From the alchemical mystery all the way back to the Red Dragon Club, this was a tremendously fun adventure. After the young reporter gave that conjurer a poke with his shortsword and then took a walk through Oblivion, I worried that he might decide he was a warrior. I’m glad that Freija reminded him where his real strengths lie.

@Acadian: - I'm sure Tsarrina would have tried to add Aranxa to the staff if she could. It's one of the main attractions of Gweden that every race in Tamriel and beyond is represented there. However, she'd have to have the ceilings raised in the farmhouse, so it might have been a bit expensive!

@mALX: - I like to try and add the practical (i.e. non-combat) use of magic wherever I can. It's one of the features I like most in other people's stories.

@Grits: - He'll get reminded of that a few more times in the next few episodes! And in this one, he'll even think it himself.

Since I've run out of Gweden/Red Dragon Club-related quests to relate (until I add a few more), we're going to branch off and meet Angeline and Diablita.

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

A Shack on the Waterfront

"You haven't been back to your apartment since you 'died', have you?" asked Taminwe.

The reporter acknowledged that he hadn't. He'd wanted to, but it didn't seem like a good idea. He never spent much time there anyway, and he didn't really have anything stored there that he couldn't replace. Some of it he really should replace anyway. He needed a better sword, and his spare armor needed repairs.

Taminwe reminded him that he hadn't paid the rent on it either. They probably had a new tenant already. She told him he needed to get a new place, and she had heard that there was a shack up for sale in the Waterfront district, behind the harbor wall.

"That den of thieves! Why would I want to live there?" he protested.

"Because it's the most heavily patrolled part of the city. Because the crime rate is actually the lowest there - really! I don't know if it's all the extra patrols by the Watch, or if there's just nothing worth stealing, but you hardly ever hear of an actual crime down there. Yes, they find stolen goods from time to time, but they're always stolen somewhere else."

He remembered that he'd met quite a few of the people who lived down there already. They'd been at the Bloated Float when he went there with Sugar. He'd liked those people. Methredhel, Adanrel, Carwen, Praxedes - no wait, she lived somewhere else, didn't she? And he wasn't sure if Minx had gone there after she got out of jail. Selene and Ormil, too. That meant that he was known, in return, so it didn't seem to be a good place to hide.

Taminwe contradicted him. As the stronghold of the Thieves Guild, it was just the place to go. Someone could disappear there if they wanted to, and knew the right people. The way she said it suggested he already did. They weren't the kind to rat on their friends, and he had got to know a lot of them very well. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

He set off for the Market District, and the Office of Imperial Commerce.

---

Vinicia Melissaeia accepted his 2000 Septims, and handed him a key. "I assume you don't want this sale registered in your real name. Nobody in that district ever does. Traditionally, we enter the owner as Emer Dareloth, without a signature. Will you be doing the same?"

That sounded like a good idea. "I won't break with tradition," he told her. "That's never good for your luck."

Vinicia reminded him that the place had minimal furniture at present, just a bed and a table. "I'm not sure if there's even a chair to sit on. But you can get the furnishings at the Three Brothers store when you need it. They'll deliver it, too!"

He thanked her, and set off for his new home. He wasn't sure if he'd need anything major in the way of furnishings, just a few chests to store things in, but he would need a least one chair! Vinicia had told him that there was a basement, maybe he'd find something down there that he could bring up and use. Maybe a stool that would serve until he bought something better.

When he opened the door, he saw that she hadn't been exaggerating at all. The bed was a single one, and there wasn't room for a larger one there , without blocking the doorway. A small round table occupied most of the other half of the room, and there was nowhere to sit but on the bed. There was at least a solid-looking fireplace and chimney, so he wouldn't be cold.

There wasn't a trapdoor in sight to access the basement, which was a good thing, as it wouldn't restrict where could put any chairs or chests he added. He assumed that there must be a door on the outside, probably round the back.

Sure enough, there was a double hatch door covering the entrance and the same key as the front door fit the lock. He glanced behind him at the level of Lake Rumare, and noted that there wasn't a lot of depth available for a basement. He hoped he wouldn't find standing water down there.

---

The last thing he expected to find was the two young women that rushed to him as soon as the doors opened. One of them looked like a Breton, but with a Nord's flaxen hair. The other was unlike any race he'd encountered before. She had red skin, horns like a Dremora, and hooves and a tail!

They were both eager to get out into the sunlight, but their eyes were blinking furiously as they'd obviously spent some time in the dark. In the bright light of day, he could almost see through the blonde's dress, which was made of white lace. While he couldn't quite make out the interesting details, it was clear that she wasn't wearing anything under it.

The darker woman wore only tattoos and chains, if you didn't count the hair on her lower legs. Her ample breasts held up well on their own, but were also supported by chains that ran between her pierced nipples, and a spiked collar around her neck. There were a few other piercings and chains in intimate locations. And on her back, she carried a pitchfork.

When she finished rubbing her eyes, she introduced herself as Diablita, and the other was her sister(!) Angeline. She corrected herself. "Half-sister, that is. We have the same father, but different mothers. We're sort of twins, too, born on the same day."

He asked how they came to be locked in his basement. "Well, of course it wasn't locked when we went in there. We'd just got off a ship in the harbor, where we'd been stowaways, and it looked like a good place to hide for a while."

They'd brought bedrolls with them, and they'd found barrels of food stored in the basement, so they'd survived well enough. They were running out of wine and beer, though, and didn't like the idea of drinking from the little pool of water in the corner. There were a couple of stools, too, which was all the news he wanted.

Except that he needed to decide what to do with these two. They pleaded with him to let them stay for a while, as they had nowhere else to go. "We can be useful," said Angeline. "I'm a pretty decent archer and spell-caster, and Diablita's fork is like a mage's staff. It produces a nasty fireball."

Diablita admitted that she'd rather swing a sword or hammer than use the pitchfork, but she didn't have either right now, and it was good to have a ranged attack as well. "We can heal ourselves, too, and aren't much affected by diseases or poisons."

They weren't mentioning what else they could do for him, but they had cuddled up to either side of him to make it obvious. He found himself thinking that they were both fairly small, so they wouldn't take up much room, and Freija had suggested he get a bodyguard, and ...

"Just for a while," he consented. "This is a pretty tiny shack, and we'll find it's a tight squeeze for all of us. Don't expect it to be a permanent solution."

He was a little worried that such a conspicuous pair of companions would draw attention to him. He had also wanted to draw on his waterfront contacts to appear to be a long-term resident of the area. Having these two in tow might make it harder to pick up where he left off with the Bosmers, and Minx.

On the other hand, they'd be a distraction, and he did need a bodyguard, to keep any assassins at bay. He carried the two stools up to the ground floor, and sat down on the bed to talk to the "twins". They ignored the stools, and sat on the bed, too, either side of him. It was becoming obvious that they worked as a team, and each knew what the other was thinking. He interrupted their plans by asking them where they'd come from. They'd mentioned being stowaways, and they obviously weren't from around here.

The two exchanged glances, and apparently elected Angeline to do the talking, while Diablita continued to entwine herself around him and nibble his other ear. She explained how they'd grown up on a volcanic island somewhere in the seas south of the Topal Bay. They'd lost their parents, and the island's only source of fresh water, when the lava dome their house had been built on collapsed into the bottom of the crater.

She didn't want to go into any details right now, there would be time for that later. But they'd been in the basement for a long time without a man, and some needs were just more urgent than story-telling.

---

There may have been enough room in the bed for the three of them to do that, but there certainly wasn't room to sleep afterwards. The girls fetched their bedrolls from the basement and laid them out on the floor. There was only just enough room to do so, and it wasn't going to be a workable arrangement once he had a few chests added.

He'd only just moved in, and already he was in the market for a larger house! He'd want to keep this one as a City base, but he should be on the lookout for something that had enough bedrooms for each of them. That wasn't going to be cheap, but It would be their home, and they could help him raise the gold.

Adventuring around the countryside might be another good way to stay out of public view for a while, too. He'd not done that before, as he wasn't so confident of his ability to survive that kind of life, but maybe they'd be safer as a team. He'd discuss the idea with them when they woke up tomorrow.

---

Of course, they jumped at the idea of living in a home with room to move. Their home on the island had been a bit bigger than this place, but it was almost as cramped with its five inhabitants. Their parents' bedroom had been no larger than this one, although it did have a bed large enough for the three. The girls had slept in bunks in a small room on the other side of the house that was not much more than a closet. The room in between served as dining room, kitchen, workshop and everything else.

Their father had built it from the wood from a shipwreck, and there wasn't much that came ashore. Some of the interior walls were made out of crates that had washed up with it, so they were thin, and not very strong. He'd built it in the crater of the dead volcano, so that it would be out of the wind, because it probably couldn't have stood up to much. That was also where the only fresh water collected in a small pool.

The soil of the rest of the island was too sandy for the rain to stay on the surface, but the volcanic ash in the crater was more fertile, and they managed to grow a few vegetables up there. There were fish and clams in the bay, which had been the crater of an earlier eruption, and formed a natural harbor.

They told him how ships would shelter in the bay whenever there was a storm threatening at sea, and they'd get to trade with the sailors for goods they couldn't make for themselves. They had produce from their little garden, and some fruits grew wild on the slopes of the island, too. The sailors would appreciate something fresh, after living off preserved food while they were at sea, and they got a fair deal. Gold was useless, with nowhere to spend it, but timber and nails, and needles and thread were even better. Sometimes they'd have ingredients that could be used for alchemy.

---

They were eager to get started with earning their keep, so the three of them walked around the shoreline to a cave they could just see from the back of the shack. They could take a look inside and see if there was any treasure hidden there. The reporter knew that bandits often stashed their loot in caves like that, so there was a decent chance for it. Naturally, there was also a chance to find the bandits, but they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Which was a few feet inside the door. A shout from above them told them they'd been spotted, and an arrow flew past the reporter's head. Angeline returned fire with her own bow, and Diablita's pitchfork sent a fireball to chase the arrow. A singed and pierced bandit fell from the ledge above, injuring himself further in the fall. To compound his problems, he fell on a trip wire, and a large log swung down just as he was trying to pick himself up.

They weren't so lucky with the next bandit. He came running down the pathway with a large hammer raised above his head. The log was between him and the three adventurers, so they moved around it to keep things that way. Without a ranged attack, and unable to reach them, he eventually fell, too.

Now they had some better armor and equipment from the first two, they could deal with the remaining bandits as they came to them. By moving slowly, and healing themselves as they went, they could out-fight each individual they encountered. They found a few chests with gold and other items as they progressed, but the main value seemed to be in the armor and weapons they were taking from their adversaries.

The last bandit was a tough one, presumably the leader of this bunch, and they noticed a glow on the man's armor. Probably enchanted with something, they thought. There was a better haul of gold and gems in the chest in this part of the cave, too. His sword was of better quality than the one the reporter had been using, and defied his attempts to repair it. Most likely enchanted too, he thought.

They had just about as much as they could carry as they worked their way back to the cave entrance. The sky was beginning to darken as they emerged, and they knew they wouldn't get to the Market district before the shops closed. They'd just have to stow their haul in the basement and sell it the next day.

There were a few bottle of quite decent wine amongst the other stuff, and that wasn't going to bring them a lot of cash, so they decided to drink some before they turned in for the night. Perhaps that made it easier for the women to continue their tale of life on the Island.

Diablita, this time, took up the narrative. "When we were small, our father kept us in the house whenever there was a ship in the harbor. Our mothers would go down and do all the trading with the sailors. Father told us that they were much better at it than he was, and we assumed he meant haggling for a good deal."

"Eventually we noticed that our mothers sometimes came back really late, even the following morning. Usually only one of them, but as we grew up, it seemed more likely that they'd both stay out late. Father didn't look too happy when that happened."

"After a while we figured out that they had more to trade than he did. Until they brought the captain of one ship home with them. She was an elf of some kind, Bosmer I think, and she was really pretty. Father seemed to think so, anyway. They all disappeared into the adult's bedroom, and we heard laughter and other noises for a while."

"Our mothers went back down to the dock shortly after that, leaving her behind. We didn't see any of them until morning. Father looked a lot happier on that occasion! He looked a bit tired, though, and so did she."

"It wasn't long after that Angeline went into the adult's room, and found one of our mothers' toys lying on the bed. We hadn't ever seen one of those before. It was pretty obvious what it was, though. Very realistic, though maybe a bit smaller than the only example of the real thing we'd ever seen."

"Of course, she tried it out before she told me anything about finding it. Eventually I started wondering where she was and went and found her, still playing with it. I only got a turn by threatening to tell her mother."

"We left it where Angeline found it, and it got put away again, but a few days later there was another one in the same place. This one was a bit bigger, and made out of lacquered wood. It wasn't as life-like as the first one, and the end was more tapered. I found it this time, so I got the first try."

"When we found the third one, we guessed that they'd been left out for us deliberately, so we asked our mothers about it. Angela - that's my sister's mother - said nothing, but she handed us a small key and sent us off to their room. We found that it fit the lock on a small chest with all the rest of the toys."

"Some of them were made for two people. That made us think. It meant that our mothers could use them together, with or without Father's help. They'd never spoken about their life before we were born, and we'd assumed that they'd always been together. Perhaps that wasn't true."

The reporter asked if they'd kept any of the toys.

"No, they were lost with the rest of the house, when it fell down the crater. If we still had them, we could have lasted a lot longer in your basement!"

That appeared to be Angeline's cue for wanting the real thing again, so the story was shelved for the night.

“Traditionally, we enter the owner as Emer Dareloth, without a signature. Will you be doing the same?"
I really liked this, since denizens of the Waterfront are well familiar with the name.

Gosh, how handy to find such a pretty pair in one’s basement! Naughty and Nice bookends!

‘His sword was of better quality than the one the reporter had been using, and defied his attempts to repair it. Most likely enchanted too, he thought.’
Nice nod to the game’s mechanics regarding repairing gear.

Nits:
‘They way she said it suggested he already did.’
I believe you meant 'The' instead of 'They'.

‘That sounded like a good idea. "I won't break with tradition," he told her. "That's never good for your Luck."
Vinicia reminded him that the place had minimal furniture at present, just a bed and a table. "I'm not sure if there's even a chair to sit on. But you can get the furnishings at the Three Brothers store when you need it. They'll deliver it, too!"
1. Not sure why you capitalized luck.
2. This needs to be two paragraphs. I suspect you meant it to be and the space between perhaps got lost in the posting.

‘Sometimes they'd have ingredients that could be used for Alchemy.‘
As above with luck, are you sure you want to capitalize alchemy?

How fun! I loved Angeline and Diablita’s island home even before I read about their mothers’ treasure chest.

I had such nostalgia for the Waterfront reading this. And I’ve always wondered what was under that basement door.

He'd only just moved in, and already he was in the market for a larger house!

I’m sure that’s true of many who move into that place! Though it’s a definite favorite of mine.

The cave adventure was great fun, and so true to the budding adventurer's game experience. Drinking the wine was an especially nice touch. After all, the shops were closed, so they might as well lighten the load.

LOVED this beginning and the concept of the Thieves Guild keeping his secrets if he keeps theirs - even when he didn't know they had them, lol. Great philosphy!

I wondered if those two would still be in that shack - it's been a long time since you put them in there, lol. I remember when you were first making this section of the mod! Great Write!

@Acadian: Nice and Naughty applies to each of them, but together....!

@Grits: Dzonot cave was a perfect place to establish that the reporter may know his way around Tamriel, but that doesn't include the dangerous parts. (Unless you count Sugar, and Uzgash)

@mALX: It's a good thing I put respawning barrels of food and wine down there with them!

Last time we left the reporter with more women than his shack could handle, and a growing realisation that he's not the adventurer type. This episode will confirm that. The sisters will start to learn a few things about the world beyond their island, too.

