Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20140611170629/@comment-3293219-20140613235424

Ella had spent hours looking through the streets of Bruma, finding that the situation was hopeless. The only people on the streets at this hour were half crazed homeless people, most of which would sooner stab a person than talk to them. There were Guards to but she couldn't ask them as Kaizen was a murderer, a Dark Brotherhood Listener and therefore very sought after, by the authorities.

The Nord had no choice, she'd have to wait until morning, when the civilized folk had rolled out of bed, shop keepers would be a good place to start, they'd have better memories than the drunken beggers that she had asked before and they would probably have seen more people. Upon realising this, Ella sighed and returned to the main gate, deviating away from it and heading to the tavern, where she would hire a room for the night.

She had enough coin, just about...

As Ella approached the front door, she heard a weak voice, which tried to get her attention.

"Umm..."

The Nord looked down on the floor, seeing a small urchin Bosmer boy, legs crossed at her feet.

"Could you spare some c-coin... Please?" He asked, tilting his head.

Ella looked back to her purse, she had ten gold, exactly enough to get her a bed for the night. She'd have to skip dinner at this rate, there was no way that she could spare this child any gold.

"I'm sorry, I haven't got any gold to give you..." She answered, truthfully.

The Boy sighed and hugged his knees, making her feel even more guilty as he rested his chin on them, shivering as another gust of cold wind hit them. Ella began to feel even worse at this point but there was little to nothing that she could do here...

"I don't suppose you could answer some questions, could you?" She asked, nervously as she felt like she was pressing her luck.

The Boy looked to her, somewhat confused by her request but he wasn't doing anything else and she may part with some coin if he helped her.

"I c-c-can try." He shivered, tucking his feet under his crossed knees to keep them out of the icy winds that surrounded them both.

Ella sighed, this boy was either a pro or just really that unfortunate, either way, her own boy was far worse off, so her priorities were in the right place.

“I’m looking for an Argonian… With Black Scales…” She began, instantly getting the boy’s attention.

“Are you a guard miss?”

Ella smiled at him, tempted to say ‘yes’ but deciding against it as impersonating a guard was not a smart thing to do…

“No, I’m just trying to help my son, he’s ill and that Argonian I mentioned has the cure…” She knelt down in front of him, looking the boy in the eyes.

“Please… If you have any information, could you… Help me? Please?”

Ella’s hands were surprisingly warm and soft, this instantly got the wood elf’s attention, causing him to look up at her and catching her green eyes, which were like emeralds.

“I ain’t seen him.” The Boy answered, hastily as he shook his head, this was true as he hadn’t.

“B-But… I know somethin’, I know that people have been goin’ missin’!” He stammered, trying to be helpful.

“Loads of people have been taken…” He whispered looking around, fearfully.

“Taken?”

“Y-Yeah… They took beggars, mostly, then they took pa…”

Ella gasped, being quite family oriented, this sort of thing disturbed her, she placed both of her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

“Is that why you’re out here?”

The Bosmer nodded in response, his eyes glistening as he hung his head, though it was more the cold of the air around him than him missing his father.

“I just have to make it through the week…”

<p class="MsoNormal">Ella looked up at the inn before offering her hand, with a slight smile as she stood up.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Come on… Let’s go inside and I’ll get you a room.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You mean it!?” He gasped, grabbing the Nord’s hand as she pulled him to his feet, a huge smile plastered to his face. He wrapped his little fingers around the outside of her hand, causing her to pause and look down as she almost felt Eric’s hand in his…

<p class="MsoNormal">“I promise, it’ll only be until Turdas!” He said, like he was still trying to convince her, even though she had agreed to provide him a room for that night and hadn’t mentioned anything about taking him in. The former came as the bigger shock.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Turdas?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, he’ll come home then!” The boy grinned, turning to face her and causing them to stop as they stood in the freezing streets of the Nordish city.

<p class="MsoNormal">“They always go missin’ for a week and then they come back!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Ella glared at him, somewhat disturbed by this…

<p class="MsoNormal">''A week? Why so specific? Is he… In denial or something?''

<p class="MsoNormal">“Y-Yeah…” Ella choked out, nodding her head, reluctantly.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sure he’ll be okay…”

<p class="MsoNormal">The Boy smiled at her as they entered the tavern, the heavy door opened before them as they entered the tavern. The orange glow, from the fireplace, illuminated them as they entered, glowing and hitting the walls with a burning orange light. Lutes, flutes, guitars and accordions were played by the bards in the corner as many of the town’s working class sat around the inn, drinking heavily and slowly rotting their livers away.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ella missed this atmosphere; the tavern in the village was like this one, in many ways. She recalled walking in, for the first time and seeing all of the farm hands laughing together in the corner of the inn. Fredrick didn’t care for taverns, the noise, the smell of stale urine and whatever they put in the beer… It wasn’t for him and though he didn’t protest to going, Ella decided that, that part of her life was over, the day that they got married.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Nord approached the counter, keeping the little street urchin close as she reached the counter and handed him a coin purse.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’d like a room please!” She yelled, over the blaring accordion, which was playing a merry tune. She hid the Bosmer boy, under the counter, so that he was out of the innkeeper’s line of sight.

<p class="MsoNormal">The innkeeper took her gold and handed her the room key, Ella didn’t push her luck, she smuggled the Bosmer past the counter and went upstairs.