A/N: Thank you for the review! Well, true, I didn't give out too much Levoren's description yet, but I will in this chapter (: This chapter involves mostly her, but Marcurio will show up already, don't worry. (NOTE – Since I've developed the whole plot now, I thought it would work better if some details changed. It will be more around Winterhold questline. Since I haven't written much yet, I've edited a few things. I just think it will be better that way!)

CHAPTER 1: Unpleasant News

"Halt, woman," the guard commanded, when Levoren approached Riften's gates.

"What's the matter?" She inquired lifting the hood off her green eyes.

"Before I let you in the Riften, you need to pay the visitor's tax," guard stated blankly.

She frowned. "A tax for what?"

"For the privilege of entering the city. What does is matter?"

"I hear of such a tax for the first time… Since when do you have to payto simply enter a city?"

"Shh woman…" The man hissed. "All right, I will let you in, just be quiet… Let me unlock the gate for you…" He took the key reluctantly and unlocked the gates.

The guard probably tried this trick with all new travelers, hoping for the naïve ones, she thought walking through the gates. The first city with corrupt guards she'd seen. Minus one point to Riften.

The demand of warmth still reminded of itself, and she did as she promised herself earlier – to head straight into the inn to get some warmth and hopefully tea or even warm juice. Thought this city looks Nordily-Nordish, she noted sorely, shouldn't expect anything milder than mead here. And the alcohol normally messed with her mind. She chose to avoid it.

She walked through the bridge and noted a sign, yet she hadn't seen what was on it. Yet the building reminded the tavern, they usually stood in the most notable places. Entering, she felt warmth shroud her. Candles illuminated the room cozily, throwing shadows at the wooden walls. Chatter rang through the air and people drank from the mugs, a slightly honeyed smell hovered around. But something gave this place a certain coziness. She'd seen quite many inns during her travel. Maybe that's because of the weather outside, she thought smirking and went to the bar.

The Argonian barmaid watched her approach and greeted.

"Good day, traveler," Argonian nodded. "Anything you want?"

"I would like some drink," Levoren said, sitting by the bar. "Tea, if you can."

"Anything, if you have money." Woman laughed and went to get the teapot off fire. Levoren put a coin on the table. She hesitated, but took the hood off her head, light sand color hair spread loosely around her shoulders and she had to remove some bangs off her eyes.

"Travelled from far, Elf?" The Argonian asked, glancing at her once again before guessing her race. She poured steaming liquid into the cup and passed it to her.

She nodded "Yes. But I am not actually an elf. My mother is a Breton." She warmed her hands with the pleasant warmth the tea emitted, then made a little sip. "It's quite chilly outside today."

"Well, it's not usually so cold here in Riften," the barmaid said, putting a teapot back on the fire. "This winter is colder than it usually is. We all hope it won't be like this for too long… But on the other hand, it's good for business!" The Argonian laughed. "The inn is full like never."

Levoren glanced around. She noted there were some Nords, some Argonians, Redguards, Imperials and a few Bosmers. Nowadays many races were absent in the cities, with this civil war issue going on… She already found out that Nords distrusted others. Sometimes not hiding it too much.

"If it will be like this outside for a longer time, we might run out of mead reserves!" The woman joked, interrupting her from her thoughts.

"Umh."

Levoren sipped her tea slowly, looking at the dancing fire in the candlestick. Enjoying the moment of warmth, before she stood and stood and left the inn. She was said to be in haste.

Uh, the cold. She shuddered from the icy air when she left the inn. Not so cold usually, eh? It began to snow outside, figurine snowflakes swirled around the buildings, wind blew them into her face. Levored lowered her hood, shivering and sincerely wished to get back, get some more tea, some sleep, wake up freshly the next morning… She chased the thoughts away. She knew she couldn't lose all day, even though it was still early, she had to settle affairs fast and return with the piece as soon as possible. First task, then rest. She thought about asking the locals about the shop. She would hardly see the shop signs in the snowstorm anyway.

"Could you help me, please?" She approached a pair of people, a man and a woman. "I need to get to the Alchemy shop, could you tell me the way?"

The Nord woman eyed her for a moment. "It is just down. Go down the stairs ant then straight. But you won't find anyone there," she added.

"Why, may I ask?"

"You must be not from around here." Man, who was with the Nord, spoke. "The alchemist was found dead near a road recently. Poor Hafjorg's gone to Whiterun and doesn't know it yet… "

Something stroke Levoren from inside and she felt heat start to rise in her. She did not know who Hafjorg was, but that was not her concern now.

