Winterbell was desperate to get the staff identified, but remembered that Baladas didn't want visitors for the time being. Instead she recalled back to Balmora to show it to Ajira.
"What have you been telling Marayan?" Estirdalin interrupted Winterbell's retelling of her adventure with an annoyed expression. Winterbell looked to Ajira for some explanation.
"Estir, there's no need to take that tone with Winterbell. I know you're worried, but Marayan can probably take care of himself."
"What is Dren up to now?"
Estirdalin glared at Winterbell, "I'll have you know Ranis is furious. Who knows who she'll take it out on. And if he gets hurt-"
"Look, I don't-" but the Altmer had turned and stormed off, "have the foggiest idea what's going on." Winterbell finished.
Ajira laid a paw on Winterbell's arm, "You've missed quite a lot recently. Let's go out to lunch."
The alchemists found a quite table in the Southwall Cornerclub. The Argonian trainer whose neck Winterbell had saved walked past with a cheery greeting. Over seafood and flin Ajira told what she knew of the events after the Night of All Souls.
"I don't really know what happened on New Year's, but something upset Marayan. He started poking his nose into things. Spending half his time at the Council House. Anyway, he must have upset someone, because he got a visit from the Cammona Tong."
"Was he all right?" Winterbell was rapt.
"It was a 'friendly' visit I gather. I guess they were warning him off something. Whatever it was, it didn't work. He seemed to go completely crazy after that. He asked for some time off to visit the Duke, but Ranis said no. He went anyway."
"This doesn't sound like him."
"Which is why Estir blames you. You're always gallivanting around doing who-knows-what who-knows-where. She thinks you've talked Marayan into becoming an adventurer or something."
"Is he still visiting the Duke?"
"No. He came back two days later in a filthy temper. He was quite…abrupt. Ranis gave him a warning, but that seemed to make him madder. He said something about you getting away with breaking the rules. Which reminds me, you're in Ranis's bad books as well. She says you don't spend enough time here doing guild work."
Winterbell began to launch into an explanation, but Ajira held up her hand, "I'm just warning you. She's been getting a very nasty look in her eye every time your name is mentioned lately. I think she's decided you've risen high enough in the Guild."
Winterbell shook her head, "Where's Marayan then?"
"We don't know. A few weeks ago this Dunmer woman showed up. She was dressed like a commoner, but she talked like a noble. I don't know who she was, but Marayan was glad to see her. I got the impression she had a room at the Eight Plates, and everything calmed down for a while."
"How old was she?"
"Young. Quite pretty I suppose. Everyone thought Marayan had just lost his head over a girl for a while. Middle-aged toms will do that." Ajira added wisely.
Winterbell didn't look impressed. Ajira appeared not to notice her scowl, and continued,
"Like I said, things calmed down. Marayan still went to the Council House, but he returned to his duties."
"Who did he say the woman was?"
"Both Estir and Ranis tried to lever it out of him, but all he'd say was 'she's a friend'. Which didn't go down terribly well." Ajira paused for dramatic effect, "Two days ago, she vanished. We know because Marayan was distraught. He seemed to think something bad had happened to her. He turned up in leather armor and told Ranis he was going out and he didn't know when he'd be back. Ranis directly ordered him to stay. He uhh…well, he told her to go polish Trebonius's empty skull."
Winterbell burst out laughing, "Oh I'll bet she didn't like that."
Ajira tried to hold back a smile, "If looks could kill. She's been a rage ever since. Everybody's been tiptoeing around. Galbedir has basically retreated to the top floor, Sharn has been grumpier than usual, if that was possible, Estir…well, you saw her. Masaline is holding up well, considering. I think she's got a boyfriend."
Winterbell looked at the Kaijit with concern, "What about you?"
"Me? I'm all right. I'm just…trying to hold things together, you know. Estir is terrified Marayan won't come back. And frankly," she swallowed, "so am I."
Winterbell looked away, "If we had a clue where he was I'd go and look for him. It would help if we knew who this woman was."
"He's getting involved with bad things, I know it."
