Bethesda wishes they owned Winterbell. /sarcasm But they merely own everything else in this story. Gipfel: no offence taken. Dren will be a fairly major character, so who knows what will happen... (Actually I do, but I'm keeping it a secret). Also, ancestral ghosts and bonewalkers cast drain attribute spells that wear off after a while. –[)

Winterbell gave Ajira the flowers without a word and, after casting some healing spells, tumbled into bed, not even bothering take her sword off. She did not rest peacefully, often mumbling angrily in her sleep. Sharn seemed to hover around her almost protectively, much to the puzzlement of the other guild members.

Winterbell slept for a full day, finally waking in the early hours of the next morning. She took advantage of the deserted guildhall to sit and think for quite a while. She sorted the objects in her bag, but didn't feel like facing the irritating task of selling her goods. She propped the skull up on her desk, where it weighted down some heather.

When the others arrived for start of business Winterbell was silently making potions. Ajira had rewarded her with an alembic and Winterbell was bent over it, frowning in concentration as she tried to get proportions just right. Sensing her desire to be left alone, the others left her to it without comment.

At the end of the day Ajira padded up to her and gently suggested that she should eat something. Winterbell blinked at her, and started cleaning up her workbench. Ajira, Estildir and Marayn held an impromptu conference around Marayn's desk.

"She's still acting oddly. What do you think happened to her?"

"She'd absorbed a lot of magicka. That's enough to unbalance anybody temporarily."

"But how could she have absorbed that much? It was practically coming out her ears. Only someone practiced in the school of mysticism could do that."

"Even then they wouldn't. It was magicka wasted, it was overflowing."

"Maybe it was an accident."

"I sent her out for flowers. Why did she come back with armour and a skull of all things?"

"I don't like to say this...but maybe, maybe she's been looting tombs." Estidalin suggested, with a worried look at Marayn. He frowned,

"All right, I'm not offended. I know it goes on, especially among non-elvish races. Even Dunmer have been known to raid the tombs of others' ancestors. It could get her in serious trouble with the Temple though, if they found out."

Sharn, who had obviously been listening in, walked up with a determined frown on her face.

"The Temple won't find out then, will they? We wouldn't turn in one of our own to those mage-hating religious fanatics."

The others were startled by the vehemence of her statement.

"Well of course we won't turn her in."

Winterbell watched the conspiratorial group in the corner with a shrewd idea what they were discussing. Rolling her eyes and jangling some coins in her pocket, she went out for dinner.

"Let them think whatever they want. My business is my own and no one else's."

Of course, things didn't work like that in the Mage's Guild. Now that Winterbell was up and about, the Orcish alchemist seemed to pay even more attention, 'just happening' to pass her desk several times a day. Winterbell got a bit sick of having her work eyed so often, but didn't say anything, preferring to wait and see what Sharn was playing at.

She didn't have to wait long. Two days after her return Winterbell had run out of useful things to do with her ingredients, and was carefully storing any left over mushrooms and flowers for her next session. It was the seventh day of the week, and the Mage's Guild was only open in the morning. Ranis and Masaline had zapped off to Vivec; Ranis to do some business and Masaline all dressed up and giggling about seeing a play. Marayn had left early, muttering darkly about having to write some letters.

Winterbell was aware of the Orc sidling closer, but ignored her, instead trying to untangle some chokeweed from some heather. Finally Sharn was standing at Winterbell's desk,

"That's an interesting skull you have there." she said in a rather too casual tone. Winterbell picked up the skull and examined it,

"Yes, it is interesting isn't it? It's got all these things scratched into it. That's why I picked it up." She eyed the Orc, daring her to come to the point.

"Well, I... collect... unusual things. I am NOT a necromancer! That is, if you haven't got any use for it..." Sharn trailed off, her eyes looking everywhere but at Winterbell. Winterbell said nothing, merely raising an eyebrow.

"I'll give you five hundred drakes for it!" Sharn finally offered. Winterbell gave a sharp, triumphant little smile and shoved the skull into the Orc's hand. "Deal!"

It's amazing what money can do. By the next day Sharn had handed over the five hundred gold, and with her coin bag now bulging, Winterbell finally had the impetus to do some business. Her travelling pack now full of potions, some homemade, scrolls and weaponry, she went on a tour of Balmora's business district.

Winterbell drove a hard bargain, and by lunchtime had more than doubled her wealth. Now it was time to go shopping. Winterbell visited the tailor's, the alchemist's, the smith's and she even went to the Temple for restoration and illusion spells. She also bought spells from her colleagues and by the end of the day she was almost in a good mood.

She handed Ajira back her robe politely, and graciously accepted promotion. She now had several plain robes for travelling and a more expensive, green one for when she was in town. The other mages breathed a sigh of relief; maybe their new recruit had finally settled in and would be happy as an affluent alchemist. Of course, Winterbell was thinking the exact opposite, having invested in a better bow and some more combative spells.

Marayn wandered up and complemented Winterbell on her new robe. Winterbell shrugged indifferently.

"Are you going to be all right now? You haven't seemed very well since you got here."

"I have never been and I doubt I will ever be 'very well'. But I have made a decision. Forty years is a long time to waste, and I don't plan on wasting any more." There was an undercurrent of resentful anger in Winterbell's voice, but she seemed calm. Marayn regarded her thoughtfully and told her to take care of herself. Winterbell seemed to find this amusing for some reason, and assured him that she would do no such thing.

With the Mage's Guild restored to relative calm, Ajira gave Winterbell more duties. None of them, to the mage's disappointment, required her to leave Balmora, so she spent the first half of the morning buying Ajira various pieces of equipment.