"You should ask the guards," the woman suggested. "They will know more. If they will tell you."

Levoren nodded weakly. "Thank you…" She did not believe it, she could not! How did this happen? Why would someone kill an old man? Why did he even leave the city in such a harsh weather? She was told the piece he had to give her was a very ancient artifact. The only reason Tolfdir sent her to retrieve it was because he trusted her, even if she was new. The task was not even that difficult or too risky, that a healer could not cope with it… Tolfdir just said she shouldn't talk too much and return as soon as she had it with her.

She went where the woman directed, carefully stepping on the snowy. A guard stood by the end of the dock and she approached him.

"What is it, citizen?" He inquired in that usual guard tone, when noticed her.

"I came to… meet with the alchemist, Elgrim, but I heard rumors that –"

"The man is dead. Was found by the patrol on a road. Likely killed by the bandits," the guard stated in blankest tone she'd ever heard.

"When?"

"Just two days ago. Why does it matter?" The guard spoke so carelessly that she wondered if those two cadavers she saw on her way weren't other unfortunate citizens of Riften. With their watch trying so hard for the sake of the people, it was very believable…

"I was send from the College of Winterhold to meet him. He had to pass me an important item."

"A mage, then," then guard noted, mocking tones in his voice.

"I need to search his store for the item." She looked at the sign, assuring that it was the right one.

"But it's not so easy…" The man trailed finger on the door.

"I… have a letter from Winterhold. I am not some thief…" She drew the sealed letter from her bag on the belt and held to the guard.

"Letters are easy to forge. I cannot let you in so simply, mage..."

Levoren folded arms on her chest, now irritated. Was every guard in this city a moron? She considering going to the Jarl himself. Yet she remembered – she was told not to give out too much details about the artifact, and the Jarl for sure would ask more … She was not certain of how he viewed the College, as she already knew that many claimed distrust to it.

"But something could help open this door…" The guard said suggestively.

She sighed in disbelief. People there sought benefit everywhere they could! Are there no longer good people anywhere? Or there they are, lying by the roadsides? 'The world is slowly falling into the abyss…' Where did she hear these words? She wasn't certain who said them, but she agreed now. Must have been a wiseacre. The healer scowled at the guard. Minus two points.

"Isn't it a guard's responsibility to assure safety for the people in the city and nearby? I heard that body was found close to the city, the man was a reputable alchemist and perhaps had this significant item with him!" She wished to make this moron guard feel his entire fault in this event, make him ashamed that he dared to even speak about self's profit now, when because of his fault someone died again.

"I wasn't even on the watch then," he stated, seemingly unimpressed by her speech much.

What she could do now?

Write a letter to Tolfdir and inform that she failed on her first independent task? He would be disappointed if she didn't make at least some effort herself… And she did not want to disappoint him.

Or she could go to the jarl, show him the letter from the College and hope for his good will… Very easily he could refuse her and tell his wizard to look for the artifact himself. And then announce that, of course, nothing was found.

All that effort to simply enter an alchemist's shop… But if the thing was stolen on the road, no one would even find a trace of it later.

"How much do you want?" Levoren forced out.

"Oh, that wouldn't cost you almost anything… Only enjoyable for both of us. You will be pleased, I assure…"

She looked at the man sternly, when she realized. The man asked for…

She exhaled in disbelief and nearly shuddered. She breather deeply and pursed her lips.

"How much gold would it cost me to get in," she asked again, looking at the guard sternly. She hoped he could feel her gaze under that mask.

"Oh well. I only tried to make everything pleasant… But if you prefer the plain way," he sounded displeased, but stated finally "I guess nine hundred gold would do something."

Nine hundred! The healer sighed out in disbelief. That was almost a half of the money she had with herself. But then, had she other option?

"I will give you the money when you open the door."

"How do I know you have them?"

She reached for the coin purse and the gold there jingled.

Guard gave out a little laugh and walked to the door, removing a keychain off his belt. He found a needed key and opened the door.

"The gold, woman."

She passed him a purse, the needed amount of Septims in it. She counted. Not a Septim too much. The guard took it quickly.

"I will count," he snickered, weighting the purse.

Oh, you can count actually?

She entered a shop, looking around and conjured a magic detection spell in her hand. Enchanted items usually emitted certain energy which she hoped to detect here. She felt the man still standing near the door.

