Chapter 15: Invitation Only

The terrain was rugged from the small lake the team had come to. After they were sure they weren't being followed after several minutes of sprinting, they rested on a log and Ice found out where they were. They were near a Lake Arrius, a small body of water north of Cheydinhal, and Elyon was wrong. The way they went didn't lead to the road after all but into some forest and mountain terrain. They hiked a long way, from sets of rocky hills to a steep mountain topped with snow. They camped out the night, telling ghost stories to cheer themselves up by the campfire Nightshade deftly made. They arrived at Cloud Ruler Temple at around seven in the morning.

Nightshade greeted the warm comfort of the main hall by hugging herself and the book and diving for a chair near the fire. It was practically black outside and had started to snow with the wind. Elyon was giving a weather report to the ever-sleepy Baurus and Ice, who continued to look at the map until something brushed against his leg. Confused, he frowned upon the site of the wolf pup that ran to greet Elyon. "How'd she get here?"

Elyon grinned. "I told her to go here before we left. I know it would be dangerous. Isn't she a smart little pup?" she ruffled the fur on her head affectionately and Richu responded with a playful jump at her hand.

Crow turned, his arms crossed. During the trek he had been rubbing them once in a while; helping Nightshade seemed to have made him pull a muscle.

Jauffre, who had been using the time to change into his armor, came out of the hall. He looked perfectly normal, and when he looked at Nightshade, it was like he was hit with a sudden gust of wind. And he saw the book.

"What is that?" he pointed a shaky finger at the white book. She looked at him and shrugged.

"We haven't opened it yet," Elyon frowned. "It's evil, isn't it?"

"I'd go beyond evil." Jauffre frowned. "That's a book Mehrunes Dagon himself wrote. Everyone's who tried to read it has died. No one knows what's in it."

"Except one person."

All heads turned to see Martin. His powdered blue robes were now a deep navy azure. His hair looked neater than the last time Nightshade saw him. He also seemed to have large circles under his eyes with a slight tint of bruise color.

"What do you mean?" Baurus said this before Jauffre could even open his mouth.

"I… had a dream. There was a… a man, High Elf, I think. All I remember his he was in this sort of Ayleid ruin. There was… fire… and laughter, but it was cold."

"Mankar," Nightshade muttered. Martin looked at her. "Yeah, I think he said that."

"So how did he read it?" Ice looked suddenly like he was hurt. In fact, everyone except Nightshade and Martin looked dismal.

Martin shrugged. "I think I should look at the book."

"I want to help," Nightshade suddenly stood up from her warm seat.

"Sure," Martin seemed indifferent, but Ice looked suspicious. "Is that thing safe?"

"It's only a book," Nightshade smirked. "What, are you actually worried about me now?"

"No!" Ice looked a little flustered. "I just don't like that book."

"Right," Baurus joined in with the taunting. Jauffre scowled.

"All right, people. Current assignment: figure out what's in the book. And no one goes outside."

With these words a loud whistle of the wind passed through the beams of the roof.

"I hate the cold," Ice sneezed.

Martin and Nightshade sat in the library, reading side by side.

The book was pretty evil, not to mention gruesome and graphic. There were pictures about every other page, and there seemed to be two of the same picture. One was of the real world while on the other page was an inverse side of Oblivion, like one was a man sneaking around in the corner of the picture in a nighttime city that was in the snow. Its inverse was the man being tortured by demon-like creatures in black armor and gray skin.

Martin was the only one really reading and absorbing the words while Nightshade marveled at the pictures in their detail. There was one she actually liked that was unlike any of the others. It was a woman who was floating above a river and grass with flowers and a tree in the background. Her face was covered with her black hair, while her right hand was in the air and the left was on her belly. The inverse side was the woman floating above the wastes of Oblivion, the river becoming lava. But her right hand was on her heart and the left was in the air. She frowned, confused by the transfiguration.

The last picture she looked at with a marvel was one of a face. This was only one picture with no pair, but it was a pair in itself. It was a face of a girl. One side, the left, was the face with the trees and shrubs in the background, while her right side was made of metal, like her face had been ripped off to reveal a cyber-like inside with a metal skull and a small eye. In the background there was Oblivion.

