[Skyrim- The Pale]An Unlikely Band

The Pale: one of the coldest holds of Skyrim and one of the most difficult to traverse. There was only a few major roads that lead between the ice fields and the mountains, and heading off of them risked everything from Ice Wraiths and spiders to trolls, Falmer and if you were unlucky, wispmothers.

After about an hour of hard, fast travel through the swampier Hjaalmarch, they had decided they were far enough from the city they escaped from to keep the horses at a fast trot. Nightshade had kept his eyes forward in case they ran into any patrolling Imperial guards, while Eriikka kept glancing back, trying to make sure they weren't followed. After three hours travel, they had slowed down to a walk just as they entered the snow drifts of the Pale. And now, night was fast approaching. Though Nightshade had no doubt that if they stopped, a passing patrol might stumble upon them, a snowstorm was fast approaching, and they needed to stop before they were lost in it. "We need to make camp for the night." The assassin called out to the other two travelers over the sound of the growing wind. "Before we can't even locate firewood."

Kestrel called back, "Agreed!"

It was all the girl could do to keep warm. She had managed to wrap herself in a blanket that was stored on the horse she stole, but it was clear that whoever owned it before wasn't planning to go up into the mountains judging by it's light weight. That combined with the thin prison rags she was wearing...

And the deep wound in her arm probably wasn't helping. "We need to find a place where the wind will reach us as little as possible. Where the horses can fit too!"

Eriikka had been keeping her eyes peeled for shelter since their arrival in the Pale. Unfortunately it was not her usual stomping ground so she could not point them in the right direction. "At this point we should probably just settle for the first place we find that will have walls on two sides of us. I'd rather not travel any further than we have to in this." Eriikka had given up looking behind them, the storm was cutting visibility significantly. In fact she would have been hard pressed to spot a battalion of Thalmor a few hundred feet away in these conditions.

A small frown formed on the assassin's face as he considered his options. Based on how fast they were going and the last place he recalled being able to see properly... "There's a cave not far from here. Should be just south of the road near the mountains." Granted, if he remembered correctly, a bear had lived there before, but he had stayed there just before he went to Morthal. It should not have been claimed by another beast so soon, and maybe the remains of his campfire could be used again. He pulled on the reins of his horse.

"Keep close!" He shouted as he turned to the direction of the cave.

Holding her falcon close to her chest so it wouldn't get lost in the storm, Kestrel managed to keep within a meter of Nightshade as had her horse follow his. Kestrel had to give her horse credit, she was a tough little grey.

"Is it big enough to put the horses in!? They'll freeze to death out here and I'd rather not walk to where we're going! Especially since I think we're being chased on horseback!"

Not to mention the beasts' body heat would add to the warmth of their shelter...and Kestrel was getting attached to her's.

Eriikka steered her horse after the other two wrapping her cloak more tightly about herself. "We can hope, but if worst comes to worst... We'll freeze out here too if we aren't careful. Nord toughness only goes so far." There was the issue of being pursued on horseback. Yet another bridge to cross if and when they arrived at it.

"Should be big enough..." The dunmer murmured as he continued to lead the other two. They only had to ride for a few minutes before the wide mouth of the cave came into view. Nightshade smiled slightly, his fears about more bears moving in were unfounded. Perhaps the frozen corpse of the previous one deterred them. "Looks like there's just enough room for the horses and us." He shouted out loud as he dismounted Dwemer, grabbing onto the reins to walk the rest of the way. A few feet into the cave were the remains of his previous campfire, which he studied quickly before sending a quick fireball into it. "We're in luck; the fireplace here is serviceable."

Kestrel soon followed suit. She had trouble gripping the reins of the tough grey, but the mare was easily coaxed into the cave, no doubt anxious to get out of the cold herself. Ruff easily squirmed out of her arms, finding a perch on a root that was sticking out of the cave's wall. True to her name, she ruffled and fluffed her feathers to keep warm.

Although she could barely get her hands to work, Kestrel did her best to try and rummage through the saddle bags on the tough grey. She needed to find something warmer to wear, and while the food didn't interest her at the moment, she sorted it out on a cloth. "W-we need t-too see what w-we have for su-supplies..."

The grey mare nuzzled Kestrel's neck, a gentle and comforting gesture as far as the girl was concerned. 'Damn it...I guess I'm more my mother than my father if I'm this cold...'

Eriikka dismounted and led her horse into the cave. It seemed roomy enough and the fire was certainly welcome. Eyeing Kestrel she sighed and tossed the shivering girl her cloak with a careless, "You're making me cold," she mutters, "For food we should be fine for the next few days. Worst comes to worst we can hunt or forage. We won't starve."

The assassin crouched down beside the growing fire, picking up a stick to shift the embers. "Child, just stay close to the fire and tend to it." He spoke softly, looking over towards Kestrel. Despite how his race was used to warmer climates, the dunmer did not let on that he was quite chilly himself. Instead, he stood up, sighing as he tossed the stick into the blaze, and headed over to Dwemer. He reached into one of the bags on the horse's back, looking through it for a few moments before he withdrew a bear pelt.

Walking back over to the other two, he placed the pelt down a little ways away from the fire. "I suppose I'll go search for some firewood. Try to stay warm." He stated before he pulled the hood of his black armour over his head.

Finding some warmer clothes and a coat among the goods stolen with the horse, Kestrel slipped them on over what she was already wearing and quickly took everything off of Tough Grey, idly remembering that leaving it on would give her sores. Once that was done, she quickly sat by the fire, wrapped in the stolen blanket and Errikka's cloak.

