I Am Going To Try To Write Him Closer To Liv's Version - Tumblr Posts
Thorns
The Eastmarch snowfall is harsh, but soon enough it gives way to the verdant hot spring that takes up the southern half of the hold. Steam from the springs rolls across the road, obscuring Ravenna from her enemies, and her enemies from her. It's a mostly peaceful walk though, for a while.
Until it isn't.
Ravenna realizes too late that the time has gotten away from her when she feels the sun's gaze upon her. Mara's love eases her pain, but even her Divine lady can only do so much for her, and she will still need to find shelter indoors and away from the light. Fortune favors her enough that the skies are still fairly overcast, and a light drizzle is beginning to fall, giving her time to choose. Past the mill and across the bridge are two buildings; a fortress, probably too occupied to risk entering and somewhat off-putting in the magical sense, even from a distance, and, a bit trickier to reach on the cliff face on the opposite side of the river, is a building Ravenna recognizes as once having been a prison. It's questionable placement had made it almost certain to be flooded out or washed away at some point, and sure enough, it seems ruined and vacant now. The rain isn't heavy, so Ravenna feels reasonably confident the water won't rise too much while she waits out the day. As soon as she makes it inside though, her heightened senses alert her to all the things that shouldn't be there. The smells of fresh food and armor oil, and the ozone scent associated with lightning and magicka; the sounds of a wooden chair scraping against the stone floor further down, all indicators that something is not right inside the prison. And as Ravenna presses further inside to look, she sees what it is - Thalmor.
From his chair at the bottom of the stairs the Thalmor soldier glares at Ravenna.
"Uh, I didn't realize this was a Thalmor outpost -" Ravenna begins anxiously, hoping to lie her way out of whatever predicament she's just gotten herself into but the soldier is already on his feet and drawing his blade and she knows she can't bullshit her way out this time.
"It isn't and you know it," he growls as he throws fire at her from further down on the staircase. Ravenna jumps out of the way in time but the soldier takes to opportunity to come closer to her and tries to cut her down with his short sword. Ravenna forcibly overtakes his will with her vampiric hypnosis before he succeeds, and he finds himself sheathing his sword.
"What are you really doing here?" She demands.
"We came to interrogate a prisoner," he responds unwillingly through gritted teeth.
"What kind of prisoner? Why here? Why not at your Embassy?" The vampiress scowls.
"We believe he has connections with the Blades, it is within our rights to arrest and interrogate however and whomever we see fit!" The elf screeches, torn between trying desperately to withhold information and arguing in defense of the Thalmor's justness in their actions - of which there is likely none, Ravenna knows.
"You're going to provoke a war with the Empire if you take one of the Emperor's personal guard prisoner. Is that really what the Thalmor wants? Don't answer that," she decides she's heard enough and ignores the confused and discombobulated response of the soldier as his body automatically obeys her next command that he kneel for her to reach his throat. He'll only kill her as soon as he is free again anyway, and Ravenna will not see the end of her extended life here. So she drains him, trading his life to continue her own. And it is worth it, she decides as soon as she sees what he's been hiding further down. The lower floor of the prison reeks of copper and iron - and below that smell, terror sweat.