Druseth Solo - Elder Scrolls

 

⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️

Murder, Child death mentioned.

Verse/ Elder Scrolls

Character P.O.V/ Druseth

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"You won't get away with this!!!" A woman shouted from where she sat with a good few of them from their tribe. Dark elf ashlanders, the most primitive of their people or that's what was said anyway. Really they just prevented solitude and to live off the land as opposed to many of the great houses. They'd also many times tried to push back against the houses but more often than not failed. They're warriors and hunters hardly a match for mages and trained infantry. And this small camp even less so, one of the ones that likely moved around and currently their men were gone. Making them the easy targets they now were for criminals.

"SHUT IT!!!" One of the bandits snarled as he turned back, handing her across the face. The strike and her scream caused one of the babies to let out a cry and it's mother who sat next to her held it to her more tightly in fear.

"Vivec curse you! We have nothing to even be stolen! See for yourselves. Food and not much else. Take what you wish but there is nothing of value!!!" The chiefs mother snapped, her tone one as if scolding small children. Then again to her that's what they were. Young, stupid kids, foolishly robbing them for property they didn't even possess. When the nearest one went to hit her she hardly even flinched staring up at him but by the end there was no need to as one of the others stepped up to grab ahold of his wrist.

"Take a walk Azareth" Satha snapped, her grip on the males wrist not breaking until he went yanking away. Dark red hues glared back at her as he moved to step back then grumbled something as he went to head for where they had the only two men tied back to back. One warrior tasked with guarding the camo and a boy, probably only fifteen years old which to an elf was practically a small child.

"You two still not recall seeing Arnas with the hunting party?" Azareth demanded as he neared, briefly glancing to the other two men on guard.

"Go fuck yourself swit!" The soldier spat without hesitation. This quickly got Azareth going again and he laid a punch to the man in no time. Poor kid behind the older male looked as though he was unsure of whether to cry or piss himself. Even more so when Azareth was suddenly grabbing his jaw. The large dark elf certainly held a level of intimidation without hitting anyone so the fact he was only worsened it.

It was why Druseth kept him around really, from where he sat upon a crate near one of the tents smoking a tightly packed pipe he could see all. The women, angry or quivering in fear. The teenager now sobbing and claiming to know nothing of the man they were asking him about. Perhaps he didn't but the parchment within Druseths grasp said far differently. The letter read very specifically thanking this tribes chief for shelter his new wife and her son and that he would be joining them himself in two weeks’ time from the date. Well that date had passed near a month ago.

Someone knew him, and someone knew where his wife and their stolen child was. Druseths eyes rose back from the letter to the women again, each face he studied. Each small child and there wasn't many. A two-year-old with fiery hair yet far too old, an infant so small it could only be a few months old, a ten year old girl holding a child of at least one however that one's hair was dark. Lastly a baby perhaps almost one? From here he couldn't see the hair but what didn't make sense was the young girl who held it. That was NOT Hlenia, so perhaps a sitter? But then where was its mother and her new husband? His entire mission was to silence her, the child was only a perk should he fine it.

Well that's how Zidrax had put it despite Dranos's stress over it. Dranos wasn't to know they'd gone after his ex and their child. He wasn't to know if they found her or anything about this. A part of Druseth perhaps felt guilty for that but, it was simply for the best. He'd not wish to see her harmed no matter what truths she carried and risking his child? Well any man would not have found their schemes worth risking their offspring for.

"If you seek such a person he isn't here. We do not take in OUTSIDERS here! Nothing but trouble they are" The old chief’s mother was saying now. From here Druseth could tell, the intimidation wasn't working and now neither was Satha playing it nice. Heaving a sigh he finally moved to stand briefly nodding to Tonas who was nearby going through goods.

"Load whatever can be shipped to stormhold and flipped onto the cart. Burn the rest….." he then paused, his dark red hues going to the tent. "Burn it all" He then added before turning to walk in the direction of their prisoners. As he neared he wasn't surprised at how little changed. For he wasn't exactly intimidating, he didn't stand out per say and as usual he had remained quiet, observant of his men up until this point. The point he needed to do something….

