《A Fate Shaped by Magick》


 A few Ideas

    "It''s sort of like topiary." Tallis gestured with her hands, as she tried to explain.


    Barely looking up from the enormous tome he was reading, Borissean raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "Gardening. Not magecraft. Pointless, really."


    Behind him, Gaspar stood silent, his expression one of suppressed mirth as he listened to his companion''s complaints about the mention of anything not directly related to magical research. Tallis knew he wouldn''t actually say anything encouraging, but she also knew he enjoyed it when someone actually stood up to his cynical partner in research.


    "Efficient." Countered Tallis. "Shaping a small part of the growth of something means that I don''t have to negotiate with a craftsman, and I don''t have to argue about exactly what I want. I catch a lobster or a small mudcrab, and I enchant it''s growth, and then a few days later I have the vial I want, not as breakable as glass, and just the way I want it."


    "That''s-" Borissean paused, frowning thoughtfully as he visualized the potential.


    "Unconventional." Put in Gaspar.


    "I like it. Well-conceived, Ward Tallis." Decided Borissean.


    "Admittedly it could be dangerous, unless I catch a fairly tame mud crab." Tallis admitted.


    Typically, having decided in favor of the idea, Borissean waved aside any consideration of potential difficulties. "That''s what unimaginative apprentices are for. We''ll just assign someone to stun and catch a mud crab. Put it in a tub or something to restrain it while you experiment."


    Tallis clasped her hands. "So I can research it?"


    The two mages looked at each other for a long moment. Apparently they had a kind of non-verbal shorthand, because once they started talking again, Tallis had the feeling she''d missed a fairly detailed conversation.


    Gaspar nodded to his partner. "I''ll have Viernis put a couple of the apprentices on it as punishment detail. They''ll whine a bit, but that''s all to the good."


    Borrissean made an approving noise and turned to Tallis. "You''d better get started then. I''d estimate that it will take a day and a half for them to get your experimental creature ready for you."


    "Assuming nobody gets killed in the process." Gaspar muttered. His voice was more amused than worried.


    Tallis blanched. "You think that could happen? Maybe I should do it then. I don''t want anyone to get hurt."


    Borrissean put his hands to her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the research area. "It would take an idiot to get himself killed by a mud crab."


    Tallis didn''t protest further, because surely he meant that all the apprentices were smarter than that, and would be careful, and work together, and it would be okay. Or at least she hoped it would be okay. She put one hand in a pocket and crossed her fingers.


    The older mage massaged her shoulders as he walked her through the corridor. "Don''t worry. If they''re going to get killed so easily, they were poor battle mage candidates anyway. That so many apprentices have such aspirations only demonstrates their appalling lack of creativity." The tone of voice told Tallis he was rolling his eyes at the thought. "Why the Arch mage feels we need to keep supplying the legion with magical support I will never understand."


    Tallis knew from her history classes that it was the dual strength of both magic and might that kept the Imperium strong. Emperor Uriel Septim VII himself was said to be skilled both as a warrior and as a mage. However she knew better than to bring that up again. So instead she said. "Well, I doubt that shaping things will be seen as having much in the way of direct combat application."


    "That is why none of them would have thought of it." Borrissean chuckled dryly. "There is more to power than simple destruction."


    ~~


    Renald Viernes, Mage and Proctor of the Arcane University of the Imperial City, crossed his arms and glared at the unwelcome intrusion into his beloved practice halls. Granted, despite his usually slightly disheveled appearance, Gaspar Stegine was a renowned researcher, and a higher ranking member of the University, but he had this habit of showing up with the most unorthodox of requests. "You want me to send out my apprentices to ... what, exactly?" His tone was equal parts disbelief and disdain.


    "To capture a mud crab."


    It was taking Gaspar considerable effort to keep a straight face. Anything out of the ordinary grated on Renald, which was why he tended to be rather horrified at the idea of any sort of change or research.


    Gaspar continued. "Not kill, not even wound it if possible. There''s a pool in the alchemy garden that should work well enough for a pen, once it''s fenced and warded."


    Face flushing, Renald opened his mouth, clearly wanting to decline the request. His eyes tracked to the badge of rank; he closed his mouth, and eventually said. "Very well, Sorcerer Stegine. You shall have your mudcrab within the week; I will inform you when the preparations are complete.


    "Oh you don''t need to inform me." Gaspar made a waving motion, as if unconcerned with further details. "The mud crab is for an experiment being done by Ward Tallis. Just let her know when everything''s ready."


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    Out of the corner of his vision, Gaspar watched Renald''s face deepen from slightly flushed, to furiously angry. Really, the poor man must be having a bad week to be this on edge. At the point where Renald was on the edge of an outburst or an apoplectic fit, or possibly both, Gaspar casually added.


    "Borissean is most curious to see what she can do with her latest magical project."


    At mention of the Redguard sorcerer''s name, the Proctor seemed to deflate like a netted puffer-fish. He even closed his eyes for a moment.


    "This would be the same Ward Tallis that accidentally covered the entire podium in an overgrowth of green stain cup fungi last month?"


    "Why, yes." Gaspar did smile at that point; she''d been arguing that a simple enhancement of plant growth could be a valuable supplement to alchemical preparations. Master Alchemist Julienne Fanis, without actually saying that she supported the practice had quietly acquired the entire crop for her potions.


    "The same Ward Tallis whose so-called mock duel with Fithragaer''s oldest apprentice left the young man so completely tangled in watermelon vines that it took two hours to cut him out of them?"


    "That would indeed be her." Gaspar had to admit that she had shown a remarkable ability to adapt seemingly innocuous spells to get indirect and sometimes powerful effects; but he also thought that any apprentice that could be entwined in magical growth up to his codpiece before noticing it had some problems with his alertness.


    Finally the Proctor opened his eyes again, his expression schooled to careful blandness. "And you, and of course sorcerer Borrisean want me to arrange for her to have access to a mud crab, so that she can ... experiment."


    "Exactly." Gaspar made to look slightly concerned. "Do you think that your apprentices are incapable of arranging this?"


    Renald thought carefully before phrasing his answer. "I don''t anticipate any problems with arranging for a pen, and for a live mud crab. However once in the pen, the creature naturally becomes the responsibility of Ward Tallis."


    Gaspar nodded. "Naturally." After all, even Tallis couldn''t get into too much trouble around a mud crab.


    Borrisean spent the rest of the afternoon in the Praxographical Center mostly feigning supervision of Tallis'' magical research, but in reality actually re-reading a text on the metaphysics of summoning. Unlike the battlemage-in-training that was the average apprentice, Ward Tallis had a habit of designing very subtle spells, so the risks of inadvertent damage were few. But as there was always the chance something could go wrong, one of the master researchers had to be present.


    Tallis had gathered the books she thought would be most relevant, and had them open, stacked one atop the other, on the desk. She alternated between the desk, and the spellmaking altar, although for most of the morning she called up only the most minimal of energies. Not even really whole spells. Instead of making formal notes, most of her preparation was scrawled depictions of hand positions for directing the magicka.


    Looking over the edge of his book, Borrisean found himself nodding in approval as she used sequentially increasing amounts of magika. He narrowed his eyes, and let his vision go slightly out of focus as he watched carefully. She had clearly adopted much of her technique from Gaspar, and it was effective. It was late afternoon when she finally appeared satisfied with her efforts, and retrieving a pot of loam, brought it to the altar, poking a few seeds into the soil as she did so.


    She wove magicka into the seeds and Borrisean watched unsurprised as slender green shoots appeared about the rim of the pot. They widened into multi-spiked leaves, and slowly buds appeared and then opened into small yellow-orange blossoms.


    "Mugwort." He said approvingly.


    She turned to smile in his direction. "I know the seeds are kind of hard to come by, so I thought it would be useful."


    "Well chosen." It was really a pity that she wasn''t more drawn to summoning.


    It was the following evening when she showed him the modification she''d induced into the growth of the plant. A fist-sized was pod growing at the base of one of the stems. "There''s so much of the plant that''s fuzzy, I wanted to try and see if it I could make it as tangly as lamb''s wool, maybe to make thread or yarn out of it."


    Borrisean made a snort of disapproval. "Clothier''s work, not mages."


    Tallis shook her head. "Just think how much more powerful the magics that could be woven into mages'' robes if enchantment was layered into the thread the cloth was woven from."


    They might have gotten into more of a discussion, but Gaspar poked his head around the door into the Praxographical Center. "Ward Tallis, I believe you were expecting a mud crab?" His hair and pale blue robes were slightly disheveled as usual, and he waved her to precede him to the gardens.


    She had initially expected that he would lead her to somewhere in the Alchemical Gardens, but instead they went through the lobby and out into the public gardens. Until recently, the only alchemically useful ingredient to be found there was more of the Fly Amanitas that seemed to proliferate all over the Imperial City. After Tallis'' rather overly successful attempt to expand the amount of green stain cup in the Alchemical gardens proper, there were a few specimens out here as well.


    Julienne Fanis had been all in favor of expanding the potential of the outer gardens, but one of her first concerns was to make sure that the most interesting and visible newer plants would not be appealing to the curious; so she had gone to considerable trouble to cultivate stinkhorn there. Despite some initial failures, there were many specimens now grown to a significant size. There had been an incident with a down on his luck Imperial named Lurio Maenius, who had presumed that the newer plants would be valuable, so he''d started ripping tendrils off of the one of the prominent stinkhorns.


    The stench had literally overwhelmed him, and he''d been found semiconscious in a pool of his own vomit. He''d been an object of ridicule since then, and rumors started circulating that the plants in the "outer mages'' garden" could defend themselves. Few had disturbed any of Julienne''s newer plantings since then.


    The area in the northwest outer gardens had been cordoned off with wooden fencing. In the far end of it, stone that had once been a few boulders presumably left over from construction had been reshaped to form a kind of low pool, about twelve feet wide and maybe two or three feet tall. The mudcrab was roaming around outside of the pool, clacking it''s pinchers in an irritated way.


    It wasn''t until Tallis was very close to the pen, that she realized a serious downside to her plan. The mudcrab was at least double the size of her torso. The top of the mud crab''s shell came almost to her chest. The pinchers were longer than her forearms. It was skittering back and forth in the confined area, snapping agitatedly, clearly not happy to be trapped.


    She was going to have to touch it, and for more than just a moment, in order to cast her spell. She stood still, watching it''s angry blue eyes as it reared up and snapped it''s pinchers at her. How do you make friends with a mud crab?


    She spoke in a very small voice. "I thought it would be smaller."

 Its kind of hard to explain

    Tallis shifted uneasily from one foot to the other as she stood just outside the pen, watching the mud crab slowly patrol the fencing, pausing every so often to grasp at a part of the fence with a brown-red pincher that was a little longer than her forearm. "Hi." She said softly.


    Apparently the critter had worked out that she didn''t have any kind of weapon and it no longer seemed overly concerned with her presence.


    As the mud crab worked its way around the perimeter of the enclosure, Tallis hesitantly approached the pen, holding out a section of bear jerky she''d wheedled from the kitchen staff. When the crab was close again, she said. "Are you hungry? I read that mud crabs are scavengers."


    A little distance behind her, Gaspar watched carefully. Even if the thing did break out of its enclosure, it was much more likely to run away than attack her. But all things considered, Tallis was not much of a physical fighter. Not that he was either, but an excessively powerful sorcerer didn''t really need weapons.


    The crab''s antennae and shorter antennules waved back and forth, clearly smelling the jerky as it got closer. With her other hand, Tallis called up tendrils of magicka, weaving a gentle spell over the thing as it approached. As the spell finished, it stood still, antennae still waving, and reached slowly out with one pincher.


    Tallis stepped forward, reaching carefully to place the jerky into the open claw. "I hope you like it." She said earnestly. "If you like watermelon, we have plenty of that too."


    The creature appeared contented, pulling off and eating tiny bits of the jerky. Slowly, Tallis moved to one side, and reached out to place her fingertips on the carapace. For a moment, it paused, and then appearing to decide that such a slow approach didn''t represent a threat, it went back to eating.


    "Nice choice of approach, to mystically calm it first." Gaspar commented, once her spells were fully cast.


    Tallis stepped away from the enclosure, looking relieved. "Well, all these gardens and whatnot," she gestured to the manicured grounds, "must seem pretty strange to it. I want to try and make friend with it if I can."


    "It will be interesting to see your progress with that." Gaspar smiled encouragingly. Tallis appeared to have the perpetual belief that most of the inhabitants of the universe existed so that she could make friends, or possibly pets of them.


    Borrisean, he recalled, had used words a lot more colorful than ''interesting'' when the collection of cocoons Tallis had gathered last fall had spawned a group of moths that decided that the most expensive crimson robe in the Redguard''s wardrobe would make a delicious smorgasboard.


    Over the next few days Tallis found that the crab liked most seafood better than jerky, didn''t care for melons, but really liked apples and berries. She also tended to do some of her studies near the enclosure. She often would murmur things aloud and it had seemed to be interested. So she used the mud crab as a sort of sounding board, reporting her assignments and reading bits of her required reading aloud.


    This seemed to definitely settle it, and it would sit raptly when she read out loud to it, especially if it was something related to the military. By the end of the week when her spell-triggered growth was finished, she thought she had a pretty good relationship with it, though most of the rest of the apprentices either avoided it or bragged about how they would have defeated it easily. If they got to close, the crab would snap its pincers at them, which tended to mean that most of the bragging ended up being done over meals in the communal hall, and not in the garden.


    So she wasn''t being especially careful when she climbed halfway up the enclosure fence and leaned over to remove the magically-spawned pod off the mud-crab''s carapace.


    She felt hands against her backside, and lost her balance, falling not only into the enclosure but landing poorly; splashing into the small pool. Shrill laughter accompanied her fall. "Poor dear clumsy Ward." The last word was heavily and sarcastically accented.


    Tallis shook her head and it took her a moment to focus on the slight figure just outside the fencing. Red garments, shoulder length light brown hair and a sneer. "Mariette." She said, deliberately leaving off the ''apprentice'' title. Yes, Mariette was higher ranking than she, Tallis, was, but despite her unkindness and attitude, she didn''t seem to be overly skilled at many spells.


    Any reply Mariette might have intended to make was interrupted by the skittering rush of the crab. This close, Tallis could see that it''s walking legs, which were almost as thick as Tallis'' own legs, were edged with sharp projections. Her eyes widened as she realized that all it would have to do was stand on her to hold her down while it nibbled away. But it wouldn''t do that, would it? She was sure it liked her. Pretty sure, anyway.


