CHAPTER 2

Upon exiting the Eight Plates (which relieved Dulnea greatly), Rinin was hailed by Arrow.

"Hey, Rinin!" the Wood Elf shouted. Despite hearing him clearly, Rinin did not see him anywhere. "Look up!" came another shout.

Looking upwards, Rinin saw the Bosmer, Sitting at the edge of the roof, Arrow was casually tossing one of his knives up into the air, spinning, and proceeding to catch it by the handle.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Wanna take a walk with me?"

"Dunno," the Dunmer reasoned, "Where are we going?"

Arrow smirked, then replied, "My house." With a whirling flip he jumped off the roof, and landed on his feet right beside the spellsword. "Time's a wastin'! Come on!"

***

Rethan was a town that had cropped up around Arrow's stronghold, Rethan Manor, a few years after Dagoth Ur's defeat. Towns like Balmora, which were enclosed by walls, simply could not hold any more houses without either difficult construction or building the new ones on top of the old. Once that was realized, colonists decided that they thought they would be better defended by the Nevarine than by the Imperial Legion or Hlallu, Redoran, and Telvanni guards. Not only that, but Arrow had used his extensive wealth, high standing, and high rank in the Fighters and Mages Guilds to employ a trained force of people to defend it. The central keep, which was the original manor and houses, was surrounded by a wall at the top of a hill. Houses built along the hill, and into the mountains across the river, made the actual town. Constantly patrolled by armored guards and battlemages, it was one of the safest places in Morrowind. Upon reaching the arch of the entrance to the keep, the two of them were greeted by a red haired Dunmer wearing black armor and cradling an equally dark helm in one arm.

"Rinin, meet Devalen Telaraus. Devalen, meet Rinin." After speaking, Arrow simply walked past the two and went into his manor house, looking over his shoulder with a faint smile. "You two have fun."

"Uh...Does he always do this?" Rinin asked.

"Pretty much," came the reply, "He tends to dissapear rather frequently, but I guess he wants me to keep you company." At that he pulled out a flask of flin, and from somewhere he produced a pair of cups. "Care to join me? I'm sure we have plenty of tales to share."

***

"Azura!", Arrow called out, "Get out here! I need to talk with you!"

"Turn around, Arrow."

"Oh," Sitting on his bed, Arrow looked at the goddess and asked, "Alright. I have Rinin here, but how do I get him to agree to be my pupil? I'm no teacher, and while I have a quick tongue, I haven't used it to get an apprentice before."

"Find what he values most, Arrow, and appeal to it. He should agree, I believe."

"As always," he sighed, "You leave all the work to me. Thanks for the hint, at least."

He looked up, expecting a reply, but the goddess was already gone.

***

"And that," Devalen finished, "Is how I came across Auriel's Bow."

"Really?" Rinin laughed, "Therana thought it smelled like ash yams?"

"May Azura curse me if it is true," The sorcerer announced devoutly. "More flin?" Without waiting for a reply, he produced a second flask, just as mysteriously as the first, and filled up Rinin's cup to the brim.

Rinin sat for a moment, sipping the cup of flin. "What exactly do you do here?", he asked.

"Hmm? Ah, yes. I serve as the commander of the Rethan Guard and as Arrow's Telvanni contact."

"How'd a Telvanni sorcerer end up working for the Nevarine? He's the head of Great House Hlallu, you know," Rinin questioned.

The cryptic answer came after a pause. "He saved my life."

"Can you possibly be any more vague?"'

"I was infected with vampirism," Devalen ground out, "He found me before it set in, and he cured me. I don't like to talk about it. I was in the middle of the Molag Amur range, out of potions and badly wounded. If he hadn't found me, I would either be dead, or undead..and neither appeals to me."

Rinin was, understandably, curious. "How did he find you in the middle of the mountains?"

"See this armor?", he tapped the black plate armor covering him. "The cuirass and greaves are Daedric, enchanted with feather so they are near-weightless. The rest, except for the pauldrons, are bound armor, and are weightless. What does that mean? Magic. Arrow cast Detect enchantment and combed the mountains for me. He found me after two days of searching- I owe him my life."

"How'd he know you were there?"

"Adventurers of our calibur know of each other. He heard I'd been missing, and he knew where I was headed. Luckily, I was smart enough not to rest, because vampirism sets in the first time you rest after three days of being bitten. I couldn't hold on to consciousness much longer, though."

"Where were you headed, exactly?"

"An old Dwemer observatory. I wasn't prepared for what was there."

***

Arrow walked up to Rinin and Devalen, the two of them accompanied by ten empty flasks. From the smell, Arrow assumed it was flin.

"Hey, Arrow, get over 'ere!" Rinin proclaimed in a slurred tone, paired with a drunken wave.

"...You're drunk,"

"Nah, everyone knows you don't get drunk on flin."

