Reunion at Candlehearth Hall

Allysian Liore - Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm

The vendors of the Stone District had already secured their wares and packed up for the evening, the marketplace was empty aside from a lone guard who seemed enthralled by the moss that grew above his head.

The guard paid Ally no mind as she walked by him. As she made her way back to the Inn, all she could think about was The Butcher. She'd swear she'd seen shadows move in the darkness, eyes watching her every movement, figures making their way across the rooftops. She quickened her pace as her heart started to pound in her chest. Was this the right direction? I swear the Inn was this way! The city she thought looked mournfully beautiful during daylight turned ominous after dark.

Ally made her way expeditiously back to Windhelm's main gate, her only sure-fire route to get back to Candlehearth Hall. Ally nodded a greeting to a passing guard who returned the gesture; she could hear the sound of jovial spirits just up ahead. She arrived at Candlehearth Hall and breathed a long sigh of relief.

The inside of the Inn was extremely warm and filled with people standing around enjoying their ale or sitting down to dinner. It was extremely noisy in the Hall’s upper floor where the revelers spent most of their time. Unable to even hear herself think, Ally headed downstairs and had a seat at the bar next to a sharply dressed older man.

The barmaid stepped up to Allysian, “What’ll it be traveler?”

“I need a room for the evening and I was wondering if you serve horker here?” Ally asked.

The barmaid looked her over, “Yeah I have a room available, it’s yours. We serve a fine Horker Stew if you’re interested. Meat’s fresh from the marketplace.”

“Elda, another mug, please,” the man sitting next to Ally interrupted.

“Sure Torbjorn, coming right up,” Elda replied.

“I’ll have the stew thank you, and please let me pay for Torbjorn’s mead,” Ally offered.

“Do I know you, stranger?” asked the man, turning to face Ally with his bloodshot eyes.

“Not yet, but Balimund sends his regards and advised me to ask you for a bit of training.”

“Ah Balimund,” a twinkle returned to the man’s eye, “I haven’t seen that old dog in years. Good man. Good smith. Good drinker. In no particular order,” the man winked at Ally. “I see that piece of steel strapped to your back, Balimund craft that?”

“Yes he did, so far it’s been a life-saver.”

“Looks like fine work, I wouldn’t expect any less. I forgot to thank you for the mead, please move your seat a bit closer so we can chat my dear.”

Ally did as instructed and scooted over next to Torbjorn. He shared with her some offensive and defensive maneuvers as well as just basic strategies for combat. She felt much more confident. Elda, the barmaid kept a close eye on Torbjorn, Ally noticed that Elda was watering down his drinks, he either didn’t catch on or didn’t mind. Ally was happy to pick up the tab for the evening as Torbjorn departed. He left Candlehearth a bit wobbly in the knees, but in good spirits. The Horker Stew was simply divine. Ally promised herself she'd order it again tomorrow.

“He lost his daughter recently,” Elda offered.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear.”

“Yeah, he’s in here every night, pretty much just drinking his sorrows away.”

“I noticed you watering down his drinks.”

“Yeah, as a favor to his daughter. The Butcher did it. He’s still on the loose.” Elda slowly wiped down her countertop. Ally and Elda chatted a bit more, Ally telling Elda about her planned journey in the morning to help Nurelion with the White Phial.

“The White Phial huh? So that's where we're headed?” came a familiar voice behind Ally.

Ally smirked, knowing full well who it was.

Allysian Liore & Marcurio - Windhelm

En Route to Forsaken Cave

The White Phial

Allysian Liore - Windhelm

Through the gates, Ally immediately noticed the sign for Candlehearth Hall, it was far too early in the day to check in here, but she would return for a meal and lodging later. On the advice of the guards, Ally went left from the entrance and headed towards the Stone Quarter, Windhelm's market district.

Windhelm had a sad, mournful type of beauty to Ally. The centuries old architecture, the ever-present snow, puffs of smoke emanating from the chimneys of every building. It was all so beautiful. The familiar scents of the marketplace started to fill her nose and brought a quiet smile to her face. As usual, there were people hustling and bustling about, and Ally melted into the crowd.

The familiar clang of hammer to steel brought another smile to her face as she thought of Balimund. I'd better write him, tell him that I'm okay, she thought. The meats looked particularly fine, Ally longed for a kitchen in which to cook something. Deer, Rabbit, Chicken, Beef... and something unfamiliar, Horker. Ally had never tasted Horker before, but had heard that it was delicious, fatty, oily, and tender. She would definitely sample that if the Inn served it.

The White Phial. Ally broke free of the crowd and looked upon its carved sign. She admired the choice of name for the business, the White Phial was the stuff of legends among those in the Alchemist trade. The White Phial was an enchanted vial that could replenish any liquid that was poured into it. Whether it actually existed or not was a topic hotly debated. Ally opened the door, a small bell announced her entrance.

Neither of the two men inside paid the bell any attention. They argued back and forth for some time before the older man acknowledged the woman standing in front of him.

"Greetings traveler, welcome to the White Phial. I am Nurelion, owner and master alchemist here. We have a fine selection of potions and alchemy reagents if you're interested."

"Thank you, Nurelion, I'm Allysian Liore, sorry to be nosy, but what was that argument about?" Ally inquired.

"Ah that fool of an apprentice. He wants me to give up my life-long dream! Just a man's life work is all. I've finally derived the location of the White Phial, but this doting busybody won't let me get it!" Nureliion shouted. Ally saw his apprentice shaking his head as he continued sweeping the floor.

"The White Phial? That's just legend isn't it?"

