[h3][center]Friendship & Falmer[/center][/h3]
[center][i]A Judena and Alim story[/i][/center]

Judena didn't feel [i]quite[/i] as scared as she rightfully could have been. It was definitely dark, danger was lurking just outside their limited field of vision, some of their companions already went ahead to clear the way while the party left behind had proven themselves capable in the last encounter. 

It was all familiar to Judena, her beard slowly deflated as she let her thoughts wonder. The calm she felt was simply a confidence in knowing as tricky as the current situation was they'd make it through. She held faith. The Falmer were certainly tough but they did not spook her the way they clearly spooked the likes of Anifas, or was it Anrenfar? The vomiting was rather unbecoming but who was she to judge, she remembered her first few shocking encounters that had her topple head over heels from fainting.

A stone skittering caught her ear and her beard expanded again. It would help knowing where the Falmer were-

She gently tapped the heel of her hand against her forehead, quietly she approached one of their sneaky party members. Someone who was skillful enough to remain undetected by the sensitive Falmer ears.

She approached Alim tapping his shoulder, leaning down to whisper, "Aladdin, psst. Let us work together to remove some of the immediate Falmer, give our companions some peace of mind while we wait for the way to be clear."

Alim blinked, his expression somewhat startled and somewhat bemused from the sudden pat and name change, as he had just been running his hand over the now bandaged wound on his arm. Thankfully he had not been cut on a nerve, and the cut really was not as deep as he had thought. There had just been quite a bit of blood, and he always felt a bit superstitious of using an injured limb too much until it scarred over. 

Still, despite his raised brow initially, he nodded. "Now that sounds like what I would call a good time." He replied matter of fact, a cunning glimmer in his dark eyes. He'd cleaned his sword already, and with a deft movement the blade was unsheathed once more. 

"Try not to hiss too much. You kind of hiss when you're particularly excited." He joked. 

"Oh, I had not noticed!" Judena whispered, tapping the pads of her finger tips against her lips. Inevitably hissing more, she thanked him. "Thank you for saying so, Alam." 

She bent back up gesturing with her spear, "The Falmer are just beyond our vision, I will use the spell Detect Life to reveal their positions. I point you in the right direction, you remove them with the element of surprise. You are sneaky, yes?"

"Am I sneaky!?" Alim exclaimed, and while it wasn't very loud, it was louder than a sneaky person. He was a bit confused though, close to offended. He thought his reputation as a ne'er-do-well proceeded him. He looked around once he caught his voice though as if he had just alerted the guards as he crept out with a crown jewel. His next words were lower in volume. "Yes...yes I am quite sneaky." 

"Quietly as quiet can be, we will remove some of the Falmer in our immediate vicinity. I think you can do it, I believe in you." She said.

He gave a wink, and awaited the Argonian female (he believes) to cast the necessary spells in order to give him the edge™.

She nodded, in her hands she gathered the magicka for the spell. She spoke the spell easily from memory, she connected her forefinger and thumb together in a circle, where the magicka travelled in visible blue light. She brought the circle of her fingers up to her eye to peer through, now seeing life through it. She looked down to Alim seeing his distinct red life-blood the magic highlighted him with. She looked now into the gloom of the darkness, shapes the size of various Falmer. She hummed, concentrating on the spell judging the distance.

"Thirty-seven steps to your immediate right, then twelve more straight you will arrive within three steps of a Falmer. They are hunched with possible armour. Be sure to aim true. Return following the steps and I will guide you to the next one. There seems to be about four just a few feet outside of our magelight. They are far too close for comfort." Judena said, blinking she held the spell steady. "I will keep an eye on you."

"UuuuuuuUUUUHHHHhhhuuuuuh," His voice rose and fell when she mentioned how many steps he was to take, suddenly conscious of how long his steps were and if she had measured them. He was not unmethodical, but stepping on instinct was usually more helpful in these situations. "Uuuuunderstood." 

He made his way through the rocky terrain, his steps as measured as could be, hands out to steady himself just in case. Thirty six, thirty seven...he turned straight, and headed another twelve steps, nearly bumping into a Falmer, sucking in his breath at the scaly, slimy sight or smell of it. Luckily its back was turned, squatting down and eating something nondescript. Without a sound, Alim shoved his sword in the Falmer's back. He caught it as it fell, letting it touch the ground softly. 