    Marriette barely backed away, watching Tallis with a smug expression. "One shouldn''t be so careless playing with seafood." She sneered. "Of course a mere Ward can''t be expected to achieve much better than that." She brushed at the red and black shirt she wore, as if simply being near Tallis was likely to muss it.


    The mud crab crashed into the fence, twisting a long pincer through the barrier, reaching forward and grabbing the edge of her long sleeve.


    Tallis blinked. Yes, sleeve. The crab had clearly not intended to grab her arm.


    Marriette jerked back. "Let that go, you overgrown mass of sushi and spell components."


    The creature pulled on the cloth, and reaching forward with the other claw, gripped a section a few inches away. At that point it was a moment''s work to shred the sleeve, which tore along the seam, almost completely in half. Then it let go.


    Mariette fell backwards, landing on a group of waist-high red fungi topped in twisted branching tendrils. There was a wet sound as the plants were crushed and Tallis quickly held her nose. Mariette took an angry breath, her eyes widened, and then she half-turned, half rolled to one side and began violently throwing up.


    The mud crab pulled its claws back into the enclosure, rotated toward Tallis, folded its legs and set down. It wiggled it¡¯s eyestalks in the direction of the still angry apprentice.


    Sputtering with frustration and fury Mariette struggled to her feet, and wiped ineffectively at the gooey combination of red stinkhorn pulp and yellow-green emesis that stained most of the back and left side of her pants. Between that and the sleeve the mud-crab had ruined, she was a far cry from her normally pristine self. Normally she would have had a lot more to say, but clearly it was taking most of her willpower to do anything other than continue to vomit. She ran in the direction of the garden gates.


    Ignoring her, and frankly grateful for any reason for the high-ranking but unkind apprentice to go away, Tallis sat half sprawled looking up at the calm mud crab that had just caused so much trouble. She looked with wide eyes from the crushed fungus back to the mud crab.


    "Stinkhorn." Tallis whispered. "You did that on purpose, didn''t you?" In a half-whisper, she continued. "Can you understand me?"


    The mud crab''s right eyestalk slowly moved to it''s right, and it gestured with it''s right pincer. First pointing it down to the ground, then then up toward the sky, then down again. Then it moved both eye stalks to focus on her and stood which raised its whole carapace up. It then dipped its front toward the ground and then up again.


    That was as close as a mud crab could possibly get to a nod. Tallis'' mouth fell open.


    That explained why it showed a distinct preference for her reading aloud from some books and not others; it hadn''t just been listening to the sound of her voice, it had been paying attention to what she was saying.


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    Belatedly closing her mouth, Tallis raised up her left hand, and mimicked the same up and down gesture that the crab had done with it''s claw. "This means yes." She said softly.


    The crab answered her with the same gesture. Then after a pause, it made a brief back and forth motion with it''s pincer. Then it slightly raised it''s right eyestalk. The effect put Tallis in mind of Borrisean''s raising an eyebrow when he thought he shouldn''t have to actually ask the question.


    So she said. "And that would mean ''no'', wouldn''t it?"


    It gestured ''yes''.


    Okay, even if a mud crab was really really smart, Tallis didn''t think it would be possible for it to learn a language that well without being able to speak it. Which meant ...


    "You weren''t always a mud crab, were you?"


    It gestured ''no''.


    A thousand questions came to mind. Had it been human? Or mer? How old was he? Or was she a she? What had happened? But before she got too much further, she realized that all these questions didn''t really matter, because the two very important issues were first that this crab needed to not be a crab any more, and second, the Arcane University was surely the perfect place for that to be accomplished.


    Her first impulse was to get up and find Gaspar or Borissean. But turning in that direction, it occurred to her that as soon as she left the pen, the mud crab itself would be in danger. After all, it could be argued that it had attacked Mariette Rielle. Or at least Tallis was certain that Mariette herself would make that argument. unfortunately she had a couple of really skilled scholars for her patrons; all were the type to blast first, complement each other on skill level and ask questions the next day over brunch, if at all.


    And that wasn''t fair, because it was the clear thought behind the way it had dealt with her that had been the first clue to the mud crab''s not actually being a mud crab. Not that Mariette would see it that way. Tallis had heard far too many of her seemingly endless speeches about the proud and magical and mysterious associations of the house of Rielle, and if Tallis wasn''t impressed, it wouldn''t matter because at least half the apprentices and many of the instructors were, including the Proctor. Who had a temper, and hadn''t wanted the mud crab to be here in the first place. Or so Gaspar had implied but carefully not said.


    Gaspar would be sympathetic and Borrisean would at least be intrigued. But they were likely to be in the Praxographical Center. Tallis had her doubts about being able to get a seven-foot wide mud crab through the doors, much less that far into the University proper before being stopped by someone.


    Who was nearby who could help? And who actually would help? Tallis looked around. The gardens themselves were empty, which was pretty normal. The most likely person to be here was one of the apprentices to gather some ingredient or other for spell or potion making. Since the pen had been set up, most of the apprentices assigned to that duty had just given their chores to Tallis, arguing that since she was responsible for the mud crab and the safety of the garden, she would keep everyone safer if she just gathered anything needed herself. And since a Ward was a much lower rank than an actual Apprentice, she hadn''t much choice in the matter.


    The doors to the University itself were closed, so if she shouted, no one was going to hear her anyway. Hear. Listen. That gave her an idea; just on the other side of the wall was the lecture area, and every afternoon one of the mage scholars gave a lecture. Granted it was usually poorly attended but surely one of the scholars would know enough magic to solve this problem.


    The crab wouldn''t fit through the lobby, but if they could get over the wall, maybe a scholar could help them. Tallis turned back to face him (or her, she reminded herself). "Can you climb well?"


    The crab''s eye stalks moved a bit as it examined the wall. Uneasily Tallis took another look herself. It wasn''t really weathered much, and despite Julienne''s ideas about wanting to cultivate vines, nothing was growing on it at the moment. Mostly it was a sheer expanse of worked stone with not a lot to grab onto.


    After some consideration the creature made a complete rotation, scanning all of the gardens it could see. Finally facing her again, it pointed to the wall, and gestured ''no''. Tallis'' heart dropped into her stomach.


    Then it pointed to a tree that stood fairly nearby, and cautiously gestured ''yes''.


    Tallis turned to look at the tree more closely. It was fairly near the wall. Unfortunately the branches that reached in the direction of it, didn''t quite reach far enough, and though they would certainly support her, she didn''t think that they were quite long enough or strong enough to support the mud crab.


    "Maybe." Tallis muttered. She walked closer to the tree. "I can make some of these branches longer and stronger." She put her hands to the tree and gently caressed the bark. "I''m pretty good with helping plants to grow."


    Then she thought of a problem, and turned to the mud crab. "I''ll do my best. The problem is that I can''t actually climb very well."


    The crab wiggled its antennules and she gave it her full attention. Then it carefully touched her shoulder with its right claw, and then reached the claw up to indicate the top of it''s carapace.


    She looked at the wall again. In order to get to the top of the wall, they were going to have to go pretty far out on those branches. Even though mud crabs had so many legs and surely could climb pretty well, wouldn''t her added weight make it fall?


    She felt a brush at her shoulder again. She turned. The crab was holding out a pincer, clearly indicating her, then it opened the claw a very small amount. Then it indicated ''yes'' again.


    Well yes, even for a Breton she was pretty small. Her face flushed red.


    "Okay." She said, and putting both hands to rest on the bark of the tree, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She let magicka flow through her, out of her hands, and into the tree, guiding it, shaping it, giving it more energy, more life, more growth. For a little bit she felt as if her arms were extending through the tree, and the wind in the leaves was the wind in her hair. Push farther, reach toward the wall, stretch and grow strong.


    Eventually she opened her eyes to see that two very large branches had extended themselves in the direction of the wall. The tree did seem a little off balance now, but maybe she could come back and correct that later. "By the nine," She breathed softly. "It worked."


    Then from the doorway of the University Lobby she heard two voices. Both female, and both sounded irritable and arrogant. It was not a surprise to identify Mariette as one of the speakers. Tallis listened closely to the other voice, and noted an Altmer accent.


    "Well I am not surprised. This is what comes of Arch-Mage Traven''s willingness to share the secrets of the University with un-lineaged rabble from the prisons. Don''t worry, my dear Mariette, I shall make this quick." It was Caryana. Nobility, arrogance and a lot of skill in destruction magic to go with it.


    "Sithis!" Tallis cursed, and then clapped her hands over her mouth. Which was lucky, because the mud crab promptly picked her up with both claws and plopped her onto the top of his carapace. If she hadn''t already had her hands over her mouth, she surely would have said something loud enough to draw attention from Caryana''s bragging and Mariette''s fawning.


    The top of the mud crab was not only irregular, and fairly easy to grip onto, it was also home to several fist-sized, limpet like half-shelled critters which gave her a number of textured options as hand holds. She grabbed onto the nearest couple.


    The crab gathered itself and jumped out of the pen, onto the lower part of the tree. Tallis stifled a yelp and held on as tightly as she could. Belatedly, she realized that the mud crab could have escaped at any time. Had it been waiting for a mage to try and talk to it?


    It skittered quickly up the branches, and she had cause to be grateful for the handholds; as it tilted and turned in most alarming ways as it moved along. It straddled both of the branches she extended, and slowly worked it''s way to within about four feet of the wall. Maybe not a big jump for a mud crab, but not one that Tallis herself would have tried. It pause long enough for Tallis to realize she was holding her breath, and then leapt to the top of the wall, landing easily.


    On the other side of the wall, one of the mage scholars was sitting near the podium, reviewing lecture notes on a scroll. It was an altmer woman with long blond hair, dressed in silken green. She was humming softly to herself.


    Tallis sagged in relief. Earana was very skilled, and almost as unconventional as Gaspar. She would probably at least listen to the story.


    There was a feminine curse from behind the wall, and the crab scooted forward just barely holding to the top of the wall with its rear claws. They would be out of sight from ground level in the gardens. Tallis scrambled to find better handgrips as he shifted, and she nearly fell off.


    They must have made some sound, because once Tallis caught her balance, she found herself looking down at a very surprised Earana.


    Hastily Tallis tried to explain. "It''s not exactly what it looks like, but we need your help, please."

 Escape of the Mud Crab

    "Balance," As Mage Scholar Earana reviewed the Official Text of Arcane University Lecture number One, she was softly talking to herself in a sing-song voice. Generally if one was singing, people tended not to listen, presuming it was some remnant of a recent bardic offering. She found that it was a convenient and usually unnoticed way to review the content of her planned approaches. Singing in semi-public could also annoy some of her more straight-laced, which was usually to say Imperial, brethren in the magical order. It was definitely win-win, she thought smugly to herself.


    "If only certain individuals can activate runestones, they may represent a further sub-specialty of the more traditional types of magic. Since invariably every mage will have styles of magic to which they respond with greater or lesser affinity, it may simply be that few mages have this particular affinity."


    She thought it likely that it would be an Altmer, if anyone, who discovered those secrets. After all they were the longest lived race, and the most magically skilled.


    The sounds of stones falling interrupted her reverie and she looked up.


    Hanging partway down the grey stone wall that separated the inner gardens of the Arcane University from the public area, was a very large mud crab. It appeared to have anchored itself by a rear pair of legs. Atop the irregular brownish carapace of the thing was a precariously balanced pale skinned little Breton with tousled dark hair. The Breton was garbed in simple undyed tan linen, and even as Earana watched, she lost one of her oiled linen shoes in her struggle to maintain her hold.


    Wide blue eyes met Earana''s brown ones as the girl stammered out her request for help.


    The complete lack of quality to her clothing, and the fact of the mud crab, not to mention the irregularity of her situation all combined to identify her as the Ward that Gaspar Stegine had been instructing. After the Green Stain Cup incident, her overabundance of creativity had many of the members of the University betting quite heavily on just how much damage she would eventually do either to the University grounds, or to herself.


    The wall didn¡¯t seem to be overly damaged, nor did the Ward.


    Earana knew that Gaspar was fond of her. Helping her would be a useful bargaining chip in dealing with him.


    The altmer carefully set her lecture notes on the bench; anchoring them with a wisp of magicka. Slowly she walked up the low dais to stand at the lecture podium, to get a better view of this interesting oddity. "An unconventionally bold approach for a ward, little one."


    Tallis flushed. "This mud crab. I mean he''s not really a mud crab. Or she, I''m not sure. But I didn''t know that until just recently, and I think Mariette wants to just kill him, and I don''t have enough spells yet to know how to change him back."


    From the other side of the wall, a shrill angry voice came. "Show yourself Ward Tallis. You can''t hide that thing from me forever!"


    Earana said. "You had best come down from the wall."


    The mud crab made to gather itself, and then raising his right claw to where Tallis would be able to see it, signaled ''no''.


    "I don''t think he can jump that far," said Tallis. "I grew some tree branches for us to climb to the top, but there''s nothing here close enough climb down."


    Earana raised her left hand, and pulled a swirl of magical energies through Tallis, and Tallis guessed from the way her pseudo-steed shivered, the magicka had gone through him as well.


    "Jump quickly," The scholar instructed. "And the fall won''t hurt you."


    "It will be okay," Tallis encouraged the mud crab. She hoped it would be.


    The crab gathered itself and jumped. Instead of falling, they arced through the air slowly, falling with the speed of an autumn leaf, or maybe a feather, to land on the other side of the double rows of benches intended for lecture seating. The crab spun around so that they were facing the mage scholar, and then folded its legs under it.


    As soon as it had settled, Tallis slid down from her perch. As her feet touched the grassy ground, she realized that one of her shoes was missing. She glanced around, trying to be surreptitious, and didn''t see it. Well there were more important things than lost shoes to worry about.


    From the other side of the wall, a refined voice commented. "Observe, Apprentice Rielle, how one of the University''s trees has been distorted. I believe I have a good idea of what happened to your lost ward and her mud crab."


    Tallis half turned toward the sound of the voice, but realized that Carayna and Mariette would chose to go through the lobby than climb over the wall. Turning back she appealed to Earana. "I don''t really have any money, but-"


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Earana stopped her with a gesture. "True. You, little one, currently owe service to the Empire, and to Sorcerer Gaspar, and thus you really don''t have much to offer me."


    She then addressed the mud crab. "I don''t know your magical potential, or even your true race, however even a beastman can learn some magic when he works hard enough at it. So my price for releasing you from your wabbajacked form is that you serve me as my apprentice for a period of not less than four years."


    "But-" Tallis started.