"Ah so you've heard of it then? Fancy yourself an alchemist? Well it is real I tell you. Sadly, I'm the only one that knows its location, but I've grown too old and sickly to go out adventuring. My quest for the White Phial brought me all the way to these frozen reaches from the warm embrace of Summerset Isle," Nurelion's focus drifted off, recalling his adventures, "Entire years spent in libraries. Seeking out tiny villages with local legends that contain but a whisper of a hint of the Phial. As you can see, I even named my shop after it, hoping that it might attract anyone who had heard of it. And now it's within my grasp... but the Eight, it seems, have chosen me for their amusement. For in my condition, I'll never be able to lay my hands on it."

"If you tell me where it is, I can go get it for you."

"You?" Nurelion eyed Ally suspiciously, "Well the path is fraught with danger my dear."

"The existence of such an artifact is of extreme importance to the Alchemist Trade. I will help you Nurelion."

Nurelion smiled, "You would do that? It's good to know there are some people out there who are willing to help an old man. It's buried with its maker, Curalmil, in a long forsaken cave to the west of here." Nurelion pulled a map out from under his counter. "Curalmil was a crafty one, even in death. You would need the skills of a master alchemist to reach his resting place. Luckily for you, I've already made the mixture. Here, take it." Nurelion pulled a green vial from under his countertop and offered it to Ally.

Ally examined the green liquid, clear when still, turning opaque once she shook it a bit.

"Please, don't dally. I've wasted enough time arguing with my useless assistant here. May the Eight guide you to the Phial..." Nurelion coughed violently and headed up the stairs to rest.

Ally turned to his assistant, "You don't think the White Phial exists?"

He replied, "It doesn't matter what I believe. Nurelion does, and it might be the only thing keeping him alive right now. I'm Quintus by the way."

"Oh Quintus, I have a note for your from Sondas at Darkwater Crossing. They are in urgent need of medicines, some of their miners have shown symptoms of Crackrock."

"Oh my, Crackrock. That's serious. I'll get on it right away, the courier will make the delivery tomorrow morning. Thank you. If you need to use the alchemy table, be my guest. Just please clean up when you're done and try not to use any Giant's Toe, master Nurelion gets nauseous from the smell."

Ally purchased a few ingredients from Quintus as well as a couple dozen small vials. She used her supplies to craft a bunch of health and stamina potions which she stashed carefully into her satchel. She stayed for about an hour, chatting with Quintus about her travels, as he filled her in on the goings-on within Windhelm. Quintus warned Ally about The Butcher, and that she should stay indoors after dark.

With the sunlight hidden by overcast clouds, the day was much shorter than Ally was used to. She gathered up her ingredients, wiped the alchemy table clean and bid Quintus farewell. Nurelion never returned from upstairs. Ally closed the door behind her and headed to Candlehearth Hall, thoughts of tender horker meat on her mind.

Parting Ways

Allysian Liore & Marcurio

Uttering Hills Cave

"With three beers down, the Orc did frown, and bid the Elf goodbye. For none could know 'twas not for show, and someone had to die." the bandit laughed, reveling in his cleverness, not noticing the two adventurers approaching on foot.

"This is the place," whispered Marcurio.

"Looks easy enough, just the one tone-deaf bandit with the bow," Ally answered, peering through the snowberry bushes.

"No, there's two, over by the door is another one," pointed out the Mage. "He looks like he's falling asleep though. These two won't be any problem, let's go." Marcurio led the charge incinerating the tone-deaf archer while Ally made quick work of the bandit at the door.

Ally and Marcurio entered the hideout, greeted by a cold wind. Marcurio's growling stomach broke the silence.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly, covering his grumbling belly with his hands.

Ally just gave him a look as the two continued deeper into the cave-like bandit camp. Two more inattentive bandits stood in their way, still wiping the sleep out of their eyes. Ally took care of both of them with her greatsword. These early morning raids have proven to be most opportune. The bandits were still groggy, many of them still reeking of alcohol from the night before.

Four, five, six more bandits fell to blade and spell equally. Ally gaining more and more confidence with each skirmish. Marcurio still took the time to loot each and every corpse, promising Ally that they would split the spoils once they reached Windhelm. Ally didn't care for stealing a dead man's belongings, but her honor wasn't going to buy her a room and a day's worth of food. Begrudgingly, she agreed so long as Marcurio did the digging.

"Hey look, this one's got a really nice garnet, I'll have to see Mades--" Marcurio was violently interrupted by the warhammer of one final bandit. He was larger than the others and more heavily armored. Marcurio took a step back reeling under the heavy blow, but thankful his flesh spell had held. Ally charged in, greatsword at the ready and attacked. The Black-Toe Chief parry the attacks and countered with his own. Ally took a blow to the ribs and had to retreat, sheathing her greatsword and drawing her dagger, a healing spell ready in her left hand. Calling upon the power of Aetherius, Ally cast her restoration magick and was ready to continue the fight.

The Black-Toe chased Marcurio around the small room, swinging wildly with his warhammer. Ally was able to catch up and slash at the man's backside. The chief turned around to face her, his hammer in a defensive posture. Ally butted the man's face with the pommel of her sword, breaking his nose. Instinctively, the man dropped his weapon and covered his nose, Ally delivered the final blow with a chop to the neck.

Marcurio staggered back into the room, his strength withered from the battle. He leaned on the wall for support. "So, is that it? The last of the Black-Toes?" he asked, motioning to Ally to follow him.

"I hope so. We'll stop by and speak to Jarl Laila if she knows of any other camps, but judging by the strength of that guy," Ally motioned to the corpse with her head, "I hope that's the end."

"Ally, come, I found something," Marcurio beckoned to Ally. Ally followed him down the hall and into the next room. Marcurio was seated at the table, a feast of foods set before him. "Looks like we interrupted their breakfast. Have a seat."

