The silt strider was as fast as the Argonian pauper had said. With its long strides, it reached Ald-Ruhn just after midday, though the sun was hidden behind a thick layer of gray clouds by then. Tharlennis paid Sareloth and carefully walked down the steep ramp to Ald-Ruhn's dusty ground. She stopped to ask directions to where she could find Aurora to deliver Ambika's letter, and marveled at the size of the crab shell Ambika had mentioned when she saw it. It was large enough to contain several manors, not all of them of modest size, and a small wooden door led inside. She passed it by and walked along the edge of the shell until she found Aurora's store and delivered the letter. "Be sure to come again once I have written a response," said Aurora, a tall, golden-eyed Altmer with a Cyrodiilic accent.
"I'll be sure to come back anyway, when I have more money. Your selection of goods is quite nice," Tharlennis replied. "I'd stay and window-shop, but I just got in from Balmora and I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast. Where can I get some decent food?"
"Boderi Farano at the Ald Skar Inn is a fair cook," Aurora answered. "You'd probably best go there. It's just down the hill."
Tharlennis thanked Aurora and found the Ald Skar without difficulty. As she sat eating a lunch of kwama eggs and scuttle, she heard two other patrons talking. "I dumped her once I got here," said one. "I don't even care anymore about the money. She was too irritating to take all the way to Ghostgate from Vivec."
"I'd have kept on with her and demanded a bonus," said the other. "I mean, honestly, she may have been the worst client in the world, but she was still a client."
"I told you, I don't care. It wasn't worth it, and I'll find someone else to escort so I can eat. I'd have to be pretty desperate to keep her on board."
Tharlennis checked her purse to see how much money she had left – it wasn't much, perhaps enough for another two or three days at an inn including food. She paid Boderi for her food and, after asking directions to Ghostgate, went to look for work that came in the form of an annoying woman.
Not far from Ald-Ruhn, she heard the voice of an aging woman call "You there!" from atop a hill.
Tharlennis looked up and saw the woman who called, a matronly Imperial with mousy brown hair and a blue dress that clearly had many petticoats. Tharlennis indicated herself.
"Yes, you," snapped the woman. "I'm in need of an escort. You'll do in a pinch."
"Good. I'm looking for work. What will you pay me?" Tharlennis responded, gently lifting her skirt out of the ashy sand as she ascended the hill.
"Nothing, if you don't get me to Ghostgate Shrine in two days," said the woman. "But that shouldn't be too much of a problem – it's only a day's walk if you hurry. I'll pay you when we get there if you've done a good enough job protecting me."
"Protecting you from what?"
"Cliff racers. Nix-hounds. Whatever. Even you should be able to take care of that sort of thing. I haven't got all day. Shall we go?"
"I don't see why not. I'm Tharlennis. What should I call you?"
"You may address me as Viatrix. Let's go. And be quick about it."
Viatrix proved to be exactly as irritating as the man in the inn had implied. Every fifty feet she had something to criticize, constantly admonishing Tharlennis for going the wrong way, not going fast enough, not paying attention to the local wildlife, or skirting too close to a Daedric shrine. The sand slowed her up, and she blamed Tharlennis for it despite the fact that it was she who was lagging behind. "Can't you take me on a route that's not as soft?" she asked, knowing full well that there was no such route.
A low hum filled Tharlennis's ears as she neared the top of a hill. "What's that noise? Do you hear it too, or am I imagining things?"
"Of course I hear it. It's the Ghostfence – didn't you know that? Keeps the Corprus beasts inside on Red Mountain instead of out here… well, most of them, anyway. There it is. Now do you see it?"
Tharlennis nodded. "Forgive me for being an uneducated outlander," she growled at Viatrix, "who has never heard the sound of a massive magical barrier." She could see it now, rising at least fifty feet into the air, supported by impressive carved stone columns.
"Well, follow it," Viatrix ordered. "No, not that way, you idiot! Honestly, I'll never make it to the shrine with such an incompetent escort. Watch out!" She grabbed Tharlennis's head and forcibly turned it toward a charging cliff racer. Tharlennis threw a ball of fire at it, then another, and drove it away, ignoring Viatrix's protests that she couldn't even do magic right.
