"Varulae, where are you?" Aderyn must have searched the Serpents Wake three times before giving up. Even his use of a strong Life Detection spell hadn't shown her. Varulae simply was not on board… or anywhere in sight for that matter. Aderyn decided to find her later. He hadn't seen Wilhelm lately either. It had been over a month, nearly two, since the beggar had last dined with him, and when morning came he upped and left without a word. 'Must be staying in the warehouse,' Aderyn thought to himself, noting the darkened clouds coming.

Wilhelm was nowhere to be found either. Something wasn't quite adding up. The dimmed atmosphere and the chilling presence Aderyn felt when entering the darkened warehouse sent shivers down his spine. "Where is he?"

Back outside Aderyn stood in silence, the gloomy clouds overhead threatening to shower him with their chilled, depressive rains. He halted a guard walking by on his regular patrols. "Have you seen Wilhelm?"

"That filthy beggar who stays there?"The guard asked, pointing to the warehouse. Aderyn nodded. "Can't say I have. At least not recently." Aderyn sighed, then looked to him for further information.

"When had you last seen him?"

"Heading far to the east and north of Anvil, I think… almost a week ago. He mumbled something about revenge." Aderyn looked distraught. "I-I hadn't thought of it at the time," the guard continued, "but he did look rather upset. And there was this strange presence about him. His eyes were dark, and he looked grayer than normal." It was true, the Nord was not one much for the sun. But he would occasionally come outside to converse with the locals. His skin tone, however, was quite fair due to staying indoors majority of the time, and he preferred not staying in the sun too long for fear of terrible sunburns.

"Well, have you at least seen where Varulae went?" At least if Aderyn could talk to her, she might be able to shed some light on the strange crystal. The guard nodded, saying she left town last night. She talked about some important matters to attend to and would return within the week. Aderyn thanked him for his assistance and continued on, wishing for some company amidst the dreary circumstances.

Romiskeld and Vigdis would be a cheery enough group to talk to. So, deciding to stop in, he headed for their home. Cadogan followed in tow, always cheery. "Of course, your company is always welcome." Aderyn smiled while petting the vastly growing dog. It surprised him how one so small at first could grow so quickly in only a few months. Cadogan's tail wagged in appreciation to the attention.

Coming to their house, Aderyn knocked on the door. No one answered. He checked the door, it was locked. "They must be out. I'll check with Azzan. He might know where they are." And indeed Azzan did know. They were there at the Fighter's Guild. Aderyn laughed as he saw Romiskeld trying on a set of clunky steel armor.

"What are you doing, Romiskeld?" Aderyn laughed some more.

"What?" The Nord turned around; he wasn't used to heavy armor and nearly tripped over the pointed steel boots as they clashed with each other. Aderyn and Azzan caught him midfall. Vigdis sent out a roar of laughter. Even Thormoor cooed in her arms. Aderyn looked over to the child, also amazed at how fast he'd been growing.

"What have you been feeding him? It's only been what… four months since his birth, and already he's larger than Cadogan was when I first got him." Aderyn lowered a finger towards the baby, holding his small hand between it and a thumb.

"He's a Nord baby, remember? We grow faster than most other races." Aderyn nodded to the truth of the statement. Vigdis lowered Thormoor down to see Cadogan, and they quickly took a liking to the each other. Everyone laughed some more at Thormoor's giggling from Cadogan's excited tongue incessantly covering the baby's face in puppy saliva.

Azzan looked to Aderyn. "So, when are you ever gonna' rejoin the Guild?" Aderyn stared up to him, his face growing dimmer, less joyful.

"You know I turned away from that path a long time ago."

Azzan shrugged. "To join the church? It's been seventeen years, Aderyn."

Aderyn slightly glared at him. "I wasn't going to be a killer anymore. There was too much death going on, and I didn't want a part of it any longer."

"So, Stendarr's teachings forbade you from serving your homeland?"

"Forbids me from going on senseless killing rampages!" Aderyn snapped. Azzan backed down, but knowing the real reason behind Aderyn's resignation from the guild. He was there that fateful day, just glad to be alive.


Thirteen days had gone by, and still no sign of the damned marauders came. The entire group grew weary from lack of sleep and nourishment. Fatigue gripped at them, but still the mission must be accomplished.

The days of rain, ending only to bring about fog and then more rain after that, aided them only in the form of cover from their enemies' sight. The ten men, with Aderyn as their head and Azzan as second in command, vigilantly waited. Their spirits waned in the mire, concerned for their mission's success. No comforts were granted to them, their presence a possible hindrance to the mission. Not even the warmth of a fire was allowed for fear of drawing attention.

Their mission: to annihilate the marauders wreaking havoc upon Weye's people. Fort Nikel, the encampment of the marauders, was empty, barren of any forms of life whatsoever. Information received depicted twenty men would return within the week. But that news was apparently misleading and nearly a week more lay behind them.

Ready to give up hope of ever finding them, Aderyn cast a long distance Life Detection spell in hopes of any possible tell-tale sign of their arrival.

"Finally," he breathed a sigh of relief, "they're here."

Twenty of them, as said, marched on towards the encampment, dragging behind them the plunder of their recent pilfering. Aderyn motioned for the men to get into position, an ambush placed outside the fort to overtake the heathens.

"Wait for it," Aderyn whispered. With his bow strung and arrow set, his first shot the signal for the men to attack. He waited for the enemy to close in. "Just a little closer."

Suddenly, several marauders' life sources flickered away… dead? Unbeknownst to Aderyn, a small group of men secretly snuck around back, somehow aware of the pending ambush, attacking the Guild members. Aderyn had barely enough time to counterattack the enemies – their movements like craved beasts, possessed and unfaltering eyes gazed upon him and his men – murderous gazes intending to kill. Tainted black armor covered their foul hides.

Aderyn fought back, receiving a pierced leg and shoulder from crossbow bolts brought back from Morrowind. Though, redemption for his lost men rose within him. Every enemy in sight fell to his merciless blade. Hatred for them consumed his heart, a driving force taking control of his actions – "revenge, revenge". And as he stood there, the blood of his enemies covering his face, he realized his action was brought about more in hatred for the brutes and less for the loss of his men. Fear gripped at him, never again wanting to lose control.

The life sources that flickered away were those of innocent citizens of Cyrodiil. Azzan and himself, the only two remaining men, were both wounded, Azzan more than he with a skewered side and both legs pierced by arrows – unable to walk. Aderyn carried him for a day, stopping only to heal him whenever possible on their way towards Chorrol. Aderyn then resigned when Azzan fully recovered, offering his services to Stendarr to never be the cause for more lives lost in combat.