Ally took a seat across from her partner and helped herself to some water and a bit of eidar cheese. Marcurio, still hungry from the night before ate the rest. It was a nice breather for the two of them, they sat for a while planning out their paths before setting off to Windhelm.

"I'm not going," the mage argued.

"Is the pay and spoils not good enough for you?" Ally responded.

"I can't spend what I earn if I'm dead."

"Marcurio, what happened to your sense of adventure? Your sense of wonder?"

"Look, I don't want to admit it, but that bandit chief really shook me up. When I saw that hammer coming down on me, I thought I was dead."

"But you're not. We make a great team, you and I. Please come with me to Windhelm, after we deliver Sondas' message to the White Phial and I visit Torbjorn Shatter-Shield, we'll go back to Riften, promise," Ally countered.

Marcurio sighed, "I'll take you over the next hill and point on Windhelm, but after that, I'm going to head home. Talen-Jei's got a fresh keg of Velvet LeChance with my name on it."

Allysian could tell she wasn't getting anywhere with the man, so she agreed. "Fine, please be safe on the road home. I may call upon you to help me again in the future."

The two companions headed away from Uttering Hills Cave and towards Windhelm.

"There, you can see the Palace of the Kings, just down this hill and follow the road, you can't miss it," Marcurio pointed out.

"Thank you Marcurio. You've been a tremendous help, I will miss your stories." Ally hugged Marcurio, perhaps a little longer than he felt comfortable.

"Best of luck to you Allysian Liore," with that Marcurio was gone. Ally continued down the path that Marcurio had shown her.

The walk was soothing, but Ally certainly missed Marcurio's banter. The brash mage seemed to know everything about everything. From hunting trails, to Nordic history, he just never stopped talking. He even debated with Ally about the usefulness of certain alchemical ingredients. It's only been an hour since they parted and it certainly felt like longer. She continued along the road crossing a bridge and noticing a commotion between two men and a woman, all three of them the dark skinned Redguards.

The men looked up and spotted Ally, stepped away from the woman, who was nearly in tears, as Ally approached. "What's the matter?" Ally asked the shaken woman.

"These two Alik'r, they mistook me for another Redguard woman. I guess she's wanted for something," replied the woman.

"Yes, she's wanted in Hammerfell for treason. If you happen to see her, let us know, we'll be in Rorikstead, there's a sizable reward for her capture," one of the two men growled. With that, they left headed towards Windhelm.

Ally double-checked with the woman to make sure she was okay, she assured Ally that she was and gathered her things. Ally offered her an escort to Windhelm, but the woman refused, stating that she had just come from there. The woman set off in the direction that Ally had come from.

As Ally approached Windhelm, all of the history lessons that Marcurio had told her started coming back to her. Capital city of Eastmarch. Palace of the Kings. Grieving Ysgramor, dead Yngol. Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak. Frequent blizzards. Free worship of Talos. Dark Elf refuge. Xenophobic community.

She made her way over the expansive bridge, halted at the gate by the guards. Ally asked the guards about accommodations and for directions to the White Phial. The two guards were in agreement that Candlehearth Hall would suit Ally just fine and that The White Phial could be located in the Stone Quarter.

The guards opened the gates for her and Ally immediately headed to The White Phial to deliver Sondas' note.

Hunting the Black-Toes

Allison Liore & Marcurio - Treva's Watch

"Hey you, you that mercenary we hired?" asked the solemn man seated at the fire.

"No, I'm not, but did you need help with something?" Ally asked the man.

"It's my family, the Black-Toes have taken them hostage. They're inside Treva's Watch! Can you help us? We tried an attack, but already lost two of our men," the man pleaded.

"Stalleo, this isn't the mercenary, let them be on their way," said the lone female in their group.

"No, they can help. Please."

Ally looked at Marcurio and agreed to help the man since they had planned to raid Treva's Watch anyway. She promised to keep an eye out for the Stalleo's family and would lower the gate once they were able. Using the escape tunnel that Stalleo had pointed out, the two made quick work of the five bandits inside the tunnel.

The fight inside Treva's Watch was a bit more difficult, but the partners managed to get through more in synch with each other after every skirmish.

They made their way into the prison area, but the cells were empty, there were no signs of Stalleo's family. They did come across some bodies of what looked like farmers, but they were not as Stalleo described. Ally and Marcurio cleared the small fort of all the Black-Toes and made their way out to the courtyard, dispatching the sentries posted outside.

Marcurio pulled the lever allowing Stalleo and his two comrades into the courtyard. Ally greeted the group, but had no good news aside from the fort being cleared. Stalleo offered Ally a spell tome as a reward, but she refused it. Marcurio was more than happy to accept on her behalf. Two bandit camps down, one to go.

With the sun setting, Marcurio advised, it was best that they seek shelter for the night. Ally suggested they stop at Darkwater Crossing. She could update Anneke on her meeting with the Jarl and their progress versus the Black-Toes. Marcurio agreed, begrudgingly, much preferring the warmth and hospitality of The Bee and Barb.

After clearing out Treva's Watch, the two adventurers decided to head off to Darkwater Passing for rest and resupply.

"Is the food any good there?" asked Marcurio, his stomach growling.

"Anneke's a good baker and Tormir made a great lamb stew the last time I was there, hopefully they've got some left, they're not expecting us after all," Ally replied as the two cut through the brush.

"I'm so hungry I'd even eat skeever stew at this point. Hey, what's that?" Marcurio noticed an overturned cart further up the road, its contents strewn about, a man sat near the scene looking distraught.

"Help, please! Bandits raided my cart," said the injured man.

"Are you okay? Are they still here?" inquired Ally, surveying the landscape for any sign of the attackers.

