I'd like to thank everyone who put in OC's. I've filled out the Fighters Guild ranks with them. I hope they turn out alright. And I did take account of the review notes on the Companions. The reason should be here for you folks. Let me know if it works for you. New OC's are always welcome. I'm actually looking for a few assassin besmer (beastfolk), if I could put out a specific request.

Thanks for holding with me on this tale. I know the long ones are hard to keep coming back to. Or are they? And I really appreciate the faithful readers. Enjoy!

It was good to be back in her armor. The Wolf armor's weight and feel just seemed right to her. And Sharah felt as though she filled it out in more than just the physical sense. She felt herself again, in mind and garb. Which meant Sharah recognized that she'd probably overreacted last night. Not that she'd been in a stable state of mind, but coming back and declaring war on some unknown group...most would not call it wise.

But it hadn't turned out badly on all counts. She wasn't the only one feeling more like their old selves. The Guild had become solemn since the death of Viranus. Anvil, Bruma, likely every Guildhall had borne the weight of the news badly. But now, the hall seemed to have its old energy back. The energy she remembered from when she first joined the Guild. The Guild had endured tragedy as each of the Dontons fell and, like her, they didn't know how to assist beyond continuing to work as they had, even when the actions felt hollow. But now they had purpose, an enemy, something they could center themselves around.

But that didn't mean they were ready to fight. Sharah wasn't satisfied with what they knew about the Companions. She wanted more information before she started planning any offensive against them, no matter how motivated her guildmates were. So, while the call for Cheydinhal's trio went out, she intended to use the time until their arrival to gather intelligence and find out exactly what they were up against.

Ongar the World-Weary was the first that Sharah wanted to speak with. Sharah spent the following day working on the preparations for their coming conflict. The guildmates took to it well. But preparing for a contract was different than preparing for a full on battle. Plenty of them needed to upgrade their equipment. But as soon as she thought Ongar would be there, Sharah left for the Tap and Tack.

He wasn't the least surprised to see her. "Figured I'd be hearing from you. Words out about your run in."

She sat down. "Well, you're the one who pointed out all the activity down from Skyrim."

"So you figured that was it, too, huh?"

Sharah cut to the hilt of the matter. "What do you know about the Companions?"

The Nord sighed. "I'm the wrong one to ask. I'm a thief. And I'm past the age to bother keeping track of anything outside of Bruma." He took a swig of ale and put the tankard down again. "I do know there's an ex-Companion working at the lumber mill up east. Maybe he'd be better."

"You have a name?"

"Jarl the Bold." He snorted, "Can you believe what people will name their kids?" Sharah stood, eager to get to this ex-Companion. But Ongar had a bit more to say. "Hey, you remember that Nord woman I told you about?"

"...a little. Not the name though."

"Johanna."

"Right. You said she was meeting with some muscle from out of Skyrim."

Ongar nodded slowly and replied, "Well, she hasn't shown in a while.'

Sharah gazed unmoving into space. She couldn't help but be reminded of the Donton dilemma. She'd had all that information, pieces to the puzzle about why the Guild was floundering, but hadn't been able to make any sense of it all for a long while. It would be just the same now. She'd gather what she could, learn what she could, and eventually all these little bits of information would make sense. "Thanks, Ongar. I owe you a drink."

She rushed back to the Guildhall. Bumph found her soon after she walked in. "I have a friend who came down from Skyrim recently," the Orc reported. "She lived up there for a long while. I was thinking about paying her a visit. See if she's got any recent information about the Companions. Since you're all about learning about them."

"Good call," Sharah replied. Recent information would be vital. "But don't go alone. No one does. It'll be too easy for the Companions to snatch someone from the Guild who's traveling alone." Sharah thought a momen. "Take Ansigar Ice-Hammer with you."

The Nord member was as deadly with a hammer as Bumph was. Sharah could just see the two formidable women swinging their metal masses about if anyone accosted them, and making the mountains quake as they did. And the Nord's limp was less of an issue over the shorter distance than it might be on a trip up to the lumber mill. Sharah had never asked how Ansigar came by the injury. But, then again, the woman had never offered the story up in conversation. Sharah got the impression it was a sore spot.