----

Arborwatch

In the morning they retrieved their collection of bandit equipment from the basement and set off for the Market District to see what it would fetch at Jensine's. The reporter wasn't expecting much, but the offer Diablita got for the first piece was much lower than he could believe. "Let me handle this," he said, and took over the haggling. The price immediately went up considerably, and he made the deals on all the remaining items. The enchanted items got a nice premium, too. They'd decided that they weren't worth keeping if they couldn't be repaired, but Jensine didn't see it that way. She could sell them to people who had the ability to fix them.

He shouldn't have been surprised when he got the better deals. Jensine had never seen anyone like Diablita before, and probably thought she was Mehrunes Dagon's daughter. He'd also had a lot more practice at dealing with shopkeepers than the sisters, if they had any at all.

Angeline had noticed that. She proposed that she and Diablita would do all the dungeon-diving, if he'd do all the selling. They'd seen that he wasn't comfortable with fighting, and they'd like to keep him alive for the things that he did do well. She hoped that included map-making, as they'd need to know the good places to look.

He bought a couple of blank maps of Cyrodiil from Jensine, and marked on them the places he knew. Mostly, they were just ones that he'd passed by on the roads, but there were a few that other people had told him about. In particular, he pointed out Rockmilk cave, and Fort Nikel. Those were locations where bandits and marauders were always fighting each other for possession of the hideout, and there was a good chance one could just go and pick up the pieces when they'd wiped each other out.

"Rockmilk's a long way away from the city," Angeline noted. "But Fort Nikel's just up the road from the Talos Bridge. I bet we could go there and be back before it gets dark." She and Diablita scampered off across the plaza toward the gate to the Eleven Gardens before he could say anything.

He decided that this would be a good time to see what the Three Brothers had to offer in the way of storage. And maybe buy himself a chair, too.

---

The amount of stuff they dumped on the floor of the shack left him amazed. He didn't understand how they'd managed to bring back so much. Diablita told him they'd found a couple of feather potions in a chest at the Fort, and they'd lasted just long enough to get home.

That was how she put it. "Home", not "back here". He had a sinking feeling that his life wasn't his own any more.

They picked through the heap, deciding what to keep and what to sell. Some of it was better than the equipment they had, so their old things went on the "sell" pile in their place. Not much of the armor would fit Diablita, with her large breasts and beast-shaped legs, but there were a few plate pieces she thought she could adapt. Angeline didn't have that problem, but she was just as choosy in what she'd wear. It seemed to him that looks outweighed protection in her selections, but he said nothing.

---

He couldn't carry all the loot to the Market District at one time, so it took several trips across town before he'd sold it all. He'd also decided to sell the armor at The Best Defense, and the Weapons at A Fighting Chance, to get the best deals. Jensine still got all the jewelry and gems, as Hamloff was harder to haggle with at the Red Diamond. All of that added up to extra time taken with his side of the enterprise, so it was getting dark again when he returned to the shack and found the sisters there with their next load.

There wasn't as much this time, as they hadn't found any feather potions. They told him they'd had to leave some stuff behind, and they wanted him to come and help fetch it. They had turned the other way after they crossed the Talos Bridge, and had found Fanacasecul. They thought it was another bandit hideout at first, because there were a couple of them camped just outside, apparently guarding the entrance.

"But when we got inside, we found it was full of undead," Diablita complained. "And I hate zombies, they remind me of my sister."

The main reason they needed him wasn't the weight of the loot, but that they couldn't unlock some of the casks they'd found. He produced some lockpicks, and showed them how to use them. Angeline seemed to get the hang of it right away, and broke less of the lockpicks than he did. He made a note to go see Shady Sam and get a few more anyway.

He also found that there were Welkynd stones all around the place that they hadn't collected. They didn't know that they were valuable, they just appeared to be a useful source of a little light. He found ten of them, which would be a nice addition to their haul. He also collected Mort Flesh from the dead zombies, which got an "Eeeuw!" reaction from the sisters until he told them what it was worth to an alchemist.

Diabla, the mother of Diablita, had been an alchemist, so she knew what he was talking about. Some ingredients she just didn't know, because they hadn't been available on the Island. It seemed that none of the ships wanted to carry Mort Flesh in their cargo, so they'd never had any to trade. Bonemeal, crab meat, and things like that were well-known, and Diablita had some idea of how to combine them with other things. She had her own mortar and pestle, but all the other apparatus she'd owned had been lost with the house.

He told her he'd get the glassware from the Main Ingredient when he went to sell everything, but she'd have to do her alchemy in the basement. He'd ask Phintias about any books he had that listed Tamriel's ingredients, or would help her increase her skills. Alchemy was a good way to make some gold, as most potions were worth much more than the ingredients that went into them.

Angeline wasn't too happy with her sister's skills getting all the attention. Her mother had been a mage too, but she specialised in Destruction and Mysticism.

"Do you know how to Soul Trap?" asked the reporter.

"In theory," she replied. "I know the spell, but there weren't any soul gems on the Island for me to practise."

The reporter had found a petty gem in the last cask they opened, so they went looking for a mudcrab as they walked home along the shore.

"I'll find out how much extra this sells for tomorrow, but I suspect we'll want to use it for enchanting. I can get a contact at the Arcane University to put Night-eye on a ring for you. That will make it easier to see where you're going in the ruins."

"Oh, I can just use my light spell for that," Angeline told him, but he pointed out that it made her more visible too. Night-eye was better for an archer who wanted to be sneaky. Diablita wanted one too. If her sister wasn't lighting the place up, she wouldn't be able to see.

"Well if you want one, you'll have to find another gem, and get it filled," he told her. "They're not that uncommon, especially in dungeons with Conjurers or Necromancers." Then he had to explain what those were. Diablita liked the idea of summoning extra help. Could she learn to do that?

He thought about that for a while. They weren't carrying much, and they were close to Weye. If they walked past Fort Nikel instead of taking the road to the Talos Bridge, they could journey on to Chorrol, and Diablita could learn a Conjuration spell or two at the Mages Guild there. It meant travelling at night, but Angeline had just told him about her light spell, so why not?

---

They bought Diablita's glassware, and a calcinator, from Angalmo, and she tried it out by making a few potions and poisons. Then they got all their money back and more by selling the results of her efforts to him. Diablita was delighted by her success, and wanted to do more.

He was happy to have someone else do the work of mixing and refining, so he sold them more ingredients, and bought back the potions and poisons she made. Meanwhile, Angeline had bought all his empty soul gems, and had gone out of the city gate to go look for rats.

Athragar tested Diablita's Conjuration skill and found that she already had enough natural ability to summon creatures. "I'd normally start people off summoning Bound Daggers or Gauntlets, but she's ready for Scamps, Skeletons or Ghosts." Since she had a fireball attack of her own, she opted for a Summon Skeleton spell. It was a good thing that Angeline wasn't here to see how well her sister was doing, or she'd have been very jealous.

It wasn't long before she returned, a little out of breath. She'd got a bit more than she bargained for in the mine just out of town, where she'd found the rats she was hunting, but also a few goblins. She'd backed up and used her bow on them, but they'd pursued her relentlessly, and she'd had to resort to her spells when they caught up. And there were too many to handle on her own, she'd been forced to run back to the city gate and get help from the guards.

"Mr Bones here can help next time," said Diablita, and summoned her new skeleton right next to her sister. Angeline jumped when she did that, and Diablita giggled like a little schoolgirl.

She regretted that pretty quickly as Angeline had filled all the soul gems she'd taken with her, and threatened to just sell them all. Diablita needed one of those if she was going to get her own Night-eye ring.

---

All the rivalry was forgotten, however, when they left the Guild and turned down the street toward the shops. The house next door had a "for sale" sign sitting outside it. It looked big enough for all of them, and it had a garden out the back, too. "As big as the garden we had on the Island," Diablita pointed out. "We could grow some of our own ingredients!"

They made inquiries at Northern Goods and Trade when they sold the other items they'd brought. They got a very good price for the Welkynd Stones, and a fair one on the bandit's gear. Seed-Neeus owned the house they'd seen, Arborwatch, and she could sell them the furniture for it, too. "You'll have to pay the Countess for the house," she told them. "She's the agent for all home sales, because she has to handle all the registration of the deeds. Actually her secretary does all the work, but it's still a Castle responsibility. She adds a commission to the price, so you'll have to speak to her to find out what it will cost you."

20,000 Septims was a bit more than they'd accumulated so far, but they weren't far short. "We need furniture, too," Angeline reminded him. They went back to Seed-Neeus to find out what that would cost.

"We don't have to buy everything at once," he reasoned, "so we could start with the bedrooms and add the other things later. Once we have a base here, we should be able to earn enough for the rest in short order."

That sounded like a plan, so they set off back to the Waterfront to put it into action.

---

A few weeks later, they were back in Chorrol with enough gold to buy the house, and furnish the bedrooms. Careful haggling by the reporter squeezed the dining room into their budget, too. The study, seating area and wallhangings would have to wait.

"Who wants to open the door?" he asked. Of course they both did, until he announced that the other would get first choice of bedroom. So he opened the door, and and they all rushed in.

The place was huge compared to their shack. The floor was stone, instead of dirt, and so were the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. He was expecting arguments about who got which, but that seemed to sort itself out without any. He got the largest one, with the biggest bed, but apparently he'd be expected to share that most of the time. The two small rooms with the single beds had their differences, and each one appealed more to a different sister. "I don't think I could handle all the space in the Suite," Diablita said. That room's bigger than our whole house was on the island!"

That didn't stop both of them spending the night there with him. They'd sleep in their separate beds when he wasn't there.

They stayed in Chorrol for a week, raising the money to finish furnishing the place. The sisters were delighted to have rugs on the floors, and paintings and tapestries on the walls, all luxuries they'd never known before. But even when their own rooms were decorated to the same level of opulence, his was the only one they occupied at night.

The reporter wanted to pay a visit to the Red Dragon Club, in case Taminwe felt it was time for him to get back to his job. He'd not really settled his new identity into the Waterfront District either, and he wanted to consolidate that base even if he did have another home now. A pied-a-terre in the capital would be useful any time it wasn't safe to go to the Club. He left the sisters exploring the countryside around Chorrol while he went back down the Black Road with the Legion patrol for cover.

Taminwe didn't have anything that needed him right away. The Altmer mage that he'd missed at Fort Black Boot seemed to have gone into Elsweyr somewhere to try and stir up more trouble there. They had agents in that province who'd take over now.

He went back to the little shack on the Waterfront. It really did look bare after Arborwatch, but he remembered that he'd never purchased any of the upgrades. There hadn't been room for any furniture while the sisters' bedrolls were taking up all the floorspace. He had enough spare cash to make the place cozy, so that was the next business on the agenda.

With a much better-looking place to take a girl back to, he went searching for Minx and the Bosmers. It seemed that Minx had gone back to the Leyawiin area after she was released.

Methredhel was still seeing the man she'd been with at the Bloated Float. She'd not been seen much around their shack, presumably his place gave them more privacy.

Adanrel had come out of her shell, instead of just out of her clothes, and she had a lot more confidence in herself after that night. She'd found herself a boyfriend on the other side of town, and you never saw her here any more.

Carwen pretty much had the place to herself, and she was making the most of it. She didn't have a steady boyfriend like the others, but she wasn't alone at night either.

Selene was still happily working the Bloated Float with Ormil. They were planning to get married as soon as they had time for a honeymoon away from the city. He paid them a visit for his lunch, and had an excellent meal while he chatted to the other customers. Most of them were dockworkers who either lived on the Waterfront or in the nearby districts of the city.

Ormil told him that the evening crowd was a bit different. Since word had leaked out about the night Sugar and he had dropped in, he'd had quite a few private parties booked here by city folk who'd previously looked down on the place as just another dockside dive. They tended to have the whole place closed to the public on those nights, though. On the other nights, most of the customers were single men. "They're alway disappointed, but that makes them drink more." Ormil told him with a huge grin on his face.

Carwen dropped in for some lunch, just as he was about to leave. She spotted him, and came over to join him. She wanted to thank him for what he'd done for Adanrel. "She's a completely different woman these days."

He quickly pointed out everyone else's role in that. Methredhel, Sugar, Jair had all played a part. Armand and Praxedes had moved it up a notch, too, or was that down, or just off? Carwen laughed.

"Adanrel remembers you in particular. She can't explain why. It wasn't like she spent all of her time with you that night."

Now it was his turn to laugh. Adanrel had made a point of sampling every man she could, in every way she could. He'd just taken what he was offered, and paid back more than he was given. And he was embarrassed that he couldn't remember if he'd done anything with Carwen. There was bare Bosmer all over the place that night, and you couldn't always see a face.

She admitted that she wasn't sure either, for much the same reasons.

"So what have you been up to since?" they both asked at once. He told her that he'd just bought the little shack at the end of the row, but he hadn't spent much time there recently.

Carwen looked rather disappointed when he said that. She confessed that she'd intended to offer him a bed for the night, hers of course, but he wouldn't need that, would he? And she wasn't sure that bedding her neighbors was a good idea, if she wasn't looking for a long-term relationship. Forget the "if", she wasn't. She was having too much fun being free and single.

He told her about his other house in Chorrol, and how he wasn't going to be a resident, so much as an occasional visitor. The smile came back to her face when he suggested she knock on his door tonight if she hadn't made other arrangements.

---

The knock was a lot louder than he was expecting, and the face he saw when he opened the door wasn't hers. There was an Imperial Watchman instead, asking if he'd seen the Grey Fox. "We know he's somewhere here on the Waterfront" the iron-clad legionary told him. "Nobody's leaving their house until we find him."

He saw Carwen in the doorway just up and across the street. She blew him a kiss, and made a sad face. They were both confined, and separated, until the Watch completed its search.

---

The curfew was still in place hours later. He gave up and went to bed alone.

The following morning Carwen had already left for work, or whatever she did, in the city, so he left her a note, and set out for Chorrol to try and forget this missed opportunity. He'd at least established his being a resident with one of the right people, as Taminwe termed the Thieves Guild. And he'd have other opportunities later.

Heh, I got several chuckles from this episode:

‘Jensine had never seen anyone like Diablita before, and probably thought she was Mehrunes Dagon's daughter.’

"And I hate zombies, they remind me of my sister."

‘There was bare Bosmer all over the place that night, and you couldn't always see a face.’

And one small nit here:
‘...as they'd need to know the good places too look.’
You want ‘to’ instead of ‘too’ of course.

Oooooh! This seems interesting!

I've always loved the sirens quest so this story immediatly captured my attention! It's based on a mod you're creating? I'm still on the first couple of pages so i don't know if the mods been completed or not, but this is really great. As with the others im starting from the beginning I wont clog your thread with out of date comments, unless I have to comment on something I couldn't NOT comment on! haha

Actually, it's about four released so far, and another in the works. The central character in this doesn't actually appear in them, and the player character (The Champion of Cyrodiil) is also out of sight most of the time in this story. Other than being arbitrarily male, the CoC is of no fixed race, and may be a mage, fighter or assassin, or more likely all of those! He's not a thief, though, as you'll find out soon.

Fun sibling rivalry. With the skills he demonstrated in this episode, I’m sure the young reporter will find a way to benefit from it.

There was bare Bosmer all over the place that night, and you couldn't always see a face.

Of course that line was a big hit with the Nord.

*

Rock Milk Cave is my favorite in the game! LOVED the discussion of the shopping! "Mr. Bones" had me rolling! And Lex looking for the Gray Fox at the end, ordering people to stay in their houses - ROFL !!! A really fun chapter, Great Write!


*

@Acadian: The "zombies" bit is a quote from their dialog. Either one may randomly say it when the dungeon contains undead.

@Grits: Not, not his Bare Bosmer (I think), unless she was in the city at the time.

@mALX: You know, I think this is the first time our reporter has got less then he was expecting.

We left the two sisters in Chorrol, while the reporter paid a visit to the City, now he's headed back.

-----------

Return to the Island

The sisters had had the chance to sleep in their own rooms, in their own beds. He wondered if that luxury had affected them, and they'd want to keep doing that. He wasn't expecting the reaction he got.

Diablita told him they wanted to go back to the island. They hadn't slept in separate rooms before, and it had just made them homesick.