"No, they stole my coins and took off down the road, they've been gone a while, but said they'd be back. If you could just help me to my camp, I think I'll be okay. My camp is nearby in the ruins of Nilheim. Get me there safely and you'll be rewarded," said the man struggling to get to his feet. Marcurio grabbed the man's arm and steadied him. "Thank you, it's just across the bridge and up that hill."

Now upright, the man started making his way up the hill ahead of Ally and Marcurio. Any noticeable injury he may have had seemed to have disappeared.

"We're close now. I can see the camp," said the man. "Wait here, I'll be right back with your reward." Suddenly, the man started sprinting up the hill leaving Ally and Marcurio behind. The two heard a whistle and a group of armed men started charging down the hill towards them.

"Ha! Looks like we got ourselves another fool! Great job, Telrav!" said one of the men.

Marcurio was quick and accurate with his magic, blasting their foes while Ally worked them with her blade. The men fell despite outnumbering Ally and Marcurio. There was no sign of Telrav however.

Suddenly, arrows began raining down on the two, and Ally sprinted up to the hillside above them. Marcurio stayed and fired bolts of lightning up at Telrav, striking him square in the chest just as Ally got there.

They searched the nearby Nilheim ruin, just a simple tower at this point, and found little of value aside from an enchanted piece of iron armor. Ally asked Marcurio if he wanted it, to which he responded, "I am an apprenticed wizard, not a pack mule." They tossed the armor back into the chest they found it in and returned to the road.

Ally and Marucio arrived at Darkwater Crossing late that same evening, Hrefna had already gone to bed unfortunately. The night's meal had also been completely consumed by the camp unaware to save any for unannounced guests. Ally shared some of the food she picked up earlier in the day back in Riften with Marcurio, he was grateful, but still hungry.

As Marcurio jumped at the offer to stay inside Verner and Anneke's farmhouse, Allysian again remained outdoors, more than comfortable sleeping under the stars. Again, in the dead of night, Anneke joined her and chatted next to the warmth of the fire.

Ally re-lived the conversation she had with Jarl Laila Law-Giver to Anneke, along with their discovery of the spider nest inside Fort Greenwall. She also told her about the Black-Toes at Treva's Watch that they had taken care of. Anneke was definitely impressed by the progress that Ally and Marcurio were making, dealing the Black-Toes significant blow after blow. Ally couldn't help but notice the appreciation in Anneke's eyes, but also the remorse, the look of a life left behind.

Anneke finally decided to turn in for the night, as did Ally. Ally slept soundly on the makeshift hay matress, the breeze that blew off the river keeping her cool until she was awakened by Sondas, the dark elf miner.

"Allysian. Allysian, please, I have a request, it is urgent," he said, shaking her shoulder gently.

Through sleepy eyes, Ally glanced up at the red-eyed face looking down on her. "Sondas, what is it my friend?"

"I overheard that you and your friend are heading to Uttering Hills Cave? That is near Windhelm, I need something from there urgently," he asked, sorrow written on his face.

Ally sat up to give the Dunmer her full attention. "What's the matter?"

"It's Anneke, she's been displaying signs of Crackrock Disease. She's too stubborn to get help, Verner doesn't believe there's anything wrong with her. But I've seen it before, her symptoms are there."

"Crackro-- what?"

"Crackrock Disease. It's an illness that's somewhat common to miners. When you spend all day in the mines, you inhale a lot of minerals into your lungs, oftentimes this causes infection. She looks okay now, but last week she was bed-ridden, feverish, nauseous, coughing non-stop. There's also a rash that's started on her back. She's been trying to hide it, but I happened to notice it while she bathed in the river. She needs help."

Ally, although an experienced alchemist, had never heard of such a disease, but took Sondas' concern to heart. Granted, Ally had not treated many miners in her time. Perhaps Anneke's body had killed off the infection, but chances were high that the next strain could be more resilient. I have to help.

"In Windhelm, there is a shop called The White Phial," continued Sondas, "go see Nurelion, he'll be able to brew a cure for her."

Ally agreed and started gathering her things as the camp started springing to life. Daybreak.

Allysian Liore & Marcurio

En Route to Uttering Hills Cave & Windhelm

Exposure

Allysian Liore - Imperial

Ally entered the Bee and Barb a little surprised to see that Balimund had beaten her there. He looked like he had cleaned himself up a bit after working the forge all day. She appreciated that. The two friends broke bread and spoke of the events of the last couple of days. Balimund inquired about Ally's family, but she was extremely vague about what brought her to Skyrim. Fleeing Imperial justice was not something she cared to divulge.

Ally told Balimund about her visit to the Jarl and the Jarl's non-comittal response to the Black-Toe Bandits situation threatening the Rift. Balimund cursed, but took the Jarl's side in the matter. Ally was frustrated by it all. She'd made new friends in the settlements and wanted to help. Balimund suggested she ask around town in the morning, maybe she could round up a party that cared enough to put their lives on the line. She doubted she'd fine anyone of such character. Balimund sighed and agreed, thought for a moment and had a revelation of sorts. Spying the man seated near the door in mage robes, Balimund smiled.

As Ally rose the next morning in her bed at the Bee and Barb, she noticed a note tacked to the inside of her door. Without reading the note, she immediately took stock of her possessions: custom-made Steel Greatsword, Steel Dagger, Leather Armor, Boots, and Bracers, around six hundred septims, several potions, and alchemy ingredients. The skooma bottles she found back in Beggar's Row were gone, however. Perhaps this was a blessing, she thought to herself. Ally stepped over to the door and examined the note.

Allysian Liore,

This will be your final night staying here at the Bee and Barb. While I welcome your patronage and offer to help me with my gift for Keerava, we do not allow those that dabble in the skooma trade to stay at our establishment. Two bottles of skooma were discovered in your satchel during a random search last night. The two bottles have since been destroyed. As a sign of thanks for your patronage, I have not reported this incident to the town guard. Rest assured that if you do not comply with this letter, I will file the report. Please vacate the premises upon receipt of this letter. You are not welcome back, please disregard my previous request for assistance from you.