She heard a man scream as she rounded the corner of an enormous volcanic boulder. Looking around, she saw its source – a leather-clad Dunmer stood just outside a tall stone gate in the Ghostfence, assaulted by three skinny reptiles that looked like they might be clannfears. He thrust his blade at one of them, but another leaped on his back and tore at him with its claws. Without thinking, Tharlennis willed her magical knife to be Daedric-sharp and ran to help him, ignoring Viatrix's complaints. She slashed with the dagger in one hand while she laid about with flames from the other, knocking the clannfear from atop its prey. Her dagger barely scratched the clannfears' tough scales, and the other two turned from the fallen Dunmer man to attack her as well. "Viatrix, don't just stand there! He needs help!" she yelled, as a clannfear hissed in pain at her fiery touch.
"I'm not getting myself killed over some Ashlander! Do I look like a fighter?"
"No, but I'm not about to let 'some Ashlander' get killed when I can do something about it!" Tharlennis shot back. One of the clannfears now lay bleeding and scorched, but the other two had her flanked. It took all of her concentration to keep her wounds from bleeding. "Now get over here and do something before they rip me up too – if they take me down, they'll go after you next!"
"I tell you… fine! But you'd better keep me from getting hurt!" said Viatrix. She picked up several moderately-sized stones and began throwing them into the melee. Her aim was good, and her arm strong. Soon one of the clannfears had completely forgotten about Tharlennis as Viatrix pelted it with rocks, moving with surprising alacrity in all her petticoats. Tharlennis squared off against the other hissing beast, blinding it with a cloud of conjured snow as she cut its throat. It gave a few last shrieks as it clawed at her in its death throes, then fell still.
Summoned by a shriek from Viatrix, Tharlennis ran behind the clannfear assailing her and froze a block of ice beneath its neck shield, keeping it from moving its head. Viatrix picked up a larger rock and brained it, and Tharlennis finished it off. She ran to the Ashlander's side. "Are you all right?" she asked him, rolling him onto his back. He was bleeding badly, even worse than she was.
He coughed. "I suppose I should thank you," he said weakly, "for your help with those clannfears, although I never asked for it." He coughed again. "Everything was under control."
"Under control?" Tharlennis repeated as she magically closed the worst of her wounds. "It sure didn't look like everything was under control."
The Ashlander sat up, wincing at the pain of a deep gash on his back. "Well," he said, "I was actually quite capable of dealing with them myself, you know. You didn't have to interrupt."
"They were making mincemeat of you!" Tharlennis countered.
"Are we going to stand here all day? May I remind you that you're on a job?"
"Quiet, Viatrix. Look at your wounds… whoever you are!"
The Ashlander laughed bravely. "I'll have you know I was just playing with them. Practicing," he bragged. "Then you come blundering in playing the hero and ruin it for me! Next time, keep out of it, all right?" He took a wad of dried leaves out of his belt pouch and tried to use them to stanch the bleeding of his leg.
"I just saved your life!" Tharlennis informed him. "Are you always this ungrateful? You probably don't want me to heal you, either, since you're busy practicing bleeding to death."
He coughed again. "Ah… well, actually…"
"No, no, I'm sure you don't need me," said Tharlennis sarcastically, arms akimbo. "I'll be quiet and let you carry on with your training. I'm sure some more Daedra will be along any minute now. Come on, Viatrix. You're at least paying me for putting up with an ungrateful s'wit." She turned as if to leave.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Come on – where is this shrine you're going to? This is Ghostgate, right?"
"Wait! Please…" the Ashlander called as Tharlennis started to walk away. She turned, eyebrows raised, and looked at him. "All right," he said. "I apologize. I'm glad you arrived when you did. You probably did save my life."
"Probably?"
"We don't have time for this!"
"I said be quiet. Now, you with the too-small amount of blood – probably?"
