Simus
An Excellent Site Member
Without a word Tali grabbed the bag of food Shadow gave her with both hands. Like a scared rabbit with a big juicy carrot she ran into a corner with the heavy bag. When she was in the shadows she faded into them and the bag faded with her. She looked inside and saw treasures beyond belief. Fresh bread, fresh apples, carrots, sealed bowels of roasted vegetables, all kinds of meat. Smoked venison, beef sausage, shredded pork, chicken legs, lamb chops, grilled salmon, beef steak. It was more food than Tali had ever seen before and its quality and aroma was only something she could only dream of. Destiny and Shadow left but Tali didn't care. She ate and ate and ate. She ate as if she'd never eat again. She'd lived off meager scraps for weeks and was down to skin, bone and shriveled stomach. She wanted to eat everything in the bag but after two big drumsticks, two apples and four big rolls Brynjolf took the bag from her.
"What are you doing!?" She yelled, looking up to Brynjolf in disbelief. Apparently he'd been watching her since she started eating 10 minutes ago and her fade didn't protect her. Tears leaked from her face and a drop of snot came from her nose. She started coughing violently while waiting for an answer. Brynjolf saw this and uncorked a small healing potion, putting it to her lips. "Easy little lass. Drink this. You'll feel better." She swallowed the potion and her cough died down. She looked up to Brynjolf in wonder.
"Brynjolf? You...you helped me. Why?"
"Because you need help Tali. Your daddy didn't treat you very well and you've been a hard little lass to find since he died. Weeks ago you found a map that led here. I left that for you."
Tali remembered that map. It was dry and crisp and she had practiced the route many times beforehand but she'd been too scared to go into the guild. "I remember that map. That was you? Why did you leave that for me to find?"
"Again lass, you needed help. You may not realize this but I've been watching over you since your daddy died. I've left you food and other things when I could but again, you're difficult to find. I was hoping you'd try something like this sooner so we could take you in but you never did. By Nocturnal girl, you're down to skin and bones! How long has it been since you've really eaten?"
"I...I can't remember. I've been hungry for a long time. So long that I can feel my belly with my finger if I push my back in. I've had a cough for maybe a week and I feel hot. And it's hard to move. And my hair's all gross and it's getting thin."
She put her hood down and sure enough her long brown hair was matted, dirty and was falling out in little patches all over her head. She was so weak and hungry she looked like a corpse. Brynjolf was heartbroken. He knelt down and hugged Tali, taking her into a warm, protective embrace.
"Oh Tali. You're on the verge of death lass. I should have come for you and I'm so sorry I didn't. I didn't know you were so bad off."
It had been months since Tali had been hugged, far too long for a 10 year old orphan. She snuggled into Brynjolf's chest and clung to his back. "Why did you take my food? I'm hungry. I'm so hungry. I feel like I'm gonna die."
"Because sweetheart if you eat too much in your condition you COULD die. You're starving and sick. Your body needs time to get used to eating food again. It can only handle little bits of it but you're safe now. I promise you that you will never be hungry ever again."
Tali could barely believe what she was hearing. It was practically a godsend. "Really? Never ever again?"
Brynjolf looked at her and gently held her face in his hands, tilting it up to get eye level with his kneeling self. "Never ever again Tali. A child as sweet as you should never starve to death. Too many do in these tunnels. In fact, you've developed some very good skills. You're very good at hiding and sneaking around and I'm impressed with how well you pickpocket."
"But I do that stuff 'cause I have to! I don't want to do it but people have stuff I need and if I try and beg for it I get hit a lot."
"Well that's something you won't have to do anymore either Tali. You don't have to beg anymore. In fact, how would you like to stay here? Stay with me and Vex and Shadow and all the other Guild members? How would you like to be a member of our family?"
"Really?" Tali said, her eyes full of wonder? "Me? You want me as part of your family?"
"I do lass." Brynjolf said with a smile.
"Yeah! I do! I wanna be part of the family! That means Shadow and I will be brothers! He's the only one besides you and Delven and Vex that's nice to me! Does this mean I can help with family jobs?"
"It does Tali, but we'll talk about that later. Right now you need a bath and a warm bed. You need lots of rest to get better and I've got a real bed for you in the healing chamber."
Tali couldn't believe what she was hearing. Everything she ever wanted in life was suddenly dropped in her lap. Some of it more literal than others. She was part of a family now. A family that could take care of her and feed her and give her hugs. This was the best heist ever! She relinquished her bag of food to Brynjolf with the promise that she could have more as soon as she'd had a bath and a nap. Both were good ideas. She was full now and weak and very tired. And she stank. Brynjolf readied a hot bath for her using the same stone tub and flowery bath oils Destiny used earlier. It took an hour but he got her squeaky clean. Her skin looked better, her girl parts were clean for the first time in months and her hair was its old clean and soft self again for the first time in years. Her clothes, now down to rags, were disposed up but Brynjolf changed her into a warm, clean white nightgown. It was soft and comfy and would keep her nice and warm. Its skirt went down to her ankles and was loose without being baggy or draggy. Its sleeves went to her wrists and ended in pretty white lace. It was girly and cute and she loved it! Brynjolf gave her another healing potion to keep her cough down and tucked her into a nice warm bed. She went to sleep full, warm and happy. She was convinced it was the most comfy bed in all Nirn.