Talen-Jei
Owner
The Bee and Barb

Ally was shaken, she sat on her bed for a minute before slipping her feet into her boots and getting dressed. Peeking out the window, it appeared to still be early morning, hopefully she can make it out of the Inn without incident. She opened her door and smelled food coming from downstairs, Keerava had already started preparing the day's meals. Allysian peeked around the corner of the stairs but saw no one else. She tiptoed out the door, possibly for the last time.

A man was waiting for her as she exited The Bee and Barb, he was somewhat handsome, fairly youthful. He called Ally by name as she closed the door behind her.

"Ally? Greetings, I'm Marcurio, apprenticed wizard and expert in Nordic cuture. It's nice to see another Imperial here in Riften."

Ally stared at the man for a second, unsure how to process his greeting. She considered the note left her by Talen-Jei and whether this man's sudden appearance had anything to do with that. He didn't appear to be any type of authority figure.

"I'm sorry, how do you know my name?" Ally asked the man.

"Oh, didn't mean to alarm you. Balimund told me that you might be in need of my assistance. You have a bandit problem that needs taking care of?"

"Yes, well it's not my problem, it's the hold's."

"Well, you'll quickly realize that the hold's problems, more often than not, ARE your problems. The town guard are stretched so thin with the war going on. Many of the guards even left service to join up with the Stormcloaks. Ulfric's pretty smart about that, I'll give him that much. He's recruiting a lot of men and women and garrisoning them in their home holds. They're already familiar with the terrain, a huge advantage in his war against the Empire."

Ally was taken aback for a moment by the man's offer to help. Finally, someone of high moral character that is offering to help me! she thought. She quietly smiled at Marcurio, Marcurio awkwardly returned the smile, unsure of Ally's state of mind.

"So the standard five hundred septim fee per day is agreeable then?"

"Five hun-- what?" Ally snapped out of her daze.

"My fee, to cover my expenses and the fact that I AM risking my life here, afterall. My battle prowess will cost you five hundred coins, my knowledge of the area and expertise in Nordic culture adds to your value. My charm, as always, comes for free," Marcurio gave Ally a quick wink.

"You're a sellsword?"

"Well, not technically... I'm a mage, I don't use swords," Marcurio winked again, Ally stared at him eyebrow raised. "I consider myself a battle-tourguide of sorts. Come for the action, stay for the education." Ally sighed finding herself out of options and agreed to pay the mercenary. "So where to first?"

"Fort Greenwall, I'll have to pick up some supplies before heading out. I'll meet you outside the gate."

"Don't make me wait too long...I get bored very easily," replied Marcurio walking away.

Ally made her way through the marketplace picking up some fresh fruits and dried meat at one of the stalls.

"Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying. Eh, lass?" said a voice behind her.

"Excuse me?" replied Allysian turning around.

"Ah yes, the Imperial on the run from Cyrodiil. So how has your stay in Riften been so far? Exciting, I conclude?" said the well-dressed man she recognized from the other day.

"What are you getting at sir?"

"Nothing happens in Riften without me hearing about it lass. Skooma dealers at the Bee and Barb..." the man cocked his head at Ally, "murders down in the slums..." the man smiled, "does the name Khal-zeen ring a bell?"

"No, it doesn't, I don't know him," replied Ally, nervously. Was that the name of the Argonian I stabbed in Beggar's Row? Ally began to fidget, extremely uncomfortable in this man's presence. Who is this guy and how does he know so much? she thought.

"Well Khal-zeen is currently rotting in the Riften city jail, sadly for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's all brilliant, really," the man grinned at Ally, "An Argonian new to the city, down on his luck, a name nobody knows, no connections to anyone here willing to vouch for him, perfect target to frame for murder, wouldn't you agree lass?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, sorry." Ally turned to walk away from the man when he grabbed her arm spinning her back to him.

The man leaned in to Ally and whispered, "I'm well aware of who you are Allysian Liore. I know your past, I know every step you've taken since you've arrived in Riften. I know about Shor's Stone, I know about Darkwater Crossing, I know about the Orc, I know about the Black-Toe, I know about the dead Argonian with the skooma habit. Nothing, and I mean nothing, goes on without me knowing."

Tears started to well up in Ally's eyes, she replied shakily, "W-What do you want from me?"

"Simple, I have a job for you. Come see me when you get back in to town, if you're lucky, maybe I'll run into someone else that can handle it while you're gone. Information is power lass, the faster you learn that, the better off you'll be." The well dressed man released Ally's arm and disappeared into the marketplace crowd.

Obviously shaken, Ally tried her best to calm herself and made her way to the Riften gate to meet Marcurio. As Ally exited the gate, she noticed Marcurio and the town guard squatting on the ground engaged in some sort of game. There were septims strewn about the dirt as the men took turns rolling dice. The guard laughed and swept all of the septims over to his side. Marcurio spotted Ally and the two set off for Fort Greenwall. It was the closest bandit camp and the most threatening to Shor's Stone.

There was very little subtelty in Marcurio's approach to combat. Ally was amazed at the wizard's skill in battle, deftly using his Flesh spells as protection and dispatching bandits with bolts of lightning. The smell of singed flesh and hair was not something Ally felt she'd ever get used to. Marcurio kept a running commentary with Ally mid-fight, it didn't seem to bother him in the least, but she found herself unable to focus, all of the mage's chatter along with her incident in the marketplace weighed heavily on her mind. She finally asked that he remain quiet, which he did, begrudgingly. She could still hear him talking quietly to himself as the skirmishes continued. The bandits guarding the exterior of the camp gave little resistance to Ally and Marcurio.

