OOC: This will be turned into a post later. Please before everyone rushes to the mages guild can I get a post in.

~Raven, Jerall View Inn~
---------------

The Dunmer probably knew Raven was aware of her intrusion, it was a shaky conversation at best. But Raven would have to try and ease the situation. She tried locking the door again, making sure the lock worked this time as it should of minutes ago. As Raven walked the halls along with Vedaa. The Dark elf made a referance to her bed smelling like wet dog in her room in Olav's Tap & Tack. It only made Raven wonder, If she has a room there, why is she here? And wounldn't her friend meet her there instead of here? If her room is at the other Inn, why is she here?


Raven wasn't amused by the sudden tease made by Vedaa, she hardly ever cried, so she only cleared her throat in response. And her choices of wine did not particularly match the ones famous in Cyrodiil. But of course, Raven understood she was a foreigner and had taste that differed from hers. And her second mention of the guild made Raven wonder if it was the Mages Guild. This woman looks like she was profficient in the arts of magic, a power used by many individuals. So, if she had ties to the Mages Guild, maybe Raven can set up something with them. Years ago, she had a squabble with the Guild and a few rogue necromancers. To her advantage, her will was carrie out rather than the Guilds and her careful management of the entire plot made sure she escaped without being found. Maybe she can try and find new things to do.

Vedaa's curiosity showed when she asked Raven what her buisness was in the tavern. Raven knew she could only tell so much to a stranger, especially to a jumpy one like Vedaa. But she had no fear in telling her the truth.

"The current problem in the Empire. The rising criminalities in the major cities are ever growing. My brother suggested I left to a safer location. Bruma was a likely place for me to rest a day. Then I'm off to another town." Raven said. She remembered when she was just fifteen when a couple of barbarians and rebels took her for ransom to get her mother, a politician at the time, to get her to change peace negotiations and reform the laws. History had a way of repeating itself.


"You had mentioned the guild twice. You work within the Mages Guild, yes?" Raven asked as she walked up the stairs.

Rodrik looked at Brandr and blinked with a smile as their first "customer" arrived. It was an imperial in quite fine armour, propably rich.

"Ehm, sir, you arnt in need of a group of mercenaries are you? Ofcourse we dont want to intrude on any of your private affairs or something..." Rodrik politely said with a smile and hands in clear sight so that he wouldnt feel threatened.

"Skip that talk, Rodrik..." Brandr mumbled loud enough for both the Imperial and Rodrik to hear it, without smiling.

"Yes sir, are you in need of a group of nine battle-hardened Nords by any chance?" Rodrik asked the Imperial, now with a bit smaller smile.

OOC: Sorry for my short and late answer Hircine, in a bit of a hurry.

OOC:
Okay, I hope nobody minds, but since the RP started I assume that it has been more than a few minutes. I was hoping that the time could now be at least 2pm or something to have allowed my character to sleep a little. I was getting bored.

IC:
For a room so close to the bar itself Paige had been initially surprised at how quiet her own private space actually was. It wasn’t very large, or comfortable, but the small bed tucked in the corner was enough to please her after such a hard journey. The small window located high up the side of the wall irritated Paige. It had been left open and was a seemingly easy way for the freezing winds that whipped around the streets of the city to enter and further chill the small Breton girl. What was even more annoying was the fact that Paige herself couldn’t reach the window, and she had initially been tempted to go out and ask Olav to close it. She contemplated doing so as she lay there, but to her fortune her decision had been made by her ability to drift off regardless of the cold draft.
The window now though, after only a short period of deep sleep, was beginning to wake her. It was not the draft that came in from outside that caused her to stir, rather the noise of both shouting and running.

“All men to the castle at once, the countess has been attacked”.

Paige could only faintly hear them, but as her consciousness grew the guard’s voices became clearer.

“The castle is under siege! All guards to the castle immediately!”

Paige turned, flipping the pillow over her head in a poor attempt to drown out the bellowing guards. She was awake now and though she didn’t like admitting it, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to sleep again until that evening. Footsteps similar to that of a giant, with heavy metal boots smashing hard on the ground flew past the small window, the guard owning them shouting as loudly as possible for all other guards to ‘get to the castle’. Paige imagined sarcastically that with cries so loud, it was entirely possible that such shouts were aimed at guards from Leyawin as well as Bruma, and with a final sigh of sorrow she sat up in the small bed knowing that her time for rest was over.

Feeling defeated, concern crept up on her weary mind. What if the whole town was under siege, was she in danger? On the basis that she could hear no combat coming from outside the inn, she determined her immediate self to be safe, although she wasn’t keen on hanging around for very long in case the situation took a turn for the worse. She swivelled, dropping her legs over the side of the bed, making sure that she kept the rough sheets close to her chest in order to keep off the cold. She wondered for a second whether there might be a fur trader that might sell her some sort of cheap overcoat, before her mind focussed on the job she had initially been sent here to complete. The small package sat on the floor next to her bed, she’d no idea what it contained; nor what it was for, but she knew that she had to deliver it before Bruma became a battleground. Considering what she had already seen here since her arrival, the murder of the guards and the shouting of such a siege, Paige decided that the best time to deliver the package would be now on the off chance that things turned ugly and she would have to leave, or worse.

She dropped the covers onto the bed, and began to rise, the room was cold and she figured for the best of reasons that on her leaving the inn she would ask Olav to close it. She gathered the package and the other things that she’d brought along, picking up the glass and the plate that had only a short while ago carried her meal and walked toward the door. Unsure of whether she’d be returning she twisted the key, removing it after the click had unlocked the small wooden door that had so amazingly sheltered her from the noise of the inn, though in truth the room was emptier than it had been on her arrival. Olav stood in the same place behind the bar, though now he filled his hands with cutlery and dishes that he monotonously wiped over with a damp rag. Paige approached smiling, catching the Nord’s eye and averting his attention from the dish he was currently wiping, putting it down onto the surface of the bar.

“You couldn’t sleep?” he asked reaching out and taking the key from a still tired looking Paige.

“Oh, I could, just barely.” She replied quite honestly. “It was the commotion outside that had unfortunately awoken me, on which note may I ask you to please shut the window in there. It’s just I couldn’t quite reach it myself.”

