The scene with the stag was enthralling. Talendor spraying breadcrumbs was hilarious. Looking forward to Broken Promises cave, I don’t think I’ve ever been in there.

@ Acadian - Glad to see you're starting to trust Honditar. Hopefully he can keep the trust he has earned.

@ T.K. - Welcome aboard! I hope you are enjoying it half as much as I am enjoying Derelas' story. Part of chosing amnesia as a vehicle was pure laziness on my part. I didn't have to coem up with a back story...right away at least.

@ Cap'n Hammer - Welcome as well! The other aspect of using amnesia is that it makes it easy to give a take on game mechanics, as if they're being seen for the first time. And ditto for me regarding trying to kill a deer for the first time in game. They kept running away!
RE: Ellipsis and the use of them, I have been puzzling over that a little. They are indeed meant to be a brief pause for effect. My rationale has been that a comma would be the shortest pause, next would be a period and starting a new sentence, and the longest being the ellipsis. Pauses longer than that would likely have text explaining the reason for a pause between closed and open quotes. I'll also use the ellipsis for trailing off. My take may be wrong on all of this. Thank you for pointing it out. It gives me cause for research.

@ grits - Talendor really wanted that deer! He hasn't killed anything "hunting" yet, except that rat! But the timing wasn't right...he couldn't do it.

@ Everyone - Thanks as always for your comments and support.





The easing storm had brought me back from drifting into a nap with a last peal of thunder. The wind had calmed to a breeze and the rain had lessened from a deluge to a steady soaker. I lay on my bedroll in the dark for a while, going over the bow techniques that Honditar had showed me. The wolf fight nagged at me. I had reached for my sword. That momentary delay had almost cost me my throat. I made myself a promise, lying next to that boulder. I would concentrate on my bow and forget about bladed weapons.

But the blade feels as natural to you as the bow does…

I could not deny that thought. Ever since the cell, I had reflexively reached for the blade when I needed defense. For that matter, it was my sword that had ended my first encounter with a child-killer. Somehow, I knew how to use the bloody thing. Maybe if I find one in the cave, I’ll just keep it.

Hey…knot-head…You know more than Honditar now? I don’t think so…

That was another undeniable thought. I shook my head and reaffirmed my self-promise. No swords. Tired of debating with myself, I rose and gathered my gear. I didn’t relish walking in the rain at night, but I had grown restless. I walked to the nearest tree and checked for moss to get my bearings. Once I did, I pulled out the map and chose my direction.

After a mile or so, I reached a stand of spruce trees. There was immediate relief from the soaking rain once I was beneath the low canopy. I paused here for a few minutes to rest my eyes from squinting against the rain. The spruce boughs had kept the ground relatively dry here. It would make an ideal campsite for the return trip. I could hear the rain slowing to a drizzle as I stood there. It was time to get moving again.

It must have been getting close to dawn because the area was noticeably better lit when I emerged from the trees. But what really caught my eye was a deer silhouetted against a pale boulder. I stopped and crouched slowly, readying an arrow shot. I began a steady inhale timed with drawing back the bowstring, accounted for the drop and let the arrow fly. I lost sight of it in the dim light, but was rewarded with seeing the deer tumble up against the boulder. I leaped into the air, pumping my fist, and started toward my kill…then froze. A fair sized gray animal had reached the deer and was starting to eat it! I sent an arrow into the deer thief as fast as I could. It barked and ran off just as a red-hot poker lanced my thigh and knocked me down. I looked at my leg and saw that it had sprouted a shaft with feathers on the end of it.

“Die, fetcher!” came a cry from the unseen archer in the general direction of where the deer lay. I retreated into the spruce trees as fast as my wounded leg would allow and got my back against a central tree trunk. Panting and wincing from the pain, I readied an arrow. I hoped the archer would blunder through the boughs in pursuit. I waited until I heard the branches rustle, and then turned from behind the tree, aimed and shot. The arrowhead shattered the bandit’s nose bridge on its way through the back of his skull, knocking my attacker out of his boots.

“Arrrggggh!” I screamed through clenched teeth. I dropped to my knees and looked at my wound. The arrow had passed all the way through, its glistening head pointing behind me. My thigh was bleeding profusely. I removed the dagger from my belt and cut the shaft behind the arrowhead, yelling with fresh pain as I did. On the ebb of that pain came one more wave as I removed the severed shaft from my leg. My vision was beginning to swim. I fumbled through my satchel for healing potions and drank two of them down as fast as I could open them. Warm healing surges washed through me as I passed out.



I opened my eyes to a lattice of spruce branches above my head. It seemed that I was only out for a few minutes. Feeling my leg, I confirmed this by finding blood still wet on my greaves. I sat up and saw the bandit lying barefoot with an arrow through his face. I looked back at my leg and marveled again at the power of the healing potion. Getting to my feet, I walked over and collected the bandit’s boots.

“Thanks for getting out of these for me, fetcher,” I said, shaking the boots at the corpse on my way out of the trees. It was only marginally brighter out, reconfirming that I was unconscious for just a few minutes. I walked over to the deer and hastily field dressed it. I wasted a lot of meat, taking only a couple pounds of the venison, but I was in a hurry. I had no idea if there might be other enemies in the area. About twenty feet away was a dead dog with an arrow in its neck. I went over to it and recovered the arrow, then continued toward the cave entrance.

The pre-dawn light was helpful as I entered Broken Promises. I was able to remain undetected by enemies as I closed the door behind me. There were two bandits in the first room I snuck into. They were talking to each other. Oddly enough, they were talking about the same subjects I had heard discussed while walking the streets of Chorrol. It was like they were out for a stroll on a sunny day. I hoped they would split up, but grew impatient. I sent one bandit strolling backward and ended its sunny days. The other turned and drew its weapon, yelling that same absurd phrase, “Die, fetcher!” Two shots later, he was strolling with his companion again.

I walked over and pulled my arrows from the would-be fetcher-killer. He was a dark elf…Dunmer is what Honditar had called them. The dead archer outside had also been a dark elf.

Maybe ‘fetcher’ is what the Dunmer called children…

The rest of what I have grown to think of as the ‘cave cleaning’ went smoothly. Only one other bandit had to endure the pain of a second arrow. The rest entered eternal sleep completely by surprise. After the last bandit had fallen, I slung my bow and lit a torch. I had treated this cave just as I had treated Pillaged Mine, waiting to search for and gather loot until all enemies were dead. I yawned and rubbed my eyes. As much as I hated the confines of the cave, I needed to rest. I had not slept since the night I exited Pillaged Mine. I laid the torch down and unrolled my bedroll. I don’t remember my head hitting the pillow.



When I awoke, the first order of business was eating. I was starved! I started a fire by incanting that strange sounding word. The bandits had been kind enough to supply some bread and dishes. I pulled the venison from my satchel, along with some cheese. After roasting the venison, I placed some on sliced bread with some cheese and wolfed it down. The former occupants had even provided a choice of wine or ale to wash it down.

Who knew that their last act would be one of hospitality?

I chuckled at that thought as I gathered my gear and relit my torch. It was time to head back. Searching the cave yielded over a hundred more Septims, some potions, poisons, and jewelry. And of course, nine more pairs of boots. The boots wouldn’t bring much money, but I found an odd joy at leaving the child-killers shoeless.

I reached the entrance, doused the torch, and stepped outside. Mayhem ensued immediately as a bandit charged at me with a mace that was ready to scramble my brains. In one swift motion, I pulled my bow and swung it like a scythe at the bandit’s legs as I ducked. He went down like a sack of potatoes. Before he could recover, I was standing with one foot on his throat. I had pulled an arrow and had it nocked and pointed at his head.

“I’ll give you a choice, child-killer,” I said, “You can join your dead comrades, or you can remove your boots and start running. As long as I see your back and not your face, my arrow will stay resting against the bowstring. What say you?” I finished, drawing the bowstring back halfway.

“I’ll go! I’ll go! I’ve never killed a child, I swear. Just don’t kill me!” he replied. I removed my foot and he did as I had ordered, removing his boots and running as if his life depended on it, which it did. When he was out of sight, I walked over to a small boulder and sat down. I was trembling.

Where is this side of you coming from? What well of courage spewed that fountain of bravado?

Being so caught up in learning from Honditar, spelunking for income, and trying to fit in, I had hardly thought about my true situation. I needed answers and had no idea where to find them. I didn’t even have a clue as to where to start looking.

You have killed close to two dozen people on top of countless other creatures and taken it as a matter of fact, like it was normal. What are you doing here?

I got up, shaking my head. I couldn’t dwell on that right now. I needed to take things one step at a time, one day at a time. I knew I was avoiding the issue. But what choice did I have? I wasn’t going to answer my questions or solve my mysteries by sitting here brooding over them. I gathered my gear and paused, looking at the cave entrance. Broken Promises cave had yielded one unbroken promise. I had not used a blade in battle even once. I turned and headed back to Chorrol, one step at a time…



AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have stated that this is a game narrative, but there will be times that I will have to take some license. This has been one of those times. I can't see Talendor killing every NPC that attacks him. Hence, the merciful release of the last bandit. He won't be the last, just as "mercy" won't be my only deviation from game mechanics.

Once again I enjoyed the latest installment in Talendor's exploration of Nirn and of his own existence.

I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to apologize or justify departing from game mechanics. We've all done it to some degree or other. As long as it fits the character and the course of events you are plotting, and progresses either the plot or the character, it's fine. Keep it believable, or make it humorous, as you feel is best.

I agree, there's no need to apologize for straying from the game... look how far my own character has gone from the beaten path! As far as I'm concerned, his story takes place in Cyrodiil at the same time as the Oblivion Crisis, and that's it. I do take some side-quests straight from the game, but the overarching story being told is that of my character. It is his story, no one else's.

Straying from the game's path allows you to add variety and spice to your story that can otherwise not be achieved while playing, and I highly encourage it.

As for the lazy amnesia approach, I'm not much better, as I chose the only slightly more difficult (if even that) fish-out-of-water approach by having Dere be a foreigner. You can tell when someone is using amnesia as a crutch, and you are not.

Anyways, back to the story. Many more child-killing bandits are now in need of a cobbler thanks to our boot-pilfering Talendor. Leaving the last one alive was a nice touch, as it shows that Talendor does have mercy in his heart, which can only improve the readers' image of him.

Does it matter? Just kill the n'wah!

No. Think more along the lines of a "Mother Fetcher," since I think this was Bethesda's way of getting crap past the radar. Alternatively, remember that "T" can be silent in words like "Tsunami" and the "ch" can be hard like in the name "Zachary." Now we just put the emphasis on the last syllable like it's a war-cry...

As far as game mechanics go: Hey, don't worry about it. In fact, good for you! If Bethesda had sunk as much code into the game to allow you to simulate playing a pen-and-paper RP without noticing the difference, the result would have been a game bigger and more convoluted than any current console could handle. I, for one, approve of any attempts to include realistic things like 'fear of continuing to fight an opponent that clearly outmatches you' or "Hey, there's an avenue of escape here!" as part of the story experience.

You don't see grabbing a Dremora and shoving his head into the Sigil Tower's Fire-Column-of-Death as part of the game experience. Did that stop me? HECK NO! And it was fun to write that in.

The sword/no sword debate is intriguing. After all, who knows what Talendor can really do?

Maybe ‘fetcher’ is what the Dunmer called children…
I know, use it in conversation. That’s a good idea!

spelunking for income Love it!

I also heartily endorse your creative departures. I enjoy the variety of twists folks have put on their stories as much as the ones that stay very true to the game.

The only thing I'd say about the deviation from game mechanics is that once you've done it, you need to remain consistent with your own change.

Now all opponents are allowed to run away. They don't have to, so reverting to regular game rules won't be noticed and you'll always get away with this one, which makes it OK. I'd avoid doing anything that's going to be noticeable when you forget, because you will. (A corollary of Murphy's law)

That is the first thought I had, some nice Dark Elf invites him to dinner with his family ... and the rest is history.

I also heartily endorse any creative departures - and welcome them !!! Game journals can only be just so different from the next, it is these creative departures that perk the interest (to me) and set your story out of the journalistic and into an intriguing read.

Since everyone had pretty much the same comment, this part is easy today...