Ally found her movements with the greatsword to be very fluid, and surprisingly very natural for her. She also got a chance to use the Restoration magick that Wylandriah had taught her. She was able to cut down one bandit for every three that Marcurio eliminated. Ally refused to rummage through a dead man's possessions, but Marcurio had no such honor, cutting open purses and emptying its contents gleefully into his own. After Marcurio was finished scavenging, the two headed inside the fort.

"There are forts like this all over Skyrim. Imperials built them a long time ago," said the mage. Ally remained quiet, focused. "Just look at this place. Is this what passes for a fort in Skyrim? These timber supports are rotted through. It's a wonder this place is still standing." For every few feet of ground they covered, Marcurio had an opinion.

Ally and Marcurio were able to clear the inside of the fort also with little resistance taking most foes on two versus one. Ally employed her best defensive techniques as Marcurio poured on the damage from afar.

"Most bandits are cowards. These seem braver than most. These bandits are desperate men. They have nothing to lose and they fight like it. Sad that men of such fortitude chose a life of crime," continued Marcurio, "Hey look, webs."

Ally examined the webbing covering an entrance and started chopping at it with her greatsword.

"Stand aside fair miss," said Marcurio as a gout of flame erupted from his hand incinerating the webbing. Marcurio flashed a huge grin at his partner. "With a master of magic at your side, you'll have nothing to worry about." Ally stepped through the burnt webbing and rolled her eyes at the brash young mage.

The Black-Toes were breeding spiders, Ally concluded. She surmised that these may be the same brood of spiders that suddenly attacked the mine at Shor's Stone. Marcurio led the way further into the spider nest, burning webs as he went along. Within minutes, the nest was cleared, another half-dozen spiders killed along with their egg mounds. Noting nothing else of interest or value, the two set off for the second Black-Toe encampment, Treva's Watch.

The Jarl of Riften

Allysian Liore - Imperial

Retracing her route back to Shor's Stone proved uneventful for Allysian. Her only encounter was with a pair of hungry wolves that weren't much of a test with her mace. She didn't have time to skin the wolves, so she left the carcasses along the roadside for other predators and scavengers to feed on.

Upon entering Shor's Stone, she was once again greeted by Filnjar who offered her some bread, eidar cheese and wine after her six hour trek. Sylgja, emerging from the mine to take her lunch, joined them. Ally gave Sylgja the package of baked treats from her mother which the three of them shared. Sylgja offered Ally an heirloom silver necklace as thanks, but Ally refused, she was happy to have helped. With no other business in Shor's Stone, Ally bid her friends farewell and headed back to Riften.

Ally took a wide berth around Fort Greenwall, not wanting to attract the attention of any more bandits especially in the bright light of midday. She returned to Riften without incident. Ally grew more and more confident navigating this area of Skyrim known as The Rift.

Upon her return to Riften, she immediately sought out Balimund. He had just received the Ebony Ingot shipment from Shor's Stone a few hours ago and was already planning on putting it to good use.

"Not so easy to get rid of this pesky Imperial!" Ally exclaimed as she snuck up on the blacksmith.

"Heh, welcome home Ally," Balimund stopped his hammering and gave Ally a sweaty hug. "Thanks for the Ebony, it's rare I get the opportunity to work with this stuff, not many customers around here have the septims to make these types of weapons worth my while. I'll make something nice for you with it, but it'll take some time, I have a big order from the Jarl that I gotta get done. Oh, I called in a favor, got you this," Balimund retrieved a neatly folded brown cloak from atop the barrels in the corner of the shop.

Ally held it out in front of her, "Wow, this is exquisite! Where is this from?"

Balimund nodded over to the marketplace at Edda who was seated in the same place as the other day.

"Edda made this? Wow."

"Yeah, for some reason, I'm one of the few people she actually still remembers. She didn't want to sew it, but I convinced her with a couple of hot meals. I'm trying to get her back into sewing, but her heart isn't in it anymore it seems."

"That's a shame, it's really outstanding work."

"Yeah, well I figured it would help keep you warm out there."

"Thank you, it was extremely thoughtful. Hey, while I was out there, I picked up an iron battleaxe. I liked the size of it, but it was a bit much for me to swing. Any suggestions?"

"Hmm, I could come up with something. Come back in an hour or so, I'll have something ready for you to try."

Ally left Balimund to his work and headed over to the marketplace. She stopped to chat with Edda and thank her for the cloak. Unfortnately, this wasn't one of Edda's better days. She was incoherent and a little rude. She would randomly yell at others going about their day, it made Ally really uncomfortable to be standing near her. Ally placed a handful of septims on Edda's woven mat and continued to browse the marketplace before returning to The Scorched Hammer.

"Here you go," said Balimund, offering Ally an extremely large sword. "I took some weight off of the blade, made it a bit shorter, dug the fuller a bit deeper, hollowed out parts of the pommel and grip also. Made the cross-guard a bit smaller as well. It's still fairly well balanced and durable. Should work nicely. I'm guessing you've never used something like this before."

"Not in any sort of battle, no."

"Okay, well let me show you some basic stuff, I'm no expert when it comes to combat, life expectancy is longer for blacksmiths," said Balimund with a wink.

Ally and Balimund spent a little bit of time down in his basement going over basic maneuvers, attacks, blocks, and counters. The sword fit perfectly and Ally swung it confidently.

"I want you to go see my friend Torbjorn Shatter-Shield up in Windhelm. I heard he's going through some hard times, but he's an expert with a two-handed blade. I'll sleep better at night knowing that he's trained you. Also, go see Wylandriah up at Mistveil Keep, she's the Court Mage here in Riften. She's a bit eccentric, but she can show you a thing or two about magick. Personally, I'm a bit leery of the stuff, but it's a good thing to know, ask her to teach you some restoration techniques. Well I'd better get back to work, that order isn't going to finish itself. Wanna meet for dinner? Same time, same place?"