She blushed, unusually embarrassed by such a statement. But the Nord only smiled, nodding and returning to his dish.

“Will you be returning tonight?”, he asked Paige as he scrubbed harder with the small dirty-looking rag. “It’s just that you paid for the room until tomorrow.”

Paige wasn’t exactly sure, she wanted to, she disliked the idea of riding straight back to the Imperial city, but whether she might have to still caused her some doubt.“I’ll keep the room for now, I should return for the night, and even if I don’t, I should be able to return to tell you that i’m leaving. “ The Nord smiled, understanding her wishes. “But may I ask that you keep hold of the key for me” she continued, “in case I do have to suddenly leave, I wouldn’t like to keep it with me.” She felt very demanding at this point, perhaps she was paranoid about drama unfolding, but with what she’d seen already perhaps it was only sensible of her to assume the worst. After a mutual smile Paige thanked the Nord Olav, and turned once more to face the cold outdoors. She gripped the package tightly and tensed ready to brace the chilled air, headed now for the Mages Guild.

Natanhiel Leinheart - Noon, Bruma

"Ehm, sir, you aren't in need of a group of mercenaries are you? Of course we don't want to intrude on any of your private affairs or something...", One of the Nords asked.

"Skip that talk, Rodrik...", said another.

"Yes sir, are you in need of a group of nine battle-hardened Nords by any chance?"

Nathaniel found the group interesting but wasn't about to hire them as he had no use for mercenary services.

"No gentlemen, I don't need the services of any mercenaries at the moment."

Nathaniel decided to simply have lunch at the mages guild so he turned and walked away leaving the mercenaries at the Jerall View.

After a brisk walk from the Jerall View Inn Nathaniel had arrived at the Bruma chapter of the mages guild. Opening the door Nathaniel was overcome by the warm air the building produced. A Dunmer woman looked up from a book she was reading.

"Close that door your letting all the heat out", she screamed.

Nathaniel quickly shut the door behind him and walked over to where she stood.

The woman had an angry look on her face. "What can I help you with, Imperial?"

"Melisi Daren, it's me Nathaniel don't tell me you've forgotten your old friend."

Nathaniel had finally gotten her undivided attention. "Nathaniel. Nathaniel Leinheart is that really you. I heard you'd left for Morrowind some years ago."

"Yeah I'd gotten bored of Cyrodiil and need a change of pace.

"So what brought you back?"

"I'm sure you've heard about all the strife in Morrowind. Not exactly a great place to be right now...no offense."

"None taken but I meant what brought you here to Bruma?"

"I came here trying to learn more about that huge ebony deposit found up in Skyrim. I have to ask, why are you here Melisi?"

Melisi chuckled at Nathaniel's question. "I'm this guild branches chapter head as I recently obtained the rank of wizard." She beamed as she said this.

"Well that's great to hear but now you'll be cooped up all the time that's why I've stayed at Magician for so long. I don't want to be caged bird that can't spread my wings."

"You have a good point Nathaniel, plus you don't have to deal with a slew of incompetent associates on a daily basis."

Nathaniel then yawned loudly. "Sorry Melisi but I've had a long trip do you mind if I get some sleep downstairs and we finish catching up later.

"Sure, we have a couple of free rooms but I need to ask you a favor."

"What you want me to scare off the associates?"

"No, this is extremely important. Melisi's expression turns deathly serious. "We have received several sightings of undead near Bruma. These weren't a big deal at first but then we've had several adventurers that went to look into it disappear. I have assume necromancers are in the area."

"Do you have any idea where their holed up?"

"From what we know there are four possible locations. "Echo Cave, Boreal Stone Cave, Capstone Cave, or the Ayleid ruin Rielle."

"Why haven't the guard gotten involved or the fighters and mages guild."

"No one has the manpower to spare in this endeavor. So will you help?"

"Nathaniel thought it over for a minute. "Yeah I'll do it just let me catch some shuteye."

"Thank you." said Melisi.

Nathaniel then descended the stairs so he could get some rest. On his way to an unavailable room he saw the other mages having lunch in the dining area. Finding an empty room Nathaniel began setting his belongings on the desk sitting in the corner. He then removed his boots and gloves setting them on the chair with his cloak. Then to ensure he wouldn't be disturbed he used a lock spell to keep out disturbances. Nathaniel then climbed into bed.

Sleep overtook him quickly...

Octavius, Jerall View Inn

He smiled and nodded as the Argonian healed his own nose in a flash of light and was glad that he was with someone who could appreciate the uses of magick. As Gold-Heart had been talking, Octavius glanced down the bar to get a look at Imperial looking man with long dark brown hair. 'Tavius watched the man strike up a conversation with a barmaid he hadn't noticed before, but over Gold-Heart, the rest of the patrons and the fact they weren't talking too loud, he could only make out a few words. He was good at reading people though, and he could tell the Imperial (or maybe he was Breton) was making the young mer girl uncomfortable.

He snapped back to Gold-Heart when he realized he had asked him a question, which he thankfully had heard enough of.

"Oh... sorry, where are my manners. I'm Octavius Claudius, adventurer extraordinaire like yourself." he said with a chuckle. "Well I thought we could..." he started distractedly, but he lost his train of thought as he watched an odd exchange between the barmaid and a figure who had appeared behind the man at the bar, before taking off swiftly down the hallway.

He turned slightly in his chair to watch the man leave the room, and then turned back to see the Imperial man get up and follow him. His instinct from years of traveling and surviving told him something was wrong, but that survival part won out and he promptly returned to Gold-Heart and the matter on hand, though his ears strained for any sign of something out of the ordinary.

"Sorry friend, got distracted. Thought I knew that man, but I was wrong I guess. Anyways, I've always found work to be the steadiest at the Mages Guild. Well, at least down in Skingrad and Chorrol. Can't be sure how busy it gets here, but that's always a possibility in my books for earning some quick, but risky money. They don't pay as well as the Fighters Guild I here, but their jobs are somewhat more.... enlightening, in my opinion than going out to bash some goblins. Maybe after we should head over there, unless you have any suggestions?"

Rodrik turned to his boss, the smile dissapearing like their money had done a few minutes ago.

"Seems we lost our first chance there..." He said, shrugged and waited for anymore people to pass by.