@ Everyone - I think I was worried that some purist might say, "Hey...you can't do that!" I am currently seven chapters ahead of my posts with my writing, and there are other instances of deviation from game mechanics. It is good to know that I don't have to worry about them.

As usual, thank you all for your comments and support.





The walk back to Chorrol was uneventful. I had hoped to get a deer or two on the return trip, but it was not to be. The walk did give me time to contemplate. It almost seemed as if I were more than one person. On the one hand, I was a simple wood elf that relished every chance to be amongst the trees, care free and whimsical. On the other, I was an effective killer with knowledge of weapons and their efficient use. Like right now, I am walking in The Great Forest and thoroughly enjoying myself. If a wolf were to jump out, I would morph into this fearless life-taking being. Trying to puzzle it out for myself was like trying to explain the difference between red and blue to a blind man. Lost in these thoughts, the south gate of Chorrol came into my view. Rantus was standing post outside the gate and we exchanged pleasantries before I entered.

The sun was setting as I made the usual post-expedition rounds to all the shops in town and then went to the inn. Talasma had Shepherd’s Pie on the menu, advertised on a slate perched on an easel outside the front door. I could smell it the minute I walked in. I sat and gorged myself, washing it down with some very tasty red wine. I retired to my room, washed, and went to bed. I figured a good long sleep might be wise, as there was no telling what Honditar might have in store for the next excursion.

The next morning, dawn came and went a good three hours before I woke. I hadn’t realized just how tired I was. I bolted up and got dressed, feeling like I was about to miss something. Talasma must have thought I was a glutton, wolfing my breakfast down the same way I mowed through the pie last night. I paid for the meal and hurried out the door, heading for Honditar’s house. He opened the door before I knocked and invited me in.

“Here is your cut,” I said as I dropped a pouch of coins on his table.

“But I had not specified any fee for this trip,” Honditar stated as he lifted the pouch and surveyed its contents.

“It’s the least I can do. You have helped me so much.”

“I didn’t say there wouldn’t be a fee. I said that I had not specified one…yet,” he said as he unlocked and opened a small chest, placing the pouch inside, “Not money, but thank you just the same.”

Well there’s thirty Septims gone…wait ‘til he asks next time, knot-head…

Honditar continued, “The fee today is your undivided attention for as long as required. Do you think you can afford that?”

“Absolutely,” I said, still staring at the small chest that housed coinage I should have held onto.

“I’m over here,” he said, snapping his fingers.

“Right, sorry,” I said and went to sit with him at the table.

“Today we are going to discuss Magicka.”

Honditar paused for a moment, as if waiting for me to ask what Magicka was. When I didn’t speak, he arched an eyebrow and grinned a little, then continued.

“There is a force present in all things on Nirn. We call it Magicka. It is ethereal and doesn’t become tangible until it is wielded. It is everywhere. In me, you, the table, even the coins you gave me a moment ago,” I glanced at the chest again as he continued, “The existence of Magicka is not a matter of faith, but an undeniable fact. You are not required to believe in it for it to be wielded. You only require the knowledge of how to wield it in order to do so. This ties Magicka directly to the intelligence of the user. You seem to be very intelligent…scatter-brained at times…but intelligent none the less.”

I could not suppress a grin, but wiped it off my face just as quickly.

“You said that you have been able to use some Magicka during your short time here. You exercised elemental and restorative uses, by uttering strange sounds that you understood even though they sounded foreign. ‘Incanting strange powers’, I believe is what you called it. The fact that you uttered the sounds had no bearing on its use. Those ‘sounds’ are actually words. How you have knowledge of them is beyond me. They have not been spoken on Nirn for millennia. The first syllable defined the realm, or school, of the Magicka, and the second defined the use within that realm. That is as close as I can get to explaining it,” he paused briefly, and then continued, “However, the incantation is not necessary. You can do the same thing by just focusing your mind. I know that focusing is not your strong point, but discipline will come with experience. In essence, you focus your mind on what you require of Magicka, seeing it happen in your mind, and then releasing it. We call this casting. What you cast with Magicka, we call spells. A trained mage makes this happen in an instant, whereas you had to speak it in order to gain sufficient focus to accomplish what you desired. Are you following me?” he asked as he finished.

“I think so. What about the goblin staff that I found?”

“Good question! I am pleased that you thought to ask that,” he said with a smile, then continued, “As I said, all things on Nirn have Magicka to one degree or another. But items can be imbued with additional Magicka as well. Such was the case with the staff. It was once just a piece of wood with its natural amount of Magicka. Someone, or something, infused the elemental power of lightning into the wood. At that point it became a tool, for lack of a better word, to focus and concentrate that power for the wielder. This is why goblins use them. They lack the mental alacrity to focus their minds sufficiently for casting, and have to rely on enchanted items to wield Magicka. Other creatures can cast spells. Take imps, for example. They have sufficient mental abilities to cast basic elemental spells. Are imps more intelligent than goblins? Possibly, but they are not nearly as dexterous, so an imp wouldn’t know what to do with a mace if one fell into its hand.”

“So how do I learn how to focus and use Magicka?” I asked.

“That is another great question! There is hope for you yet, Bosmer,” he said, “and it leads to the heart of our discussion. You require training. I am knowledgeable in many things, but this training is above my ability. I suggest you join the Mages Guild. With your obvious intelligence, you should excel with their training. Plus there are perks. You will have a free bed to sleep in at any Guild hall. There is an alchemist at almost every Guild hall for buying and selling alchemical ingredients. But the biggest perk for you, my friend, is knowledge. It is the perfect path to finding out your true purpose for being on Nirn.”

“How much does it cost to join this guild?” I inquired.

“Out of pocket, it costs you nothing,” Honditar said, “Of your time and energy, it will cost plenty. It will require discipline and perseverance. Do not take it lightly. Remain focused on the tasks and lessons that the Guild affords you.”

“I will,” I promised.

“Now, I have something to show you. Let’s step outside,” he said, rising from the bench.

We walked outside and Honditar asked me to wait where I was. He walked around the back of his house and returned with a cage and an iron mace. In the cage was a large rat, ferociously trying to get at him through the bars. He stopped a couple dozen feet away from me and set the cage on the ground.

“Every Bosmer is born with an ability known as ‘Beast Tongue’. It will allow you to cajole animals to your will. It is a form of Magicka called a Greater Power. These powers are race specific. Each race has its own unique Greater Power. Some say that they were gifts granted to each race by The Nine Divines, while others argue that it is much more ancient than that. But I digress. I want you to focus your mind on the rat. Focus your need to have the rat bend to your will. Focus on making it your ally. When you think you are ready, point to the rat and I will open the cage. As soon as he charges you, release that focus through your hand toward the rat. Got it?”

“I will try,” I said.

I did exactly what Honditar had described. I cleared my mind first, and then placed the rat there alone. I pictured the rat becoming a pet, an ally, a soldier. I raised my hand and pointed. Honditar opened the cage and the rat immediately charged at me. As I released the Magicka, green light bloomed from my hand and shot at the charging rodent. Suddenly, the rat stopped, and then walked toward me calmly.

“This effect is not permanent, but you can certainly see the implications this can have when you are in a cave and confronted with several of these beasts. Allow me to show one such implication,” he said, then raised the mace and charged at me with a yell.

The rat immediately spun around and shot for Honditar, who quickly dispatched the rodent with a skull crushing blow from the mace. I just stared in awe.

“And there you have it,” he said, “You will find that Magicka is going to be an essential tool for you during your stay here in Tamriel. You have but scratched the surface of three uses so far. The Mage’s Guild is going to be able to teach you many score more. Think on it first if you prefer, but I suggest you join today. It is never too early to begin an education. They will likely have you traveling all over the province, which in and of itself will be a learning experience. In the mean time, if you ever need to come across more coin, come visit me and we’ll make another mark on your map. Come, let’s eat.”

We went back indoors and had a meal of beef stew and bread. He asked me to tell the tale of my trip to Broken Promises. When I had finished the tale, he rose and fetched my sword.

“Take this with you then,” he said, “It may be that I misjudged, since you seem to be as adept with a blade as you are with a bow. But promise me to at least try to keep your bow as your weapon of choice.”

“I will, Honditar. Thank you so much for all that you have done for me. I won’t ever forget it, or you. You are my one and only true friend here. It may be some time before I see you again, and I will miss our lessons,” I said with genuine emotion.

“I will miss you as well, Talendor. If you need to confide in someone at the Guild, trust Athragar. Remember, aim true and don’t be seen. Now off with you. Good luck, my friend.”

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

EDIT - Nits picked.

Great to see an in-depth lesson on magicka, especially for someone that hasn't grown up with it.

I'm liking Honditar more and more. True, he probably has ulterior motives, but then, who doesn't? The fact is, Honditar is giving Telandor tips that are essential for survival in the strange world we call Nirn.

I do notice a couple of things in this segment that bears commenting on specifically:

This is a common spelling error. It's advertised. There are other words spelled with s that are commonly misspelled with z instead. Since I'm deaf and can't hear the difference, I'm guessing it may be because they are pronounced with a 'z' sound rather than the 's'. It's the only way I can explain why this is such a common spelling error in so many words that end in '-ise'.

This had me confused for a moment there. Imbibe is what I consider an active action, something performed by the subject. The dictionary defines it as ingestion of alcoholic beverages, i.e. drinking. It would be used to refer to an action by the subject, like this: I imbibed freely of the amber Bock. I'm thinking the word you want instead is something somewhat similar: imbue. Imbue to me is more passive, it is something that is done to an object. The dictionary defines it as to inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality. The staff was imbued with magicka beyond its innate levels.

The third thing I noticed, which is more stylistic than anything else, so it's something you can disregard if you choose (and still be right!). It seems to me that Honditar is just a little accepting of the idea that Talendor is not of Nirn. For most people with no experience with outer space exploration, rocket science, and knowledge of planets other than our own, the idea of an extraterrestrial is incomprehensible. Beings considered otherworldly in the real sense are considered spirits, ghosts, angels, demons, even gods. As such the normal reaction to such beings would be fear or awe or both. If Honditar were to consider Talendor as extra-Nirn, which is the impression I'm getting from his conversation, especially , then he seems unusually matter-of-fact about it, as if it was a common everyday occurrence to see other-Nirn beings standing in front of you in need of your help. Judging from the reaction of all the NPC's to the idea of daedra roaming the surface of Nirn, Honditar's reactions seem even more jarring to me. It's as if he's read too many H.G. Wells.

But I'm enjoying this story so far, and I really like the characters a lot. The way they interact with each other is a joy to read.

Honditar spends a lot of his time outside the Mages Guild in Chorrol, so he's probably seen a lot more conjuration than most non-mages. So he possibly regards Talendor as a Bosmer who's messed up a summon and got something "foreign" if not alien stuck in his head.

Since Talendor has a Bosmer's instincts and someone else's memories, it's interesting to conjecture which of the two halves Honditar regards as the "right" one. It looks to me like he's trying to restore Talendor to his idea of what a Bosmer should be. But as an Altmer archer, you'd think he'd take the other side.

It all makes for a good story and plenty of potential for the plot.to go in any direction.

So Talendor'll be joining that great bastion of usefulness, the Mages Guild, eh? Well, if he does, good for him. That course of action is Breton-Spellsword approved!

On a more formal note, Honditar's lecture of Nirn's system of arcana is excellent and well put together. He's pleased when Talendor asks good questions, able to make his student demonstrate a lesson for himself, and demanding of his attention. He reminds me of my favorite professors, and your portrayal of a wise mentor for the less-than-fully-attentive student is spot on. Great job.

@ h.e.rider - Thanks for the nits...they have been picked. With Talendor not knowing where he is from, that line of thought had leaked into Honditars dialogue. You are absolutely correct that he shouldn't have assumed Talendor was not of Nirn.

@ ghastley - I'm zipping my lip on possible plot lines, but I like that idea of a conjuration gone bad and a foreign "spirit" in Talendor's head.

@ Cap'n Hammer - Even though Talendor is amazingly adept at both blade and bow, the Mages Guild did indeed seem the better option from an educational stand point. Thanks to you and h.e.rider for the compliments on Honditar's lecture. I hope your professor wasn't 6'6" with pointy ears!

@ Everyone - Thanks as always for your comments and support.