Some time later she woke up. The room was still lit and she was still snug in bed. She looked to her left and saw Shadow sitting in a chair, watching over her. Tali gave a gentile moan and rubbed her eyes.
"Mmmm...Shadow? Is that you? What time is it? What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing!?" She yelled, looking up to Brynjolf in disbelief. Apparently he'd been watching her since she started eating 10 minutes ago and her fade didn't protect her. Tears leaked from her face and a drop of snot came from her nose. She started coughing violently while waiting for an answer. Brynjolf saw this and uncorked a small healing potion, putting it to her lips. "Easy little lass. Drink this. You'll feel better." She swallowed the potion and her cough died down. She looked up to Brynjolf in wonder.
"Brynjolf? You...you helped me. Why?"
"Because you need help Tali. Your daddy didn't treat you very well and you've been a hard little lass to find since he died. Weeks ago you found a map that led here. I left that for you."
Tali remembered that map. It was dry and crisp and she had practiced the route many times beforehand but she'd been too scared to go into the guild. "I remember that map. That was you? Why did you leave that for me to find?"
"Again lass, you needed help. You may not realize this but I've been watching over you since your daddy died. I've left you food and other things when I could but again, you're difficult to find. I was hoping you'd try something like this sooner so we could take you in but you never did. By Nocturnal girl, you're down to skin and bones! How long has it been since you've really eaten?"
"I...I can't remember. I've been hungry for a long time. So long that I can feel my belly with my finger if I push my back in. I've had a cough for maybe a week and I feel hot. And it's hard to move. And my hair's all gross and it's getting thin."
She put her hood down and sure enough her long brown hair was matted, dirty and was falling out in little patches all over her head. She was so weak and hungry she looked like a corpse. Brynjolf was heartbroken. He knelt down and hugged Tali, taking her into a warm, protective embrace.
"Oh Tali. You're on the verge of death lass. I should have come for you and I'm so sorry I didn't. I didn't know you were so bad off."
It had been months since Tali had been hugged, far too long for a 10 year old orphan. She snuggled into Brynjolf's chest and clung to his back. "Why did you take my food? I'm hungry. I'm so hungry. I feel like I'm gonna die."
"Because sweetheart if you eat too much in your condition you COULD die. You're starving and sick. Your body needs time to get used to eating food again. It can only handle little bits of it but you're safe now. I promise you that you will never be hungry ever again."
Tali could barely believe what she was hearing. It was practically a godsend. "Really? Never ever again?"
Brynjolf looked at her and gently held her face in his hands, tilting it up to get eye level with his kneeling self. "Never ever again Tali. A child as sweet as you should never starve to death. Too many do in these tunnels. In fact, you've developed some very good skills. You're very good at hiding and sneaking around and I'm impressed with how well you pickpocket."
"But I do that stuff 'cause I have to! I don't want to do it but people have stuff I need and if I try and beg for it I get hit a lot."
"Well that's something you won't have to do anymore either Tali. You don't have to beg anymore. In fact, how would you like to stay here? Stay with me and Vex and Shadow and all the other Guild members? How would you like to be a member of our family?"
"Really?" Tali said, her eyes full of wonder? "Me? You want me as part of your family?"
"I do lass." Brynjolf said with a smile.
"Yeah! I do! I wanna be part of the family! That means Shadow and I will be brothers! He's the only one besides you and Delven and Vex that's nice to me! Does this mean I can help with family jobs?"
"It does Tali, but we'll talk about that later. Right now you need a bath and a warm bed. You need lots of rest to get better and I've got a real bed for you in the healing chamber."
Tali couldn't believe what she was hearing. Everything she ever wanted in life was suddenly dropped in her lap. Some of it more literal than others. She was part of a family now. A family that could take care of her and feed her and give her hugs. This was the best heist ever! She relinquished her bag of food to Brynjolf with the promise that she could have more as soon as she'd had a bath and a nap. Both were good ideas. She was full now and weak and very tired. And she stank. Brynjolf readied a hot bath for her using the same stone tub and flowery bath oils Destiny used earlier. It took an hour but he got her squeaky clean. Her skin looked better, her girl parts were clean for the first time in months and her hair was its old clean and soft self again for the first time in years. Her clothes, now down to rags, were disposed up but Brynjolf changed her into a warm, clean white nightgown. It was soft and comfy and would keep her nice and warm. Its skirt went down to her ankles and was loose without being baggy or draggy. Its sleeves went to her wrists and ended in pretty white lace. It was girly and cute and she loved it! Brynjolf gave her another healing potion to keep her cough down and tucked her into a nice warm bed. She went to sleep full, warm and happy. She was convinced it was the most comfy bed in all Nirn.
Some time later she woke up. The room was still lit and she was still snug in bed. She looked to her left and saw Shadow sitting in a chair, watching over her. Tali gave a gentile moan and rubbed her eyes.
"Mmmm...Shadow? Is that you? What time is it? What are you doing here?"