Chapter VII

"Where is our target located Relen?" asked Miara as the two Dunmer met each other near Vivec City's Silt Strider Port.

"Azura's' Coast," Relen replied.

"Are those the best directions we get?" She snapped. Relen took a map out of his bag and opened it up, he pointed to a cross on one of the many islands that made up Azura's Coast.

"Here," he said, "The contract says we may also have to do a bit of tracking for ourselves to find the target," Miara nodded in reply.

"We aren't the only ones tracking this target, are we Relen?" Miara asked accusingly.

"No," Relen confessed "Imperials are also after him – Blades no less."

"I thought something like that would be the case, why else would you ask me to help you," Miara replied. But Relen stayed silent,
"Come, let's go" She said.

Relen and Miara were to take the Silt Strider eastwards; it would leave them outside the Dunmer city of Molag Mar - a desolate fortress standing against the harsh Ashlands to the north and the isolated Azura's Coast region to the East. The journey took the good part of a day to complete, along the way the pair of companions sat mostly in silence. Miara was uncomfortable, something which surprised her. Relen had been her oldest friend, yet now he barely wanted to look at her. She thought he would be excited by the prospect of adventuring with her again, but he simply sat in silence. The years had hardly been kind to her, they rarely were for assassins, but Relen looked especially worse for wear; he appeared old, tired even.

During the journey she asked more about the contract. She was no fool; it was highly unusual that Relen would ask for her help specifically when he was so used to working alone. She suspected that his confidence had been shaken by the set up in Ebonheart; in truth she hated seeing him this way. Then there was the issue of the Imperial Blades also tracking their target. She did not know what their intentions were; she didn't even know the reasoning behind the person – or group – which had hired Relen to do this job. But that was the way it would always go in this business. Killing for money was, by definition, a shady affair. The presence of the Blades, who Miara knew as an elite spy group at the Emperors beck and call, certainly made things interesting; it was a sure fact that their target was important for whatever reason. Yet, they didn't even know the target's name. All they had to go on was a vague description: a Dunmer prisoner with a shaved head and piercings.

"Do you worry Relen?" asked Miara eventually.

"You already know the answer to that question old friend," Relen replied.

"But why, you… we have faced danger before."

"This feels different; it is not the danger which worries me. I have never thought about questioning the motives of an assassination, but part of me wants to protect this Dunmer prisoner."

"You will go through with it though?" Miara asked, wide eyed.

"Of course I will," Relen snarled.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, Miara sometimes caught Relen looking at her, but he averted his gaze when she noticed. Whatever the emotion was that she caught in her old friend's eyes, she did not know. But she had a strong urge to help Relen. This was natural she supposed. For Miara personally, this was her first contract after leaving the Morag Tong. When she joined it filled her with immense honour, knowing that she was working alongside famed assassins in an age old institution. The killing was legal and sanctioned by the Tribunal – if only tolerated at best by the Imperial invaders. She was never satisfied though, something about having to present a writ of execution put a downer on the fun of things. Nevertheless, it was good to be back to old ways, with an old friend.

The Silt Strider reached its destination of Molag Mar and so the pair disembarked. Molag Mar was a canton, much like the ones which made up Vivec City, except Molag Mar was only one canton, rather than many. It housed a strong Tribunal presence – the religious organisation which governed Morrowind. Their stop here was only brief, Relen wished to purchase supplies – including some more potions – and then they set off once more.

The region they entered now, and the location of their target, was known as 'Azura's Coast'. The region was made up of the entire Eastern coastline of Vvardenfell, home to thousands of tiny islands, sheer cliff faces and vicious storms. The area was also House Telvanni territory, one of the three Great Political Houses which ruled Morrowind and Vvardenfell. The Telvanni were immensely powerful mages and were not as willing to bend to the wishes of the Empire and the Tribunal as House Hlaalu and House Redoran were. They were mostly isolationist, seeing political matters as a petty waste of time. But considering the most powerful ruling Telvanni were said to be hundreds of years old, their indifference to events was understandable.

The pair walked for a good while, traversing narrow paths between mountains and wading through shallow water passes.

"Why did you leave the Morag Tong Miara?" asked Relen quite suddenly, maybe it had been playing on his mind Miara thought.

"The truth is, I didn't like it there." She said honestly.

"You should have come and seen me," Relen said, not giving away any emotion.

"Maybe, but you were busy with your own independent contracts. Plus I didn't want to give you the satisfaction of being right," She said. Relen couldn't help but burst out laughing,

"So we didn't see each other for years because you didn't want me to be right?" He said, grinning. Miara stayed silent, cracking a smile. Eventually both of them were laughing; it was certainly a mood lifter for the two of them.

The landscape seemed to be gradually deteriorating around them. The cliffs became more jagged and the land wasn't so flat. Any sign of civilization was long behind them, the only signs of life where the birds in the sky and the multitude of mudcrabs dotted along the waters edge. This landscape was the perfect place for a band of rogue Imperial sailors who had kidnapped a prisoner hold up. Eventually, the narrow path sloped down towards the waters edge, where a rickety wooden bridge held passage to the next tiny island along. Relen stopped walking and signalled Miara to do the same.

