Tavern Tales: Come on in and Have a Drink! Part VI

[WillieSea]

Elliot gasped suddenly, he had forgotten to breath as Will had almost fell into the lava. He saw Will jump from the ledge and run towards the closest Atronach to him. Elliot then snapped into action, drawing an arrow and sighting down the other Atronach as it turned towards its companion’s alarm.

It would be a difficult shot from such a distance, especially if the Atronach started moving before the arrow reached it. Elliot tried to ignore the blur of William as he sighted and released the arrow. He quickly nocked another arrow as the first found its target, sending the Atronach flipping head over heels to smash into ashes against the cavern wall.

Will swung his black blade in an overhead arc as he jumped the quickly retreating Atronach. He could not let it warn any other creatures from further in the caves. The black blade made not even a whistle as it sliced through the air and cut the flaming creature in half, the ashes scattering towards the ground as its life force left it. Will quickly looked around for any other enemies and saw none. He beckoned Elliot to come on across as he looked down the passage.

It was not long before Elliot and William were travelling down the passage with their horses in tow. Soon, the tunnel started to widen and open into another cavern. Three more Atronach’s were on the other side of the cavern, milling around another door.

These were much larger than the ones they had previously dispatched. They were too far for Will to run up to them and much bigger where it would take several arrow hits to take even one of them down.

Will scratched at the stubble on his chin. It always itched when it started growing out. He turned to Elliot and they devised a plan. Will would sneak up on them while Elliot got as close as he safely could and prepare an onslaught of arrows.

Elliot laid out a number of arrow as Will vanished into the darkness of the cave. A light whistling noise let him know there was an exit nearby, perhaps the door the Atronachs’ guarded. After he was as prepared as he was going to get, he searched the cavern for William but could not find him anywhere. He readied an arrow anyway, waiting for some signal from the missing Will.

Will looked around, Elliot was ready at his hiding spot and the three Atronach’s looked even bigger than before. He had cast Chameleon on himself as he crept closer, he would have to attack quickly before it wore off and he lost his element of surprise on his foes.

Elliot suddenly saw the largest Atronach swaying wildly, trails of flames flying off of it in arcs. He started to release arrows at the furthest one, sending three of them on their deadly course. The first Atronach suddenly belched in a flaming ball of fire and its ashes floated to the ground.

Elliot was about the send another volley into the remaining Atronach but it was already an evaporating ball of flame and ashes. After a quick glance around the now empty cavern, he gathered up his remaining arrows he had laid out and guided the two horses down to where Will suddenly appeared in a flash of evaporating magical energies. Elliot shook his head; he should have known an assassin would know that sort of magic.

[Nevyngreat]

Since finding the turn-off road that hadn't been there before, Newt had continued on to Gottshaw Inn and made some promises to Foroch regarding some future business ventures. Then he had returned to Brina Cross, collected his mules, and said his goodbye's to his friends there. Of course, no mention had been made of the mysterious road to anyone. Now, as Newt continued up the road, he wondered about that unlikely group of adventurers he had met met briefly in Cheydinhal so many weeks before. Deadly looking bunch. I imagine that whatever their business way up north had been, the carrion eaters had benefited, also. It would take an army to turn them from their chosen path. And then they would regret trying.

As he got closer he could see set in the trees ahead a large sign with two mugs and the words: The Tavern. Very soon he could make out a large building, much larger than I expected, in the Chorrol architectural style. On the left was the stable area, and Chips began to feel an unexpected sense of deja vu'. I have a feeling this will become my home away from home ! And there will be good times, comradeship and very interesting stories for my book, too ! " Come on, mules without names. Ogan, just what you need, some more time to stand around." He patted the stout black neck and glanced around for Jazz. " Nowhere in sight, but that's usual." When Jazz entered a new settlement, it was as a shadow arriving. I know some men and mer that can do the same, he thought.

Newt began to notice the immaculate condition of the grounds, and as a horticulturist he had to admire the profusion of freeform flowerbeds scattered in every possible place. He also started smelling the tantalizing odors of honey and baked goods and see well-dressed , clean children scurrying about and hear laughter. Even Ogan sensed the happiness emanating from the area ahead, and started doing his fancy side-step that both pleased himself; and any mares pastured ahead that might see his arrival.

Dismounting in front of a cavernous barn, he handed Ogan's reins to a stout lad that met him with an air of authority. Adding a silver coin, and quickly removing his saddlebags, he brought out a large bag of blackberry candies for the throng of small children that were fast gathering around him.

" No oats, but some salt hay and a thorough combing, good squire. If he will let you, take him for a short ride every day I stay here." As the young man hurried to obey, Chips knew he had made the first of possibly many friends here.

"That is a mighty fine looking animal. What would his name be; and yours, too, of course. Tho' I will admit to a preference for horses over men any day of the week ."

Newt turned to see a grizzled older man approaching on a crutch, but with the obvious energy of a much younger man. " His name is Ogan, and mine is Newt. And you are right - you can turn your back on even a horse that is a stranger to you."

The old man nodded and thrust out a gnarly hand. "I'm the smith and farrier here, as you might have figured out already. If you were dumb, that horse wouldn't be your friend. And I would guess further that big black tomcat travels with you, too."

Newt looked around quickly in amazement. " Don't miss much, do you, oldtimer?"

An amused expression formed on the wrinkled old face and for a second Newt saw a Legion Horseman in his prime. Then the old smith said, "Oh, I have missed before. But... never on the second swing ! Now lets get these mules put up and see what kind of goods you're carrying, trader. All this jawing has got my throat kinda dry - if you get my meaning!"

Edited September 27, 2010 by Nevyngreat

[DarkRider]

Syn listened intently as Red detailed what happened in Pearl Cove and their deadly encounter with the kraken spawn. She tried to maintain a neutral expression but she could feel her face twitch at the scene being painted for her. Kraken spawn, though young, were many, and though they wouldn’t yet have their mother’s impenetrable skin plates, just sheer force of numbers was enough to sink a ship and decimate a crew. These three were lucky to have survived, but since she didn’t believe in luck, they were more likely highly skilled for combat. It made explaining their next step much easier then at least. As Red finished Syn took a long breath.

“Well, at first I thought what I would say is ‘no one stands a chance against a kraken, your ship is lost’ but now I’m not as certain,” she stood and motioned for them to follow her out of the tent. Carter opened the flap where he stood and let them pass, following from behind. Syn continued outside, “Killing a kraken is difficult, but it can be done. As you rightly guessed, the mer-people know the way to kill one as it was once a rite of passage for their people, which is what brought you here to me. The trick will be getting them to part with the knowledge. Only the shaman will know the way and he is so old he almost never leaves their city so we will have to go to him,” she pointed with her staff out across the open water.

“So you think we’ll all just take a great ruddy swim down to the mer folk eh?” Jack asked cocking an eyebrow, “I’ll say I’m a good swimmer, but I don’t see a single Argonian among this lot. How do you propose we manage it?”

Syn smiled, “Billie wax of course.”

Jack dropped into a cross legged flounce on the ground and stared out across the water, “Nope sorry, still not following your brilliant plan, your holiness,” he muttered almost insolently.

Red grinned, “She means dreugh wax, it can be brewed into a sort of mead and drinking it will give us the ability to breathe underwater.”

“Sounds wretched,” the pirate grimaced.

“It is,” Syn replied, “but it’s the only way unless you want to take a longer road through the Isles. Give me a moment to attend these men and mer in their talks and then I will lead you to where the billies graze in the inland pools.”

They watched her stride off back toward the gathering of sea captains. Red crouched and set a hand on Jack’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, we’ll not lose the Longwinter.”

“I suppose you think me a bit of a fool caring so much for a ship,” he said, though not looking at her, “there’s more to her than meets the eye.”

“Even if there wasn’t,” Red assured him, “I’d still help you.”

He rewarded her with a glance, “Thank you my darling.”

When Red stood up Carter was just beside her and she shivered at how easily he closed the ground between them silently, “Best clean up as much sabre blood as you can or the dreughs will smell their scent a mile away.”

Red bit back the tetchy reply that sprang to her tongue and nodded silently; remembering Jack’s cautioning earlier she turned away from him, heading further down the shore where she could rinse off her leathers in peace.

Carter took his opportunity to crouch down beside Jack, “How much gold do you have stashed away in that ship?”

Jack’s head whipped around to look at the assassin, “How did you know?”

“Intuition. A ship is wood and mortar, only two things men kill or die trying for and chief is gold.”

Jack nodded, “A lifetime’s worth, everything I own in this world is tied up in that ship in some way or another, my money, my fame, hell even my family as it were,” he sighed, “so are you tagging along to rob me then?”

Carter grunted in a way that might have been a laugh and Jack had fixed him with a sort of sad puppy dog face, “I’m no thief boy,” he answered, “and I’ll say nothing on it, was just curious.”

“You’re curious about a lot of things,” Jack ventured.

The Redguard didn’t answer right away but nodded, “Suits my profession.”

“So it would seem,” Jack said with a nod, “well if you’re not planning to rob me then what has caught your interest here? I mean, a man of your skills must have things to…tend to.”

Carter shrugged, “I offered to help you get your ship back in exchange for your help with my contract. I’ll see that debt through.”

“You’re a more honorable man then I would have guessed,” Jack said quietly.

“Something I have been curious about,” Carter seemed to be looking out to sea and yet Jack knew he was watching him, “How does a landlocked pirate end up traipsing halfway across Tamriel with a lady thief on a mad quest to reclaim a ship?”

Jack laughed, it wasn’t intentional, it may have been his nerves or perhaps it wasn’t the question he had expected but he managed to rein himself in quickly, “This isn’t even the strangest venture I’ve been on this month,” he explained, “Red and I are patrons of a rather unique establishment.”

“A guild?”

“No not a guild,” Jack shook his head, “a tavern, a sort of a hideaway for rogues like ourselves. All sorts manage to find a home there it seems, dragon hunters, thieves, archivists, hell even an assassin or two.”

“Sounds like my kind of place,” Carter said, his intrigue genuine.

[WhoGuru]

Red dunked her leathers in the water for a third time, watching Sabre Rat blood film out from them and steamed a bit. Carter struck some chord in her, made her nervous and she was becoming tired of her own silliness. She poked fingers through the holes in the back of her jerkin and then it came to her. She froze in shock. Carter was an assassin and she had no idea if he was Brotherhood.

She'd not thought of it before and now the realization found her. She was no longer safe from the Brotherhood assassins. The Night Mother's blood oath to protect her did not extend to the body she was in now, her daughters. She was a target once more. A cold fear bit into her, making her shiver. If they were ever to find out what had happened...She choked the thought off and shook her head, pulling her sodden leather into her lap and sat back. If Carter was Brotherhood, she'd just have to deal with that disaster when they came to it.

"Are you ready?" Syn's voice jolted Red and she jumped, then looked up sheepishly. Syn knelt beside her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Are you well? You look..." She had been about to say as though she'd seen a ghost but Red rose to her feet and shrugged into the wet leather.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." Red forced a grin. "Caught me out." Red pushed her fears down and strode back to Jack and Carter, studiously not meeting the latters eyes.

"Syn, ma'am?" One of the captains walked up as well and Syn smiled.

"I was looking for you."

"Ah well, we've reached an agreement. I think." He laughed and scratched his head. "The Merfolk have agreed to leave our ships be if we stop at this here...temple...thing and leave offerings when we pass."

"That's wonderful!" Syn clapped him on the shoulder. "Your seas are going to become safer than you're used to." She felt a bit the proud mother, as she always did when peace was found instead of war.

"Couldn't have done it without you, ma'am." He ducked his head and stuck out his hand. "We'll be off back to our ships to pass the word."

"I was happy to help. Blessings of Magnus on you and yours captain." Synette said solemnly and watched him walk back to the camp where tents were starting to come down. "Now then, an auspicious beginning for us I'd say.â€

“Hmmph.†Carter grunted and went over to their horses. Syn angled to the make shift paddock and clicked her tongue. A dirty white gelding came trotting out of the mass of horses to her and waited for her to open the gate. “Come on Shane. We’ve some Billies to track down.†Syn adjusted the straps for her saddle and batted at Shane’s head when he turned to nibble on her skirts. “Knock it off. That’s not food.†He snorted at her legs and turned to nibbling the wood of the fence instead. “Honestly, you’ll get splinters. Come on.†She pulled herself up into the saddle and rode over where Red, Jack and Carter waited for her.

“Where are we headed?†Jack asked.

“The inland pools are just a bit North of here.†Syn said and turned Shane in that direction. “Wont take more than an hour to reach.â€

“Wax.†Jack shook his head as Galleon followed. “We’re going to drown.â€

“Or be eaten.†Red supplied with a smirk. “The Kraken can’t be the only big nasty down there.â€

“Not me.†Jack tossed back. “I taste bad.†Red laughed.

Carter rode up between them, smoothing a smirk from his face. “How much of this wax are we going to need?â€

“Oh two of them should be enough.†Syn called back from ahead. “I can brew more than enough from that.â€

“Been a while since I went Dreugh hunting.†Red said and straightened her baldric over her now damp shoulders. She took her Welkynd bow as they went and began stringing it in preparation.

“Most archers typically bounce arrows off their carapaces.†Carter observed and Red sent a glare at him.

“I’m not typical.†Red growled and then shrugged off her frustration. “My arrows will find their marks.†She said in a more friendly tone.

Carter frowned, thinking she was anything but typical and wondered why she suddenly seemed to be angry with him again. He had not missed the stiff set of her shoulders as she’d strode past him in the camp. He’d not done anything in days to upset her he thought.

The ride to the inland pools was quiet, the countryside hot in the midday and Red felt her damp leathers stiffening as they dried across her shoulders. She rolled her shoulders several times to loosen them so they wouldn’t foul her aim. Syn raised a hand ahead of them and they watched as her horse, Shane, began to back towards them. “Oh you little idiot.†They heard her growl and rode up beside her as she swatted the horses neck.

“Problem?†Jack grinned at the Monk’s discomfort. He rather liked seeing that calm disturbed and Syn tossed her hands in the air.