"Well," Martin sighed. "I think I'll need to read it again to get any real significance." He closed the book. Nightshade nodded. "Yes. It's interesting, though. I don't see why the others were making such a big deal about it."

"Yeah," Martin agreed. "I mean, we're not dead yet, are we?"

He looked at her questioningly and suddenly noticed Ice out of the corner of his eye, scowling and sulking under a layer of blankets and a rather reddish nose near the framing of the door. "What are you doing here?" Martin asked.

"I got bored." He sounded very nasal and sick. "I thou'b I'd see what you'b been doi'b."

"Oh," Nightshade looked back at the book, uninterested in Ice's illness. Martin shrugged. "We just read it. Want to read?"

Nightshade gave him such a taunting stare he shuffled forward reluctantly and looked at the book. Martin opened it for him, and Ice raised an eyebrow.

"What's the matter?"

"How can you read that?"

"Read what? It's perfectly legible."

"Du'be," he sniffed. "They're in symbols."

Ice's statement made Martin spend the next fifteen minutes asking everyone in the fort if they could read the text. Not one answered that they could. They were all generally the same: "Is this some sort of joke, your majesty?" "They're nothing but symbols, sir." "Uh……. No."

This caused both Nightshade and Martin great distress. They could read it perfectly and no one else could. Finally, they consulted Jauffre.

"Well," the Breton began. "I can understand Martin being able to read it, being Dragonborn and all, but you I don't have any idea."

Elyon and Crow had followed them and listened by the doorframe.

"Have you no idea what your heritage is?"

"No. I'm an orphan."

Jauffre got even more frustrated. "By the Nine, how many orphans are there in this world?"

"Well, I'm an orphan," Martin added.

"Me two," Ice chimed, and then sneezed.

"I'm an orphan," Crow joined in.

"I'm an orphan." Elyon's words caused Nightshade and Ice to turn. "You are?" she said.

"Yeah. Been an orphan for as long as I remember."

"I al'bays thou'b you was'b a…" Ice stopped, either because he had no word to put or because he felt a sneeze coming on.

"Well, seeing as the last evil thing you had blew up, I'll let Martin and only Martin read the book," Jauffre said.

Before Nightshade could protest, a Blade suddenly came running in, heaving great breaths. She had bits of snow on her armor and had apparently run. "Letter…to… a Miss… Nightshade…" She handed an envelope, plain except an odd seal disfigured by poor stamping skills. The red wax was mutated to be nothing but a circle with squiggles.

Ice, like magic, appeared by her side faster than the others, whom peered over her shoulder. Nightshade looked around.

"Well?" Ice's impatience showed.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to open it?"

She frowned, but broke the seal anyway.

Dear Miss Nightshade,

You have been invited to Rosethorn Hall in Skingrad to a once-in-ten-years ball. Your humble host Nyra Minoto proudly honors the tradition of the memorial celebrations. The festivity begins the last day of Last Seed. We hope to see you there.

Nyra Minoto

"Never heard of her," Nightshade refolded the invitation. "I don't think I'll go."

"Nonsense," Jauffre hissed, "you need the time off. Plus, who doesn't know the Hero of Kvatch?"

"Erhb, Heroes of Kvatch," Ice pouted. "Why weren't we invited?"

"Who says you aren't?" she looked at the paper again.

"It says Miss Nightshade, not, Nightshade and friends. If she wanted all of us to, she'd say. Trust me; I know how these formal people work."

"Why should I start trusting you?"

Before they could get into a bitter argument, Elyon broke them off. "You are in no condition to go, Ice, even if you were invited. I wouldn't let you."

"Why can'b you jus'b cure me?" his nose grew stuffy and he sneezed.

"There is no cure for the common cold. You'll just have to battle it out."

"I want to go," Martin changed the subject. "I haven't been out of this place for days."

"I'm going too," Crow piped up, but Elyon shook her head.

"No. Your arm needs rest. You seriously pulled a muscle back there and it's not fully healed."

Jauffre was oddly quiet and was pondering. "Martin, you've been training, right? I suppose you can't be cooped up here, but once the party ends, you all come back. Aria, get Baurus, he's going too."

Nighttime came down fast as the trio walked down the mountains and hills. Nightshade had trekked that day already, and her legs were growing sore again. She drank Elyon's fatigue potions; she had several for the trip. Martin seemed to just glide over the rocks and bumps with ease, just like Baurus.