    Earana cut her off with a stern glance. "This is between me and my potential apprentice."


    The mud crab raised his right claw and nodded it up and down.


    "That means yes," Tallis spoke quietly.


    "Very well." Said Earana in a pleased sort of tone. She raised her hands, and Tallis could feel the magic begin to build.


    Earana stood at the lecture podium in the Arcane University gardens, frowning down at the mud crab that waited patiently near the student benches.


    Waiting nervously nearby, Tallis edged toward one of the benches and sat down. She recognized Earana''s intent look; the combination of focus and relaxation necessary to examine the details of magicka.


    Tallis turned to look at the mud crab, wondering how much more detail the Scholar could see than she herself would. Would she be able to tell what race the poor thing had been before its transformation? As Tallis turned to look again at the patient mud crab, it suddenly occurred to her that she''d never actually detached the pod that she''d magically grown on it. She raised a hand as if to interrupt, and then shook her head. It really wasn''t worth worrying about. Restoring the mud crab to whatever he or she had been was much more important; she could always try her spell again some other time.


    Abruptly Earana relaxed and chuckled. "Good." She said. "I imagine whoever did this to you was using magic that had been prepared by another."


    "Try to relax, little one. This shouldn''t hurt too much, though it''s bound to be somewhat uncomfortable."


    Tallis did her best to relax and observe as well as she could. She wasn''t likely to see anything like this again soon, so this was potentially the only time she could learn something from watching it.


    As she watched, it was as if pale blue layers of energy were being peeled open from the mud crab; rather like opening up an onion, layer by layer, yet leaving all the layers still connected at the bottom.


    Earana frowned in concentration, and beads of sweat stood out on her forehead. She was very still, not even using any of the usual hand movements to guide her magicka. The air began to feel thick and heavy, like a storm was gathering. Tallis could feel her hair shifting, and she could hear little crackles of static electricity.


    Then suddenly the center was removed from all the layers of energy and magic, and they fell apart and away from the mud crab. As they did so, the creature twitched; it almost seemed to Tallis that the irregular carapace was writhing.


    Then a sound like a gasp, and a shiver, then instead of a mud crab, there lay a young man. He was an Imperial, Tallis could see that right away. Dark brown hair, a little long and a little ragged, obscured his eyes. She could see that he had a growth of a couple days of beard. He was wearing leather pants that were laced up the sides, and knee high boots of some soft material. He also had a blue tunic, slightly rumpled, and she could see that even around the back of it there was some kind of embroidered panel at the collar.


    He was shivering as first, but maybe it was a reaction to the magic, because after he took a few slow breaths the shivering seemed to fade. He pushed up with his forearms, and nearly fell just from that effort.


    "Balance." He said, and the word was barely understandable. He shook his head a little, and then tried again. "Balance." This time the word was a little clearer.


    "Yes, little one, from your reaction I suspect it''s going to be difficult to make the transition from balancing on eight legs to balancing on only two." Earana turned to Tallis. "Assist my new apprentice to one of the benches."


    "Of course." Tallis did her best to keep the young man steady. She noted a couple small shells fall away from the folds of his tunic as she carefully guided him the few steps it took to a bench. Once he was seated, she looked back at the grass, and noted that what had fallen were several limpets, unable to cling to a tunic as they''d clung to a carapace. And there was the pod she''d enchanted. It hadn''t been lost after all.


    She was of course happy to have the pod, but she gathered up the limpets as well. She''d throw them into lake Rumare and they should do all right. But first, she turned to the young man, who was sitting rather anxiously on a bench. His hands gripped the wood of the seat as if he were afraid of falling off of it.


    Tallis glanced up at the mage and realized that Earana was looking at her expectantly. When Tallis didn''t say anything right away, the mage raised an eyebrow. "Do you not think introductions are in order here?"


    Oh, of course. Or at least of course when mer were involved. It seemed like any time Tallis was around any mer for more than a few minutes, she ended up being chided for missing or forgetting some point of etiquette.


    She gave a half-bow to the Imperial. "I''m Ward Tallis D''Artagnan, and this is Mage Scholar Earana."


    "Reg" Again that hoarseness, and he flushed and started once more. "Regulus Cassiana, at your service."


    "Apprentice Regulus Cassiana." Earana corrected him. Turning her attention to Tallis, she said. "Any you, my little helper, may wish to hasten to the Praxographical center to be the first to detail the events of the day to your instructors." She glanced meaningfully to the door to the lobby.


    "Yes, of course." Tallis hastily gathered up the pod and the limpets, and when she glanced up at Earana, the scholar silently pointed to a spot near the wall.


    Her shoe.


    Tallis flushed, quickly picked it up and left. As the door of the Praxographical center closed behind her, she heard the door from the garden to the lobby opening.


    She was so relieved to be out of side of Mariette, and so busy trying to keep everything in her hands and not drop anything, that she completely missed seeing that the room was occupied until Borrisean''s quiet question startled her.


    "Ward Tallis is there some reason why you are carrying your shoe rather than simply wearing it?"

 News of a Journey

    Tallis paused just inside the doorway to the Praxographical Center. In the center of the room was one of her instructors, Wizard Borissean. Immaculate as always in his fur trimmed burgundy silk robes. He had apparently been conversing with the other occupant of the room.


    Tallis was used to having to look up at Borrisean. Like most Ragada, he stood a bit over six feet, and despite the fact that he didn''t pursue a very active lifestyle, he was still fairly muscular. However his companion dwarfed him.


    Standing nearby was a grey-skinned, incredibly muscular man wearing mostly red tattoos. Judging from how much taller he was than Borissean, he had to be at least seven feet tall. He did have a gold-stitched red loincloth, but it was small enough and thin enough to be more accent than actual concealment. He wore no shoes, and his toes, as well as his fingers had talons rather than nails. There was the faint scent of smoke about him that implied he was from another plane, and the way his red eyes actually seemed to glow kind of supported that. He had small upturned horns at his temple, and a large blade slung at an angle over his back. The hilt of it was probably wider than one of Tallis'' arms.


    "Ah." Tallis wished that she''d had some sort of clue that Borissean had a guest. Walking in with her arms full of limpets, her clothing rumpled and stained by the leaves that she and the mud crab had climbed through, and one shoe off was not the way she would have liked to meet a probably noble visitor. She bowed as low as she could without risking losing the armful she carried. "Ward Tallis, sir."


    He responded with a slight incline of his head. "Xivilai Kathukar." His voice was low with a thrum to it that she could feel in her bones.


    To Borissean, who was clearly waiting for a response to his question about why she wasn''t actually wearing her right shoe, she added. "Well, it''s sort of a long story."


    "The short version, then."


    She took a breath. "Earana''s new apprentice, Regulus Cassiana, used to be a mud crab, and one that Mariette Rielle and Councilmember Caryana were planning on, um, probably killing." Hastily she set the armful of limpets and pod on the table, and put her shoe back on.


    For a moment there was quiet as Borissean looked upward, with a slightly pained expression. After a bit he murmured. "By Satakal, is simple study too much to ask?"


    Then looking directly at her, he spoke in a more normal voice. "Perhaps you had better tell me the long version."


    Gaspar came down the stairs just as Tallis was describing the stinkhorn incident. He laughed so hard that there were tears in his eyes, and she had to describe it twice before he was satisfied. When she finally finished the whole story, Gaspar was still chuckling, and actually gave a brief spate of applause.


    "So what you are telling me," Gaspar concluded. "Is that Councilmember Caryana was planning on murdering an entity that even a Ward could determine was sentient. And that Scholar Earana not only knows this, but rescued the lad from his transformation and in the process has acquired herself an apprentice."


    "Yes.." Tallis answer trailed off. Technically Scholars didn''t usually have individual apprentices, but given the situation, she couldn''t see how anyone could argue that the contract wouldn''t be binding.


    Gaspar sighed. "What I wouldn''t give to be a fly on the wall at the next council session."


    Xivilai Kathukar commented. "Unwise to willingly wear another''s form. There are many risks, including the loss of one''s memories and mind."


    Tallis'' eyes went wide. She''d only thought of poor Regulus as the victim of a curse. She''d never even heard that any kind of deliberate or controlled transformation was possible. Borrisean and Gaspar both gave rueful nods as if well aware of the dangers. But Regulus had found ways to communicate. Was it really that dangerous? Could it be done safely if you prepared for the experience?


    Borrisean raised a finger to her. "No."


    "I was only-"


    ¡°Wondering,¡± he commented dryly, ¡°wonder all you like. Do not experiment without permission and supervision.¡±


    Then Borrisean stepped right in front of her, staring down at her with an intensity that was somehow more frightening than if he''d offered violence. "You will not even mention the theory to any of the other apprentices."


    The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She stammered. "I won''t."


    "Because Xivilai Kathukar is correct. Many, perhaps most who are transformed for any length of time lose themselves to the shape they are in. Earana was wise to claim this young Imperial as an apprentice; he''s demonstrated an impressive strength of will despite his ordeal."


    Gaspar held up his right palm. "Borissean, she understands." His voice was gentle.


    It was then that Tallis realized the stern expression on Borissean''s face was more about pain than it was about simply being strict. She would have liked to know why, but it was probably better not to ask too many questions.


    She glanced hesitantly toward the door. Normally she would have joined the lecture, and given Borrisean and Gaspar and their guest space to have whatever private conversation she had accidentally interrupted.


    Gaspar''s gentle hand on her shoulder interrupted her musing. She turned to see that he a sympathetic expression, and a twinkle in his eye. "I think that you''re done for the day here, Ward."


    He turned to face the door, looking sort of past it in the direction of the lecture area. After a moment of thought, he gave her shoulder a small squeeze and said. "Let''s just give things a couple of days to settle down here. Tomorrow is Koomu Alezer''i anyway. Take some time for yourself."


    He gestured to the table. "We''ll wait on examining your pod for a couple days; come back to us Tirdas morning, and we''ll do some more work." In a more amused voice he added. "And as we don''t keep pets here at the University, perhaps you might drop those limpets into Rumare on your way back to your quarters."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Yes Wizard Stegine." Tallis gave him a small curtsey, and turned to formally take leave of the other two in the room. If she had blundered coming in, she could at least demonstrate proper respect while departing. "Wizard Borrisean, strong Koomu Alezer''i to you. Xivilai Kathukar, I''m honored to have made your acquaintance."


    Borrisean nodded slightly in return. At least he didn''t look quite so intense, which was good.


    As the door closed behind her, she heard the approving bass chuckle that was Xivilai Kathukar''s voice. "Lord Dagon would like her."


    Borrisean frowned.


    Gaspar looked thoughtful.


    After dropping the limpets from the University Walkway Bridge, Tallis headed back home to the Imperial Prison Sewers. She felt restless, though, and instead of just seeking out her bunk in the third women''s barracks area, she started walking through the sewer tunnels. Her training as a mage, or as a potential mage, meant that she was granted access to the Arcane University, but most of the time she lived here, underground, as did all of the prisoners and most of the Wards and some of the guards.


    The tunnels of the sewers, the parts that weren''t currently being used as cells or as some sort of living space, were extensive. Occasionally a criminal or wild animal would seek refuge in the less used sections, but the Imperial Guard patrols were frequent enough that this didn''t often happen.


    While much of the sewers had been built of worked stone and brick, Tallis preferred the other sections, the less used ones that were mostly some kind of natural cavern, or hewed out of stone with little brick or construction other than support arches to keep the place safe.


    She usually took a torch or other light source with her, but in most of the prison sewers and tunnels at regular intervals there were grates that allowed some light in, so that even if the torch went out, if it was daylight there would usually be a little light to navigate by. There was one area, just under such a grate, that was what she called her thinking place.


    She''d discovered it by accident. It was quite far from the more traveled sections of sewer, in one of the more natural areas, and the grate that allowed light, and the occasional trickle of rain, was one of the larger ones. It was fairly near the North Watch Tower in the Market District, and sometimes she could see groups of legionnaires, or at least their legs, as they marched by. On rare occasions, it would be a group led by one of the very few officers to have a trained war dog. It always made her happy to see the cheerful swish of one of the war dog''s tails.


    She knew from talking to J''banna, the Kajiit enigma that was either a prisoner, or a security officer or both, depending on who you talked to, that the most recent group of war dogs were the pups of Charlotte, and that Ria Phillida, one of the newer guards, hoped that her father would assign her to have one of the young dogs.


    Charlotte was a huge white and black dog that belonged to Salmon Genoette, a famous composer and one of the few people in the city that had both the money to afford a dog and the connections to legally own one. Someday if she could somehow do something wonderful for the Empire, maybe she could get a dog too. Maybe even one of Charlotte''s puppies.


    Tallis was most of the way to her thinking place before she realized that she hadn''t brought a torch. Well, she would just have to make her way back home before it got too dark. Turning a corner, she saw ahead of her the patch of slanted light that marked the North Watch Tower grate. It illuminated a moss-covered section of the wall that she''d been using as a place to practice her plant-enhancing spells. The moss hung as luxuriant coiling green ribbons and green-gold feathery fans, with many tiny yellow flowers turning their faces up to the afternoon light. Across from that wall was a large worked brick with a corner section missing that she usually used to sit on.


    Someone was sitting there now, looking at the flowers and mosses with an appreciative smile. As she came to a surprised stop, the visitor turned to her and beckoned her forward. "A most lovely and unconventional garden, Tallis. I have always loved gardens."


    He was an older Imperial gentleman, silver-haired and wearing furs and embroidered silks much too fine for someone wandering about in the sewers. Despite his rich attire, his gentle smile was as welcoming as the rich afternoon sunlight, and he patted the stone next to where he sat. "I think we should talk." Beyond him, she saw movement, as a dark figure stepped forward just enough for Tallis to note his presence, and then faded into the shadows again. Well of course such a personage would have guards of some sort.


    She was within a couple feet of him when it registered that among the bullion stitched red of the silks was a large red stone set in gold, and even without deliberately seeking it, she couldn''t miss the power of the energies emanating from it. A large red stone surrounded by eight smaller ones. An incredibly powerful amulet.


    "The Amulet of Kings." She hadn''t meant to say anything out loud, and hearing her shocked whisper, she felt herself turning red at not having recognized her emperor.


    She dropped to her knees. "Your Wisdom, I meant no disrespect."


    "My dear child, it is all right. Come, do have a seat."


    She looked up to see that he was again patting the stone surface right next to him. Slowly she rose to her feet again.


    "As I said, it is time for me to tell you a few things, young Tallis."


