The Bound - A Tale Of Tamriel

7

7

i. Itagaki.

Despite the protestations of Öenthir, the group decided to make camp where they were. They placed a blanket, found tied to one of their attackers' horses, over the bodies, to help assuage her feelings, but it didn't help. Even sat with her back to the bodies, Öenthir was still uncomfortable and kept looking over her shoulder, as if the dead were about to rise and attack them again.

Itagaki also noticed the looks Öenthir kept making at her. Scared looks. Almost as if the wood elf were more afraid of her than the prospect of undead attackers. She wondered if it was the first time Öenthir had seen a battle? Who was to say, but it saddened Itagaki that the mage would look at her so.

What concerned Itagaki more was the leader of their attackers. Still naked (no-one wanted to even try to dress him again), tied to a nearby tree, he watched the group preparing their meals with clear malice in his eyes.

He hadn't spoken a word since his capture and Itagaki had already had to dissuade Tilly from leading the interrogation. The way the dark elf looked at the man, while playing with one of her many blades, led Itagaki to think that the Dunmer would be, she wondered, too quick to use them. It didn't seem to be a tactic to scare the man, or for humorous reasons. It seemed all too genuine.

There was also the question of the tattoo on the man's chest, an triangle made up of three dragon necks for lines and stars at the triangle tips. Swift investigations showed the dead men all had similar tattoos. Usually the sign of a cult of some kind, but no-one, not even the mage had encountered this sigil before.

"All I'm saying is," Tilly was now saying, between stuffing herself with mouthfuls of the rabbit stew they had made. "I could have him talking in seconds."

"Aye, but how much would be left of him when you're finished?" Revna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "We're not animals, little elf."

"Says the talking cat." Tilly intended it as an insult, but Revna took it in good humour. "And I'm not little! I'm taller than Wen!"

"Aye. That you are." Revna didn't even try to hide the smile, but continued eating.

None of this was helping. Nor was it getting the man to talk.  They needed information before moving on, or any number of things could get in the way before they even reached Hew's Bane. It was clear the attack was against them and not some random banditry. It was also clear that this leader deferred to someone higher than him. Someone that could make the leader remain silent even with Tilly looming above him with murderous intent in her eyes.

They needed to know what they were up against.

Itagaki stood and took a bowl of stew over to the man. His eyes glued themselves to hers as she approached. The eyes glared hatred, malevolence, even, towards someone he did not even know. Only cults could create this much hatred from nothing.

"Would you like to eat?" She wanted to try persuasion before anything else. She looked at the wound on his cheek. "Are you in any pain?"

He remained in silence, continuing to show that mad grin and emitting such hatred from his eyes that Itagaki almost pulled away. Almost. She was a warrior, though, and he would never know if he disturbed her or not. She would show no emotion to this man. None.

"This tattoo, what does it signify? Who is your master?" Still he remained silent. Only the sounds of the wild stirred the air now, as night creatures awoke to their time of the day. "Wen? Have you had any thoughts about this tattoo?"

"Some." Öenthir still seemed fearful of her, but, almost immediately, the fearful look became replaced by that same look she had when she had been researching the wayshrines. One of fascination with the unknown. "I don't know if the dragons signify real dragons or just traits of dragons, but, if you look closely, you can see each dragon is different, as is each of the stars at the three apex points of the triangle. That could mean three different masters, or three different aspects of one master."