Eldritch wisps of mist swirled amidst the moonlit trees. The mist seemed to have a mind of its own, performing a choreographed dance that had a purpose. As it wove in and out of the branches, the angel hair strands began to coalesce into form. The shape was vague at first and then recognizable as that of a woman’s face. She was beautiful, conveying benevolence and protection, such as a mother might appear to a child. The spectral woman spoke in an echoing, sing-song voice.

“The Thief shall guide your steps on the road to destiny. That road may twist in circles and switchbacks, but the final destination shall remain, for destiny brooks no change. Trust in your guide, for she will aid you in your times of need. Be true, always.”

The face faded to reveal the front of a house. A man stood in front of the entry with a woman at his side, her arm around his waist. The couple dissolved into mist and dissipated. The doorway to the house loomed closer and opened into darkness. The inky blackness became an interior landscape bathed in blood colored light. Furnishings were placed at odd angles and locations. They were undamaged, but out of place, with shadows cast at impossible angles. A bed stood on end against a wall. There was a table with chairs stacked on top of it, mocking gravity. A basement door beckoned and grew closer. The door opened to more blackness. The feeling of falling now, through complete and utter darkness, toward a ring of lights. They were nine distinct points of light that morphed from blue-white stars into balls of flame. The globes of fire congealed into one shape. A flaming demons face, grinning with evil intent. Then the demon began to laugh…

I jerked awake, evil laughter still echoing in my head like the final punctuation of a vile joke. I rubbed my face and took a deep breath, trying to exhale the remnants of the dream.

How could a dream change from being so soothing to something so horrific?

I rose, washed, and got dressed, all the while trying to shake the flames from my thoughts.

‘The Thief shall guide your steps…’ Who is The Thief? The only thieves I have encountered aren’t the type of guide I want…

Shaking my head again, I packed all of my belongings into my satchel and shouldered it. I glanced around at the room that had been my home. With a sigh, I left the room and went downstairs. Talasma was not at her usual station behind the bar, and the common room was completely empty. I sat at the bar, placing my satchel on the stool next to mine. I was contemplating what I should have for breakfast when Talasma came in from the kitchen. She was wearing an apron, and her usual blue blouse was smeared with flour. With a ‘pfft’ she blew a strand of her hair from her face.

“Never hire a Nord for a cook if you want breakfast prepared on time,” she said with a growl, “He will likely show up hung over at mid-morning. What can Talasma get for you this morning? Make it simple please.”

“Just a cup of milk and a sweetroll will be fine, Talasma,” I said. I couldn’t help but grin at her appearance.

When she returned, she glanced at my fully packed satchel.

“Are you leaving us today?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid that I am. I am going to join the Mages Guild. Whatever balance I still have toward the room, I want you to keep. Your hospitality has been both patient and impeccable.”

“Well, Talendor, once you learned the proper function of a door, you were a fine guest as well. I do hope you will stop by from time to time. Now if you will excuse me, I have more kneading to attend to,” she stated and headed back to the kitchen.

I finished eating and left for the Mage’s Guild. The morning was cloudy, holding the threat of rain. The dog lady was out for her usual morning stroll with Bailey and Kezune. Turning the corner, I was rewarded with a toothless grin from a beggar when I tossed him a coin. When I reached the Guild hall, I paused for a moment, starting at the large blue sign. A stylized eye was etched into the wood and painted gold. I pondered the significance of the eye.

Quit stalling and get to it…

I entered into a main lobby. A curved counter at the back of the room hugged a round inset in the floor. The recessed circle was decorated with odd symbols surrounding a star-like shape with that same stylized eye at the center. It appeared illuminated, whether from the chandelier above or from within, I could not tell. I was walking toward the sunken circle when someone entered the room. He was a Bosmer, dressed in a blue and green outfit. He had a pleasant look about him and walked over to me.

“I am Athragar of the Mages Guild. How may I be of service?” he asked politely.

“I am here to join the guild,” I replied.

“Then you will need to speak to Teekeeus. He is the head of our chapter. You can find him in the next room,” Athragar said.

I thanked him and went into the adjacent room. There was an Altmer behind a counter working with a mortar and pestle. He had another apparatus on the counter that he poured the contents of the pestle into.

“Are you Teekeeus?” I asked the Altmer.

“Through that door,” he said, pointing at a door to my right.

“Thanks,” I said and walked into the next room.

There was an Argonian standing next to a bed. He was taller than Seed-Neeus. The scales on his head were equally vivid shades of green and red. Dark gray spikes bristled from his head in lieu of hair.

“What do you want, tree-hugger?” he said.

I turned around to look for a tree-hugger and saw no one. When I turned back, the Argonian was staring at me with what may have been impatience.

“Oh…you mean me? Sorry. I would like to join the Mages Guild,” I replied.

“Well then, let me tell you that joining the Guild is no small matter. Membership is as much a responsibility as it is an honor. Are you sure you wish to take on the responsibilities of membership?” he asked, as if hoping I might reconsider.

“I am,” I said, trying my best to sound confident.

“Then go and see Athragar. He will go through the enrollment process with you. When you have finished, return to me. Now, if you will excuse me…” he said and turned around, returning to whatever he was doing when I walked in.

I left the room and the Altmer was still behind the counter mixing…stuff. Stepping back into the lobby, I saw Athragar sitting in a chair near the corner. I walked over to him and explained that Teekeeus had sent me to find him for the enrollment process.

“So, you are joining our ranks. Let me tell you, it will be nice to have another Bosmer at our chapter. Let’s go up to the library,” Athragar said as he rose. I followed him up some stairs and he produced a key from his pocket to unlock the door at the top. We entered a room that was lined with full bookshelves. The scent of the air reminded me of Renoit’s Books. We walked to a table where Athragar instructed me to sit. He grabbed a sheet of parchment, quill, and ink bottle, and then joined me at the table.

“This is just a simple formality. We need some personal information for our records,” he said.

Personal information? I don’t HAVE any personal information!

“Ok,” I managed to say while my brain was racing.

“Your name?”

“Talendor,” I replied.

He wrote my name on the parchment. Then he asked, “And where are you from, Talendor?”

“Valenwood,” I lied.

“Age?” he asked.

I was dumbstruck. I have no clue how old I am.

Make something up! Lie! QUICKLY!

“Twenty-two…almost twenty-three,” I embellished.

“Your birthsign?”

“Huh?” escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

Birthsign? What’s a birthsign?

“Your birthsign. Under what sign were you born?” Athragar asked again.

“Um, what are my choices?”

Athragar looked at me like I had four ears. He set down the quill and placed his elbows on the table, intertwining his fingers as he leaned toward me.

“There are no choices, Talendor,” he said, “You can only be born under one sign. Everyone in Tamriel knows his or her birthsign. It is the constellation you were born under. This is important to the Guild because different signs convey different abilities. It directly affects the course of your training and many believe it guides your destiny.”

Guides my destiny… The dream… The Thief…

“OH!” I exclaimed, and followed it with a wave of my hand and a chuckle, “The Thief. My sign is The Thief,” hoping that ‘the thief’ was a birthsign.

Athragar gave me a sidelong glance as he picked up the quill and wrote it down. I was starting to sweat and my heart was pounding. Eventually, he would ask me something that I could not cover with a lie.

‘If you need to confide in someone at the Guild, trust Athragar…’

Honditar had said to trust this one, and I trusted Honditar. When Athragar started to ask the next question, I raised my hand to stop him.

“Athragar, before you ask anything else, I need to speak in confidence with you. Honditar told me that I could trust you, so I am about to. I can’t answer these questions…” and I went on to tell Athragar my story.

“Honditar did well to advise you to trust me, and you did well to heed his words. If you had spoken of this to Teekeeus, any hope of joining the guild would have been lost. We can work through this enrollment and once you’re officially a member, come see me and we’ll go over some basics to get you on track,” the Bosmer told me.

It seemed like every time I turned around, I was thanking someone for helping me. Athragar and I went through my false information so that my story would stay on track. He gave me the completed information sheet that we had co-authored, along with a book titled ‘The Mages Guild Charter’. Then he instructed me to return to Teekeeus. I found the Argonian downstairs and handed him the parchment with my information. He looked it over and then spoke.

“Very well, you are now an Associate in the Mages Guild. Congratulations. The full Guild hall is available for your use,” he said, and handed me a key, “You will need a recommendation from every Guild chapter to advance further, starting with this one. Until that time, the Arcane University will be closed to you. Go and study the charter, then you may return to me and we will discuss what will be needed to earn my recommendation,” he finished and then dismissed me.

As I walked upstairs, I exhaled a huge sigh of relief.

You’re in. Now what? For now, just do what you are told and stay out of trouble.

I really enjoyed the enrollment process. It brought back twenty-five-year old memories!

Let met guess, your play style is primarily bow with lots of magic (like Buffy's Mystic Archer)? I'm asking because of the differences I noticed between your Mages Guild and mine. I'm mostly slash-and-smash with little magic in my gameplay, though I'm exploring magic through Julian's roleplay. There's a lot to magic I haven't yet explored, and it shows in my writing. That's where you really shine.

I didn't see any nits this time.

I am up to chapter 7 of the TC now, and I am enjoying your writing. Talendor's reaction to Jauffre's attempt to conscript him was simply priceless. I really love how you wrote that.

It is a neat idea you have to write a character with no memory of who they are, or knowledge of the world. It allows you as a writer to explain how things in the world work as Talendor discovers them. This is often the best way to portray an alien environment. It also allows you to skip over huge things that he would not know.

I get the impression that Talendor may be no ordinary amnesiac as well, but rather someone used to being on the other side of the computer screen. Perhaps that dastardly MCP is up to its old tricks again...

Oh, and I never had the chance to mention, that your avatar looks like Kirk Douglas, only if he were an elf.

No, he was of only average height, mostly bald, and quite the cheery fellow overall.

Your process of joining the Mages' Guild (Teekeus: "Stop bothering me you Fool!") in Chorrol is priceless. I have images of "What do you mean you don't know what a constellation is? Are you blind?" running through my head. Athragar is one of the better guys in the Chorrol guild, and you bring him to life wonderfully.

Talendor’s dream was very effective, moving quickly from lovely to horrifying the way dreams sometimes do. I especially liked the mist.

Athragar looked at me like I had four ears.

I have the worst feeling Talendor's dreams are memories of his past that he isn't remembering. GAAAAH! My fave part:





This had me rolling, and you are really doing an awesome job with making his amnesia believable !! Great Chapter !!

"You want to join the guild, Tree-Hugger?" Perfection!

Ch 11

'Maybe ‘fetcher’ is what the Dunmer called children…'
How delightfully Talendor this is!

Our little Bosmer is gradually getting better at what he does.

No worries on taking license. You are doing fine. I think many of us use a mix of having our character create their own 'quests' and storylines, using the in-game quests as familiar splice for their story, and modifying the heck out of certain in-game quests to suit the nature of our character. I love seeing a character bring their unique perspective and even changes to the familiar things I love in Oblivion.

Ch 12

Lovely explanation/demonstration of Talendor's Beast Tongue power.

Nit:
“Absolutely,” I said, still staring {at} the small chest that housed coinage I should have held onto.'
I recommend adding 'at' as indicated.

Ch 13

I'll also endorse that fabulous opening dream, and echo Grits' appreciation of what you can do with some mist!

Delightful to see dear Talasma being her, well, Talasmically wonderful self.

It put me on the edge of my seat when Talendor decided to confide in Athragar. Then it warmed my heart to see his trust rewarded. Just as sweet as can be!

"Hey...you can't do that!"
Just kidding! In fact I am going to suggest you get comfortable with deviating from what is in the game, and make your world how you think it ought to be, rather than how Bethesda wrote it. Those personal touches are the things that set a fic aside from others and make it unique (as well as the characters of course!).

Ok, finally caught up now. I am enjoying Talendor's adventures through mysterious Cyrodiil. Your depiction of Honditar is quite a change from how I am used to seeing him! That is one of the fun things about fics, you often see the same characters, but portrayed in completely different ways! Sometimes one person's version is so strong that you can just never shake it again (like how mALX wrote Fathis Aren, I will never see him [and his marital robes] the same again).

Oh my! So many comments this time...

@ h.e.rider - Did you have to lie about your age and birthsign too?

My play style prior to Talendor has been a Dunmer, using marksman and stealth with some destruction magic thrown in, and then finishing enemies with a blade. Talendor is the first Bosmer I have played, so "his" play style is still TBD, but it explains why he is so good with a sword.

