Chapter 16: Troubles in the Safe Place

Baurus opened a sleepy, brown eye with a bit of a headache. He looked out his window without sitting up; the sky was still starry. Grumbling, he pulled the sheets tighter towards him. The beds at the Two Sisters Lodge weren't so bad.

He was drifting to sleep when his door opened with a bang. Something yelled at him to get up, but it didn't quite register in his half-conscious brain. And something hit him hard on his shoulder.

"Erhm…" he grumbled.

"Get up before I decide to tell Jauffre someone isn't keeping their eye on the Emperor."

Emperor? At this Baurus leapt up, making the blood rush downward and get him light-headed. He took a candle and held it out, where Nightshade hardly muttered a word before a flame flickered on the wick. "What'd I do?"

The scene in front of him was like that of some sort of twisted dream. Nightshade stood in a rather nice, slim dress, holding Martin by the collar of his navy blue robe. He was on the floor, asleep.

"Aren't you supposed to be at that party?" he rubbed his right temple.

"No. Long story short: evil assassin killed practically everybody and Martin here, drunk, saved me from a homicidal maniac!"

"Oh," Baurus didn't seem too concerned as if things like that happened every day. "And of course it's my fault, just like the emperor's death."

Baurus's self-pity made Nightshade roll her eyes. Insensitive, she knew, but that girl was probably mobile by now. "Please, Baurus, it's not your fault. I didn't mean it. Let's just get back to the Cloud Ruler Temple and report this to Jauffre."

The Redguard breathed deeply. "Ok."

The noon sun hung over the blinding white snow of the Jerall Mountains. Leafless trees stood bare and black against it. Brown shrubs sat below them and gently blew in the chilly wind.

The trio walked quickly in the crunching ice uphill. They had slept for two hours before having a little breakfast and almost jogged their way through the Great Forest. Tired, it was Martin who gave out first and rested near the border of the forest and mountains.

Both Martin and Nightshade were sore from walking so fast up to Bruma, where they bought a proper breakfast. And now, silently as if they were being chased by an invisible wolf, they went to the Cloud Ruler Temple.

As a watch guard opened the large, wooden gates, Ice greeted them. He was still wrapped around his blanket, but was looking better than before. He held a grin on his face and was shaking a little from the temperature difference between inside and out.

"Guys, guys, you came at the right time! You'll never guess what's going on!"

"No, the trip was hell, we had a terrible time, and we ran our way to Bruma, thanks for asking," Nightshade hissed at him.

"What?" Martin, now somber to some extent after the breakfast in Bruma, seemed as interested as a tired priest could be.

"Well, when you guys left, a couple of hours later, Elyon started yelling at Crow about something weird and Jauffre sent them to different wings. And now, they somehow started another fight and are shooting spells across the Main Hall!"

Perhaps if Nightshade wasn't so tired, she'd have ran into the Main Hall and tried to stop the fight. But no, she was tired, so she merely followed Martin and Baurus up to the hall. She saw Silver in the stable, eating hay on the ground, and Richu lied to the side of the door, head on her paws. She whined at them and temporarily held her head up to look at them. Then, she put it back down and her eyes followed them into the Main hall.

Ice wasn't kidding. The two literally hid behind two benches on their sides and peered over to shoot spells, none hitting one another. Crow's spells were larger and brighter in colors as he shouted words. Elyon's were more frequent, but less powerful.

Martin ducked as a spell ricocheted off a wood pillar and left a scorch mark. Baurus waved to Jauffre at the other side of the room who hid behind a chair near the fireplace.

"Stop it!" Nightshade's voice didn't sound above the whizzing and blasting of spells. She tried again, but was of no avail.

And finally, it stopped. Both Crow and Elyon, on opposite sides of the room, flopped down and rested, their magicka all gone.

"What in Talos's name are you doing?" Jauffre stood up. His armor was blackened in some spots where he obviously interfered.

"That bastard is a… a bastard!" Elyon, for once, seemed lost for words.

Crow scowled. "I don't see what you expected."

"I expected some brains!"

"Yeah, and there was—"

"Ok, ok," Jauffre held up his hands. "If you two can't get along for whatever reason, I'm throwing both of you out of Cloud Ruler Temple. If you don't want that to happen, then resolve your differences. I'll give you ten minutes. Martin, help them." He signaled to a Blade behind him, who was using a door for protection, and they walked out.

"Lazy," Ice grumbled, but he followed them.

Elyon and Crow had gotten up and were dusting themselves off. Nightshade seemed angry. "What is going on?!"

Martin put up a hand before they could answer. "Ok, I've dealt with this sort of thing before. Pull up a chair, everyone."

In a few minutes they all sat in a semicircle around the fire in small, wooden chairs. Martin sat in the middle, facing the fire, with Elyon and Crow to either side of him, and Ice next to Crow and Nightshade next to Elyon, both closest to the fire. Baurus insisted on standing, amused.

