A Father's Last Gift

Aran was a bit confused that she did not want him to use an honorific, but he resigned to only call her Chloe in private, since she had ordered him. Clearly he had been mistaken about thinking it would please his mistress, but it was no matter for concern. He rode slightly behind her, keeping close and allowing her to set the pace. It was important that he keep an eye on the side of the road, even if there had been no danger on the path up to the Labelle estate. Absentmindedly, he wondered if he would ever return to the estate, and how long it might be until he did.

"Alright then. We'll see how the Dunmer ruins in Norvos works out for us. Of course we have to make it there, right? Must be something like two weeks hard riding from here to the Brenna. Depends on the route we take. Do you have any suggestions on what route we take?"

Aran grinned, though it was covered by his helmet, but kept his voice calm despite his pleasure. She was already asking him for advice, and she had taken his suggestion as well. This was the exact thing they had been trained to look forward to, and it was sweet satisfaction that after so long he was finally where he was meant to be. It was strange to him just how pleased he was over something so simple, but he supposed there was no harm in being happy about something that had been all he could remember of life.

"If you wish to take the quickest route, you are correct. It will be a two week ride to Norvos, which is just on the Brena. If we head on the south road from Wayrest, we will come to the Dragontail road which leads through the mountains, which will lead to Thorstad. From there, it is east to Verkarth, then south to Karnver falls, where we can take a river boat to Taneth. From there. . . it is an easy ride down the coast to Rihad, and a short ways east to Norvos." He had hesitated a bit, realizing that the ride would take them right past Chaseguard. There were many things he did not want to confront there, many things he did not want to remember, but if they would pass through, he would confront his past with dignity. "A ship from Wayrest would take twice the time, though we may find an'Kin Malintus there, and he would see us safely to the bonding. He might stop several times on the way back to Norvos however, and it might well take a few months travel by that route."

Aran hoped that was enough to dissuade her from any thoughts of taking a ship. He was eager to be on the road where they could find adventure, not cooped up in the hole of some ship, though likely once the captain learned he knew a bit of seafaring, he would roped into working with the crew as part of the payment. "From Varkath, we could also branch east and take the River Road, though bandits are well known to harry Riverpoint and the surrounding lands. It would also take an extra week, at the least. Of course the choice is yours, m. . Chloe." He had been about to call her mistress, and hoped sincerely she had not caught the slip. In the distance the sound of a town could be heard, and he knew they were growing close to Tuless. Another ten minutes or so and they would be entering the town.

"Aran. You mentioned bonding. Is that the ritual Malintus mentioned? If you don't mind me asking, what does it entail? I've never heard of any ritual for the acquisition of a servant before."

He controlled his voice, though the thought of him minding anything she asked was hilarious to him. He was her servant, and he was required to answer whatever question she wanted of him without complaint or hesitation. The only trick was making sure she got the answer she wanted without him lying. The bonding however was a delicate matter, and he thought for a moment as if to find the best way to word it. "A Khalessev Wanre is not simply a Servant. A Khalessev Wanre is whatever their master requires them to be, whether it be bodyguard, servant, teacher, companion, slave, child. . . We are sworn to do whatever is required of us, and receive training to match, though of course our abilities vary. Even so, many doubt the loyalty of their Servants, and are wary of their service. This is not so with Khalessev Wanre. In part, this is due to the Bonding. It has other names, but it is an ancient ritual that ensures there can be no such doubt. Once bound, I will be able to serve you completely until the day of my death, of which I hope greets me long before your own. Once completed, I will be linked to you, and will always be able to know when you are in danger, and be able to find you if we are separated." Not too long of course, but it was seen as unhealthy for a Servant to outlive their master if not of too differing an age. Of course, that was aside from the breaking of a bond, something no one wanted to live through twice, a fate he found worse then death itself, and he shuddered slightly. He had trailed off though, and he hoped she had not caught his deflection. He thought it better that he proved his usefulness to her first, before having to tell he everything. It had been known for all the details to scare some masters off, something he did not intend to fall victim to.

