“Listen up recruits,”
The voice rolled over the court yard, drawing eyes towards the man who had spoken. Faces and bodies turned to him, giving him their attention, their time. Listening. Talion turned his head lazily towards the man, exhaling into the brisk, cold air. His arms hadn’t moved from their position across his chest, and his companion hadn’t moved from her position next to him, her lack of interest seemed to show in her body language, as her eyes were shut, and body faced away. She breathed, she heard, and was present but was not quite doing as was asked. She had heard the words echoing, and could feel the responses of the bodies around her, hear the movements, hear the breathing of her companion, and feel the hush in her bones. However, hearing was the extent of her dedication.
“It is time for your test. To see if you are worth of joining the sons.”
Feeling the warmth of the heavy fur around her shoulders and the gentle tickle it lovingly gave to her bare neck, Tauriel was in bliss. Her closed eyes hidden within the shadows of her cowl allowed her to ignore the social convention of looking at those that spoke, as well as to purely enjoy the bite of the cold. It was one of the things that she most enjoyed. With Talion standing next to her, she had the benefit of ignoring the snowy breeze that seemed to flow constantly on the peak of the monastery. This was something that Talion had enjoyed doing for his companion, as he had never found much of a problem with the cold. He attributed this to his size, and his Nordic heritage, however his Tauriel often teased him of being a “closet cryomancer”.
“Gather around Arngier, and do what he asks you too.”
She breathed in deeply as he spoke, feeling the sting of cold in her lungs. It did not last long and with one strong exhale she left behind a cloud of vapour and opened her eyes. Talion shot a quick glance her way, surprised at her sudden change in disposition. There was nothing of note, nothing of particular interest, or anything that was incredibly impressive or different to look at. She nudged her companion with an armor elbow and looked up at him, his face showing a bit of annoyance at her sudden interruption. She allowed some light to hit her face as she rolled her eyes mockingly.
“Are you WORTHY, Li? Hmm?” she said batting her eyelashes, uncrossing her arms and dipping her shoulder slightly as she emphasized the word worthy. Her incredibly sarcastic tone was but a tinge to the questioning, exaggerated, innocent tone and face. Talion nudged her back jokingly, with a gentle smile, and a subtle chuckle. It was incredibly condescending in the same way adults often rudely addressed children but was not meant to mock Li but rather the speaker’s request, implications. She gripped his arm, still acting with the same disdainful behaviour. “You think you can, prove yourself? Huh?”
Talion shook his head in a poor attempt to look fearful, matching her sarcasm. Perhaps it was arrogance but neither of the two had found the need, nor the want, to prove themselves to anyone in some time. Talion pulled at her shoulder, starting in the direction of the elder. Tauriel turned to indignantly follow her companion, toward Arngier, huffing a vaporous breath in aggravation as she did so. The pair had become accustom to having their reputation known, more often than not, it alone would gain them access to whatever they wanted without any trouble. Yet this time they had trudged up all 7’000 of those bloody steps to be tested. This was a change for the both of them.
Tauriel could barely remember the morning they had risen to make the journey, most likely due to the fact that Talion had been forced to drag her from her bed. Even if it was her who had always woken to the light of the morn first, she only did so to ceremoniously send her pillow whipping at Talion’s head. Violently waking him from his hibernation like resting. This was their way, and as it most often went, she immediately proceeded to return to the land of dreams.
Swaddled in warm blankets and furs the groggy Mer had moaned and whined dismissively, putting off the event as long as she could. When food was brought to her, a slender arm would appear only to seize the breakfast, immediately retreating back into the burrow with its prize. It was not until Talion had seized her from her bed that she had fought. Half-heartedly and mostly asleep she still appeared as vicious and wild as a saber cat to the patrons of the inn, as she was thrown over the
Bear’s shoulder. He had dropped her onto a bench with caution, as she quickly wrapped her cloak around her body moodily, and drew her cowl over her eyes. She had sat back with arms crossed like this, “waking up” as she had called it, for at least 20 minutes. Talion had already been awake, and simply threw his sword around in practice, after which the both of them began to plod about. The bags had been packed days before, out of anticipation for this Early Morning behaviour, and so the Mer and the Nord had only to ready themselves before they were on their way. Needless to say the patrons felt much more at ease with the pair once again journeying on.
“Carry me why don’t you” Tauriel had moaned to Talion. She could remember that. She could also remember snarling:
“I’d be more useful asleep than you’ve been in your entire life. Want to bet I can’t still spill his innards and stuff them in that smug mouth of his? That’s right a*shole. Look away. Yeah that’s right.” at some man who had regarded her in a self-righteous manner sometime before their departure. Talion only chuckled, and continued with his duties, as this was a regular occurance, and Tauriel knew that he was perfectly fine with it.
That had been sometime during her second cup of hot cider. Other than this, however there was not much that broke the fog that morning. It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to climb the mountain, but she was not a fan of being woken and could make it incredibly difficult for those that tried. All, with the exeption of the Bear, of course.
Along their way they had kept to themselves, not for fear of trouble but for general lack of interest in the people they passed. And even if they had wanted the company of others, nobody would oblige to join them. This was the affect that they had commonly had on other travelers, with Talion presenting the same fear a Troll brought. He wasn’t at all comparable to a Troll in looks, but rather in size. He was a giant who dwarfed most he came into contact with, and accompanied by a Mer woman who could be half his size, most wouldn’t give them the time of day. And they didn’t.
