Merlac closed the front door behind him and walked to the wooden mailbox. At that moment, he realised how frustrated he actually was. Though Merlac didn't want to admit it, he missed the old times more than Milo knew. Getting the daily mail was probably the most exciting adventure of the day.
When Merlac opened the wooden mailbox, he first thought it was empty, until he noticed a small, black rose on the bottom. Merlac picked up the rose and turned around to walk back to the house, wondering who had put the strange flower into his mailbox.
Suddenly, Merlac heard a sharp sound behind him, but when he turned around, he didn't see anything. As he turned around again, he was just able to see a dark figure in a nearby tree, before a small, wooden dart hit the mailbox only half-an-inch from Merlac's neck.
As Merlac jumped away from the mailbox, two men dressed in pitch black clothes jumped down from the tree, and revealed their sharp daggers. Merlac was able to see some kind of liquid in the tips of the daggers, so they would probably be poisoned.
"Now what the hell is this", Merlac yelled as the two attackers approached him slowly.
The men didn't say anything, but the nearest of them jumped forward and slashed toward Merlac with his dagger. Merlac barely evaded the blade and tried to hit the man, but missed.
"You're not very agile, old man", the other man whispered. That was too much for Merlac.
"Excuse me! Not agile enough? I'll show you agile", Merlac yelled, ripped the mailbox from the ground and smashed it against the man. The man coughed in pain and the other ran forward to help his friend.
"It has been seven god-damned years since I saved your butts, and I thought it would be nice to show me some gratitude, but nooo, that's too much, isn't it? You have to call me clumsy and try to kill me while picking up the god damn MAIL", Merlac roared and grabbed a long, wooden piece of the broken mailbox.
The man slashed Merlac again, but this time Merlac used the piece of wood to hit the dagger out of the man's hand. The man yelled in pain as Merlac hit him again, this time to leg.
"Is this agile enough, huh? Two versus one is not enough? Come on, bring all your friends with you next time", Merlac yelled after the two men, as they got up from the ground and ran down the hill.
Merlac cursed one more time and threw the piece of wood after the escaping men.
"What was that? What happened", asked Milo who had just ran outside to see who was yelling.
"Damn I missed that, I instantly felt seven years younger", Merlac grinned and started examining the wooden dart on the ground.
"Who were those men", Milo asked, still sounding very worried.
"I don't know, they had their faces covered."
"What is that"
"This? Oh, I'd bet this is a poisonous dart that should be in my neck at the moment."
"They tried to kill you? Why in the name of Almsivi"
"I have no idea… but I'm going to find out", Merlac said and kneeled down. He took a black glove from the ground and examined it.
"Those men left that"
"Yeah… they both had similar clothes, so I might be dealing with some organised stuff here. I have to admit I'm a bit worried."
"So… what now", Milo asked and put his hands around Merlac's chest.
"I have never seen gloves like this, but I know a man who just might."
"Well? Who is it? Oh…no, no…don't tell me… should have guessed…"
"Yep, should have.", Merlac grinned when he saw from the look on Milo's face that they had exactly the same person in their mind.
"Don't tell me you are going to Ebonheart, please", Milo begged Merlac as they walked towards the house again.
"What am I supposed to do instead? Ask for help from the Imperial guards? Or sit back and wait for next visitors"
Milo was about to say something, but she closed her mouth again when she understood there was no way to change his husband's mind. When they reached the house, Merlac walked straight to the room filled with his precious items and weapons.
"Err… what are you doing", Milo asked.
"Packing.", Merlac answered simply, opened a tall glass-locker, and took out a polished ebony longsword.
"Where are you going to need weapons, if you are just going to Ebonheart to see Achen"
"I might need to persuade him."
"You… WHAT? Oh… that's not funny", Milo yelled when she realised she had almost eaten Merlac's joke.
"Sorry honey, but really, this isn't just going to be a walk in the park. Those assassins were clearly part of a some kind of organised guild or something, and you can't just meet then and ask politely to stop being assassinated."
Merlac pondered the two-handed longsword and its balance, and decided to put it back to the locker.
"I knew it! You have been waiting for something like this to happen, you just can't stand living a 'normal' life…", Milo said sadly and watched as Merlac took another sword from the locker, this time a shorter ebony broadsword with sparkling magical enhancements on it.
"Well… I guess you're right, but that's not going to change anything. I can't live like this and wait for another assassination attempt, I have to find out who are they, and do it before they even realise I'm about to strike back.", Merlac said and walked to the other side of the room with the broadsword on his hand.
"In that case… I'm coming with you.", Milo said firmly. At this point Merlac finally stopped packing and stared at Milo.
"You what? Oh no, no, no! You will stay out of this, I would die rather than let you bring yourself into any kind of danger at all.", Merlac said while pointing at Milo with his finger.
"Oh? Is that so 'Mr. General Nerevar, Sir?'", Milo said sarcastically and took a small crossbow from a nearby locker.
"What are you going to do with that"
"Packing it, Sir", Milo said and put the crossbow into a small bag she had taken from a wooden desk of drawers.
"No, you are not", Merlac said, grabbed the crossbow from the bag and put it back to where Milo had taken it from.
"Merlac, you are not leaving without me"
"I'm sorry dear, but this is men's business, stay home, you will be safe here as they are probably only after me.", Merlac said sounding apologetic, and opened a large glass-shelf with rings and amulets on it.
"Merlac…", Milo said finally.
"Yes, dear", Merlac said while carefully choosing three magical rings from the shelf and putting one golden amulet into his neck.
"Be careful, ok? Just be careful…"
Merlac sighed and turned around.
"Of course I'll be, I promise… and I love you…", Merlac said and gave a gentle kiss to Milo's lips.
"I will see you soon then, I guess…", Milo said sadly when Merlac turned around and walked to the door.
"Cya honey", Merlac greeted one more time, and was just about to walk through the doorway as Milo yelled after him.
"Wait! Merlac, you forgot something"
Merlac turned around and rose his eyebrows.
"Like what"
Milo walked to the shelf containing the rings and amulets Merlac had gathered during his journeys, and took a small, golden ring into his hand. Milo saw how the surprised expression on Merlac's face slowly turned into a smile, as Milo smoothly fondled the small shape of a moon with her fingers.
"You ARE a jewel, Milo", Merlac grinned and let the girl gently put the ring into his finger.
"If you are trying to be Nerevarine, and protect the people of Morrowind, it might help if you wouldn't forget the most important icon of your position.", Milo smiled.
"The Moon-and-Star", Merlac thought in his mind. Though many years ago, he still remembered the day like yesterday, when he and Achen had found the Cavern of the Incarnate, which sealed Merlac's destiny as the protector of all people in Morrowind.
"How about the robe of Hortator", should you take it as well", Milo asked.
"No… I don't think so. After the battle for Red Mountain those Hortator-items have been only symbols, the fact is there will be a new Hortator in case he is needed again. Besides, I don't want to draw too much attention out there…"
"Sure… when will you be back"
Merlac slowly walked to the doorway again and spoke quietly.
"I'm not sure… if this indeed has something to do with a some kind of organised guild, this might take awhile… but I promise, I will come home as soon as this is settled."
Merlac took one more look at his love, and then walked through the doorway while still putting his belt on. If lucky, all this might be over in just a few days, but Merlac knew things were never that easy. There might be something bigger, much bigger behind all this…
Milo stared through the window as Merlac sheathed his sword and walked down the hill, towards Balmora's silt strider service…