By the campfire in the cave, Sevine quietly ate her portion of food ladled out to her, a chicken leg (rather heavily salted as it came from the Courtesan's cache of barrels), with a loaf of bread. She gave a helping hand after the cave was declared safe, to helping unload the ship of its supplies. Leif had tried to dissuade her, with an invalid argument of she needed to take better care of herself. When the cave had been settled into, Leif promptly laid his bedroll next to her, keen on keeping a spot next to her. For him, it seemed to work, for the Khajiit that Sevine had become seemingly close to chose a spot beside Sagax and Keegan. However, Sevine felt that Leif's overbearing presence had turned away her companion, and there, a deep seed of anger began to form. As the wind howled with blustering snow drifts, her eyes flickered to Do'Karth occasionally as he took up first watch. While she wished to join him, Leif's insufferable attitude kept her anchored beside him. Begrudgingly, she ran her tongue over her lips, savoring the taste of the chicken, and chucked the bone into the pit of the fire.
"So are you going to tell me what you see in that cat?" Leif asked, his words alone ruffled her feathers, if she had any that is.
"What's it to you?" She returned, a biting remark that left him with raised brows.
"Nothing of importance. You seem rather fond of him. You find every chance you get to speak to him, it's not that hard to notice, ever since Windhelm, I mean. Do you have an inkling for him?" While a smirk played across his lips, his eyes held a more menacing approach. He made no effort to keep his voice low either, further provoking Sevine.
"He's a good person, Leif. And he certainly doesn't pry into other people's business when they're not wanted. Go the fuck to sleep." She grunted as she pulled off her wet boots and stuck them by the fire in order to dry. With that, Sevine climbed inside her bedroll, unfurling the woolen blanket, and pulled it up to her chin to keep the bitter chill of the blizzard out. She rolled onto her side so that she wouldn't have to look at Leif. Even though she shut her eyes, sleep did not come for many hours, and when she opened her eyes to see how much time had passed, she saw Sagax being awoken for the last watch. Oblivion be damned, she wouldn't get any sleep. That was certain Not this night.
When morning came, a watery-grey light that filled the cave, breakfast was dished out in plentiful portions. Sevine left the cave to take care of her heavy bladder, when she noticed curious hoofprints in the snow. Had Asper come back? That foolish horse. As she pulled up her trousers and secured them with a quick fasten of the metal buckle, she stuck two fingers in her mouth and gave a sharp whistle. Nothing. Not even a nicker. Shivering from the gusty winds, Sevine made her way back to the cave, whistling all of the while. Leif had remained oddly quietly that morning, perhaps his pride wounded by her blunt remark. She cared not, she ignored him, though she noted the occasional glances thrown her way. Finding a seat next to Roze, Sevine smiled softly at her friend, though remained quiet throughout breakfast. Just as she began to think that this day couldn't start off more droll, someone near the cave shouted a curious comment.
"Oi! Huntress! Is this your horse?" The voice belonged to Orvar, Leif's longtime sailing companion. The use of her name made her grimace, one that quickly disappeared as she rose to her feet and darted to the entrance. Sure enough, a dark figure ebbed closer to the cave, there Asper was, making his way through the whipping winds. She gave another sharp whistle, and he lifted his head in response, acknowledging his owner. If he had nickered, or neighed, it was carried away in the wind. When he finally made his way over to her, she fell upon him in a loving way, searching his body for cuts, scrapes, or even briars. He appeared to have survived the plunge into the icy water unscathed. Then again, he was a horse of Skyrim. What more could she ask for with such a fine stock of animal? After the others finished up with their meals, they sorted out the supplies amongst the survivors, she elicited the help of Asper, and more of the heavier supplies were packaged evenly onto his back. She even claimed a chitlin shield that she found leaning haphazardly against the cave wall, guess no one wanted it. With her axe on her hip, and her longbow and quiver set over her new shield, she set out at the back of the column.