Around them there seemed to be some commotion, guards running around shouting about the countess. But most normal people still seemed to go along with their normal business, even though they threw worried looks around them. Brandr knew that getting involved with guard business was never a good idea, either kill them or avoid them. Avoding them was clearly preferable. Last time they tried the kill way two of his men had gotten wounded and the guards had propably hunted them down and slaughtered or, even worse, arrested them if it was daytime and they knew where to look.

Olfrun was whistling a song he heard from a bard once as they waited, Brandr closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall and fingered on the wooden part of his axe...

Vedaa, The Jerall View inn

The stairs creaked as Vedaa walked besides Raven and approached the tavern bar. "That doesn't sound very safe, though, Raven; traveling from town to town. You'd probably be safer just staying in one place, no?" Her attention switched to the Nord innkeeper who was filling a pitcher of ale. "Hi, can I get a glass of FoxTail, please?"

She turned back to Raven as she sat on the stool, feeling delighted that Raven took an interest in her arcane business, something which Vedaa loved to boast about. "Oh yeah, " she said with a proud smile, "I've been in the guild since I was 10. I am in the Fighters Guild as well, but I lost my badge and I haven't done any work for them in over a year..." Vedaa chuckled towards the end of her sentence. "...so yeah. But to be honest, I'm not much of a fighter or brawler. And I don't need to be either. I've become so proficient in magic that swords and fists don't threaten me."

Hollowleg set her cup of wine down and told her the price. She looked at her companion. "Are you in the Mages Guild too, Raven? Or are you looking for a job?"

Several stools down the bar were an Argonian and Imperial (Gold-Heart & Octavius Claudius), both well-built men appearing to be in their thirties. Vedaa had only taken slight notice of them before she had sat down.

An extemely large Imperial stopped me midway between the Castle and the Mages guild. Guards were rushing around us, so he raised his voice to compensate. "Um, Captian Phillida? I got a report about you and the Countess . . ."

Demicus did his job, I thought, before cutting off the guard Captain with, "Yeah, that report was correct, Captain . . ." I left my sentence open for his name to be supplied. He gave me the name 'Burd'.

"... Captain Burd. Nordic assassins attacked the Countess, killed lots of people, beat up the Countess pretty bad. I'm taking her to the Mage's Guild now to get her healed," I paused to show Burd that I was carrying Carvain in my arms.

Burd was surprised by the news. "What?! How many of them? How did they get in?"

I replied, "I killed four assassins, but there may be more, I have no idea. Go search the castle, and take these," I handed him the map of the castle and the patrol route details that I looted from the head assassin. "These are a map of the Castle, which I assume is how they got in. It also has the times and routes that guards patrol the city, so you also might want to change those. Now, go!"

Burd saluted and said, "Yessir!" and ran off to the castle, rallying his men on the way. Turning my back to the castle, I sped up my pace towards the Mage's Guild. Upon arraiving, I found the Court mage waiting outside the Guild Hall. The woman said, "Captain Phillida?"

I nodded as I pushed open the door and said, "The Countess has been hurt. You're the Castle Mage, so I expect you should be able to help out," She nodded and I raised my voice to the the Dark Elf staring at us in the enterence to the guildhall.

"Can I help you?" she asked, suspicious.

I said, "Yes. The Countess has been hurt, and I need your healers and the Court mage here," I indidcated the Mage with a nod, "to help get her back in shape."

I lay the Countess down on the table in front of me, and removed my now bloodstained cloak and cover.

The women gasped when they saw the Countess bloodied and bruised, but immediatly got to work with their Restoration magicks. I stood by patiently waiting for Demicus to arraive and for the healing to be finished.

"In these days, no place is safe," Raven remarked as she removed a small bag full of gold. She had set it some of them upon the table, motioning to the innkeeper to give her a bottle. Truth be told, Raven always felt unsafe wherever she traveled, especially since years ago. She always felt as a knife in the dark would be there to stab her in the back for all the "heretical" actions.

"I shall have a bottle of Tamika Vintage 399."

The Nord snorted loudly "We don't serve that here. We have Surilie Brothers Wine"

"So be it, then," Raven sighed, removing a few gold pieces from the table. She turned her head to hear what Vedaa had to say about the Guild. Amazing how a few friendly gestures could bring out the information from the mouthes of strangers. From what Raven learned, Vedaa was more skilled in the arcane arts of magic rather than martial skill. Impressive, so Raven could conclude that she was more dangerous afar then close, if she relied on ranged attacks, that is.

Raven received the wine from the Innkeeper, she poured it onto the cup, only filling half the glass. She wanted to be open-minded and intelligent, being under the influence of alcahol could only render her efforts useless. Raven continued to listen to Vedaa speak about her previous guilds. She noticed the two men Vedaa took a glance at before she took a seat. Raven too ignored them for brief moment, she used her peripheral vision to keep an eye open. Raven chuckled the moment Vedaa asked her about a job and if she was a member of the guild of Mages.

"No, I am no member of the Mages Guild.," Raven said, her smile turning apologetic. "My sole occupation as of the moment is providing other individuals with endeavors." Raven said, she really did not hold much love for the Mages Guild, they were full of trite and had often boasted nothing but meandering drivel. But nevertheless, they do serve their purpose. Raven did not need jobs, she already had the personal economonic prosperity in her life. If, however, her life was in a dire predicament, she would have to rely on tasks from others, although she hated being dependent. Raven was a bit reluctant of telling Vedaa too much of her life, she didn't quite trust her yet. But she did seem like a amable person, by normal standards.

Raven took another sip of the wine before setting it on the table. Wine wasn't quite her favorite drink, she tasted better things. But it was something less repulsive than beer. Her thoughts drifted on her previous quests and the faction she had loved and held dear before that fateful night. Seconds later, Raven realized that her eyes had traveled.

"In what magic school are you profficient in?" She asked with her customary grace.

Demicus Snowe

I made my way to the Mage's Guild where I saw Captain Burd talking to Phillida and the two went into the Guild. The Court Mage was nowhere to be seen but I had a feeling she went to the Mage's Guild anyways. As I made my way through the snow covered streets, Kat was waiting impatiently near a fairly large shop. She sighed and waved her arms around. "Dem, over here!"

