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The Altmer and his dunmeri companion had just left the gates of the city behind when Jenassa looked at him.
"Do you have any idea where we are going first?" she asked.
"Yes. There's an expert on Dwemer-related stuff in Markarth. Calcelmo. I wrote a letter to him that i would want to visit him and discuss my plans. He also wrote some books about the dwarves i intended to buy."
"Sounds like a plan" Jenassa replied and they continued their walk.
Behind the last of the fortifications there was a small camp with some Khajiit hanging around. The night before, it hadn't been there. Probably those merchants who were traveling the land. Ylavan decided to have a look at their goods. He approached the man in the blue tunic sitting in front of the tent. This Khajiit had grey fur and long hair of the same colour. When he saw the two Mer coming near, he stood up. He shook Ylavan's hand and introduced himself as Ri'saad. Ylavan looked through the wares and purchased some arrows with hardened steel tips. Jenassa saw an orcish dagger and bought it. Those Khajiit made good money with selling weapons. Ylavan and his dark elf companion bade farewell to the merchants and proceeded their travel westwards. The high elf was excited to be on the road again. This was where he belonged. Where he could use his abilities. He saw that Jenassa felt in a similar way. She had a slight smile on her lips and whistled a melody. Soon they approached some kind of half-ruined tower. Most likely an outpost. When the two neared the tower, Ylavan knew there was something wrong. The guards were alerted and had their weapons drawn. When the two elves came near, the men aimed their bows at them.
"No step further! Hold your hands where we can see them!" a harsh voice sounded.
"Do what they say" Ylavan said. Jenassa nodded. "Okay."
Both raised their hands into the air. Some guards with swords and axes approached them, always ready to eliminate the adventurers if necessary.
The guards came near and their leader took a step forward. "What are you doing... Wait a moment... Jenassa? Is this you?" The man who spoke took off his helmet and the Dunmer looked into the face of her friend Garnot.
"What's going on here? the dark elf asked after she introduced her Altmer companion to Garnot.
"Bandits. Killed the captain, took most of the weapons and disappeared" the Nord said.
Jenassa raised her brow. "Bandits overwhelmed you?"
"They were... They waited for the night before they attacked. They were fast. Most of us were taking a break or sleeping. It was only a matter of a few minutes. These assholes disappeared before we even knew what was going on" Garnot told while shaking his head.
Ylavan looked at the guard. The man looked absolutely exhausted but he was giving his best to get the situation under control. That found his respect. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.
"I took command and sent someone to Whiterun to report this incident. Listen, these bastards need to be put down. I will make sure you will get 100 septims if you take care of them. Interested?"
Jenassa looked at her partner. "Your decision. You are the boss."
The high elf didn't need much time to decide. This criminal scum was a threat to the people of Whiterun. "We do it."
"So do you know where they came from?" Jenassa asked.
"From north. There's a cave, maybe that's their hiding place" Garnot responded.
"Good. We kill them. Await our return" Ylavan said.
"Be careful. They are dangerous" the guardsman warned. Ylavan turned to Jenassa. "Let's go, we got work to do."
She nodded and they made ready to leave.
On their way north, they passed an old fortress with imperial banners on the walls. Maybe this was the garrison headquarter for the Whiterun troops. Ylavan's years in the emperor's army lay behind him, yet he still called himself an imperial soldier.
The cave was located left side of the road, behind a bridge and in front of something that looked like an old nordic ruin. The wooden door that covered the entrance. It wasn't locked. Jenassa carefully opened the door while Ylavan nocked an arrow and aimed into the cave.
"Nothing" he said.
His dunmeri follower readied her own bow and they entered the darkness.
After a short, tunnel-like part, the cave widened into an area that looked like some kind of storage room with barrels and crates inside. Ylavan raised his hand and made a fist.
"What is it?" Jenassa asked.
"There's a dog. Right ahead."
Jenassa aimed her bow at the canine. Ylavan stopped her. "There, in the shadows. An archer" he warned. "Fuck" the Dunmer wispered. Why didn't she notice it?
"You take the dog, the archer is mine" Ylavan ordered.
"Got it."
With their arrows pointing towards their targets, the high elf counted. "three, two, one... Shoot!"
Neither the dog nor the bandit archer saw their death coming. Jenassa's shot got the canine right in the eye, Ylavan's pierced his opponent through the neck.
"Good shot" the high elf said.
Jenassa smiled. "Thank you."
"Let's go, there have to be more."
"Right behind you, naughty boy." The dark elf could almost hear her altmeri companion suppress a comment and giggled.
They proceeded through the cave and came into the last room where they had to dispatch two more bandits. One in simple fur clothing and another one clad in steel armor. This had to be their leader. When the elves killed his fellow bandit, the one in steel noticed them, grabbed his hammer and howled a war cry before he attacked. Jenassa threw the bow aside. The dark elf drew her sword and the dagger she bought from the Khajiit. Ylavan did not believe his eyes when he saw the Dunmer become a whirlwind of blades. This bandit could hardly stand against her. In the end, the bastard knelt in the dirt, the crossed blades at his neck. Jenassa pulled the weapons apart in a swift movement and the head of the criminal was severed from his torso. She cleaned the blades and sheathed them. "We're done with this scum. Let's get the weapons and bring them back to the watchtower."
"Yeah. Good work, Jenassa" Ylavan said and squeezed her shoulder.
"Could've been better" the dark elf replied with anger in her voice.
"Why?"
She sighed. "I didn't see the damn archer."
"I saw him. So don't worry. Eyes on the target. Learn from your mistakes, but don't let them distract you. You did great work. If you weren't with me, the one with the hammer would have smashed my head to pieces."
Jenassa grinned. "We wouldn't want that beautiful face destroyed by a big hammer... unimaginable."
The Altmer blushed. "Umm... yeah. Let's go" he responded and the dark elf giggled.
After delivering the weapons at the tower, Garnot paid the two adventurers 100 septims and they continued their journey.
The Dunmer thought about her companion while walking quietly beside him. If someone asked her, Jenassa would have said that Ylavan was a good man. Sure, it was the first day she traveled with him, but he seemed to be a man who cared about right or wrong. There were not many of his kind these days. And the world needed more of this kind.
After some days of traveling, they reached a small settlement near the border of the Reach named Rorikstead. The two rented rooms in the frostfruit inn where they used the time to plan the rest of their journey to Markarth. Ylavan could not wait to visit the ancient city.