@ SubRosa (Part 1) - Welcome! Talendor and I have been looking forward to your arrival.

I am glad you enjoyed Talendor avoiding the Main Quest. "Do what?" was the best he could come up with on the spot.

The amnesia aspect was a serendipitous result of laziness on the author's part while avoiding having to come up with a backstory.

Oh, and the avatar is Talendor in the flesh...err...pixels. I am sorry to say that he has no plans to audition for a remake of Spartacus.

@ Cap'n Hammer - I do believe that Athragar was genuinely pleased that there would be another Bosmer at the Guild hall. Now someone else can be the resident "tree-hugger" from time to time.

@ grits - Dream sequences are so fun to write. No boundries. I am glad you enjoyed this one.

@ mALX - Welcome back!

Talendor can't help himself from looking foolish sometimes when he has to make stuff up on the fly

RE: the dreams...(insert zipped-lips emoticon here)

On a side note, I am so glad that Dixie is on her way to recovery. Give her a hug from Talendor and I.

@ zalphon - "Bosmers are to be seen and not heard" - Teekeeus

@ Acadian - Welcome back as well. Always a pleasure to hear from you and Buffy.

Ch. 11- Talendor and I have stopped worrying about going off the beaten path. The fears have been put to rest by the wonderful readers here and their support.

Ch. 12- Nit picked and thank you for catching it. You would not believe how much I languished over the Beast Tongue bit. Talk about re-writes!

Ch. 13- So far, Honditar has been true to his word, and the advice to trust Athragar paid off as well. He is very troubled by the dreams though.

@ SubRosa (Part 2) - "Hey...Yes I can!" As I told Acadian above, those worries are past. I am glad to hear that they are encouraged, because I'm gonna have a blast with it!

I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story and that you are caught up with us. I wish I could say the same about being caught up. I'm afraid it will be some time before I can say those words to you, mALX, and Acadian. So much to read and so little time.

You are not alone with the Honditar feelings. Many have said the same...maybe because he poisons deer.

@ Everyone - As always, I want to thank you all for your comments, compliments, and support. It is ultimately the readers that make this so enjoyable. On to the next chapter...





When I reached the top of the stairs, the door was locked. I used the key Teekeeus had given me on the lock, and the tumblers clicked their confirmation of my membership in the Guild. I entered the library and saw Athragar sitting right where I had left him. He waved me over and I sat back down at the table with him.

“Since you have entered the library alone, I will assume your meeting with Teekeeus went well,” he said with a grin.

“Yes it did. Teekeeus said I am now an Associate in the Guild, and then told me to go study the book you gave me. When I have finished, I am supposed to see him again about the recommendation I will need,” I told him.

“Then welcome to the Guild, Talendor. Now, let’s go over what you know about Magicka so that we can start to make a mage out of you. Tell me everything you have learned so far, if anything.”

I recited all of my knowledge to date. I told him about incanting spells to heal myself and roasting rats, about the goblin staff, and about what Honditar had taught me. Athragar just listened without interruption until I had finished.

“Well now, that is at least a start. It is good that Honditar showed you how to use our inborn ability. But did he not explain about the abilities that come from your birthsign?” he asked.

“Nope. We never discussed birthsigns,” I replied.

“Then how did you come to tell me that you were born under The Thief?”

I explained about the dream I had this morning. His eyes grew wide at the telling of the last part. He sat up straight, and his voice took on a more serious tone.

“I don’t know enough about dreams to decipher their meanings. Henantier in Bravil, or perhaps Dagail in Leyawiin, may be able to help you with that. They are acquainted with dreams and visions. But the phrase ‘The Thief shall guide your steps…’ has definite meaning. Perhaps it is your true birthsign. We can test that theory. I was also born under The Thief, so I am very well versed in the abilities that are inherent with the sign.

“There are two abilities that come with the sign of The Thief. We call them ‘Feather Tote’ and ‘Scout’. We can test for ‘Feather Tote’ right here. Shoulder your satchel,” he told me.

When I did so, Athragar said to clear my mind, then picture the satchel and make the satchel empty in my mind, which I did.

“Now,” he continued, “clench your fist and ready yourself to release the Magicka to it. Then open it to cast the spell.”

I did as Athragar described and when I cast the spell, a wave of yellowish-white light washed over me. But I felt no different. It was as if nothing happened.

“I must have done it wrong. I don’t notice anything different,” I said dejectedly.

He just laughed and told me to stand up. When I did, I was amazed to find that my satchel did indeed feel empty, and I started laughing as well. I took a couple steps and laughed even harder. It felt like I was floating on air. The sensation was truly amazing!

“That spell has a long duration, which is one of its detriments. It is easy to get used to and to rely on. Don’t fall into that trap. Use it only when you feel that you must,” he said.

“What does the other, the ‘Scout’, what does it do?” I asked, still giddy from the lightness of my steps.

“The other we cannot test here. It has an aspect we call ‘Night Eye’ and would likely cause damage to your eyes, even in the ambient light of this room,” he replied, “That is another fact to be wary of. When you are using it, say in a cave or ruin, it is easy to get used to it and forget that you have it active. Many careless adventurers have been blinded by forgetting and walking into daylight, or a well lit room, with the spell active. Suffice it to say that if you have the one ability, you surely have the other. You were definitely born under the sign of The Thief.”

A concerned look had crossed Athragar’s face as I sat back down. Then he looked at me very seriously, seeming worried.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“It is your dream, Talendor. If one aspect of the dream held truth, then it seems likely that the entire dream held it as well. Teekeeus has said that he will want you to perform a task for your recommendation while you are still in Chorrol. After that, you will be free to choose which Guild hall to travel to next. Talendor, I am going to suggest that you make Bravil and Leyawiin the first two Guild halls you visit. Speak with Henantier and Dagail about your dream. Its substance does not bode well.”

All of the joy from experiencing the ‘Feather Tote’ spell had drained from me. Memories of the two dreams I have had filled me with a sense of dread.

Please don’t let those nightmares come true…

“I will do as you suggest, Athragar,” I said uneasily.

“It is good that you will, I am sure of it. Now, let’s see about getting you a bed. Afterwards, some food and more discussion, eh?” he said as he stood.

After Athragar got me settled into a room, we discussed spell casting as we ate mutton sandwiches. He taught me a new spell called ‘Minor Life Detection’.

“Try it now,” he said.

I did and pink light cascaded over me. When I looked at him, I jumped out of my chair. Athragar was covered with a pink aura that shimmered all over him!

“Oh no,” I exclaimed, “Does it hurt? I am so sorry!”

Athragar burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, and then spoke through chuckles, “Relax Talendor. I am in no pain, I assure you. What you see is a manifestation of my life force. Look down.”

When I did, pink shapes were moving on the floor. I tried to touch them, but could not.

“What you see are people downstairs, because they are within range of the spell. The use for this spell is obvious. It can keep you from being surprised by enemies while you are in enclosed areas,” he explained.

Embarrassment flooded my face and I apologized for my outburst. Athragar assured me that no apology was necessary and told me that he reacted much the same way at his first experience. Then he went on to explain about using Magicka around enemies. He told me that the flood of light we experience when casting is just as visible to enemies.

“This fact makes using Magicka as a preemptive strike weapon risky, especially for novice casters. For now, use it defensively. The life detection spell is all you should be using prior to any attack for now. The ‘Flare’ spell you have used is more likely to anger an enemy than kill it, except for mud crabs and rats. As you gain experience with Magicka, you will be able to cast more powerful spells that can do considerable damage to larger enemies. But for now, rely on your bow more than your Magicka for offense,” he finished.

It seemed like Athragar had taught me more in one sitting than I had learned in my entire time on Nirn. My brain was starting to turn to mush. It must have showed, because Athragar said that we had covered enough for one day and that I should go to my room and study the Mages Guild Charter as Teekeeus had instructed.

“Find me in the morning and we will gauge your skills with alchemy before your talk with Teekeeus,” he said and bid me a good day.

I went to the room that Athragar had helped me settle into. From the window, I could look down on the massive oak in the plaza. I stared out the window for a bit, watching guards make their rounds and the town’s residents go about their daily business. It was still overcast and the wind was picking up. The darkening skies along the horizon promised a stormy evening. I sat down on the bed and removed my moccasins, reclined to a comfortable position and began reading ‘The Mages Guild Charter’.



The next morning had dawned clear and bright with the promise of a beautiful late summer day. I could see the upper boughs of the great oak through the window. They were waving at me with the breeze, as if inviting me to come outdoors and play. I dressed quickly and went downstairs.

I found Athragar speaking with the Altmer that had been making potions the day before. He introduced me to Angalmo, the resident alchemist. He then told Angalmo that I would need alchemy equipment.

“Do you have any at all?” asked the Altmer.

“I do have a mortar and pestle,” I replied.

“Well then, let’s get you what you need.”

He turned toward the shelves behind him and started pulling down pieces of equipment, reciting their names to himself as he did, and placed them on the counter.

“There you are. We have here a calcinator, an alembic, and a retort. The calcinator will enhance the potency of your alchemical ingredients. The retort will increase the positive effects of those ingredients. The alembic will decrease the negative effects, unless you are creating a poison. Then the alembic is your best friend, because it will increase the desired damaging effect,” Angalmo recited as if giving a lecture.

Athragar must have noticed the overwhelmed look on my face. He thanked the alchemist and promised that we would return them when we were through. Then he helped me carry the equipment upstairs, pausing momentarily to grab some nightshade blossoms that were decorating the dining table. We placed them all on the table that sat in the corner of my room. I just stood there and stared at them and Athragar started to chuckle.

“I know it seems a little confusing, but you will become familiar with these in no time at all. Let’s spend a little time discussing them before you have to go see Teekeeus,” he said.

We sat and Athragar gave me a rudimentary lesson on each apparatus, and then reiterated the recipes that Honditar had already given to me. I told him about finding and using the mortar and pestle below Imperial City, and that I had no idea how I knew what to do. He looked at me with that same concerned look he had when we discussed the dream, but then continued his lesson. He explained how Alchemy was just a way of distilling the Magicka found in herbs, flowers, fungi, and even food. Then we made three vials of poison, using my stock of wisp stalks and the nightshade he had picked up. He emphasized practice, saying that it was a great way to come up with some coins in a pinch. When he finished, he sent me to Teekeeus and wished me luck on whatever endeavor the Chapter Steward was about to task me with.

I love Athragar! He's even more fun here than he is in the game!

I'll have to say this about male Bosmeri - they're always so happy to see you they could burst! Never fails to put a smile on my face, especially coming from someone like Gwinas or Athragar. I think the only exception is the Adoring Fan.

Delightful chapter about the ongoing introduction into the Mages Guild.

I take it that you are using a mod with alternate birthsigns? Neat ideas to have the Thief give you the Feather and Nighteye. I still like that luck bonus of the vanilla version though.

“Oh no,” I exclaimed, “Does it hurt? I am so sorry!”
This was perfect! Talendor can be so adorable at times. Not easy when you look like Kirk Douglas!

What you see are people downstairs, because they are within range of the spell. The use for this spell is obvious.
It would be a handy way to find your cat too!

A fun little episode, as Talendor begins to learn his way around magic.

Oh, come now, even the Adoring Fan puts a smile on my face.

Namely, when I put an arrow in his face at the edge of Dive Rock. Always good clean fun.

An interesting discussion with an interesting character. You help prove why Bosmer are such popular and enjoyable individuals, even amongst a board that proves why Bosmer are such popular and enjoyable individuals.

Athragar just listened without interruption until I had finished.

It’s nice to see a Bosmer who can do this. Talendor charms again, as does Athragar. How kind of him to give Talendor a room with a view of the Great Oak! Poor Angalmo can’t help seeming dry next to two bubbly Bosmeri, but I enjoyed his concise alchemy lecture.

Looking forward to Talendor enjoying some of that beautiful late summer day.

ROFL !!!

Love how you take these game mechanics and give real world explanations for them !!!

Great Write !!!

Urgh... I'm behind!

Lemme comment on Ch. 12 while I'm here. That was a very inspiring look into the wonderful force of Magic in Tamriel. It made good sense, and yet preserved the mystery of the force. Good introduction to the Beast Tongue, as well. Looks like it's time for are now-slightly-penniless Bosmer to move along in his tutoring. Good luck in the Mages Guild.