To faint rustle of leaves and a glance with his ever watchful eyes showed a creature darting through the trees, and his pushed his cloak back, placing his hand on his blade and losing it in his scabbard, the soft clink of the metal clasp announcing Aran ready for danger. There was another rustle, and what he believed to be a second creature moved beyond sight, perhaps in pursuit of the first. He could not be sure however, and kept his blade hand ready. If danger presented itself, he would be there to meet it in an instant, and considered using his bow instead. He found himself bristling with excitement, eager at the chance to prove himself so soon after being sold, but he forced himself to relax. It would do no good to start jumping at shadows, as his new master might see him as afraid, when he was in truth far from it. A look at her showed that she did not seem bothered, or did well to hide it, and he thought she might not have seen anything at all. For the moment, he decided not to say anything, feeling no need to cause her undue alarm.

Aran understood her concerns, but they were unfounded. There were times when it was simply better for a Servant to be sent on errands, especially when they might not be safe for their master. There were always times when a servants absence led to a masters death, but it was impossible to guard someone every hour of the day. That was why some people would purchase multiple Servants. Between four of them, Aran thought it might take an entire army to cause a master danger. He pondered if it might be a good idea to try and talk her into a second Servant, but he wasn't exactly fond of the idea of sharing a master. It might belittle his own achievements.

"I will do whatever is required of me. If you should need me to run errands for you, and my absence would not threaten your life, then I will travel wherever you need. If there is no threat of danger, I shall distance myself from you, if that pleases you."

He wasn't really comfortable with it, but once he had the bond, it would much easier to know what he needed to do and when he needed to be somewhere. While he meant what he said, it was more if he deemed that there was no threat of danger. Something he couldn't do assuredly until he had the bond anyway. So for the time being, he didn't see any reason to put any more then the wall of an inn as the distance between them.

Aran looked at the temple thoughtfully, wondering how far Chloe had ever been from home. He had traveled a decent distance in Hammerfell, but this was his first trip to High Rock, and his first time leaving the province he had grown up in. He felt a strange sense of relief that they would be going back, though part of him wanted to stay as well. He supposed that no matter where they went they'd find some amount of adventure, since Chloe didn't even really know where she wanted to travel.

As they stopped in the village by the well, Aran drank in the noises of the town. Laughter, a crying babe, the sounds of a blacksmith working his metal. From somewhere nearby, the smell of fresh bread wafted to him, and he sniffed it thoughtfully. He was sure there would be a leather worked in the town somewhere, but as they had not passed directly by it, and he knew there would be better artisans in Wayrest, he thought better of mentioning it. A little distance away was the inn of the Wandering Woman, where he had stayed the night before with Malintus, and the yard where he had practiced his blade. Two boys were playing with wooden swords right where he had been and he smiled to himself, wondering if they would ever find what they sought.

"It's a relatively safe road." Aran simply nodded, unsure of what she was trying to say. He had traveled the road just yesterday, and had followed it from Wayrest to where they now stood. He had not encountered any bandits along the way, though 3 well armed men and a merchant were probably seen as a harder target then one and a women. "Labelle guards patrol it every three days or so. Doesn't stop bandits from trying to take a shipment every now and then though. Should be fine that way, but it's heavily forested, of course you should know that you came here from that way. Listen to me, trying to teach you the path you have already traveled. Hah. Shall we proceed, Aran? Our journey begins once we step outside of Labelle grounds."

He had not seen the Labelle patrols, but he supposed they would simply not be on the road today. He thought mentioning that they should stagger the patrols so bandits could plan their raids accordingly, but the excitement she was exhibiting told him she had other things on her mind. She might not be as good as hiding his emotions as him, but Chloe seemed just as excited from what he could tell. He wished that she would just gallop off and force him to catch up, but those were the silly thoughts of a child, and he pushed them away.