"Ok," Martin addressed the two combatants, "here we will have a nice discussion about your feelings. No yelling, cursing, or interrupting. Ok, Elyon, you go first."

She took a deep breath. "Well, Nightshade told me how Crow had become a necromancer while he was in Solsthiem. I went up to him and asked him why in Talos's name would he do that—"

"'Asked'? More like screamed," Crow hissed. Martin glared at him. "Shush."

Elyon continued, "He started to say this weird stuff that's kind of personal," she looked at Ice and Martin. "But, just because Sayura is dead doesn't mean he should be digging up graves! He should've come to me!"

"You?" Crow scoffed, "You, who trudged into the mountains to become a hermit? I wasn't about to climb a cliff just to talk to you. And remember, you didn't really like me very much at the time. You were too busy grieving yourself!"

Martin nodded. "Ok, I think we're getting somewhere."

"We are?" Ice yawned. "So, this one girl's dead. Live and move on."

Crow's attack was so swift Ice didn't have a chance. He slapped him hard on his left cheek, causing him to be knocked off his chair and twist to the floor. Crow had gotten up out of his chair and was probably going to kick him if Baurus hadn't interfered and held him back. Tears showed in his red eyes. "What do you know of her? She was everything I had! You know nothing!"

"Calm down," Martin motioned to him to sit down. Biting his lip, trying to hold back the tears, he sat back down, and his hood covered his eyes once again.

Ice had recovered, most of the pain from shock. He glared at Crow and rubbed his cheek, a red mark where his hand was. He almost looked like he would cry, but not from pain. He stayed silent.

The whole room seemed eerie suddenly. Martin was wordless in tension. Elyon had calmed down. Nightshade was a little worried.

"I'm sorry," Crow muttered. Ice crossed his arms in anger and got up. He stared at Crow for a moment, and then stomped out of the room, slamming the East Wing door behind him. Elyon flinched violently.

"Nice," Baurus looked at Crow, and then at his nails.

"I think that was a little harsh, even for Ice," Nightshade murmured. "You shouldn't have slapped him so hard."

"I say you apologize properly," Elyon looked at him after staring at the floorboards. "You can't expect him to understand."

"Crow, I finally understand," Martin cleared his throat. "You wanted to bring back her and necromancy was the answer for you, but it's not. Crow, you can't bring back the dead. Necromancy makes bodies move like a puppet. It doesn't bind the soul and spirit to the physical world. It's too late."

Crow nodded, his face looking like the day Nightshade had first met him, his hood over his eyes, his face expressionless, but it was colder, emotionless. He merely nodded and got up.

"Crow, it's not your fault. Grief makes one do things they don't mean," Elyon stood up too to pat his shoulder sympathetically. He nodded again, and went to the West Wing, where he closed the door soundlessly.

There was silence again before Baurus interrupted. "Well, shouldn't you get back to studying that book they brought?"

"Yes," Martin seemed grateful for the excuse. "Heh, I don't even know what it's called. But you can't save the world split up like this. You need to settle your feuds before it's too late. Now is a really bad time. We need teamwork."

Nightshade nodded and looked at Elyon, who didn't seem to be listening. Martin frowned slightly, waved, and exited to the West Wing.

She couldn't stand these continuous silences.

"Elyon, you don't look so well." Nightshade touched her shoulder and patted it lightly.

"I handled this the wrong way," she sat up and slapped her hands on her face. "Crow's right, I am childish."

"It's ok. Now you know better," she wasn't too sure how to respond. She was bad at comforting people.

"I'm going to go and see Silver," she stood up. "Maybe you should go see what's wrong with Ice."

Nightshade sat for a while, waiting for something, perhaps luck. Sighing, she grew bored and took Elyon's advice.

Ice sat alone in the East Wing on a bench. His body was turned so he could pull his knees up toward himself. His chin was perched on top of his patellae and he stared out into space.

Nightshade quietly walked up to him. "Ice, are you ok?"

Her soft voice only made him draw his knees closer.

She approached cautiously. "Ice, you know Crow didn't mean it."

He didn't reply.

He was acting very weird for, well, Ice. She didn't expect this from him; tears seemed more realistic. In fact, Ice was generally weird in the way he acted and talked. What was wrong with this guy?

"Ice, if you want to talk or something—"

"Leave me alone!" he thrust out his hand that could've slapped her if she were a step closer. He dug his face downward and his shoulders shook a little.

Nightshade grew confused, but she patted his shoulder in comfort. "It's ok…."

"He's a bastard," he sobbed, "He has no authority to slap me like that. I was just trying to be helpful, just trying to make sense of things, but no, he hurt me."

She didn't quite agree with Ice; what he had said was pretty insensitive; but she said nothing. "He was hysterical, that's all."