I met up with her. "Did you go in yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Alright, it's time to go in."
Both of us got to the Mage's Guild. A Dark Elf eyed us suspiciously and stopped us when we went to the main room. "Sorry, the Guild is closed for the time being for..." She stared at my signature armor and sword. "Alright Snowe, you can go in."
Kat and I made our way to the main room where the Court Mage and the Mage's Guild healers surrounded the wounded Countess.

I looked at Phillida. "So I made it. What's going on?"
It seemed that Kat finally got a good look at the Countess. "By the Nine...what happened to her?" She asked, her face in shock from the brutally beaten Countess.

OOC: Guessing we're just scrapping the time thing?

IC:--Rave Jaunx, Bruma, Cyrodiil.

Rave and the gate guard slowed their pace as they came upon the castle courtyard. By the time they had gotten there, it was already over. There were still many guards and some citizens walking around in confusion, asking about what was happening and if there was any way that they could help out. One guard began to wave his arms, to settle the crowd. "Everyone, everyone, your attention please. The threat has been neutralized, we need gate guards to return to their posts, everyone else is to report to the captain. All citizens need to clear out at once." He pointed to the guard that was standing at the courtyard's entrance. "Baldin, stop letting people in. This is off limits now while we clean this mess up." The guard nodded and turned to push back the dozens of people that were still filtering in, trying to get a glimpse of the commotion.
Rave let out a sigh. He couldn't afford to get involved with this anyway. Looking around, he saw that the man who had lead him there was currently in the middle of a conversation with another group of guards. Rave felt it was best to leave, and turned to exit the courtyard.
"Hold up there," the guard shouted the second he saw Rave begin to walk away.
No.. ignore him.. Talos go away.. Rave pretended not to hear him and continued to walk.
"Hey, ya hear me?"
Rave was again grabbed by the arm. He spun quickly and severely, almost bashing the guard's face with his left pauldron. Go away.. Just go bug someone else.
"I was having a talk with the other guards there. They said it was a group of assassins. Can you believe that? Nords too, whoever heard of such a thing? It was that man, Demicus Snowe, I mentioned him earlier. He and Phillida.. you know him right? What am I saying of course you do, you're in the Legion, everyone knows Phillida. They stopped the attack themselves. I'm sure they'll want to talk to you, you can probably help out. C'mon, let's go back and try to get a word in."
Take the sword.. run it through his stomach... No..just go away, just go away.. Rave's eyes began to twitch. Phillida would be able to spot his disguise in a second. "No, no.. I uh.. Need to eat and then get back to my post. It looks like you guys have it pretty well covered here, I'd just get in the way. No need to bother Phillida, he's a busy man. Besides, my commanding officer wouldn't want me away from my route for that long. I think I'll just head over to the Jerall View for a bite to eat and then be on my way." Rave started to walk again in a quick pace.
"The Jerall View huh? Yeah, what a great place for some grub. That's a great idea, I'll accompany you there."
Rave's blood began to boil. What on earth is wrong with this guy? Go away... Just leave me alone! His fingers began to twitch as he tightened the grip of his axe in his shield hand. Normally, he would have cursed at the guard and continued on his way, but for the sake of his cover, he had to play along. " Yeah.. okay."
"Won't be able to join ya for the meal though. Gotta get back to my post."
..What a shame....
The doors of the Jerall View opened, and Rave walked in, the guard following behind him. Rave turned back to the man. "Well then I.."
The guard spoke over him and into the room with a loud voice. "We gotta Legionnaire here.. you all get him what he pleases and be quick about it. Won't keep a good soldier waiting now will we? How about a table then? You all best behave in here. Oh but don't be afraid to inform him if you have any problems, protect and serve, that's why he's here." The guard smiled and nodded at Rave. "Enjoy your meal sir, I hope Bruma leaves a good impression." With that the guard walked back out the door.
Rave stood in utter humiliation as the room's crowd of people stared at him for several seconds. The innkeeper gave him a nod and started to prepare a meal that he hadn't even ordered yet. Rave just gave an embarrassed nod back, and walked over to an empty corner of the Inn. I'll kill that guy. Talos, I'll burn him alive and dance on his ashes. Idiot guard.. Rave sat muttering in anger. His debt had been paid though, and he knew he wouldn't have anyone hunting him down now. He could eat his meal and leave, collect his armor, and be back on his way to find a place where he belonged. It wasn't Bruma, that was more than apparent at this point. Good impression.. the Dawn should've burned this hell-hole to the ground. Rave let out a smirk and waited for his meal.

THE JERALL VIEW INN


Gold-Heart noticed the Inn becoming more and more full of people, he noticed his freind become distracted then focus back on Gold-Heart with an awnser to his question. Gold-Heart shrugged.

"Eh, I've done some work with the mages guild before. I remember when the guild was fighting off the King of Worms, they needed people to fill odd jobs, so I filled in a few. Got to kill a few necromancers, too. Interesting to fight. They can't hold their own in a straight fight, but between the traps and the zombies, it gets pretty hectic. I remember one guy had summoned 6 of those dread zombie things and let em loose on me, so I backpedeled into a room full of spinning blades and put a weak chameleon spell on. I picked em off one by one, pushing a few into blades and stabbing others. Then I went back to their cult leader and gave him my spears buisness end. Ah, fun times."

"If the mages guild doesn't work out like we hope, I think I know a nord around here, old Fighters Guld associate. He retired while I was still in, but he's a fiesty bastard. Never could sit still, always exploring. He's bound to have found some interesting ruin or something to plunder. Of course, the guild may just send us on a running errand and we get payed well for it, but if they come up blank, we cold track this guy down."

"And wow, this shepards pie is great Octavius" Gold-Heart said as he took another bite of the pie."Anyways, what should we do? Your providing me with the pie, so I'm with you." Gold-Heart said with a chuckle.

Marcus Lowe, Jerall View Inn

The Dark Elf girl didn't seem to hear Marcus, seeing as how she had spared him little notice as she walked out of the hallway. While surprised at how completely she had ignored him, it didn't bother him much. After watching the Dark Elf and her friend (who, Marcus had to admit, was incredibly attractive) leave the hallway, he turned around and cast a quick spell directly in front of him.

