The Bound - A Tale Of Tamriel

11

11

i. Itagaki.

Although the fight had not gone quite to plan, the outcome was positive. It had been the group's second fight together and they had performed well against a difficult and strong opponent. They needed to work better together, as a team not as individuals, but the mage and Tilly had both performed their tasks, giving herself and, especially, Revna time to recover.

They had a long way to go before they could become a reckonable force, but the basics were there. Even Itagaki herself needed to work harder. This wasn't a company of soldiers and she needed to adapt to the team, not expect them to become the soldiers she had previously led. That wasn't how this team would work best.

Öenthir had gone around the group offering her, self-admitted, limited healing. Tilly wasn't hurt too much, only a couple of bruises. Itagaki herself had wrenched her old injury, but it wasn't something that the Bosmer could fix other than relieve the pain a little. It was Revna that needed healing more than the rest. She had hit the canyon wall pretty hard and should, if Itagaki was to judge, have been more injured than she was.

"That's the best I can do, I'm afraid." Öenthir had said after staunching the blood flow on the cut to Revna's head, above the eyes. "It's going to leave a scar, though."

"You can never have enough scars, mage." Revna had laughed, but the Khajiit had many scars. It was possible she received this one in better circumstances, Itagaki hoped. "Scars give you character."

Itagaki disagreed. The Khajiit had enough scars and enough character of her own. She didn't need a scar to show her character. She showed it every time she picked up a weapon, every time she spoke to her companions and every time she showed humility at her actions. She may not be Scorpion Black, but she was, for certain, Revna Astadottir, daughter of Skyrim, and a credit to that cold unwelcoming province.

The Argonian had joined them, horses in tow, filled with great excitement at the party's victory against the troll, running around to everyone, shaking their hands and making effusive praise of their efforts.

"But, I fear, your day is not yet finished." Finds-Things pointed further down the pass, beyond the valley of the troll. "Your true battle is ahead, is it not?"

Itagaki expected her companions to want to rest longer, and would not have blamed them if they did, but, to a one, they all stood once more, ready to face whatever they had to face in the ancient mage's tomb ahead. She felt deep pride in them at that moment.

"Aye." Revna hid the effort of standing well, hefting her battle axe onto her shoulder, "Let us have done with it."

"Do you think there'll be gold in this tomb? That's what they do, isn't it? Bury people with their riches?" Tilly wasn't asking anyone in particular, "Because, if there is, you know I'm having it, right?"

"Be good, little elf!" Revna clapped Tilly on the shoulder, almost making the Dunmer stumble, "Show some respect for the dead and we might just make it out alive."

"I'll 'little' you in a minute, you big hairball." Tilly tried to shove the Khajiit away, but Revna was too sturdy for that. Itagaki had a feeling that the antagonism she had seen from the dark elf towards Revna was losing its bite, even becoming friendly. "I respect those that respect me. The dead leave me alone and I'll leave them alone. Their gold, however ... well, that's fair game."

"How far to the tomb, Finds-Things?" Öenthir was still trying to brush off the dirt from her clothes as she spoke to the Argonian.

"If you're map is accurate it should be no more than two hundred yards, or so, up that passage." Finds-Things kicked the still form of the troll, "This fell beast could almost be described as its gatekeeper. Oh, yes, I can see it now, 'The company of Scorpion Black reborn smote the demonic troll gatekeeper of the foul Ayleid necromancer and sallied forth to glory!'. It has a ring to it, don't you think?"