Previous part: https://www.loverslab.com/blogs/entry/8653-shades-of-the-reach1/
Shade of the Reach
part 2
Confused and suprised, and scared, I woke up in an unknown place, complety naked, not remembering what happened, last time I was in an Inn. I have no idea where I am or how I ended up here.
Gwynolda: Where I am?
When I looked around, first thing came to mind, this is some tribal camp or village, but I realised its a Redoubt, reachmen tribal village, real question how I ended up here...
Gwynolda: This looks like a tribal camp or some similar.
One of the warriors came to me, but I didn't understood the language, I had no idea what will happen to me and how my fate end.. he seems want me to follow him..
Warrior:(Gwynolda don't understand what he says..)
He led me into a cage, put me there and locked it, in the highest point of the village, now I am worried, are they gonna sacrifice me for their "gods" and kill me or they gonna decreate my body or eaten, I am scared..
I am one of them, but in the end it doesn't really mattered to them, caged me and put a collar on me, I guess even my own blood no different then the nords.. and the collar is familiar one, the ones in Cidnha magicka blocking ones, they are aware of my magic, but how..
I looked around, crazy "heartless" one yelled words I didn't understood and desperatly forget blades, blood and remains of animals perhaps or even nords was in the tables, I fear I end up there..
Then, a Defaced girl came to me, she seemd not more friendly then the others, and spoken my language..
Defaced One: Poor Poor little girl, it seems your gods are not really favor you and your fate.. now the nords then we.. escaping from oen chain and cage to another, temple ,the mine, now my tribe...
Gwynolda: How do you know...?
She seems the Shaman or the witch of the tribe, I guess her magic gives vision or use Madanach's intel on me, or just merely guess the things.. she worded things weirdly, spoken the Witch Queen I heard of many times, Scourge of Markarth, it seems she wants calm me by her words, but in the end I feel more scared from them.
Defaced One: But do not worry, your fate is in the hand of the Benelovent Witch Queen, no one gonna hurt you here until she orders of course, the crazy Briar heart, the warrior who you not understand or Raven-beast or anyone else you fear? No my little flower, they not gonna touch you, only the fools dare to challenge the Mighty Queen.. Speak freely..
Gwynolda: Whats going to happen with me?
I decided to ask about my fate, after all thats most important question..and now her answers came..
Defaced One: Your fate? Its the hand of your Queen, the women who rule the blood of ours, but most important part is in your hand, we collared you because she saw your magical potential, and was worried you may hurt others or end a threat to her, collar keeps it down.. but ..
Gwynolda: But?
Defaced One: There is something you can decide, how your fate end up here..
Gwynolda: And how can I decide that?
Defaced one: You are an outcast of Markarth and even from us, but if promise you are not going to harm us, I can get the collar off, however this is just one part of it.
She stared get on my nerve, her secretive worlds and stupid riddle way of talking, never get on the point and I wanted really get a true answer.. but I didn't liked the answers, nor what they forced me..
Gwynolda: And what else I need do? Give me direct answers now!
Defaced one: Calm down, just think a bit even if you not hurt us, you are not one of us, not loyal the blood what we share, not the goal we fight, if you left you may crawl back to Markarth leading them here or just kill me the moment when I took off the collar... Like you did with Thane Ognar..
Gwynolda: I'm not a murder, nor have ties to that case, Hamal framed me, because she hated me.. now tell me what you want from me..
Defaced one: Pledge your heart and loyality to the true Ruler of the Reach, to the Great Witch Queen, kiss her feet and swear for her and promise to her your doings gonna serve the Reach, not the Nords of Markarth.. do it and you are free from your cages in the Reach and amoungs us..
Gwynolda. If I do this, I am free?.. Fine..
Defaced One: Good, come with me girl, let us start it..
She brought me outside of the village, near to the familiar Karth River, no wonder they ambushed Skjolrd when he was near and deep into their kingdom, and she started instruct me for the coming trials.. She took off my collar..
Gwynolda: What are we doing now?
Defaced One: You need Embrace your ancestry, the blood of Reach hidden in to you..
Gwynolda: And how should I do this?
Defaced One: You embrace our culture and way of live, you learn your own culture..
Gwynolda: Ohh thats what you mean, so I need kill nords and carve their skulls to swords, do heretical ritauls and have sensual encounters with beast?
Defaced One: Markarth surely posion your view on us and of course the Temple led by the rotten Hamal, I ignore this from you now, no let us start with smaller things, stand clear and close your eyes..
I did what she said, closed my eyes and stand frozen, waiting for what happening next, I felt she start paint on me, wairpaints to my face and tattoes too my body, she probably meant this by starting small...
Defaced One: I'm done, you can open your eyes..
Defaced One: You look beautiful, the marks suits you truly..
Gwynolda: I weared some of these paintings on my face before... but not this one, what are these markings mean?
Defaced One: You weared the marks and paints of our blood in the cities, the opressed ones, the marks of the outcast who forced live their old way of lives in the eyes of the nords of course. To us those marks was the rebels of the nords, now you wear the true form of that one, not the civilised variant..
Gwynolda: Thats interesting to hear..
Defaced One: Look at you now, true reachmen, worthy of your ancestors, and Dibella truly blessed you, those nord whore sof the temple and their jealousy, casting out you was the biggest spit on the goddess face..
Gwynolda: Wait, you worship Dibella too? This doesn't sound like the reachmen pantheon to me..
Defaced One: I do, Dibella is old goddess and my tribe always worshipped her is a primal form, nords forget how she were, but as myself I was in few times in the temple of hers in that rotten city and I learnt lessons there..
Gwynolda: I never saw you there... and what is Dibella's primal version?
She started cast a spell, wich led me worried a bit, what are she up to again..
Defaced One: Such question and their answers can come later, now we have one thing left to do, before you can satisfie your curiosity of our culture..
However, after the spell was done...
Gwynolda: You?!!
The Defeaced one turned out the Innkeeper, who I last meet instead of Hamal..
Driada: We meet again Gwynolda, please understand my flower, visions was rather worrysome after learning you are not the Sybill of Dibella, I had to do this foreplay to knowing you are my ally or a mortal foe.. Allow me to introduce myself again, My name is Evelynn, but to the world I am known as Witch Queen Driada..
Gwynolda: The Witch Queen?!
End
Author notes
Yes this is a flashback chapter of her Story, set in the past before she got out the Reach.
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