"I've paid you already, I would like to examine everything closely now." She let the spell to fade and looked at the guard.

"The watch must always be present in such settings, so suitable for lootings." She could hear a teasing tone in his voice.

"I showed you the letter! Do I look like a thief to you? You just wanted to open a door under certain arrangements… I wonder if your Jarl would like that…"

"Carefully, woman," the guard warned. She could notice warning notes in his tone, yet she couldn't see his face behind the mask-like helmet. She decided not to pay him attention anymore and began to search the alchemist's house anyway.

She conjured a spell again and tried to sense the magic trace. She sensed some enchantment trails, but she found out that all of them belonged to rings and amulets. Another trail came from the chest. Likely place for something valuable, but unoriginal, she noted. Locked. She glanced at the guard and touched the lock carefully, casting a weak frost spell on it. She hoped it would work, she had never opened locks before… The lock slightly glowed from the inside and crackled a little. Levoren raised a lid carefully, but saw just another enchanted amulet. She sighted.She needed a plate. A disk, more precisely, plate sized disk with ancient Dwemercarvings and teal stones around it. Tolfdir said it's made by Dwarves. She presumed that something so ancient must emit considerable amount of energy. Yet here she found no trace of it.

She could feel the guards gaze on herself; she always felt when she was being observed. The healer shut the chest and headed upstairs. Perhaps the alchemist hid the disk in his private apartments, which was more probable. Somewhere safe, but where…

She searched for it with magic, she checked everywhere where the spell pointed, yet found only more enchanted rings. She searched the traditional way then, literally everywhere. She even checked the barrels, thought not a hint of magic came from them… She presumed that perhaps disk's magic trace was concealed purposely. Or maybe it wasn't actually an artifact, she didn't know if Tolfdir himself had ever seen it… Even the guard started to take interest into what she was searching for, but she refused to tell, of course.

Nothing.

It must have been stolen then, she thought in despair. At least the blizzard stopped, she noted glumly, standing in the street. For first time she was trusted with a task that did not involve healing, and she failed… But then it wasn't her fault, was it? But she could have arrived earlier if she wouldn't have lingered in Windhelm so much... Maybe then she would have arrived when the alchemist still hadn't left. She remembered the guard told Elgrim's body was found two days ago… She wouldn't have made it to Riften by then, anyhow. Yet she could still try to find the disk…

Someone in the inn mentioned bandit camp… being nearby. But where? It wasn't a good idea to rush into the wilderness in weather like this and alone. And she had no idea where the camp could be. She even doubted it would be a camp, with boiling water freezing outside now... Yet if there was still a possibility that the bandits have not left and had the piece… She had to try all the possibilities. She could ask someone who knew the region to accompany her, couldn't she? Of course for money. She already learned that money solved merely any problem in this city. She should be glad that she still had some.

The healer headed up the stairs, where she's seen another shop sigh and decided to ask if there was a courier in the city. She still would have to inform Tolfdir of this if she wouldn't find the artifact. Buying some paper and ink would be a good idea to begin with.

"Welcome, welcome!" A man behind the counter greeted as she entered.

She nodded "Hello… Perhaps you know where I could send a letter?"

"Well… A courier arrives to the stables few times in a week… I hand him some letters myself! He should come on Turdas now... Tomorrow," he nodded, checking the day.

"Do you sell some paper? I need to buy some."

"Of course, of course… Only a Septim for the page. Do you need the ink? "

She nodded. "Yes. I have a quill," she assured, when the man pointed at one. "And… Maybe you happen to know any mercenaries here?" she asked, putting the items in her bag.

Shopkeepers face closed in thought for a moment. "There is a mage, actually!" He remembered. "Marcurio I think. He'd been here today for some potions. Mentioned currently working as journeyman."

Levoren blinked. "And where can I find him?"

"Must be in the Bee and Barb, just nearby," he said. "Should be with a yellow robe."

She thanked and walked straight into the inn.

I I I

Levoren noticed a yellow robe man right as she entered the inn, he was reading a book. She stopped in front of him and asked.

"Are you Marcurio?"

"Yes?" He put a book he was aside and raised his eyes at her.

"Do you know Riften's surroundings?"

"Of course."

"Then I want to hire you." She reached for the coin purse.

Mage arched a smile.

"Deal, then."

A/N Hope you liked :)