Judena watched on, approving of Alim's approach. When he successfully returned, she patted his back. "One down and three more to go. I will not lead you astray, Alment. You can trust me." She said earnestly. She breathed in gathering her magicka once again peering with the aid of the spell. She saw a hulky Falmer turned in their direction, paying attention to them and their companions. 

"Our next target is paying attention to the group, this will be a little more complicated. I will lead you around the current Falmer then I will make a small distraction, like throwing a stone, get their attention away so you may have the opportunity to strike." She whispered, self-conscious of the Falmer paying attention. Concerned. 

"You will need to take... forty-six steps to the left and forward, you will be moving in an angle around the Falmer. You then will then need to take five steps to the right. You will arrive within four feet of the Falmer, my stone will make a little noise to grab their attention. When you hear the stone, pause then take four steps right to strike." Judena's instructions were clear, she deemed her judgement fairly close. Adjusting a little based on how big of steps she saw Alim take, which weren't nearly as long in stride as hers would have been. "Please move slowly for this particular one. They are paying attention."

Alim wondered how hard a 4 letter word was to pronounce a bit too long, because he hadn't been paying the most attention to her for a few sentences. Luckily, he had an apt mind and her words recorded in the back of his mind flooded back, realization dawning. "Ah, I see Judalia." He replied, giving her quite a nice false name if he said so himself, and promptly turned around without waiting for her reaction to go and perform the instructed steps. It was only halfway through his walk did he idly wonder how smart it was to taunt her if she was the one to throw the rocks, but then he shook his head. He knew his success benefited her as much as it did himself, as well. 

He made it to the destination, and waited for the stone's noise. 

Judena cocked her head at the strange way he pronounced her name, perhaps he had heard wrong from their first introductions. She decided it would be best to clarify upon his return. She briefly wondered if she had his name incorrect? No, it couldn't be. He kept answering to what she referred to him as. Naturally he would have corrected her, had she been wrong.

She took a deep breath, beginning to feel a bit of strain from the consistent use of her magicka. She watched his lively form make his approach, her breathing hitched when the Falmer turned in his direction. Suspicious, jerking movements, Alim came to a soft stop at the Falmer’s movements. The Falmer took a step closer to Alim, she scooped up a stone then took quick aim throwing at the Falmer’s feet. The Falmer turned at the noise with a deep guttural hiss.

Alim's next words were merely breathed, but the Falmer's enhanced hearing caught the entire slang as the Spellsword's blade began to fall. 

"Bitch." 

The Falmer didn't have any time to react, even respond verbally above the beginning of a 'peep' before Alim chopped through its neck with ease, a swift knife through butter. He couldn't muffle the sound of the body falling, but luckily, he realized whatever other Falmer in the area didn't take any heed to it. He did catch the head though, regretting it a moment later when its open neck oozed what he imagined was blood. 

Alim made his way back over to his partner, setting the head down gently halfway and doing his best not to stumble in the dark. 

When Alim approached back onto the safety of the Gazebo Judena let out a long sigh of exertion. Slouching forward to speak to him, "Good job, hah, Alan. I believe this is not the best time to address it but, I think you may have heard my name incorrectly in our introductions. My name is Judena and not Judalia." She said gently, keeping her voice low at a whisper. "You were very close, however."

As Alim wiped his blade (and arm) off, he paused halfway through the stroke and deadpan looked at Judena, brow raised. He had no idea what to say. 

"You uh." He started, letting silence hang for a few moments. Should he tell her? She he not? Would this get annoying eventually? [s]Find out next time[/s] "You do know that my name is Alim and you haven't said it correctly for...ever." He didn't seem mad at all, but just perplexed. He had not spent much time around the Lizardfolk of Blackmarsh, so he simply chocked it up to her not being used to the names of men or mer. 

He finished wiping his sword, and held out a hand to shake. "Let's start over, shall we? I am Alim. Hello, friend."

Judena straightened like a board, her 'beard' shrinking with a sharp inhale of surprise. She knocked the heel of her hand against her head, "My apologies, Alim. I- I am very sorry, there is no true light to read by and refer back to my logbook. Please forgive my poor, very poor memory." She took his hand in both of hers, "Truly I meant no offense." She bent forward, earnestly. 

"Yes please I would like to start this over, friend." She said gently squeezing the young man's hand. "Please do not hesitate to correct me."

Alim was expecting the Argonian to either refuse or be very rigid, but he found his face falling as if he had just seen a doggy. He shook her hand, smiling. "It is completely fine, Judena. And you do very good magic, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You're the best Falmer killing wingman I have had." 