"There are people on the other side," he said.

Miara saw them as well, they weren't moving either.

"They're waiting for us to cross," she said.

"Bandits, or highwaymen no doubt," Relen said, "Load your crossbow – but keep it lowered, stay behind me," Miara nodded in reply and took out her crossbow which had been harnessed to her back.

The pair advanced, slowly and more cautiously. As they descended further down the trail, they got a better view of the people on the other side of the bridge. There was four of them, an Orc stood in the middle. The tallest of the group, he was clad in heavy armour and was clearly in command. He was flanked by two Nords, each almost as tall, equipped with long swords and shields. Finally, at the rear, a man stood in dark blue robes. He could have been an Imperial, but the way he dressed suggested magic, which would mean he was most likely a Breton. None of these four moved or said anything, they simply watched Relen and Miara as the descended the trail.

As they reached the bottom, they came to the bridge. Relen stopped and stared at the group on the other side of the water.

"It's pretty clear they aren't here to offer us a drink," he said, "You stay here; we need to put some distance between us and them. I'll find out what they want."

Miara was silent, Relen turned to her,

"Miara?" he asked anxiously.

"We're assassins Relen; we can't be expected to best four warriors in open combat. We aren't even equipped for it!" she retorted.

"Which will make their defeat all the more humiliating," he replied swiftly.

Relen took a first step onto the bridge, then another until he stood on the wooden planks, the murky water swirling a few feet below him. The group on the other side had not reacted, so Relen took a few more steps. Eventually he stood on the middle of the long, narrow bridge. He threw back his cloak and shouted,

"We seek travel along this path, what say you?"

It was the Orc, who spoke up, grunting,

"You will drop your weapons where you stand and bring us all of your gold, else you must turn back."

"That won't be possible," Relen replied, staring down the Orc who – even at a distance – was frighteningly big.

"Oh and we have no intention of turning back," Relen added.

The Nords began to laugh and the Breton's face lit up with glee,

"In that case, Dunmer, we shall kill you and take your pretty friend with us," the Orc snarled with menace, bringing a large war axe in front of him.

Relen knew he had but seconds, and analyzed the situation. Miara was smart, so she would launch her first bolt at the Orc's armour; it was the only thing that could pierce it. That meant Relen would have time to throw a throwing knife at one of the Nords, who both wore weak leather. By that time the Orc would still be standing and charging towards him, albeit slowed by the bolt hopefully stuck in his chest. From there Relen would have to improvise, because the Orc was moving and Miara had already let off her first bolt.

As suspected the bolt hit the Orc square in the chest, it looked as if it had pierced the armour but it would take more than one to fell and Orc. Relen responded by flinging a knife at the nearest Nord, which found its targets throat and he dropped to the ground. Relen retreated back to Miara, who was busy reloading the crossbow. The Orc was quick, surprisingly so and was almost upon them already. Relen grasped his dagger firmly and stood on the receiving end of the Orc's war axe. He darted to the left just in time and with his hands pushed the Orc's arms off to the right, sending the axe thumping to the ground. Relen had already plunged his dagger into a weak spot between two of the plates of armour, the Orc fell. The second Nord had reached the other side now and was hacking at Miara, who had abandoned the crossbow and was defending with her short sword. The Nord had the reach and Miara was on the defensive, she was being battered and couldn't get an opposing blow in. Relen instinctively lurched towards the Nord's side with his dagger, but he was knocked back by an intensely painful block of freezing ice which seemingly slammed against his side, sending him to the floor. Looking up he saw that the Breton was before him, readying his hands for another spell. Relen reached for another throwing knife but before he could he felt a searing pain across his left arms as a fire ball brushed his side.

Miara meanwhile had been backed against a large rock by the Nord, who was struggling to land a blow due to Miara's defensive skill. As steel clashed against steel, Miara thrust her knee with all her might against the Nord, who staggered backwards, letting his guard down and receiving a sword to the chest for his moment of weakness. She turned only to see Relen on the ground, severely injured by the Breton's spells. She attempted to close the gap and get at him with her blade, but he laughed as he knocked her to the ground with a bolt of an ice spell. She could barely move, with her injuries there was no way she could get close enough to the Breton. Relen too looked to be helpless, his arm was severely burnt and he lay panting on the ground. It appeared the Breton was toying with them.

"Don't let the fact that you killed my companions be of any solace to you before you die" He said as he paced before the two Dunmer, watching for any surprise moves.

"They are easily replaceable, brute strength like that is easy to come by here in Morrowind it seems – a savage land I might add. I bet you thought my Orc friend here was in charge though didn't you?"

"Azura curse you, you n'wah," Miara spat violently.

"I don't know what your business was in this lonely place, but your journey ends here." The Breton said confidently, "Goodbye." With that he raised his hands, one pointed at Relen, the other at Miara, and began to muster up a spell to finish them off.