Morrowind is owned by Bethesda Softworks. I really will have to stop writing long enough to play the expansions sometime. - D

Baladas served tea and folded his long frame into a chair in front of the fire; his home always seemed slightly too cold, no matter what the weather outside. His demeanour was now more serious as he knitted his fingers and gazed at Winterbell intently.

"You are going to have to make some difficult decisions, Winterbell. Things have been remarkably easy for you so far, but it is only a matter of time before your...peculiar system of allegiances becomes known." Winterbell started to say something but Baladas held up his hand, "Let me continue. I am not suggesting that you try to prevent this. Delaying it would be helpful, but unless you do something as drastic as leaving the island or resigning from the Guild it is inevitable."
"I take it I can't leave the House." Winterbell remarked dryly.
"Of course you can't. House membership is usually familial; you can't leave your House in the way that you cannot leave your family."
"I wouldn't say it was that difficult to leave your family."
"You may travel to the ends of the earth, but you are still your father's heir and your mother's child."
"Humph. All right then, so I can't leave the House. I don't particularly want to anyway."
"My point is that you will need to maintain control over the situation. You need allies, willing or not. This is especially important with regards to the Mage's Guild. If other Telvanni feel threatened by you they'll try to kill you Mage's Guild or otherwise."
"Really? I haven't noticed any attempts on my life so far."
Baladas smirked, "It has not gone unnoticed that you are more than welcome in my house. I have ensured this, partly to protect you and partly to unsettle certain other people. I may be mostly ignored, but I am still respected, even feared in some quarters. However, I am not a member of the council. Eventually you'll need a patron more involved in House politics. You needn't worry about that yet though."
"How am I supposed to get people on my side?"
"Use your head, Winterbell. Everyone has their price, and their secrets."
"Blackmail and bribery."
"You needn't sound so precious about it. This is what politics is really about. Offering people what they want and threatening to take away what they already have."
Winterbell stared into her cup, "I have been...avoiding thinking about the consequences of all of this." She admitted. "The two worlds seem so separate."
"You have been playing the fool so far. A lucky fool; but a fool nonetheless." The Telvanni regarded her thoughtfully, "What exactly do you want from all of this, Winterbell?"
"I wish I knew. I started out surviving. Freedom, money, respect; I have all of these things now, things I could never have dreamed of having in Cyrodil. I want...I want to snap my fingers at all of them and say 'Look at me now, look what you could have had in your fancy guilds and attending your fancy schools. See how powerful, how dangerous, how wealthy I am!'" Winterbell stopped, looking rather shocked at the outburst. Baladas seemed a bit taken aback also. He blinked a couple times, and then gave one of his satisfied, dangerous smiles,
"Resentment and anger. Sometimes you remind me of me, Winterbell. Only far more daring, and lucky." Baladas seemed to be considering something, "You know, Winterbell," his voice was low and seductive; "you could make history. Do the impossible, the unthinkable." Winterbell looked startled,
"What? What could I do?"
"Unite them. Lead them both. Tevanni and the Guild."
"Me? Archmagister?"
"I remember when Gotheren was rising in the ranks. He's nowhere near as intelligent as you, but he had the same drive, the same energy." Winterbell looked almost horrified at Baladas's words,
"I couldn't...it would be impossible."
"Well," he said abruptly, "it was just an idea. I'm always getting them, although they often don't amount to much. Concentrate on keeping yourself alive and secure."
"I think that's more than enough to be getting on with." Winterbell said warily. She felt exposed, vulnerable. She had not intended to reveal any of her feelings to Baladas, and she was grateful that he hadn't questioned her about them.
"Do you know anything of Ranis Athrys?" She asked suddenly, steering the conversation onto less dangerous ground. Baladas didn't seem to mind the sudden tangent,
"Not a lot. She runs the Balmora Guild-hall. I gather she is competent but not popular. Why?"
"She sent me to get rid of an unlicensed trainer. A fairly harmless one I might add."
"Ah yes," Baladas smiled, "the famous Mage's Guild Monopoly. I hear we're trying again to get it overturned. Aryon was holding talks with House Hlaalu last I heard. I freely admit bias, but I do think it is an unfair law."
"I just thought no one would bother chasing up such a minor infraction. No one in the Balmora Guild teaches restoration anyway."
"You have put your finger on exactly why it is unfair. There are five Mage's Guild halls on the entire island. The major towns get their services, but what about places like Molag Mar, the isolated Bitter Coast towns, and even here in Gnisis? I do not believe repealing the law will advantage Telvanni that much. Telvanni towns welcome only other Telvanni, and it's legal to sell training within one's own house."
"There are people," Winterbell stated firmly, "who cannot and will never be able to afford Guild prices."
"Oh, yes. There's that aspect too, I suppose."
"I do not wish to do wrong by the Guild."
"Then don't mention the Monopoly. It's become a point of pride for the Guild now, even though if the three Houses vote against it the Guild will have no say in the matter. You have done well by the Guild so far. Keep it that way. It will work in your favour."
"I intend to. But Athrys..."
"Rubs you the wrong way? Might I suggest you steer clear of Gotheren then? I do not think you would get along."
"I intend to." Winterbell said shortly, standing up and collecting her bag.
"You intend." Baladas said softly, "Well, we'll see."