"Right-Wind!" The Argonian answered Sharah's call swiftly. "We're going up to the lumber mill to the north-east for some information. Pack up and I'll meet you at the door in ten minutes."

Sharah checked on Lucius's progress with the brandy, then went to find Alderil. The Altmer actually saluted her when she drew near. "I wanted to keep you aware," she said. "Bumph and Ansigar are going to visit someone just down from Skyrim. Try to get some recent info about the Companions. I'm taking Right-Wind to the lumber mill to the north-east. There's a former Companion there who might be willing to give us some detailed information about the group." He'd give them something or Sharah was going to shove his axe where the Magus never shone.

Alderil replied, "We'll continue our work here. The armorer said he can have most of our equipment done within the week. He wants half his payment now, but our funds will cover it and we'll have the coin from the brandy by the time he's done."

"Have you sent word to Chorrol about all this?"

The Guild-head nodded a little hesitantly. "The same time I sent the message to Cheydinhal."

Sharah mused. There was no telling how Vilena would take this. She might send some furiously written order that they were to cease and desist, and that Sharah was officially expelled for trying to usurp authority. There was no telling how the Bruma Guildhall would react to that, what they'd do, or how many of them would still fight with her. Because even if she was expelled, Sharah was still going to put herself between the Companions and the Guild.

But there was an equal likelihood that Vilena wouldn't react to the news at all. That she wouldn't pay it the slightest attention. That she might be sitting up in her office staring at the latest Guild report that bore the name of one of her sons on the casualties list. Sharah hated that the latter option was as likely as the former. Hated that there had been no changes to the Guild since Viranus' passing. Vilena should be doing something. Without Oreyn there, she was the one who had to—

Sharah refused to dwell on that. Vilena's lacking could not be addressed from here and could not be addressed now. If the message was an angry one, Sharah had a limited amount of time to get things done before it arrived. "I'll be back with Right-Wind as soon as possible. Keep things moving, make sure the members are training. In groups if possible. And…watch Sassguard."

"Sassguard?"

Sharah nodded. "It may be nothing. It may be something. Just…keep an eye on him. And if any Guild member leaves the hall, they must have a guildmate with them. No one goes anywhere alone."

"Yes, ma'am."

It was all Sharah could do. She had to trust her guild. Sharah gathered a few things and met Right-Wind at the door. Then they headed out of Bruma.

Lumber and mining were staples for Bruma. While Skingrad was known for its farming, and Anvil and Bravil thrived on water trade, Bruma had its riches in the natural resources of the Jerall Mountains. Plenty of workers were sent up to these locations. Sharah would make a point to ask this Jarl the Bold what landed him in the lumber mill and if the ex-Companion part of his story had anything to do with it.

Sharah was so intent on deciding what questions she would ask that she didn't hear Right-Wind when he spoke.

"Hm? Sorry, Right-Wind. I was thinking. Speak again."

He cleared his throat. "I said no one blames you for what happened."

Sharah looked at him oddly. "What's that got to do with anything? The Companions ambushed me. Seems clear enough."

The Argonian shook his head. "No, I mean what happened to Viranus. I just wanted to tell you nobody blames you for it happening."

Sharah halted on the path, and looked back at him. "Why would they?"

"It's just…we all heard about Vilena dumping you a few ranks. And I wanted to say that we don't all think like that. We know it wasn't your fault or anything. I mean, Oreyn was the one who…"

Right-Wind trailed off when he saw the look on her face. She turned fully to face him. "What? What do they say about Oreyn? Go ahead. 'Oreyn was the one who' what?"

Right-Wind wisely chose to remain silent. A growl roiled up in her throat as Sharah said, "Oreyn is the best thing that ever happened to this guild. If it wasn't for him, we'd all be out of work right now and the Guild would be a notation in a history book. We're all in a worse way without him. Vilena's an idiot for even considering expelling him, and twice that for actually doing it. And you can tell anyone I said so."

His silence was all that kept her from going off on him further. But they did keep quiet for the remainder of their travel.

Vilena. Why hadn't someone done something? Said something? Certainly she deserved some time to grieve. But after the first year after Vitellus, someone should have talked to her like Oreyn had to Sharah. Sure, a conversation like that with the Guildmaster might threaten one's standing in the Guild. But they couldn't keep functioning this way. They all knew it. So why was it allowed to continue?