She nodded, giving his hand a firm shake as well. A pleasant hum thrummed out of her throat, "Thank you, what spells I do know I know quite well. You do not get very far in this business otherwise. Now, [i]Alim.[/i] Are you ready for the last two? They look as if they are together. Easy pickings as you have demonstrated."

He finished shaking her hand and picked up his sword, resting it on his shoulder casually. "Why, I would be delighted to kill a few more Falmer. As my father always said, killing the last two Falmer is the thing to do. Well, he didn't really say that, but he would if he was here so we'll go with that." 

She chuckled at his joke, "Let us go with that, indeed. Your not-father is a smart man."

Summoning her magicka once again she straightened seeing the final two together. The pair of Falmer were huddled together hiding among some rocks, fearful of the autonomous searchlights. Seeing them trying to hide had given Judena a wave of sympathy. They were simply doing what her companions were hoping to do right now. She watched them, feeling her magicka begin to strain much more quickly than when she started. Judena counted the steps, these two were the closest, dangerously close to hearing even quietest conversation had they decided to pay attention. 

"20 steps directly to our left, behind a section of rocks - hiding. A pair of Falmer, huddled. Hold..." She watched closely seeing the Falmer’s form reach for something, using both hands. "I believe one of them is armed, two handed weapon." She sighed, bringing her hand away from her eye. "This might be trickier to do this muted, if you were to remove the one holding the weapon first you can make short work of the secondary one."

Alim nodded, using what little light he had to check and see the rolling and jagged landscape of the cavern, wondering if there was any way he could use it to his advantage. He stroked his chin with a cultured hand, a professional air about him. 

Alim turned to Judena. "I think I can get them both, but just in case one managed to run, I'll make sure he does right toward you so be ready." He informed her, and without further ado he crouched and made his way back toward the Falmer, choosing the left side of the cavern as that gave him a small advantage in height. A very small passageway that merely led to a short overhang was Alim's path. Most would think only a cat or a small animal could traverse it, but Alim just barely managed to hug the wall, sword out and body flat against the cavern's side as he snuck closer. 

Soon he found himself within a (admittedly very long) jumping distance from the two Falmer, and they were none the wiser. Though that would not last long. He was too close with little cover, and he had to think quickly. Knowing he would need to make the jump, the idea popped into his head and he muttered the spell for 'feather' upon himself. Granted, he was not very good at such a spell. However, it would still help him gain some air, and as soon as the flash of the spell was unleashed, he leaped for his life. 

One Falmer chirped in surprise, while the unarmed one looked up and tilted its head, before pointing and chittering. Its companion spun and attempted to hack at where it imagined an enemy would be, but Alim was still above him due to the spell. He bent his legs to dodge the swipe, then kicked and struck the Falmer in the head. He suddenly released the spell and dropped, cutting into the fallen Falmer's chest cavity. The other tried to grab at Alim, and the spellthief got a few scratches from the feral assault before his pommel found the Falmer's nose. 

It grunted, and decided this was not worth it and scrambled out of their hiding spot, right toward Judena. Alim cursed and swiped, but the Falmer was a bit too slippery at the moment. 

Judena watched the fight with anticipation, when the Falmer came darting out of it's hiding spot after the sounds of Alim's fight made its way to her ears. She squinted watching it get closer, then braced going still as a stone statue. 

When it came within a few feet she towered above the blind creature, her beard expanded. Much like spotting a fish in the stream Judena struck down with her spear through it's neck, silencing any final cry it had. A loud thunk into the ground where the spear followed through, blood splattering up the shaft. She tsked, a clicking sound between her teeth. "Used a bit too much force it would seem."

Gently rolling the dead Falmer to its side, its death was imminent, and it struggled no more. "Find peace." She whispered removing the spear slowly as to not jostle the body. She transmuted the blood from out of her spear, magicka light flowing through the grains of wood into her hand. Once it gathered she shook it free, blood splattering at her feet.

"That was quite the bit of work but I believe we have removed all the Falmer surrounding our immediate vicinity. You were a great help, Alim." She commented brightly.

Alim jogged over to see her having dispatched the Falmer in short order, thankfully. "Yep, we make a good team." He replied, giving a wink. "Let's go back and inform the others of our success." It was an offer he hoped she would agree with, because impressing his employer, the ladies, and perhaps the lady employer was a certain bonus in their achievement here.