Ally thanked Balimund for the weapon, trading in her iron mace and agreed to meet up for dinner. Ally always had an interest in magick, but just never got around to pursuing it. Learning a bit of Restoration was a good idea considering she's spending so much time outside of town alone.

Remembering her promise to Anneke, Ally headed over to Mistveil Keep to see the Jarl. Ally had never met a Jarl before and was a little surprised that Riften's Jarl was a woman, Laila Law-Giver. Ally was equally surprised that the Jarl's were open to speak with just about any of their citizens without fear. The burly bodyguard that loomed nearby was a great deterrent.

Ally spoke with Laila for a few minutes, explaining to her about the Black-Toes. The Jarl was already well aware of the Black-Toes expanding turf and even handed Ally an official bounty letter. Ally asked if the Jarl could commit some of her town guard to take care of the problem, but the Jarl refused. "With the civil war raging across Skyrim along with the new threat of Dragons, I can't afford to send anyone away, I'm already stretched thin as it is," was the Jarl's reply.

Ally now had three known locations of Black-Toe bandits: Fort Greenwall, Uttering Hills Camp, and now Treva's Watch. All three locations had to be dealt with. Confused on what to do, she decided to take Balimund's advice and learn a bit of magick from Wylandriah, the Court Mage.

Ally entered the Court Mage's chamber adjacent to the Jarl's receiving room, a robed woman was standing over an enchanting table muttering something about some lost spiders. "Excuse me, Wylandriah?" Ally said meekly.

"I have to remember, ward first, then summon. Oh, I'm sorry, didn't see you there! Excuse my disorganization, but I'm in the middle of some delicate experiements," said the mage.

"I was wondering if you could teach me some basic Restoration magick?"

"Oh why certainly! Restoration is great for anybody, as a member in good standing of the College of Winterhold, I am obligated to teach anyone interested a basic spell such as this. Do you have any experience with magick?"

"No, I do not, sorry."

"No need to apologize, very well, shall we get to it?"

For the next several hours, Wylandriah worked with Allysian to tune her body with the raw energy flowing from Aetherius. By the end of the session, Ally was fairly adept at calling upon the magick within her. She went from healing pin pricks to small cuts, amazed at how the magick poured into her wound and sealed it, good as new. She cursed herself for not learning this at an earlier age. Ally thanked Wylandriah for her teachings and purchased a spell tome from her that granted stronger and quicker levels of healing energy. She promised to study the tome on her travels.

With the sun having set, Ally headed over to the Bee and Barb to meet Balimund for dinner.

Journey to Darkwater

Allysian Liore - Imperial

Barring any unexpected trouble, Ally figured her trip to Darkwater Crossing shouldn't take more than a few hours. She trusted the map that Sylgja had drawn her and set off to deliver the bundle of letters to Verner and Anneke, Sylgja's parents.

After about 30 minutes of uneventful walking, Allysian spotted a guardtower. Perhaps I'll stop in and ask them about any possible trouble along the way, I'd like to avoid those Black-Toe bandits as much as possible, she thought, reliving her encounter from early this morning. As she approached the watch tower, something felt amiss. Looking at the tower, she saw no sentries observing the roads and saw no guards muddling about near the road itself. She decided to examine the situation further.

She saw one guard slouched against the tower, there was no stench of death, but the flies around his body were already in a frenzy. Another guard lay face down near the fire pit. She continued inside the tower.

Just inside the tower, she noticed a rack of weapons, they were basic iron, but provided a bit more attacking power than her simple steel daggers. She decided on the iron mace after a few swings. She'd never wielded a mace before, but the heft felt good in her hand. Against more heavily armored foes, I needn't be so precise compare to a blade, she considered. She strapped the mace to her hip and tossed one of her daggers on the ground. Her pack was already pretty full.

Ally continued up the stairs to the observation deck of the tower. She found two more dead guards. She slung the quiver of iron arrows sitting on the table over her shoulder, but refused to take the bow that the dead guard still firmly grasped. She opened the chest, reached in and retrieved the iron battleaxe down at the bottom. Hmm.. interesting, Allysian mused. Beneath the axe were a few septims which she gladly pocketed. She descended the stairs quickly, fearing that she be implicated in this attack should someone else show up.

Once outside and further down the path, she examined the battle axe. She swung it a bit, it was quite heavy for her and awkward to swing. She noticed a felled tree and took some huge swings at it, burying the axe head deep into the tree bark. It was simply too much for her meager frame, but she liked the idea of such a large weapon. Perhaps Balimund could fashion something for me that I could actually wield with some confidence, she mused. She left the axe blade buried in the tree and continued on her way to Darkwater.

Just as Sylgja had promised, she discovered Clearspring Tarn. She sat for a moment, retrieving the bread and bit of dried beef that Talen-Jei had given her. She treated herself to an apple and stepped down to the pool to take a drink when some noise from below the tarn put her on alert. Ally scrambled back behind some bushes, as a deer came charging up the path towards the pool. Arrows flew above the buck's head as it ran past her deeper into the autumn-hued forest.

Two men ran up to the pond searching for the deer, Ally remained hidden as best she could. The men whispered something to each other and continued tracking the deer, not noticing Ally motionless in the bush. She assumed they were simple hunters, but she stayed hidden just in case. Once she was sure they were gone, she hurried back over to the pool, grabbed a quick drink and continued on her way.

Ally remembered Slygja telling her about a cave located below the pond. Being the curious sort, she decided to give it a look. She located the unassuming cave and ventured inside.

