Author's Note: Yes, it's been forever since I updated. A slew of computer troubles, final exams, and other junk came crashing down on me in a giant wave of IRL. I'll try to update more regularly. Please enjoy. :)


By the time Ralis awoke, Tarafel was long gone. She'd left no note, nor had she told him where she planned to go, but simply up and vanished into a farther reach of Nirn. Obviously she meant it to be a long trip, as she'd taken her every possession with her, though Ralis couldn't venture exactly how long it might be. It was always some sort of mystery with that woman; she could never come right out and say what she meant.

Ralis smiled to himself. "Ah, but isn't that so with all women?"

The mer chuckled, breathing deeply the late morning air. The Heartland was a beautiful place, especially at the beginning of Hearthfire. The rolling hills all around were turning from vibrant green to rustic gold, the water of Lake Rumare was cold and refreshing when splashed on the face, the air grew crisp, somehow fresher than the hot winds of the summer. All around in the distance the crumbled remains of forts and the eroding ruins of Ayleid palaces dotted the landscape. Monolithic memorials to the failed efforts of weaker men.

Again, Ralis smiled to himself. "They certainly weren't Ralis Senathis, were they?" he chortled, drawing his sword from its scabbard and swinging it jestingly from side to side. "Thought you could best me, did you?" he laughed triumphantly at an imaginary enemy, slaying his foe with one firm stab into the middle of the air. He put his blade away, grinning at his own silliness as he walked on. "Ralis Senathis, champion of The Arena, master of combat both armed and magical, ravisher of young, beautiful women, wealthy heir to his father's estate. I dare say, a god among men and mer. A Dunmer who lacks nothing, but still has the audacity to crave everything! And why not? He deserves, nay, is entitled to everything his heart desires, because he is a mer with the power to take it!" He tossed his head, fixing his long, charcoal color hair with a short length of twine.

He redrew his sword, taking a moment to appreciate the cold steel of the blade. He'd commissioned it long ago on a visit to High Rock, a longsword crafted by Orcish hands and enchanted with Breton magic to cut through any sort of armor. Thronebreaker, the sword he'd intended to use to slay The Gray Prince. At least, until the half-Orc decided to disappear to Azura-knows-where, and leave his title unclaimed. Ralis grumbled to himself, hand clenching painfully around the hilt of the blade. After that day, he swore he'd never let another opportunity slip through his fingers.

Ralis unclenched the sword, and slid it back into its scabbard. He quieted himself, relaxing as he walked. It felt good to have all his armor off for once. It seemed like weeks since he'd shed it all to do anything but sleep or bathe, but now he walked unfettered. He wore comfortable clothes, never having much tastes for any sort of silken finery; he preferred normal peasant garb. Besides, all that colorful silk and satin made him look like a bit of a dandy.

His only regret was that he had no horse for the long trip north. His independent assignment required him to make a long journey north into the cold, mountainous county of Bruma. The idea of cold didn't bother him much, but the distance definitely did. Nearly two days of virtually non-stop walking in Tarafel's footsteps from Colovia to the Imperial City had made the mere thought of walking another long distance rather unappetizing. Sighing, he fixed his eyes to the mirror-like surface of the Rumare, catching sight of the occasional shadow of movement beneath the surface of the water. The slaughterfish were out and about, it seemed. The mer veered from the stone path toward the sandy bank of the Rumare, sending mudcrabs scuttling out of his way, gurgling as they retreated to the safety of the rocks.

Ralis gazed into the water. Long, sinewy shadows glided through the depths, dingy brownish scales breaking the surface every now and then. The mer nodded, a smile crossing his sharply-featured visage. He began to undress, removing his pack, shirt, and boots. From the pack, he drew a dagger and tucked it under his belt. A chill rushed up the mer's spine as he waded into the cold water. Instead of relying on breath, he cast a water breathing spell on himself and dove under. He swam further into the lake, heading toward the sandy floor where the slaughterfish generally fed. He reckoned it wouldn't take long for the aggressive little creatures to take note of him and come in for a bite.

Right on cue, one of the ugly creatures began swimming toward him. A small one, it clacked its sharp-toothed jaws as it came closer, hoping to grab a bite. Instead, the mer attempted to grab the fish, but to little avail. The fish darted away at the mere brush of his fingertips and vanished into the murk of the lake water. A gurgled curse escaped him, and he swam after the fish.

As he dived deeper the water grew harder and harder to see through, the world around him turning a dingy blue. In the dinge, just a few feet in front of his face, he spotted a shadow. With all the speed he could muster in the stifling water, Ralis reached out and snatched the fish. At first he barely had it by its fin, but he brought his other hand up to grasp it about the middle. The slaughterfish began to thrash, kicking up even more algae and dirt into the water, effectively blinding the mer. Ralis' now free right hand grabbed for the knife under his belt and drove the blade into the fish, right below the gill.

