The humidity condenses against the cool stone of the cave, soft golden torchlight flickering and glistening against the dark rock. A head of unkempt platinum hair seems to glow with blued hues in the dim light atop a head that bobs as a soft whispering and giggle slips from its thin, ragged Breton owner. Despite the grime and sweat plastering her porcelain skin, there is an ethereal beauty and innocence that seems to glow and penetrate the grime even in her dire state. She sits at the base of a tall iron beam driven deep into the ground, her hands chained behind her through a thick eyelet near the bottom.
"No, no no NO. That'd be silly, it wouldn't work again. They all know. They ALL know that one. I'm not sure what else--...Hmm...I mean that could be fun but I'm not sure--NO, that's gonna give it away! Shhh, you're getting loud! You'll wake it up ag--"
Her soft murmurs cease. A moment later, a distant sound of footfalls grows nearer and the girl suddenly slumps and begins to cry quietly, begging in a meek voice. A nervous-looking young Bosmer enters the wide open space, stopping to adjust his grip on the bag he carries in one hand--the other in a trembling grip on a dagger. "Oh! You're not that sc--Erm...Hi, j-just food! Don't worry! I'm not gonna try anything!" He giggles in relief as the tension evaporates from his body. He'd never been allowed to see the captive. Nobody was allowed to enter the rear cavern where she was being held without at least one other trusted guard, and even then only those who'd proven most bloodthirsty and loyal. Today, however, there'd been a bustle in the bandit camp. Rumors that they may have found a buyer for their rather troublesome long-term ransom. The bandits were divided, some relieved at the prospect of being rid of the girl while others grew immediately anxious from rumors that the buyer had figured out where the ransom was being held and that they had little intent on paying the ransom--despite the cost having continually dropped as they grew more desperate to be rid of the captive.
With all the commotion, Woden realized that nobody had fed the girl in some time and despite the warnings and rumors he'd been told about her it seemed like a rather harmless thing to do. It might even show the others that the fledgling bandit had some initiative, maybe even earn him some respect he'd long been denied. Besides, for all the talk of trouble the girl had caused, she was after all just a girl shackled to a post. What's the worst that she could possibly do? They didn't even bother to keep their blades with them--surely even alone he'd be more than capable of managing a small, starved and shackled prisoner. "P-please...I-I'm sorry, whatever I did...I d-didn't mean to! I'll be Good, please--" she pleads for a moment before lifting her head and seeing a new face. A face not wrenched in anger but softened with relief. A face not accompanied by any other. Alone. Friendly, even. Her cries stop suddenly with a sniff as the corners of her mouth twitch upward. "Oh--You're new here aren't you? I--" She wiggles to sit more upright as her expression shifts sharply to a soft smile, "I'm Aedrienne, b-but my friends call me Aedrie. Y-you can call me whatever you like, though." Her voice trembles with...fear? Anticipation? Hunger? Her icy pale eyes focus on the contents of the bosmer's hands. She was going to have a chance to be fed at last. To clear the fog shrouding her thoughts.
Woden chuckles, holding up the bag that the icy eyes don't follow. "Heh, yep! I realized nobody came down to feed ya! Figured you're worth more alive than dead, eh? I'm Wod-...uhh...I-I mean just W. No names. Not supposed to even talk to you..." He sheathes his dagger and opens the bag to produce some wilting greens and squishy tomatoes. The steely gaze locks eyes with Woden in a wide smile as Aedrie's breath quickens. "Wow! Th-thank you W! I knew you looked like a Good person! You'll make them real proud, I promise! Last time this happened they--well...somebody got in trouble is all..." Her face darkens briefly before returning to her bright smile. "Hey, you've eaten, right? Please don't tell me you're giving me your food! I don't wanna eat your food, that's supposed to be for you!"