And Oreyn…She wondered what he was doing now. Was he sitting alone in his run-down little house? Or was he perhaps still fighting the good fight, even from outside the Guild? He shouldn't have been expelled. Perhaps sent elsewhere, given a different rank or task, but not expelled. He'd only been doing what Vilena should have been. Sharah didn't know how they were going to get on without him.

The lumber mill was in full swing. Literally. The whirling of axes could be seen between the trunks, and the water driven saw was humming in the main structure. Sharah and Right-Wind found the foreman and asked after their contact.

"Oh, you're looking for 'the lord'? Yeah, he's back chopping limbs." The Foreman walked them through the mill to a man splitting branches into firewood sized pieces.

Sharah thanked the foreman and the fighters approached the man they'd come to see. "Jarl the Bold?"

The Nord looked up, not having expected anyone to come seeking him. "Yeah. That's me."

Sharah dipped her head. "I am Sharah the Wolf. This is Right-Wind. We're members of the Fighters Guild and we'd like to speak to you about the Companions."

Jarl lodged his axe into a log and whipped off his hands, "I haven't been a Companion for ten years. What would you want to know, anyway?"

"Everything you know about them," she replied. "Anything you can tell us would be helpful."

He handled his rag more slowly. "Why?"

Sharah kept her tone even. "We're having problems with the Companions. We're trying to understand why. You used to be a Companion. So, we'd like you to tell us what you know about them."

"What kind of problems?" Jarl persisted in his questioning.

Her eyes narrowed. Well it wasn't like they weren't going to come to this sooner or later. "The violent kind. They attacked me in order to get information about the Fighters Guild. They are threatening us."

Jarl shook his head and tossed the rag onto the ground. "No. Not the Companions. They're honorable. Every one of them."

Right-Wind asked, "So why did you leave?"

The Nord shifted on his feet. "There wasn't enough work to go around. It happens. So I came down here to make ends meet. But I'm telling you, you're wrong about the Companions. They wouldn't attack the Fighters Guild."

"They did attack the Fighters Guild. And we want to know why. So you need to tell us—"

He shook his head. "No. I'm not telling you anything. The Companions are honorable warriors, not some bunch of marauders. Whatever you think of them, you're wrong. Now I've got work to do."

Their informant was closing down on them. But they needed this information. When Jarl reached out to take his axe, Sharah strode up and leaned her weight on the handle. "Now listen here, Jarl. Whatever you remember the Companions being, they have attacked us. They tried to kill me for no more reason than that I didn't let them tie me up and kidnap me. This happened two days ago. And none of your beliefs are going to change history."

"So you want me to rat out my old comrades so you can get back at them."

Sharah replied, "No. I'm asking you to tell me about them so we don't have to. If they are as honorable as you insist, there has to be a reason behind what they did. Perhaps they're being manipulated. Perhaps they misjudged something. I don't know." Her voice lowered. "But if you don't tell us anything, we'll have to assume the worst about them. We'll have to assume they mean to kill us. And that means every Companion that comes over the border is an enemy, and we will not hesitate to kill every single one of them." She softened her tone. "So, please. Just tell us about the Companions. If there's a way to avoid the bloodshed, I want to find it. But I can't unless you talk to me."

Jarl rubbed at his shoulders, thinking hard. Sharah knew what it felt like. It felt like he was betraying his old comrades. But things were as she'd told him. If she knew nothing more about the Companions, then killing them was the only option.

It took a few moments before he began speaking. "The Companions are supposed to carry on the tradition of the Five Hundred Companions of Ysgramor who first took Skyrim back from the elves. They are based in Whiterun, in the mead hall Jorrvaskr. Most think of the Companions as just mercenaries, but we're—they're more than that. A…family of comrades."

Sharah nodded. "I know the feeling."

He continued, "The Companions do for people what they can't do for themselves. They are strength for the weak, and protection for the innocent."

She was afraid he might go off rambling. "Who are their leaders? Who's in charge of them?"

"The Circle. They're a group of skilled and respected warriors. They manage the Companions."

Right-Wind put in. "What about a Guildmaster?"

Jarl replied, "There isn't one. The closest thing is the Harbinger. He's not a Guildmaster so much as a highly respected advisor. That was Bein Firestone when I left."