I'll be catching up as I go along, so rest assured I'm still here!

Nice introduction to Detect Life but he may need a reminder that casting a spell reveals his own position, and that spell's best for seeing round corners. I'm sure he'll get that soon.

He won't need it for the recommendation quest, as that all takes place out in the open, but his new ability to make poisons could get a workout. Will that help wean him off the sword, to use the bow more?

@ h.e.rider - I'm glad you enjoy my take on Athragar. I feel the same way about Bosmeri NPCs in the game. Right from the beginning, when Rindir says, "I'm Rindir, and I sell magical staffs, imagine that!" with his bubbly voice. Believe it or not, I have yet to meet The Adoring Fan in-game, but I have read about him in the forums.

@ SubRosa - You are correct about the modded abilities for birthsigns (Cobl Races - Balanced). The luck factor is still intact.

@ Cap'n Hammer - The funny thing is, I had never played a Bosmer until I started this story.

@ grits - Athragar seems to have a bit more discipline than your average Bosmer, and certainly more than Talendor has shown.

@ mALX - I knew when I wrote it that I would get a good "ROLF" or perhaps even a "SPEW" from you.

@ Chef Thomas - Fear not about being behind. I am behind on almost every story in this forum. I'm sure you will catch Talendor much faster than I will be able to catch Teresa, Maxical, Jerric, and Buffy.

@ ghastley - Athragar actually did warn Talendor about revealing his position with spell casting in this chapter. He does thank you for the concern though, and says he won't be giving up his sword for anyone.

@ Everyone - Thanks again for the comments and support. Y'all are the best!





I found Teekeeus in the main lobby. He was just finishing a conversation with another mage that I had not yet met. They were discussing the Emperor’s death, trying to decide whether or not to be worried about it. I politely waited for them to finish and then approached the Argonian. He spoke first when I stepped up.

“So, have you studied the rules of our Guild, Associate?” he asked.

“I have sir.”

“Good. Make no mistake, we offer no quarter to new Associates if they break them. The rules apply to you as much as they apply to any Guild member. Now, I suppose that you are ready for my recommendation. I’m afraid I can’t just write you one out of hand. That would be against protocol. But you can prove your loyalty to the Guild and earn my recommendation,” he said.

“What must I do?” I asked.

“You can clear up a small matter involving Earana---"

“What is earana?” I blurted, and then bit my lip as soon as I had.

“Do not interrupt me, Associate!” Teekeeus barked, “Earana is a person, not a thing! She and I have an unpleasant history. She does not care for Guild regulations, and errantly believes that I am misusing my powers as Chapter Steward. I have seen her around town. Although she has not approached me, I know that she wants something. I would like you to find out what it is. Now that I have finished speaking, do you have any questions?”

Way to go knot-head. You already have the Chapter Steward yelling at you…

“Do you know where she is staying?” I inquired.

“No, I do not. It seems that would be the first order of your task. When you find her, determine what it is that she is after, and how we may be rid of her. I do not want her here, spreading her lies. Make haste, Associate, I wish to be rid of Earana as soon as possible. Now go,” Teekeeus said and walked away.

I didn’t know where to begin looking for Earana. Athragar might know, so I went back upstairs to speak with him. He was sitting near a window, reading. I hated to interrupt him – he had done so much for me already – so I made it look like I was searching the shelves for a book, hoping he would notice me. I was rewarded with his voice asking if he could help me find something.

“I am looking for a town directory. I need to find a person’s address,” I told him.

“Who are you looking for?” Athragar asked.

“Earana,” I replied.

“Oh. Even if such a directory existed, she would not be in it. She does not live here. I assume Teekeeus wants you to find her,” he said.

“Yes he does, for my recommendation. He wants me to find out what she is up to. Do you have any idea why?”

“Well, I don’t know all of the details, but I heard that Earana constantly complained to the Mages Council about Teekeeus, to the point that they removed him from his position at the Arcane University. There is definitely some bad blood between them,” he replied, “At any rate, I would check the inns if I were you.”

“Thanks for the information, Athragar. I’ll see you later,” I said and left the library.

I decided to check The Oak & Crosier first, figuring that Talasma might be more forthcoming with information since I knew her. As I stepped outdoors, an Altmer woman dressed in a verdant doublet and silk skirt turned and started walking toward me. I had business to attend to and acted as if I hadn’t seen her, but to no avail as she stopped me near the great oak.

“Excuse me…excuse me, please,” she was saying.

“Yes?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that you just left the Mages Guild. Are you a mage? I mean…a member?” she asked.

“I am…”

“You must be new,” she stated, “You don’t have that ‘I’m-better-than-you’ snobbish air about you.”

“As a matter of fact, I am a new Associate,” I said with some pride.

“Perfect,” she said, more to herself, and then continued, “There is a small matter that you may be able to help me with.”

“Perhaps…um…what did you say your name was?” I asked.

“Earana.”

Talk about the luck of Zeni-whozawatzit! She found me!

“Well Earana, let’s go sit on the bench and you can tell me about it,” I said smoothly.

“Excellent,” she started as we sat down, “It’s a simple matter really. I just need you to fetch a book for me. It is entitled ‘Fingers of the Mountain’. It is of no use to you; you wouldn’t be able to read it. I, on the other hand, can read it and would very much like to.”

“Do you know where I can find this book?” I asked.

“You’ll find it at an old ruin called Cloud Top. It is north of Chorrol, up in the highlands. I’m afraid I don’t know the exact location,” she said.

“That’s ok. I know someone that can help me---“

“NO!” she said abruptly, “I mean…there is no need to involve your Guild in this matter. Better if it was kept between just between us. Please…just retrieve it for me and I will make it worth your effort.”

“All right, I’ll do it. But, I do expect to be paid,” I said.

“As I said, it will be worth your effort, and thank you.”

With that, Earana rose and walked away. I could not believe my good fortune! I waited for Earana to pass out of sight, then stood and headed back into the Guild hall.

Less than an hour and you completed your task! This should smooth Teekeeus’ scales…

I found Teekeeus and related that I had found out what Earana wanted. When he heard, his eyes went wide and he made a hissing sound.

“What? Not only does it exist, but she knows where it is?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes. Someplace north of here called Cloud Top,” I replied.

“This is unacceptable,” he said, looking down and shaking his head. Then he looked back at me and said, “I trust that as a member of the Guild, you will do the right thing and acquire this text before Earana does.”

“Um, excuse me? Sir…you said all I had to do was find out what Earana wanted.”

“I have changed the conditions for my recommendation! Pray to The Nine that I don’t refuse it altogether, tree-hugger. You will do as you are told! Are we clear?”

“Yes sir. I apologize if I was out of line,” I said with a remorseful tone, biting back my anger.

“Good. Now go to this place she described. Ignore her request and bring the book back to me...I mean...to the Guild, where it belongs,” Teekeeus said.

“I will sir,” I said and went upstairs to change into my armor and get my gear.

I left the Guild hall and started for Honditar’s house. If anyone knew where Cloud Top was, it would be him. I had learned one thing for sure. Teekeeus was liable to change his mind at the drop of a hat. I would need to make sure I didn’t anger him further if I wanted his recommendation. Fortunately, Honditar was at home when I arrived at his house. It was nice to see a friendly face after Teekeeus had railed on me. He invited me in and offered some tea.

“No thank you,” I replied, “I am actually in a hurry. I need to find a place called Cloud Top. Do you know where it is?”

“Cloud Top…hmmm…and why would you need to know that, Talendor?” he asked.

I explained to him about my recommendation, then about Earana and the book.

“Well, as a matter of fact I do know where it is. I’ll be happy to note it on your map for you. But…remember the fee for my help that we discussed? This will require one. Consider it payment for prior help and the favor you now ask,” he said.

“Sure thing Honditar, what is it?” I asked.

“I want that book,” he stated simply.

My jaw dropped as my eyes went wide.

“It is a small fee that doesn’t cost you a thing, Talendor,” he added.

“I can’t Honditar. I have to give it to Teekeeus or I won’t get my recommendation. Can’t I just pay you in Septims?”

“You misunderstand. I fully expect you to give it to Teekeeus. I would not want to cost you your recommendation. Give him the book, then steal it and bring it to me,” he said as if I should have known that already.

My jaw was getting stiff from trying to fall off my face.

“Steal it? Steal it? You want me to steal from the Chapter Steward? I might as well just resign and join the Fighters Guild. Wait, I hear they don’t take criminals---”

He cut me off with a wave of his hand and said, “Relax Talendor. Do you trust me?”

“I did until a minute ago.”

“Well, you still can, my friend. You will do fine. Just don’t get caught. There is a good reason for this request which I shall make clear to you, once the book is in my possession. You will just have to continue trusting me. What say you?” he said, standing there with his arms crossed.

I hesitated a second, then reluctantly agreed to do as Honditar wished. He smiled and asked me for my map. He handed it back when he had marked the location of Cloud Top. After I declined a second offer of tea and a snack, he wished me luck and sent me on my way.

How do you manage to get in situations like this, knot-head? Your first day in the Guild and you are conspiring to steal from the Chapter Steward? Brilliant!

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

EDIT: - Nit picked.

First off, excellent title!

“What is earana?” I blurted,
I just love the bubbly nature you have infused Talendor with. You take all the fun and adorable qualities of the Bosmer men in the game and distill them into him (plus leave the crazy parts behind). It makes me imagine Valenwood must be a lively, fun place to live!

Talk about the luck of Zeni-whozawatzit!
I love this!

I have changed the conditions for my recommendation! Pray to The Nine that I don’t refuse it altogether, tree-hugger.
Yes Lord Vader! We shall redouble our efforts!

You have taken one of the more dull MG fetch and carry quests and breathed all new life into it, not to mention an entirely new dimension by throwing Honditar into the mix! I have always wondered who was really worse, Teekeeus or Earana. Who of the pair was really just, and who was not? Earana is haughty in her manner, but she plays straight with you if you take her up on her offer. Teekeeus is also unpleasant, and wants you to steal the book from her if you give it to her, and threatens you with your recommendation if you do not. It would be interesting to see a short story from her point of view.

Now we have Honditar in the mix as well! I wonder if he is thinking that neither Teekeeus or Earana can be trusted with the book?

But when you give the book to Teekeus, Earana wants you to steal it for her, so does this mean giving it to Teekeus, stealing it back, giving it to Earana, stealing it back, and then giving to Honditar (and then stealing it back?)

I think I need to lose my memory, or just the confused part of it.

I agree, throwing Honditar into the mix puts an unexpected twist on a dusty old story. Wow - now my mind is doing this trying to figure out his motives. Are we now going to see the Altmeri stereotype when H gets his hands on that book? Or does he have non-Altmer motives? When a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Argh!

Don't leave us hanging too long on this.

It's funny that I should be reading this now that I'm done writing this recommendation. My version isn't quite as fun as yours, though.

Uh oh... you are a devious one, Rick! When I saw Honditar's request, I believe my skull blasted out of my mind!

I can't wait to see what you have in store for us here. I hope you don't have to brutally murder Earana as now two people (myself included) have on this board. Three's a crowd, after all.

I also like Teekeus's little slip of tongue... I believe there are now ideas building in my mind... dastardly ideas.... Wait, did I just say that out loud?

Nit:
I think there's a word missing here, that sentence seemed incomplete.

ROFL !!! OMG, your rendition of Teekeeus had me rolling !!! My fave lines quoted - Love this chapter, it is my all time top fave so far !!!

Well I read this one and I'm glad I did. The first few sections were a little daunting but I'm glad I persevered, this is good. Talendor is an excellent character, his amnesia is an unusual plot device (it put me off slightly initially) but it's really worked well. You've developed him through his actions letting them define him rather than his past, and you've developed him a lot, he's a very rounded character for the among you've written about him. I suspect he's at least somewhat based on a real person(s), either way he's a strong character with realistic weaknesses and strengths.

A list of comments I noted down as I read over it:

1.2: 'At least THAT much looks normal, just too small.' - it's lines like this which make this piece, it's such an accurate observation of male thought patterns.

2 - His confusion was well written and again really formed his character well.

3 - Another feature of this piece I enjoy, his thoughts. This time on the beast races. They're really funny and incisive.

