Elfiran came walking through the kitchen door at that moment carrying another huge tray laden with biscuits, mutton, cheese, and eggs. Having caught the last sentence of J'layah, and seeing her reaction to Tabanallis' accidental shot, he thought to have a little fun.
"Ah J'layah, the best cure fer whet's ailin' ye right now do be a large tankard of me finest ale. Thet'l clear the muddiness from yer head eh Balefire?" Elfiran grins and sets the tray down on the table, then takes a seat himself."
Now where's thet Alduin and his bunch?" Elfiran says between mouthfuls of ale, biscuits, eggs, and mutton. "Ole Balefire and meself 'ave been up since the sun rose, oh, about 3 hours ago. Tis been fun recountin' old battles and friends. But from him ah gather we need te get a move on te save the lass thet needs our help."
"ALDUIN!" Elfiran shouts, "GET YER LAZY ARSE DOWN HERE AND BRING THOSESMELLY LOUTS WITH YOU, OR YE'LL BE LEFT BEHIND!" Elfiran glances over at Balefire and sees the great warrior about to crack up. "Aye Bale, if thet do nay get 'im down here, nuttin will." Elfiran continues to gorge himself while waiting for the rest of the party members to arrive in his great common room..............
The great axe bore down hard upon the Redguard, nearly breaking his broad sword, though it be forged of the very toughest ebony. The axe came down again and again, each time the man barely able to keep it from ending his life. His arms felt like water, weak and slow.
"Blast you wizard! Cast the spell!"
Shomshar was hopping about, trying to get a clear shot at K'tarin. With a wrenching twist, the Redguard managed to place K'tarin between himself and the mage. The Breton had had his spell readied, and let loose a blistering fireball. It exploded on K'tarin's back, but he took no notice of it. His Orcish plate became blackened and his clothes smouldered, but otherwise there was no sign that he had been injured. The defender, however, was thrown back from the blast, landing in a crumpled heap. The Breton's mouth went dry. He cast another ball of fire, and another, but K'tarin's attention was entirely trained on S'talin, who lay at his feet.
The fallen warrior wailed in terror. "Stop him! By Oblivion Shomshar, stop him!"
K'tarin raised up his axe for a killing blow. The Breton cast a combination spell, a spell of paralysis and agony. It would nearly drain him but S'talin didn't seem able to kill troublesome K'tarin. A globe of white light engulfed K'tarin, and he stayed his attack. Within the globe, white fire and lightning coursed through the Redguard, tearing at his armour. Shomshar smiled in satisfaction.
His smile slipped.
K'tarin was turning, now striding with terrible speed at the wizard. The globe came with him. Shomshar nearly fell on his face in fear. The other Redguard was getting up, but making no move to help. Blood flowed freely from his hands and arms and head. In desperation, Shomshar cast a teleport spell on his comrade, then himself.
A moment later, S'talin and Shomshar were lying on cold stone. The teleport had worked. They were alive. S'talin was breathing heavily, taking in air in ragged gasps. The dark room was silent but for that.
"K'tarin. My spells..." the Breton's voice quavered.
"I told you he was a Werre."
Shomshar began to calm down. "Nonsense! They're a myth. He had some sort of powerful protection. Even so, he should have died."
Shomshar picked himself up from the floor, stood unsteadily. He saw that S'talin was still bleeding profusely. He cast a rude healing spell with his last reserve of magic, but the Redguard's wounds did not close. His life kept flowing onto the floor. There was an edge of panic to the man's voice.
"I tell you, he was Werre."
The Breton frowned. "Shut up! You must see a healer."
The tavern door thundered aside, admitting the Redguard, K'tarin. He came into the room at a furious pace. His expression was dangerous, the usual impassivity broken by a fierce scowl. His black eyes flashed beneath his heavy brow. Fresh blood stained his face and hands. His great axe was unsheathed and its black head gleamed redly. He spoke for the first time, his voice was like a thundercloud.
"They've gone!"