"So what? You're going to kill us. If you do you're sure to never find what you seek" The old woman warned, though behind her mask of bravery Druseth knew she was terrified. This was her pleading for her life, she thought she looked brave but even he could see the fear that lay behind her worn face. She knew whatever game they played here, her chance of winning was low to none now.

"Or perhaps we already have, you lot claim to not know? Well you’ve lost all use to me…. Now I'm willing to give most of you a chance to leave here with your lives. If someone but answers one question" Druseth interrupted as he neared, his dark hues moving across the group slowly now and finally landing for a moment on the young girl who held the child.

"Which of these children is the child of Hlenia Redoran? Speak now and no one needs lose their lives today" He asked, slowly looking to the Chiefs mother now.

"We do not know that name…" She replied, even despite as she spoke Druseth had moved to pull an arrow from his back and take the bow one of his men had handed him. Stringing it up several of the women were suddenly pleasing, begging even, someone even shouted they knew where she was but nothing stopped Druseth as he finished placing the arrow and rose to aim. At first it pointed straight at the chiefs wife but moments later and without breaking eye contact with her he fired. A scream erupted and when he looked it was the ten year old girl sobbing over what had likely been her mother.

"Which of these children is the child of Hlenia Redoran?" He then asked looking to the chiefs wife again.

"That one! Please!! Don't shoot!!!" One woman was suddenly shouting.

"You coward!!!" The chief’s wife hissed angrily at her.

Stringing yet another arrow Druseth seemed to chuckle for a moment. Had they not realized what he was doing before they would now and he was soon aiming and firing another arrow so it hit the woman who'd spoke in the throat.

"She told you!!!" The Chiefs wife shouted as her eyes shot to him in shock now.

"I ASKED YOU!!!!" He suddenly boomed, what had looked like amusement was now pure unbridled anger. His voice dropping to a much lower pitch as he bellowed at her almost seeming three times larger than before. "YOU!! SPEAK THE TRUTH OR YOU WILL BE THE ONLY ONE ALIVE BY FALL OF NIGHT WITH ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME!!!" He roared and without asking again he fired shooting the teenage boy next. Another wail erupted from the group of women and sobbing followed.

"You're a psychopath" The old woman stated, an angry look still on her face.

"If that is what you believe, than you should know I mean every…. Word…. I've said" Druseth replied, his voice now eerily calm as he looked expectingly at her.

"Mera give him the baby" The old woman finally spoke, looking to her and then back to him. "Hlenia died a week ago. Sload fever….. her husband is with our hunters" The Chiefs wife stated, anger still within her tone but defeat obvious. There was no arguing with those who were mad after all.

"Take it…" Druseth ordered, dark red hues moving to look briefly to Satha before back to the old woman.

"And what did they call it?" He then asked, an almost normal tone to his voice now as he watched the shaking young girl hand the baby to Satha.

"Ashu….. " the chiefs wife replied. "It means freedom."

"The woman was delusional…" Druseth stated, his eyes briefly going to the child that had begun to cry. Gods this would be a headache but he could already tell, the baby had Dranos's nose and hair. At least that much. "Tie her to a rock on the beach, kill the rest" Druseth finally announced loud enough to cause panic.

"You!!! Vivec will have your head for this one day!!! Mark my words!!!" The Chiefs wife shouted as Druseth had turned to walk away.

"He can have it! And Sithis can take the rest!" Druseth replied knowing how absolutely furious that would make her. And it did, as he moved away, ripping the letter and letting it blow into the ocean smelling wind he could hear her cursing him as a Daedra worshiper and many other things. So be it, in reality he may praise Sithis on some days but on days like today his gift to the highest deity of all came from his own greed, his own lack of care for these infestations of people crawling among these mountains and a warning to those who'd ever think to cross them in future. They'd hardly see gold from this and hunting down the rest of the tribe would be to hard so, this was good enough for now.