4 - This part (and subsequently) was noticeably cleaner than the earlier parts with fewer tense issues and clunky phrases. His naming himself through requirement was interesting, something which might have been profound forced through circumstance...

5 - Picking up a living (hunting in this case) isn't as easy as it looks or everyone would do it. Nice bit of accuracy from a world-building perspective.

6 - the moral struggle was good though a little quick for my tastes... nice touch there though, says more about Talendor's character (as almost everything does).

8 - Opening to Honditar was a bold move, but it fits with Talendor's character. By this stage he's really taken shape and is great fun to read.

9 - 'Stopping to pick locks might be hazardous to my health', I enjoyed this line.

11 - Not being constrained by gameplay mechanics is good for a story. What works in a game doesn't always make sense in fiction so I liked his letting the bandit go.

13 - The dream sequence was good, it gives a hook to hold the piece together. I enjoyed the mages guild, your vision of the game world is quite different from mine and refreshing.

15 - Your introduction to magic is good. I also loved the phrase ''This should smooth Teekeeus’ scales' , very lore friendly.

It's a good piece, I like his character and thoughts a lot. My main critique would be from a style point of view you have the occasional sentence in a peculiar tense (I'll point out the next I see), and things are a little morally black and white, though that's part of his character so not really an issue (and is very much a personal taste thing).

@ Everyone - Thank you all so much for every comment and critique. This is still a little nerve-racking because it is so new to me. Your support is what keeps me going.

@ SubRosa - I didn't even realize that I had paraphrased a Star Wars line until I read your comment, and that comment had me rolling! Glad you got a kick out of the title.

@ ghastley - But what do I do now when I am supposed to do this and I do that instead and then...and then....and...

@ h.e.rider - I'm glad so many were surprised by the curve ball. The end result, just like a curve ball, will either be a swing and a miss or a home run...TBD

@ Chef Thomas - Thanks for the nit catch...picked. I'll give a lil spoiler and tell you that there will not be a crowd.

@ mALX - Glad I was able to rouse another ROLF....I'm gonna keep gunning for a SPEW though...

@ olen - Thanks for joining in and my apologies for the epic lengths of the first few posts. Rookie mistakes that were corrected with the aid and guidance of Acadian and mALX. I really appreciate your critiques and compliments on the first 15 chapters. Because I am so new to this, your input will be invaluable.





Honditar’s mark was north of Chorrol, just as Earana had said. It looked like a pretty good distance, so I stopped in at The Oak & Crosier for some additional provisions before heading out the north gate. Not far after leaving the town, a pathway split off to the north while the main road continued east. I followed the path and shortly the land began to rise. A series of switchbacks helped the path to gain elevation. Someone had even gone to the trouble of building some wooden stairs at a particularly steep portion.

Just past the stairs was a suspension bridge made of wood and rope. It appeared to be in good condition, but I still crossed gingerly, holding the rope rail and ready to grab it if something broke. About halfway across, I stopped and looked to my right. I was awestruck by the view. I could even see the tower of the Imperial Palace from here. With the sun beginning to set, it had a golden cast to it against the purple mountains on the eastern horizon. The sight was breathtaking.

Beyond the bridge, switchbacks became more frequent as the path struggled to climb. I stopped and crouched as movement caught my eye at one of the bends. A wolf was coming around the turn and hadn’t noticed me yet. I removed a vial of poison and applied it to an arrowhead. As the wolf was struck by my anointed arrow, it seemed to gain a green aura. The beast fell and lay motionless halfway through its charge toward me. I walked over to it and assumed that the green I had seen must have been my eyes playing tricks on me. The wolf looked normal now, except for the new appendage protruding from its chest. I used my dagger to skin it, placing the pelt in my pouch and dragging the carcass off of the path.

A bit further up the path, I wasn’t so lucky as to see my next assailant before it saw me. I had just rounded yet another switchback when a blur of silver fury knocked me off of my feet. I wasn’t able to regain my footing in time to prevent a second onslaught from the wolf. He leaped at me and I got my arm up just in time to prevent his jaws from closing on my throat. We began to roll downhill along the path, an odd boulder of silver fur and brown leather. I struggled to keep the wolf from biting areas more vulnerable than my arm as we gained momentum. Suddenly, we hit a large rock where the trail had made a bend. The wolf began howling in pain and broke off the attack. He made a couple circles as he yelped, trying not to stand on his broken leg. This gave me time to draw my sword, but the wolf seemed to think better of pressing the attack in his wounded condition. He took off through the brush, giving more yelps every time he put too much weight on his shattered limb.

I inhaled sharply through clenched teeth as I examined my forearm. Blood had begun to drip from my fingertips. I cast the healing spell twice, stopping the bleeding. It took me a few minutes to find my satchel. It had been flung off during our display of gravity in action. Luckily, all of my possessions were still in the bag. The only other casualties of the encounter were a few of my arrows that had snapped as we tumbled.

I finally reached the end of the path as the sun was casting its final light before ducking behind the mountains. The ruins of Cloud Top weren’t large. There was area of overgrown pavers, roughly square in shape. Ruined stone pillars were set at each corner and what appeared to be the remnant of a campfire was between the two closest pillars. It seemed an unlikely place to find a book. As I approached the extinguished campfire, it began to take on a ghastly shape. It was a charred corpse, burned so badly that I couldn’t tell if it had been man or mer. All I knew for certain was that it was too large to have been a Bosmer.

I searched the ruin and discovered a chest. Grinning to myself, I quickly opened it, only to have the grin wiped away when I did not find a book. All it contained were three coins and a crystal ball. I kept the contents and continued to search. After checking every nook and cranny, I squatted with my back against a broken pillar set in the center of the ruins. I looked at the corpse.

“Hey fella, you haven’t seen a book lying around have you?” I asked the charred body.

I got up and walked toward it. Its arms were clasped across its chest. Closer inspection revealed that there was something clutched under its arms. I bent down to check and was amazed to see it was a book. I pulled it away, trying to ignore the sound of charred flesh separating from its frame. I brushed it off and my eyes widened as I realized that the book hadn’t even been singed. I couldn’t read the title, but that didn’t surprise me because Earana had said as much. This had to be the book though, so I put it in my satchel and stood up.

The sun had passed below the peaks in the distance. The sky was a splash of vivid color, bright orange at the horizon, fading through pinks and purples into a deep blue that promised the arrival of stars. High clouds had grabbed some of the pink and held onto it, as if they refused to let the day go. Since there was level ground and shelter from the wind, I decided to camp here and head back to Chorrol in the morning. I figured that Mr. Crispy wouldn’t mind, and if he was frightened or offended by the campfire I built, he kept those opinions to himself.

After a very satisfying meal, I lay on my bedroll and looked at the stars. For the first time since my adventure began, I was treated to the sight of Nirn’s two moons. They looked close enough to touch if I stood up. It was with this celestial showcase that I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

When I awoke shortly after dawn, my overcooked campmate was still staring eyeless at the sky. After breakfast, I considered moving the body into the brush. I certainly wasn’t going to bury it, but placing it out of view had somehow seemed the decent thing to do. I grabbed its hands to drag it away and they immediately snapped off at the wrist with a crackling sound that turned my stomach. Disgusted, I threw the hands into the brush. It seemed that the heat from whatever had burned this poor fellow actually fused the body to the pavers under it. Rather than carry roasted chunks to the bushes all morning, I decided that ravens or other scavengers could have all the fun.

Judging from the sun, it was about eight o’clock when I started the descent from Cloud Top. During the climb yesterday, I had my back to the view when I wasn’t busy fighting off wolves. Now it seemed I could see half of Cyrodiil on my return trip. The view was spectacular. The trees were mostly evergreens up here, and the grass had a golden hue compared to the meadow grasses down in the Great Forest. Firs, pines and spruce ruled the skies, while mountain laurel and holly fought for the sun along the forest floor.

I had pulled my bow and kept an arrow nocked after I discovered that the wolf carcass from the day before had been dragged away. Whatever had moved it might prefer some warmer, fresher blood. But the walk down the mountain passed without incident. Soon I was within the sight of the Chorrol town walls. As I entered the town gate, I heard the thrum of a bowstring and looked to my right. Honditar was at the targets behind the Fighters Guild. He saw me at the same time and motioned for me to join him.

“You’re going to have a tough time getting in the Guild hall. Earana has been camped in front of the building since dawn,” the Altmer said.

“I don’t know if there is a back door,” I replied.

“There is not. But listen. I’ll go out and run interference for you. Wait until I have her standing with her back to the door, then you sneak in unnoticed. The woman is such a fuss-bucket that I should be able to keep her engaged until you come back out of the hall. Just wave to me through the window when you are ready to exit,” he explained.

“Okay.”

The plan worked like a charm, and I was inside the hall looking for Teekeeus a few minutes later. I found him in the dining area and sat down in the chair next to his.

“How was your trip to Cloud Top, Associate?” the Chapter Steward inquired.

“Successful, sir,” I replied.

“You found the book?” he said with wide eyes, “My trust in you was well placed, it seems. Hand it over, if you please.”

I dug the book out of my satchel and handed it to Teekeeus.

“Ah yes, this is indeed the correct book,” he said with what looked like glee. It’s hard to read Argonian facial expressions. “You’ve not been able to open it I presume.”

“I didn’t even try. Earana said I wouldn’t be able to read it anyway, and since I couldn’t rea---“

“Yes, yes, yes…Fine. You have shown yourself worthy of the Guild, and for that I shall give you the recommendation that you require. Follow me, Associate,” he said and rose from the table.

I followed Teekeeus downstairs to the counter in the main lobby. He pulled out some parchment, a quill and ink, and a small cube of red wax. He wrote his recommendation, and then folded the paper in such a way that the bottom edge was centered between the two folds. He placed the small wax cube on that edge and then melted it with a well controlled and very small fireball spell, stamping the melted wax with a large ring on his left hand and sealing the letter. The ring left an imprint of the stylized eye that is recognizable as the Mages Guild symbol. My jaw was slack with amazement at the control he just exhibited. Had I tried that, there would have been only ashes instead of my paperwork, if not a charred counter as well.

“Here you are, Associate,” he said as he handed it to me, “Now you must excuse me. I must ensure that this book is kept safe.”

Now for the hard part…following him without being obvious...

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

EDIT: Nits picked.

I love the walk from Chorrol to Cloud Top. It is the best part of this quest.

High clouds had grabbed some of the pink and held onto it, as if they refused to let the day go.
Was a lovely description.

An excellent description of Cloud Top, especially of the campfire that was not! Talendor prying the book from the charred corpse's dry, dead hands was a good touch, and a warning of things to come!

The part about Honditar running interference with Earana made me chuckle inside. It seems that he is always talking to her when I go there in the game.


nits:
I stopped and crouched as movement caught my eye at one of the bends. A wolf was rounding the bend and hadn’t noticed me yet.
It is minor, and not a real problem, but you do have bend twice in close proximity. You might consider changing the second instance to something like corner, or turn.


I searched the ruin and discovered a chest. With a grin, I opened the chest, only to have the grin wiped away when I did not find a book.
Same thing here with chest. You might change the second time to it.

“Ah yes, this is indeed the correct book,” he said with what looked like glee, it’s hard to read Argonian facial expressions, “You’ve not been able to open it I presume.”
This is a very long sentence. You might break it up into two or three sentences. For example:
“Ah yes, this is indeed the correct book.” It was hard to read Argonian facial expressions, but Teekeus looked delighted. “You’ve not been able to open it I presume?”

I had just written this quest last week! It seems you and I both noticed the same things, but Julian and Talendor were looking at different things. Still it's fun to read something like this so soon after I had written it.

And yes, I agree with Sage Rose, Honditar is always talking to Earana. When does he ever find the time to go hunting? Some mountain man!

Loved your descriptions of the day, especially of the tumble with the wolf and of Mr. Crispy.

I did have a few nits: I had a bit of confusion with the term lethal in this context. To me, lethal is a very aggressive term -- it describes the modified subject as being capable of inflicting death. But in this context, you're telling me that the wolf is not able to inflict a more deadly bite than a nip on the arm. Using lethal here just kind of sits wrong with me - it feels like it's trying to make the arm into a deadly weapon that could hurt the wolf, rather than the other way around. May I suggest a more passive term like vulnerable?

Oh, and it's anointed, not annointed.

And Inhale is a verb, inhalation is the noun you want here.

