[Skyrim- The Pale]An Unlikely Band

Kestrel smiled at the two of them. "It's nice to meet you both. And I owe you both a debt for saving my life. I'll try to find a way to repay it someday."

Then the girl got a sheepish look. "And your right Nightshade, I wouldn't be very good at binding this wound. I use my left hand for things you see..."

"Just getting there," Eriikka replied beginning to wrap Kestrel's arm in tight bandages, she shrugged off the thanks, "Ah it was an impulse, don't thank me too much."

"Impulse meant that you could've still just let her to her fate, so she still owes you her thanks. Me, I was trying to escape the guards myself, so I guess I have to thank you both for the distraction." Nightshade replied as he started to chop up the tomatoes, the stew starting to bubble merrily beside him. He paused in his task to toss a few more sticks into the fire before he tossed a small handful of salt into the pot.

Kestrel nodded towards the Dunmer. "What Nightshade said. I mean, most impulses are suppressed and ignored, right?"

Idly rubbing her arm, Kestrel motioned her head towards her gear. "And Nightshade, you didn't have to grab my things. By Oblivion, you could have kept it all for yourself and I probably wouldn't have noticed."

Nodding with a solemn and determined air, Kestrel seemed to make a choice mentally. "I owe both of you a debt, and I will repay both of you. You both can count on that."

Eriikka snickered, "If you think my impulses are ignored you don't know me very well." She gives the girl a smile, "But you're welcome nonetheless." The bandit sniffed the air, "That stew is smelling quite good."

"I just grabbed everything in the evidence chest, Kestrel. And my own gear is a little better than yours, so I have no reason to steal them. Anyhow, I imagine we all took a few nasty hits from the guards," well, not him personally, but he didn't say that outloud. Wouldn't do well if he had to explain that he had more than a little experience murdering guards. He stirred the stew a little before he tipped the tomatoes in, continuing. "And it's a cold night. We'd need strength if we expect to continue riding tomorrow. We're a little ways off the road, but I suggest we keep watch; I can take first shift and let you two sleep a little. Especially you, that arm of yours means you need plenty of rest." He cast a red look towards the young Imperial's arm, a frown on his face. It almost made him wish he knew a thing or two about restoration or brewing healing potions.

Kestrel looked sheepish. "Well...considering I made the bows and arrows myself...they're not exactly quality work. And the knife is in really bad need of sharpening, I'll admit..."

The Imperial stopped talking. "Okay, yeah, even a housewife is more prepared for a fight with me."

She nodded at Nightshade's suggestion. "That's a good idea. Bandits or something might find this place a tempting shelter." She then smiled at him. "And don't worry about me or my arm. By the time we're out of the hold, I should have the ingredients needed to make a potion to heal it up. So all we need to do is find an alchemy table."

Eriikka resisted the urge to snort at the bandit comment, one already had found it a good shelter, she wasn't going to say anything though. She patted Kestrel's shoulder, "Well like I said before, you survived and that's what counts. Most people end up a lot worse off than this after their first real fight." She turned to Nightshade nodding in agreement. "I'll take the next watch," she says, "I can probably take that until morning, the kid could use the rest anyway."

Perfect. A small smile formed on the dunmer's face as he started to stir the stew, "You can have one of my old daggers, kid. I don't need my steel one anymore, and I'm fairly certain that the Dawnstar Inn has an alchemy table. I think." He gestured to the small silver blade he had used to cut up the food when he mentioned his daggers. Granted, he really wished for a pair of daedric ones, like he had seen on a nobleman. How he wished he could've just taken them... "I'll wake you when its your turn for watch then, Eriikka. Stew's almost done, so we'll eat, then you two can rest."

"You don't have to leave me out of the rotation..." Kestrel protested. She may be young, but she was technically a full grown woman, and her Nord upbringing made her not want to seem weak, injured or otherwise.

After a moment of silence, Kestrel quietly asked. "Do you really mean it? About the dagger?"

"Just for tonight," Eriikka replied, "You can go on regular watch duty once you have a full night's sleep." She nodded to Nightshade, "Sounds good to me, then we can hit Dawnstar and... well we'll see what happens."

