AlijhamSep 01, 2015Sep 01, 2015 at 01:07 AM
#1
Night One
Alijham trudged through the Falkreath thickets, making his way back home from his weekly hunt. He had a large sack over his shoulder full of the day's catch. His long, stringy hair curled up around his ears and hitched the base of his shirt, which was pulled up to expose just the lower part of his lean, toned stomach, caused by his high-kneed steps. The wood was quiet, as it was nearly dusk.
As he approached his hand-built home, the sun didn't seem to shine against it's spine anymore---but less literally than figuratively. Something tightened in his gut as his children didn't come bounding out to meet him. They were just preparing dinner or something, he told himself. He'd hear the pitter-patter of little footsteps when he opened the door.
The grungy bosmer wore a little smile as he cracked open the front entrance, but it slowly receeded. Not a sound but the creaks of the door hinges. He moved quickly as he slipped himself inside, laying the hunt on the dining table and clomping upstairs.
"Belle? Luci?" He called, looking around. "Ales?"
The baby started to cry. He ran into him and his wife's bedroom, but he didn't find her there; he didn't find anyone. He quickly shuffled downstairs.
Alijham found them huddled in the basement together, all six. He took the pile of children into his arms and held them for a moment. They were all crying softly and trembling, the baby looking around confused as her eldest sibling cradled her.
Alesann was the first to speak. He was a handsome young boy, a thin Imperial with chestnut curls that swirled around his jaw; he had slim, wine-red eyes, much like his father's. "They took her, they took her," he cried as he shook Alijham's trousers.
"They took.. who did they take, Ales? Who is they?" Alijham pleaded.
"They took Mama," he croaked, burying his face in his father's shirt. "I don't know.. t-they were people, and they had a-armor and swords.. they.." he sobbed, muffled by the clothing. Alijham kissed his head, eyes fogging, and gave the rest of his children a hug.
"I'm going to get Nolos, you all stay here," he said groggily.
He exited the cellar and his home in quite the hurry, calling for his brother frantically outside. "Nolos! Nolos, I need you!" His voice cracked.
From the break in the forest Alijham had come from, his blonde, golden-eyed half-brother brother emerged. He ran up to Alijham and gripped his shoulders firmly, trying to calm him. "What is it, what happened?"
"S-Someone's taken Cammomillia," he breathed quickly and deeply, eyes wide. "Go into the house and watch the kids, I'm going to go out and find her. I should be back by the morning. If I'm not, send Arydontas out for me. Alright?"
"O-Of course," Nolos nodded, giving his sibling a quick hug and a pat on the shoulders before darting towards the house.
Alijham took a moment to compose himself. He told himself not to panic, inhaling deeply. Four men. It'd been a while since any of them had bathed. They all carried mettle with them and on them it seemed, stinking of alcohol and skooma as well as plain old man stink. They had his wife with them.
His brain computed what his nose had told him. He followed closely to the trail of scent. While he did so, he wondered why anyone would want to disturb his family. Perhaps they heard about his black market trades in town, and wanted to give him a reason to come to them? Maybe they'd try to lock him up and make him brew skooma for them.
The scent wasn't hard for Alijham to reach the end of, but it took some time. There was a cave some ways from town. He predicted it was an output of an old mine; a perfect place for bandits and the sort to dwell. He fell into a crouch and scuffled inside.
Alijham trudged through the Falkreath thickets, making his way back home from his weekly hunt. He had a large sack over his shoulder full of the day's catch. His long, stringy hair curled up around his ears and hitched the base of his shirt, which was pulled up to expose just the lower part of his lean, toned stomach, caused by his high-kneed steps. The wood was quiet, as it was nearly dusk.
As he approached his hand-built home, the sun didn't seem to shine against it's spine anymore---but less literally than figuratively. Something tightened in his gut as his children didn't come bounding out to meet him. They were just preparing dinner or something, he told himself. He'd hear the pitter-patter of little footsteps when he opened the door.
The grungy bosmer wore a little smile as he cracked open the front entrance, but it slowly receeded. Not a sound but the creaks of the door hinges. He moved quickly as he slipped himself inside, laying the hunt on the dining table and clomping upstairs.
"Belle? Luci?" He called, looking around. "Ales?"
The baby started to cry. He ran into him and his wife's bedroom, but he didn't find her there; he didn't find anyone. He quickly shuffled downstairs.
Alijham found them huddled in the basement together, all six. He took the pile of children into his arms and held them for a moment. They were all crying softly and trembling, the baby looking around confused as her eldest sibling cradled her.
Alesann was the first to speak. He was a handsome young boy, a thin Imperial with chestnut curls that swirled around his jaw; he had slim, wine-red eyes, much like his father's. "They took her, they took her," he cried as he shook Alijham's trousers.
"They took.. who did they take, Ales? Who is they?" Alijham pleaded.
"They took Mama," he croaked, burying his face in his father's shirt. "I don't know.. t-they were people, and they had a-armor and swords.. they.." he sobbed, muffled by the clothing. Alijham kissed his head, eyes fogging, and gave the rest of his children a hug.
"I'm going to get Nolos, you all stay here," he said groggily.
He exited the cellar and his home in quite the hurry, calling for his brother frantically outside. "Nolos! Nolos, I need you!" His voice cracked.
From the break in the forest Alijham had come from, his blonde, golden-eyed half-brother brother emerged. He ran up to Alijham and gripped his shoulders firmly, trying to calm him. "What is it, what happened?"
"S-Someone's taken Cammomillia," he breathed quickly and deeply, eyes wide. "Go into the house and watch the kids, I'm going to go out and find her. I should be back by the morning. If I'm not, send Arydontas out for me. Alright?"
"O-Of course," Nolos nodded, giving his sibling a quick hug and a pat on the shoulders before darting towards the house.
Alijham took a moment to compose himself. He told himself not to panic, inhaling deeply. Four men. It'd been a while since any of them had bathed. They all carried mettle with them and on them it seemed, stinking of alcohol and skooma as well as plain old man stink. They had his wife with them.
His brain computed what his nose had told him. He followed closely to the trail of scent. While he did so, he wondered why anyone would want to disturb his family. Perhaps they heard about his black market trades in town, and wanted to give him a reason to come to them? Maybe they'd try to lock him up and make him brew skooma for them.
The scent wasn't hard for Alijham to reach the end of, but it took some time. There was a cave some ways from town. He predicted it was an output of an old mine; a perfect place for bandits and the sort to dwell. He fell into a crouch and scuffled inside.