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.