The talk was light, but Nightshade enjoyed it. They had laughs and Baurus was always in a good mood, even when they trudged through the blizzard.

They left behind the blizzard, but the Jerall Mountains were covered in dark clouds. They were just about to pass out of the Great Forest when Baurus figured they should stop and camp out the rest of the night.

Martin sat, shivering a little, next to Nightshade. Baurus was sitting across from them. The fire crackled quietly in the center of their small circle and a pot of stew the cook made just before they left boiled slightly.

"So, she just came out of nowhere and attacked you?"

"Yeah," Nightshade grinned. "We chased her away though." She punched Martin lightly. "I've been telling you my adventures, so you tell me yours."

"Well, I'm not as exciting as you," he blushed a little. "I just cure people and pray and stuff…"

The words, "Wow, that's boring shit," came to Nightshade's mind, but her mouth said, "That's not so bad. It's safe, anyway."

"It doesn't matter if it's safe our not. It's so boring! I want adventure, something to spice up my life!"

"And you surely got it," Baurus stirred the stew around a little. "Bet you weren't counting on being the next emperor, huh?"

"No, no, I wasn't." Martin looked into the bright fire.

"I know how you feel," Nightshade almost whispered.

Martin, being an early riser, woke the two with a nice breakfast of eggs and strips of venison. Groggy, Baurus ate slowly, so they were walking at around seven in the morning. They hit the east gate of Skingrad in an hour.

Skingrad seemed bigger than Cheydinhal. It wasn't as floral and lots of stone walls, bridges, houses, shops, and roads. People were busily walking past them, not noticing they existed, and went on with their lives.

Not to be too obvious, they changed clothes. Martin wore a dark red, longed-sleeved shirt with green pants and dark brown shoes, not clothes he liked. Baurus wore light green, short sleeved shirt with fur greaves and leather boots. He told Martin he could change when they got into an inn.

Nightshade, however, wore a sleek red silk blouse with gold trim. Her skirt was matching red velvet with purple lining, and her shoes were red with rather high heels that hurt. When she stepped out of her tent that morning both guys seemed amazed that she could actually be feminine. "You have to seem ritzy for these people," Baurus said. "You have to keep up appearances."

They arrived at the Two Sisters Lodge with their belongings, or rather Baurus and Martin carrying everything. Nightshade wanted to help, but Ice, who coached her on how to be rich, told her to treat the commoners like scum. Honestly, she just wanted this day to be over.

"Miss Nightshade?"

A Wood Elf man was waiting by the door, aged with white hair and wrinkles. He bowed at her presence and ignored the boys behind her. "Miss Minoto has requested all guests to stay at Rosethorn. It's tradition and is very humble of her to do so. These places can be very… dirty."

"Alright," Nightshade didn't mind. A free bed was a good thing. "Let's go."

"I'm afraid it's invitation only," he said, looking at Baurus and Martin. "They'll have to stay here."

Ah, yes, of course Ice had to be right. She sighed. "Fine, I'll come and get you when the party's over."

As the man ushered her to Rosethorn Hall, no one noticed the small smirk on his face.

Rosethorn was a large mansion building that overshadowed every other house on the road. It had several wings: a study, a living room, and a kitchen on the bottom floor, the dining room and bedrooms on the second floor, and the attic on the third. The basement door was in the kitchen and was ajar as Nightshade walked past it.

Her room was to be shared, for there were six guests and three guest rooms. Fafnir, the Wood Elf, told her the guest's names, but left her alone in the room with her stuff (all she had was another change of clothes, some potions from Elyon, her handy destruction book, and her prized Sunderblade sword).

There were five other guests, not counting Nyra Minoto. The woman she was sharing her room with was a Dark Elf named Dovesi Dran. Next door was a Nord named Nels the Naughty, and when his roommate, an old woman called Matilde Petit, came, there was a large commotion and complaining about a woman sharing a room with a man, especially someone called Nels the Naughty. Next to their room was Neville, "a retired soldier", as Dovesi explained, and a nobleman called Primo Antonius.

The ball didn't start until six, which gave Nightshade time to look around Skingrad a while. She browsed the shops, but had no money to buy anything. By five she went back and changed, put on a little eye makeup, and put on the only jewelry she had: her necklace with the black stone.

