Vailkri

Impact (P1)

As they pushed through the doors, Leoli and Marcurio left the dwarven ruins, the afternoon sun kissing their faces through the pines the stood high ahead. Beneath their feet lay a foot of stone slab, and underneath the slab was deep, unquarried stone, against steep rugged wilderness which stretched out beneath the two mortals for a half a mile. Leoli turned and looked to Marcurio, her eyes gleaming through her helm. “What now?” they seemed to ask him. Marcurio met her gaze, asking himself the same question, and sighed. 
“Well,” he muttered. He looked downhill and noted the path that cut through the Druadac Mountains to the south, towards Markarth, and to the north, towards Solitude. For a moment, all was peaceful. As this occurred, Leoli knelt and prayed to Boethiah; removing her helm and setting it on the ground, she took her face in her hands and mumbled in prayer. Brushing her hands back through her tangled locks she raised her hands and continued, her voice hushed. 
As she did this, Marcurio evaluated their position. Once determining there was no other way than to propel downhill, he tightened his gauntlets at his wrists, and then gathered his master’s loot in a knapsack on his back. Suddenly, he heard someone approaching. A band of highwaymen advanced, and after sighting the two adventurers, announced their presence, the chief bandit calling his men to arms. 
“Master,” Leoli heard, and looked up. Her young mercenary’s voice was firm and warning. As she looked towards the path, the highwaymen drew their bows from their backs, their leather armor stretching faintly in unison. Drawing their arrows back, a roar came from the chief, and the arrows flew free. Leoli gasped with sharp pain as steel pierced the chain mail at her neck, blood immediately running just below her wound at her collarbone. As it hit, she caught herself against the edge of the stone slab. Marcurio quickly looked to her, hearing the arrow’s impact and dove to catch her. 
Blood running dark from her wound, Leoli held the arrow between her fingers and stood with Marcurio’s help. Steel firing in their direction, they ducked as Marcurio led Leoli back into the ruins.