"I am ready, at your leisure, Chloe. . . . If you have worries about bandits, I can scout ahead if you desire, to ensure none lay in wait, though it might be better for me to stay at your side in case others ride up from behind." Of course, there was only so much he could do if he didn't start. he would have to keep an extra careful watch on the road. If there were enough of them, a volley of arrows would be enough to bring Chloe bleeding to the ground before he could even shield her. His own armor would protect him from such an attack, he thought, but it was better not to risk it. Still, he realized how important the bond could be, as he could not ensure she was safe and unafraid without the bond while he was scouting. Perhaps he had been overzealous in hoping to find adventure. This was not simply some heroic tale where everything went the right way. At least not yet.

Aran did not argue with her, although he disagreed. Both he and his horse had been trained to scout ahead, and as there was only one road, it was not likely she would somehow ride ahead of him. Of course, he would wind up covering twice the distance to Wayrest all and all, but it definitely wouldn't slow them down any unless Chloe decided to push the horses. Since he had already decided it would be best to stay with her, he made a note to try getting her accustomed to the idea by the time they reached Norvos. Once the bond was in place, it was a common practice, then he would be able to judge his distance from her and scout just far enough ahead where he would be able to return to her quickly in the event of danger. It was also possible she just wanted the company, but a servant was not supposed to become friends with his master, unless they ordered it of them. Still, he didn't know what she wanted from him yet, since she hadn't even known of his existence until earlier in the day, even if the idea of talking openly with his master seemed strange to him.

She was quiet, and seemed deep in thought, so Aran resumed studying the forest growing around them. The brush was quite thick, and bandits or animals could easily conceal themselves within. As such he kept a close eye, and wondered what she was thinking about. As she spoke, he thought he might find out.

"Aran, what do you know of me? Did you know you would be going to me, when you rode up to my house?"

He hoped the things Mere-Sha had told him were not considered private, but she had asked him and he was sworn to speak to her truthfully. "I did not. I was told I was being brought to be sold to a noble merchant family in High Rock. I do not believe Malintus even knew, or I expect he would have told me. When we arrived, I believed I was intended for your father, though I see now I was mistaken. As for what I know. . . I could feel that you were powerful in arts of magic when we met, and Mere-Sha confirmed as much for me. She told me many things a servant might need know about his Mistress, for when I must serve you in such ways."

As she smiled, he was relieved to find that she was not angry with him, or with Mere-Sha. It would not do for him to cause displeasure toward another servant so early in his own service. It still seemed strange to him how kind she was, almost as if she treated him as though he were not more then just property. Perhaps that was simply her way, but he had been taught far differently, and expected it would change once she grew used to his servitude.

"So you know I have magical talents. You deserve to know that I am quite skillful in Destruction magic, I haven't particularly practiced that much in true combat. . . So I apologize in advance if I accidentally hit you with a fireball." He almost laughed, but after a moment he thought she was serious, until she smiled at him again.

"What are you trained in? Do you have any Magical talents?"

"I do, though I did not train them perhaps as much as I should, favoring the blade. My belt is a representation of my training, each of the thirty studs representing a different field of study. The Amethyst represents Alteration, the Garnet conjuration. The soul gem is for Mysticism and Thaumaturgy, and the Sapphire is for Illusion. The Ruby is for destruction, and finally, the topaz is for restoration, in which I am most skilled. All servants are required to learn healing on some level similar to a priest, so that we may maintain ourselves if injured, and more importantly save the life of our master if they are wounded. . . . If you would like, I would be happy to help you practice in combat. I am sure I would make a good target for your fireballs."

He grinned beneath his helmet, not that she'd be able to see it, and wondered if she would take it as a joke or not. He had definitely meant it as a joke, but part of him was interested to see if she could actually hit him with a fireball, and more importantly, how powerful in destruction she actually was. "You need not worry about causing me pain. Daelmah d'Waenrae feeds us a type of poison as children to numb such feelings, so that we can fight longer then other men. A few burns would cause me no great discomfort." Or at least, they wouldn't once he healed himself.