She was the first to arrive in the dining room. She wore a black, sleek outfit with gold trim and a low neck. The designs were floral in a dark way, and the sash about her waist was a shiny gold silk. Her necklace showed beautifully.

The clothes she wore she got Elyon to enchant for her. They shielded her of ten percent of damage and resisted poison and diseases, just in case. Dovesi was going to wear a similar outfit, but changed at the last minute to a fancy navy blue outfit.

Everyone else came and sat around the two tables set up with three chairs. The guests were divided by gender.

They made light, casual chat that no one seemed particularly interested in. And then it all stopped when there were sounds of steps coming up the stairs.

The person was an Imperial girl, older than Nightshade, dressed in a black dress that was large waste-down. It was a type of dress Nightshade had never seen before, with layers of cloth going down from her waste. The top of the dress was like a corset with lace going through the holes. The sleeves were long, and the cuffs were much like the bottom of the dress. And her face was very familiar. Her hair was an auburn ponytail with tints of red and her bangs went neatly to the side of her face in two strands.

"Welcome," he voice was oily and slick with a tinge of darkness, "I am glad you all could make it. I'm your host, Nyra Minoto. Welcome to Rosethorn Hall."

There was applause from the six sitting at the round tables. She nodded, but did not smile. "I've decided that this year, there will be a contest. As you all know, the last owner of this mansion was wealthy, and, as rumor has it, he left a treasure here. I happen to know that this treasure is real, but I have no clue where it is. So, I have locked the door out of this place, including the servant's door in the kitchen. The first person to find this treasure I will share more than half of it and unlock the doors so we can leave. So, let the party begin!"

Everyone dispersed immediately except Nightshade, who looked confused. Minoto looked equally confused at her. "What are you waiting for?"

"So, you want us to be your dogs and sniff out treasure?"

"Yes, that's the idea," Minoto seemed annoyed at her disobedience. "Perhaps you didn't hear the part that you get more than half if you find it."

"I'm not interested," Nightshade waved her hand in dismissal. "I'll just go now if this isn't going to be a real party."

She made an odd smirk. "Then you missed the part where I said that the person who found the treasure gets the key."

Yes, Nightshade had missed that, and frowned upon the knowledge. "Fine, let the others find it, I don't care. I'm rather tired and I think I'll take a nap. Please wake me up when it's time to leave." She realized she was being rather bitchy.

"Okay," Minoto seemed rather happy in a suspicious sort of way, almost maniacally.

Nightshade cringed at her, but walked off into her room.

Nightshade twitched violently before waking up from her abnormal dream. She could remember running from something, or more. She remembered turning around, and it wasn't what she expected.

She heard a knock on her door and saw the Nord gentleman stick his head through. "Uh, yes, can I help you?"

He stepped in wordlessly and just looked at her. She sat up quickly, clothes still on. "Can you speak?" It was on the tip of her tongue to say "sir".

"Uh, ma'am, I was wondering if you… found anything…" he was looking up and down her in a way that made Nightshade shiver and stand up.

"No, I haven't. You go back to your search; I'll stay here."

"May I stay with you?"

"No!" Her outburst reverberated through the house, and she shut the door in his face.

She soon grew bored in her room, even when she started to read. She wished someone was there with her; she hadn't been alone like this since she left the Bloodworks. So she went out to seek Dovesi, the closest person she had as a friend.

Matilde was in the dining room, muttering to herself as she looked around the chairs and tables. She looked up to see Nightshade. "Ah, child, looking here too?"

"No, Miss Petit. I'm just looking for company."

"Why aren't you looking for money?"

"Money isn't important to me," she knew if Ice found out about this he'd strangle her.

Matilde shrugged. "The more for us," she looked at her through the side of her eye. "Hey, you're the Hero of Kvatch, aren't you? I heard about the disaster recently from the Horse Carrier. It's hard to believe such a young person like you can do that."

"I had help," she started to feel uncomfortable. This hero business wasn't very… good.

"Yeah, well, I could only dream of such things. Neville, on the other hand, has lots of practice, hasn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

"That Neville is evil, I tell you. Nyra told me all about how he killed those innocent natives in Hammerfell. It's so disgraceful."

"What about Primo Antonius?"

"He's a well-mannered soul, but…"

"But what?"