Were it not for the grueling trek through near blinding conditions, she was certain that the landscape around them would provide a stunning display of Skyrim's famed wilderness. Yet, it was obscured in near white-out conditions. With the weaker folk leading the caravan, the stronger folk took up the rear, and she found herself next to Dumhuvud of all people, leading Asper by the lead on his halter. The snow continued to fall, thick as a sheep being shorn in the springtime, and damn near impossible to walk through. For how long they struggled through the increasing knee-deep snow, Sevine could not tell, she couldn't even find the sun through the wall of white. Her boots were wet again, and she cursed herself for not oiling them. At least her leather armor that she now sported kept some of the cold out, although the exposed parts of her tunic, and now even her trousers were wet from the snow. If she could see, Sevine could determine how numb her fingers were, or rather, how red they were from the cold. Why in all of Nirn, there would be a blizzard like this during Sun's Height simply baffled her. Dumhuvud shared the same view as her, grumbling the entire way, cursing the Divine, finally, he called out in irritation, "We need to get the fuck out of this storm, before we all end up dead!" Whether or not anyone in the front had heard him remained to be seen, until Do'Karth returned with a yell, he could smell fungus? Damn, his nose was sharp. Sevine wondered if his ears were just as keen.
Meanwhile, Leif had distanced himself from Sevine, feeling that it was best to give his longtime comrade the space she needed, and hopefully, the biting cold would do just that. Together, the survivors trekked through the snow towards this cave, where the Khajiit led them. Even Captain Atgeir had disembarked from the Courtesan for the first time in a long while. The sailors fared better than most of the mercenaries it would seem, what with the battering gales, and blinding snow, though carrying supplies made it for rough going over the terrain. When they finally reached the entrance of the cave, those brave enough to venture inside, or at least keen on escaping the harsh weather, trudged forward. Sevine was one of those people. She left Asper standing outside, and even dropped her pack near the entrance. Something didn't feel right. She followed behind Do'Karth, Solveig, Sagax and Leif, along with those that were curious to see if anything inhabited the cave. While Do'Karth treaded deeper into the cave, Sevine picked up on a curiously foul odor... one that reminded her of rotting flesh and mold. When her boot struck something, she glanced down to see a human skullcap. Where the rest of the skeletal remains were, she could not say, though she quietly prayed to Mara she would not find them.
Drawing out his longsword at the sound of Do'Karth's shouts, he swore under his breath. Falmer, and chaurus, he should have known better. Sagax had run after Do'Karth when the sounds of a struggle were heard uphead. "Can we get a light in here? Hey you, Keegan, eh? Throw us a light or something. These damned creatures don't like the light." He turned to search for the yellow Mer, though with the increasing darkness, couldn't pinpoint his location. After the Courtesan had docked unknowingly at a cave like this near Morthal to escape foul weather, the sailors decided it best to scout out the lagoon, in which there was a cave. Lo and behold, there were filthy falmer that inhabited the cave. The sailors escaped with just the skin on their backs, lucky to count their blessings that night.
On the other hand, Sevine brushed past Leif with her axe and shield brandished, while he searched for Keegan, he did not see the descending falmer that approached him. They were nasty creatures, eyes black as night, and boy, did they smell something awful. With all of this shrieking and noise that echoed off the walls of the cave, they were sure to draw the attention of the entire hive that resided in this cave. Just then, Sagax and Do'Karth had returned to the fringes of the group.
"Don't give them a chance to strike! Hyaghhh!" Sevine bellowed as, charging right into the two falmer. Boiling in her blood, she felt the bloodlust of battle return to her. With a bash of her shield, Sevine disoriented one falmer, and the other one, she narrowly missed a slice of its blade. Counterattacking, she planted one foot in the pit of its stomach, stomping the foul beast to the ground. By then, the other falmer had staggered to its feet, she could hear its hiss as it scurried backwards, plucking out an arrow from its quiver, and notching its bowstring. A soft twang, and a raise of her new shield deflected the blow. She had to admit, while she would have not thought more than once to take the chitlin shield, it proved a better pick than her heavy steel shield. Laughing in a maniacal manner, shield still raised, Sevine advanced onto the falmer that remained on the ground, hopelessly trying to crawl away. She had crushed a rib, that was certain.
"I don't know where you think you're going, you nasty fuck." Her words echoed around her as she brought the axe blade down atop the falmer's skull, splitting it in two. Another twang of the bowstring, and two arrows were now embedded in her shield. A high pitched screech caught her attention, it had to be a chaurus, retreating to the safety of the group, Sevine spotted an odd scene unfold. Solveig, cowering behind her shield. Did the woman fear fighting? She fell in line beside her as a hideous chaurus, massive pinchers snapping back and forth, dropped from the ceiling. It leapt at her, forcing her to shove the edge of her shield in between its deadly pinchers. Mara bless her, this may not end well after all...
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