They arrived in complete darkness. Winterbell released Marayan and the mage stumbled, hissing in pain. Winterbell put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. With a snap of her fingers and a little spark of magicka a single candle flickered into life.

The room smelled slightly musty, and there was a thick layer of dust coating the meagre furnishings. There was a bed frame in the corner, and some empty shelves and urns. The only other furniture was a table with two chairs, scarred and scratched with years of use. Marayan sheathed his sword and looked around, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the low light.
"Where are we?"
"My house, well, room." Winterbell replied, motioning for him to sit. "I dropped a mark spell as soon as I bought the place."
Marayan collapsed into a chair, looking rather dazed. He rested his head in his hand, "That was horrible. What have I done?"
Winterbell knelt down and held her hands above one of Marayan's wounds. Her eyebrow twitched in concentration as she cast healing spells. "You've never killed someone before?" She asked with the calm, disinterested tone of healers everywhere who want their patients to keep talking, and not look down at the gory process of being patched up.
"Of course I have. Father made us all go out to fight bandits at some stage. I just, I do not know what the consequences of all this will be. Have you finished yet?" he glanced down irritably. Winterbell raised both her eyebrows. "Sorry." He muttered, cowed by her gaze.
"Consider yourself lucky that I know this spell at all. My skills lie in causing damage, not repairing it. There you go, you'll live." She stood up, wincing as her back clicked in a dozen places. Marayan gingerly touched the new flesh beneath the tears in his armour. "Don't prod it!" Winterbell snapped.
"Thank you." He said softly. He noticed her sway slightly, and worry flickered in his eyes. "Do you have any more potions?"
"Nope." She said shortly, sinking tiredly into the other chair, "I'll be all right. I'm just a bit drained."

Marayan stood and opened a window. Shouting echoed from across the river, and the more inquisitive citizens ventured out to discuss the excitement. There were sounds of celebration from the Southwall Corner Club.
"News travels fast." Marayan observed, shutting the window down to a crack. He sighed, "I wish I'd had some more lunch."
"You can check the urns if you like, but I'm willing to bet anything that wasn't taken away has been eaten by rats."
"I don't need to go to those extremes just yet."

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the drama unfolding across town. At one point several guards visited the Southwall, gruff exclamations of suspicion and denial floating in with the cool night air.
"You did all right." Winterbell said finally, "Velas wasn't a pushover."
Marayan shook his head, "I'm no warrior. You're far more skilled than I am."
"You don't give yourself enough credit. You've got skills; they're just a bit rusty."
"There's not much call for warrior mages around Balmora." He looked down at his hands, "It's not as if I can just up and leave." He added quietly. Winterbell didn't answer, instead running her nail along one of the scratches in the table.

"I owe you an explanation for all this, don't I?"
Winterbell looked up from her reverie, "You don't have to explain now. It's late." She said tiredly.
"I know," he glanced around the room sombrely, "but I should tell you what I think is going on."
"Well then, I'm listening."
"You know of my brother, correct?"
"The Duke, yes."

"I have another brother, Orvas. He's a Hlaalu councillor and he runs the family plantation in the Ascadian Isles."
"Sounds idyllic."