"He seems… cruel, even if he's charming. It's like he's hiding something."

There was a scream from below in the study and the two rushed off downstairs. Dovesi was standing over the body of Nels the Naughty, dead as a doornail. His back gushed blood from where he had been stabbed twice.

Primo and Neville had come from the basement and Nyra from the living room, rather slowly. "What happened?" Matilde demanded.

Dovesi was trembling. A silver knife lied near her feet, covered in blood and staining the nice carpet.

"I… I just came from the living room and saw him, dead. Miss Minoto can be my—alibi."

"Oh, that's odd how you suddenly jump to the fact of a murderer," Nyra said, voice unemotional, the exact contrast from hers. "I'm afraid I can't make such a claim. I remember not you crossing the living room. You must've come from the kitchen, or perhaps you didn't come at all and were here all along."

"I can vouch that," Neville, with his booming voice, stated. "The last time I saw her was right here in this room."

"But…but," Dovesi was starting to sob. "I couldn't kill him… I just couldn't…" Matilde looked pitifully at her and took her in her arms. "Shhh, calm down. No one is accusing you of anything." She glared at Neville, who folded his arms.

"Right. Well, there's nothing we can do until someone finds the treasure," Nyra turned and paid no attention to the complaints behind her.

Dovesi was accompanied to her room by Nightshade. Matilde was too busy giving Neville a lecture, which he just rolled his eyes. Primo had his hands behind his back and listened intently.

"I say it's Nyra," she muttered between sobs. "That bitch is lying through her teeth…"

Nightshade was looking rather worried. What if she killed him unconsciously, just like how the Sigil Stone blew up? What if she somehow made that knife go for him? She started to shake a little, but stopped herself.

Dovesi was left in her room and continued to sob.

Nyra held a meeting in the living room and stared out into space, looking a little pale. "My guests," she addressed them, "I fear I have grave news. I've lost the key."

"WHAT!" Matilde just seemed to blow up. "First you accuse that poor dunmer of murder and now you lost the key!"

Nyra coldly looked at her, but said nothing. Primo cleared his throat. "I guess now we have to look for a key and the treasure." He group left again, all except Nightshade and Nyra.

She examined Nightshade with cold eyes. "Dunmer, I know you were the last to see the Nord alive. You're my prime suspect. I believe Dovesi couldn't have the guts."

"Well, let you find proof," Nightshade liked this game Nyra was playing. It was a game of witty remarks that sounded snotty and rich. But of course, as she turned and walked out, she knew she'd have to watch her back.

Dovesi was found, dead, when Matilde went to check on her with Nyra. Her neck was slashed open, another silver knife near the wound. Matilde fainted and was brought back by a rather annoyed Nyra when Nightshade came in and almost threw up. "Get a hold of yourself, woman…"

"How can you ask me to do that?" she shrieked. Primo and Neville came up the stairs.

"By the Nine," Neville held his heart and Primo merely looked away, both acts rather suspicious. Neville must've seen killings before, and Primo was just a nobleman, and a young one at that. He could take the sight more than him.

Nyra looked at Dovesi in a disgusted manner, as if it was her fault she died.

"Could you men escort Matilde to her room? I think I need a nap…"

Nightshade followed her. Her face, those sharp features, shrouded in darkness. She looked so much like that assassin, but how? Her name not only matched D.L. but she couldn't have killed them; Dovesi said she saw her in the living room and Matilde was upstairs the whole time. Unless… unless Matilde was the murderer.

"Nightshade, might I dare ask a question?" Nyra looked at her.

"You may."

"Where were you during this?"

"Down in the basement, looking around. Your food is very fresh."

"Hmm," she snorted and retired to her chambers a stretch away from Nightshade's room.

She looked about some more, admiring the paintings on the walls in the living room, and suddenly Primo came down the stairs, eyes wild. "Help…me…" he wheezed, and he dropped down, blood oozing from the axe in his back.

Neville looked at Nightshade, just as scared as Primo was. "Wh—what?" he stammered. "He tried to attack me… He killed Matilde. Go look!"

Nightshade took a step back, back into the living room. He advanced. "Please, you must believe me… I didn't kill Dovesi or Nels!"

