When Tar-Meena found them working in the library that morning, she disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a few steaming cups. It would perk them up, she said. Neither bothered to ask what it was; a bitter dark liquid that warded off drowsiness, quite effectively so.
By the time of her arrival they had read through volume Four extensively and were trying to draw connections in the other three texts. The words 'Nu-Mantia' and 'Liberty' appeared often, though it was mostly some kind of joyous exclamation. The sentences that preceded them had nothing in common. The Fourth seemed to be the only volume to make direct mention of the current happenings, calling it a 'time of Gates' and claiming Mehrunes Dagon would 'crack the serpent crown of the Cyrodiils and make federation'. And yet there didn't seem to be any hints about where a Shrine might be.
Volume Two contained a so-called 'Ritual of Want' that, while the three speculated might be important somehow, none of them wanted to execute for it required the sacrifice of a member of Dibella's clergy. Tar-Meena said she had seen similar incantations written in other Daedric ritual books, retrieving a few examples. By her speculation it was some kind of proving rite anyway, a test of dark resolve, and not connected to the location of the Shrine itself. It, like the rest of the text, didn't so much as hint at a place.
After a couple of hours, they seemed to be running out of steam. No one spoke, just passed the books back and forth and read the same passages over and over, taking no new notes. Baurus got up and said he was going to the Imperial Aviary to check for word from the Temple, mostly as an excuse to get some fresh air and try to clear his mind. Tar-Meena let herself out for a few minutes as well, promising to come back with some food. This left the Breton all alone, afraid to leave the dangerous books unguarded. She had to settle for a mere window to get her break by, vowing to herself she'd get a better respite later on.
Baurus came back with the first message since the one that had preceded Carolara's arrival. Jauffre didn't put any specific information in the note but made it clear that the Temple was being watched. There had not yet been an incident, but the Grandmaster requested that if available, one or both of them return to help solve the issue.
That was not something Carolara needed to hear while she was already under stress from the long study session. When the sorceress came back around with a tray of bread and fruit preserves, the Breton could barely make herself eat. Staying focused on the text was even more difficult. Finally she could bear it no longer and asked Baurus what he intended to do.
Rubbing his forehead, the Redguard laid down the book he had been reading. "Well, I'm betting this timing is of no coincidence. I'm going to stay until evening and hope we get this figured out before then, if not I'm afraid I'll be heading up north and you two will be on your own."
"So I'm to report up there once we've found the location?" Carolara questioned.
"No. I want you to proceed with the infiltration as immediately as you're able."
A thoughtful hum sounded out from the other side of the table and both Blades stared quizzically at Tar-Meena, who was tracing along a passage in one of the Volumes with her claw. Expectation mounted when she repeated the sound with a little more intrigue, flipping a few pages over, dragging another volume close and glancing at it. And then, "No, no no," and a sigh, and the hope of discovery once again left the room.
"So," the Breton went on. "Right on to the Shrine if we can find it. That's fair, we haven't got much time to waste I'd wager. Should I at least send a message along?"
"Too risky," Baurus replied, loading himself up another piece of bread with the sweet preserves. "You haven't been taught to write in code yet. Don't worry about it so much; believe it or not I have faith in your abilities."
Carolara smirked but said no more, propping her head up by her elbow and staring blankly down at Volume Two which sat open before her. It was comforting to know at least that the problem would be attended to. If he was going to believe in her, she'd believe in him too, and trust him to help their fellows keep Martin safe.
Your coming was foretold, my brother, by the Lord Dagon in his book of razors. You are to come as Idols drop away from you one by one. You are exalted in eyes that have not yet set on you; you, swain to well-travelled to shatterer of mantles. You, brother, are to sit with me in Paradise and be released of all unknowns...
Her smile faded as she returned to reading the strange, ranting passages of the Commentaries, the next hours ticking by as slowly as possible. Though literate she was never exactly a reading enthusiast and the way this was written made her head hurt. Full of allusions and riddles and metaphor, nothing just outright said. What the author was trying to convey was hidden enough, and trying to dig any deeper made her feel like a rat in an endless maze, long ago having lost scent of the goal.