“We’re walking from here. Stupid horse.†Synette slid from the saddle and took his muzzle in her hands. “It’s water. not acid. Honestly!â€

Red smirked, then laughed and landed beside Syn. “Your horse is afraid of water? Really?†She asked, having worked it out and Syn groaned.

“One time as a foal he got dunked in a river.†Synette shook her head. “One time and he’s never forgotten it. Wont go near the stuff now. I have to all but carry him over rivers.â€

“We have work to do.†Carter interrupted and nodded to Syn to take the sting from the words when she frowned at him. “No offense.â€

“Hmm.†Synette studied him. “Impatience is not a good trait you know.†She replied and turned away, pulling her staff from it’s loops on Shane’s saddle and striding off through the tall grass toward a wide copse of trees. “Come along, the pools are just there.â€

Carter watched Red and Jack follow her for a moment and wondered if he’d meet a woman he didn’t irritate.

Red swung wide as they reached the trees and readied her bow. She pointed into the trees and held up a finger for them to see. She’d spotted a Land Dreugh and slipped into the trees, vanishing from sight with an arrow knocked.

[WhoGuru]

Red followed the sound she had heard, bow raised and circled the trunk of a thick tree. A large bull Dreugh was meters from her, rustling at the edge of a large pool of water, its back to her and she smiled. She sighted along the shaft of the arrow to the point at the base of its skull, where the armor broke and let her arrow fly.

The Billie reared back with a roar and Red cursed. The arrow had missed the vital spot, now jutting from the things neck. It was dying no doubt but now it was also mad. Synette ran into view, straight up to the dying, enraged creature and swung her black stuff in a powerful arc. The crack as it connected with the Dreughs head echoed over the water. The beast toppled sideways, half in and half out of the pool as Jack and Carter reached Syn.

Red strode out to them and stared down at her arrow. "I know I found the right place." She muttered and bent to have a look, batting aside a twitching claw. She frowned, finding her arrow exactly where it should have been to kill the thing.

"You're right." Carter said peering over her shoulder. "Death should have been instant." His curiosity piqued, he drew a knife and knelt next to Red, not noticing when she twitched away from him as he bent forward. He pried at the skull and neck joint until they popped and removed the head, peering inside the gruesome thing and began to chuckle. "Tiny brain." He said and rested the head against the body. "There was nothing there for your arrow to hit."

Red began to laugh and rocked back to her feet. "Now that's just not fair." Water geysered beside them suddenly, drenching the four and a second Billie reared up and stomped onto the shore. Syn's staff blocked a down-sweeping claw, knocking it aside from Red and Carter as they scurried back. Jack's pistols fired together, leaving two oozing holes in the creature's head as Red drew her sword and sliced one of its legs out from under it.

It teetered for a moment and righted itself, blocking another swipe of Syn's staff and knocking her backward. "I think we killed its friend!" She called out and danced closer for another crack of wood on shell. Carter worked his way round behind it as it lurched forward after Red and jumped onto its back. Raising an arm back, the wicked length of knife jumped from his wrist and he drove it into the Dreugh's back up to his fist. It roared its rage, swinging it's massive claws wildly and knocked Red and Jack to the ground.

Red skidded to a stop, taking a moment to find her breath and leaped to her feet. "Duck!" She yelled at Carter and brought her blade around in an arc to the beasts neck as it stretched for Syn. The sword passed over Carter's head and sent the Dreugh's somersaulting into the water with a splash. Headless, its body twitched several times and fell beside it's comrade where Carter tumbled away to his feet.

-----------------------------

A short time later, they sat about a campfire in the late afternoon, Dreugh roasting on a spit while Carter tended it almost lovingly. They laughed, even Red, as Carter regaled them with a story of another Billie hunt years past, in his days in the legion. They had hunted what must have been the largest Land Dreugh in all of Tamriel. He and his comrades had finally bested the beast after a fierce fight and unorthodox use of his pants and feasted for three days off the husk.

Jack roared, slapping the assassin on the back as he passed him a water skin. "And what of you Syn?" Jack asked, setting beside her where she worked. She had a pile of Dreugh wax on leaves and several of the smallest alchemical tools he'd ever seen. "You must have stories about your days in the Abbey I'm sure."

"Aye I do." Syn smirked up at him and raised her brows. "And you'll not be hearing them. I'd forgo my code of honor were I to tell you." She poked a wax covered finger at his chest. "And there are some juicy tales to be sure, pirate."

"Oh you tease." Jack groaned dramatically, hand on his heart. "I'll get them out of you."

Syn laughed and bent to her work, carefully measuring the ingredients she needed. She had already created two vials of the needed potion. She rolled open her Alchemy kit and pulled out a third vial, carefully pouring in the contents of her mortar and fixed the cap before setting it aside and dropping ingredients in once again. Mixing ingredients was a peaceful occupation for her, a reminder of her youth in the Abbey. She had always had an affinity for herbs and ingredients of all sorts, an innate understanding of how they worked together.

She finished the last water breathing potion as a hank of perfectly roasted Billie meat appeared in front of her and looked up to see Carter's rare smile. "Time for food." She nodded and he went to Red, passing another haunch of meat to her as well and frowning at the wary look he caught in her eye for just a moment.

--------------

Jack, Syn, Carter and Red stood on the shore across from the Mer temple once more. Their bellies full of roasted Dreugh, each held a vial and stared out over the ocean at the sun low on the horizon.

"Should we wait for daylight?" Red asked, unnerved as Jack was. She had nearly drowned in a river once and while she wasn't afraid of a swim, this was no simple swim.

"No reason too." Synette said and smiled to reassure her. "Day or night the sunlight wont reach the city down there."

"Comforting." Jack grumbled. "Not sure I wanted my last meal to be Dreugh now I think of it."

Syn laughed. "Time to go. Bottoms up you lot." She drank the contents of her own vial and watched the others do the same, grimacing at the taste. "Well I did warn you it would taste bad." She grinned and took a running jump, arcing out over the water. Like the others she had left most of her gear behind with the horses. Only her Staff came with her, strapped to her back. Red had looked positively disgusted to be stripped down to only her shirt and leggings but armor was not well suited to deep sea swimming.

Red walked into the water rather than try to imitate Syn's graceful dive. Carter and Jack beside her, she submerged beneath the surface and followed the Monk's powerful strokes ahead of her. Red held her breath, despite the potion. Breathing underwater was just wrong. After several minutes she was forced to take a breath and choked a bit at the feeling of water pouring down her throat where air belonged. A hand slapped her hip and she looked over to see Jack grin at her, giving her a thumbs up and she would have laughed if she could have. He somehow managed to ogle and swim at the same time.

Carter pulled past them, a strong swimmer, and waved at them to catch up as he went past. Syn had stopped just outside a large structure, the top of which was no doubt what they had seen above water. Pearlesant columns stretched down into the darkness and Merfolk swam lazily about it, tails swishing effortlessly through the sea. Their voices raised as they neared and four drew themselves from the others, swimming out to meet them. Another voice rose and Red was surprised to realize it was Syn.

Human speech was difficult underwater as Syn had learned but the Merfolk speech came easily. She spun herself to face the others, finding them just behind her and forced the human words out, making her throat hurt to be heard. "They're going to take us down. Just hold on." She saw confusion on their faces and smiled at their confusion. She had enjoyed the trip the first time.

The four Merfolk who had come to meet them each chose one of the party. Red watched a Merman glide to her. He swam behind her and took her biceps in powerful hands, pulling her to his chest. A moment later he gave a powerful sweep of his tail and they were moving incredibly fast through the water. She looked to either side and saw Jack, Carter and Syn being carried along as well. Syn looked blissful, eyes closed as they cut through the water. As they went deeper, Red decided to take her example, closing her eyes and concentrating on the feel of the Merman's chest against her rather than the rising pressure and dimming light as the Merfolk pulled them down to the depths.

[the-manta]

Will and Elliot carefully studied the door. It was a great deal grander than the one earlier, and they suspected it could be trapped.

"It doesn't have any carvings like the one outside," Elliot mused, "but I suppose we can't always rely on deadly traps being labelled." He paused for a second "or supposedly deadly traps..." he finished, in a ponderous voice.

William nodded silently, seemingly deep in thought.

"I'll open it," he eventually declared, "I came out fine last time..."

The younger man bit his lip as Will slowly placed a hand on the door and pushed. For a second nothing happened, then a brilliant flash of blue illuminated the room. Just like at the cave entrance, William was hurled backwards, sliding roughly to a halt several feet away. As before, Elliot rushed over, but as before the assassin proved unscathed. He sat up, shaking his head.

"How odd," Elliot said simply.

The thoughts were racing through William's head. Twice today he had been struck by what should have been a fatal blast of lightning, and both times he had emerged free of injury of any sort. As he pondered the lightning, his thoughts kept gradually returning to the storm...

"Let's go," he announced, springing up from the floor.

The young treasure hunter just stood still for a moment, utterly baffled by this assassin's indestructability. The chameleon spell he could understand, he had learned a lot about illusion in his childhood. But this was totally different. He knew that mages who practiced alteration magic could make themselves temporarily resistant to the elements, but William had cast no such spell, and seemed not only resistant, but totally immune to the vast amounts of elemental damage he was sustaining.

He was quickly snapped out of his reverie by a murmur of what sounded distinctly like "treasure room" from William's direction. Like a child after candy he spun on his heels, face the picture of glee and hurried after the master assassin.

Edited September 29, 2010 by the-manta

[WhoGuru]

Syn opened her eyes as she and her guide slowed and savored the view of the Mer city spreading out below her. Though the water around them was dark blue nearing black from lack of sunlight, a warm blue green glow waited below. The Mer City was not so much constructed as grown, or so it looked, fitting in perfectly with the surrounding sea bed. Merfolk believed in living in harmony with their world. Spires jutted here and there and there weren't streets so much as wide rooftops with openings.

Syn looked about and saw Jack and Carter eagerly taking in the sight, Jack seeming to have forgotten his earlier wariness of the trip. Red on the other hand was pale as they neared the buildings and came into the light, her eyes closed tight. Syn smiled, they'd be down soon and she'd feel better she was sure.

Red couldn't open her eyes. Despite the potion, she could feel the pressure and the rush of the water past her and was running a silent litany of things she would never do again. Top of the list now was underwater adventures. After a while, she noticed the black before her closed lids had changed to light and she felt herself and her guide slowing and, not without argument, opened her eyes and gasped in spite of the water.

They were swimming close above rooftops with Mer people popping in and out, looking at the visitors, singing to themselves and ahead was a large structure, like a cathedral. It rose in a tapered dome and rather than doors, archways wrapped about it's base, making it look more like an upside down blooming flower than a building. They rushed toward one of the arches with powerful strokes of the Merman's tail and she closed her eyes again.

Jack and Carter both shared thoughts of the nefarious uses Syn's potion could be put too. Jack glanced at the Redguard and saw a similar calculating smile to his own and snorted bubbles as they swam through a great arch. Inside, artwork crawled up the interior of the dome. Paintings and mosaics of sea life and creatures Jack had never dreamed of and hoped never to see. Yet as he looked, he spotted on the far wall the unmistakable form of the Kraken, merpeople held in it's tentacles while others fought against it.

The Merfolk slowed at the center of the dome and released their charges to float above the floor. Syn waved happily and spoke a thanks to them in their tongue as they swam away and then managed, somehow, to pull off a bow as another Merman appeared and swam to them, an intricately carved trident held easily in one hand. He came to a stop feet from them and surveyed them. He was old, his lined face surrounded by a halo of the typical white hair but unlike the other Mermen they'd seen, he had a long beard flowing from his chin, white as his hair and this he stroked before raising white brows at Synette.

Syn spoke the formal words of greeting to him and an apology for disturbing his rest. She then gestured to her companions and told the Shaman of their adventure and their meeting with the Kraken. She then gave him the honors of his position as Shaman as she'd been taught before asking a favor and then asked him what they could do to deal with the beast.

The Shaman simply watched her for a long period. Syn floated calmly waiting, she'd been through this once before with him and knew he was thinking and no amount of pushing would make him think faster. A tug on her sleeve turned her about to find Jack beside her, brows raised and an expression of irritation on his face. She smiled at him and held up a hand, mouthing the word 'wait'.

Red took her eyes from the murals on the walls finally and found herself the subject of intense scrutiny by the Shaman. With a swish of his tail he was in front of her, passing a hand in front of her body through the water and then turned to Syn speaking in his musical speech. Syn's eyes widened and she frowned in confusion and turned to stare at Red and then back to the Shaman, shrugging. Red wasn't sure she liked the exchange and managed to choke out the word "What?" through the water.

Syn shook her head and smiled at Red to reassure her. The Shaman had asked why this woman had a soul that did not belong in her body and Syn was stunned. She'd had reason to learn in the past the Merfolk had a firm connection with Aetherius and often saw things others missed. She pushed the question away for another day with a last look at Red and met the eyes of the Shaman.

He tapped the stone floor of the dome with his Trident and spoke. Syn frowned as she listened and when he nodded to her, she asked why and found she disliked the answer to that as well. She turned back to her three charges and spoke for them. "He says..." She worked to clear water from her throat and tried again. "He says he can not tell us, that he can only give that knowledge to proven warriors and we are not. We must prove ourselves. Bring him the tooth of one of the great sharks that hunts near by."

Surprise shone on all their faces, anger on Jacks. "Ask him again." Jack managed and rubbed his throat. Syn shook her head.

"I already have. He wont budge."

"I could persuade him." Carter said and his voice was clearer than she thought it would be. She saw things in his eyes she knew she wouldn't like and frowned hard at him.

"No." Syn said firmly, forcing power into her voice. "We do this his way or we go home."

Carter eyed her as though she were an interesting bug for a moment, then looked at the Shaman. He weighed his chances of escaping the Mer city before they could stop him and decided the reward didn't merit the risk. "Very well."