"What about with the sailors?" asked Angeline "You went off into a cabin with yours."

"I don't recall doing any actual sleeping," Diablita replied, "and I'm pretty sure you didn't either."

That had been when they lost their virginities. Their mothers had picked the lucky men who were to assist. They weren't necessarily the highest bidders, but the sisters were sure there was some trading involved. There were at least a couple of crates behind the beach hut afterwards that hadn't been there before.

After that, it had always been in the hut. Their parents had always been worried that they might go off on a ship and had forbidden them to board another.

They'd stowed away in the hold of a ship when they left the island, so they hadn't slept apart then either. They knew they could have revealed themselves to the crew, or simply asked for passage in the first place, but they also knew what they'd have to do in return. "One sailor's fun, but a whole crew is just too much!"

He wanted to know how going back to the island was going to help them sleep in separate rooms. Angeline told him that they had unfinished business on the island, and that they couldn't move on to their new life. "We need to go back and find our parents' bodies, and give them a proper burial," she declared. "and if they're already buried under the rubble, put up a gravestone, or something."

That meant finding a ship that was going in that direction. Very few came up the Niben these days; the river was almost blocked by silting up at Leyawiin. Any cargoes were unloaded at Senchal, and made the rest of the trip by road. The best bet would be Anvil. It would probably cost them plenty too, if the sisters didn't like the idea of working their passage.

---

Down in Anvil, there were only two ships in port. One of them was locked, and smelt of sheep dung anyway. The other had a worried-looking Altmer woman pacing on the deck.

Varulae was the owner of the Serpent's Wake, but she didn't have a crew. Or rather, she had one, but they were dead. No, make that undead. Their spectres were haunting the ship, and she couldn't go and get her crystal ball from the hold. "If you can get it back for me, I'd be glad to have my ship take you to the island. Of course, I'll need to hire a fresh crew before that can happen, but there are always sailors looking for work here."

Frost resistance was a useful thing when fighting ghosts, and they already had a few potions for that. But the reporter knew that ghosts were unaffected by normal weapons, so he took a look at what the sisters were using. Angeline had silver arrows, so she'd do all right, but he needed to find something else for Diablita. Her steel and dwarven weapons would be useless. A trip to Varel Morveyn's shop produced a silver warhammer, and they were in business.

He wasn't sending them in and staying safe on the dock, either. He'd learned how to make use of invisibility when he'd gone to Fort Black Boot with Freija, and he was coming in to look for the crystal ball. Varulae had described the chest it was in, so he didn't have to reveal himself until he found it. At that point, he'd just have to hope the spectral sailors were too busy to notice him.

The first one was in the captain's cabin, opposite the door to the deck. It spotted them as soon as they entered, and drifted over to attack them. It wasn't the usual wraith, it had a cutlass in his hand, and it swung it at Diablita. The reporter had to duck quickly, as he was invisible in between them!

Angeline stepped in with a damage health spell as Diablita blocked. The spectral form recoiled and flung a Silence spell at Angeline to stop her doing that again. But that gave Diablita a chance to use her pitchfork and send a fireball his way.

Down on the floor, the reporter caught the wash from the fireball, and wished he'd brought some fire resistance potions with him. He couldn't heal himself until the ghost died, either, or his invisibility would be lost.

Fortunately for him, Angeline's silver arrow ended the first battle, and the wraith dropped its cutlass. Right on top of him. He cursed, and stood up to cast a few healing spells on himself. He saw the sisters laughing at him. "What are you laughing at?" he asked. Then the blob of ectoplasm he'd just stood up through started to drip down his face, and he understood.

It took a few minutes to get it all out of his hair, and into a vial. It would be another useful ingredient for Diablita. The cutlass was probably worth keeping, too.

The captain's body was lying on his bed, with wounds that looked like they'd been made by claws and teeth. Either there had been a wild animal in here, or some summoned creature that acted the same way. They found a key on his body that fit a chest in the cabin, and another that opened the doors. The chest contained the captain's valuables. They left them there for now; none of it would help them fight the other ghosts.

---

The trapdoor to the next deck was just outside the cabin. The reporter recast his invisibility, and after Angeline had opened the hatch, he went first to scout. There were two ghosts down there, and they'd be coming down between them. Each one armed with a cutlass as before, so they could expect the same spells too. After reporting that to the sisters, he went and ducked into a cabin to stay out of the way. Since they couldn't see him, he was more worried about friendly fire than anything the ghosts did.

One of the dead sailors was in the cabin. The same marks were on the body, and the wraith had his cutlass.
The sisters stood back-to-back and used their ranged attacks until the ghosts closed in. By the time they reached them, they had been weakened enough that Angeline's spell, and Diablita's new warhammer were enough to finish them. They'd both got nicked by the cutlasses however, and he was pleased to see them casting healing spells on themselves. He didn't have a "heal other" spell. He should get one.

This wasn't the deck that Varulae had described, so there must be another below it. He looked around for another hatch, and found it around the corner near the bow end of the ship.

It was likely that the chest with the crystal ball in it was right below, and he could just go down and grab it. The ghosts would see him open the chest, but he'd be back up the ladder before they could do anything to stop him. Diablita reminded him that they needed to clear out the ghosts so that they could use the ship. The ball was just part of the deal.

This time it made sense for the sisters to go first. They knew there were two more ghosts, because Varulae had told them that she had a crew of five. But was whatever killed them down there as well? The reporter didn't think so. Wild animals don't use ship's ladders, and anyone who summoned creatures to do his dirty work would not stay with the ghosts afterwards. Diablita went first with her pitchfork at the ready. That seemed to hurt the spectres more than Angeline's arrows did, and if they were close together, she could get both at once.

They got lucky. The first fireball knocked a barrel over and it rolled into the gangway down the middle of the deck. It appeared that the wraiths couldn't move it out of the way, so it became a ranged battle with the sisters holding the trump cards. The silence spells the spectral sailors started with were futile, and they didn't have the magicka to throw frost spells very frequently. Diablita's pitchfork was almost fully charged, and she did most of the damage.

They took the crystal ball from the chest, where it had survived the battle safely. Or rather two battles, as there must have been an earlier one that killed the sailors, and they noticed a lot of disruption from that. There were broken crates and barrels all through the hold, as well as a few scorch-marks on the planking.

Varulae was overjoyed to get her crystal ball back intact. She explained that it let her communicate with the crew when they were off on a voyage. She had another just like it and they had each been enchanted to show what was around the other one. So she could see her crew, and they could see her, even if they were miles apart. They couldn't hear anything, but they could write messages on a slate and hold them up for the other to read. Casting a simple light spell near one end would make the other end glow, so they'd know there was a message coming.

She gave them an enchanted cutlass as a reward, and promised that her ship would take them to the island. She hadn't seen the state of the inside yet. When they showed her, she added "In a week's time, that is. At least the hull's intact, so it's just a matter of cleaning up."

---

A week later, Varulae sent them to see her new captain, a Khajiit woman called Zishara, on the refitted Serpent's Wake. Zishara had Calban, one of the new crew, show them down to their cabins on the next deck. Alois, the only other member of the crew, went to cast off the ropes, while she went up to the wheel.

Angeline and Diablita had sailed a small fishing boat before, so they were able to help the crew a little, but once they were at sea, their help wasn't really needed and they joined him in his cabin to pass the time.

They woke early the following morning and went up on deck. The ship was at anchor, but not at the island. Zishara explained that they needed to wait for the wind to turn a little, as it wasn't easy getting through the narrow entrance to the bay. She recommended that they go back to the cabin and wait.

A few hours later, they heard the anchor being raised and felt the ship start to move. But by that time, he needed a nap. The sisters' idea of passing the time left him drained.

The next thing he knew was a knock on the cabin door and Calban announcing that he'd row them ashore if they'd just come up on deck. They scrambled to collect their gear and rushed up to see the sisters' island.

The ship was anchored near the mouth of the bay, where the water was deep enough. The jetty near the beach hut was in shallower water, so they'd have to take the rowboat. Calban rowed them across, and settled into the hut to wait for them. When they were done here, he'd row them back again.

The first thing the sisters wanted to do was go up to the top of the volcano, where the house had been. There was a path up the side, leading to the lowest point of the rim, and it wasn't a difficult climb. But the inner sides of the crater certainly would have been. The lava rock was glassy-smooth, and almost vertical. They could see down to a pile of rocks and rubble at the bottom. That was where the house, and the girls' parents, were buried, but they couldn't reach it from here.

They walked back down the path, and circled the base of the cone, looking for any cave entrances that might lead in. They found nothing, except a few strawberries to cheer them up a little.

Back on the beach, they noticed a new shipwreck on the other side of the bay. That hadn't been there before they left, or their father would have taken it apart for the timber. They decided to investigate.

There was a big hole in the side of the hull, where it had been torn open by the rocks. They entered the middle deck, and found most of it flooded. The end above water had a ladder up to the top deck, so they went up.

There were two Argonians living in the captain's cabin. The female introduced herself as Kaleen, and named her mate as Sand-in-his-Ears. She was upset at him for some reason, and he explained why. They'd arrived on this ship, and survived the storm that drove it onto the rocks mainly because they didn't drown like the rest of the crew. They were able to swim away from the foundering vessel and so avoided being crushed by the impact on the rocks.

They'd found it to be a pleasant enough place to remain, as there were fish and clams in the bay, and fruits growing around the volcano. Argonians didn't need fresh water, so the lack of it was no problem to them. But Slaughterfish had moved in and eaten all the smaller fish that they depended on. It wasn't safe to gather clams either, and that was the cause of the domestic unrest. Kaleen thought he was being too cautious. Clam-gathering was his job, and she was keeping them alive picking fruit, and resented him being idle.

They didn't ask why he wasn't helping with the fruit harvest, that would just have started another argument. Sand-in-his-Ears asked them if they could help him by killing the Slaughterfish. He had no weapons or armor, and was helpless against their teeth. He did have a chest full of water-breathing potions, which he never used, of course.

They had spare weapons for him, but naturally fighting wasn't his job any more than fruit-gathering. He did offer to show them something useful beneath the bay, if they did this for him.

The reporter drank one of the potions, cast his invisibilty spell, and went down to look. Only to come back up again in a great rush as he discovered that the Slaughterfish were detecting him anyway. Presumably they didn't hunt just by sight.

Well, at least he'd brought them over to where the sisters could find them. They did have armor to protect them, although he was worried about Diablita's exposed parts. He was fond of those, and didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Angeline's armor covered her better, although it was lighter and not so durable.

In a few minutes, there were half a dozen Slaughterfish floating belly-up on the surface, and no sign of any more. Sand-in-his-Ears was delighted, and Kaleen grudgingly approved too. "Now you'd better deliver on what you promised," she told him, "and bring some clams back when you're done."

Sand-in-his-Ears had them each drink another potion, as he needed to lead them under the water. They dived in a little closer to the beach, and swam down to the bottom, where he showed them a door in the rocks. It opened into a long water-filled lava tube that lead towards the bottom of the volcano.

The reporter signed to Sand-in-his-Ears that he'd fulfilled his part, and he hurried off to look for the clams for Kaleen. The three swam into the cave, hoping they wouldn't find any more Slaughterfish hiding in here. Soon there was an airspace above their heads, and they could breath normally again. Just at the end, the floor rose out of the water too.

Around a corner, they arrived in a chamber where piles of rocks and broken furniture and pieces of house wall lay jumbled up. Two huge rocks had jammed together above their heads, leaving a space beneath them that was relatively open. They picked their way across the space and found some broken shelves that had obviously come from the house. There were a couple of torn books, and a small jewelry box that had miraculously survived the fall. In it were two necklaces, and a note.


Silencer

You have two targets this time, in the port of Senchal, in Elsweyr.

They are Angela and Diabla, foreigners from the Southern continent, and unlike anyone you've killed before. Both are witches, so be wary of the spells they can cast, and the creatures they might summon.

When you have completed this task, your next orders will be in a sack beneath the rocks near the Anvil Lighthouse.

Serve me well, Silencer, and there's no telling just how far you might advance.


The reporter had seen notes like this before. He'd reported on the death of a member of the Dark Brotherhood, who'd failed in his assignment. This was typical of them, and the title SIlencer was further proof. The victims it named were the sisters' mothers, but it wasn't apparent whether the Silencer was their father, or someone he'd killed to prevent their deaths.

He debated whether to show it to them, but Diablita had seen it before anyway. She'd recognised the box, and knew what he was reading. She had something to show him. She took his arm and led him over to a corner where three skeletons protruded from the rubble.

One of the skulls had horns just like hers.

They dug out the skeletons, and confirmed that there was another female, and a male. This had to be the parents. The only way out was back through the lava tube, so they each put one body's bones in their backpack, and swam back out.

The sisters knew just where they wanted to bury their parents. They led him up to a level area overlooking the harbor. There were several large flat stones piled up there, big enough to be used as headstones. Angeline pointed down to a corner of the beach. "There's another pile down there," she said. "That's where we buried any sailors that washed up dead from the wrecks. Usually we just found their bones on the beach. The mudcrabs don't take long to strip a corpse."

"Our parents knew they'd die eventually, too, and they'd already picked this spot for where they'd like to be buried. That's why these stones were put here, to mark the right place."

The reporter picked the best stones, and carved the names Diabla and Angela on two of them. Then he realised that they'd never told him their father's name.

"Jak'l was what our mothers called him. I don't know if that was a real name or a nickname, but it was all they ever used," said Angeline. That was what should go on the stone, then.

The ground was light and sandy here, so it wasn't hard to dig three graves. The sun was just setting behind the volcano as they finished erecting the last headstone. They planted a red flax on Diabla's grave, a yellow one on Angela's, and a blue one on the center grave for Jak'l.

They sat silently in the rowboat as Calban took them back to the ship.

A soon as they were aboard, Zishara signalled to Alois, and he began to haul up the anchor. They could catch the tide if they left right away.

The sisters were subdued that night in their cabin, and clung to him as they slept. However, in the morning they were their usual insatiable selves again, and they were all late getting up to the deck. They found the ship was just entering Anvil Harbor, and they could see Varulae waiting on the dock. Of course, she'd been in contact with Zishara through her crystal ball, so she knew just when they'd be arriving.

She had a sealed message from Taminwe for the reporter. He opened it and read it. She'd like Lathenil moved from Gweden up to the city. They'd keep him at the Red Dragon Club, and she'd be able to question him herself. She could hold out the carrot of Ocato's ear, if the Altmer had anything he'd want to know. Since the reporter had reinforcements, this would be a good time to do it.

Taminwe could certainly work on the wizard in ways he couldn't. The fact that she was an Altmer herself also opened opportunities for lines of inquiry about his attitude to the other races. It sounded like a good idea to him.

---

Tsarrina wanted to recruit the sisters for the Gweden brothel. She had every other race here, and that was a major draw for the customers. He pointed out that there weren't any male .... whatever they were, so her argument had no merit. When she accused him of wanting to keep them for himself he just agreed with her and closed the conversation. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but she couldn't come up with anything else to say.

She also wasn't happy that he was taking away one of her best customers. Lathenil was just moving to the Champion's other brothel, he reminded her. She could have him back when Taminwe was done.

He went to get Lathenil. As he expected, the wizard was with Silanu, getting a mild whipping as a preamble to a more vigorous workout. "We'll let them finish what they've started," he thought. "I hope she's not planning anything too elaborate."

Freija approved of his choice of bodyguards. It was flattering to her that he'd felt it necessary to have two of them. Having one with blonde hair, and the other with Nord-sized assets just confirmed that he'd been thinking along the right lines. Horns and hooves, though? Prizna leaned in and reminded Freija firmly that horns were sexy.

He talked to Darwen, too, and told her about Uzgash taking her old "job" at the Tap and Tack. She got a real chuckle out of his description of the Orc princess negotiating with Olaf. "Now there's a woman who could really do some damage when she dances," she remarked.

He could hear Silanu from the floor below, and it sounded like she was nearly done with Lathenil. After all, it would be her decision, not his, when things were complete. When it went quiet again, he headed for the stairs.