"Why is it no one ever agrees with me?"

A look of shock spread across her face. She had no clue Ice cared about that. "Umm, well, perhaps we don't understand."

"Yeah," he picked up his face and looked at her, "That's perfectly right. That Crow has no idea how that made me feel."

"He said he would apologize."

"I'd like to hear him first."

"He will."

He sniffed. "I know I can be a jerk, but that's the second time I've been slapped in Cyrodiil. Like I didn't get enough violence back home."

"What do you mean?" His comment brought new wonder and curiosity to Nightshade. This reminded her of what he said when they met, about his parents visiting shrines and how they were killed. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh," he snarled sarcastically.

"Well, don't be sorry for yourself like a sniveling coward. Maybe you should apologize for being an insensitive jerk to Crow and then he'll apologize for slapping you."

His face contorted into a sneer. "This isn't my fault!"

"Yeah, well, you keep telling yourself that and I'm sure Crow will just waltz in here and hug you. You brought this upon yourself. You have to learn the hard way sometimes."

With that, he put his face into his knees and ignored her. Sighing, Nightshade patted his arm half-heartedly and left him to pity himself.

Nightshade peered out into the courtyard of the temple. No guards were training today, so it was deserted except the usual watch. Silver was asleep in her stall, content from eating most of the hay, and Richu no longer lied near the door. Instead, the wolf pup was watching Elyon mash leaves on a small bench that wasn't there before.

"Hi, Elyon," Nightshade tried to be as cheery as possible. "What're you doing?"

"Making more healing potions," she smiled. "Richu enjoys the sounds of leaves crunching. Aloe Vera leaves aren't as effective as their seeds, but they soothe and aren't as bitter." She threw a piece of meat down from the bench to Richu, who happily ate it up. "After hearing what Baurus told me, I figured they'd be more useful in the future."

"Thanks," she sat on the opposite side of the cluttered bench top. "I wouldn't think you could do alchemy anywhere."

"Well, they don't really have a professional place here, so I make do with what I have," she stopped mashing and flexed her hands. "After a while, it hurts."

A twang sound startled both Richu and Nightshade. On the other side of the courtyard, Crow was practicing his archery on a feeble lump of hay with a target crudely painted on in bright azure. He repeated this exercise until the haystack fell off its stand from the weight of arrows. Elyon had a slight look of annoyance from the sounds.

"Crow," Nightshade bounded up to the dunmer; someone had to play peacemaker, "I want to learn how to handle a bow, just in case."

He looked surprised, but he nodded. "Ok, but you'll have to get the equipment from the armory. I only carry one around."

It didn't take long for Nightshade to go running and come back. With her she brought twenty arrows in a quiver, a katana on her belt, a fancy steel bow, and an axe; she was having a bit of trouble, but she managed.

"Well," he looked amused at the sight of her. "Where do you want to start?"

"Bow and arrows sound good."

Elyon suddenly put her stuff down and walked towards them. "I think I should help in case Crow suddenly gets a finger cut off. I know a few weapon tricks."

Crow gave a minute smile. "Ok."

Ah, nothing like weapon training to bring friends back together.

"Uung," Nightshade sorely walked into the library, her arms starting to hurt from swinging an axe and her legs from dodging Crow's quick attacks. Boy, could he move fast.

"Had fun?" Martin looked up from the white book and put it down when she sat. "Crow and Elyon friends again?"

"Yeah," sweat glistened on her face despite the chilly day. "They're tough."

"Figured."

"I thought I was good at fighting, but I don't stand a chance against them. They're a team."

He nodded. "Ok, I've found out two things."

"What?"

"This book is called Mysterium Xarxes."

"Bravo," Nightshade's sardonic reply was ignored.

"No, but look. See, I was drinking some potion I found in the kitchen—"

"Are you sure it wasn't wine?" She wouldn't forget how drunk he was last night.

"I'm sure. Well, on accident, I spilled it on the page and the picture it was on—it was a hanging—changed into a chart, or at least part of the chart. So, I've been dabbing the pictures and uncovered some diagrams. They don't make much sense, but they'll be needed to reach Paradise."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, well, it says here," he turned a few pages, "or somewhere. It said something like, 'Those who are faithful do not fear death, for they will go to Paradise,' or something like that."

"Mmm," she wasn't really listening.

"I haven't even got halfway through it all. Ugg, I miss having a vacation."

"Emperors don't get vacations," Nightshade cracked her neck, a trick she learned from Ice a few days ago, or perhaps a year. Time was playing tricks with her.

He pouted slightly and then remembered about the day. "So, has Crow apologized yet?"

"No," she picked at her fingernails. "Ice's being a twat."

Martin opened his mouth, but a distant sound cut him off. It was the sound of large wooden gates being opened.