Woden blinks in surprise as he looks down at the vegetables in his hand that were indeed from his daily rations. He had intended on only giving her a small portion that looked ready to spoil, but the unexpected kind gesture caught him entirely off guard. The captive that he'd heard wailing for weeks in terror was now looking out for his well-being more than any of his superiors. "Gods, you're...uhh...N-nah, I've got enough! They feed us plenty here, really." His stomach twists and spasms in protest of the lie. He looks at the food, suddenly unsure of his decision.
Aedrie giggles and nods, "Okay, I trust you! Hey, you wanna sit and eat with me? They've been making me eat off the floor like some gross animal, and it'd be nice to have a friend to eat with for once." Woden snaps back to reality to meet the icy gaze, following it as she looks at the ground beside her. "Eat with--" he pauses, "--I...I dunno, I'm really not supposed to--" "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry!" Aedrie says in a small, wavering voice. "N-no, don't worry. J-just toss it on the ground and I'll--" "Whoa, no I didn't mean...I just..." Woden says, eyes wide as his stomach wrenches for an entirely different reason. "I'll...I'll eat with you!" He plops down hurriedly next to her, an awful sensation filling him as he recalls being shunned by the others after joining. Being made to eat scraps and leftovers at the 'scrub table' where all the unproven recruits sit on straw mats and eat off old rotting crates. He places the vegetables on Aedrie's lap then produces a rather palatable pair of apples for himself...then hesitates and swaps the old tomato for one of the apples. "I don't think you probably get many apples down here, do you?" He asks.
Aedrie looks up at him with teary eyes and wistful smile. "I haven't had an apple in...in..." The tears start to flow as she leans into him. Woden freezes in panic, but cautiously reaches up to pat her shimmering hair. "Erm...there there? Uhh...n-no, don't do that, don't cry, erm..." "It's just...n-nobody wants to be my friend here and all I really want is to have a friend! I don't even care anymore about getting out of here I just--" With a sniffle and nuzzle against his neck, she composes her voice, "C-could...I please feed myself? I just want to feel normal for once..." Woden tenses in fright at the request. If anybody heard her sobs and decided to check on her to find he'd released her hands he'd surely be flayed alive. "I don't think I can--" he's interrupted as Aedrie starts to sob louder. He panics, "N-no! Shhh...Please don't--" If somebody walked in now to find her snuggled up against him alone...he put down his food and quickly began to fumble at his pouch. "--Shh! Just...Just wait, hold on! No, be quiet!"
There's a sound of rusty metal sliding against metal as he turns the key and frees Aedrie's hands. "A-alright, no sudden movements or I'll--" Suddenly indeed he was enveloped in a warm hug from the Breton. "W-wait, stop that right now! Just eat your--" The hug grows warmer and warmer as her hands glow a soft blue and stroke along his back.
A calm womanly voice, tinted with an imperial accent comes from the girl, "Shhh, Woden. It's alright...We're just sitting here eating, love. That's all. Then right back into the shackles with me, I swear..."
"Okay, but you can't be--W-wait how'd you know my name's--"
"Shhh...Everything is alright. Just a quick lunch with a friend..." The hug gets warmer and a sudden, intoxicating calmness fills the Bosmer's mind.
"R-right...yeah...just a quick lunch...yeah..."
Woden looks down drowsily at his wilted cabbage and squishy tomato, taking a bite of the bitter vegetables that are barely palatable. He sways slightly as he looks up to Aedrie with a dopey smile as she hungrily bites into one apple then the second that was until now in Woden's hands, plucking more of the food from his bag. Woden blinks in confusion, but nods "Yeah...been a while since they fed you hasn't it? I guess since you haven't had any apples in so long, only makes sense you should have both of 'em...See I ain't such a bad guy, right?"