At his entrance, only Balefire and Twilight were ready for combat. They had spun around in their seats and nearly drew their weapons at the sight of the Redguard. The rest were caught in mid-bite or with mugs to their lips. J'layah choked on her cheese and started a coughing fit.
K'tarin paid them no heed and raced up the stairs, three steps at a time. The Redguard was out of sight before Elfiran could berate him for treating his door so badly, which now was slowly swinging back closed again from the force of the rebound. Mea Culpa offered J'layah a drink, absently forgetting it contents. J'layah took a swig of the ale, almost choking in surprise. It was Mea's turn to blush.
Everyone could hear the Redguard pounding down the corridor upstairs, then the door to Alduin's room being flung aside. There was a muffled shout of surprise and a quick, heated conversation, then more thumping of the Redguard jogging back up the corridor with something in tow.
Alduin was sleeping comfortably for perhaps the first time in three weeks. No hard ground, no cold nights, no rain on his bare head. He was slowly coming into that comfortable place between sleep and wakefulness when the door slammed aside. The small man gave a loud snort of surprise as he was rather rudely pulled from the bed. He was set roughly on his feet and clothes were being shoved over his head. It was all he could do to stay upright.
"Master, we must leave. Now"
Alduin could stand on his own now, and was hastily pulling on his boots before the Redguard could do it for him.
"What are you talking about? Are the others gone?" Alduin dismissed that. "They wouldn't leave without us."
The Redguard shook his head violently. "It's S'talin and Shomshar. They've left."
The Redguard wouldn't elaborate more as he snatched Alduin's belongings and hauled the scribe down the hall. Alduin found himself, blinking and bleary-eyed, in the midst of the common room, all eyes staring at him. He tried to imagine himself, bedraggled, his fringe of white hair waving about, his robes and boots uneven. He flushed in embarrassment and anger, but as sleep left his mind, he perceived the bloody state of his travelling companion. Apprehension stamped out his anger, and promptly sat on his embarrassment. All eyes were now trained on the Redguard. It dawned on Alduin that the man had made quite an impression this morning.
*What the blazes is going on?* though Alduin.
K'tarin got straight to the point.
"We must leave now."
He got quite a diverse reaction from his audience. Balefire and Elfiran were competing for the darkest scowl. Twilight and Mea Culpa were on the edge of their seats, a bit taken aback at this strange Redguard giving them orders. Tabanallis was still shoving pastry in his face. J'layah didn't know how to take all this. With effort, K'tarin elaborated.
"My companions, S'talin and Shomshar, have fled. Not long after dawn, I was awakened by their leaving. The left out the back and I followed them for I knew something was strange in this. I followed them for some distance and spied them meeting with a Dark Brother. I confronted them. The Brother fled into the woods while S'talin and the Breton stayed me. I could not kill them before Shomshar teleported them both to safety. They are spies of the Brotherhood. My trust in them was misplaced. For that, they will die."
K'tarin's face was impassive again, but his eyes were unchanged. They blazed with fury. Without further comment, he turned back up the stairs to gather his things.
*Two* choking fits in as many days! And then she'd swallowed some of that bitter ale.....what was that old saying? "Hair of the werewolf that bit you..." Well despite Elfiran's assurances to the opposite all it did was churn J'layah's already volatile stomach to boiling point. Fortunately almost everybody's attention was riveted on the Redguard and that cranky old coot he'd dragged out of bed, so they didn't notice herretching into an empty tankard. Good! One less humiliating experience. At least her stomach felt somewhat better afterwards.
Wiping her mouth she gingerly placed the almost-full tankard with its steaming contents back on the table, catching the tail end of a heated conversation:
***
"My companions, S'talin and Shomshar, have fled. Not long after dawn, I was awakened by their leaving. The left out the back and I followed them for I knew something was strange in this. I followed them for some distance and spied them meeting with a Dark Brother. I confronted them. The Brother fled into the woods while S'talin and the Breton stayed me. I could not kill them before Shomshar teleported them both to safety. They are spies of the Brotherhood. My trust in them was misplaced. For that, they will die."K'tarin's face was impassive again, but his eyes were unchanged. They blazed with fury. Without further comment, he turned back up the stairs to gather his things.***
"Does this mean we should divide out forces?" she wondered aloud. "We can hardly allow such a frail old man to travel into death's maw, armed only with his books and a berserker Redguard!" She looked to her companions for their counsel.