Lathenil was helping Silanu back into her robe. Her leather gear hung over the foot rail of the bed, and her famous riding crop lay on the floor. He broke the bad news to Lathenil, but it appeared that Silanu was taking it harder than he did. Once again, he had to promise she could have him back when Taminwe was finished with her questioning.

SPEW!!!! I'd have had to look in those crates and see what my hymen was worth, it could have been a Sheo-type thing with yarn and lettuce, ROFL !!!



Unless they were on "The Raging Queen" (SNL skit where two beautiful half-dressed women and one young male named Miles were shipwrecked and rescued by the above pirate ship - and all the men only wanted to "comfort" poor Miles in his trauma).



ROFL!!! I love the way you put that! That is usually my first quest of the game, then hurry over to the store and put some Septims in my pocket, lol.

The whipping ... SPEW !!! ROFL !!!

Great Write !!!


*

Nice adaptation of the Serpent’s Wake quest. It was fun to see Diablita using her staff of pitchforkery. And the Reporter got slimed! Oh well, who ya gonna call? Clever use of crystal balls.

A nice little voyage and they arrive at the island. Uh oh, looks like the DB’s been involved in some foul play.

This was quite a long story with two distinct portions. It would have lent itself very nicely to the telling over two episodes.

Aaaagh! It was supposed to be two, but I copied over too much. As you pointed out, the part on the island should have started a fresh episode/chapter/thing. I'd even considered putting the last little part at Gweden with the next one, and completely missed the other break.

I'm spending too much time with the invisible headless dead sheep.

Fun strategy against the wraiths, and I love how the crystal balls work. Especially the light spell alerting someone on the other side to pay attention, that’s great!

I just love the sisters’ island with the wreck and secret cave. The chest full of water-breathing potions in the shipwreck was brilliant. If only those sailors knew!

The Gweden scene was hilarious, especially after the poignant discovery on the island.

When she accused him of wanting to keep them for himself he just agreed with her and closed the conversation.

I love it!

@mALX: Can you make a new (fake) hymen with yarn and a lettuce leaf (enough to fool a sailor anyway)?

@Acadian: That's one edit I'm not going back and fixing, but this time we're back to single postings.

@Grits: I'm just playing through this piece of the mod again, and I'm finding that even a chest full of water-breathing potions is no substitute for a piece of enchanted equipment (or being an Argonian).

Incidentally, my current test character is an Imperial called Clark Kent, who doesn't fight too well. His birthsign is of course the Lover. Majors are Speechcraft, Mercantile, Light Armor, Blade, Restoration, Mysticism and Sneak. I expect him to use a lot of Illusion (charm especially) but did not make that a major, or his Personality would be out of control.

Back to manageable pieces this time.

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

Monument - part I

They delivered Lathenil to Taminwe, and set off across town. Before they went to the shack, they had a few things to buy and sell in the Market District. They cut through Green Emperor Way, instead of going through the Elven Gardens as they usually did. The sisters looked at all the tombstones around the lower level and were just in awe at the extent of the cemetery.

But one tomb in particular got their attention. At the very North of the graveyard, just before they reached the entrance to the Market District, was a circle of columns surrounding an obelisk. They wanted to know who was buried there. So they all walked over and tried to read the inscription. It was too weathered to make out what it said, but they were still impressed, especially close up with the columns soaring above them.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if our parents had a monument like this!" Angeline exclaimed. Diablita seconded that idea, and the reporter felt another quest coming on.

Well, the only way to talk them out of it was to do a bit of research and show them that they couldn't afford it. They were headed to the Market District, so they could ask there. Vinicia, at the Office of Imperial Commerce, was the one who should know, or at least be able to point them at the right person.

She knew several people who'd have parts of the answer. Damian Magius, at the Waterfront office of the Imperial Trading Company, would know all about pricing for the stone. They were the importers for all the raw stone used in city construction. But then they'd need a mason to cut it and she didn't know one of those. "But if anyone does, I'd bet it would be that Ida Vlinorman. She knows more about architecture than anyone else I know."

They'd start with Damian Magius when they went back to the Waterfront. Maybe he'd have a large number to quote them that would put it out of their range.

He did at first, but it turned out that most of the cost was shipping. When he heard that they wanted the monument on the Island, he cut the price in half. "That's close to the quarries in southern Valenwood. It won't be on the ship for very long, so it won't cost anything like as much to transport it."

Now he had to count on the mason. That would have to wait until the next day. It was getting late.

They unlocked the door to the shack and the sisters were surprised at the upgrades he'd made. "And where are we going to sleep now?" asked Diablita.

Just then someone knocked on the door. It was Carwen. She'd seen his door closing as she came through the arch, so she knew he was back in town. Then she noticed the two women behind him. "Oh, I didn't know you had company."

Carwen looked so disappointed that he had to do something. Maybe he could solve both problems at once. Carwen's place was much bigger than his. There would be room for them all to sleep afterwards. He just needed a bit of help to balance the numbers. Did Carwen know any sailors who could help entertain his sisters? He wasn't quite being untruthful in calling them his sisters. They were sisters, and they'd just about made themselves 'his'. They were certainly his problem tonight.

Carwen did a double-take. "Same father, different mothers" he explained, neglecting to mention that it just applied to the girls. She bought it.

Soon the sisters were happily entertaining a couple of sailors in Carwen's shack, while he took care of her in his own. And there was just enough room to get a night's sleep afterwards. He was glad she was a slender wood elf, and not a buxom Nord.

---

Ida Vlinorman lived in the Elven Gardens District, and they met her just coming out of her house. Yes, she did know a mason. Her next-door neighbor, Marinus Catiotus, was the brother of one. She suggested they go there and ask him where to find Terranis.

Marinus told them that his brother was working on some repairs for the Bruma Chapel. He'd be staying at the Jerall View Inn, because it was so close to the work. No, he didn't know when he'd be finished, and he might not be back in the city after that. His brother hadn't told him if he had another job lined up.

He knew nothing about mason's work himself, so he couldn't even hazard an estimate of what their work would cost. "You'll have to go ask Terannis," he told them "He's the only one who can give you a proper quote for the job."

---

It was getting to the point where avoiding the quest was as much effort as taking it on, so they travelled up to Bruma to see Terranis. Maybe he'd run into Uzgash, or Gudrun, or any of the Riders who were at the Lodge. It wasn't necessarily a waste of time.

They arrived on a Loredas evening, so they looked in at Olaf's Tap & Tack, expecting to watch Uzgash dance. But it wasn't her swaying in the corner. "Gudrun?" the reporter exclaimed.

"Can't stop now," she replied. "I'll explain when I'm done."

They had a job finding seats for the three of them, but eventually one of the men got up to move closer to the action, and they slipped into the bench in the corner. They couldn't see Gudrun from where they were, but they got a good idea what was happening from listening to the crowd.

After a loud cheer, everything quietened down again, and a somewhat breathless Gudrun came over to join them, wrapping a robe around herself as she sat down. "Uzgash has been teaching me to dance," she began. "And she's also been giving Timo a few advanced lessons in 'recharging'. She can only do that when he's not busy with one of the others. It just so happened that Timo's lesson was due on a Loredas this month, and she couldn't be in both places at once. So she asked me if I could fill in for her. It's good exercise, and with my office job I really need that!"

"Anyhow, I agreed before I found out that it involved taking my clothes off. Oh, well, at least Uzgash lent me some civilian clothes to use. I wouldn't have felt right using my uniform. And besides, you know how quickly that comes off! That wouldn't be any good."

The reporter asked if she was filling in for the rest of Uzgash's duties.

"Just the dancing," Gudrun said firmly. "A member of the Imperial Mountain Riders never charges for her services."

---

They'd booked rooms at the Jerall View Inn, as they knew the Tap & Tack didn't have accomodation for three. Hafid Hollow-leg may not have the drinking crowd that Olaf gets, but he does provide more spacious rooms. They needed to find Terranis, too.

Hafid asked them if they'd been to see the dancing at Olaf's. They admitted they had. "What's that Orc woman like, then?" he wanted to know. Before the reporter could stop himself, he'd told Hafid that it wasn't an Orc tonight, it was a Nord.

"Oh, there's two dancers in town, are there?" Hafid beamed. "That makes things different."

They quickly changed the subject and asked about the mason. Terranis was still working on the chapel, and he'd gone to bed early so that he could get an early start. He'd told Hafid that tomorrow was likely his last day before it was completed.

They missed him in the morning. He was up at the crack of dawn, and the threesome had put a good night's drinking in with Gudrun, so they needed extra rest. But they'd surely meet him over at the Chapel of Talos. He came down a ladder from the tower, brushing dust off of his apron. "All done," he told Cirroc. "Let me know if the frost cracks any more of those finials. I'm guaranteeing my work for the next five years, but the ones I didn't touch might not last that long."

Cirroc sighed. It was a never-ending battle against the elements here. And you couldn't work on the outside of the building at all in the middle of winter, with all the ice. Terannis was sympathetic, but he pointed out that getting the job done right made it last longer. "Whoever did the roof last was looking to come back soon to do it again."

The reporter was lapping this up. Terranis was obvious a Master Craftsman, who'd charge way more than they could afford, and it would all be put to rest. When Terannis turned away from Cirroc, he stepped up to him and asked about the sisters' proposed monument.

Terannis listened to his description of what they wanted. He knew the original on Green Emperor Way, as he'd done some repair work on that, too. "But you're telling me you want to build a completely new one, aren't you?" The way he said it made it sound even more costly.

Terranis wanted to know more about the Island. The reporter let the sisters take over, and tell him what the place was like. He listened to what they said thoughfully, and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and made some calculations.

"I reckon it would take me about a month, assuming I had laborers to do all the moving and lifting for me. I'm a craftsman, and my job is cutting the stone and making it all fit properly together. Mostly, that's been replacing pieces that have broken or worn out, like I was doing here. And it hasn't been too comfortable working on a windy chapel roof, in cold Bruma."

"And now you're offering me a job on a warm tropical island, where I'm making it all new, and can take pride in doing the whole thing. It will be like a vacation for me. I won't charge you a Septim!"

The reporter almost went into shock.

"Mind you, I expect the laborers will want paying," Terranis continued. "And I don't have my own crew. If you can find some strong men, and a ship to get there, I'll do it for you." He smiled warmly at the girls when he said that, and they blew kisses back.

It would appear that they were headed for Anvil next. He could ask Varulae for passage again, and Newheim could always find a crew of laborers. Usually it was a ship's crew, who were waiting on a refit. There were plenty of caves and ruins on the way to check for treasure, so they'd undoubted have enough gold by the time they got there. They'd order the stone when they passed through the City, and that would arrive about the same time as the workmen. It was all coming together as if someone had planned it that way.

---

Varulae was happy to lend her ship again. All she asked in return was that they find her a copy of "Charts of the Southern Seas". Hers had been destroyed when the first crew were killed, and she hadn't been able to lay her hands on a replacement. There wasn't a bookshop in Anvil, and she couldn't leave her offices here to go look in the other towns.

Newheim knew just the crew for the stonework. They'd been on a vessel from Valenwood, and they'd handled stone cargoes before. Maybe on the same ship that was delivering theirs. As experienced sailors, they'd be able to help the Serpent's Wake's small crew on the voyage too.

So it was all happening. Terranis arrived in Anvil and the men boarded the Serpents Wake while the three set out to find Varulae's book.

‘Nice work, if you’ve got the stones for it.’
Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Off on another quest to avoid a quest that becomes a quest – fun and clever! Things are really coming together for the sisters.

‘He wasn't quite being untruthful in calling them his sisters. They were sisters, and they'd just about made themselves 'his'.
Love the reporter’s logic here!

Diablita seconded that idea, and the reporter felt another quest coming on.

Perfect. I liked learning some more about Clark Kent, Young Reporter.

This sounds fun to play, following all of the leads and seeing the plan come together. Plus, tropical island! I think that Terranis has the right idea!

Also: "A member of the Imperial Mountain Riders never charges for her services."

Answer: I sure can, I'm like MacGyver when it comes to restorative surgery on female bits anatomy, ROFL !!!

I agree with Grits, this mod sounds like a lot of fun to play! This is all new to me, erecting the monument for their parents - Love the idea! Great Write!

@Acadian: Reporters are always good at making up stories on the spot. Especially half-true ones.

@Grits: Tropical island maybe, but they're not without their own problems.

@mALX: Playing it is fun, but creating all the dialog is a headache. Especially getting them not to say things at the wrong time. Like saying "I'm not sure I like this place" just outside their own front door, instead of inside a dungeon.

We left them going off to look for Varulae's book.

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

Monument - part II

Phintias' bookshop, the First Edition, was the obvious place to look. As the only book store in the Imperial City, he took pride in having a copy of just about any book you could think of. They browsed through his extensive collection, and found a few books on Alchemy and Mysticism that the sisters found useful, but no copies of the "Charts of the Southern Seas."

They paid him for the ones they wanted, and set off for Leyawiin. There was a shop in Cheydinhal that sold books, and another in Chorrol, but it made more sense to look in a port town, even if it wasn't much of one these days.

The owner of Southern Books was a grumpy Orc by the name of Bugak gro-Bol. "If I've got it, it will be on the shelves somewhere," he told them. "No I don't keep the inventory in my head, go look for it. And make sure you buy something, don't just waste my time!"

Phintias' books had been neatly arranged by subject, and author, so it was easy to find what you wanted. The books here had just been stacked randomly on the shelves with no discernable pattern. You'd find a romantic tale next to a manual of armor repair, or a catalog of alchemical ingredients.

"Are we looking for a large book, or a small one?" Angeline asked. The reporter guessed that charts would need to be fairly large to be useful, but that was no guarantee. Varulae hadn't mentioned size when she asked him.

"Found it!" exclaimed Diablita, but she hadn't. That was another volume in the same series covering the South-west. It took nearly an hour before he found it at the back of a shelf, behind a row of trashy novels. He found himself thinking that he should tell Ontus Vanin about those.

Bugak wanted an arm and a leg for it, but the reporter haggled him down to something more reasonable, and they left the shop with their precious find. They walked down the road to the Five Claws Lodge to celebrate with a cool ale.

"Is our island on those charts?" asked Diablita. He assumed it must be, as they covered the right general area. They didn't know what anybody called it, so they couldn't consult the index. They'd have to search every page, and see if anything looked right.

He opened the book up on a table in the room at the back of the bar. There were numerous small islands on every page, but none of them looked quite right. That cluster was almost the same as they remembered it, and the shape of the main island was correct, but the small islands to the west were missing.

"I remember vaguely when the furthest one came out of the sea," said Angeline. "We'd been used to seeing a column of steam rising from the western horizon. It seemed to be rising straight off the water. But then one night we could see fire, too. We all watched the glow at the 'edge of the world'. It was like a second sunset for a while."

"And in the morning we could see a little bump on the horizon where the glow had been," Diablita continued. "There was still a lot of fire and steam and smoke, so it wasn't easy to make anything out. After a few days it stopped, and we could see there was another lttle island out there, the same conical shape as our own, but smaller."

The reporter turned back to the front of the book, and looked at the date it was published. If the charts weren't all new when they were bound together, then it was likely that some, including the one they'd just been looking at, were older than the sisters. It was probable that this really was their Island, mapped before the newer volcanoes erupted.

But it didn't have a name. Just a note in the margin that there was safe anchorage there from storms. That suggested that it had been uninhabited when the chart was drawn, or they'd most likely have named it for whoever lived there. So it was reasonable to assume that the two magical mothers had only arrived shortly before they gave birth. A year or two at the most. Did they all arrive together? Did their father find them there?

They needed to go back to Anvil to deliver the book. The reporter remembered that an old Khajiit sea-captain called S'shani lived there. It was worth asking him if he knew anything about the island, or even their parents.

---

S'shani was in the Count's arms talking to Varulae about the island when they walked in. Talk about coincidence! He'd passed it many times, but never had to stop there for bad weather. He didn't recall hearing about anyone living there either, but it was twenty years ago now, and he wasn't completely certain of his recollections.