Red felt a tension ease from her with his words. She knew she could not have allowed him to torture the Shaman and didn't want to have to try and kill him. She looked away from the cold, intense look in his eyes as Syn spoke to the Shaman once more. Finally he turned and left them with a swish of his tail and Syn huffed out a stream of bubbles.

"Well, looks like we're going fishing." Syn managed. "There are warriors outside who will show us and give us weapons."

"Let's go." Jack growled and began an ungainly swim toward one of the arches, the others at his back.

[WillieSea]

William saw the thoughts churning in Elliot’s mind about what had just happened with the door. It was a dangerous topic for the moment Will thought, at least until he understood it himself. He would have to divert Elliot’s thoughts away from what had just happened.

Will thought for but a moment and said, “Treasure room dead ahead”.

William smirked as he rode Night through the now open portal as Elliot jumped on his own horse and rode after him.

* * *

They rode through lightly falling snow down through a forested trail that lead to the valley floor. Steep snow capped mountains surrounded them forming a bowl which they were descending towards the bottom center.

William was checking the foliage they passed for signs of large creatures when he heard Elliot gasp behind him. Quickly looking around, he saw no danger, but noticed that Elliot was pointing ahead of them and up. Will followed the perceived direction and let out a quiet whistle.

Before them was an orange rusted spire that climbed into the sky above the trees they were under. It was a Dwemer ruin!

They cautiously moved forward as Elliot traced what he saw of the structure in his notebook. Suddenly the trees parted and before them was a rusted bridge with large pipe supports that spanned a crevasse. The bridge ended in a short domed entryway where a circular door loomed at them. Behind that was the tower they had seen earlier, its thin base rocketing upward where it enlarged into a ‘pie’ like shape with a sharp iron spear scrapping the sky above it all.

No other buildings were in evidence. Elliot piped in, “It must be a lone garrison of some sort, perhaps a scouting outpost.” Elliot was eager to explore this place as it had obviously not been visited for centuries in this hidden valley.

They made their way across the deserted landscape, the snow untouched by any other creatures. As they crossed the bridge, the hooves from their horses echoed across the valley. The round door had a large bar across it horizontally with a large keyhole in the center. Giant hinges held either half of the door at the sides.

The two dismounted and checked the door, locked. The Dwemer where know for their ingenious locks and this one looked to be pick-proof. As they were discussing how they would gain entrance, a loud click resounded from the doorway and they both looked at it, expecting a horde of Centurions to come flooding out.

After a moment, nothing else happened. William walked up to the door and pulled. A loud screeching of rusted hinges echoed through the vale as the door swung slowly open. William looked at Elliot and shrugged, taking Nights reins he walked into the ruin. Elliot grabbed for Pebbles reigns and followed William into the darkness.

The darkness was replaced by a flickering yellowish light coming from the neon lights that usually lit the Dwemer ruins. The two left the horses in the small antechamber just inside the exterior door. A stairway continued forward and down where it opened into a larger room.

Snaking pipes rumbled from some internal pressure as small jets of steam came from a few cracks. A gray metal table and stools were in one corner along with some metal shelves. Ornate metal bowls, cups, mugs and pitchers filled the shelves. Elliot’s eyes widened as he calculated the great wealth that was in front of him. And this was just the entryway! He hurriedly rushed over to the shelves when he kicked over a metal bucked that was on the floor which echoed loudly in the metal ruins.

William felt the hair on the back of his neck raise up. He looked around cautiously for the source of his worry but saw nothing. He left Elliot to search his treasures and followed the room to the end as something seemed to pull him in that direction.

Just then, the back corner wall silently slid open revealing a secret area. Will looked back at Elliot who was scanning over the artifacts that lined the shelves. He called out, “Hey Elliot, I am going down this passage here.”

Elliot did not even turn from his wonder at the Dwemer objects. Oh, a Dwemer puzzle box! He waved at Will and continued his investigation.

* * *

The secret door unsurprisingly closed behind Will as he walked down the thin passage where it quickly opened into a small room. In the dark, Will quickly recognized a Dwarven spectre as it materialized in front of him. Will reached for his sword, but a hand motion from the spectre stopped him in curiosity.

It then spoke in a whisper, “You are an assassin as I was in life. I would request your assistance.”

Will raised an eyebrow wondering what a ghost would need from an assassin as it then continued, “I can pay for your services.”

Intrigued, Will nodded his approval. He hoped the payment was the bow he had come after, but not wishing to give his position away, he patiently waited.

The Dwarf chuckled and nodded knowingly. “You have probably come after a certain bow of unusual power. I can see that you are the chosen one for that particular weapon by your unusual aura.” Will continued to look blankly at the spectre.

“I would request that you kill a certain Frost Atronach that lives in this valley. As for why I want it dead, it has me trapped in this realm and I am unable to join my brethren in the next plane of existence. If you do this for me then you can have the bow and anything else you find in this small ruin.”

William though for a moment, not wanting to seem eager, and he nodded once, “Done.”

The spectre then nodded as well, “There is only one way to safely kill this giant Atronach. Since you have agreed to do this task, seeing your aura I know you will not renegade on the deal. I have a weapon that you will use to pierce the Frost Giants head and send it back to its elemental plane. Once that is done, I can finally leave this place.”

The Dwarf then motioned Will forward to a desk in the back of the small room. With the wave of its hand, the desk popped open revealing a long iron rod with strange appendages on it. It looked like a deformed version of one of Jacks pistols.

“This is a special weapon that was made especially for my chosen profession. With it you can send a bit of metal a great distance to kill your target or enemies.”

He then pointed to a number of other items used to ready the weapon for firing. He then instructed William in the use and care of the ancient weapon.

* * *

Elliot had been engrossed in his task of taking the best of the treasures. He had even found the schematics to some Dwemer object. There were cylinders, coherer’s, tubes and coins, all of which found a place in his saddle bags.

He suddenly realized that he had not seen William in a while. With a start he looked around the room for any sign of the missing assassin. He called out into the darkness around him, “Will?”

A sudden movement from the back of the chamber and Will came into the light, a smile on his face and an obviously Dwarven bow of some sort was slung behind his back. Elliot smiled, “It looks like we both found what we were looking for.”

Will clapped Elliot on the back, “That we did treasure hunter, perhaps even more.”

Will moved towards his horse as Elliot thought for a moment about the last remark and briefly wondered at it before continuing to loot the place.

* * *

The two decided to stay the day and night camped in the warm ruin. It gave Elliot and William time to find and pack more of the loose objects the place had to offer them.

During the night, Will slipped out of the Dwemer ruin and headed further into the valley. He pulled his cloak about himself instinctively in the bitter cold of the snowy night. In a short while he found the area where the Frost Atronach lurked, tending to some sort of Dwemer altar.

William pulled out the long rifled gun and prepared it for action. In but a moment he had it raised on a tree branch for stability and sighted in on the Atronach like the Dwarf had instructed him. Taking careful aim, he pulled the trigger. A small retort echoed around the valley as a puff of burned smoke disgorged from the weapon. Before the smoke obscured his vision, he saw the head of the Atronach explode, the now headless body then crashed to the ground sending shards of ice in all directions.

Will cleaned the weapon, placing it back in its oil-cloth and slipping it inside his bottomless satchel.

* * *

Morning found the Elliot and William guiding their horses back out of the valley the way they had come in. As they climbed the tree covered hills back towards the caves, a great screeching of metal grinding against metal reached them. Turning around, they watched as the Dwemer ruins collapsed sending a dust cloud high into the crisp morning air.

[DarkRider]

Killing the sharks as requested by the shaman elder proved to be no easy task. Despite their skills on land the four were less than suited for a watery combat. In the end, the bait and tackle technique seemed most prudent but Red had not stopped shooting daggers at Jack with her eyes for his suggesting a brightly colored red lure would work best. Slightly worn, but none the worse for wear they managed to slay the shark and retrieve the tooth, returning to the shaman with their prize in hand.

The old mer accepted the tooth in surprise and turned it over and over before a glowing lantern sort of light near his seat, inspecting it for the slightest imperfection. Jack’s impatience fairly radiated off of him, it was all he could do to not throttle the old man but a quelling look from Carter stilled him. The assassin was not about to go off on another mindless fetching quest to appease the elder’s honor if offended by the pirate’s annoyance.

Finally the elder set the tooth into a bowl of others on his table with a nod and his whiskered lips curled in an almost smiling way as he turned back toward them. While he spoke in his own tongue and motioned to the various murals Syn managed to translate as he outlined how they could kill the Kraken. There was only one way, a bite from a basilisk, a very large and very unfriendly serpentine creature, and more rare than a Kraken; the two were natural enemies. The basilisk’s venom was the only thing potent enough to kill a full grown Kraken quickly before it could unleash its own. The elder outlined how each member of a hunting party would take on one of a kraken’s tentacles as a sort of group distraction while the one mer being tested would attack the head with the basilisk’s fang tied to a spear.

More fetching. “Might be easier to build you another ship,” Carter said quietly at Jack’s shoulder.

“Safer anyway," Jack groaned, "If he doesn’t stop talking soon, would you do me a favor and just stab me in the back of the neck with that blade of yours?”

Carter stifled a snicker, “Yeah that would go over well.”

The elder finished by telling them where they might find a basilisk, the only one he knew of, and bid them to go with good fortune. It was rare to see land walkers in their city and rarer still to meet those who could hold their own against one of the more deadly sea creatures, but as they left he felt a sort of sadness as they were most likely headed to their doom.

==================================

Across Cyrodiil, in the wilds of Kvatch County, juice peddler Newt finally made his way to the Tavern he’d heard those travelers speaking of in Cheydinhal many moons ago. He dismounted and sallied up to the Tavern sign, but as he drew closer he realized the sign actually read “Kvatch ->”. He clicked his togue and prattled to himself about needing to get his eyes checked and maybe switching to selling carrots rather than oranges as he made his way inside. The Tavern hall opened before him and he found it was far more majestic, in a quiet way, than he had expected. Eagerly he rubbed his hands together thinking of the richly prospects he might find here for lining his pockets with gold. Suddenly a clattering from the bar area startled him and drew his attention to where a rather stout and fearfully familiar looking man stood. The barkeep was pointing a finger at him from the end of a muscular arm and his face was twisted in anger.

“YOU!” Arlow shouted, then began rolling up his sleeves, “not gonna get away this time!”

As Arlow started around the bar grabbing glassware, Newt yipped and dashed out the door, a glass smashing on the doorjamb near his head as he passed drew out another yelp. Arlow was in hot pursuit, tossing whatever he had handy, glasses, plates, cutlery, flinging them at the elf as he dragged his horse and cart down the road by the reins, with his cat mewling behind him, never to return.

Arlow snorted and dusted off his hands together as Wilson appeared behind him drawn to the clatter. He eyed Arlow as the other man rested his fists on his hips stubbornly then followed his gaze down the long road to where the elf was scurrying away with his orange trees bouncing along in the back scatter orange hither and there across the road.

“Was that what’s his name?” Wilson asked, and Arlow nodded, “Hmmph,” Wilson grunted, “Good riddance.”

The two barkeeps headed back inside to tend to their chores, which now included tidying up in the wake of hurricane Arlow.

[WhoGuru]

Red and Carter swam along the cavern floor, guided by the glowing light of the lichen on the walls toward the great serpent creature at its center. It did not stir as they approached, spears held ready. Red looked up and saw Syn and Carter in the opening at the top of the grotto waiting for their cue. The Merfolk had once again taken them, swimming swiftly through the darkened waters, and left the four floating above the Basilisks grotto. Syn said the Merfolk had wished them luck before vanishing into the deep once more, unwilling to risk a confrontation with the creature.

Red pointed at the top of the piled coils and Carter nodded. The creature's snout could just be seen resting, snorting a slow stream of small bubbles. Sleeping, Carter thought and smiled. With luck they would have it dead before it knew what had happened. They neared the sleeping beast, ready to strike when suddenly the coils erupted from the grotto floor. Red and Carter jerked to a stop in surprise as the coiled length of the beast fell toward them and had no chance to escape as they were slammed to the ground and held pinned beneath it. The Basilisk's massive head rose up with a roar as Syn and Jack threw themselves through the opening.

Carter lashed out with his wrist blade as the great head slewed down to them. The Basilisk snorted bubbles at him and shifted his coil to slide the Redguard further away and then went again to Red. It dropped it's head to her, closer and closer until she could see herself mirrored in its enormous, clouded eye.

"I like your hair, Landwalker." It's voice hissed out, loud and slow, surprising Syn and Jack to a stop as they rushed to free their friends. The Basilisk snorted again, more gently and blew bubbles at her, swaying Red's hair in the water in wild waves and the creature chuckled. "Bright is good." It turned its head to see the others and Red gasped. The eye on the other side was milky white. The Basilisk was nearly blind. It snorted her hair into a watery dance again before turning to her friends once more.

"Will you....listen...landwalkers?" It asked in its slow fashion.

Jack nudged Synette. "It speaks our language?"

"I am blind...landwalker." The Basilisk's voice answered. "Not...hmmm...deaf." It chuckled again. "Old I am...heard the landwalkers language many times." The Basilisk shifted its coils and to their surprise, allowed Carter and Red to float free.

"The Merfolk said you were vicious." Syn managed finally, lowering her spear only to raise it again when the Basilisk roared.

It lowered its head, watching Red's crimson tresses float again with it's remaining eye for a moment and then spoke. "Mer-monsterssss." It hissed. "Kill my children."

"Your children kill them." Syn said boldly and the Basilisk snorted bubbles again.

"All creatures...must eat, Landwalker." The Basilisk weaved its head as Carter swam back from it toward the others, following the sound of his movements. "What...do you want?"

"There's a Kraken." Red said and didn't flinch when the great head swung to her again, snorting her hair into waves once more. She smirked, amused, and shook her head for him, receiving another Basilisk chuckle. Her hair was bright enough for it to see in it's near blindness.

"Red lure." Jack said on a laugh.

"A Kraken?" The Basilisk looked blindly about the cavern. "You want...my tooth but you...you can not kill it." He poked at Red with his snout, tumbling her backward. "Too...clumsy...landwalkers. Only meat for Kraken." The Basilisk tightened it's coils and pulled itself up until his head was brushing the top of the Grotto. "I kill Kraken."