Immediately after casting the spell, several orbs of purple light appeared, scattered around Marcus's vision. In the room directly to his right, the purple light shone through the wall, revealing a redgaurd sleeping soundly in his bed. The next room, which the Dark Elf had just left, was empty. But farther ahead, where the hallway branched off, more purple light floated to the left; his spell had detected someone standing very still, just behind the corner on the left.

Very slowly, Marcus moved along the left wall toward the corner; as he moved closer, he could make out the sound of someone's breath. When Marcus reached the end of the wall, he had decided his course of action: he would make a quick grab for Caenlin; he could easily overpower the elf, or use magic if he slips away. The breathing sounded strained now, as if the person were undergoing physical stress. Marcus whipped around the corner and made a grab for the fugitive, but his hands grasped nothing but air; the elf was gone.

Marcus looked left and right, and couldn't see anyone anywhere. What was even more unusual was that he could still hear the breathing, as if it were right in his ear. But there was no one around, and the breathing noises were coming from... above him?

He looked up, and for a second, he caught a glimpse of a small Wood Elf perched upon the rafters. The next moment, the elf had dropped on Marcus, landing heavily on his shoulders and bringing both of them to the ground. The two of them got up simultaneously, but the elf ran out of arm's reach just as Marcus grabbed for him. The elf was fast; he darted out of the hallway and into the dining area, running over the table that the Dark Elf and her friend had sat down at. By the time Marcus had left the hallway, the elf was making a beeline for a large window on the other side of the room.

Marcus had to be very quick; just as the elf was jumping through the window in his bid for freedom, Marcus shot a telekinesis spell in his direction. The result was rather amusing: Caenlin was left supsended in midair, half of his body dangling out the window among floating bits of broken glass.

Marcus made a flicking motion with his hand, and Caenlin flew backwards through the air, landing on the ground in front of Marcus. He grabbed the little elf by the scruff of his neck and said, "I'm in the mood for a late lunch, don't you think?" Marcus dragged Caenlin over to a free table, flung his quarry into a chair, and cast a quick freezing spell; solid ice formed around the elf, keeping him safely immobile and fastened to the chair. Marcus took the seat opposite, and summoned the Innkeeper.

"I'm sorry about the mess," he told the man, who looked quite upset. "I'll pay for it; there's a fine bounty out for this one," he gestured at the block of ice across from him. "In the meantime, I'll have the lamb, and a glass of mead, too." He smiled at the innkeeper, who accepted Marcus's apology and went to take another order.

At this point, Marcus noticed that his table was directly adjacent to that of the Dark Elf who had ignored him in the hallway; their chairs were only a few feet from each other. Marcus couldn't help overhearing some mention of the Mages guild, and realized that either the Dark Elf or her friend must be some kind of mage. Sounds like my kind of conversation, he thought before turning around to face the Dark Elf and saying rather abruptly, "Wonderful day, isn't it?."

Octavius, Jerall View Inn

As he finished up what he thought a good plan was, he noticed with some interest as the Imperial woman he saw back at Olav's a while ago. She was certainly a head turner in Octavius' eyes, and as he managed to take his gaze away from her, her had to admit that her friend wasn't bad looking either, though of a different sort of beauty. He shifted his attention back to his Argonian comrade, but he shot them both a glance as they sat down and noticed they did the same.

"I think the Mages Guild is the way to g--" he said, but was cut off as a figure tore through the room, closely followed by the Imperial that 'Tavius had been eavesdropping on at the bar a few moments ago. The pursued man made a break for the window, and for a moment he seemed like he would make it but suddenly he froze in mid-air and 'Tavius raised an eyebrow as he realized that the chasing Imperial was holding his prey with a magickal force that Octavius hadn't seen.

Next thing he knew, he was staring at a frozen elf while the Imperial sat down at the table with him and ever so calmly asked the bartender for a meal, while acting like nothing had happened. He turned back to Gold-Heart but noticed the man had struck up a conversation with the two attractive ladies nearby.

"The way to go." he continued with a shake of his head. He glanced back at the Imperial man and surveyed him closely. He couldn't believe the power the man had shown with his magicka and his adventurer's sense was nagging at the back of his mind again, telling him to keep an eye on this man.

"Perhaps we should check out the Guild soon then? Take your time eating though, I wouldn't mind hearing what this," he said, inclining his head towards the Imperial and his captive, "is all about."

~Vedaa, The Jerall View inn~

The aroma of the Surilie Brothers Wine mixed with the scent of FoxTail. Vedaa inhaled the smell, always enjoying a nice buzz. Older wines were much stronger, giving her head more of a rush. Being a light-weight, she was never able to naturally maintain her composure. Her equilibrium would soon be unbalanced if she continued. Yet, it was no sooner than Raven had picked up her glass that Vedaa had finished hers. Chugging wine quickly not only heated her inside quicker but sent a rush to her head as well. Thug! She placed the glass loudly on the bar as if it weighed more than before, and hiccuped. "Vintage 399, huh? You know what you need, Raven," her finger pointed out to her, "is a bottle of Vlaeurnaro Vintage Merethic Era," and laughed modestly. Not holding eye contact long enough, she hadn't seen whether Raven smiled or displayed a grimace.

She focused her attention on the Imperial's golden eyes, leaning her weight up against the bar with an elbow atop it. "Ohh, helping out other people? That's very admirable of you. I remember one time back home when my neighbor's ex-roommate's cousin--" Prattling on about her past, Vedaa's trivial doggerel seemed to have a sedative affect on her Imperial acquaintance. But more so was the fact that Raven was contemplating her past which caused her eyes to drift aloof, until she realized she hadn't been paying attention and switched topics.

"Which school?" Asked Vedaa. Her eyes looked upwards in search of an appropriate answer before returning back. "Well... all of them." She smiled confidently. "How can one expect to be a master of the arcane when only studying a small portion of it? That's what irks me about the way the guilds are run out here; only catering to a specific college of study. I mean, c'mon, no wonder why Imperials are pathetic at magic." She gasped and grinned with embarrassment at the mockery she had just made of Raven's ethnicity, "--er, I mean, well not you, Raven. But uhm, well you know, the Imperial mages that run the guilds. That's all I meant." She kept her smile going. "But seriously, when you think about it, there are no boundaries of magic. All these classifications and schools of what type of magic does this and that... when you think about it, it's all the same thing. What is magic, really? It's the manipulation of change and creation. That's all it is. Ever heard the phrase 'make-believe'? That's magic. It's what makes you believe. It's what causes you to believe the unbelievable, to see the unseeable, to do the undoable, to..." Vedaa giggled a girly laugh at herself, "...oh my, that wine was nice." Her behavior was impish but her thoughts and intentions, one could tell, were sincere.