Aedrie nods distractedly as she devours the choicest bits of food in his bag, her voice now flat and steely, "Yeah, you've been a great friend. Now just keep being a nice friend, I'm gonna take this..." There's a soft sound of metal on leather as his sheath twitches. Woden feels a rising anxiety deep within him, but he's not quite sure why he feels suddenly uneasy as he looks at Aedrie holding the dagger. "I'm gonna borrow this for just a moment, Woden. That's okay isn't it?" She grips the dagger with a nod as her eyes lock with his.
"I dunno, I don't think I should give that to you...H-hey, wait don't do th--Hey!" The anxiety rises within him and begins to overpower the cloudiness as the dagger cuts across skin and blood begins to flow...but not his own.
Bright red blood dribbles slowly along Aedrie's lily-white wrist and before Woden realizes what's happening, her eyes flutter with a deep breath. "Ahhh...better...so much clearer now...thank you Woden." She smiles sweetly as her bubbly voice returns, her eyes focused sharply on his with a focus that was until now absent. The dagger finds its way into Woden's sheath just as he drops his food to reach for it. Her arms are around his neck again as she half-hugs, half-restrains the Bosmer.
"Shhh..." Aedrie mimics his earlier shushing as she leans into his ear and whispers, "They'll be super angry if they find out about this...we'll both be in soooo much trouble!" Aedrie giggles, and Woden's squirming protest freezes abruptly as he looks to the entryway with fear filling his wide eyes and withering the last of Aedrie's calming spell. "So Woden, looks like you need a friend to help keep you safe, and that's what Aedrie's here for!" She coos softly into his ear as he begins to sweat with a nod. "Now it'd be real Bad if we just tried to walk on out of here, so here's how you're gonna help your new friend. You're gonna lock me back up like nothing ever happened, then you're gonna find this super nice lady who'll make you niiice and rich..."
The heavy wooden hatch rises again, and the small young Bosmer known as 'W' cautiously pokes his head into the cavern, peering around for any sign of the other bandits. Fortunately, the only life within the chamber is the silver-topped Breton chained to the central post who seems to currently be soundly sleeping.
As slowly as he can manage (given that the hatch weighed a good portion of his own body weight), W lifts the oaken hatch and slips into the chamber before slinking over towards Aedrie, taking a knee and placing his satchel next to her, producing a flask of water that he places up to her chapped lips. "Psst! Hey! It's Dubs…drink!"
The woman stirs groggily, opening her ethereally glacial eyes in a daze with a few sluggish blinks. She spots W and slowly takes in a few sips, then a more eager drink, then finally begins to gulp down the liquid until W pulls it back with a hint of sternness in his voice. "Hey, easy. Not too much at once. Don't want you gettin' sick all over me..." The tension in W's stance softens as Aedrie looks up in a haze.
"H-hey friend…” Her voice creaks from her throat, eyes failing to land squarely on W.
“Hells…Did-...Did they do this to you?” The Bosmer asks hesitantly, glancing over his shoulder.
“Naah~! J-...just…need--...” Her words slur slightly as her head bobbles.
“What?! What do you need? I brought some more food, even got some grog…erm…it’s pretty shit stuff, but if you--”
“No! N-no…H-hit…me…”
“They hit you?! I thought we weren’t supposed to touch y-”
“NO. You. Hit me. Now.” Her teeth clench as a growl rises through her normally bright chirpy voice between sharp, pained breaths.
“Hit you? Are you sure? That seems--” He responds, his voice wavering and dropping to a whisper.
For the first time, Aedrie locks eyes with him in a furied look of madness, speaking through grit teeth. “HIT…ME. You fucking foo--” She’s interrupted by a half-hearted slap from W that stings softly but fails to redden her pale cheek. Her face softens slightly, the Breton’s voice less harsh but still carrying a slight edge, “...harder…please…”
A smack resounds throughout the cavern causing W to flinch much more than Aedrie, who seems to relax and go slack with a long, relieved exhale. Her head hangs down as her breathing slows from its pained panting to a subdued huffing. W rests his hand on her shoulder with a fearful look in his eyes, dropping his satchel and glancing behind him. He squirms as he drops to place both knees on the ground.