"A blind Basilisk?" Carter said in disbelief and found himself surrounded in a cloud of bubbles again.

"You take me...to this Kraken." The Basilisk growled and then roared, sifting silt from the roof above. "I will do battle."

"You could die." Red said, feeling an odd affection for the beast.

"Perhapssss." It hissed and settled again. "A good way for an old...Basilisk to meet the maker."

There was no need for complicated plans. They simply agreed to lead the Basilisk to the Kraken. It would take them with it and leave them in the safety of the harbor. The Basilisk stretched it's neck out and allowed each of them to wrap themselves about him, holding on to the ridges that ran the length of its body.

The ride back to Pearl Cove was incredibly fast and, to Red's stomach, dangerous. She hugged the creatures neck, face buried against it as the water rushed past, once more tripping her memory of near drowning. A comforting hand on her arm helped settle her enough to look up and blink in surprise when she saw it was Carter's hand. She resisted the knee jerk urge to pull away from him and looked away instead.

They neared the surface, light filling their world once more. Synette committed every moment of their journey to memory, sure she would never experience riding a Basilisk through the depths of the ocean again, and said a silent prayer to Magnus in thanks.

Soon they were in shallower water and looking ahead, Carter saw what must be the base of the entrance into the cove and beside it the massive form of the Kraken. It was monstrous. They would have had little hope of killing the thing, Basilisk tooth or no. He appreciated the chain of events that saved him from having to risk himself.

The Basilisk shot full speed at the entrance to the cove, zooming past the startled Kraken. It swam past the sunken remains of two ships and around the bow of the Longwinter. In the harbor, the Basilisk whipped about in a circle, dislodging the four riders to tumble away before turning back to the cove entrance with an answering roar to the Kraken's.

Red swam for the surface, seeing the dancing sun on the waves above her head. As her hand broke into air, something else grabbed her foot and tugged her back under. She looked down in surprise to find a Kraken spawn below her. She pulled a knife from her belt and twisted down to cut the thing free of her. As it screamed and sank away, she saw the others likewise involved and swam to Jack who was nearest.

Jack hacked at the Kraken spawn in front of him and grunted in surprise when a second rammed into his back. He spun to meet the new threat and instead found Red kicking the dead beast down to the bottom before shooting to the surface herself.

Syn jabbed her staff at one of the beasts, cracking it in the head to float away and turned to find another. How she wished she could swing her staff below water as she did above. Carter swam in beside her and took her arm, shoving her toward the surface. "Get to the docks!" He yelled, as much as the water would allow him. Fighting the Kraken spawn in their element was senseless when their own was so close by. He searched and saw Jack following Red to the surface and nodded happily. At least she had some sense.

Carter and Red pulled themselves up on to the docks, reaching back to help Carter and Syn up behind them. Quickly all four waited for the Kraken spawn to come after them. They boiled in the water below their feet, tentacles beginning to reach up to the edge when a thunderous roar sounded from the head of the cove. The Kraken spawn vanished into the water and could be seen swimming out and away.

The crew of the Longwinter pelted on to the docks and thumped their Captain and the others on the back in greeting. "Get to the ship!" Jack bellowed. "Now's our chance lads!" The men roared a cheer and ran off to get the Longwinter ready to move. "Now, you ladies." Jack turned to them. "I'd like my gear back, and my pack mule of a horse."

Red growled. "You're sending us women on pack duty?"

"Now Red my girl." Jack soothed. "I need to captain my ship. You know the way back."

"I'll be going with Jack." Carter said quietly, watching Red and saw her shoulders twitch slightly.

"Fine then. The men who took the Longwinter left horses back in the valley. They wont mind if we borrow a couple." Red said tightly and turned away.

"Ah Red." Jack called after her and got a flippant wave in answer. "Let's go then." Jack punched Carter's arm. "Look after her Lady Monk if you would. There's a small anchorage between here and there, we'll meet you."

"Hmph." Synette shrugged. "She's not happy with you pirate."

Jack laughed and turned, striding along the docks. "When is she?" He called back. Carter trailed after him and Syn headed after the angry thief. Aboard the Longwinter, Jack's crew was already raising sail, catching the mid-morning wind as it blew out from inland. Jack and Carter tossed off the landlines and jumped aboard as she began to move.

In the mouth of the cove, the waters boiled and frothed with the battle taking place beneath them. With Jack at the helm the Longwinter turned easily and sailed out, knocking Kraken spawn aside as she cut through the water. The ship tossed as though in a storm as she sped out of Pearl Cove and into open water. Jack looked back. For a moment he saw the Basilisk's head quickly duck below water, then a piece of one of the Kraken's tentacles erupted from the water to shatter like stone on the cliff wall. The beast gave a mighty roar and the battle vanished beneath the waters surface once more. Jack saluted the Basilisk as he, his ship and crew sped to safety.

---------------------------

Synette and Red waited in the small inlet Jack had told Synette of. Red was happy to be back in her clothes and armor, moving her sword to the side as she dropped onto the ground beside the Monk. A thin strip of sand lay between grass and ocean and a rickety pier jutted out into the water across from them. The horses nickered happily behind them but for Shane who stood stubbornly with his back to the ocean, ignoring it.

Syn glanced sidelong at Red and back out to see. "The Merfolk Shaman said something about you that...I'm curious. If you don't mind."

"That depends what the question is." Red answered carefully, remembering how the Shaman had studied her and the look on Syn's face after he'd spoken to her.

"He said...well he said you have a soul what doesn't belong to your body." Syn said in a rush and huffed out a breath. "Sounds rather silly, don't it?" To her surprise, rather than laugh Red banged her head softly on her knees a couple times.

"It's a long story." Red said finally. She looked over into the Monk's brown eyes and decided she would trust her. She settled back and told Syn her story, or parts of it, finally chuckling as Syn's eyes grew wider and wider.

"Magnus preserve us." Syn breathed and watched as the Longwinter appeared out at sea and began the turn to meet them. "Since I'm asking uncomfortable questions today, I'll try another." Syn smiled at Red and gestured out to the ship. "What is it between you and Carter? You jump when he looks at you and scowl when he speaks to you."

"Oh hell." Red sighed and picked up a fistful of sand, tossing it out onto the small beach. She thought for a moment and finally sighed. "I wish I knew."

"Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't have asked." Syn said and laughed softly. "Bad habit of mine, prying."

"No it's alright." Red shook her head and smiled in spite of herself. "When I figure it out I'll let you know."

They watched the Longwinter plow closer through the calm seas and finally come to a rest against the old pier. Getting the horses on the ship was easy but for Syn's mount, Shane, who had to be blindfolded and then bribed with sugar cubes. Once aboard the ship and in the hold, he wedged himself between Savior and Galleon and settled to shivering. "Village idiot." Syn muttered as she stomped up to the deck. "My horse is the village idiot." She laughed at the quizzical look on Carter's face and went to the wheelhouse to watch Jack set them to sea once more, and for home.

[the-manta]

The journey back out of the mountains was considerably easier than the ride there; although the horses were laden with Dwemer goods, their riders new exactly where they were going. They reached the shrine of Hermaeus Mora within an hour, where Elliot stopped to sell a Dwemer calendar to the cultists, and within a few more were in the Colovian Highlands. Both of the adventurers were in high spirits; William had found the bow, and his new Dwemer rifle, and Elliot had a satchel bulging with trinkets, including an attractive dagger and small intricate lockbox he intended to keep. Once or twice along the journey an odd bandit or wolf would waylay the travellers, and at one point, as William and Elliot enjoyed lunch in the saddle, a highwayman attempted to rob them. In a way, he got what he wanted; Elliot gave him a heavy dwarven cog, the only problem was that he received it hard in the temple, and payed for it with a few chunks of brain.

"Perhaps not tell the buyer about that then," Elliot joked as he cleaned it off.

They stopped once more in Chorrol to sell off some loot, leaving their horses considerably less burdened, and their progress faster still, making up for the detour. From there they rode mostly uninterrupted into County Sutch. Elliot heard the faintest of relieved sighs from William as the shape of the Tavern appeared on the horizon. The sky was a soft, cloud-littered pink halfway between the blue of an afternoon lakeview and the golden orange of an evening fire as the horses made their way slowly along the last stretch of road towards the Tavern, the clip-clop of their hooves echoing down the cobbles as if they too were hurrying to the Tavern.

William and Elliot handed their horses to a stable hand, and the two animals gratefully settled into the Tavern's equine accomodation. With a sigh of exhaustion, Elliot pushed open the Tavern's door.

"Welcome back," came Arlow's greeting from behind the bar, "I take it your journey was successful?"

"Certainly, so much so, I'd like a glass of your finest... um... brandy! Yes, and one for yourself!" The young Breton replied, placing a handful of coins on the bar.

The old barkeep thanked him and poured out two glasses.

"And for you, sir William?" he asked the assassin.

William took a seat at the end of the bar, with his back resting against the wall and ordered his own drink, as Wilson came to take their bags and weapons to their rooms.

"Another successful adventure," William sighed, taking a sip of his drink.

Edited October 10, 2010 by the-manta

[WillieSea]

As William sat sipping his hot apple cider he thought about what the Assassin Dwarven spectre had told him. A had learned a few new stealth secrets as well as how to use and care for the rifle. The bow on the other hand was another problem. He had been given the bow, but when asked about it, the Dwarf only winked and smiled. The Dwarfs smile had somehow been unsettling to William.

Making his mind up, he gulped the last of the now lukewarm cider and headed out the back door. The target range was set up out behind the hot springs, towards the back of the field where stray arrows would be harmless.

Upon reaching the range, he pulled the bow off his back and examined it. It was made from some strange metal as black as the darkest night. When he held it in his hands, small tracers of blue fire etched designs of some unknown origin up and down the bow. Intrigued, he set the bow down and the tracers faded from view.

He then grabbed an arrow from the target practice bucket and nocked an arrow. As he pulled back the string, he was suddenly startled by the blue tracers as they sighted an arc of light in the air where the arrow would travel and land. Quickly moving the bow around, the light trail quickly moved with it, showing the expected path.

Will sighted on the furthest target bale so the light arc pinpointed the center. He released the arrow which seemed to take on a blue sparkling trail that quickly faded as it moved through the air. The arrow then drove deeply into the center of the inner circle and a fraction of a moment later it erupted into blue sparking energy leaving a small burned hole.

Surprised, he pulled another of the practice arrows from the range quiver. Turning it over in his hands, it was simply a basic and well used range arrow, no enchantment on it. He then quickly nocked, sighted and fired the arrow with the same effect as before.

Deciding he should not burn up all the Taverns practice arrows or burn down the targets, he slung the bow to his back and headed back into the Tavern. The usual crowd was in attendance as he ordered a fine roast beef dinner from Wilson. He took his seat in the darkened back corner where he could keep an eye on the whole Tavern.

He sipped a fine golden brandy as he waited for his food to arrive. Reverting back to his Noble disguise as Sir William, he greeted some of the regulars as they went by on their way to the bar.

[DarkRider]

At long last the Longwinter reached a safe berth at Anvil harbor under the vigilant watch of her captain. Once tethered to the dock, Red started unloading the horses from below deck and Jack rallied his crew to go ashore for a good meal and a bit of rest before they worried about resupplying the ship and signing on new men to replace those who’d been slain. The four unlikely companions then led their horses across the docks and away from the city. For Red it was time to go home, the Tavern awaited them with honeyed mead and a warm hearth and after this adventure, she was more than ready for a little leisure time herself. Jack walked Galleon beside her and nudged her slightly as she stepped causing her to briefly lose her balance. He grinned at her scowl and she surrendered a laugh.

“Come on,” Jack said suavely, “you can’t stay annoyed with me forever my darling. Better just forgive me and get it over with.”

Red laughed, “I have a long memory for grudges pirate, but don’t worry, we’re still friends.”

“I know this trip was more than you bargained on, it was for me as well, but for what it’s worth, I’m glad you came along, I couldn’t have done it without you,” he stopped at the end of the city and turned to face Carter and Syn, “without any of you. You had no reason to help us, but you did despite that, and you have my thanks.”

Syn smiled, “You’re welcome for my part, I’m glad you have your livelihood back, though perhaps the sacrifices of so many will give you cause to rethink your trade?”

Jack laughed heartily, “T’would be like telling a fish not to be one m’lady, ‘pirate’ is in my blood.”

“And proud of it,” Red added, “Where will you go now Syn?”

The young woman seemed to think it over a moment, “Magnus put you all along my path for a reason and I think I’ll walk with you awhile longer to find out why. Besides, I think I’d like to see this home of yours,” she replied.

“You are most welcome to come with us,” Red grinned, but the smile faded from her face as her eyes fell on Carter, “You’re debt is paid now assassin, so is this where you take your leave of us?”

“And miss out on a mug of the house brew at this Tavern of yours?” Carter asked, cocking his eyebrow, “I think I’ll stay on awhile longer…see what Magnus has planned for me as well.”

“There it’s settled then,” Jack interrupted cheerily, oblivious to the drama unfolding between Red and Carter. He wrapped an arm across Syn’s shoulder and led her away toward the road, “I hope you have your prayer beads handy lady monk, I’d wager you haven’t seen a den of iniquity quite like this one before.”

Carter took a step closer to Red, their eyes still locked on one another, “Tell me you want me to go,” he said quietly, “and I’ll go.”

The words sprang to her lips in an instant but she bit them back. His manner had changed; there was something different in his carriage, as if he was opening to her in a genuine sort of way free of the posturing and railing that had defined their relationship thus far. He was giving her this one opportunity to sever the tie, to simply send him away, admit she wanted him to, and he would go true to his word. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to say the words, not from fear but from some part of her being that was suddenly screaming up to her from the void of her shattered memories not to.

“Stay,” she said quietly, swinging up into Savior’s saddle and riding away from him at a trot.