Baladas had given Winterbell a lot to think about, and so she took her leave of him as soon as was polite. Winterbell stood in front of Arvs Drelen in the afternoon light, trying to decide where to go next. Winterbell had developed a reputation for reliability and discretion, and she was handed jobs by both factions on a regular basis. For once her age worked in her favour; mages were more likely to trust someone who appeared to be older and more experienced. After observing some of the people who came in for training to the various guild-halls, Winterbell could see why.

There was a soft grunting sound, and Winterbell turned to see Zergonipal nimbly climbing down the side of the dome. His claws flexed and he bobbed his head as he approached the mage. Winterbell assumed he was being friendly. The daedra seemed far more interested in Winterbell's bag than in Winterbell herself. She let him sniff at it; all her ingredients were safely stowed in her house. He tried to chew at her netch leather documents bag, but Winterbell calmly admonished him and firmly pulled it away.

Winterbell was petting the beast when she felt a prickle at the back of her neck, as if she was being watched. She continued to scratch Zergonipal's shoulder, and surreptitiously searching for the watcher out of the corner of her eye. She noticed a figure in a robe under the rock arch that marked the entrance to Gnisis. Winterbell's eyes weren't what they once were, and she blinked irritably, now certain that the figure was watching her, but unable to see who it was.

It seemed to be stalemate. The watcher wasn't going to move while Winterbell was still there. Winterbell made a show of looking at the sky and yawning, and then turned to go back into the dome, clicking her fingers so Zergonipal would follow her.

Winterbell left the door open a crack and peered though, Zergonipal drooling interestedly on her shoulder, the daedra presumably thinking this was some kind of game. Winterbell didn't even notice, her attention fixed solely on the sliver of light. Winterbell had lost sight of the watcher, but several minutes later an Orc in a green robe strode though Winterbell's limited view. Winterbell still couldn't identify the Orc, but when a guard greeted her Winterbell recognized her voice instantly. Sharn.

Winterbell felt icy panic clutch her heart, and her first instinct was to run. Her second instinct was to set Zergonipal on the alchemist, and her third was to ask Baladas for help. Winterbell did none of these things, instead taking a rather shaky breath and thinking.
"Strider to Ald'ruhn...four hours at least, assuming one's leaving now...Ald'ruhn to Balmora...instantaneous. Wait, the guild will be shut by the time she gets there. Ok, so I've got some time." Winterbell took a deep breath and shouted up the stairs, "Baladas! I'm borrowing Zergonipal for an hour or two. It's urgent!"
"You needn't shout." Winterbell jumped as the wizard appeared next to her. He held out a bag. "The contents of this bag are nauseating, but they are guaranteed to have Zergonipal drooling on your shoes within a minute if he wanders too far away."
"Thank you." Winterbell took the bag gingerly. She pushed open the door carefully, to make sure Sharn was out of sight, and then she clicked her fingers at Zergonipal again and the unusual pair made their way to the rock arch. Baladas watched them go with a bemused expression.

Once they were under the granite overhang, Winterbell presented her bag to Zergonipal. He sniffed it as he had done before. Winterbell then led him around the area where the orc had been standing.
"Come on," Winterbell said anxiously, "that big nose must be useful for something. She smells, all alchemists smell. Find her. Come on Zergonipal, find!"
The big daedra blinked at her hopefully and nuzzled her bag again.
"No, not me. Find the other alchemist. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Suddenly the daedroth gave a delighted snuffling sound and bounded over a hill. Winterbell ran after him, heedless of the weeds snagging at her robe.