Sharah considered. "So if I could speak with this Harbinger, perhaps he could call off his men?"

"If you can convince him, the rest of the Companions would follow. But I don't see how any of them would attack without cause. They wouldn't."

She tried to ease him. "We'll do what we can. None of us want unneeded bloodshed. One last thing." She reached into her pocket and drew out the pendant she'd taken from one of the Companions. "Do you know what this is? Two of the Companions I…met, were wearing it."

Jarl took the necklace. "I haven't seen one of these in ages. It's a pendant of Hrothgar. It's given to those Companions who have shown dedication in their service."

Wonderful, so she'd been attacked by and killed two of the distinguished members. Sharah took the necklace back. "Thank you, Jarl. I will attempt to resolve this quickly."

The Nord didn't have much of a reaction as she and Right-Wind left the mill. As soon as they got back to Bruma she was going to write a letter to the Companions' Harbinger informing him of his people's actions and warning him that if he did not take steps to stop them, then the Fighters Guild was going to defend themselves as necessary. She hoped he was just unaware of his men's actions. Because if he or his Circle were the ones who sent them…things were going to get difficult.

A bolt shot out of the tree line and cracked into the road right in front of her. Sharah and Right-Wind drew their blades and rushed behind the trees closest to them. A second and third arrow zipped through the air, sailing past or embedding into their defenses.

Right-Wind hunched his shoulders within the confines of his tree. "Companions?"

"Who else?" Sharah asked, glancing cautiously around the edge of the tree. Two figures were already dashing off into the forest. Sharah conjured a fireball and fired it at the retreating forms. There was a yelp of surprise, but she missed her mark. "Come on. We need to get back to Bruma and make sure Bumph and Ansigar didn't get the same." Sharah and Right-Wind hurried back to the city double time. The ambush could have been some bunch of bandits. But she wasn't going to trust in coincidences just now.

The moment they entered the Guildhall, Sharah demanded of the first Guild member she saw, "Have Bumph and Ansigar returned yet?"

Jacquelyn lortesque kept her attitude in check for once. "Yeah. Like an hour ago." The Breton was clearly bitterer than usual now that she was required to train with a group, but knew it was not the time to bring it up.

Lucius came running up before Sharah could go question Bumph. "Wolf, I finished selling the brandy. Here's the coin."

Sharah looked intently at him. "You were out alone about it?"

He seemed offended. "I can manage a trade without help."

"It's not about needing help. It's about safety in numbers. Alderil should have covered that. No one in the Guild goes anywhere alone. Not even if it's in town," she added before he could argue about stone walls. "I don't trust the Companions not to pull something within the city." Sharah looked over at the Breton polishing her war-axe, "I'm partnering you with Jacquelyn. You two stay together at all times. I don't care what you're doing."

Jacquelyn overheard and got a look as though she were about to let loose a stream of unhappy arguments, but Sharah quickly cut those off as well. "I don't care about your solo-act. You stay with Lucius from now on. Get that coin to Alderil. He's still handling the weapon and armor upgrades for the Guild. When that's done, take this pendant next door to the Mages Guild. I want to know exactly what kind of enchantment is on it. And stay together, no matter what."

Jacquelyn seethed as she sheathed her war-axe and snatched the pendant of Hrothgar that Sharah offered, then barked at Lucius and he dashed after her so they could find Alderil. Sharah dismissed Right-Wind and went to find Bumph who had separated from her companion now that they were back in the Guildhall.

"Bumph, what did you learn from your friend?"

Bumph gro-Khash's friend shed a little more light on the situation. The Companions had been the traditionally chosen mercenary group of Skyrim, and in the last few years their number and popularity had grown. Sharah wasn't quite sure how that tied in with her guild. The Fighters Guild didn't function in Skyrim. So why were the Companions attacking them?

Sharah met with Alderil immediately, composing a letter to send to Whiterun that reflected the Altmer's natural formality. It began with informing their Harbinger that there were Companions attacking the Fighters Guild in Bruma. Sharah didn't want to simply assume that the Harbinger had arranged the assault. But it also included a warning that if the Companions continued, then the Fighters Guild would retaliate. The open ended threat would doubtless catch attention. Sharah only hoped she wasn't digging the Guild even further into the fight.

