Cearbhail: Today is a grand day. I've been mulling over this chapter for days! When I finally got back from my vacation in Sedona, I sat down and had nothing but writer's block. So I thought... why not do a Primrose sequence to start with and then move onto the battle of Shadowmasters. Oh and...I thought of something I wanted to say but..well, if I remember it, I'll post it down at the bottom.

[Primrose]

My body felt heavy. My head throbbed. And as I started to pull myself out of the dream world, I felt my head shake in pain. I reached up to grab my head, but felt gauze where I should have felt skin. Rubbing my hand across my head, I could feel the wrapping someone had put on me. When I opened my eyes, I could see the white top sheets of the medical tent. A soft lantern lay sitting on a table not too far from me, illuminating the table filled with medical wrappings, needles, and glass jars filled with blood and shrapnel.

As I started to sit up, my chest cried out in pain. I instinctively reached down and grabbed my chest, to find another medical gauze covering most of my left side. What happened to me? Last thing I remember, I was helping Vatu and Nexa retreat from Cheydinhal. Then I felt something hard impact my shoulder. It was a blinding pain that made stars dance in my eyes. As my knees crumpled, I felt several other sharp pains batter my body. I couldn't take it. I could see my blood; I could feel my life ebb away. The last thing I saw was Vatu glaring at me, his eyes shifting red; Nexa standing on top of him, trying to keep him calm. I wanted to be the one on top of him, keeping him calm. I tried to use my commanding voice over animals to do it. I really did try to help him. But, the most I could do was stare at him until the light faded away.

I glanced around the room again. I was in my own little tent. Where was everyone else? Well, there was one other person. It was the archer that traveled with us. The archer that looked over me. I never got his name, but I believed everyone called him the Glass Arrow. He was silently leaning in a chair that was a few feet away from my cot. His head was rocking back and forth, his arms crossed lightly. I could hear the light breathing that was considered snoring among us Bosmer. He looked so peaceful that I didn't want to move, just in case I woke him by mistake.

The opening to the tent flapped open and Davilia walked in. She was dressed in the white robes of a healer, wearing a white hood over her head. When she saw me sitting up, she broke into a smile and almost bull-rushed me. She stopped a few feet short (perhaps fearing about hurting me), smiling awkwardly at me, and offered me a bow instead.

"Prim! It's good to see you awake." She called a little too loudly.

The archer sitting in his chair snorted in alarm and pushed off the chair. He fell backwards, taking the chair with him as he crashed into the ground. "Primrose is awake?" He called as he struggled to sit up. When he snapped around, he glanced right at me, his eyes staring right through me. He finally broke out into a smile and pulled his hood down. "Oh thank the gods."

I smiled to him. Who was he, and why did he care about me so much? I sure hope he wasn't some stalker pervert. I shook the idea off. No, I don't think that was the case. He seemed…different. I couldn't place the thought, but he seemed legit to me. But, I didn't want to dwell on him for too long. If he wished to talk, he could do so at any time. No, I had other things that I should be thinking about.

"How's Vatu?" I asked.

Davilia bit her lower lip. She started to shy away from me, pulling her hair away from her eyes. "Um…he…uh…hasn't come back yet." She offered me another awkward smile and started to walk to the exit. "You should rest a little more, Primrose." She bowed to me and then directed her eyes to the archer. "And perhaps talk to your guest. I think he has something he needs to tell you." She didn't waste any more time before ducking through the flap.

I turned to look at the archer. He waited patiently for me to speak to him. He was getting himself seated again, not even turning to look at me. So, I waited while he made himself comfortable. When he was seated, he nodded to me, giving me a warm smile. "Evening, Primrose. I'm sure you want to know who I am."

"The thought has crossed my mind." Yes, I wanted to know who he was. I also wanted to know why he cared about me so much. "If you're here to date me, I'm already in a relationship." Well, maybe that was a lie, but I was trying to be in one.

The archer broke out in a weird laugh that seemed more taken off guard than anything else. "Date? No, no, no." He shook his head, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "No, I think you have the wrong idea." He stopped chuckling and just…stared at me. Calmly. He seemed to scan my body, which made me feel very uncomfortable. I started to pull up on my sheets. He finally nodded in approval and said, "You look just like your mother." He pointed to my hair and smiled. "You even have her green hair."