Again, I continue to enjoy the depth of detail you're giving the Chorrol Mages Guild. Well done!

Once again a fight where the loser runs away. If you're changing the rules, I'm pleased to see you stick with the new ones.

And Teekeeus has a black belt in Origami? Not to mention precision wax-melting. (No wonder Chorrol isn't the Destruction academy for the Mages Guild). Nice detail to point up his advanced skills that make him chapter head material. He consistently summons low-level scamps in the hall, which always reminds me of Jeanne Frasoric, who is not in the same league.

Oh, how I love Cloud Top! That trail is sure a bad place to get knocked over by a wolf.

I figured that Mr. Crispy wouldn’t mind, and if he was frightened or offended by the campfire I built, he kept those opinions to himself.

I enjoyed Talendor’s irreverent thoughts about his crunchy companion.

Good part. Fun to read as ever.


More entertaining observations from a certain bosmer... His inner thoughts do wonders for his character.



I liked this, you stay quite true to the game world but subtle changes like this make it richer. Control is going to be harder than raw power, but equally the game would have little use for it, fiction on the other hand...

He-hey! Umm.. Let's just say that I'm awkward like a schoolgirl when put into introductions!

Have followed Talendor's story from the Prison to this! (I may not comment much, but I read all the same!) All I can say is that I can only hope to aspire to have a writing such as yours! I mean seriously, the way you describe the sight Talendor witnessed when ascending to Cloud Top.. Amazing!

Awaiting the next chapter with eagerness!

@ SubRosa - Thank you for catching the nits...they've been picked. Honditar and Earana do indeed make writing that into the story very easy. I think he secretly has the hots for her...

@ h.e.rider - Thanks to you as well for the nits...they've also been picked. Between you and Rosa, we'll make a writer out of me yet! I have only scratched the bare surface of your story so far, but I think I might have to do a spoiler read and check out what you wrote for this quest. I am intensely curious...

@ ghastley - Perhaps Teekeeus wants the book to make swans and cranes out of it's pages.

@ Grits - Talendor recommends that future travelers don't attempt tumbling with wolves. He could also use a lesson in respect for the deceased...

@ Olen - It seemed only natural that a master of a craft should be able to use it deftly. I'm glad you found that "step-out" from game mechanics plausable.

@ ureniashtram - Welcome aboard and thank you for your comments.

On that note....I want to thank everyone else as well. As always, you are the ones that keep me going. I especially appreciate the nits. They are invaluable for the learning process.





“I am off to my room as well. I need a wash and a change of clothes,” I said, following Teekeeus up the stairs.

The Argonian passed through the library and continued up the stairs to the sleeping quarters on the next level. As I entered the foyer on the third floor, I saw Teekeeus enter the corner room. I walked on past, making it appear that I was heading to my room. I stopped and placed my back to the wall as soon as I rounded the corner and listened. Moments later, I was rewarded with the sound of his door opening and closing, and then the doorway to the stairs mimicking his door. I peeked back around the corner, making sure no one else was about.

Quick and quiet knot-head…let’s not get caught…

I was surprised to find the door to his room unlocked. I snuck in and quietly closed it behind me. Immediately to my right was a cupboard. I tried the doors and found them unlocked. The cupboard shelves had been removed and it was being used as a wardrobe. Fine clothing hung on pegs, but no book was to be found. I moved to a chest that was next to the cupboard. Once again, I found the container unlocked. I opened it and was pleased to see the book in plain sight at the bottom of the chest.

Someone needs to show our Chapter Steward how a lock works…

I took the book and retreated from Teekeeus’ quarters as quietly as I had entered. Once I was back in my room, I quickly washed and changed. Taking my satchel with me, I headed downstairs. When I reached the lobby, I looked out the window to see if Earana was still waiting outside. She was, and true to his word, Honditar was keeping her occupied. I waved at him and he slowly maneuvered until Earana’s back was to the door. I exited and went to the left, hopping off of the stoop and heading to the rear of the building. I scaled low stone walls to loop around Stenndar Chapel and made my way to the south gate. When I reached Honditar’s house, I waited until he arrived a few minutes later.

“God’s Blood, that woman can talk!” he said, unlocking his door.

We went inside and I pulled the book from my satchel and laid it on the table. Honditar picked it up and examined it. Satisfied that it was indeed what he expected, he placed the book in the same chest that had swallowed thirty of my Septims a few days ago.

“Okay,” I said, “Would you mind telling me why one of my first acts as a Guild Associate had to be larceny? From the Chapter Steward, no less!”

“It’s really very simple. This book could not be allowed to end up in the hands of either Teekeeus or Earana. It is very powerful. Those two are so engulfed in their feud that this would have meant the end of one or both of them. I simply removed the weapon and kept the balance of power intact,” he explained.

“What will you do with it?” I asked.

“Nothing at all. It can rot in my chest for all I care. I can’t read the thing anyway. But now, neither can Earana or Teekeeus,” he replied.

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. I guess no harm was done.

“Did you see where she went?” I asked, “I need to get back and pack my things. I am off to Bravil as soon as possible.”

“She was heading toward The Gray Mare when I left her.”

“Good. Well, I am off then. Thanks again Honditar. I’ll stop by next time I am back in Chorrol,” I said.

“Please do, Talendor. Good luck, and remember, aim true…”

“…and don’t be seen,” I finished for him, smiling as I left.



I decided to do some shopping before going back to the Guild hall. I still had a wolf pelt to sell and I needed to replace the snapped arrows. I stopped in Northern Goods first and walked up the stairs. Seed-Neeus was sitting in a chair and sounded like she might be crying. It was so hard to tell what emotions were being displayed by an Argonian, except for anger.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

She stood and smoothed her dress. When she turned to me, I realized that Argonians are capable of tears.

“My daughter…you remember her…Dar-ma,” she said.

“Yes.”

“She is missing and I don’t know what to do. She went to Hackdirt, on a business errand for me. I wasn’t feeling well this morning, so she insisted on going for me. She hasn’t come back and it is not like her to be gone longer than necessary. I fear that something has happened to her,” she was saying, running the words together in barely controlled panic.

“Why don’t you sit back down and take a deep breath,” I suggested. She did so, and then explained further.

“She left on Blossom – that’s her horse – to go to Etira Moslin’s in Hackdirt. We do a small amount of business with Etira. Not much volume, but Etira pays well. Anyway, that was at dawn, and Dar-Ma should have been back by now.”

I felt genuine sympathy for her. There was something about a child being separated from its parent that tugged at my heart-strings. I decided that my trip to Bravil might have to be delayed.

“Tell me where Hackdirt is and I will go look for her. I have a few things to do first, but they won’t take long,” I told her.

“Really?” she said, her eyes widening, “I cannot thank you enough. Hackdirt is an isolated village south of here. Look for her horse, Blossom, a brown and white mare. Dar-Ma loves that animal and would never willingly abandon her.”

“Try not to worry too much,” I said, trying to sound comforting.

“Thank you Talendor. Please bring Dar-Ma back with you.”

“I’ll do my best,” I replied and left the store.

I made my other stop at Fire & Steel, replacing the broken arrows. I was able to sell the wolf pelt to Rasheda as well. I hadn’t wanted to bother Seed-Neeus with a business transaction.



I entered my room at the Guild hall and stared, dropping my satchel to the floor. It was a disaster. The bed had been stripped. All of my belongings were strewn about. The cupboard and chest were open with their contents scattered everywhere.

“YOU!” boomed a voice from behind me that made me jump out of my skin. I turned to find Teekeeus glaring and hissing ominously, his fists clenched into tight balls of fury.

“Where is my book, Associate?” he bellowed, “Where is it? I know you took it and gave it to Earana, didn’t you?”

“Your book? Oh, you mean the book I brought back to the Guild from Cloud Top. I have no idea. The last I saw of it was when I handed it to you,” I lied.

“That’s a pile of horse apples and you know it!” Teekeeus fumed.

“Really, sir, all I did was clean up and then go out to do some shopping. I have no idea what could have happened to the book,” I replied, which was half true.

“You listen to me, you tree-hugging piece of…” he paused for a second with a hiss, “I can’t prove it now, but if I ever can, you can count on me making your expulsion a top priority! I’ll be watching you.”

With that, the Argonian stomped off and started searching the next room. I cleaned my room as fast as possible. I gathered all of my possessions and quietly stepped to the stairs to avoid Teekeeus’ notice. Once I was down the stairs, I hurried my pace until I was outside, standing in Great Oak Plaza. I had just caught my breath when…

“YOU!” shouted a female voice to my right.

Are you kidding me?

“Yes, you, Bosmer,” said Earana as she strutted toward me, “Where’s my book?”

“I…um…I haven’t left for Cloud Top yet. I am leaving this evening and should be back in a day or two. I had to start my studies, you see, and I couldn’t leave right away. Teekeeus would have become suspicious,” I embellished.

“Is that so?” she replied, looking at me skeptically.

“Yes ma’am. My room in the Guild hall doesn’t have a door, so I am off to the Oak and Crosier to rent a room for the night. I leave for Cloud Top in the morning.”

“I thought you just said you are leaving tonight,” she said, arching an eyebrow.

“I meant I am leaving the Guild hall tonight,” I fibbed further, cringing inside at my misstep.

She stared at me for a second, as if trying to size up the truth of my statements. I guess she believed me because her demeanor softened slightly.

“Okay then. Just get it to me as soon as possible. And remember, this is to stay just between you and I,” she said.

“Yes ma’am. Good day,” I replied and started walking away as fast as I could without looking like I was trying to escape her. I rounded the corner and stopped, peeking back to be sure Earana would not be able to see me leave through the south gate. As soon as it was clear, I bolted for the gate and ran to Honditar’s house.

I pounded furiously on the door. Honditar must have thought he was under attack because he had a dagger in his hand when he opened it. I walked right in without an invite.

“Do you have any idea of the grief this little stunt of yours has caused me?” I yelled.

“It occurred to me that you may suffer some minor repercussions. Did you think Teekeeus would never discover the book was missing?” he stated mildly, as if it was a simple fact that I should have known.

“Repercussions…REPERCUSSIONS?” I barked at him with my arms tensed and fists balled with anger. “Teekeeus is convinced that I stole the book. He wants to drum me out of the Guild!”

“Calm down Talendor. Of course he thinks it was you. You are new. I doubt he has had anything stolen before you arrived,” he said calmly.

I was furious and speechless. I stood there gritting my teeth and clenching my fists.

“If you don’t exhale, your head is going to explode,” he added, just as calmly.

I deliberately held my breath even longer, and then started to feel dizzy. I exhaled and sat down heavily on the bench next to the table.

“Unless you left evidence, he can never know it was you. This will all pass, don’t worry,” Honditar said, in that same calm voice that was starting to grate on my nerves.

“Well, my friend,” I said with a little sarcasm, “You are going to help me with something. There will be no fee this time. I have paid enough today. I need you to mark the location of Hackdirt on my map.”

“Might I ask why?”

“Dar-Ma has gone missing and I told Seed-Neeus that I would try to find her.” I said, pulling out my map, “And while you’re at it, tell me anything I might need to know about Hackdirt and the surrounding area.”

Honditar raised his eyebrows, but complied. I changed into my field gear as he spoke. He said that he didn’t know much about Hackdirt, that the citizens were secretive and unfriendly. When he finished, I snatched my map back and thanked him sarcastically. I walked out the door and left for Hackdirt without saying good bye.

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

EDIT - Nit picked.

“God’s Blood, that woman can talk!” he said, unlocking his door.
He's not one to point fingers!

Are you kidding me?
This had me nearly laughing out loud. First one, then the other! Perfect!

Poor Talendor. As much as I feel sorry for him though, it was fun watching him squirm!



nits:
Not really a nit, just an observation. You might describe Blossom as a Paint, rather than brown and white.

That was the one thing about this quest that bugged me. If you give the book to one then steal it back and give it to the other, what are the repercussions there? Is Teekeeus so inanely clueless he never looks to see that the book is gone? Is Earana such a blonde (sorry Buffy, Jerric, et al) that she thinks the book is safe where ever she stows it? I never played it out that way because the spell just isn't worth it at higher levels.

I haven't posted this quest yet. I'm a month ahead of my posts, and am polishing Sancre Tor while segueing into Miscarcand. So you can't do a spoiler read yet!