Sharah had Alderil make copies of the letter to be sent over and over again. If the attacks were not by the order of their Harbinger then the local Companions would make an effort to keep their activities secret from their respected elder. But all the Guild needed was for one of them to get through. Again, this was if the Harbinger was unaware of his people. If he was, then this conflict was going to get a lot worse.

XXX

The next few days stretched. Weapon and armor upgrades for every Guild member were almost complete. They continued training, separating into pairs for just about everything as Sharah's order that no one ever go out alone circled around. The Mages Guild finally got back to her about the pendant of Hrothgar. It was enchanted to increase one's strength and endurance. But the enchantment had not been done by a master of the art so it came with a weakness: a susceptibility to magicka. Which would explain why that one Companion had burst into flame when she'd fireballed him. It hadn't been her flame that caught, but the magicka she'd used. That was something to keep in mind.

But everything had hit a plateau. The next step in their preparations was to locate the Companions. Either to set up some kind of meet to sort the whole thing out, or to attack and be rid of the threat. But the Companions were from Skyrim, they thrived in the cold and ice. And there was a lot of mountain and wilderness in which they could hide. And the only clue there was the location of her ambush near the border. She wasn't going to start sending scouting teams until the Cheydinhal trio showed up. And every time a courier went north, Sharah sent a letter to Whiterun.

She prayed their Harbinger would intervene. Not because she was afraid her guild couldn't defeat the Companions. But because she knew that they were capable, and that she was willing. So the only hope for this fight to end before it started was for that Harbinger to put his foot down.

Then there came a development she hadn't expected. Alderil brought it to Sharah while she was circling a map of Tamriel. Literally. Sharah had it on a low table and was pacing slowly around it like her beast seeking a place to strike, staring at the landscape intently, trying to divine where her enemy was hiding so she could get at them. Alderil cleared his throat and Sharah jerked up. Her guildmates had stopped jumping when she centered her wolfish looks on them so suddenly. He held out a folded message to her. Sharah took it, hoping it was a message back from that Harbinger, for good or bad, and fearing it might be from Chorrol. When she scanned the contents, Sharah stopped dead:

I have information on the Companions, their intent towards the Fighters Guild and the location of their base camp. I will discuss these things only with Sharah the Wolf, and only if she comes to the marked location alone.

There was a map drawn below with a few recognizable landmarks. The meeting place was out in the middle of nowhere.

Alderil gave her a moment as she considered the message. "It's a trap," he finally said, "They drew you out before. And they knew you were going to the mill to speak with Jarl the Bold. This is probably them trying to draw you out again. They've had enough time to prepare."

Sharah nodded, having considered that as well. "You starting to think this really might just be about me?" So far, the only attacks had happened to Sharah and whomever had been with her.

The Altmer shook his head. "No. I agree with your assumptions. But clearly they know you are the greatest threat. That you lead here. They must know you're looking for information on them, so they mean to bait you with it." Sharah nodded slowly, still staring at the note. "You can't be considering going."

Sharah carefully folded the message. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, Wolf. But—"

"My instincts have never steered me wrong. They kept me well against the assassins. They warned me before the ambush was sprung…And they are telling me that this is legitimate."

"Wolf, you mustn't. If we lose you—"

"I will not make Vilena's mistakes! I will not hole up in a hall and wait for the end to come. The location of their base camp is all that is keeping us in the Guildhall. All that keeps us from striking at the enemy. Oreyn and I took a risk with Blackheart and it panned out. And I believe this will as well."

The Altmer did not look pleased, but he would not try to stop her. Likely because he knew he couldn't. "At least take someone with you."

She shook her head. "No. If this one wants to meet alone, then I'll show up alone." Before he could object, Sharah said, "I will not spook this informant. Showing up as requested is a show of good faith. It will go further than anything else. And we need this one to talk. And if something does happen to me, then someone else will just have to step up."

It was time the Guild stopped waiting around for someone to do something. They'd waited for Vilena, they'd waited for Viranus. Just because Sharah had been the first to get fed up with waiting didn't mean that everyone else was off the hook. If things were going to get done, everyone was going to have to pull their own weight. Especially if their leaders were dead or useless.

