The next day dawned bright and clear, the sky was an impossible shade of blue, and the newly-grown town of Tel Balmora to the north added to the air of unreality. Winterbell hadn't made an appearance since she'd taken off to rescue Marayan the evening before; she'd returned to her house via magic and no one had the courage to knock on her door. She'd made it clear she'd make her announcements when she was ready.

The Balmora Mage's Guild was full of mages, all speculating wildly about what was going to happen. No one had really expected Winterbell to take on Telvanni and win, and the mood swung from cautious hope to near panic.

The news had arrived that Orvas Dren was dead, and while a few people cautiously expressed their sympathy, most saw the look in Marayan's eye and tactfully didn't raise the subject. Marayan half-expected to be hauled off by the guards, but it seemed that the family, or what was left of it, was hushing everything up. Marayan had advised various officials of House Hlaalu to keep their nose out of things for a little while longer, although he couldn't see how Telvanni and Hlaalu could share Balmora long-term, or even until the next day.

Baladas arrived mid morning and cheerfully wandered into the Mage's Guild, greatly enjoying the consternation he caused. Aryon was rather more tactful, confining himself to the mushroom towers to the north.

Around noon the crowd began to gather in earnest, lining the town square in front of the Mage's Guild and within full few of the towers. Most ordinary townsfolk kept well clear, watching from windows and the upper stories of shops.

Mages of both the Guild and House Telvanni mixed uneasily, and formed little groups of their own factions. Marayan and Ajira flanked the door to the Mage's Guild, by unspoken agreement giving Winterbell an escape route, should she need one.

The sun was almost directly overhead when Winterbell emerged, every item she wore gleaming with enchantments. She carried the Staff of Magnus, and behind her the Shock Centurion rolled sedately, its optic sensor scanning the crowd with a kind of blank menace.

Eddie approached her and wished her a good morning, and conveyed congratulations from his mother. Winterbell managed to keep a straight face. She nodded at Aryon and Baladas who were rather cautiously conversing. Winterbell might have felt rather used, but Aryon was possibly feeling the same way, having been an instrument of Baladas's epic revenge on Gotheren.

Winterbell strode into the center of the square, glancing back once at Marayan and Ajira with a thoughtful expression. She surveyed the crowd, and then the town and its accompanying Telvanni towers with a look of mischievous satisfaction. The towers had their roots sunk deep into the rock, and they could not be moved without some serious magical engineering.

Winterbell waited for the talk to die away, her lined face impassive now. Although she showed no sign, her heart was beating wildly, for it was only through force of personality – her personality – that these people were standing in the same vicinity without fighting. She had them intimidated, for now, but she had outlived her usefulness for most of the Telvanni, and the Guild, she knew, was holding its collective breath and wishing for it all to be over.

Eventually, the crowd fell silent. Winterbell tapped her staff sharply on the cobblestones once, and then took a deep breath.

"Fellow wizards," Winterbell began, "today marks the beginning of a new era, perhaps not of cooperation, but at least of respect, of tolerance. As I have proven, there is no fundamental difference between us, and-" Winterbell paused and reached up to her neck.

There was a murmur as the crowd craned their necks to see what was going on. With a wince Winterbell pulled something out of her neck; a sinister grey cylinder with a needle-tip. Eddie was the only person other than Winterbell herself to recognize it, and he gasped and started backing away, looking frightened.

This was enough to alarm the rest of the crowd, and the noise rose higher. Winterbell swayed, and both staff and dart fell from her hands. Baladas had his arms folded, and was looking very thoughtful. Marayan and Ajira had started forward to help her when the last person they had expected to see materialized in front of the stricken mage.

Ranis Athrys carried a sword that gleamed with an ominous greenish shade and Winterbell looked angry, rather than surprised, when Ranis ran her through with it.

"Winterbell!" Marayan started forward then skidded to a halt when he noticed the dark figures appearing on the rooftops, all wearing the same black armour.

Ranis pulled her sword out of Winterbell's stomach and she fell without a sound. Ranis stooped and picked up the Staff of Magnus, turning to address the crowd, who were muttering angrily, but cowed for now by the Dark Brotherhood assassins.

"I must thank my predecessor for creating this position for me." Ranis smiled, eerily and without humour. "And she was correct about one thing; this is the beginning of a new era."

"How dare you." A voice rang out, calm and clear, and Baladas stepped forward, the crowd parting to let him through. "How dare you assume that House Telvanni can be held to ransom in this crude and undignified way."
"There is nothing crude about poison. Even Winterbell had no resistances to it." Ranis narrowed her eyes and on the rooftops several of the assassins turned towards Baladas. In among his protective entourage, Aryon put his fingers in his ears.

There was a kind of deafening silence, and then the crowd was blinded, then deafened, as out of a cloudless blue sky several bolts of lightning cracked into the roofs where the assassins were standing. The crowd flinched and instinctively ducked as thunder reverberated around the town. Only Baladas stood unmoving, watching as the colour drained from Ranis's face.

Ignoring the vast magical discharge Marayan started forward again, with Ajira behind him. With a strength born of fear more than anything else, he picked Winterbell up and scurried back towards the Guild, Ajira flinging the door open ahead of him.