Regardless of Talion’s wish to reach the top as soon as they could, the companions had taken rest when they saw fit to eat, each meticulously packed by Tauriel to suit the taste of her companion. They walked their own pace in no particular hurry. There had been but one attack when ascending the mountain, which had fallen on Talion as Tauriel attempted to pelt him with balls of snow. For someone who could so skillfully kill with her aim, her skill in throwing snow was extraordinarily awful, and so the one renegade ball of snow that had hit its target, did not really bother but instead surprise Talion. Tauriel had then triumphantly smiled deciding to quit while she was ahead, even if her companion harshly criticized her throwing skills, as they made rest of the climb unbothered and alone.
Breaking from a view of stone and snowdrifts to the snowdrifts and stone they had been searching for, Talion seemed possessed by disappointment. Having had imagined large stone dragon statues, or shrines for Talos the lack of grandeur left him wanting. What he had gotten instead, was a rather plain stone path leading to ice covered stairs transitioning to the lager doors of the monastery. The original feeling of disappointment soon melted along with the snow that clung to the pair as they entered the crowded monastery. While a mix of excitement and pity hung over Talion, Tauriel found herself in a mix of the same pity a leery watchfulness. The incredible amount of refugees was overwhelming for them both.
It was amidst that same throng where they had laid there mats to rest, and had found that with time their surroundings were no less unsettling. Yet they had waited for the time when they would be called to rise, and that time had clearly come. Now standing in the court yard, the unlikely duo faced the man Arngier. Though Talion stood tall, Tauriel had attached herself to the Nord’s arm and had her head rested on the well-muscled pillow. Finding himself used to being used as a pillow and not taking issue with it, the Nord relinquished his arm willingly. He did so not without small jest however, and he began to flex as she took hold, eliciting a small disgruntled noise from underneath the Mer’s hood.
“Wake me when I’m needed” she mumbled jokingly as she shut her eyes and nuzzled his arm slightly, as if making it more comfortable. Her body, although seeming relaxed, was ready for whatever need be and each of her other senses compensating for the lack of visual input.
"Do not have fear, for what is to come will show me if your intentions are true." Said the Greybeard before a shout was sent forth, causing ripples and waves within the crowd. Talion, as it was, remained as unwavering and stoic as ever, the perfect pillow. He wasn’t one to jump nor frighten easily.
After the man shouted, Talion felt the warmth of a most comforting flame cover his body, then evaporate to rest, hovering before him. A ball of green energy, an aura of pure heat, and strength burned bright, bobbing in front of him, reflecting into his eyes. He looked to his companion for but a moment, still buried into his arm. A smaller bobbing aura, matching in both color and heat, floated in front of her.
Then turning his head on a swivel he began to cast his gaze to those around him. Each glowing with their own stroke of colour added to the plethora of light. It both amazed and startled him. This vast mass show of magicka, in such a large group of people, was something that he had never seen before unlike his tiny companion. Who would have felt no surprise, if she had felt the inclination to cast about her gaze, which she did not. Tauriel could feel and hear the reactions well enough but still found no need to open her eyes. Though her curiosity drove her to peak but for a short moment beyond her hood, her body told her everything else she needed to know thus far. Green. She smiled slightly.
"Those who now only see green in front of their eyes, know that you are capable, and that your soul is strong. You are accepted to join the Sons of Sword. Those who are now rooted by Akatosh's yellow light, know that you are capable of joining the sons, and you can do much good to Nirn by doing so. But ask yourselves, do you wish to join the sons in order to save Tamriel, or to save yourselves? Those with the blue aura, that Kynereth smiles upon - your intentions are true and your ambition is greater than you might think. But you might need more then ambition, if you are to defeat the dragons. You can join the Sons of Sword, but only if you wish to learn how to wield that sword!"
“Hm, right then Bear. Did I make the cut?” Though she had peaked for her own sake, disinterested as something she often feigned. The question itself may have come across rude, but she could justify that it was not so important to her to have seen her colour, but rather to know if her skill was required. For once she was employed to do a job then her true colour would come out in the full dedication and force of her skill and self.
Talion shifted in his stance for a moment, looking down at his disinterested friend. He patted her head playfully before speaking in a joyful, joking tone. “Didn’t you hear, Re? Red means you gotta leave. I’ll help you pack when we can get back insi-“ He was interrupted by the sharp glance of Tauriel’s dagger like eyes, and the pain of a kick in the shin.
“Oh, shove off” she grumbled
He looked to the sky, laughing heartily at her slight annoyance, something that he had come to enjoy quite a lot.
Having removed herself from her friends arm Tauriel sent a pouty look his way, then swinging her hip she bumped him with a surprising amount of force, not that it did her any good. Trying to unbalance him while he was standing so made as much sense as trying to move a mountain. Talion knew this, accustom to her bumps and chuckled. Before she turned her attention elsewhere the mer relaxed her face, giving Talion a familiar crooked smile. They had the job, now they needed the details. Crosse armed and waiting the mer stood, leaving her weight on one leg. The man likewise stood awaiting orders, tall and strong.