“Come on Carter, you’ll never find it on your own if you get left behind,” Jack called out to him from the road, moving Carter to mount up on Flint and follow after the lady thief.

===================================

It wasn’t a long ride to the Tavern from Anvil bay, but by the time they arrived and stabled their steeds, dusk had all but fallen. The grand hall of the Tavern was bustling with the merriment and good cheer of folks in off the road for the night. Red led the way inside where the group was received with cheers and well wishes for their safe return. They lined up at the bar and Arlow hurried to fill glasses with what he anticipated each patron to thirst for most. Carter took a swig of the house brew and followed it quickly by another before turning on his seat to lean back against the bar on his elbows.

“This is some place alright,” he said approvingly, “Haven’t known a Tavern like this anywhere. I can see the appeal, unmarked, off the road, and somehow I don’t think the Legion passes through this way often.”

“Aye, we like it that way,” Arlow confirmed with a snort as he ladled stew into bowls for them.

“Red, Jack,” a voice greeted them and they turned to see William coming down the stairs and offering them a wave, “Back safe and sound I see.”

“And you as well,” Red said raising her glass to drink to his health.

William slowed as he drew closer and took stock of Red’s new companions who he had not met. New friends were common in the Tavern and Red was fairly known for bringing home strays, but you never could tell at a glance who would be friend and who would be foe. Red noticed his scrutiny.

“Will, this is Syn Androgase,” she introduced the lady monk who offered Will a short bow of her head, “and Carter Cadlew,” the Redguard looked at Will, raised his head slightly in acknowledgment, and then returned to his ale unmoved to interrupt his drinking with pleasantries, “They helped us take back the Longwinter.”

“Aye, and they did a damn good job of it too,” Jack added already feeling his brew as he swam through a second glass and eyed a flirty wench nearby.

“This is Sir William, our resident nobleman,” Red introduced him with a wink though all knew this was nothing more than a social façade for the commoners around them.

“A pleasure,” William offered a polite nod. The monk called Syn seemed friendly enough and not as interested in her brew as she was in the Tavern life itself. The other though, this man called Cadlew, was a different story altogether. He could tell in the man’s vigilant gaze on the room he was martially trained, but to what extent he couldn’t yet decipher, and he wore no visible weaponry to disclose his trade; which in itself could be a bad sign. He decided to take his cues from Red for a time and to remain wary as he would not tolerate any harm coming to his friends or home, not from any source.

“Come on Red, take a spin on the floor with me,” Jack suddenly caught her arm and dragged her into the open floor where several tavern goers were dancing along to the music being played. She laughed as he spun her around the floor, finding solace in a rare carefree moment, but her eyes would drift back to Carter, wondering if she had made a mistake in Anvil. On the next spin around she saw him up out of his chair and bartering with Arlow for a room, and by the next the assassin’s back faded at the top of the stairs as he retreated to his bed.

When things started to calm in the Tavern, late in the night, the group gathered around the hearth, joined by Eliot, as Jack regaled them with a tale of new friends, merfolk, Kraken spawn, and blind basilisks. In turn William told of their adventure to retrieve his bow, the strange old dwarf they’d encountered, and the bounty they’d claimed. As the fires crackled down to embers the group finally bid one another goodnight before making their ways upstairs, leaving only Red and Jack in the main hall aside from one or two drunkards snoring nearby.

Jack was leaning against the hearth, long sobered and staring at the flames and Red caught a sort of wistful look in his eye.

“Leaving so soon?” she asked him, coming to stand beside him.

Jack nodded, “Charlotte said Jolly was alive. Wherever he is, he thinks I’m dead and I need to set that to right. He’s the best first mate a captain could ask for and this must be done. Besides, the Longwinter is aching for a long row at sea, I owe her that much. Only came here to stable Galleon.”

“I understand,” Red said, “guess I couldn’t stow away this time, huh?”

He laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a friendly way, “If only you could, my darling,” he replied, “but finding Jolly is my task and this time, I must go alone,” he looked at her expectantly for some sign she wouldn’t follow him.

“When will you go then?” Red asked with a promising nod.

“In the wee hours,” Jack answered, “before the Tavern awakes I think…better for a quiet parting.”

Red wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, “Be careful and come home safe this time.”

“For you? Anything, you know that,” he promised, before watching her climb the stairs to bed.

===================================

By morning the Tavern had quieted once more and William made his way downstairs for breakfast to ponder his next adventure. His last had certainly been fruitful, but it was time to tend to other things and perhaps a bit of restock for his supplies was in order. As he sat down to table beside the hearth, he pulled his satchel off his shoulder only to have a flapping paper catch his eye. Examining the satchel, he found a bit of parchment pinned to the flap he hadn’t noticed before and unfolded it to find a note.

"Dear Sir William, do forgive me for not saying a proper farewell but I'm afraid the seas have called to me and once more I must return to my ship. Before I left I took a little stroll through your satchel here, I do hope you don't mind; couldn’t help myself really, after all you did paint quite a vivid tale last night. I nearly got lost wandering about but I managed to stumble across a most fascinating bit of artillery and well, I'm afraid I just couldn't resist relieving you of such a burden. Especially with how unstable gunpowder is...as you have so wisely pointed out to me on occasion.

Fear not, such an eloquent trinket is better served in the hands of an expert in arms like myself and I'm more than happy to be of service in parting it from you, savvy? Until next time, Calico jack Rackham"

William crumpled the paper and a growl stirred in his throat as he tossed it onto the fire. There would be a next time he was sure and the pirate had better be prepared for his comeuppance for stealing his new weapon before he had a chance to test it's value.

Across the county the Longwinter had long set to sail and the port city of Anvil was fading onto the horizon. Jack whistled a jaunty tune as he climbed to the main deck from where Galleon was boarded below, waving with his free hand to his comrades as they waved and called his name. In his other hand he clutched the rifle he’d appropriated from Sir William, smiling to himself as it seemed to warm in his hand like a properly pilfered jewel.

He headed into the privacy of his cabin and unlocked the wall behind his desk which slid open to reveal a secret trove of displayed trinkets, but not the sort one might expect to find as many had very little monetary value. Jack settled the rifle across two hooks to display it on the wall beneath a tawdry looking wooden staff and just above a chipped and long retired cutlass. He dropped into his chair and spun, putting his feet up on the open shelf and admiring his collection. In many ways, he’d always had a magpie’s eye for things that interested him, but it wasn’t the things as much as the people they represented. Below the hanging rows, were cubbies filled with other memories, and other things he’d pilfered from the Tavern in past visits; a mug from Grond, a small dagger from Red, and now William’s rifle. They would never be far from him now, his good friends, and someday he’d make his way back there again.

[WillieSea]

After getting over his initial shock and anger at something of his being pilfered, William calmed down. At least Jack had left him a note which he figured was more than he probably usually did. He gulped down some sausage with his scrambled eggs and took a long draught on his warm cider. A thought drifted to the front of his mind, there be no honor amongst thieves or pirates. He grinned, it was not how the saying went, but it sounded right this day.

He walked out the back door and breathed in the crisp morning air, a slight chill foretold the coming of winter. The dew clung to the grass as a fog formed with the rising sun. Many thoughts raced through his mind as he walked to the stables. It was a good morning for a quick ride into town for a few supplies. With everyone back at the Tavern, there was sure to be some adventure in the offering.

Night galloped all the way into Sutch. Will stopped off at a number of shops, visiting the Black Powder magic shop last. The bell above the door jingled as he entered and Jean looked up from an ancient tome she was reading, a grin forming quickly on her face.

“Did you find the bow?” Jean asked curiously.

Will winked and grinned uncontrollably. “That was certainly an interesting place! I had not seen any Dwarven ruins so far inland.”

Anna then walked in with a tray containing 3 cups of steaming hot cocoa. Will smiled and the three of them sat down in the big plush chairs that sat in front of the small fireplace where he told the entire tale.

Anna had been focused on the story and now whispered if she could feel the bow. Will handed it over to her, knowing she might be able to tell him something about it. Her gift for figuring out magical items never ceased to amaze him.

Will watched and while she held it, a rainbow of tracers swarmed over the surface of the bow. She then handed it back to Will, a smile on her face.

“Is there any way to turn off that effect? It’s rather distracting when I am trying to sneak around.” William grinned and winked with a nod at Anna. She giggled and gave Will a hug around the neck and whispered one word in his ear before racing to the back room, “concentrate.”

* * *

On the road back to the Tavern the birds where chirping in the early morning light, the heat from the sun was already warming the air. Night raced along the road enjoying the wind in her face. Will patted her neck when they arrived back at the Tavern. Night always did love to race everywhere they went. Will gathered up his saddlebags containing his purchases and made for the front door of the Tavern.

[Arion]

It had been just a little over a week since Aurorae had left the tavern. The days had been warm with afternoon showers coming more frequently the closer she got to Bravil. It wouldn't be much longer before she was back at Eagle's Landing.

"Maybe Tunenre would be there!" Aurorae thought with a smile and then suddenly blushing. "What's gotten over me?" Aurorae said to Eureka. Eureka turned her head and looked at Aurorae and gave her that look as if she knew perfectly well what should have been so obvious to Aurorae.

Aurorae chuckled. "You too old girl? Soon old friend. We'll be home soon and we'll both be able to relax. You've certainly earned it after the adventures we've had lately." Aurorae said as she patted Eureka's neck.

They rode along with little or no interference, just an occasional bandit or wild boar. As they came into sight of Bravil, the skies suddenly got dark. The wind began to howl, and rain began coming down in sheets.

Aurorae pulled her cloak around her to try to keep from getting soaked. Leaning down she said to Eureka; "Let's hurry old girl. The stables are just ahead and I think we'd both do well to spend the night in town rather than brave the road to Leyawiin in the dark fighting the storm."

Eureka shook her head and took off at a gallop, not wanting to be out in this storm any longer than necessary. Within a few minutes they were safely at the stables. While the stable hand went to fetch oats for Eureka, Aurorae rubbed her down to dry her the best she could and then gave Eureka a good brushing.

"There you go girl. Try to get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow will be a long and hard day. No telling how many bandits we'll have to fight off if what Tunenre says is true about the rash of robberies between here and Leyawiin." Aurorae said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Just before dawn Aurorae slipped down the steps at the Mage's Guild, went to the pantry and replenished her remaining food supplies, only taking enough to get her home. As she left the Mage's guild she noticed that the sky was still overcast and there was a slight fog hugging the ground. "Maybe the gods will favor us with clear skies today. Sure would hate to travel the road today in a drizzly, dreary fog." Aurorae thought to herself.

Aurorae led Eureka from the stable and through the gate just as the sun began to peek above the horizon. "Hope you had a better nights rest than I did." Aurorae whispered to Eureka. With that she climbed into the saddle and the pair began the final leg of the journey home.

They hadn't gone but a short way when they came across the Ayleid well just outside the Anutwyll ruins. "Might as well charge up my magika before we get too far." Aurorae thought as she brought Eureka to a halt just down the path from the well. As she got off Eureka, Aurorae noticed that the noises of the birds and insects couldn't be heard. It was so quiet that you could hear the slight magical charge radiating out from the Ayleid beam shooting skyward from the edge of the road.

On her guard she moved closer to the well, constantly on the alert for any sounds or movements that seemed out of place. As she moved around the backside to go up to the well, she caught a faint movement off to her left in front of the huge stone door to the Anutwyll ruins.

Crouching down as low as she could, while still keeping an eye on the door, Aurorae saw the faintest outlines of a spriggan bent over at the foot of the steps. "That's strange, these ruins were cleared out months ago by a group of adventures from Bravil with the help of a couple of the mages from the Bravil Mage's guild". Aurorae thought.

Drawing her sword, she began to move toward her target when suddenly from behind one of the stone pillars sprang a bear, rushing directly toward her. Aurorae leaped up and with one mighty swing of her sword cut the bear down. As its aura began to dissipate, Aurorae saw a second spriggan coming to the attack. With a quick glance to the front of the ruin to see if she'd been spotted yet by the first spriggan, Aurorae cast a thunderbolt and fireball spell that hit the approaching spriggan in the trunk, instantly splitting it before it burst into flames. Turning rapidly to her left she now saw the original spriggan with her bear summons nearly upon her. Dodging the bears lunging claws, Aurorae deftly cleaved the bear in two. With another quick succession of spell casting, Aurorae let loose upon the first spriggan a volley of thunderbolts and fireballs, instantly vaporizing the spriggan.

A quick look around showed no more threats. As Aurorae began to go back to the Ayleid well to recharge her magika she noticed a trail of blood leading toward the front of the ruins, as if something had been dragged back toward the ruins. Aurorae started to follow the trail of blood and thought better of it. "I better recharge my magika first, no telling what I might run into." she thought to herself.

Cautiously Aurorae made her way to the well and spreading her hands out in front of her, she drew upon the mystical beam of light until the beam dissipated. With her magika reserves now recharged, Aurorae returned once more to the trail of blood and began following it. As she came around the last column and had a clear view of the door, she saw what it was the spriggan was crouching over. It was the dead carcass of a legion horse, blocking the steps in front of the door. By the looks of it, it had been a recent kill.

"Probably happened last night while the legion soldier was on patrol." Aurorae thought to herself.

Aurorae scouted all around the outside of the ruin looking for the legion soldier, reasoning that if the soldier had made it away from this carnage that the Bravil guards at the bridge would have given her a warning.

"I've never known the legion's roadman to go inside ruins or caves while chasing bandits, creatures or other known manner of vermin," Aurorae thought; "but maybe he went inside in an effort to escape or he's wounded."

Aurorae went back to the front of the ruins and made her way around the dismembered corpse of the legion horse to the door to the ruin. Passing her hand over the symbol on the face of the door, it grudgingly slide upwards to allow her to pass. As the door slid back into place, the long hallway became dark as pitch.

"Damn, I don't have a torch!" said Aurorae. Reaching into a fold in her cloak, she withdrew a small bottle of elixir which she had purchased from the alchemist in Skingrad. "I hope this is worth all the coin it cost." Aurorae thought.

