Across The Pond

The female Khajiit ran at Vallius. Vallius waited until the last second before raising his blade and moving forward. As the two blades ran against each other sparks flew out in every direction. Vallius kept moving forward, after he felt his sword leave the steal of hers he moved his blade in a circle and felt the familiar resistance that flesh gave. After his sword was free and then turned to face Shotherra. Shotherra was gripping the side of her head. On the ground was a small lump of fur.

Shotherra pulled her hand down and looked at it, her fur now covered in blood. Once Shotherra had moved her hand Vallius noticed the change immanently. That wasn't a clump of fur, it was an ear.

Shotherra stared at Vallius with a fury that would take the heart of a lesser man. Instead of cowering or allowing the death stare he was reviving to frighten him, he smiled. It wasn't a wicked smile, or a devilish grin, Vallius gave the Khajiit woman a genuine smile.

"My fair lady, would you care to dance?" Vallius asked politely.

As he did so Shotherra raised her sword for a downward strike. Vallius moved his in the same fashion and the two swords met. Both pulled their swords away. Vallius turned around and brought his sword forward in a spin. As he did this Shotherra Raised her blade high. Seeing Vallius beginning to spin she took a step back. Once Vallius had finished his swipe Shotherra took a step forward and brought her blade down. The blade only made contact with the rocky ground as Vallius jumped back.

Shotherra pushed her blade into the earth and used to vault herself into a front flip before bringing her blade completely around with much more strength than before. Vallius brought his blade up and guided her attack to his side. Then brought his sword up to strike. Shotherra brought her blade up and met his.

Shotherra pushed Vallius back with her blade and then she gave it a thrust forward. Vallius moved sideways before knocking  Shotherra's blade away. As Shotherra's blade moved away from Vallius Shotherra struck with her free hand again. This time her claws finding Vallius' face. He backed off enough for only her furthest reaching claw to reach him, though it still cut deep.  Vallius felt a sharp pain directly over his right eye, though he put the pain in the back of his mind for now.

Shotherra's blade swung out after it was hit with Vallius' sword and then moved right back in. This time her blade sliced his shoulder. Vallius backed up. Shotherra smiled and moved forward, raising her sword high.

Vallius moved forward then and moved in low. He blocked Shotherra's sword with his then brought his around and hit Shotherra in the gut with the hilt of his sword. Shotherra stumbled back.

Once Shotherra had regained her footing she brought her sword forward, only to for it to meet the steal of Vallius' sword. There was a moment of brief struggle before they would push each other back. Once they had broken free they would do it again.

The fight continued like this for a while. Neither getting very far, and the clanging of metal echoing in their ears every time their swords met.

Vallius took a few steps back rather than meeting Shotherra's blade for yet another clash of might. As he did so he raised his free hand, which was all but drenched in blood from the gash Shotherra's claws left up his arm. His hand was glowing for all of two seconds before a lightning bolt flew from his hand and directly at Shotherra. Vallius ran at Shotherra instantly after casting the spell.

Shotherra saw the Vallius begging to cast and when the lightning bolt came she raised her sword. The lightning hit the sword before vanishing in smoke. Shotherra was lowering her blade to begin an attack when Vallius' sword came at her. She tried to move her sword to block but before she was half way there Vallius' sword made a deep cut going up Shotherra's side. Cutting deep between two of her ribs.

Shotherra fell to one knee, sword still in hand, and was looking at Vallius with contempt.

Vallius swung his sword at Shotherra's, knocking it to the ground a couple of feet away. Then Vallius pointed his sword at the Khajiit's throat.

"Now, I want to ask you something" Vallius said politely.

"I'm listening" Shotherra said, clutching her wound and breathing heavily.

"Who is Aramoth and why does he want me dead?" Vallius asked.

"Well he doesn't want you dead specifically, you are just in the way" Shotherra said, not really answering his question.

Vallius sighed heavily in frustration before saying. "I know I will regret this but i'm letting you go."

Shotherra's ears perked up. She didn't know his motives but she knew she could be better prepared next time. She marveled at the luck she had, who would have guessed such a skilled swordsman was an idiot.

"However I am taking you Imperial City to face trial for the crime of association with the Dark Brotherhood" Vallius said.

"My dear boy, what makes you think I am with the Dark Brotherhood?" Shotherra asked with a mocking smile on her face.

"Well the big thing is the large black hand print on your clothes" Vallius said with a hint of annoyance.

"And how is it you plan to take me all the way to Imperial City, I'll bleed out before I leave Elsweyr" Shotherra told Vallius.

Vallius sighed again, thinking to himself 'I'm going to have to do the right thing aren't I?' Vallius decided to take her to the hospital in Riverhold and then take her to Imperial City. There they could extract the information he wanted without forcing him to do the things he didn't know if he had it in him to do. The extraction of information from the unwilling always made him uneasy.

Vallius walked over to Shotherra's sword. After sheathing his own blade he picked up hers.

"This way" Vallius said as he began to lead Shotherra back towards town. He kept her sword at her back even though she was injured. Vallius had heard of legionaries that had been killed when underestimating the condition of their opponent and Vallius didn't want to make the same mistake.

The walk that took ten minutes before took nearly two hours but they had both made it back to town alive.