    Hesitantly, she came forward and was rewarded once more by that smile that made her feel like the sun had chosen to shine just for her. Cautiously she sat carefully near him, trying to make sure that none of the stained parts of her clothing would come into contact with his finery.


    "Tallis, there are some who think that the Emperor would simply order his subjects to do this or that, like they were pieces on a chess board. But people are much more than chessmen; they have their own ideas and their own ways of doing things."


    She nodded, interested but uncertain where he was going with this.


    As he continued, his voice took on the cadence of a storyteller. "Sometimes, when there is great need, it is an unexpected choice that is the right person to send."


    She thought of the story of Aevar Stone-Singer, and how despite not being an elder, or a warrior or a priest, he had been the right choice to retrieve the lost gifts of the All-Maker.


    "Young Tallis, there are things that need to be done, things that I cannot do myself. So I look, and I find the right people, and I send them to where they need to be, to answer fate''s calling. My dreams have shown me your face, and thus I must ask if you are willing to be set on this journey."


    He was asking ¡­ the Emperor himself was asking her to do something? Tallis thought vaguely of kneeling again, but she would have had to stand up to kneel, and she felt stunned enough by his words that actually getting to her feet seemed as impossible as flying to one of the moons. "Yes." Was all she managed to actually say.


    He looked down at her affectionately. "The Nine guide us all, as they will guide you. Tomorrow when you wake, go to Captain Gepard Montrose''s offices in the bastion. You will have fellow travelers for the first part of your journey, but in time you will each find your proper path."


    "What is it you need me to do? I mean of course I will do it." Inwardly Tallis swore to herself that whatever it was, she would not only do it, but well, and fantastically, and she would make her emperor proud.


    Emperor Uriel considered a moment, and then said. "There is something lost, and lost now for too long, that must be found and known. The stars bid me tell you no more than that for now."


    As she wondered what this could possibly be, he slowly rose to his feet. Gently he put a hand to the side of her cheek, and then kissed her on the forehead. "I must go. We will not meet again in person, I am told."


    Tallis sat, silently as he moved away, shadowed by the presences that must surely be his bodyguards, some of the Blades.


    As the sound of his passage receded, she put a hand to the cheek where he''d touched her. It was wet. She was weeping, and she didn''t know why.

 Meet the group and start the journey

    Tallis lay on her cot in the prison women''s barracks, staring up at the grate along the western edge of the room''s roof. The slice of darkness slowly paled to grey, but didn''t get any lighter. That and the damp chill of the air warned her that a storm must be rolling off of Lake Rumere. She waited, anxious but lying still.


    After what felt like years, the sounds of metal-shod footsteps in unison heralded the changing of the guard. All around her she heard the sounds of people waking at the familiar noises. Grumbles at poor sleep, grunting, cracking knuckles and greeted the day just like always.


    But it was not just like always. Her Emperor wanted her to do something. She would find out more this morning.


    Once up, she made her cot, and then opened the small chest at the foot of her bed. There were a few tiny seed pods in it that she''d gathered from her garden. She gathered them and put them in a pocket. She might not be coming back. She wasn''t sure where she was going, but maybe she could find somewhere to plant them.


    Just like always, she got in line for breakfast. There was a bowl of something. She took her bowl, and the issued spoon, and made her way to where the other two ward-apprentices were sitting.


    Vidkun had already finished his bowl of whatever-it-was, and as she approached, he sat up a little taller. Despite the plain prison garb, his postured showed off his muscular shoulders nicely. He tilted his head, letting his pale braids swing back, and showing off the beads he''d woven into them. He gave her a smile that was half hopeful, half rueful. "Fair Tallis," His usual greeting always started that way. "If you aren''t hungry."


    She had enough butterflies in her stomach that eating was probably not the wisest idea anyway. Silently she handed him the bowl.


    His eyebrows rose in surprise, but that didn''t stop him from grabbing it. "Thanks." He managed between rapid spoonfuls.


    Beside him a merry-faced dark haired young imperial lad was frowning over a section of parchment with something written on it in a script that Tallis didn''t recognize. The frown looked out of place, and his bowl was closer to Vidkun than it was to him. Tallis wondered if he had even noted that Vidkun had eaten it.


    At the head table, one of the guards stood and read out the rules and the penalties and reminded everyone to do their best. Then the sergeant read out work assignments.


    Vidkun stacked up the bowls and put all three spoons into the top one. Then he nudged the Imperial beside him. "Another day with your new mentor?"


    Startled out of his concentration, Denel looked up and glanced around, first to where his bowl had been. Then to his companion. "Hungry, I take it?" His tone was a rebuke.


    Vidkun shrugged and made a show of clenching the muscles of his right arm. "It''s in my nature to need more sustenance."


    Denel rolled his eyes, and then looked across the table to Tallis. "Um, good morning." His tone was a little abashed, and he quickly rolled up the paper he''d been staring at so intently.


    "New mentor?" She asked.


    Color came to his cheeks. "I''ve been assigned to work with Mage Skaleel." He admitted. "Mage Fithrager said that I was better at puzzles than at thinking on my feet, and now Mage Skaleel seems to think I''m capable of learning to translate some of the Ayleid materials."


    "Quickness of learning is indeed yours." Tallis spoke in Breton, knowing that Denel had picked up at least that much of her parents'' tongue.


    His eyes sparkled at that. "Kindness is yours, sister-in-spirit."


    Vidkun rolled his eyes. "Shall we go then?"


    They stood, and Tallis said. "Um. Actually I have to report to the bastion."


    Two pairs of raised eyebrows greeted this news.


    Behind her the sergeant snapped. "Ward Tallis."


    She turned as quickly as she could, but her hopes of showing a military alertness were quashed when she got one foot tangled in the bench and nearly fell over. Hastily she replied. "I''m to report to the bastion office."


    He looked surprised, but she wasn''t sure if that was because she''d known what he was going to tell her, or if he had actually expected her to fall. He didn''t exactly smile, but his frown eased very slightly. "Excellent, Ward Tallis." He turned on his heel, and walked away.


    Tallis sighed inwardly. Even when he wasn¡¯t saying anything, the sergeant''s very walk said that he knew what he was doing. She wanted to be able to do that someday.


    Vidkun muttered something under his breath about someone''s promotion being abused a little quicker than most.


    Delen shook his head. "No, Vid, Captain Montrose isn''t like that."


    Vidkun''s dark look didn''t relax. "He''d better not be." To Tallis he added. "If he tries anything, you just let me know. I have friends."


    Tallis smiled. "I think it will be okay."


    She made her way to the bastion, and up to the Captain''s office. She was a little surprised to see that the Captain was a Breton like herself. The last two had both been Imperial, and she had kind of thought that the head of the prison was probably always going to be an Imperial. At each entrance stood a guard, in full armor. She didn''t know either of them. They looked to be Imperials.


    Standing along the wall across from the desk were several other people. She only knew one of them personally, though barely. She was an orange and tan patterned Khajiit named Dahleena who was occasionally either a visitor or an apprentice to J''banna. There was speculation that she might actually be his daughter, but she was also really fast with a claw to the face when asked personal questions. Tallis realized for the first time that the young Khajiit had the feel, slight but present, of someone who worked with magic.


    Tallis was on the verge of opening her mouth to ask a question, when she met Kahleena''s gaze. The Kajiit looked irritated. Tallis swallowed her curiosity and just said. "Hi."


    Kaleena''s expression cleared and she gave a response that sounded a little like a momentary purr.


    Leaning against the farthest wall was the largest Argonian Tallis had ever seen. He had a crest along the top of his head, and it was standing up, almost brushing against the ceiling. He had to be at least seven feet tall, possibly more. His tail coiled around his feet, with just the very tip of it twitching. His inner eyelids were closed, giving his eyes a milky look. Tallis knew he could probably see pretty well anyway. She nodded to him in greeting, and he gave her a very slight movement from the waist, just a hint of a bow of greeting. He looked friendly.


    Standing near the window was a swarthy-skinned Nord. After a moment she placed him. He was some kind of personal servant or assistant to Audens Avidius, one of the watch Captains. Apparently both his parents had been in the prison, but they weren''t there any longer. She didn''t know the details.


    Belatedly she noted that Captain Montrose was looking curiously at her. Oops.


    "Ward Tallis." She introduced herself.


    He nodded. "Then we are just one person shy." He glanced to the doorway with a slightly irritated look. Then he turned back to reading or perhaps re-reading a parchment on his desk.


    Tallis slowly made her way over to stand next to Dahleena. The Kajiit gave her a small smile, but said nothing.


    After what seemed like a long time, but by the movement of the sun couldn''t have been more than a quarter of an hour, footsteps approached. Tallis straightened up, curious. All eyes turned toward the doorway.


    The lady who walked in was tall and pale and graceful. At first Tallis thought she must be some kind of noble. Then Tallis registered that she was wearing the same prison garb as the rest of them. Her manner was such that it took a moment to realize that. Her skin was pale, but had a slightly grey cast to it. Her hair was like silver and her eyes were reddish. It was the fiery feel of magic that she brought with her that made Tallis register the sharpness of her cheekbones; she was a Dunmer. Like the Argonian, she seemed friendly. That was encouraging.


    Tallis wondered where the Dunmer and the Argonian were from. Their garb implied the prison, and granted it was big, but she thought she would have remembered either of them.


    Captain Montrose stood, rolling the parchment in his hand. Slowly he turned to briefly meet each of the young people''s gaze. "Dahleena. Tallis. Gold Heart." That was the Argonian, who nodded ever so briefly at his name. "Ursine." The Nord responded with a winning and charismatic smile that the Captain seemed oblivious to. "Talmsa." That was the Dunmer. Tallis found herself wishing that he''d said family or clan names, but considering that Argonians or Kajiit rarely used them, it was probably a way of putting everyone on an equal footing. The Dunmer looked slightly surprised, but only for a moment, and then her serene expression was back. The Captain continued. "Our Emperor has decided that you will be sent to Morrowind."


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    Tallis'' eyes widened. She knew it was the youngest of the Imperial Provinces. She had studied it only briefly, and off the top of her head, she wasn''t really sure about anything else. Um, Dunmer were from there. She glanced around and noted that everyone seemed to be looking at the latest arrival, who stood with gracious unconcern, her gentle gaze focused on the Captain.


    "Officer Glenroy will make sure that you are brought to the ship which will transport you. Once you arrive, you shall report to the Census Office, where you will be instructed further." He gestured to one of the officers who had waited by the door.


    Glenroy gestured to the door he stood next to, and said. "This way."


    No one else was asking any questions, or even looking surprised. Tallis walked along with the rest of them. Morrowind? Why?


    Once outside the prison, the combination of rain and mist served to give the Imperial city a lovely look, outlining the leaves and the occasional spider web in tiny jewels. The fact that it was also really cold was too bad, but Tallis thought the prettiness was worth it.


    She tried to remember anything she had ever heard about Morrowind. Other than it being the home of Dunmer, nothing came to mind. Well, maybe someone at one of the mages'' guides there would have some books or something she could read. She wondered if Talmsa was from there. Then she wondered if they spoke Imperial. Well of course they did, being an Imperial province.


    Tallis frowned. She did remember something about that. Some negotiations. Most of the Imperial provinces; well all of them; had adopted Imperial customs and ways, but she had a vague memory about Morrowind being different. Well probably they spoke Imperial. It wasn''t too likely they spoke any Breton. Maybe if Talma spoke Dunmeri, she would teach some of it to Tallis in return for lessons in the Breton tongue.


    Tallis'' planning was interrupted by a rock underfoot, and her ignominious almost-fall was interrupted by the swift grab of Gold Heart''s tail, which not only curled around her, preventing her from landing on her nose, but actually scooped her right up off the ground.


    Tallis gave a small yelp, and her hands went out by reflex.


    A large taloned hand caught her right arm, and as he set her down again, Gold Heart said in a hissing accent. "This hatchling thinkss and doess not look."


    Tallis felt heat rise to her cheeks, but answered. "This one has so many questions she is looking inside too much to see outside." Then she added. "Thank you."


    Gold Heart blinked his inner eyelids. As they kept walking he spoke in a much softer voice. "Caution hatchling. If this one ussess the wrong eyess too often sshe will become prey. Morrowind hass many predatorss."


    He moved a little faster then, and Tallis wondered if he was sort of telling her that he was not going to answer the questions his comment raised. Or at least not yet.


    A ship was waiting for them at the docks. As they got close it seemed to loom bigger and bigger. There were nimble figures visible in the rigging and she could see the gleam of armor shining off of people moving with military precision on the decks. As they got closer, Tallis could see a name painted along the side: "Prelude". She smiled. Her first trip on a ship was going to be a prelude to her first trip to Morrowind. It was a terrific name for a ship.


    She wondered if they would see mermaids.


    They met one more passenger at the ship; an older dunmer with an awful scar across his right eye. Tallis wasn''t completely sure that he could still see out of it. She hoped so. Once on board they were brought to a cramped space at the bottom front of the ship. Or as the sailors called it, the bilge of the bow. The floor was kind of damp and smelly. Well more wet than just damp, as there were puddles. Fairly large ones. The only things to use as bedding were old sacks. It was probably going to be uncomfortable, but Tallis made up her mind that this was okay. After all, it was sort of an adventure.


    Dahleena, on the other hand, stared at the puddles. Her fur was visibly fluffed and her tail lashed back and forth. "Dahleena is no fish, to be sleeping in pools of water."


    Eventually they worked out a sleeping arrangement. Gold Heart, who not only had no objection to sleeping in puddles, but could even breathe through his gills if he shifted in his sleep, shared sleep time with Dahleena. She curled against him as she slept, using him as a prop to brace her high enough to be out of the water. Tallis and the rest had the alternate shift, and just arranged themselves as best they could. The water was always cold to start with, but so many bodies tended to warm it up. So really, Tallis told herself, it could have been a lot worse.


    Tallis was very curious about how the ship worked. Unfortunately the sailors didn''t like answering questions, and the military officers tended to respond to most anything by just telling Tallis to move along. The only person who seemed to get along with all of them was Ursine. After Tallis opened the mess door without knocking first, she made a special point of choosing to be somewhere other than where the excessively congenial Nord and his seemingly endless stream of companions might be talking. Or doing ... whatever.


    For two days it stayed cold and dreary, and Tallis got used to goosebumps and wet hair. She started using one of the scratchy sacks as a sort of cloak. Dahleena refused to come to the deck until the sun shone. Gold Heart didn''t appear to notice the weather at all. Juib, who apparently had been a sailor at one time, was quickly pressed into service by Captain Aundae when he made some derogatory comments about the knots in the rigging. The scarred dunmer protested loudly and often, but Tallis thought he looked pleased to be doing something other than just watching and waiting.


