no time for these fools and their loyalty to the Thalmor! Viciously he kicked back the ape striking at him from behind, and threw a knife at a more distant ape preparing to toss a spear.

  "I told you -- this does not concern you!" Marudil shouted, his gravely voice seeming to emphasize his anger. "Flee to your precious masters before I rip the entrails from your bloated corpses!"

  Seemingly in response, a spear was thrown into the back of Marudil's armor. Though it did not cause any grievous injury, the shock of the blow was enough to bring Marudil to the ground momentarily. The other apes saw an opportunity, and threw two more into his left leg and right arm. As Marudil fell to his hands and knees, the remaining apes circled around him.

  "You know..." One said, "He had an interesting idea just now. Have the Thalmor specified whether or not they wish him to be captured alive?"

  "No, not to my recollection." Another replied, "In fact I am under the impression that if we were to slay their coveted adversary, our lordship would be most pleased."

  Marudil growled. "Your... lordship...? ... Idiots... you are nothing to them."

  "Silence, you vile and loathsome criminal!" The first ape said, "You are to be executed, Marudil of Valenwood, for high treason against the Aldmeri Dominion! Have you any last words?"

  But before Marudil could reply, an arrow sped through the trees and pierced the tallest ape's throat. The others sped around, and beheld the sight of Sevria leaping through the air and drawing back another arrow. Before any of the Imga apes could prepare themselves, her arrow found its mark in another of their warriors. Taking advantage of their distraction, Marudil plunged a knife into the sixth ape's spine and spun around, watching as Sevria dispatched the seventh of the apes and incapacitated the final eighth.

  "Speak, wretched ape!" Sevria growled as she pressed a dagger to the Imga's throat, "You were hunting the same great beast that Marudil was pursuing just moments ago. You admitted to it yourselves. Why?"

  "Urgh..." The ape struggled to breathe, amid its frantic adrenaline rush and rapidly beating heart. "We... we were... guh... obliged to slay it... after a summons by our good lordship."

  "There's that name again." Marudil pointed out, plucking the spears from his limbs. "Lordship... who is this lordship of theirs?"

  Sevria lifted an eyebrow and pressed the knife harder against her prey. "Well? Speak!"

  "On- On...dol...emar... ... the revered Thalmor justiciar Ondolemar."

  "I have heard that name." Marudil stated, "He was stationed in Skyrim... sent to keep watch over the city of Markarth in the west."

  "Then what brings him to Valenwood?" Sevria asked the ape.

  "We.... I.... I don't know.... you- you must believe me....!" The ape replied, "He simply wished for us to slay the beast of these woods before she could pose a threat to the Dominion's agents in Valenwood!"

  Marudil's eyes widened at the ape's revelation. "She.....?"

  The ape glanced at Marudil with a surprised expression, realizing how little Marudil knew of the creature. It then looked back at Sevria, whose black eyes seemed to suggest a subtle sense of... worry... a sly grin spread across the ape's face as it spoke once more. "She... a blasphemer such as you, Marudil of Valenwood. A bosmer who chose to break the great Pact of your people and embrace the wild hunt as it had been in ages long past... ... you know of whom I speak..." He grinned at Sevria. "Don't you?"

  In a sudden rush of anger, Sevria violently sliced the head from the ape's shoulders with one clean thrust of her knife. The head rolled to the feet of Marudil, who slowly approached his acquaintance with suspicion in his eyes. "You claimed the ape's life so suddenly.... why, Sevria?"

  Sevria stood tall and silent, with her back turned to Marudil.

  "It said that the... creature... it said that the creature was--"

  "A woman." Sevria finished his statement. "Yes. A woman among the people of Valenwood. .... Your people."

  "Sevria, I--"

  "It is me!" Sevria spun around angrily, "I am the beast you hunted! I am the wretched creature that has stalked the forest for so many years! Every life taken by that feral terror, every last drop of blood spilled by its claws, is all on my hands!"

  Marudil was taken aback, and stood silent for a moment before speaking again. "You... you... I was... sent to--"

  "Sent to kill me. Yes... yes, I'm afraid so."

  "But why? Why have you ravaged the land of your people so? My brother said you'd fallen to madness..."

  Sevria took a deep breath and put her weapons away. "Come, old friend..." She started toward a particular place in the forest. "Follow me... and I shall explain everything."

  --

  Rudinor drew an arrow from his quiver and shot it at his target. Thoughts of his heretic brother plagued his mind as the arrow flew, missing the bulls-eye by a foot. Wearily he put his bow away, before finding himself greeted by Elberoth.

  "Your aim is off." Elberoth pointed out, "And your mind is clouded... what troubles you?"

  "It is my little brother's return." Rudinor replied, "It has summoned unwanted memories to my attention. When he was elected chief, the decision was founded upon the factor of his wisdom... and yet, ironically, it was his mind -- the source of that wisdom -- that robbed him of the throne. After he had left us... though many wished him dead, I prayed that Y'ffre would pardon him. But in the following years I feared that his bitterness would rule his heart... and now, looking upon him once more, it seems my fears have come to fruition."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "I can see it in his face... you've seen it too, have you not? There is a bitterness about his features... seething hatred lays dormant in his eyes... and I fear that his presence may incite yet another massacre in Valenwood, akin to the War of the Blue Divide."

  "Your brother is wiser than you realize. If you allow him to, then he will free us from the Dominion's tyranny without such a war."

  "Do you hear yourself talk, Elberoth? That's all that he knows anymore -- have you not heard of his murderous rampage in Skyrim? It was nothing short of a rash act of war! Therefore I do not trust his judgment nor his leadership in this matter."

  "Then what would you do, to free our tribe from the Dominion? Rather, what have you done?"

  "I? I have maintained peace between our peoples. I have turned the tide of war and brought serenity to the forest once more. I accomplished what Marudil's misguided antics could not."

  "At what cost, Rudinor? Your fear of the Aldmeri Dominion has clouded your senses. Our people now swear fealty to a king and queen who care nothing for our well-being."

  Rudinor glared. "Marudil fought back as best he could... but only death followed in the wake of his rebellion. This is as best it can be... until the Dominion itself is defeated, we must either submit to their will or be destroyed. It is a lesson that my little brother refuses to learn... Sevria was a fool to bring him back to Valenwood."

  With that, Rudinor solemnly returned to his hut to brood in silence. Now alone, Elberoth casually drew out his bow and aimed an arrow at a distant target. His mind went back to days long since past... when he and Marudil, back before he'd broken the sacred Pact, went hunting deep in the northern forests of Valenwood. It was Elberoth who'd spotted what was no doubt the mightiest, most majestic elk they'd ever seen. Marudil chose to let Elberoth take the shot, so he drew the arrow back, took aim... but the shot missed the elk and instead landed in the rear end of a sleeping bear, which instantly spun around and pursued the two of them. Marudil drew out his hunting sword, but was shocked to see Elberoth strike a harsh blow to the bear's head, killing it instantly. It was on that day that Elberoth was declared the "muscle" of the tribe, in light of his less-than-focused handling of a bow. The memory faded from his thoughts, his arrow flew toward the target... and landed right in the bulls-eye.

  Elberoth grinned. "You were right, old friend... focus is everything."