"He's a decent mage. I've seen him, he can swing a sword."
"But he's not a fighter. Not like you even."
"He's not stupid either, at least, not that I remember."
"We can only hope. Besides, there's something else I want to talk about, Winterbell." Ajira was choosing her words carefully. Winterbell knew what was coming. She bowed her head and waited. "Your report on the Dwemmer. I read a copy, it was very interesting." Ajira glanced at Winterbell, who was keeping her face blank,
"Go on." She said tonelessly.
"You mentioned a research partner. The language expert who helped you with the Aldmeris. A Demnevanni by name."
"He lives in a Velothi dome in Gnisis."
"According to Sharn he's also quite well respected in House Telvanni."
"Sharn." Winterbell snarled.
"Wait." Ajira shook her head, "I asked her. I'd heard the name before somewhere. She said that he was Telvanni, and that I could draw my own conclusions."
"And you have?"
"Not yet, Winterbell. I count you as a friend. I would hear you out."
"It's a long story."
"I'm willing to risk Ranis's wrath and stay out one afternoon."
"Very well."
Winterbell told her tale, leaving out for now Baladas's scheme to unite the factions. She didn't divulge how she blackmailed Sharn either. Ajira listened, not moving a whisker.
"This is…unbelievable." She said at last. "You've just wandered in. Served the great House Telvanni like it was another chapter of the Mage's Guild. This is…I choose to believe you, Winterbell. I don't think you're a spy. You're too…suspicious for one thing. A spy would blend in, not openly visit their masters."
"I have made a promise to myself. I will always do what I believe to be best for the Mage's Guild."
"I didn't know you had such a sense of loyalty."
"I don't. But I have friends here. Friend is a foreign word to the Telvanni."
Ajira smiled craftily, "What about this Baladas? He sounds like a fine specimen to me."
"He…I cannot say. He does his best, but really, he's a Telvanni at heart. I've done some things I'm not terribly proud of, Ajira, but I shall continue."
"To become Archmagister?"
"Why not?"
"Well, Trebonius will have you expelled."
"I am not scared of Trebonius. I'll just have to think on my feet. See where this all takes me."
Ajira thought for a long while, "Then I will stand by your side, friend Winterbell." Ajira stared as Winterbell bowed her head, could she be? But when she looked up, her eyes were clear.
The friends talked of many things that afternoon, but it wasn't until they were strolling back to the Guildhall that Ajira was struck by a sudden thought,
"Baladas is very well connected. I wonder if he'd know where Marayan went."
Winterbell granted that Marayan's safety was more important than Baladas's solitude, but she didn't know if the wizard would agree with her. Unfortunately there was no quick way of getting to Gnisis, but Winterbell thought that if she hurried she'd be able to get the evening strider from Ald'ruhn.
Winterbell raced out before the armourer closed to get her weapons repaired. Ranis was waiting for her when she returned.
"Ah, Winterbell, just the person I wanted to see."
"I'm kind of in a hurry." Wintebell replied, but she could see Ranis wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"I just want to give you a job. I assure you it won't take long." Ranis's eyes held a predatory gleam. "I've heard rumours of a Telvanni spy in the Mage's Guild. I want you to find out who it is, and report back to me. Unless there's some reason you can't?"
Winterbell didn't have time for these games. She knew Ranis was looking for an excuse, any excuse to cause her trouble. There was no point in giving her one, yet. Winterbell gave a bright, brittle smile,
"As soon as I get back, I'll get right on it." She'd deal with this later. How exactly she wasn't sure, it would probably depend on who exactly the spy was reporting to. Right now Marayan was her first priority.
Ranis didn't expect Winterbell's cheery capitulation, and her momentum was lost. Winterbell took the opportunity to escape, her boots tapping on the stone-flagged floor as she fled. Ranis glared after her, sensing she'd lost a battle.
Estirdalen was the next person to waylay Winterbell.
"What did Ranis want?" She asked suspiciously, her dislike of their superior overriding her current animosity towards Winterbell.
"To cause trouble." Winterbell replied, "I'm going to talk to someone who may know where Dren is."
