The abandoned house that hid Molag Bal's altar was just as empty and creepy as it had been the first time Leola entered it, but this time, there was an added creepiness factor as she thought of what had transpired between herself, Erith, and Samuel. This was the last place she'd seen him as a friend and the first place she'd seen him as a foe. An uneasy feeling was in the pit of her stomach as she led Aventus to the crumbling wall that had probably once hidden the passageway quite well.
"It's through here," she said to him softly. Erith had agreed to remain back at the palace and get the letters ready for the couriers, with Ulfric's help. It was just Leola and Aventus this time around - no traitor Samuel for miles.
"This is incredible," Aventus murmured.
"Don't get so excited," Leola said. "This place is terrifying."
Aventus paused, bowing his head. "That is true," he said. "I know you have some rough memories from here. I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright," Leola said softly. "Now, let me go talk to him, and you stand guard."
"Of course," Aventus answered.
Leola walked the rest of the way into the little tunnel, rounding the corner and seeing the altar before her. Her eyes widened with surprise as she neared it, however - sitting atop the altar were Molag Bal's mace and a soul gem fragment.
"M-Molag Bal?" Leola asked hesitantly, looking around. There was no answer, so she simply picked up the fragment and examined it closely.
Peering into it, she could almost make out her mother's face looking back at her, her tearful, tormented blue eyes and frowning pink lips showing Leola just how miserable she was in Oblivion, and how badly she needed to be returned to Sovngarde where she belonged.
She waited a moment longer to see if he would say anything to her, but he didn't. "I - thank you, Molag Bal," she said in a soft voice. It wasn't until she turned to leave that his voice spoke out.
"Leola…"
"Yes?" she asked softly.
"You're forgetting something."
Leola turned, and she saw the mace sitting atop the altar. Did he mean for her to take it? She didn't even know how to wield a mace. Hesitantly, she stretched out her arm and took it from the altar.
"Give Samuel hell. When you destroy his sniveling little form, do it in my name."
Leola's eyes widened with surprise. "You - you know we're going after Samuel then? Can you confirm for us that he is where we were told he is?" she asked.
"I can confirm nothing - no, that would make it too easy, now, wouldn't it?" said Molag, letting out a spine-chilling laugh.
Leola sighed, nodding slightly. "Of course," she said softly. "What do I do with this after I've killed him, though? Must I come back here again and return it?"
"You've the strength and the will of a worthy champion," Molag said to her. "If I need it, or need you, I shall call upon you. Until then…use it as you see fit."
"I - of course," Leola said nervously. "Thank you."
He said nothing more, and so, she turned and left the little tunnel. Aventus was waiting by its entrance, a pair of daggers in his hands, ready to fight for Leola's life. He smiled when he saw her, though.
"That was fast," he said.
Leola held up the soul gem fragment for him to see. "I'm quite efficient," she said with a giggle, and Aventus laughed.
"Apparently," he agreed. "Let's get going. Erith and your father should be by the gates by now to get going."
"Of course," Leola said. The group had all agreed to soul trade...but a small house, a single soul in a sword, and his own determination to findtake a carriage, as it would be the fastest way, so Erith and Ulfric were to meet them by the Markarth stables once the couriers had all been sent on their way.
Aventus took Leola by the hand and together, they walked out of the house. Leola sincerely hoped that it would be the last time she'd ever set foot in that house, never wanting to go in there again. Between the whole Daedric Prince shrine thing and the history she had with that place, it was one of the last places she wanted to be.
They were lucky that the abandoned house was right near the entrance of town, as they quickly passed through the gates and found themselves outside the town walls. They couldn't see Erith or Ulfric as they approached the stables, however, only a sleeping carriage conductor who didn't yet know that he had a journey to make overnight.
"They must be finishing with the letters," said Aventus. He dropped Leola's hand and approached the carriage, stepping up and gently putting a hand on the sleeping driver's shoulder. "Wake up," he murmured in a low tone.
The carriage driver woke with a start, his eyes wide as he looked at Aventus. "Goodness, boy, you half frightened me to death," he said in his low, gruff voice. He was a late middle-aged Imperial with a scruffy beard and sleepy eyes.
"I'm sorry," Aventus said. "We need a ride, though - there are more of us coming. We need to reach Falkreath immediately."
"Certainly - do you have the gold?" asked the man, and Aventus nodded.
"Of course we do," he replied.
"Good," said the driver. "When will your companions be arriving?"
"Soon," Aventus said. "They're just dispatching some couriers and - oh, look, there they are now."
As if speaking of them had summoned them, Erith and Ulfric appeared by the gates. They were accompanied by two young men, clearly couriers, and a pretty Breton girl with long brown hair tied in a thick braid. Leola raised an eyebrow curiously as Erith and her father approached them with the Breton girl while the couriers hurried to get some horses from the stables.
"Who's this?" Leola asked in a soft voice. The girl was wearing a simple set of black robes that had a slight glimmer of obvious magic about them, likely because they were enchanted in some way, and atop her head was a silver circlet with beautiful blue stones set in it.
"My name is Elienne," she said, smiling. "I'm Jarl Glovald's partner - I apologize for not having met earlier, I was away and only just arrived back this evening."
"Elienne is one of the most powerful conjuration mages in all of Skyrim," Erith said, and Leola immediately caught the admiration and excitement in her lover's tone. "She's offered to join us."
"Conjuration - that's one of the schools of magic, right?" Leola said. "Erith, what kind of magic do you do?"
"Mostly destruction, with a little bit of restoration thrown in for its healing properties," she replied with a smile. "What Elienne does, it's a whole other school of magic entirely - and, admittedly, one I've never been particularly skilled in."
"Your offer of help is greatly appreciated," Aventus said. "Another mage will certainly be beneficial - all the friends who are meeting us there are warriors except one, and even then, he's not a mage."
"Magic certainly does have its benefits," Elienne responded.
"Wait, if you're with Glovald, how old are you?" Leola cut in suddenly, raising an eyebrow.
"Fifteen," Elienne answered.
"You're fifteen and you're already one of the most skilled conjuration mages in Skyrim?" Leola asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My talents developed earliy," Elienne said with a smile. "Now, if I recall, don't we have somewhere urgent to be?"
"Yes, of course," said Aventus. He rifled around in his pockets and pulled out a pouch of gold, handing it to the driver. Everybody clambered into the back of the cart except Ulfric, who took the seat beside the driver, claiming that the last time he'd ridden in the back of a carriage, it had been alongside the Dragonborn on their ways to be executed, and he'd not stirred up such memories for twenty years.