"I'm sorry..." Kestrel started, "I guess my Nord blood isn't as strong as my Imperial blood..."

Ruff landed beside her and wormed her way into the blanket. Kestrel smiled at the bird before she started to inspect her arm and hand. "I sure as damnation don't fight like a Nord woman should..."

Eriikka removed her horse's saddle and blanket from her horse patting his nose affectionately. "Don't worry about it kid. You've got this far right? And you managed to swing a sword without cutting your own head off. I'd say you're doing fine so far."

The assassin left the cave quickly, walking swiftly through the snow towards the wooded mountains. Every now and then, he would crouch down to search the snow for some dead wood or just pause when the wind picked up too much. Whenever he found a suitable bit, he tucked it under his arm.

Before long, he had enough wood under his arm for the rest of the night and then some, so the dunmer started to make his way back to the cave, quietly thinking as the wind whipped around him.

Kestrel did her best to bind the wound on her arm, there wasn't much more for her to do while Nightshade was out gathering wood. Once she was done with that, she fed Ruff bits of meat in order to quiet her.

"What a day..." Kestrel looked at the fire, "If Papa ever heard a prediction of it, he probably would have dropped dead..."

Eriikka laid out her horse's blanket for some extra cushioning before plopping down in front of the fire. "Not too surprising. Most people don't expect their daughter to be executed." She shrugs, "My da would have a fit if he could see me now. Well maybe. Hard to say really." Eriikka took a look at the bandages on Kestrel's arm, "Here let me help you out with that," she said offering a hand.

Before long, the assassin had returned, shaking his head as he stepped into the slightly warmer cave. He set the wood down beside the fire, tossing in a few sticks to feed it. A plan had formed in his mind, for he could not just ride to Dawnstar with two strangers. If his family knew...

The dunmer's red eyes looked towards the young girl's wounded arm. "You might as well stitch that. It's going to scar either way." He suggested as he stoked the fire carefully.

Kestrel looked from Errikka to Nightshade before nodding. "If either of you could...I know how to make healing potions and salves...but I don't know how to stitch wounds, and wrapping up my arm is a bit awkward..."

Tough Grey nuzzled her shoulder, and Kestrel idly stroked her nose. "I guess I got in a little over my head...I'm lucky it's an arm wound and not a slit throat all things considered..."

Eriikka took Kestrel's arm in her lap and unwrapped the bandage, she made no faces at the wound, no reaction at all. She's seen this plenty of times. She pulls a needle and some coarse thread from a pouch on her belt and threads the needle. "So where're you from kid?" she asks casually, trying to distract Kestrel from the coming unpleasantness.

The dunmer watched the nord tend to the young imperial for a few more moments before he returned his eyes to the fire. By now, it was crackling merrily, so he stood and headed towards the horses. As he approached his black horse, it snorted in the direction of the other two. "Yes, I know." he murmured softly as he reached into one of the pouches on the animal's back. "We'll get away soon." The pouch had contained some wrapped food, enough to make a stew, as well as a small, battered cooking pot and stand. It would have to do. He took out a full waterskin, then started to walk back to the campfire, where he sat down and started to set up the stand.

Kestrel resisted the urge to bite her lip. "My home village was called Rosewood, in the Whiterun hold..."

Sadly, the girl stroked Ruff, who clicked her beak in response. "My parents owned an apothecary, and Papa got extra money by hunting..."

"It's probably still a bunch of burned out buildings and piles of ash right now."

Eriikka held Kestrel's arm down firmly as she pushed the needle in and with quick strokes began to stitch the wound closed. "Rosewood huh? Hmmmm can't say I'm familiar with it. Course I'm from the Riften hold so that's a good ways distant." Her work is quite skilled, she's obviously done this a few times, and though she is fast there's no unnecessary roughness. "Ever been to Riften? Most beautiful city in Skyrim."

"Riften has its own charm certainly," Nightshade chimed in as he poured the water into the pot that had been set up over the campfire. "Have to say that I do like the view from Solitude though. Then again, maybe it's because I'm not from Skyrim." He continued as he started to unwrap the packaged food, horker meat was clearly seen, as were some herbs, a potato and two tomatoes. "So. This might be a little out of the blue, considering we've all just escaped from the guards together and been travelling with each other for the better part of the day but...who are you two?" His red eyes looked up at them as he spun a gleaming silver dagger in one hand. His eyes were curious though, and before long, he started to section off the potato.

The girl winced slightly as Errikka worked. "I've never reached there myself. I keep getting lost or side tracked when trying to reach it..."

At the Dunmer's comment, Kestrel let out a dry and humorless laugh. "I guess we're all being very rude, not introducing ourselves to each other..."

Continuing on, she said, "My name's Kestrel, daughter of Augusta of Bravil and Rondel of the no longer there Rosewood, for what their names are worth."

Motioning to her falcon, Kestrel added. "And her name is Ruff."

"Solitude has its virtues. Much too fancy for my tastes." The bandit pulled the stitches tight before cutting the thread off. "That should do it. Anyway name's Eriikka. Nice to have a little company actually. It's been too long."

"Well then, I suppose it is nice to meet you two...three" He nodded to the bird as he started to divide the horker meat into chunks. "My name is... Well, just call me Nightshade. Trust me, my name is just ridiculous." He let out a dry chuckle as he tipped the potato and meat into the water along with the herbs. "You might also want to bandage her arm up for her. Don't think she's very good at it."