Ariella

Ariella

Yesterday, as I was on my way to Weatherleah to visit the Jemane twins and perhaps help them till the fields as a brief sabbatical from my adventures, I noticed great movement in the distance at the edge of the forest.

Upon scrutiny I realized it was a battle, a lone woman in armour scuffling with two formidable ogres. Instinctively I ran as fast as I could to see if I could help. Having many unsavoury experiences with those beasts, not least of which was aiding Reynald and Guilbert by ridding Weatherleah of them, I knew that woman must be an innocent traveler suddenly beset. I got to her just at the climax.

"By the Nines you'll soon be joining your friends in hell!!" she shouted fiercely just before she plunged her gleaming silver longsword into one of the ogre's sides, causing it to bellow loudly through the forest. Not even waiting for it to collapse she withdrew her blade and ducked and avoided, as if she knew, the lunge of the second ogre behind her. By a lightning fast backwards roll that I knew only years of training in agility would give, she was immediately behind the second ogre and slashed its torso nearly in half. The two beasts were dead in seconds.

Without turning to face me, this woman caught her breath and collected herself and said, "Not very sporting of me, is it? I should have waited for more of them to come for it to be a fair fight."

And then she turned around. For a moment we just stared at each other. Then we both burst out laughing.

"After a moment I just wasn't sure if I should help you or just stand back and be entertained," I said. "It's as if I were watching a spectacle at the Arena."

She nodded with a smile and replied, "Yes! I too thought I was at the Arena, but naturally not as a spectator. Brings back memories of my days there."

She made a motion towards the bodies of the ogres, then changed her mind. "I think not. They're not known to carry any potions on them. Healing and fortifiers are what I need."

"I have a couple of healers I could spare."

"Are you sure? Thank you, then. But it would be rude of me to accept a friendly gift from a stranger who is not yet a friend. Introductions are in order, then?"

"My name is b," I said. "I'm a Bosmer. I live in Bruma and I travel the great expanses of Cyrodiil."

"You're an adventurer, then. I love adventurers. So much more interesting than your average boring merchant or nobleman. I'm Ariella. Great pleasure to meet you, b."

I plucked two bottles of healing potion from my pack and gave them to her. She put them into her bag. Then I said, "I'm on my way to my friends' farm. It's not far, why not walk there with me?"

"Do your friends have a full cupboard? After dealing with bastardly ogres all morning I could use a great banquet right now."

"Oh I'm sure they'll have as much as you need," I said, thinking I also was getting hungry myself.

"Oh, and before we head off..."

I watched as Ariella put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. A moment afterwards I heard neighing sounds and saw a big chestnut horse galloping towards us.

"That's Crumbs," she explained. "I found him alone somewhere in the Jerall Mountains. I think his owner was killed, probably by black bears. So I adopted him. I taught him to run away from danger. And then, when the danger is gone, I whistle and he comes back. He's a smart one, isn't he? Come on, Crumbs! You'll be late for your lunch!"

We were off, then, Ariella and I conversing and Crumbs trotting not far behind.