Carolara had just settled into a chair around one of the inn's few empty tables; it was lunchtime and the place was bustling with people. Martin stood some yards away, having intercepted the cook for a moment to inquire after soup, the agreed-upon dish, when the Breton noticed she wasn't the only person watching him. Across the room, a raven-haired Nord woman with a positively sour expression leaned on the wall, arms crossed, not taking her eyes off the Imperial. The longer she stared, the more uncomfortable Carolara became.
She made to reach out for her bow, but something heavy stopped the motion of her hand. Chains... where had they come from? No matter how she pulled and stretched the chains held her back just barely out of reach of her bow. Another inch and she could touch it. But there was no time. The Nord was closing in with a wicked grin and Martin remained oblivious. Carolara opened her mouth to shout but no sound came. She tried to scream, thrashing in her chair and rattling her chains; she felt her voice go hoarse but no one so much as reacted. The knife raised into the air... and the Breton shut her eyes tight, unable to stop it, and unable to watch...
Carolara snapped awake, sitting up and looking around with wide brown eyes. She'd rolled a couple of feet from of her mat and lay on the bare wooden floor. Most of the other Blades were still asleep; even in her fitful nightmare she hadn't managed to wake them. A wince as she began to get up, still sore to the bone from the days previous but she was in need of some calming before she could even think of dozing back off.
Wrapping her blanket around her shoulders the Breton braved the cold outdoors. It was the middle of the night and the sky had cleared, the moon lighting up the freshly-fallen snow on the Temple and on the peaks around them. The storm had moved down into the valleys, blanketing most of her distant view in grey, making Cloud Ruler Temple feel all the more strange and isolated from the rest of Cyrodiil. A couple of Blades at post regarded her hazily when she paced past. They were probably still adjusting to their new nighttime shifts; their Captain wished for there to be not a single hour in which the Temple's defenses were lowered. They felt as if they had to go above and beyond to make up for the tragedy that had occurred on their watch, a sentiment Carolara could sympathize with.
The more she paced, the more awake she felt. There was no going back to bed, at least right now, not for Carolara, so she abandoned her blanket at the mat and donned her leathers. Her mind was restless and the nightmare hadn't helped that in the least. She found Roliand, a gruff Nord and fellow Blade, patrolling the interior and left word with him that she was going to scout and would return by morning. So with that she took her bow and about half her supply of arrows and went out the massive gates of the Temple. If nothing else, it might put her mind at ease to know their position was secure. At least that's what she hoped.
The snow out here was deeper than it looked, coming well up over Carolara's ankles as she trudged along. The forest between the Temple and the nearby town of Bruma was eerily still. She kept her eyes peeled for tracks, hoping the snow would betray anyone that had followed them, using the bright moonlight to guide her way and occasionally stopping to pluck a few leaves from useful plants. What felt like hours passed without so much as a life sign but the Breton found herself appreciative of the peace. For that time, she could at least pretend that things were alright, that a great doom wasn't looming over them all. Yes, she was just taking a leisurely stroll in a quiet wood, that was all. And up here, so far from Kvatch, it was nearly believable. She wondered for how long.
During a brief stop for a drink of water, Carolara's keen eyes finally caught movement. For a split-second a shadow passed between her and the moons and she looked up. A bird; small, grey. She nearly dismissed it before realizing it was far, far above its comfortable altitudes, and it was heading toward Cloud Ruler. Carolara scrambled to follow.
She was breathless and panting when she returned to the Temple courtyard and found her fellow Blade Arcturus untying a message from the creature's leg. They could not read it; it was written in code, the Imperial explained to her, and only Jauffre and the Captain had the key. Thus Carolara waited in the main hall, warming herself by the fire and waiting anxiously as the Grandmaster was stirred awake and brought round to decipher it.
She was beginning to doze off when Jauffre finally came into the main hall, a purposeful look on his face. "I have some news," he said, "And another errand, if you would accept it."
"I do hope it's not bad news," Carolara replied, stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "And I'm a Blade now. You can just give me orders, you know... ah, Sir."