She found herself staring at the initials a lot. Standing out from the rest of the black text, each paragraph started with a letter in crimson. For a while she had tried to see hidden images in the exquisitely detailed letter-work, but this had only strained her eyes. The 'Y' here was surrounded by vines, the 'A' above it seemed to contain a spearhead, a 'W' on the page before decorated with oak leaves. Though, read in order... 'W'... 'A'... 'Y'?
"Way?" Carolara said aloud, and both the Argonian and Redguard looked up at her curiously. It was the first thing anyone had said in quite a long time. Intrigued, she spun the book around and laid it before them, pointing to the letters and repeating, "Way."
Each snatched up the Volume they had been poking through and began to flip through the pages.
"Mid...day... sun..." Baurus muttered.
Tar-Meena took a fresh piece of parchment and inked her quill, eyes wide. "Of course, of course," she was saying to herself, opening Volume One in front of her and beginning to copy down the first letter of each paragraph. "Hidden on the surface, and not deep within. We thought we were trying to solve a riddle." Once she was through that they went onto the next, and so on until they had a complete message.
GREEN EMPEROR / WAY WHERE / TOWER TOUCHES / MIDDAY SUN
Carolara was snapped out of feeling pleased with herself when Baurus nearly shouted, garnering the ire of some poor mages just trying to study, "How long until midday?"
"About three hours..." a young Dunmer woman some yards away spoke up, frowning, "ago. Keep it down. I have an exam tomorrow."
"What's 'Green Emperor Way'?" the Breton questioned, careful to keep her voice low.
Tar-Meena replied, her voice a touch too excited though she kept her tone soft, "That refers to the circular gardens around the Imperial Palace. It's also a graveyard." She thought for a moment. "At midday when the sun is highest, it almost looks like it's sitting on the White-Gold Tower."
"Sounds like that would reveal our clue." Baurus let out a sigh and got up from his chair, stretching and peering out the window. "But we've missed it for today, and I'm needed at the Temple." He chuckled. "Looks like you didn't need my help after all. I can't wait around so I'm leaving the rest in your hands, Carolara."
The aforementioned followed suit, the sight of someone else stretching reminding her of her own aching limbs, a bit surprised at his suddenness. "You're going? Right away?"
"Yes. Best get out there before it gets dark. The room and board are paid for through the end of the week, though I hope you'll be off sooner than that." The Redguard spared her a smile. "I'll see you up at Cloud Ruler Temple."
Carolara nodded, still a bit stunned but understanding of the urgency. "Ah, good luck..." She struggled to think of something to say, "Greet Martin for me. Tell him he's missed and I hope he's well."
"I will," Baurus paused in shutting the door to say, "Good luck to you too."
And then he was out, and the Breton felt far more uncomfortable around the Argonian than she had before. She had nothing against Tar-Meena's kind; she just hadn't seen many of them growing up and found their scaly, toothy appearance jarring.
Gathering up the books into a neat pile and freeing the pages of old notes from within them, the sorceress asked after several silent moments, "Do you mind if I accompany you tomorrow to Green Emperor Way?" She smiled her strange lizard-like smile.
Carolara bit her own lip worriedly. "It could be dangerous."
A laugh. "My dear Breton, I didn't earn my place in the Arcane University just by sorting books. Besides, you can't fault me for being curious after I've come this far, and two pairs of eyes are better than one. The sun does not linger on top of the tower for long, the window to find our clue is small."
"Well," the Blade shrugged, reaching out for and wadding up the pages and pages of notes that turned out to be useless, "Baurus trusts you, and I don't know exactly what I'm looking for in the first place. So, I'd appreciate the help."
The books were heavy, especially all together, so Carolara just took the note with the hidden message on it and left the tomes with Tar-Meena so the sorceress could further sate her curiosities. She personally couldn't fathom what was so interesting about Daedric worship but the Argonian's knowledge had at least been handy. There were still a couple of hours of sunlight left so she decided to go for a little trip to the Market District.
First, however, she opened up the purse she'd taken from the cultist and counted out the amount of coins Martin had given her outside of Skingrad, added a few extra, and tied that up in his old purse to give him later. The Breton was just starting to feel a bit scared and alone; once she got that location she'd be going right into the heart of the enemy's network and hoping she could bluff long enough to get the Amulet. These thoughts combined with the autumn winds set her shivering lightly even beneath the thick leather. And yet the weight of that promised repayment in her hand felt warm, motivating; if she failed she'd never get to give that to him.