The tale of Telina Delvanni, chapter 4., Mournhold, City of light City of magic. Options

[Tellie]

Ok, so just a small one today, as this is all I managed to write at this time...



The Tale of Telina Delvanni. Chapter 4. Mournhold, city of light city of magic.



I was surprised by how much longer the teleportation was, compared to the other one’s I had made…I guess travelling over longer distances took longer time. When I had managed to get a look at the room I stood in, I was dumbfounded…sure I had heard of the beauty of Mournhold Almalexia, the city of Lady Ayem…but nothing could prepare me for the sight.

The floor was made up of huge brass and black coloured tiles. The recesses filled with silver, and the walls was of some dark green stone. Gold metal bandings spread along the wall in mid height, and they was crested with rubies and emeralds…Never have I seen such a beautiful room as the throne room though…large round, blood red coloured pillars stretched themselves up to the roof, which had a painting of the battle at Red Mountain…the King was not here, but a Man that seemed to be slightly more significant than the other guards there…I figured that out with all the gold and silver bandings that decorated his armour.

Have I mentioned how much I hate the Royal Guard armour…it have an unsettling colour of…dried blood, the helmets are so tight that you cant see the face of the guard either, and I always get a shock when I suddenly stand nose to nose with one…but enough of that. The imperial seemed reluctant to speak tome, although I could see his eye flickering around the room…as if he was looking for escape routes…hmm, strange. I opened my mouth, but he cut me off…”Excuse me, I have much to do…get out of the throne room”.

Fine, he did not want to talk to me…well, no need for irritating him, as the enchanted Daedric Dai-Katana at his back, was clearly vibrating by all the power contained. As I was in the courtyard, I suddenly realised there was two doors, and with me hating to guess at things like this, I asked the old Imperial sitting on the flowerbed, where to go.

Plitinius Maro, was his name…and I suddenly realised that I stood and talked to the famous writer of the Real Barenzia novels…I may have mentioned before my love for books…it is a hobby of mine that have helped me much with decreasing the number of money in my bank account…but to actually talk to the writer of a book series that I loved was thrilling. We had talked a long time, before I mentioned the subject of the brotherhood being after me…since he could not do anything else than to tell me that they was supposedly in the Great Bazaar sewers, I should contact the temple, as maybe they could help me out. I had just started to walk towards the entrance to the temple courtyard, when a Cyrodiilic voice came tome.

-“Excuse me ma’am, but do I understand you correctly that you’re going down to the sewers”?…”As a matter of fact you did, how’s that”, I asked back, trying to keep the bitterness in my voice to the minimum.

-“Well, I wondered if you would like a companion, I am a good fighter, can carry heavy loads, and I know the sewers well enough, for your needs”. “Now before you answer, there are some rules, I don’t work for free, so I’ll need 250 septims a month…you’re free to give me new equipment anytime you want, and also take equipment…as long I have my gold, and at least 500 septims worth of equipment…so what do you say…we got a deal”.

Ok…he wanted to be my personal bodyguard for an entire month…for only 250 septims…best deal I’ve ever made…I shook his hand, and gave him the gold…after that I gave him some 2000septims, to get equipped and ready for action…Then we parted, and I entered the temple courtyard.

This post has been edited by Telendil Delvanni: Apr 26 2006, 10:48 AM

[Tellie]

-“Ok”, he said after steeling himself a bit. “You must go to Llethlan Manor, and try to find any evidence of a conspiracy, and bring it directly to me, pretend you go there, to offer your condolences to the former King’s wife”.

I bowed and made my way out again, nodding to (the now returned) Karrod as I went by. There in the courtyard I saw Calvius stand, looking rather angry at me…”Now how in the name of Talos am I supposed to protect you, when you teleport away from right under my nose”?

-“Oh crap, I forgot that…sorry, I was in a hurry”, I smiled before I told him. “Cmon, we have a conspiracy to unveil”. We ran down towards Llethlan manor in Godsreach.

I was panting heavily when we stopped before Llethlan manor, even though my training the last years, had really got me back in shape, I still had something to catch up again. I waited till I was not breathing so heavy before I knocked twice on the door.

-“Name and business”, came a voice from inside.