    As the trip went on, the food got, well, kind of icky. There were worms in most of the bread, which was hard and stale and moldy to begin with, and the water barrels had slimy things growing in them.


    Tallis found herself looking hard for something to do, and spent a lot of time looking over the side of the ship, wishing that she could swim. Occasionally she saw patches of things that looked like strings of leaves with large pods here and there. She found herself wondering if they were edible. Quiet laughter came from nearby, and she turned to see Juib smiling at her.


    "No, Sera, don''t try it. Bitter and most folks who try it won''t keep it down."


    She smiled back at him. "Well, I was just hoping." She glanced back down. "Maybe there are fish that eat it?"


    He shook his head. "Unlikely. Though I suspect that our Captain will order nets down in the next few days, just to make the attempt."


    As he climbed back up, Tallis heard footsteps approaching. She turned, and was surprised to see Talmsa.


    The dunmer nodded to the nearest group of floating plants. "Bitter, he said." Her voice had a musing tone. "Often bitter substances are astringent. I wonder if it might be some use alchemically?"


    Tallis hadn''t thought of that. "If Jiub is right, and the Captain tries to catch some fish, maybe some of that will get caught in the nets."


    The corner of Talmsa''s mouth twitched in a thoughtful smile. "Perhaps you are right, sera."


    Tallis considered. "Is sera a dunmer word?"


    That was when the language lessons began. Dunmeri was very different than Imperial, and though there were some similarities to Breton, that kind of made it worse because it seemed like any time Tallis thought she understood something, it seemed that she was pronouncing it all wrong. The rolls of the r''s were hardest because they weren''t all the same. The pronouns were even worse because there were just too many of them. It wasn''t just ''Hello''; it was "Hello to a higher ranking person from a lower ranking person" and it wasn''t just "stranger" it was "stranger who by their very nature is ill-favored" or "stranger I''m pleased to meet" or even "stranger being introduced to me by someone high ranking and therefore to be accorded guest-right". And all of those different versions of "stranger" were one word apiece and they all sort of sounded alike.


    Juib was cheerfully mocking at mispronunciations. Talmsa was very patient, but Tallis learned to note a certain tightness to her polite smile that said she was cringing inside listening to Tallis mangle things.


    Juib turned out to be right. Before a week had passed Captain Aundae ordered the nets dropped. A few fish were caught, not very many, but enough so that the stew improved vastly in flavor. It was the third time, and they were being hauled back up when Tallis heard an urgent call from the crow''s nest and cries of alarm. Knowing better than to get in the way of the sailors, she ran to the bow of the ship, hoping for a better look. As she ran, the sailors holding the net called out for help. There was yelling in at least three different languages.


    At first what she saw thrashing in the nets was some large silvery fish and a lot of red-brown snakes. No, it was tentacles, but some of them had claws like crab claws on the ends of them. Then in among the fish and the plants and the tentacles she saw a face.


    "There''s somebody in there!" She cried. Even as she spoke, she realized that the skin tone of the face was the same as the color of the snakes, no tentacles. More fish and weeds fell out of the net and she blinked and suddenly she was looking at a mermaid. Sort of. Well anyway someone with arms that had claw tips and then lots of tentacles for legs, maybe six or eight of them. He had the same sort of gills along the side of his neck that Gold Heart did. They were working now, rapidly.


    He must be a water-breather. He was going to drown in air. But he was tangled up in the nets. "Oh you have to help him." She cried, not even sure who she was talking to.


    And then two very long thin spears with long jagged heads hit him in the chest with two loud icky sounds. He bled dark blood that she couldn''t tell the exact color of. Then he went limp.


    Tallis felt like she couldn''t breathe.


    Now the yelling of the sailors and the legionnaires on board turned jubilant. More of them ran to the nets and they pulled, heaving a load of floating plants, a few big toothed silvery fishes and the dead mermaid-octopus-man onto the deck. One of the fish, a big one, almost the size of Gold Heart''s leg, thrashed and sank it''s teeth into the greaves of a legionnaire who stood too close. He only laughed, and cut it''s head off with his sword.


    As she stood there numbly, Talmsa skirted the edges of the harvest and approached the captain, gesturing urgently.


    "Did I hear you right, Breton?" A hand to her shoulder turned her away from the dead body, and she was looking at Juib. "You wanted to save a Dreugh?" He said it with the same disdain that an unkind noble might say to a beggar "You wanted to eat a bug?"


    "He was alive." Tallis managed to answer.


    "Yes. The wax is better if you can get it fresh, and the hide can be sold to a skilled armorer."


    Tallis stared at him. She couldn''t have heard that right. They couldn''t just take ... parts off of a person, no matter if he was sort of different.


    He patted her on a shoulder. "You look a bit ill."


    Behind her, she heard the Captain answering Talmsa''s requests. Imperial was the only language those two shared, so she could understand it clearly. "Very well, if you help with the harvesting, and if there is at least a pint of good wax, I will return you a tenth part."


    At that point Tallis ran to the side of the ship. She barely made it before she threw up.


    She was wiping her mouth when Gold Heart came up to stand beside her. He kindly positioned himself to block her view of what they were doing to the poor mermaid-monster. In a quiet voice he said. "This one needss to hide her heart with more sskill, lesst she become prey. Morrowind iss a land of predatorss."

 More than what you seem

    Tallis found an unoccupied corner near some water barrels; a euphemism if ever there was one. What was in those barrels was as yucky as the murder she had just witnessed. Nobody seemed to care, and she didn''t understand. She sat, huddled against the growing rain, and the growing dark, arms wrapped around her knees.


    After what felt like a long time, a gentle voice spoke nearby. "When I see my parents, I will be given one of the bones of my second great-aunt Llevana Bethrimo." Tallis looked up to see Talmsa standing calmly before her, a ghostly silhouette against the darkening sky.


    The Breton''s'' mouth fell open but she was too shocked to say anything. A bone of a dead relative?


    Talmsa''s expression was serene. "She is one of my guardians, and it will be easier to call for aid or counsel when I carry a part of her with me." Gracefully she settled down next to the water barrel, her legs folding into something that looked strange, but was apparently comfortable. "She stays in the world for a while yet for love of her family. Should I not be grateful? And heed her wisdom and lessons when I may?"


    Tallis shook her head. "But. But she''s dead."


    The Dunmer raised a slender finger. "Her body is dead, and has been so for many hundreds of years, but her spirit endures."


    Endures. Tallis thought about that. "Does it hurt her?"


    She was rewarded with a slight nod. "Indeed. Those who stay are strong of spirit." Talmsa''s expression darkened a little. "Or having erred in life, they are compelled to make good their obligations. Just as when I harvested from the body of the dreugh this day."


    Tallis shuddered.


    "You find this distressing."


    It wasn''t exactly a question, but Tallis answered it anyway.


    "He was alive, and then he got murdered. Like an animal, like a cow made into meat and leather."


    The raise of a delicate eyebrow was Talmsa''s initial response. "That is a most valid comparison, Breton. He skirmished with the might of our sailors and legion and lost. All that he was became forfeit, just as the reverse would be true were he the victor." Her tone turned musing. "After all, Our Lord Vivic himself defeated the Ruddy Man, forever earning the right to claim the hides of the Ruddy Man''s children to wear as armor, to protect where once their king had sought our Lord''s defeat."


    Tallis opened her mouth and then closed it again. The Dunmer''s tone was a lot like one of the priests of the nine. They were much better at telling things than at discussing them. If Talmsa was in a mood to tell, then now might be a good time to ask her about Morrowind.


    Later that night Tallis lay in the hold. Juib snored softly to her left, and Ursine snored rather more loudly to her right. Faintly she could hear Talmsa''s quiet breathing, but she couldn''t sleep. Running through her head like racing beetles were bits of the things that Talmsa had told her about Morrowind. It did have its own rules, but a lot of them were scary rules. Gold Heart was right. Morrowind was a land of predators, starting with the Dunmer.


    For some reason that thought made her smile.


    Predators. Everything had to eat something, which meant that death was a proper part of the world. And if people had to die, it was kind of nice for Talmsa''s aunt to stay and talk to her and teach her. It was weird, but Tallis was a mage. Most of what she did was weird. Finally satisfied, she settled down into the wet, but no longer cold bundle of bodies and sacks and let herself fall asleep.


    In her dreams Talmsa continued to explain things. Or anyway it was a woman''s voice. Tallis had the feeling it was important, but as she was realizing that she was also waking up. She heard a man''s voice. Closer now.


    It was Juib, and he sounded worried. "Are you well, Breton? You were shaking. I think you were dreaming." The word he used was a dunmeri one she had only recently learned, and it sort of also meant ''listening to your ancestors''. Now that she thought about it, the lady in the dream might have been speaking dunmeri, but somehow in the dream it had seemed to make more sense than dunmeri did in any of Talmsa or Juib''s lessons.


    Tallis stood. Her clothing felt mucky. The smell of fish was strong in the air, and the slaps of the waves against the side of the ship seemed louder than usual. "I need a bath." She said, wrinkling her nose.


    Juib nodded ruefully. "You may get one sooner than you think. The officers say that some of us are to depart here."


    "We are here? I mean we are in Morrowind?" Darnit she had slept through it. What would this place look like?


    Juib almost smiled. "Breton." He said softly.


    The clomp of heavy boots announced one of the legionnaires. "Tal-is." He stated flatly, mispronouncing her name. "Til-za." Talmsa looked serenely up, and at Tallis wondered if he was doing it on purpose. "Deen-ah."


    From her left, Tallis noted a faint hiss of irritation. She hadn''t even realized that the Kajiit was so close.


    "This way." Without waiting for a response, the guarde turned and walked toward the ladder to the upper deck.


    Tallis took a breath, and took the first few steps on tiptoe. She was finally in Morrowind. Ready to do ... she wasn''t exactly sure what, but something.


    As it turned out, the first thing she ended up doing was sitting in an office, waiting. An older silver-haired official looking Breton took first Talmsa and then Dahleena into his office to review their paperwork. Tallis had the impression that he had been expecting them.


    She looked around the office. Dark furniture. Dark wood floors. Heavy looking doors with big metal handles. The whole place had a very solemn air to it. That and expensive. She sat in a corner, wishing that she had something else to wear, or even that she dared return to the beach and try to clean up a little. There were guards on the pier, though, so maybe that wouldn''t be such a good idea.


    Eventually the silver-haired man returned, and Tallis scrambled to her feet.


    "Hi." She didn''t know what else to say.


    "Greetings." He said, beckoning her over to the desk, where he sat down. Unrolling a parchment, he took up the quill. "I am Socucius Ergalla, and I need to ask you a few questions to complete your paperwork."


    Tallis thought about that. Her Emperor had sent her here. So maybe he''d sent some sort of orders telling her what he wanted her to do.


    Socucius frowned down at the papework. "And you were born under a certain sign?"


    "The mage." She said hesitantly. That''s what the officers in the prison had told her.


    "And what sort of skills do you have?" He paused, quill over the inkpot, and looked at her expectantly.


    "Well, I was training at the mages guide." She began. Most non-mages didn''t really have a lot of understanding of magic, so she wasn''t sure how much to say.


    "And do you have areas of specialty? A focus or potential membership in one of the schools?"


    Tallis'' eyes widened. Then she grinned. "I''m a LifeDancer."


    He looked up sharply.


    For a moment she thought she was going to hear yet another lecture on necromancy. It was frustrating how many people somehow thought that just because LifeDancers worked with life and death that they were somehow more likely than any other mage to be tempted by the dark arts.


    Maybe it was her expression, but he didn''t actually say anything, and after another moment asked. "Weapons training?"


    It took him two hours to ask her all the things he wanted to know. She wished she could have said yes to more of them. Other than magical studies, she didn''t really have a lot of experience or knowledge. The only weapon she knew anything about was a spear, and that was mostly because it was so easy that all the Wards had been required to learn to use it. She could swim barely enough to keep afloat in quiet water, only spoke about thirty words of Dunmeri, and knew some of the rudiments of alchemy. She knew a little about bugs, mostly because of observing them in her little garden area, but nothing really about horses or dogs.


    He finished the papers and added a small seal to the bottom. He waited a bit for the wax to set and then rolled it up and handed it to her. With his other hand, he pointed to the heavy wooden doors she''d noted earlier. "Through those doors, turn right, through the first door you come to, turn right, across the courtyard and into the office. Officer Gravius will instruct you further."


    The courtyard proved to be a quiet little area between buildings. A grey stone wall, only about eight feet tall, assured privacy, but unlike the ones in the Imperial city, this wasn''t cut stone, it was literally made of many stones mortared together. From what she could see, the buildings were covered with some kind of plaster, and didn''t stand more than two stories tall. Unlike the capitol this was no sculptured garden. Near the edges of the wall, and the base of both buildings were a yellow-green hint of moss. The only other thing of note was a barrel, positioned to catch some of runoff from the building she was to go into.


    Tallis peeked into the barrel. It was dry, but there was a metallic glint at the bottom. She reached in, a bit of a struggle, and managed to catch hold of a small ring with her fingertips. As she straightened up out of the barrel, she felt the soft whisper of magic from it. She held it on her open palm. A copper ring set with a smooth green and red colored stone. Whatever enchantment it had was a very subtle one, a bare whisper of potential. She wondered what it had been doing in a rain barrel.


    Then she focused on the door next to the barrel. Where Officer Gravious waited.


    Officer Gravius turned out to be every inch an Imperial Legionnaire. Tall and broad-shouldered with impeccably polished armor and boots that literally shone. He took the roll of parchment and snapped it opened with a practiced hand. Apparently absorbing all of the information with a single glance, he rolled it back up with another quick snap, and tossed it onto a shelf with practiced ease and perfect aim.


    "Mage Tallis." His voice had an air of command that seemed to nail her feet to the floor.


    And mage. He''d called her mage, not apprentice or even Ward.


    He held out a letter. "Read this." She took it in her right hand, but her gaze wouldn¡¯t seem to focus. Mage Tallis. "Take these." He handed her a small pouch and a sealed package.


    He''d really called her mage.


    "Mage Tallis." He said again, this time in a more irritated tone.


    She looked up, startled.


    He pointed to the doorway.


    Oh. Right. She walked forward. Her feet didn''t feel like they were touching the floor.


    Tallis stepped out of Legionnaire Gravius'' office holding onto the package and the letter. She had actual official orders, and a real live Imperial Officer had addressed her as mage.