"Nay lass, we'll be better off tegether fer the time bein'" Elfiran's eyes got cold and hard, and his jaw clenched. "So the Brotherhood has nay given up yet eh? Well, we'll take Alduin and K'tarin with us. Any assassins foolish enough te try te tackle our force will end up with their heads joinin' yer collection. Ah'll get the kitchen te russle us up some travelin grub. The rest of ye better get yer stuff tegether. I mean te travel within the hour. Balefire, could ye set up some type of ward with a portal perhaps, around me tavern, since we're leavin it almost defenceless? Ah'd hate te finish our quest, only te arrive back here te cinders. "Saying that, Elfiran went through the double swinging ironwood doors into the kitchen and shortly the sounds of harried activity could be heard within........
Balefire reached into his pouch and drew forth a glowing emerald, strode over to the fireplace and set it against the mantelpiece. it sank into the wood and increased its glow as he muttered a cantrip over it.
***After a short while, the kitchen doors swing open and in walks Elfiran with 10 packs stuffed with foodstuffs. He sets them on the common room table, and goes behind the bar, reappearing mere seconds later with 4, yes 4, casks of ale. "These'l be mine. Balefire kin get 'is if'n he wants." Elfiran murmurs. He places them on the table, then goes upstairs, again reappearing a minute later with a satchel and his Long Sword strapped to his back. He then, draws a large tankard of ale from the keg at the bar, and sits down, awaiting his fellow adventurers....***
The Dark Elf Warmage gestured at the gem set into the mantelpiece. "You should like the effect of that ensorcelled emerald over there, Elfiran. Some time back, I had some trouble with a mage who got around the standard wards I had set around my house in Wayrest. After dealing with him, I did some research in defensive spells -- not usually my speciality -- and came up with a truly effective ward by combining several potent detection and destruction spells and setting them in that jewel with a trio of ancient vampire souls. If anyone inimical approaches within a long bowshot of the Porcupine, they will get a Wrathbolt *and* a blast of Skyfire for their trouble. It is triggered by a very sensitive Detect Enemies spell, so it will have no effect on your honest customers, but and Dark Brotherhood scum who come close are not going to leave enough of a corpse to merit burial. You won't ever have trouble with thieves again, either. I would have used it earlier, but while someone was around the premises I thought it better to leave things a little less impersonal. Please accept it as a gift, a small token of my appreciation for your excellent hospitality. Speaking of which, a few kegs of ale to take along seem like an excellent idea."
Alduin, belongings in arms, shuffled over to the table where J'layah and Mea Culpa sat. Then the smell hit him. He had a very sensitive nose, and the smell coming from the steaming tankard on table was quite sharp. He veered away at the last second and seated himself nearby. The tavern was a hive of activity, with Elfiran whipping up the cooks into a frenzy and the other heroes going through their routines. The small man felt smaller. He quietly went through his bag, organising the clothes, parchment tubes, inks and pens.
"We will leaving within the hour."
The announcement jolted Alduin from his shell. *An hour? In that case, I have time to capture this moment,* he thought.
With deft touch, he whipped out a long sheet of parchment from its protective leather tube and spread it out on the table. Out came the inkpot and quill, and Alduin dor Lammoth was comfortably the Master Scribe of Kineschel unu Lammoth. His pen tasted the ink once, then was set to the fine paper.