Ranis cast the enchantment on the staff, but she sensed that the tide had turned. She opened her mouth, either to cast a spell or to protest her case, but Baladas held up an admonitory finger,
"Silence."

And there was. Not just from Ranis but from everyone. Baladas stepped forward and firmly yanked the staff out of Ranis's hand, but he merely held it in the crook of his arm. All heads turned as the door of the Guild opened. Ajira looked at Estirdalin and slowly shook her head, before returning indoors.

The crowd started talking again, and the gaps between the Telvanni and the Guild slowly widened. Aryon frowned and then masking any reluctance in his tone he turned politely to Baladas,
"Archmagister?" he enquired. Estirdalin and the other mages regarded him warily.
"Well," Baladas said without concern, "I think this is hardly a respectable way for a Telvanni to spend their day. I certainly have none of the patience Winterbell did for administering this riff-raff. I'm going home." And with that he rapped on the ground once with the staff, and vanished.

Discussion among the Telvanni was intense, as some left immediately to inform the other councilors of yet another change in leadership. Masaline returned to Estirdalin's side with a surreptitious nod, and moments later the Hlaalu guard decided it was time for noon patrol. Not to mention they had a suspect for the Elbert murder to transport to Ald'ruhn.

The Telvanni politely stepped back when ordered to 'move along', although obviously they weren't retreating. But it was lunchtime, and there were things to discuss, and it really was a bit too hot this far west.

Baladas strolled down the stairs of the guildhall, following the sounds of quiet conversation.
"And they accuse Telvanni of practicing necromancy," he said, ignoring Marayan's hard glare.
"Show some respect for the dead," Winterbell grinned weakly. "I suppose I couldn't expect to fool you." Winterbell looked quite pale, and her midsection was swathed in bandages as she lay on one of the guild beds. Ajira pushed past Baladas without giving him a second glance and handed Winterbell a potion, which she drank with a resigned look.
"A Dark Brotherhood dart and a poisoned blade," she shook her head, "and all you got was a clean wound."
"What did you expect?" Marayan grinned, "I've never seen so many resist poison enchants in one place before."
"Will they want a body?" Winterbell asked Baladas.
"I think," he said carefully, folding his arms, "many will find it useful to believe you are no longer with us. So as long as you don't stage any public events I doubt people will enquire too closely."

"How did you know anyway?"
"The centurion. He didn't go after the man who attacked you. Which means you didn't want him to, which means you were expecting this – or something like it."
"I didn't think she'd stab me," Winterbell confessed.
"And you'd fall gracefully to the ground? No, I think it was a nice touch. Very dramatic."
Winterbell smiled, "Just what I'd expect from you. Well, I guess you can keep the machine – it's too noticeable to take with me."
"Take this at least." He leant the staff against the end of the bed, "You're the closest it's got to a rightful owner. So where are you going?"
"I don't really know," Winterbell replied.
"I'm coming with you," Marayan said, quickly and firmly. "I've got nothing here – Ilmeni can take care of things. I don't want to be the youngest son the rest of my life."
Winterbell smiled faintly and shrugged, "I can't stop you."
Marayan cast a triumphant look at Baladas whose face remained resolutely blank.

"Well, good luck," Baladas shook her hand, "It's been a real pleasure to know you, Winterbell. And if you get bored with the toy boy…"
Winterbell shook her head as he winked and vanished.
"Don't worry, Ajira," Winterbell said, "he's not going to cause trouble for the Guild. At least, not bad trouble."
"I know. Still, we've got some holes in our administration now, especially with you leaving, Marayan. I suppose we've got some recruiting to do."
"Oh, which reminds me. I've got Ranis's papers in my house – I think you'll find this Guildhall has more money than we all thought. It was all part of Ranis's plan to help me and then take over, but I haven't touched it."
"How much more money?"
"I'll let it be a nice surprise," Winterbell smiled and then looked tired. "I think we should get going – this isn't the most secure of hiding places."
"All right, Winterbell," Ajira smiled kindly, "I'm going to miss you, even if I won't miss the trouble you cause."
"You'll all be bored witless within a week without me," Winterbell declared.

"And what about those?" Estirdalin had plucked up her courage and had approached Master Aryon, who was keeping an eye on the Telvanni withdrawal. She inclined her head at the towers.
"What about them?" he asked, "They're no use to us here."
"Well what are we supposed to do with them?"
"Tourist attraction? They're free buildings, why are you complaining?" He grinned and Estirdalin looked away. "In fact, you should thank us."
"We most certainly will not," she replied sharply.
"Well, you should at least pay us rent for them."
"Well, then it's up to you to keep them in good condition and free of rats."
"As long as you pay for any damage caused." Aryon glanced behind him, "I really should be going."
"Don't think you've heard the last of this."
"I certainly hope not," he called back with a laugh.

Estirdalin rejoined the other mages talking quietly outside the guild. She shrugged to indicate she had reached no conclusion.
"Maybe this is the start of a new era," she said thoughtfully, as the last of the Telvanni magicked themselves away.
Masaline sighed, "Do you think he'd mind if I wrote to him as well?"