"He and Vedam have never seen eye to eye. About anything really. Anyway, what isn't generally known is that Orvas, Orvas is the boss of the Cammona Tong."
Winterbell blinked and sat up, "Now I see." She nodded in understanding. "That's why you didn't believe the Cammona Tong would kill a Hlaalu noble."
"I still don't believe it. No matter what Orvas thinks of Vedam, he's a Hlaalu. How could be betray the House in this way?"
"The order may not have come from him."
"I'd like to think that, I really would. But he has a very hands-on approach to running the Tong. I can't imagine any of his captains taking it upon themselves to do this thing without permission."
"So you think he's capable of such a thing?"
"I don't know what to think. After what Vedam said-" he pulled himself up. Winterbell regarded him steadily. "Err."
"You don't have to tell me your family business. I now know enough to understand tonight's little adventure."
"Honestly, and they wanted to make me a councillor. I have all the diplomacy skills of a drunken netch sometimes."
Winterbell gave a tired half-smile, "You certainly do better as a mage."
"He helped me, you know," Marayan said in a melancholy tone, "Orvas did. Father wanted me to be a career Hlaalu, or maybe a priest. Vivec knows I couldn't have stood up to him by myself, I was too young. Orvas argued my case for me. Vedam sided with Father, as usual. I'll never forget that."
Winterbell looked thoughtful, "You certainly owe him one for that. However," a cautionary note entered her voice, "that doesn't necessarily entail eternal gratitude."
"You think I should turn him in as a traitor?" Marayan snarled. Winterbell flinched in surprise,
"I certainly didn't imply that. As far as I'm concerned Velas was responsible for the death of Hlaalo, we need not take it further. I simply mean you shouldn't judge your brother by one deed alone."
"I know, I'm sorry, Winterbell." He stood up and briefly laid one of his hands on hers, "I have to report something of this incident to Vedam. I do not look forward to it."
Winterbell nodded, and got to her feet, "It looks like the fuss has died down. I suggest we get some sleep. We can talk to Nileno in the morning."
"About that, I'd rather you kept my name out of it. I'd rather not have either of my brothers know what part I played in all of this. I'm sure Nileno would be discreet, but if one of my brothers asked she'd answer."
"All right."

They walked across the bridge in silence. By unspoken agreement they avoided other people. They parted ways outside the Eight Plates. Marayn smiled strangely,
"You know, it was sort of fun, playing detective. I envy you sometimes; you have so much freedom."
"Freedom yes. Freedom to expire in the wilderness, or be torn apart by outlaws. It's freedom to die for, all right." Winterbell answered with gentle sarcasm.
"You seem to think it's worth it." He pointed out.
"I haven't got anything to lose. I'll see you tomorrow, Dren." She turned and walked toward the Mage's Guild.

Winterbell went to the Council House early the next morning. She showed Nileno Hlaalo's folio and explained her actions of the previous day. As requested, she kept Marayan's name out of it. Nileno frowned a bit disapprovingly when she heard about Winterbell's break and enter, but the sheer relief that somehow the problem had resolved itself overnight meant that Winterbell was absolved of all wrongdoing against the House.

"Even though you are Telvanni, you have done right by House Hlaalu, and we are grateful. The reward of one thousand gold is yours."
Winterbell looked slightly horrified, "You know I'm in House Telvanni?"
"Well of course we do. We keep an eye on the new recruits in both other Houses. Especially those doing as well as you are."
"Oh. Well. Thank you for the gold." Winterbell gave an awkward bow and walked away, deep in thought.

The Mage's Guild, like the entire town, was buzzing about the hit on the Cammona Tong the night before. Winterbell got some suspicious looks, but neither confirmed nor denied her part in the drama. Marayan was doing his best to act normally, his nose scraping at a copy of Thurmacological Paradigms of Advanced Meta-Magics Vol. III. Winterbell was by now heartily sick of the whole business and decided that the other mages needed distracting.

"I'm moving to my house today." She announced, "And I'll need some help shifting stuff."
With visible relief Marayan closed his book, "I'll help."
"I can lend a hand." Estirdalen offered cheerfully. Ajira said she was sorry, but she should really stay and mind her goods.
The three started packing. As soon a Masaline arrived in a cloud of magicka from Vivec she offered to help as well. The large number of helpers was more of a hindrance in the relatively small space, but it all got done somehow. When everything was stored in boxes and bags Marayan cast feather on himself and Winterbell drank a fortify strength potion with a grimace. There was an impromptu competition to see who could carry the most and the pair followed Estirdalin, who decided to walk ahead and make sure they didn't bump into anyone.