He had told her it was a magic potion that was supposed to help a explorer see in the dark. Dungeon Diver Elixir he'd said, made from a rare plant that an adventurer had been gathering for him.

As Aurorae uncorked the bottle of potion, the sweet fragrance of lavender drifted up. "Oh my! My favorite fragrance. Hope it tastes as good as it smells!" Aurorae mumbled before downing the whole bottle. As the warm, sweet liquid made it way down, Aurorae's vision began to take on a light bluish hue. Within a couple of minutes her entire vision had taken on this bluish hue and she could see a far piece down the hall. Looking down the hall she didn't see any sign of the legion soldier. Listening carefully, she heard the faintest sound up ahead like the rumble of stone on stone.

Making her way carefully down the hall, being wary of any traps these ruins were known for, Aurorae came to the first bend in the hall. There on the floor were the fresh remains of a will-o-wisp.

"Looks like someone has come through here within the last hour or so." Aurorae thought. Apparently the soldier had come in seeking shelter, she reasoned.

Aurorae continued on, following the ever growing sound of the rumble of stone. Around the next bend and down a flight of stairs Aurorae pressed on cautiously. By now the rumble had grown to crescendo and the walls were vibrating as well. "Something or someone had tripped one of the traps ahead." Aurorae thought with some trepidation.

Slowly Aurorae made her way down the short hall to another flight of stairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the hallway opened into a large room. Up ahead, laying on the floor looked to be the body of the legionnaire. A few feet in front of his body was a massive stone block sliding back down toward the floor. A few seconds after settling into the floor the body of a large ogre fell from the ceiling onto the floor, setting the trap off once again with a huge rumble. Aurorae stifled a chuckle. As she watched the spectacle before her continually repeat, she saw the body of the legionnaire move as if it were trying to crawl away from the stone block toward her.

Quickly she made her way to his side. Aurorae gently turned the man over, looking over his wounds. He was drifting into and out of consciousness. One arm was broken and the other looked as if it had been pulled off at the elbow, one leg had a large slash in it. His breastplate was in tattered shreds with blood and internal organs oozing out. Aurorae looked at the poor man knowing it was out of her hands. It was any wonder he was still alive.

As he regained consciousness one last time, he struggled to raise his head and looked Aurorae right in the eyes. As they started to glaze over he managed to say. "Over There!" He moved the stump of his arm in the direction of the back of the hallway. And with his last dying breath, he gurgled out "Help her" and then his head fell back to the stone floor.

[WhoGuru]

Red stood in Savior's stall, brushing invisible specks of dirt from his spots while he nudged her looking for more of the apple she'd given him when she came in. She was avoiding Carter she knew. He'd been there when she came out of her room, just coming down the hall and she had jumped. Then again at breakfast and finally in a silent fit of temper she'd retreated to the stables. She could admit to herself if no one else that she was hiding and was thoroughly disgusted with herself because of it.

"Get a grip." Red muttered to herself for the hundredth time. If he had anything to do with the Brotherhood, she would have seen it by now. He'd certainly had ample opportunity to try and kill her if he were going to. She was being paranoid and knew it now. "What do you think?" Savior snorted as if in answer and made her laugh. She shook her head, tossing the brush down and went to the barrel in the aisle to get another apple. Savior followed to the door, sniffing and nipped the half she offered munching happily.

From across the aisle another snort answered and she turned to see Carter's battle marked Flint looking on eagerly. She chuckled and crossed, placing a tentative hand out for him to sniff. He nudged her hand aside reaching for her other and the apple half and she laughed finally. "All right. That's us friends then eh?" Red offered the apple half and set a hand up by his ears, scratching as Savior liked. Flint leaned into the feeling as he chewed, whuffling happily.

"Disgraceful." Came Carter's voice from the stable door and Red jumped, then cursed herself. She went back to scratching Flint's ear and forced herself not to watch him coming like he was a threat. "I trained him better than this, I swear."

Carter gave Red several feet room as he walked around where she could see him and crossed his arms, mock glaring at his horse. "All it takes is an apple to win your loyalty now eh?" He had seen her jump and knew she was arguing with some inner demon where he was concerned. It fascinated him, her reaction and he had to admit, his own as well. He hoped eventually to learn what it was about him that unsettled her so for he would never have pegged her for so jumpy a thief.

Red dropped her hand finally and rather than escaping outside, took another apple from the barrel and went back to Savior. "How are you finding things here?" She asked, determined to find some equilibrium with the assassin.

"It's a remarkable place." Carter rested against the wall beside Flint's head and smirked as his formerly loyal mount snorted after Red, looking for more treats. "Had I not been upstairs myself I would have sworn this place could not house all those inside."

Red smiled slightly. "The Tavern always seems to know what we need." She said with a shrug. "Magic far beyond my understanding, this place."

"Hmmph. Magic indeed." Carter commented. He did wonder how powerful the sorcerer that created this place must have been. "The...bartenders are singular fellows."

Red snorted a laugh and finally felt some small measure of tension ease from her shoulders. He was making an effort to set her at ease and she appreciated it. She dusted the remains of the apple from her fingers and turned to him. "Never get on their wrong side. That much I've learned in my time here. Arlow will get you." She laughed and this time the smile on her face felt more real.

Carter straightened imperceptibly, hand dropping to his waist, as a bucket overturned nearby and a moment later a stable hand appeared with a muttered apology. Just like that the tension oozed back into Red's shoulders. For a moment she had forgotten this man was as deadly as she was, more perhaps. Carter watched her with the intense expression she had become used to and Red suddenly missed the weapons she'd left above in her room. She stepped back from him toward the door and gave a small smile. "Lunch, I think." Red managed and she left him there, scowling, wondering again why she reacted so strongly to him.

[Arion]

Aurorae placed her hands over the legionnaire's eyes and gently closed them. Silently she offered prayers to the gods Stendarr and Ark'ay to have mercy on this poor man's soul.

Quickly she looked around. The trap was still doing its dance with the ogre's body. Between the rising and falling of the stone column, Aurorae peered into the distance trying to see what was at the far side of the large room. She could just barely make out what looked to be a shimmering glow. It was hard to tell with the potion she had taken turning everything a bluish haze.

Aurorae got up and went to stand by the falling column. Being closer now to the center of the room, Aurorae could clearly see the flickering glow just beyond the entrance to an adjoining hallway. As the column of stone shot back toward the ceiling, Aurorae made her way to the left side of the column to see if there was a way around the trap. It would be a tight squeeze trying to go between the wall and the column here so she went to the other side of the room to see if there was a little more clearance.

As she neared the other side she noticed a crumpled form a little further back down the wall from where the column rested in the floor. Cautiously she approached the form, ever aware that this was probably the beast that was responsible for the death of the legion soldier.

"Minotaur!!!! What was this doing in this area?" Aurorae thought. "I've seen them mostly in the highlands and the forest, but this far south? That would certainly be the reason the poor legionnaire was so badly mangled." she mused.

"At least the legionnaire gave you a good fight." Aurorae said to the now dead beast as she was looking at the broken off shaft of the legionnaire's sword protruding from the minotaur's chest.

Suddenly realizing that the thundering crash of the column had stopped, Aurorae turned her attention back to the stone column. Walking back toward it she could see the pulverized remains of the ogre had managed to fall to the side off the trap.

Once again returning to the left side of the trap, she could plainly see the stonework pattern that formed the border around the trap. Turning sideways and pressing her back against the wall, like she showed her friend Jheuloh on that adventure to find Grond's parents, Aurorae slowly inched her way to the other side of the trap.

With the thundering roar and crash of the trap now silent, Aurorae's hearing was slowly beginning to return to normal. Listening intently, Aurorae scanned for any sounds that might be coming from the stone archway on the other side of the room. She could just barely hear the sound of water seeping off the ceiling high above her and the little plops as they hit the floor.

"It would do to be on my best guard now. Whatever is on the other side of the hall would surely be able to hear me now that the trap had stopped springing." Aurorae thought as she made her way quietly toward the stone archway.

Aurorae crouched down to the left side of the archway and peered around the corner. Nothing was in sight except another flight of stairs heading back up to the upper level. As Aurorae began climbing the stairs, the potion she had taken to help her see in the dark began to slowly wear off. With her vision returning to normal, she could tell that the glow she had been seeing previously in the archway from the lower room was caused by small clusters of welkynd stones embedded in the walls.

Reaching the top of the stairs Aurorae looked in both directions. To her left there was a short hallway that came to a dead end. On the floor at the base of the wall was an Ayleid chest that had obviously been opened by the adventurers who had cleared the ruin out months before.

Looking to her right, Aurorae saw a long hallway. Along the left side of the hall spread out at intervals were welkynd clusters. It appeared that the right side had openings, with railings that presumably opened out to the large room below. Near the end of the hallway, just inside the glow radiated by the welkynd clusters stood a spriggan with her back facing Aurorae.

"What I wouldn't give to have a good bow right now and that pair of sneak enchanted doeskin moccasins I left at the Landing." thought Aurorae.

The distance down the hall was too far to hope to be able to rush the spriggan with any chance of surprise. Not knowing what might be beyond the spriggan, Aurorae was reluctant to cast any of her lightning or fireball spells because the reverberating sound would alert any creatures within ear shot due to the quietness since the floor trap below had stopped.

Aurorae watched the spriggan, who had now started to move on its patrol. It walked the short distance to the end of the hall and disappeared around the bend to the right. Aurorae waited and presently the spriggan reappeared and walked in her direction a few paces this side of the welkynd clusters that it had first been standing under. Hesitating for a few moments, it turned and resumed its patrol back toward the end of the hallway, stopping once again just as it reached the outer edges of the light cast by the welkynd cluster.

Aurorae watched this pattern for a few more repetitions and thought; "If I can follow it on its return trip, maybe I can get close enough to get within striking distance before it senses my presence."

As the spriggan disappeared around the corner, Aurorae withdrew her sword, adjusted her satchel so the potions inside didn't rattle as she moved, and prepared to go when the spriggan returned to the end of its patrol closest to her.

When the spriggan returned to the end of its patrol and turned to go back to the end of the hall, Aurorae quickly crouched down and as fast as she could moved after the spriggan. Aurorae made it to the patch of the semi lit area between the welkynd clusters when the spriggan stopped just before the bend. Aurorae held her breath, praying that the spriggan hadn't heard her as it was still too far a distance to rush the spriggan without being detected. The spriggan turned its head slightly to the right, then straight ahead, then proceeded to go around the bend.

As fast and as quietly as she could Aurorae raced to the end of the hall. Crouching down as low as she could, Aurorae peered around the corner. The spriggan had apparently already reached the end of its patrol area and was heading back towards her. As Aurorae prepared to spring out at the spriggan, it suddenly was on full alert casting its bear summons, before rushing in Aurorae's direction.

Without a second thought, Aurorae sprang out from around the corner, sword raised high as she charged the bear and the spriggan. Attempting her preferred method of attack, Aurorae tried to leap around the bear turning a complete revolution as she swung her sword in a downward movement as she spun by the bear.

Being a narrow hallway, Aurorae collided with the wall causing her sword to only hit the bear with a glancing blow as she slid along the wall toward the advancing spriggan. Landing on her feet, Aurorae slashed at the spriggan. Her first blow, because of the impact with the wall having slowed down her forward momentum, only stunned the spriggan. On the next swing of her sword, just as the sword cut the spriggan in two, the bear managed to slash at her legs sending her tumbling across the floor before it dissipated.

Coming to a stop against one of the railings overlooking the large room below, Aurorae drew herself up in a defensive posture as she took stock of her surroundings. Fortunately there weren't any other creatures down the hall.

Aurorae relaxed for the moment and checked her gear. Thankfully for her armor the bear had done no real damage to either her or her armor. "Well there's a few more scraps and dents to add to the collection." Aurorae laughed.

Having made sure there were no further threats at the moment and checking her gear, Aurorae looked back down the hallway. It dead ended just past the second cluster of welkynd stones. Between the cluster over her head and the second set, was an opening on the left side of the wall.

Aurorae strode over to the opening. There recessed in the wall was a set of three steps leading to a stone door. After climbing the stairs, Aurorae carefully checked the door to see if there were any enchantments or traps attached to the door, which there were none.

Aurorae thought to herself as she reached and passed her hand across the symbol in the center of the door; "I wonder what lies on the other side?"

[Arion]

The door slid upwards and stopped with a jar. Aurorae peered though the opening to see what was before her; a short, narrow, dimly lit hallway ending with an iron gate at the far end. There was the faintest sound of air moving through the hall. On the floor about half way down the hall lay the body of some poor soul, covered in blood. Judging by the blue coloring of the robe, Aurorae suspected it was the body of a mage.

"Probably the mage from the Bravil mage's guild that had wanted to investigate the ruins after it was cleared." Aurorae thought.

As Aurorae stepped into the hallway, she suddenly had this sickening feel. Unseen to her was a pressure plate on the floor. As her foot slowly sank down there was a sudden grinding noise as the trap sprang into life. With a loud swish eight large blades began swinging back and forth down the length of the hall. Between each set of traps there was a small space where one could stand without being hit by the blades. If it hadn't been for the fact that Aurorae had been slow in her movements and hesitated when she stepped on the plate, the first blade would have cut her to pieces as it passed within inches of her face.

"That was close!" Aurorae murmured with a sigh.

Aurorae watched as the blades swung with their rhythmic cycles. In each section two blades came out of the wall from two slits on each side of the hallway, crisscrossing midway in the center of the hall before retreating into the wall on the opposite side. A short time later the process repeated itself. Having encountered this type of trap before, Aurorae knew that timing was the key to safely navigating the blades.

When the blades started their next series of swings, Aurorae waited until the first set of blades and reached the bottom of their arc. As they began their journey up Aurorae dashed forward, stopping between the first and second set of blades, stopping as the next two blades began their downward journey. Again waiting until the blades reached the bottom of their arc, Aurorae dashed once more and came to a stop in the space between both sets of traps to catch her breath.