"Good luck." The Altmer called after her. Winterbell nodded in acknowledgement.
Winterbell had the feeling that she wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep in the near future, so she catnapped uncomfortably in the back of the stilt strider, her dreams fragmentary and uneasy. By the time the strider pulled into Gnisis most places had shut for the night. Winterbell was thankful that Baladas didn't seem to hold with traditional sleeping patterns. She yawned and stretched and stumbled up the path to Arvs Drelen.
Winterbell prudently called up the stairs ahead of her,
"Baladas? Is it all right if I visit a little earlier than planned?"
"You are always welcome here, Winterbell." His voice floated down. "You needn't be so cautious, I'm not senile yet."
"It doesn't hurt to ask." Winterbell walked up the stairs to Baladas's study.
The wizard was bending over his alchemical apparatus, his nose practically touching the alembic as he added minute scrapings of dreugh wax. Winterbell nibbled at some scuttle and talked, mainly to herself, until he had finished,
"I think Ranis is on to me. Or at least, she doesn't like my current popularity. Not that I'm terribly popular in Balmora at the moment."
"What did she say?" Baladas appeared to be listening with half an ear at least.
"She wants me to find a Telvanni spy. I'm not sure if she thinks I'm the spy, of whether she thinks I'll have to protect whoever it is as a fellow Telvanni."
"Well, he's not mine."
"What?"
"I don't have a spy in the Mage's Guild. My sources are close outsiders. Cleaners, delivery boys, people like that."
"I'll have to do what's best for the Guild, in any event."
"So you'll expose the spy?"
"Not necessarily."
"Hmm..." his experiment over for the moment, Baladas stood and stretched, "Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"No, actually, I wondered if you have uhh…any idea…" Winterbell trailed off as she realized Baladas was staring fixedly at something behind her, his face pale. Winterbell turned and peered over the back of her chair. Leaning against the wall was her travel-stained pack and the strange white staff. "Oh, I found that recently. I was wondering if you'd be able to identify it."
Baladas said nothing, his hands clenching and unclenching. Winterbell eased out of the chair and began to back away. She wondered what had gotten into him. Suddenly Aryon's words came floating back to her.
A quarrel over a woman. A powerful item. The Telvanni-style cave. Hlaren recognized Baladas's amulet. She had been waiting for someone. Winterbell had killed her less than a week ago. Oh shit.
"What have you done?" Baladas's voice was quiet and even. Winterbell would have preferred it by far if he'd be shouting. His eyes burned.
"There was a necromancer's cave-" Winterbell started, still backing away.
Baladas took a deep breath, "Is she dead, Winterbell?"
Winterbell gave an infinitesimal nod, not daring to breath. Baldas bowed his head, and Winterbell braced herself.
"Get," he still hadn't raised his voice, "Out. Now."
Winterbell didn't need to be told twice. She made a grab for her pack and the staff.
"Leave it!" He snarled. She could hear the raw pain in his voice. She pulled her hand back as if she had been burned.
"Recall."
Winterbell arrived back in her house and fell back onto the bed.
"What a mess." She gazed at the ceiling. With a sigh she hauled herself out of bed and lit the fire and some candles. She sat in front of her alchemical equipment, but didn't attempt to make anything. Instead she ran her fingers over the curving stone and glass, and tried to make sense of all the threads that had managed to come unraveled that day.
"Dren, you are an idiot. And Baladas, he's even worse." She drummed her fingernails on the wooden tabletop, "And I take the grand prize for idiocy. If I had just stopped and thought. Too late now." Winterbell looked around her room, uninspired. "Maybe I'll have some bright ideas tomorrow."
She got up and started putting out candles. There was a knock at the door.
"…Dren?" She hurried over, hope and curiosity burning bright. "Oh, it's you."
A cliffhanger! Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, this story will be on hiatus for a few weeks over Christmas and New Year as I am going home to the land of dial-up and cut-throat competition for the computer. I'll see you all (what, one of you?) in the New Year. Happy Holidays Everyone! -D