"They feed you a poison to numb your body? That's horrible! Let alone they feed anyone a poison, but a child? How has there not been a scandal about this yet? Bringing unnecessary harm to children is against the laws of Hammerfell! Someone should stop them, someone should. . . I'm unsure I want to know what else they put those poor children through. . ."

He was surprised by her reaction, and felt horrible that he had caused her distress. As she stopped her horse, he pulled on Strider's reigns as well, bringing the Stallion to a stop. At the time it had seemed horrible, certainly, but he understood the necessity of it now. He was about to tell her he would punish himself for bringing her displeasure if she wanted, when she started speaking again.

"Never mind it, Aran. We'll talk about it more when we get there."

He shivered a bit, not sure that was the kind of conversation he wanted to have. As they began riding again, he fell in almost on her left side, though slightly behind to her precedence as the leader. He hoped he had not upset her to greatly by whatever he had done, but as they rode on for nearly thirty minutes in silence, he grew more and more anxious. Aran had been sold less then an hour and half passed, if he judged correctly, and already he had upset his master so badly that she had stopped speaking to him. He still did not understand what he had done to upset her so, but he felt this might be what it felt like when an owner kicked their dog without giving a reason. It was an unpleasant sensation.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Aran had about worked up the courage to ask her if he should punish himself, when she stopped her horse again. He expected he was about to be whipped, but then he saw what she had seen, and understood.

"What is that. . ."

He almost panicked as she dismounted her horse and went towards it, grabbing the reigns of her horse in case something startled it, and moved Strider over towards where she was walking. "Lady Chloe, I-" Aran didn't even finish his sentence before her exclamation.

"It's a body!"

He dismounted his horse with an inaudible sigh, looping the reigns of the horses over a nearby branch. It would not hold them, but he knew Strider at least was well trained enough to not go anywhere while there was pressure on his reigns. He scanned the trees intently, and if there was anything out there, they weren't moving in the slightest.

"He bares the seal of Wayrest."

As he walked over to her, he saw the glow of magic, in her hands, and he took his bow from his back, wondering if she had seen something that made her feel someone else was nearby. He took his bow from his back and notched an arrow before kneeling down beside the man, making sure he would say something to her later about letting him do all the dangerous investigation. If it had been a trap, she could well be dead right now.

The man indeed bore the seal of Wayrest, covered by the thorns Chloe had not moved out of the way. The redguard was certainly dead, though not long by the smell. Perhaps an hour or two at most, but whatever killed him was likely gone. His eyes were rolled back into his head, and closer inspection showed he had been stabbed through the side. Dents on his armor showed more marks, and he had obviously been in some kind of fight - to the death it seemed.

He stayed on one knee where he'd crouched, his armor protecting him from the thorns, and looked about, before searching the man for any other possessions. Aside from his armor and cloak, he had no sword and no money, meaning someone had most likely taken them from him. Most likely bandits, though the fact he had not been struck with a quarrel of arrows was a bit confusing. Perhaps the bandits had required a toll, and he had refused to pay. Regardless, he was dead, and nothing could be done for him now.

While he was looking at the body, bushes on the side of the path rustled, and Aran acted instantly. In a smooth motion he turned, drawing the string on the bow, arrow notched and ready. He titled the bow sideways so as not to catch it on the thorns, feeling the string draw tight with pressure on his muscles. He breathed deeply as he pulled, locating the source in less then a second, letting the arrow fly as he exhaled. With a twang, the string snapped back, sending the arrow whirling the short distance to where the movement had been. As it reached it's destination a small squeal uttered from what he had hit, but he already had a second arrow notched. The single arrow probably wasn't enough to kill anyone in armor, unless he had gotten very lucky, but he moved low and quickly, and sure enough the squeal had belonged to a squirrel. Looking over his shoulder to ensure Chloe was fine, he pulled the arrow from the bow and walked back to her slowly. Despite treading through brambles, bushes, and fallen leaves, he managed not to make a single sound, as if Aran simply glided over the surface.