K'tarin walked quietly into his room, being the one next to his charge's. He gave a cursory inspection, finding no articles left behind by his once-companions. They had not meant to return. He sighed deeply at his mistake in befriending them. With quick efficiency, he soon had his gear packed in military fashion; not one strap or cord out of place, every article folded, stacked, or rolled like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. He had left one bit of grey cloth out, and now used it to clean his axe and rub down his armour. Below, he could hear the hurried bustle of the kitchen and common room, but up here, he was the picture of calm, as if he had all time in which to clean his weapon and armour. In truth, his hands were with easy efficiency. He took no thought of S'talin or Shomshar. They had betrayed him, and their time was drawing near. It was that simple. The core of a Werre is honour, and a Werre brooked no breach of honour in those around him. As the bustle below reached its climax, he stopped his polishing and finished his packing. He reached under his breast plate and drew out a red-stained talon medallion, 4 inches long and razor tipped. It was just as it was when it was pulled from its owner, the tendons knotted to form the loop. He felt its warmth in his palm and imagined the trace of magicka caught up within it. Carefully, he drew a drop of blood from his palm. "Honour will be served," he whispered, and said a short prayer. A few minutes later, he was sitting beside Alduin in the common room as Elfiran was coming through the ironwood kitchen doors loaded down with packs of foodstuffs.
Well to tell you the truth, I was pretty impressed by all the stuff that Elfiran brought out of the kitchen, I mean really 10 food packs, that's a lot of GP's at which I promptly started to look through my purse, assuming that at least 1 of those was going to be mine and I wanted to be ready and sure I had enough gold on hand, as I seem to be dealing with fairly well to do err ....citizens, I don't have that much you see, cause I've got a family back in Valenwood who need to eat too and with the price of enchanted armour these days a girl hasn't got much left, but I counted at least 53 gold so I should be save in regard to the food, the teleportation thing is something else all together, I've never been on one, I have no idea how much that would cost or if I'm eligible.
So I can tell you that my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw Balefire pull this huge emerald out of his pouch, glowing even.
"Girl" I said to myself" you gotta stick close to this guy, he's loaded (with monies I mean) there could be a future in it for you."
In any case, I was going to help J'layah, cause that's the way I am, even if I had to ride like the wind to catch up on them, and believe me, my horse can do that, she is fitted with horse shoes of Notorgo, which can be very handy in some cases, if you get my drift.
So I thought it prudent to at least tell Balefire about my financial situation, and inform him that whatever may come "Sacre Noir" was going to drink deeply from those detestable lowlifes and I was ready to leave.
The night was deep as Neetar approached the walls of the city of Vanshire. He quickly looked around to check there was no-one to see him. 'Not that they could see me anyway...', he thought, as he drew up the hood of his magical black cloak. Finding the material for his cloak and clothes had been a hard and long quest, but it was worth it, as he was virtually invisible in all but the brightest of light. This had proved to be very useful in his line of work.....
His tail swished from side to side as he began to scale the walls. He was up to the top in no time, and scanning around again for any unwanted presences. As before, there were none. And why should there be? No-one could know he was here. He had always been almost immune to any magic, and the magical medallion he had received strengthened that further. Especially against detection magic.
Neetar had found he could come and go pretty much as he pleased, and did so. He especially enjoyed entering undetected into Mage's Guilds, observing them and plotting towards the day he would destroy them all!
He spied out a suitable building and jumped. Landing as softly as his feline ancestors were famous for doing, he broke into a quick jog and jumped across to the next roof. As he made his way across the sloping rooftops towards his destination, he thought once again of his target and the reason.
This had been a very important assignment, coming almost straight from Mephala herself. That's why such a high ranking member had been chosen to carry it out. Apparently, some High Elf, by the name of Tabanallis, had been annoying Her in various ways. Firstly, he had been hunting Daedra Lords, some of who had been underlings of Herself, and secondly, he was getting to know too much about Daedra summoning for his own good. Some of the other Daedra princes had been getting annoyed too, and asked Mephala to do something about it. Neetar didn't care much for Daedra Lords, or their bosses, but he had a job to do, a very lucrative one in terms of profit and reputation. He had been sent to account for this Tabanallis, and anyone who might be helping him.
He came to a halt as his destination appeared before him. The Angry Porcupine. Tabanallis was said to frequent this watering-hole. All the easier if he was drunk. Neetar sat down to observe for a while before making his move.