The old Breton pulled up his chair closer to the fire; the main hall was for all its comforts a bit drafty. "As you like," he conceded with a shrug. "I have an assignment for you then. Baurus thinks he's tracked down some leads in the Imperial City. The Captain has set up a round-the-clock watch here at Cloud Ruler, and that makes you the only Blades agent we can spare."
It took her a moment to recall where she knew that name from; the Redguard had been the only survivor besides herself after the attacks in the sewers. Carolara wondered how he'd react to them being part of the same Order now, a small smile finding its way to her lips at the thought.
"So I'd like you to go as soon as you've made preparations," Jauffre went on, "Meet Baurus at Luther Broad's Boarding House, listen to what he's found out, and assist him in any way you can. This fortress is well-supplied with arms and armor, so if you need anything feel free to take it from the armory in the east wing." A thoughtful pause and he looked the woman in the eyes. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you the importance of finding the Amulet of Kings before the enemy takes it out of our reach."
She nodded. "Of course, of course, Sir. I just have one minor reservation."
"What's that?"
Feeling a bit on the spot, Carolara fidgeted, unable to meet his gaze as she explained. "I wasn't exactly... let out of prison. Will I not be arrested if recognized?"
Jauffre shook his head. "No, no, of course not. I made the arrangements once you left to find Martin- Blades business takes precedent over Imperial law particularly in times of need. Your record has been wiped clean. After all, I couldn't have you getting arrested in Kvatch."
She had to remind herself to close her mouth after hearing that. Part of her wanted to leap up and hug the old man, but that was probably very improper behavior toward one's superior... at least she assumed so... so she stayed put. "I can't thank you enough. I'll do my best to stay out of trouble."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," he warned, wagging a finger at her and dealing out a heavy dose of realism. "I'm sending you looking for trouble and expect you to do whatever your judgment deems necessary to get the Amulet back. We'll take care of whatever consequences come as a result. Are we clear, Miss Moorhart?"
A solemn nod. "Crystal, Sir."
After their talk the small Breton made her way back to the west wing where she'd been sleeping and gathered up her things. The armory was stocked with more arrows than she'd ever need; she filled her quiver and barely put a dent in the supply. The only armor there was heavy, too heavy and restricting for her needs, so she stuck with her much more comfortable leathers. On top of that she found a set of alchemical supplies in the east wing and set to work making her shots deadlier. The herbs she had picked in the woods, when ground up and prepared just right, refined into a powerful toxin and hours later she had half of a bottle filled with a viscous, greenish liquid and a few arrowheads already generously coated. The addition of a stripe to the fletching set these apart from the others in the quiver... Carolara felt as ready as she was going to get.
By the time she entered the main hall with pack and cloak ready to go, the sun had been up for a couple hours and a few of the Blades were talking and taking their morning meals, nodding to her as she passed. She spotted Martin among them, looking far more rested than she'd ever seen him and smiling as he spoke with his protectors, from the sound of it trying to get them to drop the formalities long enough for a good chat. As she was on rather important business she made to pass them by with naught but a wave, but her Emperor-to-be put his conversation on hold to get up and intercept her.
"Jauffre says you're off to the Imperial City," were the words that paused Carolara, and she faced him with a smile.
"That I am," she answered. "Hopefully to get your Amulet back."
"Of course," Martin nodded, falling into step alongside her and accompanying her out into the courtyard. "So we... er." A chuckle as he corrected himself. "I... can take it to the Temple of the One and light the Dragonfires. And stop the Oblivion invasion."
Carolara glanced over, catching the slightly unsure look in his eyes and saying sympathetically, "The idea is probably going to take some getting used to. Are you holding up alright?"
He was quick to brush away any signs of insecurity, putting on a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, Carolara. Just focus on your mission; I know I'm in good hands here."
They stopped just short of the stairs while the Breton went through a mental checklist, trying to be sure of her own readiness. "That isn't quite what I meant," she shook her head dismissively, lacking the time and energy to pry, "but... just take it one day at a time, and stay safe."
"That's what I should be saying to you." The Imperial crossed his arms over each other to ward off the cold breeze. "Come back to us in one piece."
"I'll try," was the best assurance Carolara could bring herself to offer, having to summon up the willpower to start making her way down those stone steps.