The names Diabla and Angela were familiar, though. He'd heard that they had a shop in Senchal, selling alchemical equipment and potions, and all sorts of magical stuff. He'd never met them, because that wasn't what he dealt in. It was all a bit too fragile, and he preferred cargoes of cloth or timber, and weapons and armor when it was legal to carry them.

Anyhow, there was another merchant in the city that dealt in the same goods, and the rumor was that he was determined to put them out of business, by any means fair or foul. Some had said that the Dark Brotherhood had been involved, but he didn't know any details. The next time he went back to Senchal, the two women had disappeared, and the time after that, the other merchant had gone, too.

"Did your mothers look like you?" he asked, even if it was a silly question. Girls always looked like their mothers. "I see that I missed a great opportunity back then." The way he said that, the reporter knew that their father hadn't been around in Senchal.

He saw two possible scenarios. Either Jak'l had been the Silencer himself, and he'd decided to keep the women alive, or else he'd killed the Silencer. Either way, it looked like Jak'l had killed the merchant, and probably fled from the law after doing so.

---

Now they'd delivered Varulae's book, they had nothing to do but wait for the monument to be finished. The Serpents Wake had returned to Anvil, leaving Varulae's crystal ball with Terranis. When the work was complete, he'd send her a message, and the ship could come and pick up the crew.

It was time to see if the sisters could sleep in their rooms at Arborwatch, so he sent them there while he returned to the city to check in at the Red Dragon Club. When he went back his Waterfront shack, he found Islief waiting with a note. "This came from Anvil," he told the reporter.

S'shani had remembered another detail after they left. There had been a fence he'd met in Senchal that brought stolen goods down from Leyawiin to sell in the bazaar. He'd often buy things from S'shani to take back with him. He was an Argonian named Dar-Jee, and he was only a youngster then. S'shani suspected he'd still be doing the same today. He might have known Diabla and Angela, too.

Now he wished he'd brought the sisters with him. He considered going to Leyawiin on his own, but if Dar-Jee did know anything, he'd want them to hear it first-hand. He set off for Chorrol to fetch them.

---

Dar-Jee remembered the two women in the magic shop. "Nice people to do business with, and everyone in Senchal liked them. Except for that Arvin Dereleth. He wanted them dead. In a big way. The only thing they sold in common was a few spells, but that was enough for Arvin to hate them."

"Normally his brother did all the dirty work for him. But he'd caught that Vampire disease, and we didn't see him any more. The word on the street was that Arvin had done the Night Mother Ritual, and called on the Dark Brotherhood to kill them." The Argonian paused and scratched his head. "I recall someone saying that they'd seen Slythe Dereleth, that's the one who became a Vampire, up by Nornalhorst. Maybe that's where he got infected, or else he went there to join them."

"I think someone killed Arvin, just after Diabla and Angela disappeared. He certainly went missing, and in Senchal, that was usually the same thing. Sometimes you'd find a body floating in the harbor, but most times, they were under a rock at the bottom." As an Argonian, he was more familiar with the bottom of the harbor than most.

That was at least a clue. Nornalhorst might provide some more answers to the mystery of Jak'l, and his two consorts.

The sisters had been in Ayleid ruins before, and found conjurers, and undead, and trolls, but they hadn't encountered Vampires. "Could we get that disease, too?" they asked. It was possible, but carrying some Mandrake root would mean that they didn't have to worry about it. They could just eat some of that after they came back out, and it would cure any infection they'd picked up. The Vampires themselves would be much more of a worry. They were unusually strong, although they were vulnerable to fire and especially sunlight.

Diablita was happy to have her pitchfork. Those fireballs would be just the thing for fighting Vampires, she hoped. Angeline dropped into the Mages Guild before she left Leyawiin, and made sure she had a fire spell, too.

Nornalhorst was quite a long way north of Leyawiin, between Bravil and Skingrad, near the Elsweyr border. They passed Fort Black Boot on the way there, and he told the sisters about Freija's performance, clearing out the conjurers. And about Aranxa, the huge Xivilai woman they'd met. She had horns, and didn't wear any clothes. He thought about that for a moment or two. Prizna had horns, and didn't wear any clothes. Did that explain anything about Diablita?

"I wear armor," she pointed out.

He took a look at the armor she was wearing now. She'd got some newer plate, and replaced the scale that she'd been using, but it still didn't cover what he thought it should. He decided not to argue the point, just appreciate the view.

They entered the Ayleid ruin through the usual double stone doors and moved cautiously along the corridors. He knew that Vampires used invisibility to surprise their enemies, and he had a detect life spell as a counter. It didn't reach far, so they were moving slowly.

The three of them working together were a formidable force, and they didn't have too much trouble with the Vampires. The traps were another matter. He almost walked into a swinging blade while he was scanning ahead with his detect life. And another room filled with gas when they entered, and they had to rush back out before they could breathe.

But the last Vampire put down his weapons when he saw the sisters. He walked over and said "It can't be them. They're too young!"

This was Slythe Dereleth, the brother of the Senchal merchant. He corrected the tale they'd been told. He hadn't disappeared here because he'd become a Vampire, that had happened long before. He was a member of the Dark Brotherhood, and the combination of the two was a great asset when his brother needed him to lean on someone. Usually they were only too happy to do what he asked.

No, he'd come here to retire from all that after Arvin had finally gone too far. He was always a little paranoid, but he'd become completely obsessed with the idea that Angela and Diabla were spying on him. That was the reason for the success of their business, at the expense of his own. The fact that they were a much friendlier pair of salespeople never factored into his reasoning, if you could call it that.

He'd asked Slythe to kill them, and he'd refused. He'd frighten people for him, but he'd only kill for Sithis. So his accursed brother had done the Night Mother Ritual, and he'd been given the contract.

"Sithis only wants someone dead. It doesn't matter who it is, and a Silencer has considerable discretion in that regard. I chose to kill Arvin, rather than let this continue any further. He'd become insane anyway. He was no longer my brother. My only worry was that Sheogorath might already have his soul."

"My contract only mentioned the two women, not the man. I had no way of knowing if there was another to kill him. It seemed likely. I took the note I was given to them and explained what had happened. My advice was to leave Senchal and disappear."

"You can imagine my surprise when I thought I saw Angela and Diabla again. I realise now that these must be their daughters. Are the mothers well?"

The reporter told him of the house in the volcano, and then the whole story of how he met the sisters.

"A sad tale, but I have something here they might like," said Slythe. "Over there in that cask are a crystal ball and an hourglass. I took them from the shop in Senchal when Arvin believed that they were being used to spy on him. When he saw that they couldn't do that, he wanted to destroy them, so he hurled them to the ground. They bounced! It was quite unreal to see glassware behave like that. Apparently they were just display items that had been enchanted so they wouldn't break. But Arvin was convinced that they must be something much more sinister, and wanted me to go find an Oblivion Gate and throw them in the lava."

"I think that's when I started to believe that he'd gone completely out of his mind."

It turned out that the crystal ball had belonged to Diabla, and the hourglass to Angela. Their names were engraved on the metal parts. That was the opposite of what the reporter had expected. Doesn't a mystic use a crystal ball, and an alchemist use an hourglass?

Well, yes, but that's why these were the ones on display in the shop. Diabla would be using her own hourglass all the time, and Angela wouldn't leave a regular crystal ball where anyone could knock it off its stand. And the ones on display got that a lot. You couldn't believe how clumsy some customers were. So that's why they were enchanted to make them unbreakable, too. It made them unusable for their regular purpose, but it was just right for a shop sample that stood on the counter all the time.

---

The two items were solemnly placed in prominent locations in their rooms at Arborwatch. They had amulets and rings that their mothers had owned, but the two women had tended to share those. These were the first items that belonged specifically to their respective mothers, so they were extra-special. It appeared that having them helped them sleep in their own beds, too. Not that he'd have minded the company.

The reporter lay in his bed alone, turning over the things that they'd found out. The investigative journalist part of him couldn't let go of the mystery that the sisters' parents represented. Now he knew that Jak'l wasn't the Silencer, and hadn't killed Arvin, who and what was he? And more important, what had he done to deserve two women, who apparently were happy enough together before he met them?

Perhaps what he'd done was what was asleep across the hall. If the women had wanted children, they'd have needed some help. But then why had he stayed with them? Was it just the timing of Arvin's attempt to have them killed?

And where had they come from? The Silencer's note said the Southern Continent, but there was no such thing. Pyandonea was just a large island, and the people there were Maormer, who looked nothing like these two. Angeline could pass for a Breton, if she died her hair, but Diablita was totally unlike any other race he'd heard of. He assumed that the origin there was just a guess on the part of the Listener, or maybe that detail had come from Arvin's deranged mind when he performed the ritual.

He made up his mind to do another search of the Island when they went back to see the new monument. That wouldn't be for a while yet, however. Didn't Terranis say it would take him a whole month?

A tale that spans quite a bit of Tamriel!

I quite enjoyed your depiction of Senchal. It is indeed quite a rough port, rife with pirates.

A quest to search every bookstore in Cyrodiil really warms my heart. Oh darn, it’s not here. We’ll have to visit another bookstore! I love the detail about the new parts of the island chain.

Lots of great history filled in by Slythe. The image of Clark tossing and turning over the remaining questions made me smile. He is going to need his rest!

I have to come back and read this after some sleep - been up two days, my husband fell through a roof on a construction site - URK! He is home and okay now. "I'll be back!" (said in Arnold voice)

*

Loved Bugak gro-Bol's depiction here - spot on, Maxical has had the same reception there! Lol. Also loved Dar-Jee here, the story about Slythe Dereleth becoming a vampire - setting the stage for a trip to Nornalhorst!

This chapter is really a series of treks, each with its own interesting parts! I like that Slythe would "frighten people" for them but only kill for Sithis - what a touch!

Slythe's story about why he killed Arvin was hilarious! ROFL !!!! (he must have lost his mind! SPLAT! ROFL !!!)

Great chapter! What a creative mind you have!


*

@Acadian: I was disappointed to find that Elsweyr Anequina didn't include Senchal. I was seriously considering an addition to the Red Dragon Club arc of quests down there if it did. Riverhold already got a mention, but nothing happened there (yet?) Since Elsweyr secedes shortly after Black Marsh, it should be seeing some activity around this time (early fourth Era) and our man should be getting involved.

@Grits: The volcano stuff is mainly background for when they return there, but it adds to the timeline too. I still haven't decided the parents true story, so I think I'll probably leave a whole bunch of clues that could be true or false, and leave the reporter confused for a bit longer.

@mALX: There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" in the quests here, so it does become a bit of a question of doing multiple things on multiple questlines just to fill in the time, when you play it. Trekking across country does kill a lot of time! I'm trying to put that across in this account, without losing the thread, so it gets a bit choppy around now.

So to make it worse, I'm narrating another questline that neither the Champion, nor the reporter is much involved in. It needs to be completed for later events in the story, so I picked a character to do it, that we already met.

-----------

Monument - Interlude

The sisters may have been able to sleep alone, now, but that didn't mean they wanted to. And they still preferred to do things together. "I need to look after her, and she looks after me." Angeline told him.

Diablita put it slightly differently. "Nobody's allowed to harm my sister but me."

So that meant they either went off adventuring together, and he had nobody sharing his bed, or else they were both back, and he had as much as he could handle. And they'd got to know their way around without taking him as a guide, so he wasn't feeling very useful here in Chorrol, except in the evenings. That was nice, but he wanted to be part of the rest of their days, too. Maybe they needed some time on their own, so that they'd start to miss him.

He needed to get back to the Imperial City, or maybe Bruma. Anvil could wait until the month was up, and he really didn't have anything lined up in the other cities. He also should find himself another job as cover. "Adventurer" had appealed once, until he found out what it entailed. He'd leave that to the sisters, who seemed to be enjoying it.

Perhaps he should write a book. Casta Scribonia managed to make a living from it, as did Quill-Weave , her friend in Anvil. He'd want to write a novel, not guide books like Alessia Ottus wrote. He was sure most of the copies of those were bought by people who didn't read them, like inn-keepers who just wanted to put them on the shelves for their guests. He'd read one once, and didn't intend doing that again.

The Bear Riders would make a good basis for a story. They were glamorous, and adventurous, and dedicated. Not only that, but they wanted the publicity to help with recruiting. That was what Gudrun's job was all about, looking good and acting as a role-model.

He'd heard that the Champion of Cyrodiil had known most of them. And that he'd had a hand in getting the Lodge built. That angle was always good for an author. Famous names help sell copies, just as they did for the Black Horse Courier.

He'd need supplies, like notebooks, quills and ink. He'd be able to get those in the Market District in the Imperial City. He headed back to his shack there to make a shopping list.

---

A light knock at his door made him wonder if Carwen had come to visit again. But when he opened the door, it wasn't a Bosmer standing there, it was a Dunmer, Minx!

"Remember me?" she asked.

He remembered her, but he'd have a little fun before he'd admit it. "Perhaps. What were you wearing when we met?" he asked her.

"I'll show you," she replied, pushing him back into the shack and lifting up her skirt.

---

Minx had gone back to Leyawiin with the other gang members, Lynch and Wrath, when they got let out of jail at the end of their short sentence. Without Selene's leadership, they weren't much use as a gang, and they'd split up to make their fortunes separately. Minx had met an Altmer that liked the idea of tying her up, and she thought he'd be her meal ticket for a while. But he turned out to be a sadist that left her strapped to the bed for hours, and did nothing she considered fun. "I guess he cured me of that," she said ruefully.

She'd come back to the Waterfront to look for work, and one of the beggars had recognised her. She was directed to this shack, although they wouldn't say why. "I don't think they trust me all that much," she admitted. It turned out that she wasn't a member of the Thieves Guild. The Blackwater Gang had all been freelancers. She'd like to join the Guild, but she didn't know where to start. He didn't either, but Carwen would.

They put some clothes on, and went along the street to the "Bosmer shack", as he thought of it. Carwen remembered Minx from that night at the Bloated Float and welcomed her as an old friend. Even if they had only met once, that was an occasion to remember! Yes, it would be possible for Minx to join the Guild, but she'd have to prove herself first. "Go see Armand Cristophe in the garden at midnight," she told Minx. "He'll give you an initiation test - in thieving. He already knows what else you do!" Minx remembered Armand, and blushed.

They went together, even though the reporter had no intention of joing the Thieves Guild himself. He wanted to let them know he wasn't a informer. He may have been a spy, but he wouldn't report on his friends.

Armand knew his face, and probably remembered a lot more of Minx, judging by the big grin he gave her. He had another hopeful waiting to be tested for admission, an Argonian named Amusei. "Since I've got three candidates, I'll make it a contest," he began. The reporter pointed out that he wasn't here to join, but Armand continued anyway. "The first one to bring me the diary of Amantius Allectus will become a member of the Guild," he announced. "You may not kill anyone on this mission, we're not the Dark Brotherhood, after all. And if you don't want to join, just don't bring me the diary."

Minx and Amusei didn't know their way around the city very well, which was one of the reasons this test had been set. They'd get to learn a bit about the local geography, as well as having their burglary skills tested. The reporter had lived in the city a long time, so he knew exactly where to go.

Once Amusei had headed off towards the Elven Gardens, the reporter led Minx to the Temple District and the Allectus house. He waited outside and kept watch, while she picked the lock on the door and fetched the diary.

Then they went back to Armand and Minx handed it over. "OK, you're now officially a thief, with the rank of Pickpocket" he told her. "Amusei will have to try another task when he gets back, if he hasn't got himself completely lost."

He addressed the reporter. "And you're not a thief, but we will treat you as one of our own. I suppose that's what you wanted to hear?" Armand had the right idea. That's why he was the doyen, he was smarter than your average thief.

He turned back to Minx and gave her the induction speech, with all the rules of the Guild. He made sure the reporter overheard them, and understood them too. Minx kissed them both, and took the reporter's arm to go back to his shack.

