Disclaimer: I don't own Oblivion. Well. . . I don't, never will, wish I did cuz I'd be a friggin' MILLIONAIRE! But I don't. So there. You are gonna love this, I PROMISE!

AN: For those of you who haven't found the Curiass of Chameleon yet SPOILER ALERT! It's in Pale Pass when you do the mission for the queen of Bruma. I'm not sure but she only sends for you after you've found an Ayleid artifact and sold it. Same with Umbacanno. So, if you're not into Ayleid ruin diving, like I am, you will not be able to do this mission! With all that unneeded bantering I am forced to continue on with my chapter. I hope you like this little tale that I've spun. It stays sort of close to the story line in the game with A LOT of embellishment by, the one and only, ME! You're supposed to clap, now. Okay, you think I'm a lunatic, but that's okay! You'll see. Read on my faithful people and be very afraid of what is to happen. Yes, there will be bloodshed and much violence and, well, you know. READ and REVIEW! For the love of all that is good in this world PLEASE!

Chapter Two

Her supplies were ready, her bedroll rolled, and the sun had already risen to its halfway point in the sky. She knew she only had a few hours of light left in the Jerall mountain ranges, but if she managed to get to the plains below she might be able to have enough light left to make camp. Heading west towards Bruma was going to be a risk, but she needed provisions, she needed them badly. She hated to leave this wonderful place, this "Spire", but she needed to get going if she ever wished to reach Bruma before her supplies ran out.

A blur out of the corner of her eye thru the window. Something was coming. Something black and fast. Fear leapt into her throat, a filter that was too hard to breathe thru. Fear was something very uncommon to her, seeing as how she was adapted to having nearly anything and everything run at her. They usually came at her with weapons tho and, usually, she knew they were coming at her. A hollow ring vibrated in the air around her as she drew her long sword from its baldric on her back. Thank the Nine she had remembered to put her hair up with her mothers' sticks before she drew her sword. She had had a nasty habit in the arena of forgetting and then having pieces of red hair crookedly chopped from her mane.

The Spire itself seemed to sing with her blade. She forced her magick into the portal, immediately transported to the Spire's main level, she then ran to the door. Sybelle pushed only slightly, knowing the huge copper frame would groan if she opened it in a rush. She had to remain unseen. Maybe it didn't know she was there? Perhaps it was the man who went to Chorrol. Could he have gotten the directions from the messenger before he left? No, the messenger left to gather the uncle's estate before the man got there. Then, the messenger, perhaps?

A small shaft of light shot past her feet as she eased open the door. Nothing stood in front of the door. Sybelle pressed her red left eye to the slit in the door. Amazed, she stood motionless in the doorway. A huge black mare stood on the stone steps outside. She opened the door just wide enough for her to slide thru. She kept her long blade unsheathed. She stepped past the massive black horse and peeked around the sides of the Spire. The curves of the small castle gave way to nothing but sky and snow. If a person had been here recently there was no sign. No footprints in the snow, and now, she saw that snow had settled into the seat of the saddle.

"What are you doing here? Surely an animal as fine as you would have a host about you," she whispered sheathing her sword quietly, no need to spook the poor beast. The great black mare merely stood there gracefully, betraying nothing to the dark elfin woman. The deep black saddle creaked and groaned with the horses breathing. She didn't even seem out of breath. As fast as this horse was it was a wonder that she wasn't out of breath. Some stupid thrill seeker had gone into a cave and gotten his self killed. That was the only answer she could think of. The mare shook the snow from her shaggy black coat and the saddle atop her. The saddle had markings on it that she had never seen before, not even in the Ayleid ruins that she had discovered. There were hammered silver plates tooled to the saddle that were just as illusive.

Sybelle stroked the black hand tooled leather and muttered absently, "Must've been a Royal stupid thrill seeker." She opened the saddlebags tied to the back of the saddle searching for gold or other valuables. There was nothing but a piece of parchment fit with a seal that looked to be as royal as the horse and the saddle. She peeled the wax from the center and unrolled the parchment.

To my dear Sister,

A gift, for you to find your way to your new home. Her name is Shadowmere. She has a talent that is almost as unique as your own. I do not travel as much as I did and she grows restless in waiting. She will bring you to Cheydinhal and thus into darkness. Sithis Himself has given you a wonderful. . . "talent," shall we say, dear one? She will bring you safely home and take you anywhere else you wish to be. I warn you now, she has limited patience, as do I. I await your homecoming.

Now, down to business. I am in need of your services. You are fresh and dedicated, more so than, let's say, some of a "higher" calling. An outlook like that is hard to come by in this order of business. You appreciate your "prey" and that is part of why I have taken a personal liking to your work. Do Not Disappoint Me.

LL

She stood mute in the chill air and merely stared at the mare. L.L. That had to be Lucien Lechance. It could be no one else to have written so intimately about her "talents." A gift? Who would give so grand a gift? Her pale blue face tightened in a wicked smile. A father would give this to his daughter. Her head tilted back in pride as her red hair tossed in the wind. Sybelle Lynowik, cursed dark elf orphan was no more. She was now Sybelle Lynowik, daughter of Sithis and The Night Mother.

AN: REVIEW! You don't even have to effin' READ IT JUST REVIEW! Please, just one of you. I thought it was good! HELP ME OUT HERE PEOPLE! I'll give you blood and gore in the next chapter just please bare with me. And I know it doesn't stick to the game completely but then there wouldn't be any surprises, now would there?