I did catch one nit: It looks like 'a' ran and hid from Teekeeus!

Oh, how I love this chapter! Earana chatting up Honditar, Talendor getting yelled at then yelling at Honditar, then Honitar with his unruffled “It occurred to me that you may suffer some minor repercussions.” I was rolling! I really did think that Honditar had a nefarious plan.

I felt genuine sympathy for her. There was something about a child being separated from its parent that tugged at my heart-strings. I decided that my trip to Bravil might have to be delayed.

Aww. Of course he’s going to help Dar-Ma. Talendor is such an appealing character!

Good part, as the others have said your observations on the characters are hilarious and really made this part. Also having some repercussions for stealing the book was nice, I believe Teekius does mention it's gone missing in game in a rather pointed way but that's all. And Telandor is as well without the spell, it cost a ludicrous amount to cast anyway (talk about a rubbish reward).

And Hackdirt next, that's a quest that I don't think I've seen written elsehwere in spite of it being on of my favourites. Lovecraft referances abound! My excitment is like... a thing which cannot be described. ;P

Nit (?): and then the doorway to the stairs mimicking his door. - this fragment seemed a little odd to me. Something between the repetition of 'door' (albeit one with -way appended) which would have been fine except that 'mimicking' jarred me somehow. It seemed like an odd word and an awkward fragment. Might just be me though so it's really just something to consider.

@ SubRosa - He's not one to point fingers! I know, right? Thanks for the nit. I actually fixed it in the next chapter. Unfortunately that makes it look like Seed-Neeus is not horse savvy, like the author.

@ h.e.rider - Thanks for catching the typo. Picked. I agree about the whole rip-off quest thing. I always just give it to Teekeeus and it's off to the next one.

@ Grits - Thanks for noticing Talendor's ethics. They were nice to him, so....

@ Olen - I agree on the nit. You wouldn't believe how many times I rewrote that sentence. I finally settled on that one. I doubt the next chapter with be Lovecraft-esque, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Thanks to everyone again for the support.

This chapter ran just a hair over the suggested 2K word limit, but it was unavoidable... My apologies for the extra 150 or so words...





I hadn’t bothered folding the map when I left Honditar’s house, and looked at it now to get my bearings. I needed to travel due south. Judging by the distance, I understood Seed-Neeus’ concern. Dar-Ma and Blossom could have gone there at least twice by now. I started through the woods toward Hackdirt.

I loved walking in The Great Forest. It was so much greener than the highlands. Lush ferns clustered beneath the oaks, elms, and maples. The trees were everywhere, but sparse enough to let plenty of sunshine reach the ground. There were several meadows with late season wildflowers. Tall grass rippled in the breeze like waves on a green ocean. Squirrels chased each other and jumped impossible distances among the branches above. Chipmunks scurried busily along the forest floor, running their little chipmunk errands. The sights and sounds did wonders to ease my anger at Honditar.

As I continued southward, I saw ruins up ahead. They were similar to the first buildings I saw after crawling out of the sewers. Lofty marble arches that looked as if a strong breeze should topple them. Since they were so close to my intended route, I decided to have a closer look.

Mosses and lichens had latched on to much of the stone. I ascended a set of stairs to what I thought would be a platform or roof. At the top, I discovered another set of stairs spiraling downward. They ended at what appeared to be a door. A large creeper had woven itself in and out of the arches that surrounded this part of the structure. It was as thicker than my waist and gave the impression of a giant snake trying to constrict the ruins. The temptation to investigate beyond the portal was strong, but I wasn’t here to investigate. I had more important things to tend to and left the platform to get back on my original path.

A few miles further, wood and masonry framed buildings came into view. Many of the buildings had been burned. This must have happened some time ago, based on the amount of ivy and moss that clung to them. Further into the village, I saw a house that wasn’t burnt, and next to that, a building with a sign that read ‘Moslin’s Inn’.

Seed-Neeus had mentioned Etira Moslin. That’s who Dar-Ma was supposed to meet…

I decided to explore the hamlet a little more before I entered any buildings. Most of them, including some of the burned ones, faced a central village square. At the opposite end was a chapel. Between here and the chapel, I could see another building with a sign and headed that way. As I approached, I could make out ‘Moslin’s Dry Goods’ in the fading daylight. Since this was Dar-ma’s destination, I entered the shop. I walked up to the Imperial woman that stood behind the counter. Just as I started to deliver salutations, she abruptly spoke in a stern voice.

“Let me give you some advice, stranger. Leave now. You ain’t welcome here.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I need to ask you something. I am looking for an Argonian girl. Her name is Dar-Ma. Have you seen her?”

“I don’t know any Dar-Ma. If you’re talking about that cursed Argonian swindler from Chorrol, I’d like to know where she is as well,” she replied with a scowl.

“I would hardly call Seed-Neeus a ‘swindler’, and I am speaking of her daughter. She came to make the delivery today because Seed-Neeus was under the weather. That was this morning. You are Etira Moslin, are you not?”

“I am, but the girl never showed up. How am I supposed to run a business without any merchandise? You tell Seed-Neeus I want half off on the next delivery!” she barked.

She’s lying.

“Well, if she happens to come in, please tell her that Talendor is looking for her,” I said and left the market. I decided to start searching near the store first, and work my way outward from there. Going behind the shop, I heard a sound from inside a burned out building. I poked my head in and there was the paint mare that Seed-Neeus had described.

I knew that woman was lying!

I turned around and went right back into the shop, knowing I had her now.

“Ok…tell me where Dar-Ma is!” I demanded.

“I already told you she never showed up!” she replied as snidely as before.

“Oh yeah? What’s her horse doing behind your store then, huh?” I asked, punctuating each word with an accusatory finger.

“That’s my horse! I’ve had it for years,” she stated, matter-of-factly.

I was speechless for a moment. I couldn’t refute her statement with certainty. The horse may have been hers. I had never seen Blossom before.

Close your mouth and stop pointing, knot-head…

To try and recover, I reminded her of my message with a stern tone and strode out of the shop.

Smoooooooth…

Frowning, I glanced toward the chapel. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to check there next. The inside was dimly lit by a few candles. They were fighting a losing battle against the night that had fallen since my arrival. I started walking down the aisle toward an altar when someone entered the chapel. I spun around to see an Imperial man walking toward me. A couple more people also entered the church. I walked up to the first man and asked if he had seen Dar-Ma.

“Shh. We can’t talk here. They’ll get suspicious. The girl is in danger,” he whispered, pausing a moment and glancing around, “Meet me at my house in ten minutes. It’s located at the southeast corner of town. I’ll leave the door unlocked,” and then he spoke loud enough to be heard, “Go away stranger!”

He turned and made a show of stomping out of the chapel. I stood there looking at the other parishioners. Each of them was glaring at me.

“Well…um…I guess I’ll do as he said and leave you folks to…whatever. Have a nice…um…meeting,” I said as I headed for the door.

Once outside, I turned right and headed for the man’s house. The door was unlocked as promised and I entered without knocking. He was in the middle of the room, waiting for me.

“You came. Good. I don’t have much time. I have to get back to the gathering.”

“Where’s Dar-Ma?” I asked.

“You have to believe me. I had no idea what they were planning,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“They want to bring back the Deep Ones. I thought I did too, but…she’s so innocent…” he trailed off.

“Hey! What have you done with her?” I demanded with enough force to jar him back to the moment.

“They’ve got her down in the caverns. They’re going to sacrifice her! Do you understand? You’ve got to save her!” he implored.

“Where are these caverns?” I asked impatiently.

“Take this key,” he said, handing it to me, “It will open any of the trapdoors that lead down to the caves. Every house in town has one.”

“Which one is best?”

“The one in Moslin’s Inn, it is nearest to where she is being held. Wait until midnight, when everyone is at the gathering. I have to go. I’ve been here too long already,” he said as he turned and left.

I didn’t even get to ask his name or thank him. I waited a few minutes, and then left the house. The town seemed deserted. It was eerily dark and quiet. I ducked into the shadows of a burned out house and waited for midnight. Time drew out like a blade. An owl hooted and almost made me jump out of my skin. Even the crickets sounded ominous. I couldn’t wait any longer and headed to the inn.

I entered the common room and found it empty. I searched for a trap door and discovered it in a rear corner. I unlocked a padlock and removed it from its hasp. Opening the hatch as slowly as I could, I readied myself for danger. I didn’t even realize that I had drawn my sword. Nothing jumped out and I could hear no sound from below, so down I went.

There was flickering light to my left. I cast the life detection spell that Athragar had taught me and was rewarded with a pink glow in that same direction. Tightening my grip on the hilt of my sword, I eased my way toward the source of the light. As I peeked around the corner, I was delighted to see a cage with Dar-ma shimmering in a rose colored aura. She stood as I approached.

“Talendor!” she exclaimed with obvious relief.

“Be quiet!” I whispered harshly, “Someone, or some-thing, might hear you.”

“Please, you have to get me out of here,” she tried to say in a whisper, but apparently Argonians can’t pull that off. It seems that the best they can manage is a low growling hiss, and it sounded so loud.

“I am going to get you out…just…shh…please.”

I sheathed my sword and looked around. That Zenitor God, or whatever its name is, was with me again because there was a key on a stool a few feet away. I grabbed it and sure enough, it unlocked the cage.

“Now follow me…quietly,” I whispered.

We were almost back to the ladder when a husky shirtless man entered the chamber from a passage to the left.

“You there! HOLD!” he yelled.

I grabbed Dar-Ma’s arm and dragged her to the ladder running.

“Climb…FAST!” I implored her while drawing my sword.

I followed as quickly as I could, climbing with one hand and keeping my sword in a defensive position with the other. The half naked assailant had a monstrous club that he did not intend to tickle me with. He took a mighty swing that intended to shatter bones. I dropped my sword to gain a better purchase on the ladder and swung my feet up out of the way just in time. The club splintered most of the lower ladder rungs instead of my legs. As I yanked myself upward, another shirtless man ran into the chamber. Dar-Ma was just getting through the aperture. I scrambled up after her as soon as my feet found an unbroken rung. Once through the opening, I slammed the hatch shut and stood on it.

“Your horse is in a burned out building –“

The trap door heaved upward and knocked me off my feet. I leapt up and jumped on it with all my weight, hearing a yell and a thud beneath me.

“It’s behind the store. Go now. RUN! Don’t wait for me!” I yelled.

Dar-ma bolted out of the inn, hiking her skirt to run as fast as she could. Odd thoughts happen at odd times. The sight of bare lizard legs from mid-thigh down was one of those times. The trap door was trying to open again, and that jolted me back to reality. I looked for the lock so that I could secure the hatch, but was not able to locate it. Bouncing on that trap door was starting to remind me of my coach ride to Chorrol. Suddenly, I was airborne as the hatch few open. I crashed against the wall of the inn and tumbled to the floor.

The naked half of an attacker was through the opening before I could raise the hatch and slam it again. But the effect of pinching his torso in the opening bought me all the time I needed. Using the door like a torso-loaded springboard, I jumped toward the inn’s exit. My attacker grunted as I executed this maneuver, and then yelled for me to stop. As soon as I was outside, I reached into my mind for help. I extended my arm and released purple power, conjuring a skeleton to buy more time.

The timing was perfect. The skeleton’s axe split the skull of the first man through the door. I didn’t wait around to see further results. Running as fast as my short little legs could carry me, I left the hamlet, crashing through the undergrowth of the forest. I stopped after a few minutes and listened for sounds of pursuit. My pulse was pounding between my ears and my breath could not come fast enough. I sat there panting and nocked an arrow. I would be a difficult shot, considering the darkness and the undergrowth, but I no longer had a sword.

Once I was satisfied that there were no shirtless pursuers, I started walking back toward Chorrol. I thought of Dar-ma and hoped that she had made good her escape. I really didn’t want to have to go looking for her again.

Now that was an exciting adventure in Hackdirt! In spite of some initial fumblings, Talendor managed to find Dar-Ma, break her out, and flee to safety with the foul denizens on his heels. Just how many Lovecraftian tales tend to end (except that Talendor made it out with all his marbles...) The acrobatics on the trapdoor were an especially nice touch.

That Zenitor God
Maybe one day Talendor will get it right!

The half naked assailant had a monstrous club that he did not intend to tickle me with.
Thank Zenitor it was not a naked assailant with a monstrous club...