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.