    Three steps out the door she almost bumped into someone. She looked up, and only saw a chest dressed nicely in a forest green vest over a pale yellow shirt. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that his pants were almost as dark as the wood of the Census and Excise office desk. Actually looking up, she noted the delicate features and pale yellow-gold hair that said he was a Bosmer. His hair was braided just enough to keep it from falling into his eyes. She guessed he must do a lot with his hands. That kind of braiding usually meant someone who was too busy to worry about fussing with their hair.


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    "Oh." Tallis tried for a moment to come up with something that a sophisticated actual mage would say in this situation. Nothing came to mind. She pushed the letter into her pocket.


    "Greetings, Friend." The tenor voice was effusive. "My name is Fargoth. I wonder if you might help me find a lost enchanted ring?"


    Before Tallis could do more than open her mouth, the blonde Bosmer continued, spinning a tale of ill-treatment at the hands of cruel legion officers and a lost, no a likely stolen family heirloom.


    As she listened, Tallis frowned thoughtfully. It seemed unlikely in the extreme the any member of the Imperial legion, much less several of them would be involved in the kind of harassment that Fargoth described. Granted, Bosmer were among the least overtly arrogant of the mer, still one Bosmer should be able to take the steam out of the average legionnaire with a glance or two.


    Equally unlikely was the idea that something with such a minor enchantment would be described as an heirloom. And now that she thought about it, even someone with less curiosity than the average mage would be almost certain to look in the only container in the courtyard - the same courtyard that any new arrival to Seyda Neen would have to pass through.


    Fargoth wasn''t asking if she''d seen it. He was asking if she was willing to return it.


    Without actually saying anything, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring.


    When Fargoth exclaimed in joy and recognition and reached for it, she closed her fist. "So do I pass your test?"


    It was his turn to pause. Then he grinned at her, and when he spoke, it was in a sotto voice half an octave lower than previously. "That is a question I rarely hear, Breton."


    She opened her hand, and when he took the ring, she kept her hand out. "Tallis d''Artagnan."


    His gaze flickered over her shoulder so briefly that she almost didn''t catch it. Then he pumped her hand in both of his. "This is a wondrous day! We will be the best of friends!" Keeping her right hand held tightly in his left, he gestured expansively toward a building across the town square. "You must come and meet my friend Arrille! He''ll be so happy to get to know you!."


    Tallis glanced down at the fish-scented prison garb that she''d not had a chance to clean in days. "Only if he doesn''t have a sense of smell."


    Despite Fargoth''s nonstop gushing, she did catch the smallest quirk of a smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Along the way they passed several Legionnaires. Tallis was very familiar with the weight of their measuring gaze. She noted that while most of them made a point of noting her, in general they tended to discount Fargoth. Apparently his obsequious manner was very convincing.


    They passed a Dunmer woman, who sneered, sniffed and muttered one of the few Dunmeri words that Tallis knew: outlander. She managed to make it seem like something between a moral weakness and a personal offense.


    Fargoth offered her an excessively cheerful greeting. "Good morning, Telveri! It''s such a wonderful day, don''t you think?"


    Teleri fixed him with a crimson stare. "Bad enough to have a Bosmer here, but a Breton as well?"


    Tallis was kind of used to a level of low grade hostility, not only from Dunmer, but from many of the higher ranking guild members. This was a lot less subtle. "Good morning." She attempted.


    "Just. Go. Away." Was the impatient reply.


    Fargoth gestured in her direction in a friendly way. "Teleri is really a nice person when you get to know her, but she''s very busy."


    It wasn''t very far to a three story building with stairs up to the second level. Tallis wondered what was in the first level. The one door that she could see didn''t really look like it was much used. Still effusive, Fargoth took her by the hand, up the stairs and around to the back which was apparently the public entrance. Or at least one of them. "Arrille!" He called out cheerfully as they entered the building. "I have brought someone you will surely love to meet!"


    Arrille turned out to be a very well-dressed Altmer, with golden skin and deep auburn hair braided with red dyed spider silk that matched some of the sticthing in his tunic. The mer graciously listened to Fargoth''s tale of how wonderful his new friend Tallis had been to return his lost heirloom. As Fargoth embellished his tale, Tallis had a chance to look around.


    Also browsing the store, or perhaps just watching to see who would enter it, was a slender Dunmer. She wore a vest and shirt similar to Fargoth''s, and a nearly floor length green skirt. Her delicate ears were adorned with multiple earrings made of gold and set with some dark stone that Tallis didn''t recognize.


    Arrille himself stood behind a well-made counter. Behind him were a number of shelves containing everything from ceramics, to what must be sections of armor, to samples of plants and mushrooms, many bottles and something that looked like a giant egg. It was almost the size of Tallis'' head. She wondered what sort of creature had laid it. The armor didn''t look metallic, but it didn''t look like leather either. There were a number of large baskets in the room, and chests and crates behind the counter. She suspected that he had a great deal more merchandise for sale than was initially apparent. Officer Gravius had given her some money. Maybe she could find something better to wear.


    Arrille turned toward Tallis. "I''m pleased to make your acquaintance." His voice was so beautiful as to be almost musical, but it didn''t succeed in distracting her from his appraising gaze.


    "A pleasure to meet you," Tallis gave him a semi-bow. "Fargoth tells me that you are the premier trader in this area. Perhaps you have knowledge where I might bargain for a bath, if not a room?" She made her tone wistful.


    His expression warmed slightly at her request. "Normally I do not rent rooms. However you have been so kind to my good friend, and you clearly are wearied from your travels. For a mere eight septims, and the tale of your journey, I shall provide you with a hot bath, a meal, and a room for the night." He paused delicately. "And perhaps a small bit of conversation, if you will have it."


    "I would be grateful." Tallis couldn''t keep the relief out of her voice.


    Fargoth clapped his hands in enthusiasm. "Oh, dear friend Tallis, you will not regret this! Arrille is such a wonderful cook he could make a banquet out of a single Kwama egg."


    Arrille held up a fingertip. "I appreciate the generous compliment, but you persist in confusing me with my brother-in-law in Balmorra."


    Tallis asked. "Um, what is a kwama egg?"


    Fargoth started to answer, but Arrille interrupted. "I''m sure she''ll be much better able to concentrate on the myriad detailings of your introduction to Morrowind after a bath and a meal." Upon which Tallis was brought to a stairway in the back of the shop floor, then up past what appeared to be a bar of sorts. Arrille unlocked the single door in the corner of the bar, which opened into a small room.


    The room was dimly lit by light that filtered through closed shutters. There was a single bed with a small table near it. There was a tapestry centered on each wall; all were black and red abstract looking designs that Tallis didn''t recognize. Maybe they were some sort of script. A small wardrobe stood to one side, and right in front of Tallis was a very large empty bath almost large enough to hold Gold Heart. Next to it was a high backed chair.


    Arrille said quietly. "Enter in peace and be welcome."


    As Tallis stepped inside, she felt the faintest tingle of a ward. It didn''t seem to have any lasting effect, so whatever it was protecting against, she wasn''t one of them.


    "I''ll just get a bath ready for you." With gesture a few subtle words, Arrille called clear water into the bath, and then running his hands across the surface, called heat into it so that Tallis could see steam rising. When he turned back to her, he chuckled at her expression. "I take it this isn''t quite the way you did things in the capitol?"


    She shook her head. "I''ve never seen magic used like this," She considered. "Come to think of it, I don''t really know why not."


    Arrille nodded, as if to himself. "It seems to me," He moved to the wardrobe, and pulled out a towel and a fluffy looking robe. "Oftentimes men who learn magic are more concerned with powerful applications, whereas mer are more concerned with beauty and subtlety."


    Tallis sighed, thinking of Borrisean''s emphasis on what was practical. "Well, I suspect most mer have more time to refine their art." After all, the lifespan of a man was measured in decades, that of a mer in centuries. That was bound to have an effect.


    Arrille looked directly at her.


    She realized that up till now, he hadn''t. She also realized why. Having received his full and direct attention, she would never mistake him for the flighty shopkeeper and gossip he''d been masquerading as. It wasn''t as thorough a disguise as Fargoths, but there was no mistaking the added depth that was present once she was on the receiving end of his regard.


    A flicker of his expression said that he knew what she''d seen. Bringing the towels and robe over to the chair near the bath, it was as if parts of him were sort of folded away, and she could see less of his humor, less of his age, his calm. He said. "You would be a LifeDancer, then."


    She nodded. "I am." How he could tell from just looking at her, she wasn''t sure, but mer could do things that men couldn''t. Maybe this was one of them.


    He turned slightly away from her, one hand held out. "If you will hand me your clothing before you slip into the bath, I will clean them for you."


    She did so, sinking gratefully into the slightly steaming water. It felt wonderful. Her eyes started to close. Distantly she heard a chuckle. "This is why I stayed, young mage. I''d hate to have someone drown in my bath."


    She meant to answer that, to tell him that she wasn''t really that sleepy. As she tried to work out what she wanted to say, and struggled to keep her eyes open, she was sort of aware of someone running a sudsy cloth over much of her skin. It felt nice, but really she could do that sort of thing herself. The soap smelled like flowers.


    She woke, wrapped in something soft, lying on something soft. She looked up. She was lying on the bed in Arrille''s back room. He must have put her there, since she didn''t really remember anything past the start of the bath.


    The auburn haired altmer was sitting in the chair which he''d moved next to the bed. He was looking down at her. The room was lit only by candle light and moonlight. She must have slept a good few hours.


    "Now, young mage. Tell me of your journey, and I shall tell you some things you need to know."


    Well, Tallis had already agreed to tell the tale of her journey as part of the cost of the room. So rather than start with her journey, she told something of her studies, and of the summons to the Captain Montrose. She left out the tale of her meeting the emperor. Partly because it really wouldn''t seem believable, and partly because it was just too special to talk about.


    Finally, she asked. "Why did you say you thought I was a LifeDancer?"


    Arrille nodded. "Exactly what I needed to speak with you regarding. I''ve encountered many young mages trained by the empire''s schools, and I''ve found that each school has a weak spot. Yours, young one, is using your mage-sight too much. It''s a common failing. Granted, in a purely scholarly setting, it can be an advantage. Here in Morrowind, it''s something to use only carefully."


    "Mage-sight?"


    "That''s what mer tend to call it. Of the Empire-trained, it comes most easily to LifeDancers and Seekers. A way of attuning yourself to the flow of the world, and seeing things more deeply than most. I wouldn''t call it a spell, or at least not the version that you were doing. However it does tire a person, all the more so if they are unaware of how much they do it." He paused, considering his words. "It also carries dangers."


    "Like exhaustion?"


    "No, that''s more of a cost. The danger is," He tapped his fingers to his chin. "What is the most difficult thing you have ever seen?"


    That was easy. "The sailors. They pulled up someone strange in their nets. Not a person like a man or mer, but it was still a person." She thought back to Juib''s comment. "Dreugh. It was a Dreugh, and he was just trying to breathe and they just killed him." She shuddered. The memory was still fresh, too fresh in her mind.


    A touch of Arrille''s hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present. "This is what I mean." He said. "The lovely things you see this way will stay with you, but so will the horrors. And just as something truly joyful can nourish your spirit, so something truly vile can damage it." He held her gaze for a moment. "If you look too closely at the wrong thing, young Breton, you may never recover."


    It was on the tip of her tongue to say something about he had to be joking, but the sorrow in his regard held no humor.


    So she let out a long sigh.


    They were quiet then, Breton and mer. The room was silent. Tallis glanced up at the windows, which shouldn''t be able to block sound that completely. She thought of the tingle of magic she''d walked through that said this room was warded. Then she looked back up at Arrille.


    "I asked Fargoth if I passed his test." She said quietly. "His answer was to introduce me to you, and the first thing you did was bring me to a room so well warded that I can''t even hear the sounds of the waves."


    Arrille just sat, watching her and waiting.


    "Regardless of style, you are a more experienced mage than I am. The both of you are probably much older than I am, and even with that, and even with the way that LifeDancers usually outlive other mages, you and Fargoth will both outlive me. Yet you treat me kindly and answer my questions. So I ask again, did I pass his test? Or maybe a better question is what do you want of me?"


    "Have you heard the phrase ''honor among thieves''?"


    "I have heard of it." Tallis answered doubtfully.


    "Or the name Lia Kvar?"


    Tallis shook her head.


    "It''s an Orsimer term. The closest I could render it in Breton would be ''to re-balance the wounded'', more practically speaking it is the name of a guild that in Imperial would be rendered the thieves guide."


    "If this is an offer to join, and I say no, do you kill me?"


    "I''d certainly prefer not to."


    "That''s not very reassuring."


    Arrille stood, and paced over to a window, and stood, looking out into the night with his hands clasped behind his back. "You are perceptive, Breton. Usually it would be Fargoth who had this discussion. He is much better at this sort of thing than I." The mer sighed. "However, as he is not here, and I am, I will do my best." He returned to the seat by the bed she lay in.


    "The Lia Kvar is several things. It is a professional guild like any other, though the skills we study and hone are a bit unorthodox. We are also family to one another."


    Tallis raised a quizzical eyebrow at the idea of a mer considering any man family. Or for that matter a Kajiit or an Argonian.


    Arrille nodded his appreciation of her point. "Granted, that part can take some time for some of us." He continued. "We also enforce certain rules. It is one thing, and some would consider it almost a sport, to take from those who have much. We do not take from those who have little. And we correct the mistakes of any that do so."


    "Hence the name."


    "Hence the name." Arrille agreed. "And we also smuggle, which is to say that we divert items from the technically lawful trade of the country we happen to be operating in. Among other things, here in Morrowind, this makes us abolitionists of a sort."


    "But," Tallis sat up in the bed. Abolitionists meant slavery. Which she had heard about, she''d studied Morrowind, the newest province briefly and she recalled that it was the one place in the Empire that slavery was technically legal. She just hadn''t really thought about it. "Oh."


    "Fargoth thinks you have intelligence and potential, but more than that he thinks that you could be depended on in a pinch to help those you would consider family. Those are generally his criteria." Arrille concluded.


    "That''s a very kind assessment." Tallis settled down in the bed again.


    "Now sleep, Breton. He''ll be here in the morning to share a breakfast with you and speak on the matter further."


    There may have been a touch of magical encouragement in the Altmer''s words. Tallis didn''t even recall closing her eyes.

 Meanwhile

    Elsewhere in Balmorra, things were being set in motion.