Raven quietly sipped from her glass, listening to the Dunmer girl who seemed to have an inner-child trapped within her, despite her age. "Oh sorry, did I answer your question? Uhm, Mysticism is one of my favorites. I studied-- now believe it or not, I studied with a Psijic for three years of my childhood. Well," she held out her palms as if unsure of herself, "he was an ex-Psijic, but a Psijic nonetheless. He was one of my best teachers, and a good friend. He showed me what he knew of the mystic arts; taught me forms of meditation and ideas and methods that the guilds, with all their restrictions, hierarchies and... and rules, could never do." Vedaa recollected her past with a yearning expression and sighed. "It was so fun to go to his cottage and play my violin for him. There was an event I invited him to that--"

Thud!

Before she could get out the next syllable, the front door swung open violently. "We gotta Legionnaire here! You all get him what he pleases and be quick about it..." Demanded this boorish guard, speaking in regards to his fellow Legionnaire. It was evident he was embarrassed. The loquacious atmosphere fell silent as the throng of bodies stopped to stare. Lasting merely seconds, the patrons returned to their business and drinks.

With her mouth slightly agape, Vedaa looked at Raven to see how the spectacle had affected her. "By the Nine, that was awkward." She turned her torso to get a better look. "Poor guy," she muttered quietly to Raven, "he looks upset." A sense of pity came over her, knowing how humiliating that must have been for the Imperial. Looking back at her friend, Vedaa continued, "Well that certainly woke me up. That's about as rowdy as..." It was merely a matter minutes before their conversation was further interrupted.

Whoosh!

It was as if a daedric scamp had scurried right before their eyes, but in the shape and body of an elf. Was he being chased? Was there a wraith nearby? A fire? Before Raven or Vedaa could concoct an explanation, the Wood Elf was hovering in midair; half his body protruding through the broken window sill. The two women ducked, feeling the gush of air whip over their heads as the elf was hurled near their bar stools. Their eyes were fixated on him. Holy sh-t, what's going on? Not that Vedaa was frightened or worried. She had seen far worse and more bizarre activities in taverns. It was more of the sudden jolt of movement that startled her.

Imperial and Nordic men seemed to make up the majority of the population here in Bruma. The flying apparition crashed roughly to the hardwood floor at the feet of yet another Imperial man. To a trained eye, one would take notice of the Breton qualities in his hybrid appearance. To someone like Vedaa, she paid it little attention as her gaze was entranced by the theatrical display of roughhousing.

"I'm in the mood for a late lunch, don't you think?" He said to the elf as he heaved him into a chair at an unoccupied table. Pale threads of illuminated energy emanated from the man's fingertips as he ensnared his captive within a ring of ice. The innkeeper, though rather upset, motioned to his gesture and acknowledged the Imperial's order after accepting his apology for the tumultuous distraction.

He's a crook of some sort. Then that's what it was about. Vedaa thought as she continued staring. The Imperial, whose name was Marcus Lowe, adjusted himself in his seat. Vedaa turned her head back to Raven and continued talking about the aggravations she had had with the Mages Guild. "It's not that working for them is tiresome, but I'm busy enough with my own work. I really only started making a name for myself as a sorceress just under a year ago. I use the guild to help gain commissions for my spells. They book me events, I get money and pay them a portion... you get the idea. I've done some pretty miraculous shows, Raven. Those Altmer certainly know good magic when they see it. If you're ever down in Summerset, come to Alinor or Shimmerene. It's by far the most beautiful continent on Nirn."

Breathing in deeply, Vedaa scratched her nose. Raven was about to reply when the Imperial abruptly intervened. "Wonderful day, isn't it?"

Both females' heads turned. Vedaa spoke first, looking at him, then the Bosmer, and back at Marcus. A grin of uncertainty formed on her face. Was he joking? "Uhm, I... I guess so. I don't know, my bed over at Olav's Nap & Whack stunk really bad. And I--" She suddenly remembered her grimoire was left under the bed. At first, worry spread across her face. But her nerves soothed as she remembered that her room was locked and still hers until late this evening. She regained her manners, "I had a bit of a stir-up with the innkeeper."

The stalagmite-shaped icicles were too absurd and out of place to not stare at in the bar. Vedaa looked at them and then at Marcus, and smirked, "Is that how you always capture your enemies, Sir?" She crossed one leg over the other towards him. "You know, a much better way would have been to just freeze time instead of him. Then you could have tied and gagged him without anybody knowing." She spoke with innocent sarcasm and a flirtatious smile, gently bouncing her crossed leg, alluding an oblique innuendo.

Raven turned slighty to the Breton man. Or was he a Breton? He had a few Imperial traits in him as well. She watched as he fought against a bosmer, throwing him about the room and finally immobalizing him to a chair with a frost spell. Only to summon the inkeeper and apologize for the mess he just made. From what he said, the wood elf was a criminal and had a price to his head. He showed exceptional skill, it reminded her of her brother. He often displayed too much than required. It was unwise to display supernatural prowess in public. That is the folly of the young and the proud. Raven learned to humble herself until the given time. Vedaa continued to speak about her ways in the arts. She hiccuped a few times, the wine apparently was taking effect. She, at one point, came to insult Imperials in their use of magic. She apologized a few moments later. Raven smiled, she agreed somewhat to what Vedaa ad to say. About Imperials and the limited studies. Raven agreed. If one is to understand the arcane arts, one must study all its apsects. Not just the dogmatic narrow view of the Mages Guild. Vedaa then continued on speaking about her life, even her violin skills. Raven admired that, she remembered when she was fifteen years of age, she began playing the violin in a fancy party of nobles. That earned her deserved reputation among the wealthy. So, she was a performer? Interesting indeed. She lack the love for the Mages Guild as well, she would be easy to sway to new ideas and plans. Raven was starting to like this Vedaa.