Winterbell crested the hill to see Zergonipal bring his claws down on a nix, its mate already dead in a puddle of blood and poison. The daedroth threw his head back and gave a victorious howl before tearing into the unfortunate nix. Winterbell slapped her forehead in frustration,
"No, we're not going nix hunting you stupid creature. You're supposed to be seeking Sharn."
At the word 'seek' the daedroth dropped the nix and trotted back to Winterbell. He sniffed at her bag and took off again, this time in a different direction, with his snout to the ground. "Yes!" Winterbell grinned triumphantly.

Winterbell was gasping for breath by the time Zergonipal finally stopped. She staggered up behind him and leaned against a tree. The daedroth had his nose to a wooden door, and was pawing at it, his poison claws leaving scars in the wood. Winterbell pulled him away and patted him, absentmindedly praising him in an undertone, her gaze fixed on the door. Eventually, glancing back once more, she decided to go back to Gnisis.
"A bandit cave. And I was expecting a tomb. How interesting."

Winterbell dropped Zergonipal off at Arvs Drelen with a recommendation that he be rewarded. Baladas was obviously curious, but recognized that Winterbell was in a hurry, and so he merely wished her luck as she cast recall.

Back in Balmora, Winterbell changed out of her grass and daedroth-drool stained robe and wandered over to the Mage's Guild. As she had expected, Sharn wasn't back yet, and all was peaceful. She exchanged pleasantries with Ajira and asked exactly which house Sharn shared with her cousin, using the excuse that she wanted to borrow a book. Ajira told her without suspicion, and suggested that not everyone worked the hours that Winterbell did.
"There's no rest for the wicked." Winterbell said over her shoulder as she walked upstairs.

Sharn lived in a tall town house near the Southwall Cornerclub. Winterbell ignored the front door, and climbed some outside stairs to the door on the second floor. Alteration was not Winterbell's strong point, and she cursed under her breath as her magicka sank ineffectually into the wood. She struck the door lightly in frustration, and to her surprise it swung open. Winterbell blinked and examined the lock more closely; someone more skilled with a pick than with magic had been there before her.

As stealthily as she was able, she slid into the house, blinking as she got used to the low light. Winterbell heard someone move something around on the third floor, either the thief or Sharn's cousin. Winterbell hovered indecisively for a moment, and then decided to search the bottom floor first. If the thief came downstairs she could dash out the front door.

There were signs of recent packing, but Winterbell found nothing incriminating or interesting.
"You seem a little old for this kind of work." A deep male voice rumbled behind her. Winterbell squeaked and spun around. How the Redguard had managed to sneak up behind her she had no idea. He was easily a foot taller than Winterbell and about twice as wide. His muscled frame was clad in chain mail and bonemould armour and a huge Dwemmer war hammer was slung across his back. His teeth gleamed as he smiled at the mage, "Old ladies shouldn't be bounty hunters." He said benevolently. Winterbell bit back a sharp retort, and made her voice a bit quavery,
"I need the money, you see."
"Dura gra-Bol is wanted for murder. You should leave those kinds of jobs to people like me." He said kindly. Triumph flickered in Winterbell's eyes, but she kept her posture submissive and her gaze downcast. "It's my duty, as a member of the Fighter's Guild to protect civilians." He continued warmly, obviously pleased to have an audience. "Of course," he sounded a bit downcast, "it seems she's gotten away. You don't have any leads on where she might be?" Before Wintebell could answer, the fighter continued, "I'll tell you what, if you come up with any information, I'll split the bounty with you." He obviously thought he was doing a favour. Winterbell looked suitably appreciative, and swore to inform the warrior should she discover anything. The Redguard appeared to be a very busy man, and he told Winterbell to take care of herself before striding out of the house. Winterbell remained to wait for Sharn.

Sharn was by turns wary, accusative, threatening, disbelieving, and blustering. However, Winterbell held all the cards, and eventually the orc sullenly agreed to be Winterbell's ally. Winterbell didn't trust her, but felt her secret was secure, for now at least.

The sinking sun was casting long shadows when Winterbell left Sharn's house, and although the sky was clear a biting wind whistled through the buildings and icily ruffled the surface of the Odai River. The guards were lighting their torches, and people were drawing their clothes tighter around themselves and walking just that much faster. Summer, it seemed, was over.