    In a dirty cramped apartment in a bad part of town, a six and a half foot tall warrior named Rithleen shook her head as she re-read the letter. She snorted. It was a sound half way between amusement and disbelief, and then folded it again to look carefully at the seal. She muttered something inaudible. He raven colored dreadlocks shifted at the movement.


    Caius Cosades waited, arms crossed, saying nothing. He slender, dirty and scrawny, if one didn''t look too closely.


    She down at him, dark eyes wary. "Nyx hound eggs or instars, one or more still live to be delivered to an operative just outside of Vivec. These orders make no sense." Her voice was a growl of frustration. She shrugged then, carefully rolled up the letter, and held one end of it to the flame of the small lamp on Caius'' table. Once it had caught fully, she deposited it in the redware bowl that sat conveniently nearby.


    "Will you need help?" He asked in a neutral tone.


    She took a deep breath, and started pacing. "Nyx hound eggs or instars. It''s not the eggs that are the difficulty, but dealing with the lair to get them. Add to that the challenge of finding it." She glanced to the bowl as the last of the parchment crumbled to black char and the flame flickered out. "And apparently I''m on a timetable."


    Caius handed her a second parchment.


    She scanned it. It was a request for assistance from the Abaesen-Pulu Egg Mine, describing depredations done by a nearby Nyx Pack believed to have a lair in the hills north of the mine. She looked up, frowning. "That is a familiar name. I''ve heard they are having a run of terrible luck lately."


    "Terribly unfortunate." Caius commented. "I recommend you don''t get too close to any of the miners." He handed her two small bottles. "In fact it''s probably best if you just track the Nyx scouts back to their lair."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She folded the letter, and shoved it into her bodice. "But if anyone happens to ask, I''m on a mission of mercy." The faintest smile touched her lips as she stowed the bottles in loops at her belt.


    "Do you want any assistance?" He inquired again.


    "You know I travel fastest alone." Giving him a final nod, she left.


    Caius nodded thoughtfully to himself after the door closed. Then he made a mental note to get his hands on another set of bone mold armor. Closing his eyes for a long moment he visualized the dark warriors sizes and preferences. This was doable.


    It was ten days later when a knock on Caius'' door announced the return of his scout. He opened it to reveal the muscular R''gatta. She was moving well, and didn''t appear injured but her armor was so badly chewed and damaged as to make it highly unlikely that it could be repaired.


    He nodded, and took a few weaving steps back as he waved her in. "Come in. Come in and share a pipe, my friend."


    She kicked the dirt of her boots on the way in, and as she did so, a large section of bone mold lacquer came lose and literally fell onto the floor. "Who knew gathering eggs would be such a chore." She mused.


    He gestured to a corner of the room, where a pile of sections of yellow-gold lacquered armor waited. "I wasn''t entirely sure which style you preferred. See what fits." He took a long drag on his scooma pipe.


    She made a face and waved at the smoke. "It''s a wonder you can speak coherently."


    Going to the corner, she knelt down to sort through the sections of armor. After going through the first few pieces, she let out a low appreciative whistle. "Very nice."


    Caius took another long drag on his pipe. "I wasn''t sure if you preferred Gah-Julan or Armun-An." He said. "Thought it might do to have them both."


    Rithleen sat back against the wall, and started peeling off the remains of her armour. "I will say, Master Cosades, you certainly pay well."


    Caius blew a careful smoke ring. "I try." The swirling cloud traveled slowly toward the roof of his room. After a moment he added. "And how was Rollie?"


    In the midst of tugging on a left book, Rithleen muttered. "The trader''s name was Teris Raledran."


    Caius watched silently as the smoke ring slowly dissipated. "True."


    She pulled a boot onto her right foot with a pleased expression. Taking a few steps across the room, she said. "So you are asking me about the guar?" Her tone was one of wary disbelief, as if wondering if he was making some sort of a joke at her expense. She considered him for a long moment and then added. "The guar had nothing to say."


    "Good."


    "And if he had something to say?"


    "That would probably not be good."


    "You are kidding, right?"


    His only answer was another smoke ring.

 Lessons

    It was the smell that woke her. Tallis was dreaming about waves, and about Gold Heart saying something in his baritone voice. Then the scent of sea and rotting fish was replaced by the scent of spice. Sharp tea, maybe? There were other smells too, none of which she recognized. The final straw was a loud grumbling vote from her stomach, and she opened her eyes.


    She was lying curled on her side on a soft bed in a small, attractively furnished room. The walls were covered in plaster of a pale cream color. Hanging on them were black and red designed tapestries that she recalled from the night before. This was the upstairs room in Arrille''s establishment. She was in Seyda Neen. In Morrowind.


    "How wonderful to see you again, friend Tallis." Fargoth''s voice was the same overly effusive tenor that she remembered from just outside the Census and Excise office. He was standing just to one side of the bed, holding a tray full of unrecognizable items whose smells were generating a lot of enthusiasm in her empty stomach. He smiled, as if in response to the clamor of her insides.


    When he spoke next, his voice was at least an octave lower, and full of gentle sympathy. "Arille mentioned that you''d been too exhausted to eat yesterday. I thought I''d begin my recruitment speech with a bribe." He carried the tray over to a small table that already held a steaming pot of what was presumably tea, and a couple of bottles that Tallis recognized from the ship. Some kind of alcohol. The table and chairs, along with the bed, took up most of the room. The blonde bosmer busied himself in arranging the meal.


    It wasn''t until she stood up that Tallis realized that the lovely tub from the night before was gone. The room was small enough that she couldn''t really guess where it had gotten to. Of course with Arrille being some sort of mage, there could be any number of interesting answers to that.


    She was still wearing the robe from the night before. She glanced around, and noted folded garments across the headboard. They were clean. How lovely to wear something with no smell of fish. Her oiled shoes were right next to the bed, also very clean.


    Fargoth spoke again. "You will find your clothing across the head of the bed." His back was still to her, and he obviously meant to wait until she had changed.


    Once dressed, she noted that not only were her garments cleaner than she could recall them ever having been, but there was no smell of lye, or any itchiness. They felt softer than they ever had. Of course they were also so worn they were probably going to be more use as rags than garments. Glancing enviously at Fargoth''s clothing, she realized that the people she had seen so far in Morrowind were much better dressed than most of the commoners in the Capitol. Ruefully, she fingered the edge of the thin material of her tunic and wondered how much clothes cost here.


    When she looked up, Fargoth was waiting for her, holding a chair pulled away from the table. "May I offer you breakfast?"


    His manner was so gracious, she found herself flushing and tongue-tied. She only nodded, and then sat herself down. Nothing on the large plate was recognizable. There was a slice of what looked at little like fish, but the flesh was very dark brown, and sweetly fragrant. Next to it were sections of what Tallis would have called crab meat, but they were a great deal thicker than she''d ever seen. These slices were arranged attractively on the plate with a portion of pale yellow creamy jelly of some kind. There was a bowl of some kind of cooked grains. Actually it was an attractive swirl of two kinds, one larger and greenish-brown, the other smaller and silvery-grey. There was a salad of thick pointy-edged dark grey-green leaves along with chopped sections of some slender silvery-grey vine with small silver-green leaves. It was by far the most attractive meal that Tallis had ever seen.


    Smiling, Fargoth seated himself across from her. "Let me offer you a lesson in the cuisine of your new home."


    "It''s all so beautiful." Tallis found herself recalling her usual prison breakfast of overcooked gruel.


    Fargoth chuckled, not unkindly. "Surely, dear one, that reaction comes from you having being raised by humans." He gestured generally to the table. "Of what use is it to feed the body without also feeding the spirit?"


    Tallis gingerly took a spoonful of the mixed grains. They had a chewy texture and the larger darker grains had a hearty flavor. She stopped being hesitant, and stopped worrying about what the bosmer would think of her table manners and just ate. As she devored things, Fargoth told her what they were. The darker meat was Nyx hound, and it''s sweetish flavor was wonderfully counterpointed by the sharp bitter tang of the scrib jelly. The mud crab was also good. The salad, a combination of hackle-lo and bitter green petals, was crisp without being stringy. The heather and stoneflower tea was spicy and hot. By the time she was done, she was full and only then did it occur to her that she had literally eaten everything.


    "I''m sorry."


    Fargoth cut her off. "I''d have been insulted had you not finished. I dare say that you haven''t eaten this well that often."


    "Ever." Tallis corrected him, cheeks red and grateful for his kindness. She looked up to meet his gaze. "And now will you explain to me the details of the ''join you or die'' choice that Arrille alluded to last night?"


    He had the grace to look slightly ill at ease for a moment. "How harshly you put it, dear one." He looked thoughtful, and then asked. "Consider someone with a strong innate grasp of matters magical raised in the imperial ward or prison system. How long dose such a person survive if they choose against being trained in their art?"


    "It''s not like that." Tallis protested. "Our emperor would never-"


    Fargoth raised a single finger. "I''m not laying blame at anyone''s door. I''m simply asking about lifespan."


    Well as to that. Tallis considered, of course there had to be some who didn''t care to pursue it. But that ¡­ But they ¡­ But surely. Without really thinking about it, she rose from her chair and started pacing around the room. There was Eduard Denile; the information that had led to his death had seemed a little suspiciously ill-informed. The fate of any number of the Previa family, who had all been talented and none of whom had wanted training.


    "Tallis," A gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her pacing. She looked up. Fargoth''s expression was sober. "Those who wield magic also wield considerable political power, and don''t much care for rivals."


    Tallis looked at him. Really looked at him, for the first time deliberately doing what Arrille had pointed out she''d been accidentally doing all along. The lines in the bosmer''s face were those of gentle compassion, not vengeance. The sparkle in his eyes spoke of wit, not malevolence. Even the posture, the hand to her shoulder had implications. He was clearly skilled enough that the placement spoke of tactical considerations, but they were defensive, not offensive. The whole feel of him was of intelligence and kindness. What would such a person serve? It was an easy question. Arrille had described him as valuing intelligence and loyalty to family. Which implied that whoever was in his organization, he considered them family. Arrille''s clear affection in describing him showed that the feelings were reciprocated.


    Of course she''d been taught to consider the mages'' guide family too. A very hierarchical, rather sarcastic, highly demanding family. And people like Mariette had really not considered her family at all. She hadn''t really liked to think about that much, so she''d avoided it.


    "Tallis, in Morrowind there is considerable danger in operating outside the strict limits of the law."


    Tallis nodded, thinking "Gold Heart said it''s a land of predators."


    Fargoth laughed out loud. "And the most deadly of them are dunmer."


    "Are the dunmer really that dangerous?"


    "Tallis, if you start a physical fight, if you attack someone, the penalty is death. Or you can pay a fee, which really translates to bribe the guarde. However if you taunt someone into landing the first blow on you, you can kill them with no repercussions. That should give you an idea of how dangerous the dunmer are to each other."


    Her eyes widened.


    "Of all the mer, dunmer are the most dangerously powerful magically. Most of the daedra refer to them as firebloods. It''s not just the red eyes; it''s the fact that wielding fire comes so naturally to them that they are also gifted with a certain amount of immunity to it. The most cherished values of much of dunmer culture are honor and vengeance, and that goes about triple for the Ashlanders. More dunmer are killed by dunmer than by anyone or anything else, and this has gone on for many many generations. This has resulted in the survival of the smartest and the most powerful. The average dunmer is skilled with magic, and even more so with at least several weapons. You should probably presume that any dunmer, by the time he has gotten to know your name, has probably already figured out three different highly personalized ways to kill you."


    "So yes, if you decline to join the Lia-Kvar, in this land, you are a threat that cannot be tolerated. However consider what I offer; a highly unorthodox family, loyalty that isn''t based on politics, and a chance to do things worth doing." His eyes twinkled. "Many of them are highly illegal, and many are highly dangerous but that''s part of the challenge."


    He walked back to the table. "Before you decide, let me continue your lesson." He hefted a medium sized pale ceramic jug and poured out a small portion into a glass. "And I''ll start with sujamma, a drink found pretty much anywhere in Morrowind. You need to learn to tolerate it, if not actually enjoy it." His tone was halfway between encouraging and amused. He turned to her.


    "Here is the challenge. Take a hearty swig, and do not cough."


    Gingerly Tallis took the cup. The scent was strong enough that her eyes started to water. The color was rich and dark.


    Fargoth made an encouraging gesture. "Remember, Breton. Don''t cough."


    She took a swig. The first thing she noted was the texture. It was thicker than most drinks, almost like a heavy cream soup. Then she swallowed, and the alcohol hit the back of her throat. Her right hand clenched on the glass. Her eyes closed, and her left hand clenched into a fist, and for a moment it was touch and go, but she managed not to cough it right back up. Carefully she swallowed again, and opened her eyes, blinking tears away.


    Fargoth nodded. "Very good for a first time."


    She shook her head. "Wow."


    "In the event of an emergency, you can also use it to disinfect wounds. It will dry into a gummy paste that will help seal the injury and prevent infection."


    She peered into the glass again, but didn''t take another drink. "What is this made from?"


    "Tallis, if I didn''t already know you for a mage, your questions certainly indicate it. Here is a hint. In the imperial lands, sujamma is often described as ''Hard shell mead''."


    She looked up at him. "That doesn''t make any sense. You can''t make a drink out of a sea shell. They''re mostly like rocks."


    "True. You can''t make a drink out of a sea shell." He considered, and then said. "You are new to Morrowind. I''ll let you figure it out. But do bear in mind that you will encounter sujamma pretty much everywhere here, so you need to at least be able to tolerate it."


    "I''m going to guess that accidentally spitting all over my host would be considered a dueling offense."


    "Only if your host is very slow, or you are very fast." He gestured to the glass. "Again. You need to be able to tolerate it."


    Cautiously she finished the glass. Wow indeed. She made a mental note to avoid drinking it in the future if at all possible. Then she thought about the ramifications of a duel happening only if the host was slow. By the time Fargoth had filled the next glass from the largest brown jug, Tallis had gone rather pale.


    "Mazte. It''s made from fermented saltrice, not as strong, but cheaper."


    She took a careful sip. "I think I like the saltrice itself better."


    "If it''s served to you by anyone upper class, you''ve been offered insult." His voice had a testing quality to it.


    "And if I drink it without taking offence, I''ve just proven them right?"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    His eyes twinkled and he gestured for her to finish the cup. It did taste much better than the sujamma, but that wasn''t saying much.


    Then from a grey jug with bluish striping, he poured a bright reddish liquid into a stemmed decanter. It smelled sweeter than the first two. "Greef." He told her. "Also known as comberry brandy."