XXX

The meeting location was even more out of the way than Sharah had expected. Out in the forest, out of sight of road or settlement. Sharah knew she was alone. And found it a bit odd that the legitimate meeting had turned into an ambush, but she trusted what appeared to be an ambush to be peaceful and informative. Actually, that bordered on mad. But she'd already crossed that bridge, hadn't she?

Sharah pressed through the forest until she came to a distinctive rock formation. She didn't have to check the drawn map to know that this was where they were to meet. What other rock looked like a dragon's claw? Besides, Sharah had used this formation once before when she sought the hidden Akaviri fort within Pale Pass.

Sharah stopped before the claw shaped stone and rotated on the spot, seeking her informant. Perhaps she was early, perhaps the person had gotten anxious and left already—or perhaps she might be the one with the bow that was creeping up over the height of the dragon's claw. The fighter didn't move, didn't appear startled, and didn't reach for her weapon. Just kept her attention on the fair skinned Nord woman who clearly wasn't taking any chances with this meet. And still, Sharah did not assume this was an ambush. Yes, she was most certainly mad.

The woman's eyes darted around the treeline, then back to the fighter. "Did you come alone?"

Sharah nodded. "I did. Sharah the Wolf. As you asked. Now if you're going to shoot me, do it. Otherwise, let's talk." The Nord hesitated, looked again around the treeline, then gradually relaxed the string of her bow. But she didn't come down from the top of the rock. Sharah continued, "You said you knew where the Companions were camped and what they were planning against my guild. Are you still willing to share that information with me?"

The informant glanced once more at the trees, then back at Sharah. "Why did you come alone?"

"Because you asked me to."

The Nord was still confused. "This could have been an ambush."

Sharah nodded slowly. "That's what my guildmate believed. But I trusted my instincts that this offer was genuine. Was I wrong to?"

"No…" It seemed she truly didn't understand what had inspired Sharah to believe the message, even if it had apparently been truthful. The Nord had been suspicious and expected suspicion in return. Sharah's trust was unexpected. "My name is Johanna. I was a Companion until recently. But I…I don't believe what Hafnir is doing is right. I'll tell you everything I can for you to help your guild."

"Johanna? You were the one meeting with folk in Bruma. Is your desertion why you haven't been there lately?"

Johanna started. "How did you know about that?"

Sharah replied, "You were noticed. But let's get to why we're here. What are the Companions doing in Cyrodiil? They ambushed me to get information about my guild. Why?"

Johanna settled onto the rock, gathering her thoughts. "It's not the Companions. At least, not all of them. It's Hafnir Iron-Blood. He's a member of the Circle, one of the leading members of the Companions. He's the one leading this…advancement."

"What advancement?"

"He wants to put Bruma under the Companions' influence."

"Why? I thought the Companions only operated in Skyrim."

Johanna replied, "He thinks it will earn him the Harbinger's favor. Oh, our Harbinger is—"

"Bein Firestone, your Circle's honored advisor."

The Nord was surprised Sharah was aware but continued, "Yes. He is getting on in years. Soon he'll have to name a new Harbinger. Hafnir thinks this will earn him the position."

Sharah inquired, "Does your Harbinger know about it?"

"I don't think so. It's why I left, because…I know the Harbinger would never agree with what Hafnir is doing."

The way she said it, Sharah could only assume the intent was turning dangerous. "And what is that?"

Johanna replied slowly, "Hafnir put me in charge of observing the Fighters Guild. I thought it was just to learn what made you so successful. But he seemed more interested in how the death of Vitellus Donton was affecting your guild. I didn't figure it out at first. But I did when Viranus Donton passed, and Hafnir started assembling Companions just north of the border…without telling the Circle." The Nord looked Sharah in the eye. "He plans to force the Fighters Guild out of Bruma and build another mead hall for the Companions. He already knows all about your Bruma hall. All your members, your methods, your strengths and weaknesses. I was in charge of sending Companions to infiltrate the city and your guild, and get the information back to Hafnir. He's probably found someone else since I left."

Sharah's eyes narrowed, and demanded, "I want to know exactly where this camp is. And I want to know the names of everyone you sent into my guild." Her inner wolf's hackles rose. She was not going to like what she heard next.

Uh-oh...what's coming next? You'll find out on the next update.