Tabanallis was upstairs packing his books away, polishing his dai-katana, and refreshing his memory from his spell-book when he heard the now familiar holler of Balefire "Ho, good Tabanallis! Are you ready to leave? Will you join in a mug of ale? 'One for the road', as they say!"
Tab hoisted his pack and his weapons and made his way downstairs to the common room. The others were bustling around, getting ready, and packs of food lay on a table. Elfiran pointed to them saying "Take yer pick, laddie, ye're bound to be hungry sooner or later."
"Thank you, good sir" said Tab as he chose one. He set his things down in the corner as a glint from the mantel caught his eye. He wandered over to inspect it. A large gem had been set in the mantel, and Tab sensed it held powerful magics.
"Your handiwork, I presume, Balefire?" he asked of the big man. "Yes, some protection for the Porcie while we're away. Come and sit down!" replied Balefire, pouring a mug of ale, and indicating a seat for Tabanallis. Tab sat down, and accepted the ale, thinking 'This man sure can drink...'
***Well to tell you the truth, I was pretty impressed by all the stuff that Elfiran brought out of the kitchen, I mean really 10 food packs, that's a lot of GP's at which I promptly started to look through my purse, assuming that at least 1 of those was going to be mine and I wanted to be ready and sure I had enough gold on hand, as I seem to be dealing with fairly well to do err ....citizens, I don't have that much you see, cause I've got a family back in Valenwood who need to eat too and with the price of enchanted armour these days a girl hasn't got much left, but I counted at least 53 gold so I should be save in regard to the food, the teleportation thing is something else all together, I've never been on one, I have no idea how much that would cost or if I'm eligible.***
Although engaged in setting his magical wards for the Angry Porcupine, the Dark Elf Warmage noted peripherally that Mea was surreptitiously checking her funds. The look of concern coupled with determination on her face caused him to smile inwardly, but he kept his expression carefully impassive to avoid seeming patronising. It was, after all, to her credit that she had decided to go along even though apparently short of funds, and that she evidently intended to pay her own way. He would have to set her mind at rest on that score.
***So I can tell you that my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw Balefire pull this huge emerald out of his pouch, glowing even.
"Girl" I said to myself" you gotta stick close to this guy, he's loaded ( with monies I mean) there could be a future in it for you".***
Again Balefire stifled a grin. Whether warrior, Warmage, cleric, or tavern wench, a woman was a woman, it would seem. Though she might try to conceal her reaction, it was clear that where the Archmage saw only a magical tool, Mea saw a beautiful jewel.
***In any case, I was going to help J'layah, cause that's the way I am, even if I had to ride like the wind to catch up on them, and believe me, my horse can do that, she is fitted with horse shoes of Notorgo, which can be very handy in some cases, if you get my drift.
So I thought it prudent to at least tell Balefire about my financial situation, and inform him that whatever may come "Sacre Noir" was going to drink deeply from those detestable lowlifes and I was ready to leave.***
So softly that no ears but hers could hear, Balefire whispered reassurances. "Mea, there is no need to worry about money. I have been one of Tamriel's most successful mercenaries for rather longer than you have been alive. Even if I were to live another couple of hundred years, I could never spend what I have already made...though I certainly try. Even Twilight, who has been at this business a much shorter time, has made enough that she could probably buy this entire town did she care to. What's more, have you forgotten that I am a prince? Only of Ebonheart, 'tis true, and I have effectively abandoned my heritage, but I have more funds available than you could probably imagine, and little enough on which to spend them. Besides, I should hold it an honour if you allowed me to indulge myself by treating you while we remain together. The life of a mercenary is fraught with risks, but it can be a very profitable one if you live to spend your pay and your loot. It fosters a desire to spend while you live, since he who dies with the most gold can hardly be called a winner. Cease worrying about money, my dear. Humour me." The Warmage gave her a by-no-means-brotherly squeeze and raised his voice.
"Are we ready, then, to seek out and destroy this one-eyed assassin and rescue J'layah's sister? Methinks we must needs move quickly, as those traitors are sufficiently privy to our plans that we may already have lost the advantage of surprise."