“Oh fuckin’ hells! You alright? Shit, I didn’t mean to--”
Another long sigh and Aedrie’s half-flushed face snaps back up in a beaming grin, “Wheew! Thanks, friend! I needed that! My thinker was gettin’ real foggy there for a second! I owe ya one!” She punctuates the gratitude with a soft giggle, herself now glancing at the door and shutting her eyes briefly. “--and don’t you worry, they didn’t hear a thing!”
W furrows his brows in confusion and shock, looking to the door then back to Aedrie in babbling dismay, “What the…How do you know-...What do you mean--”
“Shhh~, don’t worry about it! I don’t even understand myself half the time! Sometimes I get a little foggy and--Ehh! Just c’mere and hug me so ya know there’s no hard feelings?”
With a mix of fear and shock, the small rookie bandit examines Aedrie as if looking at a Dwemer construct for the first time. “I…I dunno if I should--”
“Pleaaaase~? You really slapped me hard and I’d hate to start crying super loud, but a hug sure would--”
W stammers briefly, “What? N-no, don’t-...Just-...fuck.” He scoops her into a hug, squeezing her as if to smother away any loud sounds the girl might make. All that leaves her though, is a contented humming and soft cooing reply, “Heyyy~...it’s okay, Dubs…You’re a very Good person deep down, and I think you know it. I don’t blame you for what you did, Wodie…”
The Bosmer pulls back, suddenly struck with emotion that has him on the verge of tears. “What-...What did you just say? How did you know what my dad--...How did you…?”
Her face screws up in a look of confusion, “Huuh? You mean Dubs? I thought that’s what the other bandits call ya?”
“No! You called me Wodie! Nobody outside my family knows that name! What kind of--”
Aedrie tilts her head in confusion, “Huuuh? I said I don’t blame you for what you did, buddy. I mean, we’re buddies right?”
His face suddenly contorts, his lips pressing together as he looks down and runs his fingers through his long auburn locks with a frustrated sigh. “Bloody hell…Maybe I’m just a little stressed…you sayin’ that kinda hit a sore spot. My dad called me Wodie as long as I can remember and…well…last thing he said to me was ‘I don’t blame you for what you did, Wodie.’ I didn’t realize hearing that again would…”
A soft smile spreads over Aedrie’s face, “Aww…I’m so sorry buddy…My parents are gone, too. I know how that can be. I know it can feel like there was something you could have done differently that might have saved him, but I’m sure whatever happened wasn’t your fault.”
W purses his lips and exhales sharply, “I didn’t say he…You can’t just assume he’s d-...and I didn’t do anything! I just--”
“Shhh~ You didn’t say any of that, sure. It’s written all over your face like a book. I read a lot, and sometimes I read people. It’s…all I had after my parents…well…” She looks down to hide her face as she sniffles.
The Bosmer forcefully plops down next to her and pulls open his satchel, rubbing at his eyes before producing a bottle of grog and some food. “Yeah…I guess it’s still a little raw, huh? Probably why the others treat me like garbage. They see that fresh wound and can’t help but poke at it…here, eat with me. Might be the last time. I heard your friends are comin’ tomorrow to buy your freedom, and I don’t think they’ll show me any mercy…not like I deserve any. I’m just as much to blame for keepin’ you here I guess.” He produces a key and unlocks the softly glowing shackles around Aedrie’s wrists, handing her a stale rye roll.
Aedrie sighs in relief and--unbeknownst to Dubs--the release of the petty anti-magicka shackles allows her to cast Sending as she closes her eyes with a soft sigh and nods. “Yaay…you get to meet my friends. Don’t worry, all my friends are just as Good as you are, Dubsie. I have a feeling they’ll see that in you too!” She scoots up close to him and rests her head against his shoulder as she takes a crunchy bite of the hard roll, offering it to him after she swallows the ration with some difficulty.