"All right! You definitely saved my life. Are you happy now? And, uh, are you going to heal me like you said you could? I'd really be grateful. I've run out of salves, and my own magic is running dry…"
"Thank you. Yes. Hold still." Tharlennis knelt beside him, and channeled her power into his body. His wounds stopped bleeding, then closed.
The Ashlander sat up straighter and tested his limbs. No scars could be seen through the ripped holes in his clothes, and his hands seemed to work fine. "I feel a lot better now," he told her. "Thank you. This whole thing is… very embarrassing."
"Why? Is there some shame in being rescued?" Tharlennis asked, hushing Viatrix again.
He shook his head. "I'm trying to become a strong warrior," he replied. "It's… expected of me. But I spend all my time training, and it's clearly still not good enough." He made a loud noise of frustration: "What would my tribe think of me if they knew I had been rescued by an outlander? An outlander, for Azura's sake!"
"Oh, come on. The only thing different about me is that I have a Cyrodiilic accent," Tharlennis chided.
"It still looks bad," he countered, his face darkening slightly. "I mean, no offense…"
"Come on, it's not that bad," she pressed. "There were three of them, after all – and they would have killed me too if Viatrix weren't so good at throwing rocks."
"Thank you," he said, sounding a little haggard. "But you don't understand… how could you? You have no idea who I am, or what I have to do, and why…"
Tharlennis sat down next to him. "So tell me," she said.
"It's not that simple," he sighed. "I can't just go around telling everyone, and certainly not an outlander. All I can say is that I've got a sacred mission I need to carry out within the Ghostfence on behalf of my tribe, and others. But I've been training around here for a week now, and I can't even deal with the creatures on this side of the fence, save the cliff racers! How can I hope to survive when I go inside?"
"Well," said Tharlennis thoughtfully, "if it's a sacred mission, won't the gods protect you?"
He gave a mirthless half-laugh. "That's what my mother says," he said. "She has incredible faith – in the gods, and in me. That's why I have to succeed; I can't disappoint her. But I'm not sure I share her faith… maybe that's my problem. She used to be a wise-woman for the Ahemmusa, but we live apart from the camp … I suppose she'd be called a mabrigash now."
"A what?"
"A mabrigash. A witch. That's what people call wise-women who live away from camps – they say they practice dark magic, and steal men's life essence. But my mother only uses her magic for good purposes."
"Are you going to sit there talking to that Ashlander you saved all night?" Viatrix snapped, tapping her foot. "I'm waiting!"
"Would you be quiet? You said yourself that we're almost there. Honestly…" She turned to the Ashlander. "I'm Tharlennis. No last name – never bothered with one, and never had a family to give me one."
"You're stronger than me, Tharlennis… have you ever been inside the Ghostfence?" asked the Ashlander.
"Not yet, but that's where I'm taking this… lovely woman," she replied, indicating Viatrix. "Relax, Viatrix, I'll get you there in time."
"You'd better! I can't believe how much of a hold-up you've been…"
"Excuse me for saving a life! See what I have to put up with? As if I want to take longer with the way she nags…"
"I thought so," said the Ashlander with a nod. "You're strong enough to deal with those ash monsters, or you will be soon." He paused. "I wonder… would you help me develop my skills? I know a little magic already. Would you teach me?"
"And here I never would have thought you'd ask that kind of thing from someone with a Cyrodiilic accent, with the way you were talking before," said Tharlennis. "Are you sure?"
"If my people knew, they would be horrified," he replied, "but I can't see any other way. I'm just not getting anywhere by myself. I need a teacher, and you… well, you seem like you could be one. Outlander or not, you're the only person I've met so far who has helped me. That has to mean something."
"I try," said Tharlennis. "Goodness knows I've dealt with enough unhelpful people in my life. I'm not sure about teaching, though…"
"It's not as if I'd be useless," said the Ashlander. "I can fight and look after myself, and I can cast a few small spells. I wouldn't be a burden, and two is usually safer than one. I'd be useful."
"What spells do you know?"