Suddenly, his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell, his knees giving away. Behind him was an angry Dovesi, a smeared, fake wound dripping down her neck, the make-up melting. Her crazy, red eyes fell upon Nightshade and she pulled the sword out from behind his head, blood dripping onto his hair. She looked down at him, then at her. "You... you killed him!"

"What?" Nightshade was mortified. "You just stabbed him!"

"You killed him!" she screamed and swung the sword at her head. She ducked and ran for Nyra's room.

Nyra was not, in fact, asleep but was sitting up on her bed. She looked unsurprised to see Nightshade come into her room and bolt the door.

She sighed. "Dovesi wasn't dead, was she?"

She shook her head, catching her breath.

"Figured. Should've killed her myself," she looked at Nightshade, and then waved something off. "She's too strong for me. I think she's half Orc to have that berserker power. She'll be like that for hours. That's how she got on the hit list." Nyra's voice changed from snotty to just normal and hopeless. Nightshade, confused took her by the shoulders. "What the hell is going on?!"

"I suppose you should know, seeing as we're not getting out alive unless we help each other. I killed Nels before Dovesi came and saw me in the living room. I denied having seen her to provoke Neville, but that didn't work, then I tried provoking you, and that didn't work. I got Matilde to think Neville did it, but Primo got to her before she could get to him, and Neville got Primo, and now the live Dovesi is going after us, believing we're the killers. That's irony for you," she laughed nervously. "Now, we have to get by that deranged troll to reach the door."

"Ok, I have three questions. One: You have the key? Two: I need my stuff. Three: Who are you?"

"Question two was not a question," Nyra was starting to get on her nerves, so she shook her. "Okay, okay. Yes, I never lost the key. I said it to make everyone panic and kill everyone else. I'm Dalkai Laneth, assassin assigned to kill everyone at the party, all people that have escaped death before, like you."

"D.L. You tried to kill me!"

"Yes, yes, I did. It's my job."

"Why?"

"Well, see, that's a very personal—"

"No, why am I a target?"

"Dunno. I've been trying to figure that out myself. You just appeared out of nowhere on the list. The policy is don't ask, don't tell."

The doorknob started to shake. Nightshade thought quickly. "Okay, you take the key and run for the door. I'll go to my room and get my stuff and follow you. I'll go first, okay?"

Dalkai nodded.

"Okay. One, two, three!"

She unlocked the door and ran at a speed almost to challenge a lion. She went into her room to grab the already packed bag and heard the lock downstairs click open, and then click again.

"That bitch!"

She couldn't escape from the front door, and she could hear footsteps coming up the stairs.

Martin grew bored and couldn't sleep. It was midnight and he had only slept an hour. He and Baurus were having a good time downstairs at the bar with the other people, laughing and getting drunk. He wasn't fully sober yet (that wine got him drunk fast), but he could think clearer than before.

And then an insane thought came to his head. Why not crash Nightshade's party? She must be having a hell of a time with the other people. And he was right.

He got up, got dressed, and went out into the brisk night. Street candles were lit in the lampposts and gave orange glows.

He wandered around for a while until he found the biggest house in the city. He read a metal plate nailed next to the door. "Rosethorn Hall," he squinted in the dark. "This is it."

He knocked. No answer. He repeated. Nothing. So he tried opening it. It was locked.

"Bummer," he slurred, and then saw a very open window a floor up. "I'll sneak in and scare the pants off them!"

He climbed up onto a conveniently placed vine assemble and tumbled out onto the floor. At first, he thought he was dreaming, because he saw Nightshade slashing about with her Sunderblade and her pack of belongings at another dunmer with a sword. And another wild thought came into his head. Why not stun the person?

He slurred and enchantment and a blast of green-white light hit Dovesi on the side of her face, and she froze. Nightshade suddenly noticed Martin.

"Thank the gods!" she grabbed him and pulled him up from the floor. "I thought I'd have to kill her. I've never been so happy to—why is your robe on backwards?"

"It is?" Martin hadn't noticed. He was goggling at her dress and how good she looked in it.

"Never mind. Let's go down the window," she helped him up. Martin was just bewildered at why he was going out again if he just came in. "I'll explain later. For now, let's just go!"

A Word from Haunt: This chapter is from the Dark Brotherhood quest "Whodunit", a very fun quest I thought. And Nyra Minoto has the same initials as Night Mother. Just thought I'd add it.