    It had a stronger flavor that made her think of some kind of berries. Of course with a name like comberry brandy, that wasn''t really a surprise, was it?


    "Swirl the glass a bit." He encouraged her. "The shape of the glass is to intensify the scent."


    Swirling did make the smell stronger, though she almost spilled a bit. Oops. She took another few sips. It was really quite good. She finished it, and carefully set the glass back onto the table. For some reason it ended up bumping the plate a bit.


    "Lastly," He poured from an attractive bottle that looked like it was made out of silvered glass. The liquid was similar in color to the greef, but clearer, and the scent was more fragrant. "Shein. If you are offered this by a stranger, he or she probably wants to get to know you much better." His voice dropped into an overtly seductive tone. "It''s a sign they would like to appreciate you," he handed her the glass. "In a much more personal way."


    To cover her blush, Tallis hastily drank the shein. It was the best yet, a lovely smooth drink that just felt very warm going down, and seemed to spread from her belly, making her feel relaxed and comfortable.


    Deftly taking the goblet from her hand, Fargoth stepped closer to her, and held his arms out, as if indicating the start of a dance. Tallis normally wasn''t much for dancing, but she grinned and stepped forward. "And now," he said. "You, dear Breton, are drunk." He twirled her, and it was only his strong embrace that kept her from falling over.


    She should probably have been embarrassed, but she just kept grinning. "Am I?" Her voice sounded kind of wobbly. "I am, aren''t I? Oh my gosh that was fast. And on a full stomach too. I thought eating made it harder to get drunk."


    Fargoth studied her carefully. "What do you weigh, Breton, about a hundred pounds or so? Maybe a little less? That much sujamma on an empty stomach would have knocked you out already."


    "Oh." Tallis thought she should probably have more to say than that, but she couldn''t think of anything.


    "Since you have overslept, are now too drunk to competently discuss Lia Kvar membership, and show some aptitude for dancing, let me escort you to a better place for lessons."


    Trying to follow all of Fargoth''s reasoning seemed like a lot of work, so Tallis happily focused on the last thing he''d said. "You can teach me to dance?"


    He tucked her arm into his and patted her hand. "Yes, Breton, I can teach you to dance."


    He led her out into the main upper area in Arrille''s establishment, which Tallis hadn''t fully appreciated was actually a bar of sorts. Sitting on a stool in the corner was a dunmer, quietly strumming a lute. Fargoth tossed him a coin. "It''s so wonderful that you are here tonight! I was just telling my new friend Tallis that surely such a knowledgeable bard can play something delightful so she can learn to waltz!"


    With practiced ease and a slightly pained expression, the Dunmer caught the coin, and began to play with an engaging tempo. "Would you care to hear Lord Jornibret''s Last Dance?"


    "It''s a marvelous song." Fargoth exclaimed. "My dear friend Tallis, you will love this!"


    ~~~


    The next morning, Tallis woke, dressed and made her cautious way down to the main part of Arrille''s shop. She arrived in time to watch him tie off a large sack of what looked like different types of fungus for a pale-garbed, golden haired Altmer. His customer thanked him politely, the made a special point of looking down her nose at Tallis and muttering "Breton" in a disdainful tone just loud enough to be heard, while being quiet enough to deny. After that, she swept out of the store with a manner that was more suited to court than to a small town in a small shop. Inwardly Tallis sighed. Some things didn''t change no matter where you were. She looked at the shelving behind Arrille that had held many different types of fungus the first day she''d arrived.


    Arrille followed her gaze. "How much do you know about harvesting fungus?"


    In the sewers back in the Imperial city, she''d grown her own in her little garden but it had been for beauty, not so much to harvest. As part of her studies she''d worked with green stain fungi and stinkhorn, and a few others. "Harvesting''s not that hard, mostly." Tallis replied. "It''s knowing what to harvest, and how to do it safely that''s the trick." She hadn''t actually recognized any of the kinds she''d seen so far here.


    "Well," the Altmer replied in what Tallis recognized immediately as a teaching tone, "If you plan on staying in Seyda Neen, you might want to earn some coin, and perhaps become familiar with the local flora." He glanced toward the door which was propped open with a large urn. Sunshine sparkled on the waves and the scent of the sea was, for once, not mixed with the scent of rotting fish.


    Following his gaze, Tallis smiled at what looked to be seagulls in the distance. "You aren''t going to get many customers on a beautiful day like today. They''re going to be out in the sun, maybe watching the birds."


    "Birds?" Arrille''s expression flickered, and then he shook his head. "Outlander. Those are not birds."


    The intensity of his tone drew her to look at him. There was sorrow in his eyes, but when he spoke it was in a matter-of-fact tone worthy of a legionnaire. "Those are cliff racers. Large enough and good enough flyers to carry you off to feed their young if they can catch you."


    The thought of being carried, or maybe riding away on the back of some exotic flying creature sounded exiting.


    "No." Arrille''s stern voice interrupted her half-formed thoughts.


    "But I didn''t say anything."


    "I could see it in your face. And as to them carrying you off, they''d do it not with their legs, which are tiny and weak, but with their tail." He paused. "Their poisonous tail. They would skewer you, probably through the stomach, carry you off and you''d bleed to death on the way."


    Tallis swallowed. So not a good idea to try to approach one. An adult, anyway. Carefully she kept that thought to herself. Silently, she listened attentively to Arrille''s description of what local fungi he would be interested in purchasing.


    She headed out of the town, carrying a sack from Arrille and the dagger she had yet to return to Hrisskar. Then she remembered: she''d met him last night. The Nord legionnaire who wasn''t a terrific dancer. Well, it could wait. It was a sunny, lovely, warm day and this was her first chance to explore Morrowind. Morrowind the exotic volcano-created newest of the Imperial provinces.


    It didn''t take her long to discover that the part of Morrowind nearest Seyda Neen was mostly swamp. Not just ''a little bit damp or mucky swamp'', but more ''occasionally waist-deep-muck that you had to walk in carefully or lose a shoe and spend twenty minutes trying to find it again'' type of swamp.


    Ferns the size of trees towered over her and shaded much of the area away from the town, especially the little valleys, home of most of the muck, and of course, most of the fungi and plants that Arrille had told her to look for. The shadows were helpful in one respect; one of the fungi in particular had a sort of violet glow to it, and the darkness made the glow easier to see. Rather unimaginatively it was called violet something-or-other. Really, it deserved a prettier name.


    Still, the day was pretty, and searching for all these different kinds of plants was a little like a treasure hunt. And just when she had lost her shoe for the third time, and was starting to maybe get a little bit tired of the muck and the feeling of her toes wrinkling up from being in water so long, she saw something that had a glow, and it wasn''t quite like the violet glow. Cautiously, she came closer. Pods? Seed pods? They had a very faint bluish glow. She didn''t know what they were, but she decided to gather a few of them to take back to Arrille. Once picked, the glow slowly faded, and the top of the pod looked dark, maybe a blue or purple, she wasn''t sure.


    She pulled on the first one and a length of vine, or maybe root, rose up from the water. So this one was connected to another one. She followed the vine around the hollow remains of the stump of a fern-tree, and then she stood still. In front of her, not two feet away shifting toward her as she held the vine, was a flower.


    The center of it was on fire. A pale twist of yellow and blue flame that danced in the center of petals whose midnight shimmer seemed to magnify the flames into something like a torch. It was beautiful. Gingerly she drew close to it, and cautiously held out a hand. No heat. So maybe it was something like the bugs who could glow without burning. Somewhat reluctantly, but determined to find out more from Arrille about this plant, she carefully picked it. Like the pods, the glow slowly faded. The petals went dark, once they lost the shine from the center flame.


    After that she had a grand time, happily hiking through muck hoping to see another flaming flower, though she only actually picked the one. She pulled shelf fungi off the trunks of the fern-trees, plucked seed pods out of the smaller ferns and slowly filled the bag.


    She was starting to think that it might be time to turn back, and to hope that she could remember all the correct ways, when she heard something behind her. Turning, she saw a rat. Sort of. She was fairly familiar with the sleek-furred, long-tailed specimens that she encountered on occasion in the Imperial sewer. They were easy enough to scare away with a loud noise or two. On occasion you could offer them something to eat, and they would take it and skitter away.


    This thing was much bigger than a normal rat, almost the size of Tallis'' torso, but it looked bloated and ill, not sleek and healthy. Its'' fur was patchy and clumped. The skin in between was red where it wasn''t scabby or weeping. It was either hissing quietly or else it was having trouble breathing. She took a step backward, and almost lost her right shoe yet again. It made a louder, angrier noise and rushed forward.


    Dropping the sack, she scrambled for the dagger with her left hand. Her right hand she held out, fingers wide, and called magicka. Up from the earth, through her legs and arm and out through her hand. Maybe it was the flower that had given her the idea. The spell she used was one she''d originally developed for starting a blazing fire under a large cauldron for long enough to catch even the most damp and poorly arranged combustibles. Flame burst into life under the rat''s belly. And it kept burning.


    It gave what started as a piteous squeal. For a split-second Tallis thought of dropping the magick, or just trying to run away. Then the sound screeched into rage, and it launched itself at her. She blocked it with the dagger, which swiped into its side, and spattered her with blood. The thing landed on its side in the muck, still burning. The stench of burned hair and flesh, mixed with the smell of bunt muck as it writhed for a moment, trying to get back to its feet. Tallis backed away again, not even trying to keep track of her shoe, dagger held out towards the struggling rat.


    It gave a last horrible noise and went still.


    Tallis stood there, hand still out, shaking, breathing hard. It was dead. It was over. "Okay." She told herself. "Okay, it''s all over."


    Then she threw up.


    She made herself look for her shoe. Then she slowly pushed the rat''s body down into the swamp. Let it help feed the fiery flowers or something. Maybe its death would be a little better than its life had been.


    Slowly she made her way back toward Seyda Neen. She could just make out the silhouette of the lighthouse in the dusk, and hear a strange sound that she didn''t recognize. Some kind of foghorn? There wasn''t any fog, though, and it was higher pitched than she thought a fog horn was supposed to be. Vaguely she remembered hearing it in the morning, so it was probably something to do with something around Seyda Neen.


    Then much closer, she heard a thumping noise. Startled, she turned, dropping the sack again, knife held out.


    A ghost pale critter that looked like a dog sized bug with a lot of skinny legs and shiny black eyes stared back at her. For a long moment they stood, bug and Breton. Then the critter smacked it''s tail-part against the ground, making a surprisingly loud series of thumps that seemed to carry.


    It wasn''t attacking. It skittered toward her in an indirect kind of way, curving this way and that. When it finally got close to her, it waved very short antenna in her direction. Maybe smelling her? She wasn''t sure. Then it meandered away.


    Slowly Tallis put the dagger away. Okay, that wasn''t so bad.


    She was getting closer to the little bridge she''d crossed in the morning when she heard a sound behind her. Sort of a cross between the stereotypical groan of a ghost, and the whine for attention of Salmon Genoette''s dog Charlotte. She turned. Behind her some way back on the road was a really large ¡­ well a really large ant.


    Except for it seemed to be missing its antenna. She felt sorry for it. Ants seemed to do most of their smelling and communicating with each other with their antenna. She wondered how it was making out, and if it had met the little pale critter.


    It paused and half-reared up, swiping a fore-claw in the air. That wasn''t very ant-like. The sound came again, sort of a long drawn out ''hooon''. Now that it was closer, she could see that it was a greenish color. It was also big. Really big, like bigger than a full grown war dog, though not quite as big as a large horse.


    Shouts came from behind her. The rustle of steel as blades were drawn. The heavy thunder of the charge of military bootsteps. Armored men swarmed past her, weapons out and raised.


    The giant ant gave another mournful call and charged forward, faster than Tallis had realized it could move, dodging past the lead warrior, it raked sideways at another. There was a screech of sharp claw on metal. Tallis clapped her hands to her ears. All around her came the yells of the fighters, the chunking of weapon against the things resilient hide. The noises of the creature itself were fewer, it''s low-pitched calls and the high horrible screeching as it clawed its way through the chain and steel that was supposed to protect the legionnaires. Human cries of pain were testament to the creature''s skill. Then suddenly it went stiff, joints locked in position, and then fell, hard.


    A ragged cheer when up from the assembled guard and a deep male voice said enthusiastically "Nyx hound steak tonight!" There were appreciative chuckles.


    "I''ll do the honors, boys, shall I?" Hrisskar Flat-Foot raised his broadsword in a two-handed arc over his head and then sliced the creature''s torso open.


    Tallis watched all this in a kind of numbed silence. She wasn''t sure what to do or even what she should do.


    A heavy gauntleted hand settled on her right shoulder. She turned to look up to meet the concerned gaze of a guard she didn''t know.


    "Miss, are you all right?"


    "Thank you, I''m fine." The automatic response came out of Tallis'' mouth before she''d made any conscious plans about what she was going to say. But she wasn''t bleeding. She wasn''t hurt. So it was true.


    "Tallis?"


    A familiar voice. Falx Vitellius, she identified him by the sound of his voice even before she turned to him. He looked concerned for her. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she was fine when she realized that he was not. A section of rings had been torn away from the side of his mail armor, and the torn quilting underneath it was starting to discolor with a sluggishly growing red stain.


    "Oh my gosh, you''re bleeding." Tallis gave her palms two quick rubs against each other to start the energy flowing. "I can help with that." She put her hands carefully over the torn armor, not quite touching him. Up from the ground, riding in the sunlight, carried on the breeze from the sea, she wove magicka and set it to repairing the damage the nix hound had caused.


    Falx'' objection died unspoken and he stood still, gaze on her hands as the healing energy did its work. Behind him, someone mocked in a soft falsetto "Oh Falx, are you hurt?" Out of the corner of her gaze, Tallis noted that the tips of his ears turned red. Her jaw firmed, but she waited until the magic had ebbed before saying anything.


    "I''m honored.¡± She met Falx¡¯ gaze as she spoke in a voice intended to be soft enough to be shy and polite, but loud enough to carry. ¡°By Agent Vitellius¡¯ chivalrous acceptance of this healing as a token of appreciation from a grateful citizen of the empire."


    She had known from the way Falx was equipped that he was an Agent, and judging from the newness of his gauntlets, he was probably only recently promoted. Hrisskar had to be only a trooper. Which really meant he had no business insulting a higher ranking legionnaire, especially in front of a civilian.


    By saying something, Tallis had pretty much insured that his fellows were probably going to feel obligated express their displeasure all over him later that night. Still, he was kind of mean, and she couldn''t really feel sorry about it.