His silent movement helped him listen as he returned to Chloe, but he could hear nothing but the sound of birds, insects, and wind. He wiped the arrow on some leaves, then placed the two of them back into his quiver and slung his bow over his back. "It seems whoever killed him has left. I believe there is no danger any longer." He reached her in a few more strides, checking her to ensure nothing had befallen her, and frowned at the site of her hands. He knelt in front of her, frowning beneath his helm. "You have harmed your hands."

Perhaps he should have waited, but he pulled off his gauntlet and grapsed her palm his other, tracing his fingers along the broken flesh of her hands. They were soft, and it was no wonder they had torn so easily at the thorns. He focused closely, feeling the magicka inside and around him, and began focusing on her wounds. His fingers traced over the cuts, and warmth flowed forth from his hand to the cuts, sealing the small cuts. He repeated it for the other hand, then cleaned the little bit of blood away with a cloth he kept in his belt, looking at her hands to double check his work.

"If it please you, perhaps be more careful. There are thornbushes in Argonia that are poisonous to the touch, and can kill as quickly as deathbell. I know of no such plant here, but it is needless to harm yourself so. I could have easily cut the thorns away and investigated the body myself, without you needing to be at risk, mistress."

He realized he'd called her mistress again, but passed on, reminding himself to try harder to fufill her wishes. Of course, that was going to be hard if she insisted on running into thorn bushes after dead bodies on a road frequented by bandits. Perhaps adventure wasn't such a good idea after all. All she'd done was cut herself, and he felt like her life was in danger. If this is how it was going to be every time they ran into trouble, he wasn't sure he wanted it. Things were a lot easier if you didn't have someone else to worry about in combat. Maybe he could convince her to stay somewhere safe while he dealt with any threats. That would probably be easiest anyway.

He was a bit distressed at her initial reaction, but his mood quickly changed when she thanked him. No thanks was required of course, but it was nice to hear that he had been helpful, especially after how much he had displeased her earlier. As Chloe made for her horse, Aran did the same. He quickly mounted Strider and removed the horses reigns from the tree, handing them to Chloe before letting her lead once again.

"You were right. I should have asked you to inspect it. I'm not used to having a personal servant, I've always been taught by my tutors to trust in myself over others. But hey, I've learned something. Cast Oakflesh before I root around in bushes."

He shook his head passively, though kept an eye out to ensure she wasn't watching. Casting Oakflesh was all well in good, but she'd completely missed the point. If there was a danger of a trap, he couldn't protect her if she stumbled into it. Certainly he had left out that he could cure the poison, but he had learned the hard way that just because you could heal injuries, it was not safe to throuw caution to the wind. Eventually something would happen that you couldn't heal, and then only the divines would decide if you were to live or die. It was better to be cautious and let others do the dangerous tasks, specifically the ones who had taken an oath to ensure your safety. There was more to protecting someone then just keeping them alive. He didn't feel like he'd be doing a very good if he was having to heal her all the time.

"Maybe we should have taken that squirrel. . . Seemed a waste." He wondered if she wanted for him to go get it, and was about to ask as much when she smiled at him. "It would've tasted awful, anyway."

He smiled beneath his helm, thinking that if he had seasoned it properly, she would eat the whole squirrel before Chloe realized what exactly she was eating. He had been told he was a good cook, and he always found his own food quite good when he decided to put forth the effort. For himself, there wasn't much point when some hard bread and dry cheese accomplished the same effect.