He…he knew my mother? Did…did that mean he was…? "Dad?"

He nodded, propping his arms on top of his bow, leaning against it. "That is who I am." He started to stand up, but thought better of it and continued to sit in his chair. "I'm sorry I haven't been around. You probably hate me for being away."

Hate him? I…I forgot he was even alive. Mother always told me that he was away fighting wars and killing bad guys. I always just assumed that he forgot about us or got killed. I never imagined I'd ever see him again. I wonder if Mother knew he was alive. "Hate you?" I found myself saying. "Hate you?" My voice seemed to shake. Why was I repeating myself? Did my throat know something I didn't? Why wouldn't it say the words I wanted it to say? "Do you know how long it's been?" I screamed. My chest started shocking me with pain, and that threw me into a coughing fit.

I leaned forward, coughing. Dad sat up, rushing up to me, patting my back lightly. "Let it out, Primrose."

"How can I hate you if you're never around?!" I screamed so loudly that I couldn't believe it was my voice. "I haven't seen you since I was six! Mom hasn't seen you for just as long. We both thought you'd just come home someday. Every day was a battle. Mom was an herbalist, not a hunter. Every time she'd come home with a deer for dinner, I would have to heal her wounds from the wolf attacks." I found my finger pointing at him, malice filling both my mind and my voice. "If you had been around, I wouldn't have to see my Mother bleeding every day. I wouldn't have to see her crying herself to sleep because the man she loved was more interested in fighting than in her." That was true. Mother tried to hide it from me, but in such a small house, you can't hide the sound of crying. She tried to be strong for me, but she was like me. If Vatu ever left me, I don't know if I could hold myself together. I didn't want to find out.

My father stood there, staring down at me with understanding eyes. How could he just show up now? Why couldn't he just stay away? It was painful enough to see him leave once, but again? Why even show himself to me in the first place?

"I know I can never fix what I've done. But…I'm done fighting. I wish to come home now. Is…is Rena still living in the little cottage behind Chorrol?" Dad's voice barely carried to me. He was asking so softly, it was like he wasn't expecting me to tell him.

But, I nodded. My mother was always crying because she missed him. If seeing him for even a minute could stop her from crying anymore, I couldn't keep it to myself. "Yes, she's still there. … As far as I know. I mean, this happened after I left home to become a healer. She wanted to stay there in case you came back for her. She still might be. I don't know." I shook my head, feeling tears coming to my eyes. I didn't know what Mother was doing now. I didn't know if she was even alive. How could I abandon her like that? I should have gone back for her instead of joining the battlemages.

My dad nodded to me, standing up. "Primrose, I am leaving." What? My eyes flew up to him, questioning him. I should have known he wasn't staying. Why bother coming at all? "I'm going to go find Rena. I want you to stay here and look after your friends. I will come back once I find her. Just stay with your friends and I will find you." He turned around and rushed for the exit. He stopped to look back at me. "Who's your boyfriend?"

"My what?" I squeaked out. Darn, I hoped he had forgotten I had said that.

"You said you're in a relationship. Who's the boy?" He smiled at me. "It's the Altmer, isn't it? Erandur?"

I shook my head. "No, no, no! He's Davilia's boyfriend. I'm with Vatu." I said before I could stop myself. I clamped my mouth shut once I said it. Stupid mouth! You betrayed me.

He chuckled to himself before nodding. "Good to know. If he hurts you, let me know." He winked and stepped out of the tent, leaving me alone again. I found myself gripping my sheets in fear. What if he didn't return again? What if he returned but not with Mom? I shook my head. No, I couldn't think about that now. I was a healer and we were in the middle of battle. I just had to tend to my own wounds first. Davilia did a good job but she was most likely exhausted when she started healing me. I wonder how many patients awaited me. I couldn't wait to find out. I wanted to know what happened to Vatu.