"I can levitate a little, and breathe water and heal myself if I'm not too tired," he replied. "And I think I'm probably as good as you with a knife, even though I didn't see much when you were… saving me. I can fix things, too, if I have the tools for it." There was a long pause as Tharlennis waited for him to say the one other thing she needed to know. Julan looked at her blankly until he realized it, and smacked his forehead. "I'm an idiot! I haven't introduced myself!" he exclaimed. "My name is Julan Kaushibael, Hearthfriend of the Ahemmusa tribe. Or I was. I'm actually an outcast… but, uh, it's complicated."
"That's all right. So am I, kind of. An outcast, that is."
Julan nodded. "So, will you do it? Do you think we'd make a good team?"
Tharlennis thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know if I'd be any good as a teacher," she told him, "but I'll show you what I can, and I could use someone to watch my back. I'm new to Morrowind, too, so having a native as an ally would probably be a very good thing. I know, Viatrix. You don't have to tell it to me if I just said it myself."
"Great!" said Julan. "I have to admit it was getting a little lonely hanging around here by myself. I'm afraid I don't know a whole lot about Vvardenfell either, though… this is the farthest I've ever been from home. I'll tell you what I can but I've never been to any big cities. Look, now that you're here… how far inside the Ghostfence were you planning on taking her? I'd like to come along, if it's not too far… just inside the gate, to get used to it. I have to."
"Viatrix? How far in is the shrine you're going to?"
Viatrix sighed. "Just up the mountain a little bit," she replied as if for the fiftieth time.
"There's your answer, Julan." Tharlennis stood and helped him up. "Come on, let's go. Yes, Viatrix, we're actually going to that shrine now. You do know the way, right?"
"Of course I know the way. You've wasted enough of my time. Now, I want one of you in front of me and one behind, you hear?"
Julan and Tharlennis gritted their teeth simultaneously. "Fine," said Tharlennis, and Viatrix placed her hand on the switch to open the portcullis.
As soon as all three of them were through, Julan stopped. "What are you waiting for?" Viatrix scolded him. "Come on, we haven't got all evening. If you hurry, you can have me there by dark."
Julan ignored her. "Tharlennis, I'm sorry," he said loudly over the rising wind. "I thought I was ready to travel on Red Mountain, but… well, I'm not. I know I'll have to come here, but I just can't – not yet, not now. Please, let me cast Almsivi Intervention to bring us out of here. I'll tell you when I'm ready to return."
"Absolutely not!" Viatrix shrilled. "If you teleport us all out of here, I'll never make it to the shrine! Tharlennis, why did you have to pick up this baggage?"
"Julan is a sight more pleasant than you," she replied. "You'd better pay me for what I had to put up with here. Julan, I can't help it if you're not ready, but I have to deliver Viatrix to that shrine. I'll meet you in Ald'Ruhn in a day or so."
"Fine," Julan grumbled. "I'll see you later, assuming you bother to return for me."
"Julan, don't talk like that, I wouldn't –" Tharlennis began, but Julan had already vanished in a cloud of white stars. Viatrix huffed.
"Good. You got rid of him," she said, shielding her eyes from the blowing ash. "Now hurry up. I haven't got all week."
"I expect to be well paid for this," Tharlennis grumbled, but Viatrix didn't listen.
It was not long before Tharlennis glimpsed a small wayshrine through squinted eyes. She indicated it, and Viatrix nodded. She made a face as they approached it. "Well, we've arrived," she said, "surprisingly enough."
Tharlennis nodded, eyes narrow partially from annoyance and partially to keep out the ash. "Yes. My money?"
"Oh, I suppose I really ought to give you something," she sighed. She counted out a few coins. "Here. Take it. Now leave me."
"A hundred Septims? I can't buy a lot with that."
"It's more than you deserve for the time you wasted putting me in danger from those Clannfears," Viatrix scoffed. "You'll not get a copper more. Now scoot. I don't need you anymore."
If not for the weather, Tharlennis would have bared her teeth – it was difficult to quell murderous thoughts, but even though there were no witnesses, she decided against the idea of knifing the pilgrim in the back. She stalked off down the mountain and headed for Ald-Ruhn again.