The slaughterfish's struggling slowed, the creature keeping its fight right until the end. As Ralis fumbled to secure the knife back under his belt without impaling himself, a horrible burning pain flared up in his shoulder. The mer growled, a response that would have earner him a lungful of water had he not enchanted himself. He reflexively struck at his shoulder, the shock causing him to drop the knife, the blade forever lost to the waters of the Rumare. Another slaughterfish had latched onto his shoulder and was chewing up the flesh there. Unwilling to give up his first catch, Ralis simply squeezed the creature, digging his thick fingers into it's eyes and gills. In death, the creature latched on even harder, and the mer simply ripped it away from his flesh, nearly twisting its head off and leaving a few fangs buried in the rippled brawn of his shoulder.

Feeling the need for breath returning, Ralis swam upward, for the undulating surface of the water. He broke through to the cool air, gulping up air as the spell wore off and required him to breathe again. His knife was lost, but he'd earned a decent dinner, with his bare hands, no less! Ralis kicked his way to shore, slaughterfish in hand.

As he stood up, again sending curious mudcrabs scuttling away, he looked at the fish in each hand, healthy specimens both. He'd eat well this evening, even if the fish went bad. He'd hardened his constitution so he could stomach such things without illness. After securing his meal in a separate pouch, along with a healthy dose of salt he'd borrowed from Tarafel, he set off again, eyes turned to the north and the prize that awaited a job well done.


The air grew colder little by little as Ralis made his way up Cyrodiil's hills into the Jerall Mountains. He left his shirt unbuttoned for a time, at first enjoying the briskness of the air, but quickly buttoned up as the ground turned from grass into frost.

The walk around the Red Ring Road up the Silver Road had proven to be harder on his feet than he'd first predicted, but he could take the pain, and had stamina to spare. The mer walked on, grunting as he made his way up an incline. His stomach had begun rumbling hours before, but it was far too early for him to rest and eat, at least not if he wanted to be in Bruma before nightfall. However, the proposition of a full stomach seemed more tempting by the step.

Ralis strove to ignore the growling of his own gut for as long as he could, but finally he decided it was time to settle down for a few hours as soon as he found a flat enough area to sit. He walked towards a group of nearby trees and rested against one, sliding down to the cold frost. He sighed, not exactly looking forward to the task of building a fire, but he couldn't eat the fish raw. At least, he preferred not to do so. Sighing again, he slid his pack off and rose to his feet in search of firewood. Hopefully, he'd find a downed tree or some loose branches on the ground. Then, of course, there was the task of finding stones to keep the fire from burning the ground around it. All a little more work than he was ready to do at the moment. Too tedious, and not nearly exciting enough, particularly since as the night drew closer, the air grew colder.

Nearly half an hour of searching and working granted him a handful of small logs suitable for burning. Now, he needed only to gather up stones, which were abundant this close to the mountains. Lighting a fire would require no more than

a wave of his hand.

He'd almost returned to his would-be campsite, when he picked up a soft noise, barely audible over the wind. Then another, a musical sound.

Laughter?

Not just laughter, female laughter. There were women nearby!

Ralis perked up, in more ways than one, and thanked the ancestors for his reliable stamina. Hopefully, he'd make good use of it before the night ended!

He listened carefully, moving toward the sound, logs under one arm. A sweet, smoky aroma filled the air. Something was roasting. Closer and closer he crept until he came upon a wall of brush. Through the leaves an orange light flickered, Ralis could clearly hear their conversation, but paid little attention. Peeking over it, he caught sight of two women and a large tent. One was a Nord, obviously young, but tall and blonde as any of her lineage. She sat by a fire, dressed in less than Ralis himself, smiling at her friend across the way. The other was a Bosmer, if her substantially smaller stature could attest to anything. She had a bob of short brown hair and dressed in much thicker clothing, bearskin or something of the like. Both were young, supple creatures, and not hard on the eyes, either.

Finished with his peeking, Ralis stood up, hands on hips.

"Good evening to you," he spoke loud enough to be heard, but not so loud as to be intrusive.

The women turned toward him in surprise, the Nord's hand disappearing behind her, likely to grab for a weapon. Ralis simply stood by, giving his best winning smile. The ladies' faces softened and they exchanged glances and brief whispers before turning back toward him, each bearing a soft smile.

"Evening, Dunmer," the Nord replied, her smile was shadowy, obviously hiding some sort of intent. "What, may I ask, are you doing lurking behind the bushes?" she asked, causing the Bosmer to giggle and cup her hands over her mouth. She briefly turned toward her much smaller friend. "I think we have a peeping tom on our hands, Azzy." She turned back to Ralis, eyes already beckoning. "What say you, Dunmer? Hoping to see some flesh this evening?"

"Ah, you've found me out!" Ralis lamented melodramatically, stepping through the brush. "It's true. I'm an agent of Sanguine, sent out to find succulent young maidens to seduce and bring back to our coven," he chuckled, putting up the best of his good-natured charm. "But no, I'm simply a hunter. I heard your voices, and gentleman that I am, thought I'd offer any aid you might need." He turned from the Nord to the Bosmer and met her eyes for a moment. He winked quickly, as if they'd just shared a secret, and the young mer giggled again, her laughter growing harder to contain as the handsome mer she'd just met moved closer. "I hope I haven't intruded?"