Estirdalin offered to help Winterbell unpack all her things, but Winterbell grinned and said she could do it herself. Winterbell did not spend much time unpacking, instead she cast telekinesis, and soon the air was full of floating goods. She did not pay much attention to where she put things, and in no time the place was a comfortable mess.

Winterbell could avoid Ranis no longer. The Guild Captain ordered Winterbell to get rid, one way or another, of an Argonian who was apparently teaching restoration without a guild licence. Winterbell accepted the orders with an extremely grim look.

The Argonian was working quite openly in the Southwall Cornerclub. Winterbell approached him in a rather subdued manner, no trace of menace or aggression in her voice or eyes. The Argonian offered her a deal right away. In exchange for training Winterbell would lie to Ranis and say that the Argonian had been persuaded to stop. Winterbell smiled,
"It's a deal then." She shook the Argonian's scaly hand, and turned to walk away.
"What about your training?" He asked.
"I don't need any training." Winterbell replied and walked out, leaving the Argonian scratching his head in puzzlement. Winterbell stalked back to the Guild. Ranis accepted Winterbell's assurances that the Argonian was out of business, and seemed not to notice the veiled anger in Winterbell's gaze.

Winterbell didn't hang around for more orders, instead taking the next stilt strider to Gnisis. She went over what Nileno said; it seemed a fair bet that Redoran would have some idea of her allegiances as well. How long would it be before it got back to someone in the Mage's Guild, she wondered. She hoped Baladas would have some answers.

For once the weather in Gnisis was good, with the sun sparkling off the river and the wind whipping playfully at the lines of washing strung between the Redoran-style houses. Winterbell saw Zergonipal sunning himself of the roof of Baladas's dome, the lizard-like daedra stretched out on warm stone.

Baladas greeted Winterbell cordially and beckoned her over,
"I've got something to show you, I think you'll find it interesting."
"It's enormous!"
"Yes, that was a bit of a surprise to me too. But it's definitely supposed to be like that."
"You could use it as a weapon, I suppose."
"Well, it might be a bit delicate for that. I think you'll find its use lies elsewhere."
"So you made it yourself?"
"I had one of the armourers in town actually make it. I'm not much for metalwork."
Winterbell picked up the spiky piece of metal. "You got this from that little roll of parchment?"
"The code was quite simple, practically a plan, in fact. I think it's a key, probably for the lower levels of Arkngthand."
Winterbell wrapped the key in an old robe so its spikes wouldn't catch on things and put it in her bag, "Thank you. I see I shall have to return to the ruin."
"Have you ever run into Dwemer constructs before, Winterbell?"
"Well, no."
"Hmm, well, let me introduce you to one." The Telvanni walked over to the hissing ball that had captured Winterbell's attention on her first visit. "This is a modified construct. You won't come across any quite like this in any ruins." He gestured to the device, "Awake!" He ordered. Winterbell gasped as the device unfolded itself into a roughly humanoid form. Steam jetted from its joints as it straightened, its final height about half a foot taller than Baladas. Electricity crackled around its claw-like hand. "This is a Shock Centurion, a modified Centurion Sphere. It took me quite a few decades to get him working properly."
Winterbell walked over to the construct, its green optic sensor focusing on her as she approached.
"It's incredible!" She breathed, entranced. Baladas smiled proudly,
"I don't get recognition for my work often. You can touch it if you like. Just don't act in any way threatening, it's been ordered to defend itself."
Winterbell lightly touched the warm metal, keeping her hands well away from the smouldering claw. Eventually the machine folded back in on itself. "That's its watch mode. It folds back when nothing happens after a certain length of time."
"It's amazing."
"No Winterbell," Baladas smiled again, "you're amazing. Fancy taking on the Tong on behalf of Hlaalu. You never cease to surprise me."
"Can I do anything without you finding out about it?"

I didn't like this chapter much. But I can't put my finger on why exactly. Writing it in an exhausted state probably didn't help. Morrowind owned by Bethesda. Mushroom Hunter totally pwn3d by lack of sleep. The next chapter will hopefully have more interesting stuff in it. - D