The cave was fairly large, water dripped from the ceiling of the cave to a pool below. It appeared as if Clearspring Tarn above fed water into this cave. She picked up a small mossy rock, about the size of her hand and examined it. Nope, not a rock, it was a skull. Fox skull, she concluded. She quietly stepped foot over foot further into the cave. Holes in the roof of the cave provided some lighting so she left her torch strapped to her satchel as she continued further in. From a distance she noticed what looked like a bow placed on a pedestal deep in the cave. Obviously intrigued, Ally continued to approach not noticing any danger then suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. A Troll. New mace or not, she was not about to fight a Troll. She could hear the Troll's breathing, the labored intake of air and the wet exhale. Suddenly the Troll stopped its breathing. There were a couple of loud, quick sniffs as the Troll examined the air.

The Troll wheeled around and charged at Ally. In a panic, Ally threw the skull at the Troll and ran towards the exit. The skull simply bounced off the Troll's thick hide as he continued his charge.

Ally sprinted out of the cave and down the path not looking back. She heard the Troll roar, but it seemed quite some distance from where she was. She turned around and spotted the cave entrance and the Troll standing there. The Troll turned and returned to his cave. Ally afforded herself a laugh and figured this would be a great story to tell Sylgja should their paths cross again.

Following the position of the sun and Sylgja's map, Ally located Snapleg Cave. Taking Sylgja's advice to heart this time, she avoided the cave completely and headed north. Along the way, Ally picked a few more flowers and mushrooms and deftly pocketed a few more butterfly wings.

After another hour of hiking, Ally came upon an overlook. Stepping to the edge, she could see a settlement down below, a small farmhouse and several tents. She assumed this was Darkwater Crossing so she continued following the path down the hill.

Darkwater Crossing was even smaller than Shor's Stone. Not so much a mining town as it was just a settlement. There was only one permanent structure, the farmhouse. As she approached, a guard stopped her.

"What business do you have in Darkwater Crossing, miss?" the guard asked.

"I'm just passing through, delivering a stack of letters to Verner or Anneke from Shor's Stone," Ally responded.

"Well they're both in the mine. I wouldn't advise you to go in there. You're welcome to wait out here until they're done." The guard pointed over to the firepit where a young girl sat. Ally approached the girl and sat near her smiling. The girl introduced herself as Hrefna and was exceptionally friendly.

Ally and Hrefna sat by the warm fire exchanging stories. Hrefna described how she loved swimming in the lake with Derkeethus, an Argonian miner that had recently gone missing. She also shared her opinions on the war currently raging across Skyrim. Apparently, the girl had no love for this Ulfric Stormcloak person. Ally related her own experiences growing up in Cyrodiil and told Hrefna of her recent adventures. The sun had set by the time Verner had emerged from the mine.

"Guard says you have something for me? Funny, you don't look like a courier," Verner asked, wiping the sweat and dirt off his forehead with his sleeve.

Ally dug into her satchel and retrieve the bundle of letters, handing them to Verner. "These are from Sylgja. She said she's doing better, but is still not able to travel. She asked me to bring these to you."

"Oh, why thank you. Thank you! We hadn't heard from her in weeks since that accident in the mine. My wife Anneke travelled over there to check on her right after it happened, but came back when that Priest of Mara assured her that Syl would recover. Are you planning to go back there?" he inquired.

"Not at the moment, I wasn't, it's getting awfully late and I'm far from Riften."

"I was hoping you'd be able to send a care package back to my daughter. I know she misses her mother's baking, it would certainly lift her spirits. You could stay here for the night, the package would be ready to go in the morning."

"I suppose I could do that."

"Well I'll have Anneke make up a bed for you inside," Verner motioned over to the farmhouse.

"No, that's okay, I think I'll camp under the starts with Hrefna tonight," Ally smiled and gave Hrefna a wink. Hrefna gleefully returned the smile.

As the rest of the camp emerged from the mine, Ally met Tormir (Hrefna's mother) and Sondas a Dunmer miner. Sondas lamented over Derkeethus going missing, saying it was foolish of him to go looking for more fish. They all worried over thier missing friend and had to work twice as hard with a man missing. Anneke was the last person out of the mine, introducing herself to Ally. Anneke excused herself to get cleaned up and start on her baking. While her treats were baking, Anneke rejoined the group at the fire. Anneke shared some of her stories when she spent time out in the wild. Ally got the impression that Anneke truly missed the life of an adventurer. Hrefna, Tormir, Sondas and Verner all took their leave and went to bed, leaving Ally and Anneke alone by the fire.

"Why don't you come with me to see your daughter Anneke?" Ally asked.

"I can't right now, there's a bandit camp that's been threatening our mine. We need every available blade, I need to stay here until that threat is taken care of," Anneke sighed.

"Black-Toes?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I had a run-in with one of them this morning near Shor's Stone."

"Near Shor-- oh no, I hope they're not planning a raid on Shor's Stone too..."

"A Riften guard told me that the Bandits had taken Fort Greenwall and that some wandering Khajiit have gone missing. I also came across a guard tower, all four guards were dead," said Ally.

"Then they're expanding. This is not good. Someone has to do something. I heard they're headquartered at ____________, would it be possible for you to alert the Jarl and ask her to assemble a party to take them out?" Anneke asked, desperation in her voice.

"I'll go back to Riften immediately after Shor's Stone."

"Thank you, we may have to move fast on this especially if the Black-Toes are expanding and recruiting."

Anneke returned to her baking and Ally crawled into a tent to get some sleep. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, Anneke was waking her up, it was still dark out.

"You should get going Ally, we need to move swiftly. Thank you for everything you're doing for us."

Ally packed up her things, accepting the care package from Anneke and retraced her steps back to Shor's Stone, the warmth of a freshly baked sweetroll filling her stomach.