Quarrels and Quills Outpost 2

Nairn Tuckamore and Fira-Nar

While the group's goal was to keep one (or more) cultists alive long enough to question, the cultists seemed to have other plans. It quickly became clear that while their primary intention was to kill the party members, they weren't about to be left wounded. In the course of the skirmish, some of them turned their own weapons on themselves or swallowed small pouches of what could only be poison for how it left their faces and bodies twisted in pain. Fira found she was having little luck not completely braining any of them who came in her sword's path.

Nairn decided that she had the advantage of perspective once again. While she could have leapt into the fray, she hung back a moment, judging the individual cultists as best she could with their similar raiment. The ones that ran forward to die by the sword weren't very interesting, but the ones that hung back, attempting to cast magic...in particular, one who was being guarded by two others. She took a step closer to Anakita and spoke quietly despite the din, "Cover me. Far wall." and vanished through a shadow portal.

She popped up between the two guards, her back to them, facing the main caster. With a flick of her wrist, she brought the tips of her daggers up and raised her arms in a swift motion. The points caught the man under his arms, the motion driving his hands up and away from each other as he was pinned to the wall several feet off the ground. Nairn didn't turn to ensure her safety, knowing that if she took her eyes off her quarry for an instant he might find a way to follow in the footsteps of many of his comrades.

Anakita Snakecharm

This was an instruction Anakita understood well. She nodded, and maintained cover fire for Nairn, loosing a steady stream of arrows on anyone who might interfere with Nairn's plan. Anakita wasn't quite sure what that plan was yet - but she was happy to do her part, and wait and see.

The cultist, however, had other ideas. He looked Nairn in the eyes.

"Interesting company you keep, kin-slayer," he said, with a faint sneer and no sign of fear or hesitation.

Nairn Tuckamore

They were a proud lot, these cultists. So far, she wondered what they had done to merit such confidence when they seemed to be cut down just like any regular foe. Still, she could appreciate the sentiment. It was almost Norn.

The man's gaze was returned with an emotionless stare of her own, though she cocked her head at his insult. She almost didn't answer it, but she had to admit she was curious.

"A baseless insult. I have no kin. And why would the company I keep matter to you?"

Anakita Snakecharm

"Not a kin-slayer?" the cultist replied, his lip curling with what seemed to be amusement. "Then why do they call you Nairn the Murderer, I wonder? Oh, yes - I know all your secrets. That and the secrets of the questionable company you keep. Even aside from the undead abomination you've decided to bring with you. There is one who has already been sacrificed to a daedric prince. One who spent half her life as a helpless plaything to a man. Two who were slaves. One who is a drug addict..."

As the cultist continued his litany, the battle had ended, and all eyes and ears were now turning to this scene.

"One who summoned vile undead powers in a pact to cheat death and save her love through forbidden magic..."

Anakita waved her hand in the air and grinned like she had won a guessing game. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "That one was me!"

The cultist frowned. Galenwen had gone pale as a ghost and gasped audibly.

"Then I suppose there are two who meet that description," the cultist replied, looking back and forth between the party.

Nairn Tuckamore and Fira Nar

A small, fanged smirk had risen to her lips when he'd first started his discourse. How he'd learned of her name was of some interest, but the fact that he was just as mistaken as everyone else who used that name to describe her was somewhat amusing. As he continued,though, the situation quickly lost its humour. A smaller blade appeared in her hand and she fussed with it as she waited for him to come to the point. When there didn't seem to be one, she took advantage of the pause Anakita had brought about and spoke to the man directly.

"You speak so disparagingly of these my companions, but yet here we stand while your companions lay at our feet. I have no use for your words as they are. I advise you to give us answers to our questions and keep your petty judgments to yourself."

The tip of the knife rose toward the cultist's midsection, prompting Fira to approach. She wasn't certain if she needed to be concerned about this 'the Murderer' thing, but she knew that they needed information from this man now that his comrades were dead. A moment of violence could set them back significantly. Nairn sensed her approach and casually tapped the knife against the man's belt.

"No need to worry. I am certain if I plunged it in, nothing would come out except hot air."

Anakita Snakecharm

Anakita had not missed the fact that this cultist was trying to humiliate and accuse her friends. She had deflected that, in her own way - by calling attention to her own behavior, which was a source of pride rather than shame - but it made her unhappy that he was trying to inflict pain. She might not know some of these people well, but they were a team now... and no one should be stomping on the underdog, anyway.

"Yeah, Nairn is right," she said, stepping beside her Norn friend. The Ranger glanced around. Some of the faces were hard to read. The Rutherfords looked worried and wary, though. Galenwen looked like she was afraid someone was about to attack her. This wasn't going to stand, Anakita decided.

"For the record, no one cares about any of this. No one's past matters here. What matters is the future - and yours, Mr. Cult Man, is definitely in the air right now. If you care about surviving, you'd better start giving us some information we can use. So start talking. What's going on here? How do we help this kid?"

The cultist shook his head. "I think not. You'll have to find out for yourselves. The hard way."