A/N: So this chapter is a tad bit shorter, and it looks like the next one might be...I'm not quite sure yet as to how the chapter lengths will pan out until I get the typed up. (I was originally writing this on my phone, so I have to "convert" it over before I can publish it.)
But if the next one ends up being shorter, then it means the one after will end up being longer. So don't panic ;)
A few hours later, Aera and Lynne arrived at Windhelm. The sky was glowing scarlet and amber in the distance. Aera's fingers were numb with cold and there was frost on her fur. They dismounted, headed inside to Candlehearth Hall and purchased two rooms for the night. Just as Aera was about to crawl into the plush fur bed, there was a knock on her door. She quickly wrapped herself up in a blanket and opened the door a crack. On the other side, she saw Lynne looking tired but concerned and dressed in a simple robe. She gave a small smile when she saw Aera.
"I hope I didn't wake you."
"No, I was just settling in. What is it?" She asked.
Lynne shifted her weight. "Where exactly are we headed? What's going on? You haven't told me much about your little plan here."
Aera sighed. "You better come in. I have a story to tell you and it won't be a short one." Lynne sat herself on the edge of the bed as Aera began her tale.
"It was back when I had first joined the Guild," Aera began. "I had been an initiate for about a week, and was only just beginning to understand the delicate art of thievery. At the time, I was still taking orders from senior members, like Vex and Delvin."
"You took orders from Delvin?" Lynne asked in disbelief.
"Yes, it's true. But really they were just passing out easier contracts; bedlams, fishing, things like that. Anyway, one day, Brynjolf approached me with a contract. He was second in command at the time, so this was a huge honor for me."
"If he was second, who was the Guildmaster?"
Aera scowled. "A man by the name of Mercer Frey."
"What happened to him?"
"I killed him." She looked up to see Lynne with a look of shock and fear.
"Why?" Lynne asked quietly.
"Because he betrayed the guild. He lied about something very important, and for the longest time, everyone believed him. But that isn't relevant. So I went to Brynjolf and he told me about a "new" guild that was forming just south of Windhelm. They called themselves the Summerset Shadows. They were a band of Altmer thieves and they came to Skyrim to try and make a name for themselves. So I took my housecarl, Lydia, and my close friend and excellent mage, Marcurio with me to take them out. My first thought was that this was going to be easy – in and out." Aera stopped and chuckled darkly to herself. "You have no idea how wrong I was. When we got there, we made our way inside with no problem. It wasn't until I took out the first few guards that I knew something was not right. This was turning out to be too easy. So I opened the door to one room and was bombarded with thieves. There must have been a dozen easily, waiting in ambush. In seconds they had both of my companions down and I was on my last limb.
"By this time we had taken care of most of them, but I barely managed to finish off the rest. We took a moment to recover before we took out their leader, Linwe. He was a good fighter, but nothing when compared to the fight before. We crawled back to Windhelm in pieces, but survived."
"But why are you telling me all this?" Lynne asked, resettling herself on the bed.
"Because that's where we are headed. Back to Uttering Hills Cave to fight them off. Only this time, they have something. Something powerful, a book called the Neocresis. It is a powerful book of dark magic, and if they figure out how to use it, there is no way we can defeat them."
"This is bad," Lynne said with a frown. "How much time do you think we have to stop them?"
Aera shrugged. "Trust me though, if they do, we will know."
Lynne stood up. "I . . . should get to bed." She stammered.
"Yeah," She mumbled in response. The door shut, and Aera lay back on her pillow. Her mind was restless for the longest time before she finally fell into a restless sleep.
After a quick breakfast the next morning, the two women gathered their things and set off down the frosted cobblestone path to the stables. They mounted their horses in silences. Aera mounted her dapple, Lanlock, and Lynne onto her palomino, Zephyr. They road west for about an hour until Aera stopped them. They dismounted and walked up along a stone overhang. Below them, two Altmer men in armor resembling that of the Guild's were idling around.
Aera motioned for them to get down when the men began to speak.
"When do you suppose Avicto will return?" One asked.
The other shrugged. "I do not know. He was headed to Riften, and had to make some stops along the way. But I suspect he will be back soon enough, and with the prize in hand." The two chuckled.
They were talking about the Neocresis, Aera was sure. The sound of horse hooves on snow echoed through the gully. A man wrapped in a dark grey cloak road up, dismounted his steed and approached the two elves. The man lowered his hood. He was obviously Altmer as well, with pale gold skin and bright green eyes. His silver hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and he held a parcel under his arm.
"Did you get it? Did you get the book?" One elf asked.
"I did indeed," Avicto smiled. "Among the other required elements for the ritual. Don't let your guard down. We are more vulnerable than ever at the moment." He then turned and disappeared into the cave entrance and the elves returned to their posts; one sat at the fire and the other wandered away and turned his back to them.
"Now is our time to strike," Aera whispered to Lynne. "We will want to take then out quickly so as not to arouse suspicion."
Lynne smiled and reached for her bow. It was simple, as she relied more on her sword in battle. Meanwhile, Aera slid Auriels Bow off her back. It seemed to glow ever so slightly at her touch. She drew a gleaming steel arrow and never wavered when she took aim at the guard facing away from them. Lynne understood and aimed for the one by the fire. There was a moment of deathly silence. She let fly her arrow. It whistled through the cold air and sank into the elf with a thump, right between his shoulder blades. His partner turned at the sound and Lynne released her arrow; it struck him solid in the chest and he too fell in the snow.
There was no time for celebration however, so they made their way down the cliff-face and into the mouth of the cave.
Sorry for the lack of updates on the story, but I'm sort of stuck as to where to take it next, so writing is a bit slow right now. And I start school again next week which definitely slow down on updates a bunch, but probably not the actual writing...if you understand where I'm taking this. But I have half of Chapter 4 typed up and am working on the rest now, and will try to get it out there before I start so you have something to read.