Stuck In A Tree (Juliette)

Prompt: Stuck in a tree

This is just an excuse to have Sanguine be up to no good while also fulfilling a prompt and I have no regrets, also a rare Juliette POV that's fun.

For all the things I had planned today, being stuck in a tree was not on the list. Such is the way of things, I suppose. Out of everything that could have happened today ranging from another necromancer causing problems or the emperor or someone else misplacing another important letter, there are worse things than being stuck in a tree. The problem is, I don’t know how I got here in the first place, and more importantly I don’t know how to get down. It’s not a large gap between the branch I'm precariously sitting in anc the ground, but it’s larger than I’d like- as I would prefer to not break anything while attempting to get down from my perch. If I was a Telvanni wizard and not a Breton one I’d simply levitate down, unfortunately the practice isn’t common outside of Morrowind and I’ve never been to the east, aside from a brief trip to eastern Cyrodiil, if that even counts.

Sitting there I think about how in the world I could have gotten into my current predicament. It had been a rather normal evening the night before, nothing incredibly unusual. I’d been in a small tavern reviewing some documents about my various assignments and other errands I needed to complete when a man asked if I wanted a drink. Given the amount of work and other running around I’ve had to do lately I graciously accepted as one does when someone else offers to pay. Sure I don’t drink often, but when I do I can hold my liquor, and I didn’t have more than one drink last night. Did the stranger spike my drink?! I think of the possibility and conclude it’s entirely possible, and I’m rather stupid to have not noticed. However it doesn’t explain why I’m in a tree this morning. My bag of documents is still with me so they obviously weren’t a thief, or if they were then they were a rather bad one. Sitting there among the branches I think over the events of last night and find that there’s a large memory gap between that drink and my waking up in my current situation- something must have happened last night. The question is…what?

After a few more minutes of thinking and looking at the ground below I decide to attempt to climb to some of the lower branches and try to not hurt myself if I end up needing to jump to get down. My efforts while rather tiring and troublesome work out in the end as I reach some lower branches. I sit perched on one for a few minutes to recover, about four feet from the ground, though suddenly I hear a snapping sound and a moment later I’m on the ground and sore in areas I didn’t know existed. The branch broke under my weight, and in all regards I’m very average in size. Stupid trees and their stupid branches, who cares if they provide oxygen and everything. Tired and missing a chunk of my dignity I pull a few stray twigs and leaves from my hair and stomp off toward the little village I’d been staying in near Wayrest. Perhaps the bartender will have information about last night.

Upon entering the inn the barkeep seems surprised to see me, mentioning that last night my friend and I had discussed running off to Daggerfall and causing all kinds of trouble. I find myself missing Daggerfall for a brief moment then, it’s my home after all, and nothing else quite compares to it. Employing some of my skills as a Blades agent I manage to get some information from the barkeep, though it isn’t much in the end. I should be looking for a Breton fellow named Sam who wears a set of robes, ah yes like that’s incredibly distinctive and will pop out immediately in a sea of other Bretons, many of whom wear robes for various reasons. I thank the bartender for their time and pay for a room for the night, though it’s only early afternoon now. For the remainder of the day I ask around the village about the mystery man named Sam, coming up with practically nothing useful in the end.

At the end of the day a warm meal and soft bed are great comforts to my rather sore body, even if inn beds can be questionable at best. I’ll resume my search for this mystery man in the morning, for now I need to rest after having been stuck in a tree the entire night before. When I wake in the morning I find a note slid under the door with a bit more information about my memory lapse, I apparently had more than I remember to drink, and whoever wrote the note mentions the person I was with had talked about meeting again in Daggerfall at one particular inn, and that they had a sort of reward for me. Intrigued, I pack up my few things and head south toward the capital, at least I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed while I’m there…and that’s better than being stuck in a tree. The trip down south is at least a pleasant one, a breeze comes in from the coast and the landscape is dotted with small villages and farms. By the time I reach the capital it’s early in the evening, time to find the inn mentioned in the note, I haven’t heard of it before and given the size of the city it may take awhile to find.

After at least an hour or two of asking people the way to the inn and nearly giving up part way through I get some scrap of information that allows me to eventually find it, with a significant amount of wandering around the general area before coming across it’s exact location. Stepping inside I’m slightly started by the contrast from the quiet street outside to the lively music and chatter of the inn and it’s patrons. In the corner I spot who I came looking for, Sam the mysterious man in black robes. Upon approach he stands up and asks me how my night was, seemingly aware of the tree incident. Strange, I hadn’t even gotten a word out about it, he must have been involved somehow. We go into another quieter room to discuss the reward that I supposedly won and once in a more private area Sam reveals an intricately carved staff with a rose at the top, and is apparently enchanted with some very interesting spells. Having handed over the staff and congratulated me again we return to the main common room to chat for a few minutes more until Sam tells me he suddenly has to leave. From my spot at the table with a clear view of the street I see the man clad in black exit the building, there’s a flash of swirling purple light, and in place of Sam I see a dremora like figure clad in armor who briefly looks back with a grin and a wink before disappearing in another flash of light. Stunned, I stare at the doorway for a solid five minutes before coming to my senses. Did I play a drinking game with Sanguine? I look at the staff as it sits by the table and think for a moment. Even if I did, at least I got a cool staff out of it…and that’s something worth getting stuck in a tree for.