The next set was going to be a bit trickier since the body of the dead mage lay sprawled across the middle of the hall between the first and second pair of blades. Blood had pooled around his body and Aurorae had no way of knowing if it was fresh and congealed or dried out. Either way, it was going to be tricky getting around the body without slipping and falling or stumbling into the last set of blades.

"I'm going to have to be really quick and try to make both sets at the same time." Aurorae thought. "If it weren't for that body lying there I could just stop like I did with the last set."

Crouching down prepared to make a run for it, Aurorae waited until the first two blades reached the bottom of their arc. Aurorae dashed ahead, leaping over the dead mage's body. As she was landing on her feet, one of the last two blades brushed her satchel turning Aurorae sideways causing her to lose her balance and crash into the gate with a resounding thud.

Aurorae, slightly dazed from hitting the door, took a brief rest in order to inspect her satchel. Nothing seemed to be broken; but on one side, where her outer pocket that carried her lock picks used to be was a cleanly shaved scuff.

Turning around to see if she could retrieve any of the scattered picks, Aurorae now saw who it was that hadn't made it through the swinging blades. To her horror, it was Carandial, the mage from the Bravil Mage's Guild. While not a close friend, she had worked with him for a short time when she was studying in the mage's guild.

"By the gods! What could possibly have scared Carandial to the point that he made a mad dash through this trap?" Aurorae wondered. "I'll have to notify the guild when and if I leave this place alive."

Aurorae retrieved a few of her picks that had scattered on the floor just within reach before the swinging blades, dropping them in the middle pocket of her satchel. Turning back around and facing the iron grill work on the gate before her, Aurorae looked to see what was on the other side. Peering through the grill work, Aurorae saw a short hallway, lit overhead by welkynd stones in wire baskets suspended from the vaulted ceiling. The lights shone through a misty fog, illuminating openings on either side of the hallway before another short hallway on the opposite side.

"Looks like a burial chamber." Aurorae thought.

Aurorae tried to open the gate but it was locked. Rummaging through all her potions, scrolls and charms, she found one of her lock picks she had just dropped in her satchel earlier. Deftly she jiggled it in the lock's mechanism until she felt the last click.

"Haven't lost my touch, though it sure would be nice if I had one of those unbreakable picks I've heard about." Aurorae mused.

As Aurorae opened the gate and stepped inside the room, two ruin rats suddenly came out from two of the alcoves in front of her and ran straight for her. Swinging her sword in two quick stokes made short work of the filthy animals. Once dispatched Aurorae explored the remaining alcoves. Anything of any value had already been carted off either by the adventurers or one of the mages who had been coming to study the ruins.

Just then there was a piercing scream; which was suddenly cut off by a deafening roar, the likes which Aurorae hadn't heard in years. Aurorae's blood turned to ice in her veins.

"Could it be? NO! It can't be." Aurorae thought with trepidation; "That sounds like a minotaur lord!"

Quietly, Aurorae returned to the center of the hallway and cautiously looked into the short passageway. There illuminated in the glow of the overhead welkynd stone lights, standing before an alter of some kind was the largest minotaur lord Aurorae had ever seen. Upon the alter lie a small figure of a person. By the looks of it, whoever it was had apparently passed out as there was no movement that Aurorae could detect from this distance.

Remembering her last battle with a minotaur lord, Aurorae reached into her satchel and withdrew a small amulet which she had received as payment on one of her previous adventures. It was a small ruby encased in a turquoise stone, suspended on a gold chain. It was an amulet that reflected spells cast at one back to the original caster. It had been very handy in her numerous fights with necromancers. Aurorae remembered the last time she had fought a minotaur lord how surprised she had been when not only was it beating on her that it had also cast a health draining spell on her and she had barely survived the encounter.

The minotaur lord stood before the alter, its back turned to Aurorae. So focused on the figure laying on the alter that it didn't notice Aurorae sneaking slowly into the room to the nearest stone pillar behind the minotaur. Aurorae adjusted her shield to make sure she had a good grip on it, dried her sword hand and prepared for the battle ahead.

As the minotaur reached down to grab the unconscious victim on the altar, Aurorae made her move. First firing off two of her strongest fireballs hitting the minotaur squarely in the middle of its back stunning it just long enough that Aurorae was able to make her charge, with sword drawn high over her head. Leaping into the air, Aurorae swung her sword in a downward motion slashing the minotaur across one shoulder and down its back as she landed off the one side. Bellowing in rage and pain the minotaur drew its glass war hammer in a great arc toward Aurorae's head. Deflecting the blow with her shield, Aurorae countered with a slash across the beast's abdomen. Back and forth it went, the minotaur pounding with it's war hammer and Aurorae deflecting the blow with her shield, following up with a counter attack of her own. After one vicious exchange the minotaur lord leaned back preparing to cast one of its spells. Aurorae seeing this opening leapt ahead with a power thrust burying her sword deep into the beast's chest near its heart. Withdrawing her sword as the beast stumbled backwards, Aurorae did a reverse spin power slash nearly severing the minotaur's head from its body.

As the beast laid on the floor twitching and gashing blood from its mortal wounds, Aurorae nearly collapsed on the floor herself in exhaustion from the brutal fight.

After casting a few of her restorative spells to get enough of her strength back, Aurorae stood up and looked down at the minotaur lord and said; "Remind me again why I'm so tired of this adventuring on my own."

Remembering her newly acquired friends back at the tavern, Aurorae made it a promise to herself; "If I'm to die in these adventures I'd rather die with friends than alone."

From behind her the sounds of soft moans and a hoarse "Where am I?"

Aurorae approached the altar just as the figure began to sit up. It was a young elven girl. Her dress in tatters, hair disheveled and matted, and the look of complete bewilderment on her face.

The girl looked at Aurorae and then to the minotaur sprawled out on the floor and shrank back in fear. "Who, who are you? What do you want with me? she blurted out in rapid succession.

Aurorae looked at the girl, then to the minotaur, and then back to the girl and saying; "My name is Aurorae. You are in ruins outside of Bravil and I believe you were being held prisoner by this minotaur." She continued; "Are you okay?"

"Hmm, I think so." said the girl as she climbed down off the alter. Looking down at her tattered dress the girl began to cry.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Aurorae once again as she leaned down to look at the girl.

"It's, it's, it's my favorite dress." the young girl stammered.

"It'll be okay." Aurorae said. "Let's get you out of here in case there's any more of those beasts." Aurorae continued. "What's your name, if I may ask? Aurorae quarried.

"Geldii, I think." the girl managed to get out after thinking for a bit.

"Well Geldii, let's get out of here first and then we'll go into town and see about getting you some new clothes." Aurorae whispered.

The duo made their way out of the ruins without encountering any more beasts. Once outside the ruins, Geldii seeing Eureka looked up at Aurorae and said, "Is that your horse? I love horses."

Before Aurorae could answer, Geldii ran over to Eureka. "Careful, she's really ......" was all Aurorae could get out as she watched in amazement as Eureka put her head down so Geldii could rub her head.

On the short ride into Bravil Geldii told Aurorae about her mother, who had been teaching her daughter had died some years before. Her and her father made trips into Leyawiin a couple times a month to sell produce and occasionally livestock at the market. They were on their way to market when they were attacked. The last thing Geldii remembered was they were camped out in some woods on their way to Leyawiin.

Aurorae and Geldii went into Bravil where Aurorae notified the town guard about the slain legionnaire. After that Aurorae took Geldii to The Fair Deal and got her some new clothes. They then went to the Mage's guild to spend the night before setting out the next morning to look for her father.

Aurorae and Geldii spent the next couple of days retracing Geldii and her father's path back to their farm without any success.

[WhoGuru]

Red sat at the Tavern bar making a dent in a bowl of Wilson's famous stew. Her nerves settled from her earlier encounter with Carter, she was determined to make a better show of things than acting like a shadow shy child.

"Have you even tasted any of that?" Wilson asked with a laugh from the other side of the bar and Red managed a grunt and a smile around a full mouth. "I'll take that as a compliment."

The door of the Tavern swung open and a lanky Altmer swaggered in. He brushed blond hair from his eyes and grinned when he saw Red at the bar. "Red!" He dropped on to the stool beside her.

"Agwyn?" Red said in surprise and smiled. "It's been a while. You're looking...pleased." She smirked when he preened a bit and patted the pouch at his waist.

"Aye well pleased." He glanced around the tap room and said softly. "The Imperial City is a profitable place."

Red laughed and motioned to Wilson to bring another bowl and a drink. Agwyn was a fellow thief. He had trained the same time as Red and while he had often lamented at how she outmatched his skills, they had become good friends.

"How is Armand? Still taking it out of your hide over that little mix up with the Countesses' brooch?" She asked with a smile.

Agwyn laughed and shook his head. "How was I supposed to know she wore the bloody thing to bed and slept light." He fell to chuckling. "He's got other fish to fry these days. Some idiot kid tried to strong arm him yesterday for information." He pounded the bar once in high humor. "Heard he took the kid into the Gardens and knocked hell out of him."

"Kid?" Red asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Aye, came looking for information on some family bauble and when Armand told him to get lost, he took exception." Agwyn nodded a thanks to Wilson and sniffed deeply of the stew. "Oh this makes a good end to a long trip."

"This kid." Red nudged his bowl aside. She had a bad feeling. "You said he was looking for a family bauble. What kind? What did he look like?"

"Looks like tenderized meat now I'd imagine." Agwyn replied and laughed heartily. Red swallowed her temper and pulled his bowl out of reach again. "Aww Red I'm hungry! What?"

"This is important. What did he look like? This kid?"

Agwyn stared her down for a moment and then sighed. "Can I have my stew in peace after?"

"Yes." Red nodded and smiled, trying for friendly again.

"Fine. I didn't see him myself you understand. Just heard the tale." He pulled his bowl back and dug up a steaming spoonful. "Some young Imperial scut, present company excepted." He grinned. "Came looking for the guild and an amulet and when Armand told him off, Armand said he pulled a Staff from nowhere and tried to crack his head with it." Agwyn smirked. "Would have liked to seen that. Anyway, Armand says he pounded the kid to within an inch of his life and left him bleeding in the gardens."

Red swallowed and closed her eyes for a moment. Armand had a quick temper she knew and though Quinn was well trained, Armand was older and just plain better seasoned. "Is he dead then? The kid?"

"Dead!" Agwyn sputtered on his stew. "We're Thieves Guild not those thrice damned assassins." He said vehemently and softly, not seeing her flinch. "You know the law. No killing. Is he dead." Agwyn shook his head sadly. "You've been gone from the guild too long Red."

Red slipped from her stool and tossed coins on the counter to cover both their meals. "Thank you Agwyn." She smiled for him. "It was good to see you again."

"What? Where are you going already?" He asked surprised. "I just got here!"

"To find a friend." She replied and strode from the Tavern to get her horse.

------------------------

As the sun slipped behind the horizon behind her, Red and Savior rode into Weye. The Imperial City loomed in front of them. She gave Savior his lead. They had rode hard and he needed to walk it off before they reached the stables at the top of the hill.

"Evening Miss." A fisherman doffed an imaginary hat as she passed and she smiled back. She'd seen him a hundred times or more and always, as now, he never seemed to catch anything. Imperial Guards waited at the midpoint of the massive bridge. They stopped her briefly to ask her business and then let her go on. In the heart of the Empire, a lone Imperial on a horse and a woman at that was little to worry about.

She left Savior at the stable with an extra silver for the stable hand who promised to keep his Orc mistress well away from her boy and entered the city. The streetlamps were already lit as darkness had already fallen behind the tall walls though the sky above was still blue. Red passed quickly through to the Temple District, nodding politely at the guards and entered the tunnel out to the Waterfront District.

By the time she reached the docks night had fallen. Torches lit the piers and the lighthouse spun into life as she watched. She crossed the pier quickly, intent on finding Armand and didn't notice the dark shadow stealing up behind her.

[WhoGuru]

Red rounded the lighthouse and as she did, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Taking no time to think she whirled, drawing her sword, but not before an arm circled her neck in a strong grip and knocked her aim aside.

"Your money...or your clothes." A voice hissed in her ear. "Or maybe just your clothes."

Adrenaline drained enough for her to recognize the voice and she gasped, then laughed. "Gods Armand I almost killed you." She said finally and the arm left her. She turned to find a devious grin on the Redguards familiar face.

"I had you cold." He said with pride and she shook her head, flicking her left hand. Armand looked down in surprise at the tap on his leg and saw the knife she had there.

"Ah well now that's just not fair." He laughed as she sheathed her sword and replaced the dagger. "It's no fair you're fast like a freak." He took her in a friendly hug while she laughed and then held her at arms length. "You look well Red."

"And you, Armand." She smiled.

"What brings you back to my city?" He asked and took her arm as though they were taking an evening stroll. An Imperial guard came around the other side of the lighthouse and gave them only a cursory glance as they passed.

"Heard you had a bit of excitement the other day." Red said and looked sideways at him. "Some Imperial you taught a lesson to?"

He looked surprised and squeezed her shoulders. "Suppose you couldn't have come for old times sake." He laughed. "What's he to you?"

"A friend if it's who I think it is." She stepped up onto the wharf with him and they walked toward the end and the ship docked there. "This staff he pulled on you." Red started and hoped she would be wrong. "Did it look more like a short cylinder when he first took it out?"

"Surprised the starch out of me!" Armand said with a laugh and Red's heart ached for the beating Quinn had taken at the hands of her friend. "You should tell your friend to be more careful who threatens."

"Armande." Red stopped him near the ship docked on that side. "How badly did you beat him?"

"Total stranger comes asking loud as you please about the Thieves Guild and then threatens me when I don't tell him what he wants to hear?" Armand stared down at her angrily. "If he lives it's not because I remembered to pull my punches." He softened a bit then and took Red's arm again. "For your sake I'm sorry."

"Take me to where you left him." Red said, striving for calm. "His family was murdered Armand. That amulet was the only link he had to the killers."

"Well why didn't he say so?" Armand demanded as he turned them about back the way they'd come and he gusted a sigh. "I'm not saying I'd have told him what he wanted, not knowing who's friend he was, but I'd have not knocked him senseless...maybe." Red snorted. "Come on then, Master Thief. Your idiot friend caught up to me in the Arboretum and there I left him."