He was a bit unsure, but as she seemed to enjoy talking to him, he decided to start testing the waters a little bit, and see where things stood. She had not punished him yet, which he was still surprised about, and he was even a little embarrassed that he had simply begun healing to her and talking about her safety without her permission. Those things were liable to bring you under the whip in a heartbeat, but she hadn't said a word about it. "I expect it will make a good meal for whichever animal finds it first." It was simply small talk, but he was glad she did not berate him for it. Already he was beginning to learn he had far more freedom of his actions then his training suggested. Of course, it would not be wise to grow too comfortable around his master, but it would be rather nice not to be treated like a worthless belonging all the time. At the very least, he might be treated like a favorite trinket, and that was far more then he had hoped for. Travel, Kindness, and a dead man on the road, and it was like he was already living in one of his fantasy stories.

As they grew closer to Wayrest, he wondered if he could convince her to stop and rest at the Inn, so she would not have to sleep outside. He had no such qualms, but it was important a servant looked after their masters comfort as well. Meanwhile they might see a leather worker that she had wanted to find. It occurred to him once more that Malintus might be in the city, staying in the same inn they had visited on the way to the Labelle Estate, though it was also possible he had already booked a ship and was heading away.

There was another thing it might be wise to do while they were in the city, and it might reveal a couple answers for him. He couldn't be sure Chloe cared, but after her earlier outburst, he thought she might be very distressed by a crime far were then those that had been committed by the House of Servants. "If you think it wise, perhaps the city watch should be informed of the man you found? We will be in Wayrest soon, or soon enough as I can tell." It was unlikely they'd reward Chloe with anything more then a pat on the back, but it was agood method to get started.

Aran spurred Strider forward after Chloe, snapping the reigns and pushing his heels into stallions side with a 'Hyahh!' She had already gained some distance on him, but this was the kind of thing Strider had been bred before, and he was slowly closing the gap. As they were in open area now, he did not mind needing to catch her all that much. Unless the bandit was invisible, he'd be able to see any danger well before it reached her, and he could always spur Strider a little faster. The ride that would have taken them nearly an hour otherwise took little more then ten minutes. When they neared the city, Aran admired the walls and architecture, not in so much awe as the first time he'd passed through two days prior.

As they trotted up to the walls, Strider breathed a little heavily, though by the time they'd crossed that distance he was back to normal, and Aran patted his neck approvingly. The warhorse carried quite a bit more weight then Chloe's, and he'd still managed to keep pace. The horse had earned an apple or another sugar cube later.

"Would you like to secure us passage into the city, Aran?"

He nodded, glad she would let him do one of his duties so readily, and sped up a little, passing her so he'd reach the gate soon enough for them to raise it. He reigned in beside the large metal portcullis, and the gatehouse captain appeared on the other side. Aran recognized him as the same captain that had let him and Malintus through two days prior.

"Names and purpose." The guard clearly wished he was somewhere else by the sound of him.

"The Lady Chloe Labelle, and Aran Di'thang. Traveling south, we plan to stay the night at least before continuing on."

The guard seemed to consider him for a moment, but then shook his head and waved at the gatekeep, and the portcullis began to raise. "Don't cause any trouble, and keep your hands to yourself. We've got enough footpads running around at night already."

Chloe had almost reached the gate, and while he thought it might be better to let her announce the body, he went ahead, hoping she had not wanted to be bothered, and that it was part of the reason she had sent him ahead. It was part of his service after all. "On the way from Tuless, we encountered a body on the road. He'd been stabbed in the side, and his sword and belongings were missing."

The guard raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. "Damn bandits, can't even walk the roads alone anymore. . . Alright, do you know what Inn you're staying at? You might be wanted for questioning."

He wasn't sure he was qualified to make that kind of decision, but a careful use of words would be enough to ensure it wouldn't be a problem. "The Slumbering Dragon, if it's rooms to suit us."

The guard nodded and headed back inside, and he waited patiently at the gate entrance for Chloe to reach him. He did not like the sound of footpads, and would try to keep her from wandering about when the sun fell. Idly, he wondered where the best leather worker in the city was.