The Hybrid fellow turned to Vedaa and mentioned how beautiful the day was. Raven scoffed inwardly. No day is beautiful, she thought. Aside from the sight with the bosmer, before came in a guard, commanding the owner of the establishment to give the Imperial legionnaire whatever he wished. The tavern, aside from the nords and bretons, was unstable with the hovering tree-sap people and flirtacious, if not, show-offy Imperials. Raven began tapping her index finger uncontrollably on the table. She was bothered by the lack of civilized behavior, apparently replaced by crazy antics. She did not pay for this, not at all. But as long as she wasn't threatened, she was alright. Raven stared at the man with a smile as she spoke with Vedaa. Raven was in the mood for a late lunch, just as the man had said to the captive bosmer. But she would have to wait until the late evenings for lunch, as she already was drinking wine.

"And what might you be? A Bounty Hunter?" Raven asked the Imperial fellow, joining in the conversation.

Gold-Heart turned to the scene Octavius was indicating and chuckled to himself.

"Hm, I dunno if we should intervene or not. This shepards pie is so good I don't wanna get up though!" Gold-Heart said as he took another large mouthful. He chuckled and patted his belly. "I think I caused a bigger scene though, that nord wont see straight for a week" Gold-Heart considered taking another piece from the pie, but stopped himself. He had already helped himself to enough already.

"I'm suprised they haven't bothered us already, actually. They seem like a bothersome group." For a moment, Gold-Heart tried to listen to their conversation and couldn't make out much except something about the mages guild. Gold-Heart smiled and slowly turned to Octavius across the table.

"From the sound of it, these guys are just as interested in the guild as we are. Your call, strike up a conversation or enjoy this delicous pie?" Gold-Heart said, indicating the pie.

Marcus Lowe, Jerall View Inn

The Dark Elf seemed a bit surprised by Marcus's interruption, but she was nice about it. She smiled as she spoke, but she fell over her words a bit; at one point she looked really worried, and Marcus felt bad for putting her in such an awkward position. But after saying something about something smelling really bad at Olav's, she gained some composure and mentioned how she had a bit of a stir-up with the innkeeper.

"Is that how you always capture your enemies, Sir?" she said, crossing her legs and smirking. "You know, a much better way would have been to just freeze time instead of him. Then you could have tied and gagged him without anybody knowing." Marcus wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, and thought for a moment this girl might be crazy. But then he saw the way she was smiling and bouncing her leg up and down, and he realized that her words probably had nothing to do with the Bosmer sitting next to him.

A sly smile spread across his lips as he eyed the elf with interest. "If I could freeze time, Miss, I would," he said, now turning around to face her completely as he spoke softly and with confidence. "If I could, I'd tie him up right now and take him downtown." The Imperial woman sitting next to them started tapping her finger on the table; Marcus ignored it and went on, "But I haven't quite gotten the hang of this 'freezing time' business; perhaps, after I've finished with this one," he gestured at the bosmer. "You could show me how it's done?"

Before the girl could reply, the finger-tapping Imperial spoke. "And what might you be?" she asked. "A bounty hunter?"

Marcus shifted in his seat. "You could say that," he replied, though he really had no idea what you would call his occupation. "I do bounty work on occasion. I was just in the city and found there was a bounty out for this one," he nodded toward the ice-block on the chair.

"I don't mean to be intrusive," he said very politely. "But I thought I overheard you two talking about the mage's guild?"

~Vedaa, The Jerall View~

"Hmm, and I imagine you can go pretty far down town, too." She smiled, gently biting her bottom lip as she turned to face him, leaning her neck out ever so slightly with a smile, almost laughing. Vedaa would have continued on about her time-freezing ability but Raven had inquired on Marcus' trade.

"Are you in the Legion, then? Like that guy over there is?" Vedaa's head nudged in the direction of Rave Jaunx after Marcus answered Raven. Vedaa commented on his other question.

"Yes, although nothing really important. I'm supposed to go there today to check up on them, kind of like a babysitter. The morning's been dragging a bit. I doubt there'll be anything worthwhile to do there. I've heard their guildhall is a very modest block of stone, nothing like the charters we have in Summerset." Vedaa couldn't get the smell of Sheppard's pie out of her nose, and turned her face in the direction from which it was coming. Oh, it's from the only lizard in the whole tavern. Well he certainly fits right in with all these humans and elves. Vedaa's prejudice spoke mostly in her mind. Her antics displayed more politeness and manners than what she truly thought. Being raised and living in the heartland of Summerset amongst thousands of High Elves, it was not uncommon for their smugness and self-satisfaction to rub off. That pie does look good, though. Looks like onion pie or something. She excused herself for a brief moment from Raven and Marcus' conversation and approached the Argonian who was in the middle of masticating.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. What kind of pie is that? It smells like onion." She asked Gold-Heart with a pretty smile.

Gold-Heart looked up at the Dunmer woman who had now approached him, asking, oddly enough, about the food he was eating. He looked down at the shepards pie, realizing that the cold outside had given him a stuffy nose, despite the fact he had been using healing spells on his nose. He looked up to Octavius and laughed,

"Damn the cold, I can't smell anything. But I don't think the pie has onion, but admitedly It's hard to find a nice bath on the road to Bruma" Gold-Heart chuckled at his own joke, and then looked back up at the Dunmeri woman. Gold-Heart considered for a moment to ask about the mages guild to the dunmer, and gave a look at Octavius hoping that he would catch the unsaid question. He hadn't know Octavius for long, but he shared the pie, which was enough for Gold-Heart for now. He looked back at the Dunmer woman and extended a hand.

"I knew a very pretty Dunmer girl once, she was wonderful. But that was a long time ago, rest her soul. My name is Gold-Heart, and if I'm not mistaken, your a mage? You wouldn't happen to be associating with the mages guild, would you?" Gold-Heart asked politly.