-“Telina Delvanni, and her servant Calvius…I wish to pay my condolences to the widow Llethlan”…a little second later the door opened, and we stepped in.

The manor was big, I can tell you that, only in the antechamber there was three heavily armoured guards, and a further two in the reception. Large paintings, each one probably worth a fortune, was adorning the walls. Each one had a Mer dressed up in his best, with a large sceptre and crown on his head, clearly this was the dead King Llethlan. The room inside the antechamber, was a large library, with over a hundred books, and I was almost rubbing my hands together, to see so many books in one place was indeed thrilling, I just wished I was the one living here. There was also guards in here, heavy armour all over them, and big claymores strapped over their backs.

One of them extended a hand towards the door to my right, so I silently walked in, and locked the door behind me and Calvius. The woman who was sitting in her chair, had suffered badly the last weeks, her eyes all watery, and she had started to look old, with all those wrinkles under her eyes.

-“We must endure our sorrows”, she said with a little sob.

-“Miss, I offer you my condolences for your husbands death, is there…anything I might…ah...assist you with”?

She looked around, before whispering to me. “You two seem like people who have seen their shed of blood and battle, am I correct”?, when I confirmed that she was indeed correct, she looked relieved. “So, where do your allegiance lie, with the temple or the brat who is now King”?

I pondered a little, I guess she did not like Helseth, so I tried my gut feeling again…”What, allegiance to the King, are you mad…I’m a bloody Temple Inquisitor, I have been digging for info about Helseth for many months now, why would I like him”, I just hoped she would take my lie.

She smiled, before she rose up, and walked over to her desk, she grabbed a document that was hidden inside a little chest. She handed it over to me…”Here, help us with that plan, and you will have reached your goal to get Helseth away from the throne”.

I bowed, turned away and walked out into the now pouring rain…but I did not go towards the Palace, no, I was going down to the head quarters. After we had got down in the sewers, I opened the letter.

CODE

Forven,

I cannot agree. I am a merchant, and have no skill at arms. You are a noble, and in your prime were proven on practice and tournament grounds -- though, in truth, you have never fought a duel, and have few gifts as a liar. No one can doubt Hloggar the Bloody's aptitude and enthusiasm for mayhem, but he is not a subtle man, more suited for a brawl or battlefield than an assassin's role.

And we cannot trust the Dark Brotherhood. Helseth owns them. They promise discretion, but their promises are worthless.

I am afraid we must approach the Morag Tong. I agree with you. They will probably refuse. But at least they can be trusted to be discreet.

If, in the end, we are forced to choose among ourselves, I fear it must be you. And we will have to wrack our brains for some plausible pretext that will get you into Helseth's presence.

I am disappointed, though not surprised, at lack of public outcry over Athyn's murder. The popular sentiment seems to be to avoid personal risk and accept Helseth. It's short-sighted, but understandable. I have noted, however, that the writer of THE COMMON TONGUE is sympathetic to our cause, clever and eloquent. He may be able to sway opinion. We should try to identify this fellow and try to bring him into our counsels.

your faithful servant,

Bedal Alen

This was all the proof I needed, and I needed to give it to a Master quickly. I almost managed to get lost again, had it not been for Calvius who pointed out I was holding the map the wrong way we would have been lost…my luck really. But we did manage to get there, after messing around with a few Bonelords, we sat in front of Karrod, who had managed to get down here again.

“Hmm…this is disturbing new Delvanni”, give this paper to Tienus, but also tell him that you saw some High Ordinators arrest those men for a few hours ago, that will give us time to persuade them to get out of the town”. Me and Calvius took an Intervention scroll each, so that we should get to the Palace fast.

Tienus was as always in the throne room, with the usual superior look. “Ah, the dog returns, did you find anything suspicious”?

-“Oh, yes, I found much interesting, this letter here will prove it…but sadly, the persons included have been taken under arrest by the Temple High Ordinators, I saw it myself…they stole something from the Temple if I’m not mistaken”.

To see his face get the normal maroon colour that he usually got when he became angry or worried, greatly satisfied me, to lie up in his face was just sooo good.

-”Hmpf, well then, good work Delvanni, I’ll deal with that, in the meantime you must track down the author of the Common Tongue, and…ah…silence him”.