He steered her towards the Bosmer shack instead. He wanted to ask Carwen to take Minx under her wing, and show her the ropes as a rookie thief. He didn't have that kind of training, and didn't know where to get it, but even he could see that Minx could use a bit of extra skill. Perhaps Carwen would know a Sneak or Security trainer.

Carwen insisted that Minx stay with her, and she could teach her a few things before Mandil or Othrelos took over. There was plenty of room in the shack without Adanrel and Methredhel. Minx wanted to know where they'd gone. Carwen told her about their steady boyfriends in the city. "They come back from time to time, but not together, so there's always a bed free."

When she said "bed" they both looked at the reporter. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Carwen asked Minx. Minx nodded her head, and flashed a wicked grin.

---

"Aren't you going to untie me?" he asked.

"Do you think he could manage one more time?" Minx asked Carwen.

"He might, but I don't think I could," she replied. "Let him loose if you're finished, I'm hitting my pillow anyway." Minx untied him, but went back with him to sleep in his shack.

---

He didn't see Minx for about a week after that. When she turned up again, she told him she'd been busy raising her status with the Guild by stealing things and fencing them, and then Armand had asked her to get the Waterfront's taxes back from Heironymus Lex's quarters in the South Watchtower. "I guess I was supposed to sneak in and steal them without being seen," she said, "but I got spotted going up the first ladder. Fortunately, the nice legionary who looked up and saw me noticed I wasn't wearing any panties. You can imagine how I paid the fine. I went up and stole the taxes back when he fell asleep."

"Then they wanted me to steal the bust of Lysatha Indarys from Cheydinhal. That took some real sneaking, but there was only the one guard, so it wasn't too difficult for me. It turned out that it was really all a plot to frame that Myrvyna Arano for the theft. She was spying on the Guild for Lex!"

The reporter was a bit alarmed at that. Myrvyna could have been reporting on him to the Thalmor, too. No, he was beginning to think like Lathenil. He had to stop that!

Minx couldn't stay. She had to go down to Leyawiin and see someone called Ahdarji. Another job for the Guild. He was glad to see her applying herself to something, even if it wasn't him.

He needed to apply himself to his book, soon. And the first thing was research. Bruma it was then. He could stay at Olaf's, if he was on his own. That would let him finally get to see Uzgash perform.

ROFL! The reporter getting caught being part of the Thieves Guild, lol. Love how you slipped in the reporter being tied up there, ROFL !! Great Write!

I agree that Senchal would be neat to have in the Elsweyr mod, but Lliana did such a wonderful job with what she did provide, and her focus was on the Anequina portion. I found Corinthe to be a real jewel of a city that really speaks to me of the whold province.

‘And they'd got to know their way around without taking him as a guide, so he wasn't feeling very useful here in Chorrol, except in the evenings.’
Poor boy toy reporter. Lol, I think I’m going to join Grits in calling him Clark Kent.

Heh, I enjoyed Clark’s ‘endorsment’ of Cyrodiil’s city guide books and their authoress.

Minx! The name says it all. And it would appear she has quite the way with the Legion when caught with her panties down off.

Yay, Minx! It sounds like she was the first to teach Carwen a few things.

Off to Bruma for some novel writing! I think that Clark is going to be very good at thoroughly researching his subjects.

@mALX: I'd already established that Minx is a bit into that when we first met her on the Bloated Float, and that she liked Clark our protagonist, so I'm making it her hallmark.

@Acadian: Corinthe was particularly well done as far as it went, but annoyingly incomplete. There are quite a few unused buildings with doors that just indicate "Corinthe House" because nobody lives/works there yet. The Rimmen area is part of the map, but there's only woodland when you go there, and Senchal's behind invisible walls, so you can't even go survey the site. Everything that's in the mod, I like, but I wish it was all there.

Still, I might think about a quest across into Riverhold, since that's quite well completed, and it's close to the border.

@Grits: He prides himself on the depth of his research. Of course he can't write about Uzgash, since they're both dead. Gudrun's becoming a better topic for his stories these days.

I may have to start calling him Clark myself, as he's not "the reporter" any more, even if I do keep using that.

----------

Monument - Interlude II

He stowed his travelling gear in the chest in his room at the Tap & Tack, and set the little crystal ball Varulae had given him on the table next to the bed. This one was cloudy, unlike the big clear one they'd rescued from the spectral sailors. So you couldn't see anything in it, but she'd told him to come back to Anvil if it glowed. He recalled Uzgash describing ones like this for calling her to Falkreath.

He changed his mind about leaving it there. He didn't really trust that Ongar didn't have access to this room. That man would steal anything that wasn't nailed down, even a low-valued item like this. He put it in his pocket instead. It may not be worth much to anyone else, but it was important to him.

He headed out of the city gate and up the road towards the Riders' Lodge. None of the Riders was in the bar when he arrived, and Timo wasn't to be seen either. That could mean he was busy with Gudrun, or else he'd gone into town for the day. Someone had told him that Lyra Rosentia had an occasional need for Timo's recharging services.

Gudrun's door was open, so he wasn't interrupting anything. But he couldn't see her for a pile of small boxes on her desk. She heard him come in, and came around the heap to greet him.

"These are all gifts from that Hafid Hollow-leg in town," she explained. "Ever since he found out that I'd danced at Olaf's, he's been trying to persuade me to do it at his place. He sends flowers, wine, sweetrolls, all sorts of stuff. All with a little note attached."

The reporter confessed that he'd probably heard it from him. "Oh, don't blame yourself for that," she said. "Everybody in town knows who I am, so it would have got around anyway."

"Has Uzgash been getting the same treatment?" he asked.

"No, I don't think Hafid is the kind who'd want an Orc in his place at all. He's always treated Bumph gra-Gash as if she didn't exist, so I reckon he'd want a dancer who wasn't an Orc."

"Plus, he has no idea where she's living. She appears out of nowhere at Olaf's every Loredas, and leaves the following morning. Everyone thinks she has a farm outside town somewhere, but she's not giving any clues. And most townsfolk don't venture outside the walls these days, not after that Draconis woman was murdered.
About the only one who goes out is Honmund, and I'd swear that man doesn't notice any woman except Alga!"

"Of course, it's my job to get noticed. That's one reason I didn't mind stepping in for Uzgash that night. I'd do it again, if she asked me to. But that's for her, not for Olaf, and certainly not for Hafid. He can promise me all the gold on Nirn, and it won't do him any good."

"But how do I get him to stop? He just won't take No for an answer!"

The reporter had an idea. She'd mentioned Bumph gra-Gash, who trained Heavy Armor over at the Fighters Guild. It made sense that Gudrun would know her, as that was an essential part of a Bear Rider's training too. It was said that she'd only train Fighters Guild members, but he wasn't sure if the Legion were an exception to that.

He'd met a couple of Orc brothers in Chorrol, who were also members of the Fighters Guild. Kurz and Lum gro-Baroth were as big as they came, and quite an intimidating pair until you got to know them. He wondered if Bumph knew them, and if they'd all like to help out a fellow Orc.

She didn't, but she'd like to. And his plan appealed to her sense of justice, too. She could send a message to Chorrol and invite them to visit, if they weren't busy on a contract. The offer of free training might help them make up their minds.

---

A couple of days later the three Orcs were enjoying an ale or two at Olaf's when the reporter came down from his room. He sat down at the table opposite them; the two brothers were either side of Bumph, and vying for her attention. He explained his idea to them.

They were going to pay a visit to Hafid and explain how his plans for a dancer of his own wouldn't be in the best interests of their Orcish cousin at Olaf's. "There's no need to mention a name. He'll know who you mean." And if it wasn't good for her, then it might not be good for Hafid, either.

"Hafid's got a big guy working as a bouncer. Logvaar's a good man, and we wouldn't him getting involved. He could get hurt if he tries to stop us leaning on Hafid." Bumph gra-Gash liked the big Nord. He didn't treat her like Hafid did.

"Don't worry about him. I'll keep him calm." The reporter demonstrated that he could cast that spell without being noticed, by using it on Alval Uvani, who everyone knew for his bad temper. "How delightful to meet you all!"

---

Hafid understood what he was being told. The stream of gifts to Gudrun dried up as swiftly as it had begun. But she was still concerned about Uzgash. "Even though he doesn't know who she is yet, Hafid's still a threat to her anonymity."

Just then, Uzgash herself came in to the office. She'd heard that the reporter was in town, and wanted to say hello. Not to mention catching up with all the intrigue she'd missed from the capital. "I could put up with being out of touch when I was on patrol on the Wrothgarians, because I knew I'd get all the news as soon as I got back to the Iron Fortress. Here in Bruma, nobody knows what's going on outside the city walls."

"I make a point of picking up the strangers in town, when they come into Olaf's, but they're not in the know either. I haven't heard a thing from Orsinium in weeks, and little of what's happening in Cyrodiil."

"I've trained Timo about as far as I can. He's enthusiastic, but not a great scholar of the art. Journeyman is about as far as he'll get."

"And the patrols I make are just enough to keep the bear exercised, not really anything useful. I thought I'd be able to settle in here for a few years, until it all blew over, but I'm restless already. I need my finger on the political pulse, and I don't have that here. I can't go back to Orsinium, not until my father calls me back. And I don't even know if he thinks I'm really dead!"

Uzgash would rather be in the Imperial City, where she could keep an eye on events. "I could take your old job," she suggested. "They need another reporter, don't they?"

Sadly, he'd already been replaced, by another Khajiit. A cousin, this time.

But the Red Dragon Club didn't have an Orc, or a dancer. He'd take her there, and introduce her to Taminwe. "And Gudrun can take over at Olaf's. She was a rousing success when she performed, and she tells me she needs the exercise." The reporter ducked as Gudrun threw one of the boxes at him.

She picked up another. But she didn't throw it. Her expression changed to a more thoughtful one. "You know, maybe it's not such a bad idea. It would serve Hafid right if Olaf still had the only dancer in town. I did enjoy doing it, even if I will have to stay in shape. I think I'll start riding the spare bear the rest of the week to exercise both of us. I assume you won't be taking him to the City, Uzgash?"

"I'd be happy to leave him with you, but you'll have to get a different outfit for riding. You know they can't stand plate, even as little as you wear." Uzgash pondered for a moment, while the reporter pleasantly imagined Gudrun riding naked. "I can leave you mine. If the stripper clothes fit you, then the uniform should too."

That accounted for all the clothes Uzgash had here in Bruma. Gudrun, on the other hand, had a full wardrobe from her shopping trips to the city office, so she let Uzgash try some on, while she checked out Uzgash's outfit.

They let him watch.

---

Of course he had to repay their kindness, and to make matters worse, Uzgash wanted to leave Bruma before daybreak, so that nobody but the guards would be about. He was still yawning as he collected his things from Olaf's and met her out on the Silver Road. "Why is your pocket glowing?" she asked him. In the half-light, he could see it too. It was Varulae's signal ball, but this was way too soon!

Well, he'd have to pass through the outskirts of the city to get to Anvil, so it didn't make much difference to the first part of his journey. It just meant he'd not be able to stay after he dropped her off at the Club. He wouldn't be able to get to Chorrol first, either, to pick up the sisters.

He explained to Uzgash what the glowing ball meant. That in turn required him to tell her all about Angeline and Diablita. By the time he'd finished the whole story, they were crossing the Talos Bridge.

Taminwe welcomed Uzgash to the club, and the two women went off planning how to add dancing to the entertainment in the bar. Enilwen was getting interested in that idea, too. Perhaps it was a Bosmer thing?

He hurried to get back on the road. Varulae wanted him down in Anvil early, and he had no idea why.

I quite enjoyed the references to in game events/people like the murder of Peronia Draconis and the temper of Alval Uvani.

"Why is your pocket glowing?" she asked him.’
I thought surely this was the beginning of a bawdy joke like ‘Is that a Varla stone in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?’ Then I remembered Clark's crystal ball.

‘Taminwe welcomed Uzgash to the club, and the two women went off planning how to add dancing to the entertainment in the bar. Enilwen was getting interested in that idea, too. Perhaps it was a Bosmer thing?’
Oh yes! Bosmer love to dance. Especially in moonlit meadows or under waterfalls!

I just had to check the wiki to find out the dirt on Lyra Rosentia. Like Acadian, I really enjoyed the mentions of game events and personalities. It gave me that cozy Cyrodiil feeling.

Clark has gone from an observer to right in the middle things, I love it! He is in great demand. If he’s not careful, he’ll have his pockets full of glowing balls summoning him all over Tamriel.

I'll third liking when you mention known game characters and their known personalities - kind of brings everything home!

If Hafid hired Orc dancers, he wouldn't need to hire bouncers too - the women that danced could do all the bouncing too!

Great Write !!

@Acadian: Your mention of waterfalls reminds me that I just added a feature to the companion mod that has the sisters find the waterfall near Barren Cave between Cheydinhal and the Ring Road. When you speak to either of them, they'll ask about taking a shower, and run under it if you agree. That was the only one I found in Tamriel that has path grids the NPC's can use to reach it.

@Grits: I can't tie into much in this episode, as they're off to their private worldspace again.

@mALX: What do you mean, bounce? Jiggle, maybe.


All: I'm posting a little early in case I lose power. Sandy's headed straight for me!

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

Return to the Island

When he arrived at the Count's Arms, he found the sisters were already there. Varulae hadn't trusted the one method of summoning them, and had sent a courier to Arborwatch as well. She seemed distressed at something.

That something was Giant Mudcrabs. She'd caught a glimpse of them in the crystal ball when Terranis had sent his distress call. The laborers had taken shelter in the wreck with the Argonians, but that wasn't going to be much good if they couldn't get out to gather food. Nobody had expected problems like this, so they hadn't taken any weapons with them, and Mason's tools aren't much use for fighting.

Her crew were ready to take them to the island and rescue the laborers. They'd help fight the crabs, too, if need be, but they didn't have much skill at it.

He counted himself among the unskilled, but the sisters had been getting a lot of practice. He noted that they'd both armed themselves with heavy warhammers for this job. "But we don't intend to let them get close,"

Angeline declared. "Diablita's pitchfork is going to be backed up with a few more fireballs from me. We should cook them before they get near."

---

They arrived just around sunset, and managed to kill one of the crabs with fireballs from the deck of the Serpent's Wake even before they anchored. But the others slipped beneath the waters of the bay and avoided their barrage. It did give them a breathing space to get the laborers out of the wreck and onto the ship, where they could watch the action, and help spot where the crabs were coming ashore.

Calban rowed them to the jetty again. He had no armor, so they told him to go back to the ship and keep lookout for the crabs with the others.

They walked along the edge of the water, looking for tracks that might show them where the crabs had gone. A large shape loomed out of the bay and headed towards them. They backed inland, letting the crab follow until it was clear of the water, and they could get a good shot at it with their fireballs. The reporter looked in the direction they were going and saw a wraith drifting down the slope towards them. They were caught between the two!

But the wraith wasn't coming for them. A blast of frost flew over their heads, and froze the crab in place for a moment. That made it easier for the sisters to hit it with their fire spells. The alternation of cold and hot was clearly even more effective than either would have been alone, and the giant crab soon collapsed dead in the surf.

The wraith glided silently along the beach towards an outcrop of rock. Another crab was just coming around it, unseen by the sisters. It wasn't obvious how the wraith had known it was there either, unless it was using a life detection spell. If it was, it had a longer range than his, which hadn't shown him the crab at all.

Again the unspoken tactics went into play. Frost, then fire, then frost again until the beast's armor cracked and it went down.

Three more times they did this, and then the wraith turned inland. It stopped, seemingly waiting for them to follow. At the top of the beach, near some rocks, it stopped again and pointed.

A small barrel was wedged between the rocks. The top was still sealed, but it opened easily enough. All it contained was a book, one of the series on Sheogorath's dealings with the other Daedric Princes called "16 Accords of Madness". This one was about Azura.