"Indeed we will. Now," the dunmer paused as he stood up, heading towards his horse once more, taking out two wooden bowls and utensils. "Hm...I don't quite have enough bowls to go around. I don't suppose either of you have any?" He asked as he looked over, heading back to the fire.

Kestrel shook her head. "No, I never really had a need for one before so..."

Eriikka produced a single bowl from her pack, "I'm afraid this is all I've got." She shrugs, "We'll just have to make do with sharing I suppose."

"No, I have two. One I keep as a spare, just in case, so we should have enough." The dunmer stated as he sat back down in front of the bubbling stew. He tipped the pot carefully, pouring out some stew in one bowl, which he passed over to Kestrel. Then he poured out his own and then scootched aside. Not caring that it was just boiled, he tipped his bowl, drinking in some of the stew before he lowered the bowl, lips smacking. "Would be nice if we had something to wash it down with; bread usually goes good with horker stew. Oh well."

"I think I have some bread...might be a bit stale by now though..." Kestrel rummaged through her pack and pulled out a small loaf of bread.

She examined it closely. "Nothing's growing on it though."

The meal passed by in silence. Three strangers with only Morthal in common with nothing to speak of. Once the stew and bread had been finished off, the assassin had insisted that the other two sleep while he kept an eye on the mouth of the cave. He packed as silently as he could, washing the pot while the other two slumbered on and setting his belongings back onto Dwemer. Midway through the night, he had been ready to go.

Kestrel whimpered and curled up tightly in her sleep. It was clear that she wasn't having the pleasant dreams that everyone hoped for. Sensations and emotions ran through her head over and over.

A large shadow.

A deafening sound.

A searing heat.

Panic and pain.

A hiding place only she knew.

Staying there for what seemed like forever.

A sharp observer would notice the moisture on Kestrel's face. It seemed that it wasn't the fear of execution that made her sob in her sleep. After all, now that she was safe from it, she would have no reason to cry about it. Right?

Kestrel was muttering in her sleep. "What's in th'sky...mama...papa..."

Ruff flapped her wings and made some soft sounds. Her eyes bore into Nightshade. Birds couldn't change their expressions, and yet...she seemed more stern then before as she gazed at him.

The dunmer paused in packing his things, feeling someone's eyes on him. He glanced over to the source, and his eyes landed on the bird. The judging bird. A frown formed on his face as he stuffed the small pot into one of the packs on Dwemer's back. "What? You can't expect me to stay long." He stated quietly, before realizing he was talking to a winged rat. He shook his head with a sigh and resumed putting his things away.

The bird ruffled and puffed out her feathers, huffing angrily. And then she started to call out. This in turn, woke up the grey mare, who started to anxiously paw at the ground.

A deep frown formed on the assassin's face as he looked at the bird. "Be quiet!" He hissed quietly as he quickly cast a glance towards the horse, then the two sleeping women in the cave. "I just want to leave them alone and go on back home by myself. Is that too much to ask, birdy?"

Eriikka opened her eyes and shook her head a little groggily. Being as sleepy as she was she completely failed to notice Nightshade's preparations. Eriikka strapped her swords to her waist and stood up yawning, "Alright my turn on watch... y'can go to sleep now..."

Kestrel made a small yelp in her sleep. From the looks of it, she rolled onto her wounded arm. Somehow, she didn't wake up. Either the girl was more tired than she insisted, or someone cast a sleep spell on her.

The assassin grumbled under his breath; After all that effort for the sleep spell and packing up, he was thwarted by a gods damned bird... Next time, he shouldn't be talking to animals. Outloud, however, he spoke up as he grabbed his sleeping bag off a confused Dwemer. "Alright, thanks. Be ready to sound the alarm if guards show up." He teased as he set down the bag. The horse snorted and wandered off, clearly irritated. If you want to go...

Yea yea, shut up you stupid horse.

Several hours later the sun finally rose to find the nord bandit continuing her vigil. She leaned against the wall of the cave and let out a sigh, the downside of having the last watch. You don't get to go back to sleep when it ends. She walked over to her two companions nudging them awake and dousing the fire, "Rise and shine, time we got moving again."