Eying the row of empty flasks, Arrow was a little amused."I don't think the brewers were concerned with someone drinking about a gallon of it," he said. "I think you'd better sleep here tonight."

***

Rinin awoke to a loud noise, like wood scraping wood. Opening one eye, he saw Arrow sitting in a chair, flipping through the pages of...his journal?!?

"What are you DOING?" he yelled. Or started to at least, as a splitting headache seemed to pierce his skull like a knife blade....or several dozen knife blades. It seemed, unfortunately, that he had a hangover.

"I told you you were drunk," the Nevarine replied, not even looking up from Rinin's journal. "One should always listen to his elders, his betters, and his leaders. Of which," he added with a wink, "I am all three."

***

Arrow flipped through the pages of Rinin's journal, the Dunmer once again passed out in a drunken slumber.

Day 67,

Ella.

The name of a Dunmer woman I met today. She seems interesting- if you consider a woman who can take on a pack of Nix-Hounds with an old crossbow interesting. I met her on the road to Ald-Ruhn. She's sleeping at the moment-we are sharing a camp, for protection...not that I mind.

Rinin snored, turning a bit in the bed. Arrow looked up, smiling a bit, remembering his own days of drunkenness, years ago. He had since learned his lesson that the headache left from a jug of sujamma was not worth the burst of strength it gave. He turned back to the book.

Day 72,

We are still traveling together, finding adventure where we will. I picked up a new sword today in Sadrith Mora, a steel dai-katana made by a Redguard there..It seems sharp, and in good condition. We've heard rumors of bandits along the coast, but we've decided we can handle any trouble, her crossbow with my steel and spells. We leave tomorrow to look for their base. Our relationship is growing- it is obvious in the little things, her sitting a little closer, a little more laughter, a better understanding of each other. Though it's never happened before, I think I may have found love. Too soon to tell.

Arrow chuckled quietly, wondering why he had never met this "Ella". Perhaps the answer was later on in the journal? He turned another page.

Day 74,

We found a few traveling Ashlanders. They seem friendly enough, even know the location of the outlaw's base. They warned us not to go there, saying they've seen half a dozen well-armed bandits and rouges there, and they know there are more in the cave where they hide. We are drawn to adventure, though, and we believe that, for there to be such a large group, there must be quite a bit of loot. Tonight, Ella and I kissed. It's only been a week, but I already know I love her.

Day 75,

How could things have gone so wrong? The outlaws caught us by surprise, knocking me unconscious before I knew what was happening, just before we entered the cave. I don't know where they have Ella, but I know where I am- rotting in a cell somewhere in a cave. Luckily, they've assumed I'm no more than a warrior, and have not taken any precautions against my spells. Can I take a chance, though? I know not where they keep Ella, and I cannot risk her so soon. I'm not sure what the men here want, but they must want something or I'd be dead.

Day 77,

I cannot wait any longer. I could use Recall and leave here, but I can't risk that- they may harm Ella....I can't risk it. My plan is to use magic to escape the room and overwhelm the guards, then take a weapon and fight my way through until I find her. Or die. Whichever come first.

Arrow stared at the spellsword, at a loss for words as to the fact that he would willingly risk his life for someone he had just met. If Arrow was in that situation, he would have cast Recall and left. Of course...he wouldn't have been ambushed in the first place...

Day 78,

She's dead.

Arrow stopped suddenly, reading and rereading the words, for they were the only ones on the page. He wasn't sure, but he believed there were a few faint smudges, left from long-shed tears, on the page. He turned the page, hoping to find more information.

Day 79,

Ella is dead. I fought past the guards and retrieved my weapon, fighting my way down along the caves, searching for her. Eventually I made my way to what I believed was the leader's room, only to stop dead in my tracks as I saw that Bosmer holding a kinife to Ella's throat. "Don't move," he had said, an uncaring grin on his face. Ella struggled, trying to break free, to save me, I guess. The fetcher slit her throat and slipped on a ring, and golden light began to engulf him as the Recall spell took effect. "The name's Vastion," he called, just before he vanished.

I ran to her side, the blood a crimson flow coming from her throat. She looked so small, so helpless, now. I could've tried healing her, but the wound was fatal and Restoration was never my forte. I could only hold her, comfort her, as the light left those copper eyes set in her lovely face. I could only stare as her skin became pale as the blood stopped pumping. I could only watch her die.

Vastion. I won't forget that name. Anyone soulless enough to slit the throat of an unarmed woman has to be stopped before he brings more grief to this island.

He will burn for this, no matter what.

Arrow closed the journal, noting the date had been several years ago. He slowly slipped it back into Rinin's pack, and sat back in his chair, thumb tapping his chin in a pensive manner.

Vastion- where had he heard that name? He thought harder, but it was no one he had met or heard of on Morrowind.

***

End Of Chapter 2

Sorry about the delay