-----------------------------

The Arboretum was quiet, the lamps giving soft glows along the stone paths and at this hour the last tourists were leaving as Red and Armand entered. He nudged her to the right off the stone path and into the well tended grass. Red kept wary eyes on the darkened trees and shrubs around them. "So, tell me, how many did it take?" She asked.

Armand looked down at her as they slowly walked. "Take? for what?"

"To best Quinn, my friend." She smiled sweetly up at him and Armand laughed.

"You think I need help to best some young Imperial scut?" He said disdainfully.

"Hmm." Red snaked an arm about his waist, watching his face, and squeezed. Armand's face tightened painfully and she chuckled. "Uh huh. Got a hit in before you cheated didn't he?"

Armand shifted to loosen her grip around his ribs and rolled his eyes. "Only one."

"So how many?" She drew them to a stop and made him look at her. "I know you, Armande." Red laughed. "You're never alone. We're not alone now. I've picked out three at least since we entered the Arboretum."

Armand shook his head in humor and planted a friendly kiss on her head. "Never could pull them over on you. Three then." He said finally and started them moving again. "I'll not apologize for playing dirty. I'm a thief." Red laughed though she felt a gut reaction to repay some of the beating he'd given Quinn. "Stop squeezing so hard." Armand said suddenly, face contorted in pain and Red pulled her arm from his wait with a wicked smile. "Suppose I deserved that." He muttered and drew her through a screen of trees and stopped. "Here it was." Armand gestured out to the small clearing.

Red stepped away and could see in the dim glow of a nearby lamp the grass was matted in some places and darker than it should be. She dropped by one of the dark spots and ran her hand through the grass. She turned to glare back up at Armande who backed up a step.

"Now I told you how it happened and how was I too know he was a friend of yours?" Armande raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as Red rose, brushing dried blood from her hand. There was more of it than she was comfortable seeing.

"And you just left him here bleeding?" She growled, in danger of losing her temper and he backed another step.

"Red." Armande smiled, recognizing the anger he'd seen many times before and set to heading it off. "It's not the first time I've given someone a cheap beating." He laughed and raised his brows. "You know me. What was I supposed to do?"

Red stopped and looked down at the bloodied grass again and back to Armande, sucking her temper back under with effort. "Give it to me." She said then and surprised him.

"What?" Armande asked in confusion.

"Whatever you took from him. You're right. I do know you." She smiled a dangerous smile. "You can give it to me or I can take it. I'm in the mood to take it."

Armande stared at her, weighing how much discomfort he was willing to be in the next few days and finally sighed, shoulders dropping. He reached into his belt pouch and came out with the familiar Dwemer cylinder. He rolled it in his fingers a few times and then tossed it to her. "As he's a friend." He said simply.

Red caught it and carefully tucked it into her belt. "You should go now. I'll be asking the guards if they found him, where he went."

"You should have this too I suppose." He pulled a cloth wrapped object from inside his shirt and tossed that over as well. Red pulled the cloth aside and found the glitter of gold in the dim light. It had to be Quinn's amulet she thought in surprise and studied it enough to see it was like no amulet she'd ever seen with moving parts and a glittering...something...in the center she couldn't see in the night. She re-wrapped it and pushed it into her leathers close to her heart to keep it safe.

Armande, ever one to brave death, stepped close to her and placed an arm around her shoulders as she stiffened. "You know you never used to get so morally righteous at me."

Red let go some of the anger and snorted a laugh. "Yes I did. You just didn't listen."

"True." Armande placed another chaste kiss on her head. "Very true. Til you come find me again, eh Red?" She slapped a firm hand against his ribs, laughing as the breath whooshed out of his lungs.

"Got you good didn't he?" Red said and left him holding his ribs and trying to laugh as she went in search of the nearest guard post.

[WillieSea]

Will stretched and came down the stairs. A quick look around the great room and Will spotted a new comer who sat with a satisfied look on his face, an empty bowl in front of him. Sitting down at the bar, Will motioned to Wilson. “I’ll have some of that world famous stew please!”

When Wilson set the bowl in front of Will, he winked and said, “Red just tore out of here real quick after talking to the Altmer there.” He then walked back to cleaning glasses, a satisfied grin on his face. Now the show would start…

William glanced once more at the Altmer he had singled out when he came into the room. He easily spotted the look on his face and decided this was probably a thief. One of Red’s friends no doubt. He knew he must look like an easy target, rich for the picking to the thief and he preferred it that way. Let them underestimate him.

After gulping down his food in a few giant bites, he walked over to the watching Altmer, “Good day sir, my name is Sir William. I hear you know Red?” Will could see the calculating look in the thief’s face, the look of how much gold he could pinch Will for.

“Well now, she did seem to leave in a hurry after hearing about some young Imperial scut getting the stuffing beat out of him in the Imperial City.”

With an unchanging face, Will sat on the stool next to the man and placed some coin on the counter. “Some of your finest brandy barkeep!”

Will looked at the man with an excited look on his face, “Some Imperial kid huh? That’s great!” He then chuckled to reinforce the image to the Altmer while fishing for more information. “Somebody really taught him a good lesson I hope?”

Taking a sip of the brandy, the smooth liquid warmed his insides and loosened his tongue to this seemingly rich noble, “Yeah, Armand gave it to him good! Serves the brat right for coming out of nowhere and attacking him!”

They both chuckled in laughter. The Altmer closed his eyes as he took another sip of the golden liquid, feeling its warmth fill him. When he opened his eyes, the noble was gone! He looked around the room quickly and only saw the front door swinging closed…

* * *

Will was already on the road and riding hard for the imperial city. Red had some good time on him but he was not worried so much about Red as he was for Quinn. He had to be the one that was told about in the Altmer’s tale.

The sun had already set as he rode through Weye, its inhabitants already in their homes locked up for the night. Before long, he was making his way through the Imperial city in search of a certain person.

Having been around for some time Will had learned much about the Thieves guild and knew how to find the one who led them. Finding his mark, Will approached the sleeping form that lay on an old bedroll on the ground near one of the inner stone walls behind some foliage.

The sound of a coin hitting a rock near the beggars head woke up the man. He saw a richly dressed man standing before him, a sparkling gold coin lying on the ground in front of him. The coin quickly disappeared into the grimy hands of the beggar. “Thank ye kindly sir, thank ye!” Being no stranger to such an exchange, he eyed the young looking noble and waited.

With the token accepted, Will waited but a moment before continuing, “I have need of the services of a special, uhm, person.” Will then dropped another coin but it was caught before it reached the ground. “I am looking for Armand. I have a special proposal for him.”

The beggar looked up a little surprised at the request. Looking at the youth, the old beggar made up his mind. The gold was good, and Armand could surely handle himself against this young whelp. “If’n ye hurry, perhaps ye’ll find ‘im in the Arboretum.” He then cautiously watched as the youngster dashed off into the growing night. The sound of crickets soon returned, letting the beggar know he was once more alone.

* * *

Armand winced as he took the steps back down to the waterfront. His ribs were sore enough before Red had given them a squeeze. He was approaching his home when a young man in rich looking clothing suddenly stepped out in front of him. Armand winced slightly as he straightened up. It would seem the last couple of days brought all the weirdo’s out of the woodwork.

The youth approached and Armand saw more than an inexperience youth, but someone of much more confidence. Well, if he had to, his watchers would help him take this one down too. He would wait to see what the man wanted.

The youth stopped a few feet in front of Armand and spoke, “Your Armand.” It was said as a statement, not a question. Armand simply nodded, waiting to see what the man wanted. He did not have to wait long…

“You beat a man the other day; I need to know where he is.”

Armand raised an eyebrow in surprise. That young Imperial seemed to have a number of friends. Well, perhaps it was time to show this ‘friend’ what asking the wrong questions did for him as well. He made a motion with his hand as he drew his dagger from its sheath. He stopped suddenly as the youth just stood there, unmoving, his eyes piercing him. It was then that he noticed his watchers had not appeared.

Armand stood for a moment, sizing up his foe. He did not have to glance around to know something had happened to his hidden guild members. He looked closely at the man before him and for a moment, he thought he recognized the face. He whispered, ‘Will?’

A grin spread across Williams’s face, “I need to know.”

Armand stood shocked for a moment, “I heard through good sources that you were killed in, where was it… In Sutch? Apparently that was not entirely true. It’s a shame.”

Will knew the master thief shared no love for him as a master assassin. Their paths had crossed several times before and they had gone their separate ways without confrontation, but Will was not about to back down this time. It had been easy enough to knock out the less experienced thieves that had kept a watch on Armand. “I haven’t the time for pleasantries Armand. Where is the Imperial youth you beat the other day?”

The master thief sized up Will and his own aches from the blows he had taken the other day. Perhaps, just this once, he would provide the assassin with what he wanted. It was not like the information would make him money anyway. He told the assassin the same tale he told Red and when Will disappeared into the night, he went in search of his missing compatriots.

[WhoGuru]

Red knocked on the guard tower door for a second time. Finally the door cracked open to an irritated, Imperial face.

"What?" He growled and then eyed her from head to toe. Red scowled but let it go.

"There was a man attacked here last night." She said as politely as she could. "What happened to him?"

The guard blinked at her and then opened the door wider. "Cap'n!" He called over his shoulder. "Girl out here asking about the trouble last night!"

Red waited and a moment later a guard in gold and white armor appeared in the door. He looked Red over, pausing at her sword, and then opened the door wider. "You'd better come in Miss." The Captain let her in and then waved her to a chair at the beat up table in the center of the tower room.

"What happened?" Red asked as she sat heavily, fearing the worst.

The captain pulled off his helmet and sat it on the table, running a hand through his short, dark hair. "Friend of yours?" He asked and Red nodded.

"He's dead then." She said quietly, feeling tears form and silently promised another, more painful, visit to Armande.

"Well." The captain sat across from her. "Could be he is."

"Could be?" Red jerked forward, wiping an escaped tear from her cheek.

"We did find a young man left for dead. Beaten bloody he was but we never not the chance to get to him." He huffed out a breath. "Damn Necromancers came out of nowhere. Five that I saw, maybe more and I'm sorry. They took your friend. Killed two of my guards as well."

"Necros." Red said and sat back, dropping a hand to her sword hilt. "Where did they take him?"

"Into the sewers. Where else?" The Captain sighed. "I've asked for troops to go down there and clean them out but Chancellor Ocato's playing it safe these days." He spat on the floor. "Bloody High Elf trying to teach us war happy Imperials how to behave."

"He said that?" Red asked in surprise and the Captain laughed.

"Aye. High and mighty those elves. Always." He sobered. "You're going in after your friend?"

Red nodded firmly. "I am."

"I wont stop you. If you do manage to find them and come out alive I'll offer a reward for the job." He tossed a Septim on the table as a promise. "Show 'em how war happy we are."

Red smiled, sweeping the coin off the table as she rose. "I intend too." She left the guard tower and headed for the other side of the Arboretum, where she knew a sewer entrance to be. She'd used it before many times. It was hidden from sight in a small grove and she pushed through the trees. A nearby lamp gave just enough light to see the lid had been pushed aside already. She heeded the sudden warning in her head and drew her sword.

As if on cue, two robed figures stepped from the trees across the grove. Their jet black robes showed the blood red symbol of their twisted order. "Bad night for you to be out on your own girl." The taller of the two said softly. "You should have stayed home safe in your bed."

"No." Red replied and smiled, making them frown. "You should have stayed safe in yours." Red flung out her left hand and the knife she'd held there. It sailed across the clearing and planted itself in the chest of the shorter necromancer. He fell with a cry as Red closed the distance to the other.

The remaining Necromancer stared in shock and then brought his hands up, casting a spell that went wide as Red sliced his hand free of his arm. He stumbled back screaming rage and she swept his feet to knock him to the ground. She drove her sword into his good arm, pinning it to the ground and dropped to his chest. She drove another knife up under his jaw, silencing his howls.

"You took a friend of mine last night." She growled into his face. "Tell me he lives still and you may as well."

"Witch!" The Necromancer screamed up at her. "My brethren will feast on you!"

Red reached over and gave her sword a twist, making him cry out again. "Last chance Necromancer."

"You wont kill me." He spat at her. "You're kind always have morals."

Red grinned down at him until he stopped laughing. "Oh I started my life with a very different set of morals." She knelt forward and breathed the word 'assassin' in his ear and felt him twitch. She leaned back to look into his now white face. "To save my friend I can kill you. Live or die. Your choice."

The Necromancer swallowed twice and then firmed his jaw. "You can't torment me after death." He said finally. Red felt him tense and looked over to see a fireball growing in his palm. She gave him no time to loose it drove her dagger home, his choice made.

She rose grimly and pulled her sword free, then turned and a gasp startled from her. William stood across the grove.

"Evening, Red." Will said and stepped over the corpse of a third Necromancer she hadn't seen nor heard.

"Have you been there the whole time?" Red asked and he nodded. "Then why didn't you help me?" She said in surprise. Will chuckled and gestured at the two bodies behind her.

"You seemed to have it under control." Will bent and pulled her knife from the chest of the necro she'd left it in and handed it to her. "Did I hear correctly? These fiends have Quinn?"

Red answered the dangerous glint in his eyes. "They took him last night and what are you doing here anyway? I left you at the Tavern!"

Will smirked. "Had a little chat with your friend and decided to come see if I could be of help. You always get up to the best trouble."

Red laughed. "I'm glad you came." She stepped to the sewer entrance. "Shall we?"

"Ladies first." Will replied and bowed her forward, making her laugh again. She pulled a torch from her pack and, rather than climb, she jumped in. She knew this entrance and it's short drop. At the bottom she stepped out of the way and lit her torch as Will landed deftly beside her.

"The guard captain offered a reward for clearing out these Necros." She told Will with a sly smile. He chuckled.

"Even more incentive then, though I don't need it." He drew his own blade and started down the slick stairs. "Let's go find Quinn."