"Not at all," the Nord cut in, giving the Bosmer a slightly chastising glance. "We've settled in for supper, but there's plenty if you've time to join us." She gestured to the boar roasting over the fire. Along side that, a small case filled with eight bottles of ale.

"I don't want to impose, but how can I resist such a...tempting offer?" He raised his brows at the Nord, who patted the space beside her. Ralis obliged, sitting so close her breast brushed his side.

The Nord reached across his lap, purposely letting herself hover over his lap, and pulled a bottle of ale out of the case. She placed it in his lap, letting the bottle jut up from between his thighs suggestively, causing another stifled shock of laughter from the Bosmer.

Ralis slid the bottle from where the Nord had nestled it and took a drink, casting another wink in the Bosmer's direction. By then he could feel the Nord's hand creeping along his back, her finger drawing tiny circles against his shirt. "So, I heard your name is Azzy," he nodded toward the Wood Elf, but I didn't catch yours." He smiled at the Nord, giving her a suggestive look of his own. "But I've been rude. I should introduce myself first. I'm Ralis Senathis. It's a real pleasure to meet both of you," he practically growled the word 'pleasure', getting a giggle out of both of them.

"I'm Ula," the Nord responded, "And that's Asmira. We're on our way to the Imperial City to see about getting Azzy a dress." Ula smiled across the fire at Asmira, beckoning her over with one finger. The Bosmer rose and moved across to sit beside Ula, her eyes darting between Ralis and her own feet.

"All the way to the Imperial City for a dress?" Ralis balked. Women certainly could find the most fantastic ways to waste money, couldn't they?

"Yes, we're going to Divine Elegance. We're not going to spare any expense for this dress. After all, it'll be the last one little Azzy wears as a free woman." Azzy snickered at her friend's jest.

"A wedding dress then?" The pair nodded in response. "Congratulations," the Dunmer raised his bottle, pulling another out of the case for the Bosmer. "Drink up, then. You might never get another chance to do it, especially not with another man."

The pair laughed. "That's sort of why we're going like this. We decided to make an adventure of it. Azzy's been rather chaste so far, but I'm trying to get her to act out. It's not like she'll ever get another chance."

"Perhaps I could be of some help there. I can be quite...convincing when I put my mind to it." He slid his arm behind Ula's back and over to Asmira, running a finger up her side. The Bosmer shrieked, letting out another loud giggle.

"I can't, I can't!" she protested, leaning away from him, her face turning bright pink in the light of the fire.

"I've not been able to get her to loosen up," Ula chuckled, gently nudging her friend with her elbow. "It's probably just as well. I don't need her hanging any guilt over my head for talking her into debauchery," the Nord said, turning her eyes toward Ralis' face, and sending her hands somewhere else entirely, much to Ralis' delight. "However, I'm not one for fidelity. Asmira and I travel together a lot, so she's used to my 'long nights'."

"That's quite an offer," the Dunmer chortled, looking the two over, "But I'm afraid one woman simply isn't enough to satisfy me tonight."

Ula paused for but a moment, not letting her smile falter. "I'm afraid you'll have to go without tonight, Ralis. It's me or nothing," her face hardened, showing she meant business.

Ralis brushed the look aside, reaching out to grab Asmira's arm and pull her close. "Nonsense. What's a little infidelity between new friends, hm?"

The sound of Ula's slap rang out across the valley. The Dunmer reeled from the impact, releasing Asmira's arm. When he looked up, the pair had backed away from him, and Ula had brandished her longsword.

Ralis rose, still smiling. "Now, that wasn't very kind of you. I suppose I can find it in myself to forgive you, but you'll have to put your toy down first." With a wave of his hand, Ralis tugged the sword away from Ula and cast it down the hill. Telekinesis, useless as it seemed to be, did turn out to have its purposes.

Ula and Asmira ran down the hill. Ula would be easy enough to track, but even the dimmest of Bosmer could disappear into the forest. Asmira could seek out help if he lost her, most likely in Bruma, which might ruin his mission. He'd need something fast.

The clannfear appeared in a flash of malicious crimson. Ralis wasted no time in grasping the beast by the beak, forcing it to face him.

"Sniff out the Bosmer. Find her. Don't kill her," he commanded, then released the beast. The clannfear shook it's head, giving its master a wide berth. It lifted its head, craning its long neck as it sniffed the air, then suddenly took off after its quarry.

Ralis smiled, having kept watch on Ula as she ran.

"Gods, I love it when they run." He set off after her, the sudden rush of excitement warming his flesh.

Bruma could wait. The job would still be there in the morning. Besides, if he let them get away now they might just run to the safety of those walls and alert the city guard. Letting that happen would mean he'd have no way of entering Bruma without notice and his task would be forfeit. The women would need to be silenced. He'd take his time, of course. Two subdued young ladies? He most certainly couldn't let an opportunity like that pass him by.