[Julanza]

I had never officially met the strongest battlemage in Cyrodiil, but it was great to have him on my side. I don't think we could win this war without him. I'd run recon on Hans the Hardy before: tracking his strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between. I knew that in a fair fight between the two of us, we'd be evenly matched. I was the faster; he was the stronger. One direct hit from him would be the end of me, but even hundreds from me wouldn't take him down. I would have trusted the seer Lilly to have my back, but she was basically crawling around in the dirt, running her hands through the sand while she looked for something. I still don't know what it is, but she hasn't seemed to find it yet. Everyone else around the small camp was crying out in alarm. Their magicka had been silenced after all. They knew how to fight with swords, but they drew their strength from their magic. Without fireballs and Restoration magic, they felt useless. It was like a mighty knight losing his shield and armor, replacing his mighty sword with a normal dagger. Taking a thief and stealing his lockpicks and his muffled boots.

I was no different. I'd grown to fight normally, but even I drew upon my magicka to fight. I wasn't young anymore. Sure, I had experience, but while experience can give me an edge against normal fighters, against other shadowmasters, I was inferior. Good thing we were safe for a moment. We needed to address this magicka-less situation growing.

"Seer, are you ok?" I reached down and grabbed her arm. She shifted her head up towards me, looking over my left shoulder.

"Sort of. I…I just…I can't see." She almost screamed. "Sorry if I'm shouting, but I guess I'm not used to this." She lowered her voice. She ran her hand across my chest plate, allowing me to pull her up to her feet. "If our magic's been silenced, the healers won't be able to heal either." That much was true. I looked over to the medical tent. I sure hoped their supplies of healing herbs and potions were enough to keep the wounded happy and alive.

Hans stomped around in a circle, stroking his short graying beard. I watched as he paced. He reminded me of my brother, with his cape flapping behind him, his golden armor shining brightly. He finally paused and looked back at the seer. "You mentioned malachite. That's a crystal, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes. My friend, Ruby, showed me that it can cancel out outside magical sources. If we all wear a malachite bracelet that's programmed as a shield…we should be able to cancel out the Silence spell at least." She looked up at the sky and sighed. "But, I'm not sure if I can leave. Malachite may be powerful, but I don't think it will help me travel through time."

Hans stopped and nodded. "Then we shall find some of this rock. What does it look like?"

"Green with wavy lines. They're mostly found in Valenwood." She looked over towards Hans. She leaned heavily against me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I'm not sure where we're going to find a shaman to program them, though."

"I'm a shaman." A soft voice called from behind me. I didn't think it was possible, but I heard the seer scream in surprise, actually jumping in my arms.

"Who said that?" She cried. Then she finally seemed to think about it, turning her head around. "Brinsa? Is that you?"

I turned around to see a young teenage Lilmothiit dressed in light leather armor. He nodded to the seer, smiling. "Yup. I thought you were a seer."

The seer seemed to relax, still hugging me close to her, and she was still in my arms. She didn't seem to want to move at all. "The area's been Silenced by a Thalmor magicka-blocking device. I can't see without magicka so…I'm blind at the moment." Then she hugged me close. "But I have this nice shadowmaster to watch over me until I get my eyes back."

Brinsa tilted his head to the side in confusion. "You said you needed a stone?"

The seer paused for a second before nodding. "Yes, the healers need some healing crystals so that they can continue healing their patrons. Also, some malachite would be nice so that they can go back to using their own magicka."

Brinsa nodded. "Well, I do carry a few faden quartz clusters with me, and I do have one malachite bracelet. Shall I give it to you?"

The seer hugged me closer and screamed, "No!" She tried to hide a smile before looking over towards me. "I believe the shadowmaster should carry it for now. Last thing I remember sensing was an attack by other shadowmasters and Julanza was the only one who was able to fight them."

I cleared my throat, saying, "I can fight without that crystal. What I need is someone watching my back." I offered back to her.

She frowned for a second before looking away from me and into some random direction, pointing at some nearby tree. "Then give it to Hans. He's stronger than me. He can defend you."

Brinsa looked over at the tree, arching his eyebrows. "Ok…which one is Hans?"

"I am." Hans called. "I will gladly accept the bracelet if it means I can help fight shadowmasters." He marched up to Brinsa, bowing as he claimed the green bracelet from him. Hans clamped it on his left arm and paused. When I saw a massive arc of fire magicka spring out of his hand, enveloping his entire arm, I knew that we had found our solution. Hans chuckled to himself and let the fire in his arm die off. "Good work, Gray-Mane. It works perfectly." He nodded to me and said, "When it comes time for battle, I'll be your shield."