~Raven, Jerall View Inn~

Raven made a sound of approval as the man finished giving an explanation to his rather obvious trade. ``If you have a reputation that is not greatly exxagerated, I will be more than willing to oblige with a bounty of my own some day. You will be among the first of the contacts. I trust you do your job well, yes?" Raven asked. Often at times she employed Bounty Hunters to get involved in buisness she couldn′t really afford to be in. The man and the Dunmer exchanged conversations, and another person, or rather, beast, entered the group. Vedaa was interested in his choice of food, shepard′s pie. And not so surpirsingly, he asked about the Mages Guild as well. Something is brewing in the Mages Guild that is worth looking into, Raven thought. With the demise of a certain necromancer, Raven can imagine they have new troubles of sorts. But of course, that was only speculation. The Guild of Mages was often tiresome to lead with, but they were powerful and their every move was worth keeping an eye on. This can be her chance to see what they have been up to. The Empire's problem can wait, the task is left to more skilled invidiuals in the Elder Council to take care of. Raven's place was to make sure no secret organizations would try to claw their way up. It presented a perfect opportunity for improvement.

I stood by silently as healers spread around the Countess. They were stripping her, so I turned away in order to protect her decency. The mages were talking to each other, asking for potions, both for the Countess and for themselves. Those damn Nords! What did they do to her? I thought with anger, my hand curling into a fist. I took a deep breath to calm myself, then took the not I had found in the Countess's quarters and read it.

I couldn't make out many of the words. They were changing, not the same language for many words in a row. I recognized some Ancient Cyrodiilic, but the other two (Three?) languages were completely foreign to me.

As I pondered this, Demicus Snowe and some women who I didn't recognize wandered in. Demicus wlked straight to me and asked "So I made it. What's going on?" I opened my mouth to announce my intention to find someone who could decipher this letter, but I was cut of by the woman who had entered with Demicus. It seemed that she had gotten a good look at the Countess. "By the Nine...what happened to her?" She asked, her face in shock.

I walked up beside the girl. "Nords. Assassins, apparently. Killed her guards, and decided to have some 'fun' with her before they killed her. Its disgusting," I said, contempt and anger in my voice as I thought back to the scene I had witnessed early today. I shook my head and returned to Demicus.

"What now, you ask? Well, first off, this letter," I showed it to Demicus. "Its written in what appears to be a series of dead languages. The only one I recognize is Ancient Cyrodiilic. So my goal is to find someone - or multiple someones - who can decipher this. It could lead me, or us, if you wish, to whoever ordered this attack."

OOC: Just in case anyone was wondering the dead languages are: Ancient Aldmeri (Japanese); Ancient Nordic (Scandenavian); Ancient Cyrodiilic (Latin). Probably won't come into play, but just to give people a mental image of what the letter and languages look like.

--Rave Jaunx, Jerall View Inn, Bruma, Cyrodiil.

Rave had only started to eat when a small Wood Elf shot into the main room of the inn. He dashed across the floor and jumped right through the window, being captured in mid-air by his pursuer. It was an average looking man, Imperial, possibly Breton. But his abilities with magicka were beyond average. Rave, along with the rest of the room, watched in amazement as the spectacle unfolded. The Wood Elf was returned to a chair, and frozen there, encased in ice. His captor calmly ordered a meal, then began a conversation with two females sitting behind him.
Rave was interested in it all. Though he felt the man was probably no threat to anyone else, he figured it best to keep an eye on him. Rave never cared much for magic in fighting. He always felt it was rather cheap. In his mind, any warrior should fight with his strength, speed and cunning, using his best weapon abilities and tactics to survive. Though throughout history many had used the arcane arts in warfare, Rave felt it took the sport from battle.
As he ate, he would occasionally peek up to watch the man conversing with the two women. One was an extremely attractive Imperial woman. The other, quite attractive herself but a bit younger, was a Dark Elf. Rave however, was always very hesitant of women. He felt they were a great weakness, and refused to ever become attached to one. As a result, he usually ended up being quite rude to any woman who would try to befriend him, however the loneliness of his life didn't make it easy to do so. For a moment, he pondered on walking over and introducing himself, but quickly exhausted the thought. No.. not them, not now. Not smart.. Forget it, forget all about it. Stay focused.
He shifted his gaze around the room, eying over the crowd of the inn. It had been a deadly day in Bruma, and he needed to keep his guard up. His eyes finally came to rest on an Argonian. What caught his attention however, was the Bonemould cuirass the lizard covered himself in. Might have spent some time in Morrowind himself.. The Argonian was enjoying a pie next to another man that Rave couldn't see clearly. They appeared to be talking to each other, the Argonian making several enthusiastic gestures towards the other man. Rave noticed the Dark Elf approach the Argonian. It was almost as if now they were all connected to each other, though Rave couldn't distinguish if they were all conversing equally with one another or not. Letting curiosity get the better of him, he wiped his mouth and walked over to the bar area, where they were all sitting. He pulled up a chair, several down from the Argonian and Dark Elf, on the opposite side of them from the female Imperial and the man she was talking to.
He pulled out a few coins more than his meal was worth and set them on the counter top. "I'll have a beer."
The inn keeper scooped them up, and pulled a bottle from the cabinet, placing it before Rave. "Hope you enjoyed your meal sir."
Rave nodded. "Did indeed. Thank you." He opened the bottle and took a moderate sip, shifting his eyes to the Argonian. It appeared they were saying something about the Mages Guild. Mages Guild.. nothing I need to get involved with, that's for sure. Rave decided it was best to leave the group alone. He had no interest in the Mages Guild, and no reason to bother the group. He decided he'd finish his beer, and then leave Bruma.

Demicus Snowe

"What now, you ask? Well, first off, this letter," Phillida handed me a letter containing three different languages. All of which I have seen of course, due to my father's connections with the Mage's Guild and archaeologists, but had never had a chance to study the languages.

"Its written in what appears to be a series of dead languages. The only one I recognize is Ancient Cyrodiilic. So my goal is to find someone - or multiple someones - who can decipher this. It could lead me, or us, if you wish, to whoever ordered this attack," Phillida explained.

I looked closely at the languages and saw one other that I recognized. "There are three dead languages in this...one is Ancient Aldmeri. I can't interpret it though. And as for helping you, well that's up to Kat." I turned to her. "So how about it?"

She pondered for a moment and seemed to blank out for a moment before nodding. "Yes...I want them to pay."

I turned back to Phillida with a small grin. "Well there's your answer. Kat knows of somebody who can interpret ancient languages and they conveniently live in Bruma."