Mara's Paladin

Chapter 3: Spirits In The Woods

      Dusk was settling in on the cold landscape. A small clearing was set in the middle of a frosty woodland. In that clearing was a camp with three small leather tents. Silvia was crouching in the center setting up a small pile of wood. After setting it up in a pyramid like fashion she tried rubbing to sticks together. This went on for a few minutes before she threw them aside in anger. After contemplating for a moment she quickly checked her surroundings and extended one of her hands towards the wooden pyramid. Her hand started to faintly glow red and a small bolt of fire shot at the wood, igniting it on impact. She smiled and started poking at the wood with a stick when she heard a twig snap behind her. She immediately sprung up, spinning around as she did. Her hands were glowing with blue arcane energy as she quickly looked for the source. Her eyes narrowed but she saw nothing but undisturbed brush.
      "Hey, you alright?" Asked a voice behind her.
      She quickly turned around, but let out a sigh of relief as she saw Arven and Eldar. Her hands stoped glowing as she said "Yeah, just thought I heard something."
      Arven shrugged while putting down to sacks he was carrying. Eldar chuckled "The woods here are said to be a bit tricky. Some of the townspeople even said they're guarded by a magical forest entity. How preposterous." He said putting down the sack he was carrying.
     "I've heard stranger stories about the stuff rumored to live in Skyrim." Silva said moving over to the one of the sacks Arven put down.
     "So have I, doesn't make any of them more truthful." Said Eldar.
      Arven quickly interrupted with "Eldar agreed to help us look for the tomb."
     Silvia eyed Eldar "Is that so?" She asked.
      "Yes it is, you two seems trustworthy and I have nothing to lose by joining the cause." Eldar said.
      "I figured we could use all help we can get for when we find the tomb." Arven said.
      "If we find it," Said Silvia looking inside one of the sacks. She smiled looking upon the mix of fruits, flowers and nuts. "Thank you for picking these up for me, Arven."
      "No problem, I just don't get why you didn't want to go into town with us." He said as he moved the other sack to one of the tents.
      "It's not that I didn't want to it just..." She thought for a moment, "Whindhelm is full of... close minded people to say the least." She said going over to the other tent.
Arven has a confused look on his face "Closed minded more then the rest of the Nords? And just because they're close minded doesn't mean you should hide. Like you said with college, you can't change people's mind by locking things away." He said.
      "You're right, but it's not that easy. I would go if I could but let's just say I had a bad run-in with a prominent member of the community when I was young. Trust me it's best I stay out of there." She said sitting down by the fire.
      "What was the run-in? What happened?" Arven Asked.
Silvia closed her eyes and looked away from him. "I'd rather not get into it. Why don't you two go to sleep, I'll take first watch." She said going back to stirring the fire.
       "Fine by me." Said Eldar climbing into one of the tents. "But I'm not taking second watch, I did it last time." He swatted as a hornet that was bothering him "I hate the forest." He said going to sleep.
      Arvin and Silvia chuckled, "I'll take second." Said Arven crawling to the back of his tent. He crouched in the back bowing his head, he pulled a necklace from under his armor, whispering to him self he said "Dear Mother Mara, I ask you to continue to protect and guide us on our journey. Thank you for all you have done." He opened his eyes and looked down at the necklace. The amulet was made of a piece of brass that weaved into a plus shape with a light blue gem set into the center, all of that sat on a circle also made of brass. He admired it for a few more moments before putting it back under his armor and heading to bed.