"How touching." The dark scratchy voice of someone I still heard in my nightmares called from behind me. I found my arms releasing the seer and she fell to the ground with a squealing shout. I didn't have time to think about that, though. I had to see if I was correct. And I was. Standing over the crest of the hilltop was Riviella. She was the strongest of the shadowmasters. She was also…my ex-wife.

Riviella stood atop her hill, the other three shadowmasters forming up behind her. Yuvenni stood to her right and the other two: Gashaviena and Trianna stood to her left. Riviella smiled as she brushed her bright pink feathers away from her eyes. Her dark purple skin looked almost blood red today. Her sharp red eyes bore into me, almost giving me dragonbumps. "Hello, sappy. Miss me?"

I reached for my blade, screaming, "Hans! Now's the time for backup!" I barely turned my head away to Brinsa. "Go get those crystals to the healers. They're going to need them soon." I turned to look at the other battlemages. "Run, just run! You can't possibly survive this fight." I looked back up at the shadowmasters again. Maybe I was mistaken. I scanned their arms. Nope, I was right. Every single one of them had green bracelets on except for Riviella. She didn't need one though. That meant three shadowmasters how had their magicka turned back on, and the strongest of us all didn't. She would still be able to kill us, though. It was a miracle she didn't have one, otherwise I'd have no chance in oblivion in taking her down. Maybe I could if she didn't have one on. At least Hans might stand a chance.

Riviella smiled at me as the shaman started to run away. Her arm moved so quickly that I barely had time to intercept it. I brought my sword up and caught the thrown dagger before it reached the shaman. "No! Your fight is with me." I screamed to her.

She only scowled at me. "My orders are to kill everyone that stand on your side." She looked around at the groups of battlemages. "But I will give you a few minutes to plan your funeral…I mean strategy."

I turned around and faced everyone. "You need to leave. You have no idea what she is capable of."

The Altmer leading them stepped forward. "Sir, I won't run."

That's when Hans stepped up behind him, tapping him lightly across the back of his neck. The Altmer shuddered for a second but blacked out and fell forward. Hans caught him before he hit the ground and handed him back to a Breton. "Crassi, take Erandur and Lilly. Rendezvous with the medical tent and the other members of Shadow squad. Get them out of here and go find that temple. Get that device powered up and kill all the Aedra." Hans turned to face me. "I will stay here and buy you as much time as I can."

Slowly, the battlemages started clearing out. Hans walked up to me, nodding. "It looks like we're a team now." He started to pull off his bracelet, but I reached out and stopped him.

"No. Keep it on. I'd rather have you with magicka than me. I'm fast without it…are you?" I asked back to him.

He stopped for a second but nodded. "I understand. Ok, so, what's the plan?"

I nodded to Riviella. "I'll take on the purple-scale with long pink feathers. You take on the others."

"Jeez…give me all the hard work." He replied dryly. "Sure you don't want the bracelet too?" He asked sarcastically.

"She's the leader…and my ex-wife. She'll be harder to beat than the rest of them, even without magicka. Trust me." I sighed as I turned to face her. "I'm sure you heard all that. Ready to begin?"

She relied by spitting at me. I spun myself away fast enough to dodge several hidden bo-shurikens as they just barely grazed my neck. As soon as I turned around, she was already up at my face, shoving two sais right into my eyes. I stepped back, bringing my armored arms up. The attacks pushed me off my feet and I flew back a few steps. I was about to return the attack, but I felt an armored boot contact my balls. My vision blackened for a second and I expected to die. But instead, Riviella was pacing around me, laughing. "There, now we can't have another child. Remember Meesei? She really hates your guts now. She hates her father."

Cearbhail: Yeah, Julanza is a father and Meesei is his daughter. Don't know if I ever mentioned that. (mostly because I just thought of it). Oh and no, Lilly doesn't have a crush on Julanza (trying to keep him close to her). She actually enjoys the feeling of being blind and dependent for once in her life. She knows that Julanza and Hans will watch over her and she just doesn't want that feeling to go away yet. Well anyway, time to see a fight between Primrose and Nexa...I mean Julanza and Riviella...I mean Hans versus three shadowmasters. Man...next chapter is going to rock!