Sixteen Accords of Madness Volume I

Azura's Tale

Sheogorath came to Azura with a proposition. He had just receieved a challenge from Mehrunes Dagon to pit two of his Dremora against two Golden Saints. He needed a piece of neutral ground for the contest, and perhaps a little assistance.

Sheogorath knew that Dagon's satisfaction came from the destruction of the battle, and he had little regard for its outcome. Just letting it happen would be conceding a victory to Dagon, and that wasn't in his plans. With Azura's help, there would be no battle.

Azura had no love for Dagon, so she listened attentively to his ideas. Her realm of Moonshadow, with its permanent misty twilight, was the perfect venue. And yes, she could provide the Seducers to complete the plot.

The Seducers are a wide range of related Daedra. Sheogorath's own Dark Seducers are permanently of human form, while Azura's Winged Twilights have bat-like wings at all times. The majority can shape-shift anywhere in between, by a magic that seems to combine Alteration and Illusion to transcend both. It is hard to tell which of the many forms they take is their true one, if that even exists.

A particularly skilled Seducer can tailor her appearance to the tastes of her victim, making herself totally irresistable. Azura chose two of her best for this, and helped them prepare.

On the appointed day, the Dremora arrived early, as Sheogorath had predicted. They like to scout the area, and seek out any advantage they could gain from holding higher ground, or attacking from cover. One of them was clad in heavy Daedric armor, with a shield amd longsword. The other wore a black robe, with a staff on his back.

They weren't the first arrivals, but the two women waiting for them weren't Golden Saints. They carried no weapons, and wore no armor, and not a lot of clothing, either.

Azura had chosen their aspects carefully. One was a pale-skinned blonde with huge blue eyes. She looked innocent in a way that hinted that she was anything but that. And if she personified temptation, her companion personified challenge. She had horns like a Dremora, deep red skin, hooves and a tail. Curvacious to an extreme, with an attitude that dared you to take her on. Naturally, she was the spokeswoman for the pair.

"We came to watch the fight," she said. "That's such a turn-on, especially if we get to reward the winners".

"That will be us", the armored one responded. "without a doubt."

"If you're that certain, then we could give you your reward right now." she suggested. "Your opponents aren't due to arrive for a long time yet. Assuming, of course, that you can handle the extra effort."

The plan was that the Golden Saints would arrive while the Dremora were naked, tired and helpless. The Seducers normally operated in a similar manner, except that they would transform and attack as soon as their prey disarmed. This time they were to drain their victims' fatigue in the most enjoyable way, and make their defeat even more inevitable.

The Dremora would be forced to surrender without being able to put up a fight, a particularly maddening experience for one of the Kyn. Worse, they would have accepted a reward they did not deserve, a mark against their honor.

The Seducers weren't sure when they all collapsed into sleep, but when they woke, the Dremora were gone. There was no sign of any Golden Saints, but they assumed that the plan had worked. In Moonshadow, the passage of time was hard to reckon, so they had no idea how long they'd slept. They'd find out when they flew back to Azura.

Except that they couldn't sprout their wings. They appeared to have lost their ability to transform. Azura sensed their fear and came to them instead. She quickly diagnosed their problem.

"You're both pregnant," she told them. "which means that you just slept with mortals, not Daedra. I have a suspicion that Dagon wasn't involved in this at all. It's well within Sheogorath's powers to disguise two of his mortal minions well enough to fool you."

"The spell to prevent conception is so simple, but you have to know you need it. Maddening, isn't it? You'll have months of discomfort to consider that fact. And you'll be stuck in your current form until you give birth, which will be an additional annoyance. Probably not enough to drive you into Sheogorath's clutches, but close."

"Your babies will be mortal, and grow to resemble your current selves, as a child always takes after its mother in appearance. However they won't have your ability to change."

Azura wondered if that was the additional anxiety factor that would take the mothers into insanity, or whether it was the daughters that Sheogorath had in mind. If they truly resembled their mothers, they'd be irresistable to most mortal men, and not have their mothers' defences. They'd have to learn spells to make up for that. And Azura would just have to watch this play itself out over their lifetimes.


When they looked up, the wraith had already faded from view.

Since all the giant crabs were now dead, they returned to the ship to talk with the mason and his men. They'd seen fire on the horizon the previous night, out where the latest island was. It seemed that there had been a fresh eruption, and maybe that was what drove the crabs in their direction.

But what had made them grow so large? It wasn't just illusion magic, as they'd remained large when they died. Alteration could do it, but who'd have cast such a spell? The reporter had a theory. The far island was almost in the straights between the Summerset Isle and Valenwood. Dagon's forces had caused storms and other disruption in that area during the Oblivion Crisis. Some of that magic could easily have spilled out and affected the crabs.

If he'd been as paranoid as Lathenil, he'd have blamed them on the Thalmor. He couldn't rule that idea out, however.

The rising sun was just catching a ring of columns up on the bluff where the graves were. It wasn't a complete ring yet. there was still one more to go up. And then there would be a circle of stone placed on top of them. But they could see already what a magnificent sight it would be.

Terranis took them there and showed them what had been done so far. They'd made good progress, and even with this interruption, he expected his original estimate to be accurate. He had a few ideas how he could make use of the local rock to add a few details, too. He'd keep that as a surprise for when they came back to see it complete.

In their cabin on the way back to Anvil the sisters read the book again. The resemblance betwen the Seducers described and their mothers was uncanny. The reporter was naturally comparing them to the sisters themselves. He reasoned that whoever wrote the book had seen some relatives of theirs. Maybe he'd even known their mothers, and it had inspired his writing. He was sure that it was fiction, like most books about Sheogorath, but the sisters would have none of that.

They liked the idea of having Daedra for ancestors. They'd met Prizna, and Nelrene, and Goldie at Gweden, and those were people they could identify with. But they were content with being mortal, too. They'd like to have children someday. He just wished they hadn't looked at him that way when they said it.

What a clever and fun story about how the sisters came to be! That Sheo is a damned stinker!

Yikes, I hope you get through the storm OK!

Woo hoo, giant mudcrabs and warhammers!! This sounds like a beach party in the making. Crab roast!

I love the origin story for the sisters. Finding a book like that is my favorite kind of quest reward.

LOVED the "Sixteen Accords of Madness Volume I" - the whole story of how the sisters came to be - Awesome! This is one of my favorite chapters of all !!! Awesome Write, inspired!

@Acadian: Sheo's always good for an explanation of things that don't make any sense. Or biscuits. No, definitely things that don't make sense. Except when they seem to.

@Grits: The Jersey Shore got a lot worse than a few giant mudcrabs, but I'm inland in Pennsylvania, and all I got was a week-long power outage.

@mALX: As the reporter reports, it's likely to be a work of fiction, but the sisters like it. It's part of the mod, but may be contradicted by another bit I'm still working on.

----

Return from the Island

When they got back to the mainland, the sisters went back to Chorrol, while he hurried off to see Taminwe and Uzgash at the Red Dragon Club. Taminwe thought she might have a job for him soon, but he should wait at his shack until the time was right. There was still a chance that people would remember the reporter he'd been before his "death". That would give him some time to get on with writing his book.

She'd sent Lathenil back to Tsarrina and Silanu. He'd turned invisible before he left the club, and she'd opened the door for him. He was still living in fear of the Thalmor. Taminwe was inclined to believe that they did pose a threat - to Lathenil. "He's clearly a target for them," she told him, "but I don't think it's any more than a local Summerset Isle dispute. They're rational people down there, and it should all sort itself out without us worrying about it."

---

He went back to the Waterfront, where all the talk was about the new captain of the watch, a man by the name of Servatius Quintilius. He didn't believe the Thieves Guild existed, and was a lot easier to deal with than his predecessor. Being new to the job, he didn't want to cause any waves that might get the attention of his superiors.

"What happened to Hieronymus Lex?" he asked.

"Re-assigned to Anvil," he was told. "He wasn't too happy about that."

"Serves him right," one of the dockworkers interjected. "I lost a whole day's pay when they threw that curfew on us last week." He remembered that happening before, but all he'd lost out on was a night with Carwen, and he'd made up for that later. This had apparently been a much bigger deal, with all the shacks searched, and watchmen drafted in from all the other Districts.

He asked around and found out that the Thieves Guild had taken advantage of the lack of security in the rest of the city to pull a few big robberies. One of the targets had been the Arcane University, where they'd stolen Hrormir's Icestaff from the Arch-mage's quarters. The Mages Guild weren't happy about that. Raminus Polus had sent a summoned Dremora to the Waterfront with a message for Lex, the first time anyone there had seen one. Lex had been ordered to call off his manhunt for the Grey Fox, and things had returned to normal.

Nobody knew if that incident had anything to do with his re-assignment, but the timing was suspicious.

---

He continued with his writing. It was a collection of short tales about the Imperial Legion Mountain Riders, each one focusing on one of the Bear Riders.

He'd started with Claudia, because she was the first one he'd met, and her story had been the inspiration for the book. He'd written down the one she'd told him. The one with the Champion in it, and the Watch Captains, not the one with a reporter on his way to Falkreath. That might be more memorable, but it was also more personal.

Unna's story of the Oblivion Gate and the death of her first bear was a sad counterpoint to it, but it all resulted in the Champion of Cyrodiil closing the Gate, and her getting a new bear, so the ending was just as happy.

Now, should he tell Pala's or Svana's account of the building of the Lodge? They'd both been involved, and had told him different parts of the narrative. He'd think about that, and work on Ystrel's next.

That one was going to take some careful narrative. He didn't want to make the Newlands Lodge sound like a dangerous place. A young woman could get indecently propositioned, without trying too hard, if she wanted. And yes, there were fights there, but Dervera didn't allow any weapons to be used, and everyone ended up drinking together afterward. The guards weren't as bad now that Ulrich Leland wasn't running things, and they'd keep things in check without arresting everyone.

He'd interviewed the Orc she'd hit. "When I came round, I didn't know if I was in pain, or in love," he'd said. "She certainly made an impression! My fault for starting it, not that anyone listened."

---

A few days after that, Amusei knocked on his door. The Argonian was better dressed than the first time he had seen him, in a respectable, and dark, suit of leather armor. Amusei was looking for Minx. He had a message for her from the Grey Fox.

"Yes, I joined the Thieves Guild eventually," Amusei told him. "It did take me several attempts. Perhaps that's why they use me as a messenger, rather than give me actual thieving tasks."

His wry smile admitted he was grateful for any employment. Amusei told him that Minx had rescued him from a Vampire in the Cheydinhal jail, while she was looking for a book she had to recover. He was even more grateful to her, and he'd like to thank her again, now he was a Guild member, too.

He didn't know where Minx was, but he assured Amusei that he'd tell her to look out for him, if she did turn up.

---

He ran into Minx again in Bruma, of all places, when he went to get some missing details for Pala's story. He'd not been able to remember which fort the book was in, although he knew it was somewhere along her patrol route. Since the Champion had traded that book with Ocato for the Lodge, it was an important part of the story.

Minx asked him if he knew where the Temple of the Ancestor Moths was. He'd never been there himself, but he had a good idea how to get there. Svana's regular patrol ended at the foot of the path up to the Temple, and she'd described the area to him in good detail. It was easy to find if you just followed the road out of town towards Cheydinhal, but turned north and took the trail through the mountains.

She wouldn't tell him why she was going there. "Guild business" was all he got. He asked if Amusei had found her. But she was already on her way and didn't answer.

---

It was about a month since Terranis and his men had started on the construction work. He'd told them that the crab invasion didn't slow them down at all, so it should be finished by now. He wondered if he should contact Varulae to see if she'd had any news. He'd given back the little crystal ball. It hadn't been as useful as they'd expected the first time, as it couldn't convey much of a message.

First, though, he needed to check in at the Club. "This just came for you," said Brienne, handing him a note. It was from Varulae. She'd sent another to the sisters at Arborwatch, so he should come directly to Anvil, and they'd all meet at the Count's Arms.

---

Varulae had seen the completed monument already. Terranis had held up the crystal ball so she could look through. The view was obviously a bit distorted, seen that way, but ...

"No I shouldn't tell you anything now. You need to go see it for yourselves. Go see Zishara on the Serpents Wake."

---

When they stepped out of the rowboat onto the little jetty, the sisters rushed up the path towards the shrine. They'd seen it being built, of course, so they had some idea of the scale, but that was on a cluttered building site, and it had all been cleared and tidied up. It just looked bigger and more magnificent this time.

Terannis and his men were waiting to greet them. He led Angeline and Diablita to the bench seat just inside the ring of columns. That was something new. It wasn't on the rough drawings he'd shown them when he started. Nor was the big bowl-shaped planter in the middle. He'd carefully dug up the flax plants from the graves, and replanted them there, so that the ground inside the ring could be paved over. He'd used local rock for that, so it blended perfectly with the surroundings.

The three simple gravestones they'd erected when they buried the parents were gone, and in their places were three tall stone obelisks, each marked with a name. He noted that Terannis had copied his lettering style from the originals. A nice touch.

There were a lot of other thoughtful details. The paving had also been laid in a ring around the outside of the circle of columns, but then covered up again with the sand. "That will stop anything but grass from taking root there," one of the workmen told them. "That way, it won't need any maintenance to stay looking this way."

The centre paving was slightly higher then the ring of stone that surrounded it, and it was almost imperceptibly domed, so that rain would run off. The centre was open to the sky, like the original in the city, with just a ring capping the columns, so sunlight and rain could get to the planter in the middle. The gaps between the pavers had been filled with a very fine sand, too, to make it more impervious to the weather.

"Actually, that's not sand," Terranis corrected him. "We ground up the shells of those Giant Mudcrabs for that. It will harden into a mortar that will be completely rain-proof, but flexible enough not to crack in the tropical sun."

He was glad to find that the Giant Mudcrab incident hadn't been a complete waste. There wouldn't have been enough of the small ones to do this.

Terranis and the girls went back to the Serpents Wake arm in arm. He had a shrewd idea that the mason was going to be well rewarded for his extra efforts.

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

I was quite tempted to quote large chunks of the Bear Rider's stories in the middle of this, but didn't. I'm not sure it makes sense if you didn't read that thread, though.

Edit: Since I was adding links for the Bear Rider stories, here's one to a screenshot of the shrine.

Loved the whole section on the Thieves Guild background, as soon as I read Lex had already been transferred I knew what stage that questline was in, so really enjoyed the reminders of the quests that led up to his transfer - made me miss doing that questline, lol.

Reading about Claudia makes me think she has a little secret, BWAAHAA!

It would be better to add links to the bear stories, that way people can click over and read the whole story if they hadn't already. (imho).

Loved this chapter, Great Write!

Now that's a good idea! I'll do that. I've done that.

I think you got the mix and amount of review just right regarding the bear riders. Enough to tweak memories but not enough to feel like rehashing. mALX’s idea of providing links was indeed an excellent one!

So Minx is working her way up to the top of her guild in a pretty recognizable way! I have always liked the idea of other characters rising to high positions while the primary character leads a less epic life in Cyrodiil and perhaps helps around the edges.


Nit: ‘Lex been ordered to call off his manhunt for the Grey Fox, and things had returned to normal.’
Seems like this is missing a word. Perhaps you want to add a ‘had’ between Lex and been?

I got here after you added the links, very nicely done.

Minx has been busy! I love the progression of the TG quests running through this part.

The monument on the island is full of thoughtful details. I really like it.

@mALX: My Claudia was a little secret, until the Champion found her in the watchtower. Thanks for the link idea, it works much better that way.

@Acadian: In this story, just about everything gets done by somebody else. I even left the protagonist behind in this episode while the sisters went off to do all the hard work at Fort Grief!

@Grits: Minx has been busy, and this part is no exception. As Acadian pointed out, somebody else is doing all the quests, and in the case of the Thieves Guild, it's her. And I need them done, for parts of this story that are coming up soon.


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

Return to Cyrodiil

Back in Anvil, he noticed that Astia Inventius had almost finished her painting of the lighthouse. He asked her what she was going to paint next. "Another one of the same, I suppose," she replied. "I've painted the same phallic symbol about a dozen times, trying to give my stupid husband Pinarus a hint, but I'm just not getting through to him. He's lazy with all his household chores, and that includes the bedroom!"