      Arvin was shaken awoke by Silva "Your turn for watch." She said before heading to her tent.
Arvin got up, grabbing a piece of salted meet from his pack as he did. Sitting by the fire he mindlessly picked away at it. After he finished with the meat he stared at his hand making the palm of it glow white as he did. His attention was caught by something that glowed green for a brief moment, off in the forest. He cocked his head and moved towards the edge of the clearing to investigate. He didn't see the glow again but he did see a large shadowy figure moving in the distance, he turned his head "Silva, Eldar," He said towards their tents, slowly they stirred awake. As he turned back he saw the figure charging towards him "Help!" He yelled putting up his hands, they glowed white and an opaque barrier formed. He watched as a large brown bear charged at him, its reared back onto its hind legs slamming its two paws into the barrier. Arvin grunted, scrunching his face as him arms threaten to buckle from the bear pushing off the barrier. It raised its front paws and slammed into it again. Arvin dove back as the barrier cracked and the bear came through. He stared at the bears hazy green eyes, fumbling with his mace, he rolled off to the side as the bear charged him.
      Eldar pulled out his daggers sprinted past Arvin.  He plunged both into its back side. It roared in pain kicking at him. Eldar dodged those as it turned around. It swiped at him, Eldar went to doge under it but as he did part of his shirt was caught by one of its claws. He was dragged and slammed into the ground, the bear stood back on hind legs.
      One bolt of blue energy slammed into it, making it stumble back. Silvia smiled as she readied to send another, when all of a sudden she heard what sounded cracking bark behind her. She turned and saw, coming forth from a tree, a female figure made up of wooden vines and green arcane-like energy. Silva released a bolt of blue energy at it, missing it and the creature swung at her. Silvia recoiled from the hit, regaining her balance both her hands started to glow bright as she pulled them back. Quickly she thrusted them forward, releasing a large bolt of blue energy that exploded on the side of the creature. Its arm was blown to pieces and Silva smiled. The creature extended it other arm and a swarm of hornets surrounded Silva. She swatted at them to no effect.
     Arvin was out of breath watching as Eldar danced around the bear, making occasional attacks with his dagger when he could. He gripped his mace tight and waited for his opening, glancing to the side his eyes went wide as he saw two glowing orbs swirling around the female creature. Wooden vines from its shoulder grew out into a new arm, completely replacing the one it had lost. "Mara be with us," He said to himself as he gripped his mace tighter with both hands. Arvin flinched as an arrow flew past his head and into the creature. He turned and saw a deep green scaled female with a tale standing a few feet behind him.
     He watched as the female turned towards the bear, she reached to her side grabbing and ripping a small sack she had hanging from her belt. Her hand became coated in a green slime. When she notched another arrow  she pulled it through her fingers coating it and the tip. She quickly shot at the bear, hitting it in its neck. The bear started to teeter, letting out fading roars as it did. With a big thump, it fell to the ground. She turned back towards the creature, shooting an arrow into its side as she moved closer.
      Silva stumbled back still swatting at the hornets. She angrily grit her teeth forming an x with her arms. She broke it, screaming in anger as she did her form became surrounded by roaring flames that incinerated the hornets. Looking around she saw at the creature became surrounded as Eldar ran up to join them. Silva's hand glowed blue as the fire around her died down. She raised her hand to shoot a bolt when the creature turned invisible.
      The scaled female grunted, ran forward and slide. As she did she swept her tail along the ground, throwing a cloud of dirt in the air. She stood and her eyes darted around and saw a part of the cloud get moved. "There" She hissed, shooting an arrow at it, it stuck into the still invisible creature.
     Arvin ran towards it raising his mace as he did. Gripping it with both hand he swung and hit the creature as Eldar stabbed it with both his daggers. It became visible, Silva narrowed her eyes and shot two bolts of blue energy at it. They slammed into its head with loud crack, blowing off a few pieces as they hit. Eldar removed his daggers as the creature fell, lifeless to the floor. Arvin let out a sigh of relief, turning, he faced the scaled lady. Looking at her a bit closely he noticed she was dressed in, what looked like homemade leather armor, she had a crown like arrangement of horns coming from her head but the most interesting part about her were her two glowing,  purple, pupil-less eyes.
      "Thank you," Arvin said in between breaths "May I ask what your name is?" He asked.
     Putting her clawed hand against her chest she gave a small bow and said "We are Nikena (Ni-Key-Nah)."