Oblivion short 7
Jan. 18th, 2007 05:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cmdr_zoomAt first it seemed that the priory hadn't changed at all from the first time he'd been here, months ago. But there were horses missing from the stable: the paint that he rode, the bay that he led, and the dun that Jauffre had taken. And there was a new grave out back, for Prior Maborel.
"I brought your horse back, and Martin's too," Thag told the mound of dirt. "Sorry I couldn't do more."
"I don't know what I'll do now," the orc went on with a sigh. "Maybe go back to working for the Fighter's Guild. But I thought I should come here first... settle accounts, tell you how it all turned out." He looked up at the sky; the sun had set, and the stars were starting to come out. "We won, I guess."
The grave offered no guidance, no words of comfort. Thag shook his head and went in search of Eronor, the priory's shepherd and stablehand.
"Here," he said, thrusting the reins at the dark elf without preamble. "She's not mine. I'll find another."
"Begging your pardon, sir," Eronor replied, "but I think the prior would want you to have her. And I think she'd want that too."
Thag turned to look at the paint horse, who whickered and nuzzled the bag where he kept the fruit and plants he picked up in his wanderings. (For all his brutish appearance and demeanor, the orc was an accomplished herbalist, a talent which had saved his life more than once.) Out of habit, Thag found an apple in the bag and fed it to the mare. "Stupid," he muttered as she chewed. "You know I'll just eat you someday." The paint finished the apple and snorted.
Eronor seemed to consider the matter decided. He took the other horse and started leading it to the stable as Thag mounted up. "Jauffre might be coming back here, after he's done at Cloud Ruler," Thag said from the saddle. "Take care of this place."
"Always have," the elf said amiably.
Out on the main road, which ran past both the priory and the gates of Chorrol, Thag brought the horse - his horse, now - to a halt. He took a single gold septim from his coinpurse and flipped it. The coin sparkled, catching the last of the fading light, and landed in his palm. Thag nodded.
"West it is."
(still not the end)
"I brought your horse back, and Martin's too," Thag told the mound of dirt. "Sorry I couldn't do more."
"I don't know what I'll do now," the orc went on with a sigh. "Maybe go back to working for the Fighter's Guild. But I thought I should come here first... settle accounts, tell you how it all turned out." He looked up at the sky; the sun had set, and the stars were starting to come out. "We won, I guess."
The grave offered no guidance, no words of comfort. Thag shook his head and went in search of Eronor, the priory's shepherd and stablehand.
"Here," he said, thrusting the reins at the dark elf without preamble. "She's not mine. I'll find another."
"Begging your pardon, sir," Eronor replied, "but I think the prior would want you to have her. And I think she'd want that too."
Thag turned to look at the paint horse, who whickered and nuzzled the bag where he kept the fruit and plants he picked up in his wanderings. (For all his brutish appearance and demeanor, the orc was an accomplished herbalist, a talent which had saved his life more than once.) Out of habit, Thag found an apple in the bag and fed it to the mare. "Stupid," he muttered as she chewed. "You know I'll just eat you someday." The paint finished the apple and snorted.
Eronor seemed to consider the matter decided. He took the other horse and started leading it to the stable as Thag mounted up. "Jauffre might be coming back here, after he's done at Cloud Ruler," Thag said from the saddle. "Take care of this place."
"Always have," the elf said amiably.
Out on the main road, which ran past both the priory and the gates of Chorrol, Thag brought the horse - his horse, now - to a halt. He took a single gold septim from his coinpurse and flipped it. The coin sparkled, catching the last of the fading light, and landed in his palm. Thag nodded.
"West it is."
(still not the end)