Alderich sat atop his black horse and Alfonso atop Isaiah's bay as the group traveled back to Sercen. Isaiah, Makenna, and Ryan, who had decided to accompany the Jaguars, walked alongside. All were silent.
Ryan opened this mouth to speak. He closed it and said nothing.
"How do we tell Andlaen and Meth?" questioned Fons.
"I would honestly rather not think about it..." Alderich said.
"We have to eventually," Isaiah managed.
Everyone regained silence.
As the group approached the point where the Silver Road met the Red Ring Road, the sky suddenly turned black. Makenna was about to question it when a figure cloaked in black stepped out from the trees and stood before the group. Even though its head was cloaked and his face covered in darkness, they could all tell it was smiling, a twisted smile.
"I am very glad to finally meet you," it said in a voice that sent a chill down their spines with each word. "But you are missing some..."
Isaiah stepped forward. "Thurod gro-Monk is dead, Andlaen and Ra'Meth are not here. What do you want with us?"
"Nothing right now Isaiah Osis," the dark being replied, "but those are not the ones I meant. Isaiah Osis, Alfonso Furey, Alderich, Ryan Pryde, Sumika, Eyana, Jamie Weaver, Christopher Showers, Hanele," the creature listed, "you are missing four."
"What do you want with Sumika and Eyana!?" Alderich yelled at the cloaked figure despite himself.
"I do not need them for anything," it replied coldly and calmly, "my master does. The only one I have an interest in is you." No one could see the things eyes, but all felt they were on Makenna.
"What do you want with me?" Makenna asked it.
"You will know soon enough," it replied in just as menacing a tone as ever. "Goodbye for now, I will see you all again."
The figure walked back into the trees. Alderich and Makenna were about to give chase, but Ryan stopped them.
"Let us go after it!" Alderich yelled from his horse.
"No, I cannot allow that," Pryde responded, "you do not want to follow it."
"Why not!?" Makenna asked, also yelling.
"That was a shade," Ryan said. Alderich and Makenna stopped struggling against him. "A dark servant of Sithis."
"We are going to the Imperial City to see Sumika and Eyana," Alderich said. "It said their names, we are going to make sure they are alright."
"If I were you," Ryan began, "I would be concerned with whose names it did not say."
"You two check on your girls," Isaiah said to the Dunmer, "Fons, you and I are going back to the hideout, we need to get there before that shade. Ryan, you need to speak to the Arch-Mage, do you not?"
"Yes," the battlemage replied, "that would be best."
"Makenna," Alderich addressed his brother, "get on."
Makenna got on the back of the black steed and the horse galloped full speed west along the Red Ring Road.
Ryan Pryde cast a spell of water walking on himself and started across Lake Rumare. He turned to Osis and Furey. "I do hope I am wrong. And either that shade failed in its math, or there is something deeper at play here." He continued.
Isaiah's horse bolted east.