Winterbell walked back carefully, her arms full of ceramic goods. Placing them on Ajira's desk she looked around with puzzlement.

"Where's Ajira?" she asked Masaline.

"I don't know. She was here a second ago, how very strange." The Breton peered around.

"Aah!" Winterbell yelped, as a furry hand wrapped around her ankle. Winterbell stepped back, and a very angry alchemist crawled out from under the desk. Her green eyes flashing with fury, Ajira was practically incoherent with rage.

"You!...They...she's...where...grrrrr! That bitch has stolen my reports!" She yowled.

"Reports?" Winterbell questioned cautiously.

"You! Find them! Now!" Ajira snarled at Winterbell and then looked at Masaline, "You look as well!"

"But I'm working." Masaline protested. Ajira growled, showing her pointed canines, Masaline backed off, "I'm looking, I'm looking!" she said, scurrying away from the fuming Kaijit.

Winterbell prowled about, looking under beds and in baskets, much to the amusement of the other mages, especially Ranis. When she opened a chest full of Marayn's notes, she realized that there were a million places the reports could be, and decided to talk to the enchanter herself.

Galbedir was not in the least surprised to see her. The wood elf was lounging at her desk, listening to the chaos below with a faint smile.

"Where did you hide them?" Winterbell asked wearily.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Galbedir in a surprisingly high and girlish voice, "I'm sure that Kaijit has just misplaced them in her old age."

"Look, I have no idea what she did to you," Winterbell lied, "But her next promotion is dependant on these reports."

"You are a good little catspaw, excuse the pun, aren't you?"

"I do chores for her because Ranis told me to. I'm as much an enchanter as I am an alchemist. I don't enjoy these stupid little games you're playing."

"You poor thing." Galbedir said in mock-sympathy, rolling her eyes. Winterbell's eyebrow twitched, but she said nothing.

"Seriously, I do feel sorry for you. It must be awful taking orders from her. I suppose I've had my fun. My work is all but finished anyway, there's no way Ajira will get that promotion." Galbedir sighed dramatically and told Winterbell where she had hidden the reports.

Ajira's glee at recovering her reports could probably have been heard from Red Mountain. Winterbell said merely that Galbedir had pointed her to them, but Ajira took this as an admission of guilt. Her cries of 'Thief' brought the enchanter down from the top floor to defend her honour.

Ajira claimed Galbedir was a thief, Galbedir claimed that Ajira was losing her mind. Sharn frowned over a book, her fingers jammed firmly in her ears. Ajira argued that Galbedir should be expelled for stealing; Galbedir claimed it was time for Ajira to retire. Marayn and Estirdalin sat in silence over some tea, trying to ignore the shouting match. Ajira cast aspersions on Galbedir's expertise as an enchanter; Galbedir accused Ajira of cheating her customers. Masaline hovered between them, trying ineffectually to calm them down. Ajira implied that Galbedir was of loose morals; Galbedir suggested that Ajira was inbred. Ranis wandered downstairs with a nasty little smile to watch the show. Winterbell changed into a plain robe, strapped on her sword and bow, and stalked upstairs, declaring loudly that she was going out for a while, and would be back at some later time.

The front door slammed shut behind Winterbell. The argument continued below, unabated. A minute or two later, the door to the second floor balcony creaked open, and Winterbell poked her head around it cautiously, listening. Satisfied that everyone was downstairs and would remain that way for at least a little while, Winterbell slipped in, closing the door quietly and carefully behind her. Once again the soul gems mesmerized her. She stood, paralysed by indecision for a while, and then with a determined, angry little smile, she swept the soul gems into her bag and left, just as quietly as she had come in.

Winterbell arrived back at the Mage's Guild the next morning, once again her bag full of weapons and armour, and feeling light-headed and weak from magicka loss. She raided the supply box, and wandered downstairs. The scene that met her eyes was eerily similar to the one she had left the previous day.

Galbedir was by turns abusing Ajira and hysterically bemoaning her loss. Ajira was indignantly and vocally protesting her innocence while Estirdalin was simultaneously trying to back her up and calm her down. Masaline was comforting Galbedir and Marayn was trying unsuccessfully inject some logic into the proceedings. Ranis did not seem worried, but did decide this was a perfect opportunity to give a lecture on why the Mage's Guild should be locked up at night. Sharn periodically bellowed at everyone, telling them to kindly shut up. There was also a little old Dunmer there, who had apparently come in to get a potion for his warts. He was being totally ignored.

Carefully schooling her expression into one of puzzled bemusement and just a hint of worry, Winterbell stepped around the unfortunate customer and raised her own voice,

"What by all the Daedra is going on in here?!"

There was a brief few seconds of silence, then, "What about my warts?" And the shouting continued as loud as before. Marayn eventually threw up his hands and stepped away from the group, joining Winterbell in the doorway with a brief explanation.

"So, someone walked in, through a door that wasn't locked, and collected some gems that weren't even in a desk."

Marayn sighed and ran his hand over his hair, "Yeah, I know, she put them on display because it impresses the customers, but she stopped locking them up at night after a few years."

"I don't think Ajira did it."

"Neither do I. It's too obvious, and it's stooping to Galbedir's level. Besides, I don't think you can fake that level of indignation."

"Ranis is really enjoying this."

"Unfortunately yes, I sometimes think...no, never mind."

"What?"

Marayn's deep red eyes regarded Winterbell for a few moments, "I just wish she'd go. Retire or get promoted or something. This place used to be a lot nicer before she came here. I dunno. Forget it, I didn't say anything."

Winterbell looked thoughtful as she took off her sword and placed her bag on the floor; carefully, so the gems in the bottom of it didn't clink together.