With difficulty, Nightshade and Martin ran to the Main Hall. Jauffre never seemed to stop scowling and Baurus had a look of indifference, his armored arms crossed over his chest. Ice was looking through the East Wing door. Crow was polishing his sword and Elyon was reading. Both had stopped to look at the newcomer.

She was a young, peculiar Redguard woman. Her hair was short and rolled inwards in straight, sapphire strands. Her armor was ebony in its darkness, etched with gold to help keep it together in swirling patterns. A matching, menacing mace was attached to her belt. She, too, held a scowl on her face, which didn't do well for her looks.

"Jauffre, what in Mara's name is going on?"

"Ah, Black Night, what a pleasure. What brings you from Chorrol?" Jauffre folded his arms.

She looked at everyone around, her expression unchanging. "What brings me from Chorrol? Those stupid red men, that's what, and those Oblivion gates!"

"We closed the Kvatch gate," Elyon closed her book.

"Not that gate. There have been gates opening in the wilderness and red men appearing out of nowhere either killing people or seen chanting right outside the Chorrol gates."

"This is Blades business, Black Night," Baurus glared at her in a casual way. "The Fighter's Guild doesn't need to know this."

"They do when everyone's asking for a bodyguard! I've lost three good members to these red people! Tell me what's going on!"

Ice came into the Main Hall to see bewildered Elyon, Crow, Martin, and Nightshade. He silently took a seat next to Nightshade.

"What was that all about?" Martin looked at the West Wing door where Jauffre took the Redguard into the library to explain things to her.

"That was Black Night Price," Baurus was standing and leaning on a bench. "Her grandfather used to be a Blade. We trust her family, but she's a pain in the ass. Since her father died, she's even meaner than before. I remember when I first joined the Blades I went to train with her father. But I guess I can understand where she comes from. The poor society in the Imperial City is sexist. Everyone told her she's amount to nothing because her family couldn't produce a son, being famous Fighter's Guild members. So, she trained and protected the Guild and its masters for years. The old master stepped down to give her the position when she saved her son from a bunch of powerful necromancers—no offence, Crow."

"None taken."

"She's pretty young to be the Fighter's Guild master," Nightshade noticed a piece of paper folded several times in Ice's hand.

"True, she's the youngest guild master, but she's tough as nails. She trains for hours every day. Sometimes I wonder if she overworks herself," Baurus shook his head. "She's too old for her age."

"What's that?" Martin looked at the piece of paper Ice was unfolding. It was a map of Cyrodiil, much like the one Ice had, with small symbols scratched on, symbols Nightshade recognized. It was the curved symbol with the dot in the middle that was on the cover of Mysterium Xarxes.

"Those must be the Oblivion Gates she said were appearing," Elyon stood up, and with that everyone was trying to look at the map. There was one between the Orange Road and the Red Ring Road from Chorrol. Another lied in County Skingrad south of the Gold Road, and one in County Kvatch on the Gold Coast. There were three near Cheydinhal, one near Lake Arrius, one near the fork on the Reed River towards the south, and one right next to the Blue Road. The last one was on a small peninsula in County Bravil.

Ice made a groan. "I don't want to go into another one of those things."

"Hopefully we won't have to. Perhaps if we flushed out the Lake Arrius Caverns where their hideout was, they'll disappear," Crow sounded oddly optimistic.

Baurus snorted. "I bet they moved. Anyway, there are a bunch of them and only a little of us. It's too risky."

"So, what do we do now?" Elyon questioned.

"We wait for orders."

It was seven o'clock when Black Night left. She went looking for her map and Ice, with higher spirits, was snickering rather violently. When she threatened to "cut off his annoying tongue and stab his eyes to blindness," he told her he hid it in the broom cupboard. Nightshade felt better now that he wasn't moping.

Nightshade was lounging with her soreness, and Ice was practicing making himself glow. Martin studied across the table, and he scared the both of them when he jumped up with excitement.

"I've got it!"

"Got what?" Nightshade lazily looked over at the book.

"It says here that the rituals to make Paradise portals are very limited because the items needed to perform it are limited. I've figured out there are three, and the first is the blood of a Daedra." Martin looked proud of himself as he sat back down.

"Yeah, that's great," Ice sarcastically stated. "Why don't we find Mehrunes Dagon and ask him if he could prick his finger so we can take a drop of blood."

"Well, I think it's figuratively speaking. We need something of a Daedra's, not specifically Mehrunes Dagon's."

"So, we can get something from, say, Sheogorath, or Nocturnal, and it would still work?" Nightshade was sounding interested.

"There is nothing that contradicts that."

"So, then, who?"

"Boethia!" Ice's quick answer startled them both. Their stares made him stare. "What? It's been on my mind recently."

Nightshade shrugged. "Alright. Let's go tell the others, and we'll leave in the morning."