The word around town was that he wasn't so lazy when it was someone other than Astia in the bed with him, but he said nothing on that topic. "Have a word with Varulae about a vacation trip," he suggested. "There's a nice tropical island she knows, and you might find a new subject there. Or there's always the sailors on the ship."

He left her puzzling out what he might have meant by that last part about sailors. She didn't paint portraits, only landscapes. She wondered if it rained much on the island. That was the one thing that really interrupted her painting here in Anvil.

---

The sisters wanted to take him down to Bravil. The last time they'd visited the town, they'd met Ursanne Loche, who was worried about her husband's gambling. She'd asked them to talk to an Orc called Kurdan, to whom Aleron apparently owed quite a bit of gold. They'd done so, but it was like talking to a stone wall. Perhaps he'd do better than they had?

When they arrived, Ursanne was even more concerned than before. Now Aleron had gone missing, and she was sure that Kurdan was involved. He went over to the Lonely Suitor and spoke with the Orc, and it took most of his skill to get anything from him. But eventually he'd managed to persuade Kurdan to tell him where Aleron was. There was a boat moored on the canal that would take them to Fort Grief, where he'd sent Aleron to look for the Axe of Dragol, an heirloom belonging to Kurdan's family. Returning that would pay off Aleron's debt, and he didn't care who found it, as long as he got it back.

"We'll take the boat over there and fetch it," offered Diablita. "You go comfort Ursanne, that's what you're good at. Tell her we'll be back with Aleron before you know it."

Ursanne wasn't in her house when they went to look for her, so the sisters took the rowboat while he went into the nearby Mage's Guild to ask if anyone knew where he could find Ursanne. He met Fathis Aren, the Castle mage, who seemed glad to be out of the tedium of the court for a while. They chatted for a time, and he discovered that Ursanne was probably in the Chapel. She spent a lot of time there recently, praying for Aleron's safe return.

Fathis also revealed that he'd recently met Minx. She'd obviously made a good impression on her fellow Dunmer, as he couldn't stop talking about her. He'd been particularly amazed by the way she'd just appeared from nowhere in his secret tower outside town. "I assume she used invisibility to get past all the conjurers and Daedra that guard the place for me," he said. "That, or I managed a better conjuration than ever! I can teach you a bit about that, but I'm not suggesting you'd be able to summon her. I wouldn't mind being able to do that again myself."

He'd laughed at that, but he didn't feel like laughing when the sisters returned. They'd found Aleron, all right, but it had turned out to be a trap, with him as bait. They'd been forced to run a maze full of traps, and been hunted by a number of men who'd apparently paid Kurdan for the privilege. All of whom were now dead, as were Kurdan and his Khajiit bowman accomplice. But so was Aleron. They'd seen Kurdan kill him as they emerged from the fort, before they could do anything to stop him.

Now someone had to tell Ursanne, and they were looking at him.

---

He returned to the City and paid his usual visit to the Club. Surely Taminwe would have something for him by now?

"Not yet, but did you hear about the Earl of Imbel?" she asked. "You know, the one who lives in the big manor across the street from here."

He hadn't. He'd just got back to the city from Anvil and Bravil.

"It seems he was a vampire, and someone broke into his house and killed him!" she exclaimed.

"Really a Vampire?" he wanted to know. It sounded just like the story he'd reported on in Bruma. Bradon Lirrian had been slain by a man who accused him of being one. That had turned out to be completely false. The Champion had seen through that and killed the murderer, Raynil Dralas. He'd seen enough copycat crimes as a reporter to get suspicious.

"Yes, they could clearly see fangs on the corpse." Taminwe assured him. "And he wasn't the only one. The Watch Captain said there were several other vampires in a tunnel off of his basement."

"That would explain why I'd never seen him around during the day," he reasoned. "Although I've run into his butler, manservant, or whatever he is. Gemellus Axius, his name is. I often see him in the Market District buying supplies for the manor."

"Not recently I hope," Taminwe was quick to remind him that he was supposed to have died.

"He wouldn't notice me anyway," he replied. "If you're not nobility, that one doesn't think you exist."

---

He made his way back across the city towards the Waterfront. In the Temple District he bumped into Amusei, who was apparently looking for him. Amusei handed him a card. It was finely made, with gold edges, and clear black print.

"The Thieves Guild requests your presence at a celebration of the installation of its new Guildmaster, " he read. The directions were to the Garden of Dareloth, behind the abandoned shack, which didn't make a lot of sense. That was where he'd gone with Minx to meet with Armand, and it had been anything but a garden, more like a rubbish heap. But the time indicated was only a hour from the present, so he went back and changed into his better clothes, and set off to find out.

He was astounded to find a set of steps and a door that hadn't been there before. The garden, which hadn't been anything like one previously, was now planted with primroses, and looked much more neat and tidy. He went up the steps and knocked. The door was opened by Armand, who escorted him through the basement and up into a large room, lined with bookshelves. Armand pointed to another staircase across the room. "Take those stairs. The Guildmaster is waiting"

The room at the top was as large as the one below, and furnished as a comfortable town apartment. Minx was there, in a slinky black robe that really made the most of her slender curves. She'd had her hair done, too, in a formal style that matched the sophistication of her outfit. "Were you invited to the celebration, too?" he asked.

"In a way," she replied. "Count Corvus Umbranox invited me, when he gave me all those special jobs to do." He recalled that the Count had been missing for the last ten years. Where had she found him?

She explained that it was the opposite; Corvus Umbranox had found her. He'd been the Grey Fox for those ten years, under a curse that prevented anyone from recognising him. Even his own wife, Millona, hadn't known who he was. He'd asked Minx to steal a number of special items, including an Elder Scroll from the Imperial Palace Library, and she'd done all that for him. And now he was reunited with Millona, and he could hand on the post of Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild. "To me!"

"You're the new Guildmaster?"

She nodded. "Do I look the part?"

He had no idea what a Master Thief should look like. Probably completely unremarkable, so you wouldn't give her a second glance. In that respect she was a complete failure. He couldn't help looking at her, especially as her robe was sliding to the floor.

A fun little opening interlude with Astia and her bedroom woes.

Then a quick rendition of ‘Caught in the Hunt’ down in Bravil!

Minx is the new Thieves Guildmistress! I’m sure she gives a whole new meaning to the term Gray FOX! When all is said and done about the Thieves Guild questline, I have always thought it to be a very nice love story.

GAAAAH! I LOVE the Pinarus/Astia part !!! Love all these little catch-ups on quests in here - all my fave characters and their quests given attention - really nice! Especially liked how you described the steps and door just appearing at the end of the TG questline - like they stole the door and steps and broke into Dareloth's, ROFL !!! After the first time I did that quest, I tried to find that door before the end of the quest - it isn't there.

These catch-ups on all these quests makes me homesick to play again! Awesome Write!

Oh my gosh, I was rolling over Astia’s dilemma.

The new Grey Fox! Neat to see the new guild through the reporter’s eyes. I was equally astounded the first (only) time I did that questline.

@Acadian: I'm sure Minx will add to the legend ... in her own way.

@mALX: I guess the bit about "rewriting history" is what allows it all to change without anyone else apparently noticing the sudden appearance of the door. But I'm not thinking about that too much, or I'd have to explain how one person has managed to notice.

@Grits: It's getting quite hard to avoid actually getting him involved in the game's quests, except as reporter of someone else doing them. I came perilously close on the Bloated Float, and had to twist the story there. So I owed it to Minx to let her do something according to the script.

We left our ex-reporter in the Thieves Guild headquarters where Minx has just revealed (among other things) that she's the new Guildmaster.

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

Minx's Tale

"You were the one who got me into the Thieves Guild in the first place," Minx reminded him. "I admit that Amusei wasn't the greatest competion I could have had, but your help gave me the confidence to win that contest."

"And then you took to me to Carwen to get me some training. You could have just taken me back to your shack for a celebration, but you didn't. You were thinking of me, not yourself, and I appreciate that."

He pointed out that he'd got twice the fun that way, and she laughed. "That wasn't your decision, if I recall."

She'd thought, at the start, that thievery would just be a job to do, but she liked the Guild. Especially that they frowned on killing people. The other thieves were nice folk to work with, helpful and cheerful. And she'd learned quickly. She seemed to have a talent for it, and she'd taken to heart what Methredhel had said at the Bloated Float, that a thief thrived on distractions.

He confessed to being completely and delectably distracted. "What were you saying?"

Minx continued telling him about her rise through the ranks of the Guild. "And all that time, I hadn't killed anyone. That ended when they sent me to Skingrad, to find a lost book. The beggars there said that Amusei knew where it was, but he was in jail. I bribed the guard, it only took money this time, and got let into the dungeons. When I went looking for Amusei, his cell was empty and there was a trail of blood leading from it, down to the cellars."

"I didn't know Amusei well, but I remembered that he was the other candidate when I joined, so I was kind of grateful to him for losing that night. And I don't like people getting hurt, so I followed the trail, hoping I could do something. I found the blood wasn't Amusei's, but it soon could have been joined by his. There was a Vampire taking prisoners from the jail and killing them, and he was her next victim."

"I suppose it made me angry, and that's why I fought her. I'll admit I didn't expect to win, either, it was just something I had to try and do for Amusei. I did remember that Vampires have a weakness to fire, and that helped. "

"Was that when Amusei joined the guild?" he asked. "He mentioned to me that you saved him in Skingrad."

She nodded. "Soon after, anyway. He came right back here with a new determination to try again. He'll never be a good thief, but he's an excellent messenger."

"The only other time I had to kill was another Vampire," she continued. "I'd learned a spell to make myself invisible, so most of the time I could just walk past people, instead of fighting them. Some of the men I didn't want to pass by, of course. There were much more pleasant ways of dealing with them. Fathis Aren, in particular, although that tower of his isn't the most comfortable of places for it."

"But Jakben Imbel was a different proposition. What he wanted, I wasn't prepared to provide. So we ended up fighting, and you probably know the rest. I let the Watch kill the other vampires, they needed the exercise!"

"And all this was because the Grey Fox was sending you on these missions?" he asked. "How did you meet him? And when did you discover that he was Count Umbranox?"

"Well, to answer the last one first, I didn't know who he was until right at the end. I couldn't have known, because if he took off that cowl, nobody knew who he was! That was the curse he was trying to lift. It stopped even his own wife from recognising him. He told me that he'd sat in her court every day, and she'd treated him like a stranger. He WAS a stranger, until the curse was removed."

"And I met him, as the Grey Fox, when Methredhel sent me to him. That day in Bruma, when you gave me directions to the Temple of the Ancestor Moths. He'd been at another Guild member's house, and given me that task."

"That reminds me, I need to thank you for that help, too."

---

He was relieved that her story-telling was giving him just enough time to recover between her showing her gratitude. She'd become really good at that part of her skill too. She took a deep breath and got back to the tale.

"The hardest quest was the last one," she told him. "The Grey Fox had determined that the only way to undo the curse was to rewrite the Elder Scroll that recorded it. You can actually change history that way, because of the magic they contain. So he needed the one that had the right events in it, and the things he had me steal were the ones we'd need to obtain the Scroll."

"The stone I took from the monks let him see into the Palace, and find the secret way in. Fathis Aren had the key I'd need, and the Earl of Imbel had boots that would provide me extra jumping ability. I couldn't have reached the goal without them."

"I had to enter the Palace through an old catacomb, and the only entrance to that was in a locked section of the sewers. The ironic thing was that the whole chain started in the Palace, only a few floors from where I needed to go. The only way to unlock the sewers was to activate an hourglass in the basement."

She described her long and dangerous journey through the dark catacombs beneath the White Gold Tower. They were filled with undead, and she'd had many close calls when she had to operate buttons, or open doors, and lost her invisibility for a few moments. She clung close to him when she recalled those scary parts, and it was his turn to interrupt the story. Minx was grateful for that.

---

She resumed by telling him the end of the story, when Corvus Umbranox was finally able to go back to Anvil and be reunited with his wife. She'd been there to see it, and it was quite the most romantic experience she'd ever witnessed.

That was the first time she was able to know who the Grey Fox really was, Count Umbranox of Anvil. The mention of Anvil tickled a thought that he'd had at the back of his mind since she started. She hadn't mentioned Heironymus Lex's re-assignment there, and he was sure now that it had been part of this.

"You know, I do vaguely recall going to Anvil for the Grey Fox," she responded. "It had something to do with a letter, but I just can't remember most of it. I had to meet somebody there, but that part's a complete blank. Sorry."

Well that at least told him he hadn't imagined it. He still had access to the Black Horse Courier's archives, so he could find out more later.

"So does this all mean that there isn't a Grey Fox any more? That he's now a respectable Count again, and the secret identity isn't needed?"

"Oh no," she explained. "Nocturnal's Cowl hasn't changed. Whoever wears it still becomes the Grey Fox, and can't be recognised as anyone else. That means that any thief can use it to become completely anonymous. I probably won't make any use of it, except to keep the legend alive. If the public starts to forget the Grey Fox, I'll pull some spectacular heist, and you'll report it."

That reminded him that he wasn't a reporter any more. He had a story that she needed to hear, too. But first....

---

Of course, when he told her that he was "dead", she had to mention Falanu. He was too tired to react. He'd have to get used to that anyway.

He told her about the two sisters he'd found in his basement here at the Waterfront. Carwen had told Minx about them, but she'd reported that they were his sisters, of course. "No wonder you could manage Carwen and me together, you'd had practice!"

He admitted that, but decided that he wouldn't mention any of the ones before his "death". The sisters were a part of his current life and she deserved to know about them. He'd told her he was writing a book about the Bear Riders, so she could assume what she wanted there. And she'd mentioned Fathis Aren, and other unnamed encounters she'd had. He wondered if any of them had been blind monks at the Temple. Minx appealed to all the senses.

---

The next morning, she woke before he did, and went downstairs to see to Thieves Guild business while he slept on. The first thing he knew was Methredhel bringing him a tray of breakfast goodies, and a note. It was from Angeline and Diablita.

They wanted to know what they were going to do with all the gold they'd accumulated.

"We could have it stolen, if you'd like," Methredhel told him helpfully. "That way it will go to people who really need it, not to the local Count in taxes."

She meant that. The Thieves Guild had always looked after the beggars, and made sure the truly needy ones got enough to live on. "Most of the ones you find sleeping in alleys aren't homeless, they're just afraid of sleeping indoors," she explained. "For example, Wretched Aia, down in Bravil, had her house burn down around her. Lost her whole family in the blaze. She hasn't entered a building ever since."

He knew most of the beggars of Tamriel, and he'd alway pass them a few coins when he could. They had been very useful sources when he'd been a reporter, and they were still useful to a spy. He hadn't done much of that recently either.

But he had a feeling the sisters were writing about more gold than Methredhel imagined. He knew how quickly they'd raised the asking price for Arborwatch. They'd already bought another place in Skingrad, and furnished it, so who knows how much they had now!

That's when he noticed the ebony diamond ring on Methredhel's finger. She didn't usually go for fancy items, being much more likely to wear a copper or brass ring. After all, they can all hold the same enchantments, which was the only reason she'd she'd wear one. But this one looked expensive, and it was on that finger. Did it mean...?

"Yes," she beamed. "And he didn't just buy it for me, he stole it!"

Those boots are one of my very favorite items in the game. I love the reunion in Castle Anvil. It would be worth doing the whole questline just to see the count back on his throne.

It sounds as if Minx and the reporter have a nice, informal arrangement. Unless she gets ideas when she sees Methredhel’s ring!

WOO HOO! Fathis has quite a way with the ladies! Lol. Loved this synopsis of the Thieves Guild, brief reminders of each quest so we can think back on the times we've played them! Great Write!

I must confess, I am enjoying this. The story is good, well-written and very funny, too. The fact that it's based upon a mod is even more interesting. I'll write up the reviews of the chapters I've read so far as soon as I can