Clark in Skyrim, A continued report from across the border. Options

[Acadian]

Jordis and Erdi had a productive adventure after all!

How clever (and nice) of ‘Doctor’ Clark to offer to fix up Saadia’s scar. Now she’ll be able to wander Skyrim and get out of the Alikr harassment the same way all the rest of the Redguard women do in those random encounters – no scar! I look forward to learning what Clarisse and Clark come up with to permanently end the bounty.

That is one quest Buffy’s never done. The Alikr dudes ask her to find the Redguard. Buffy asks why. The dudes say none of her concern. Buffy says, ‘Fine’ and walks away.

[ghastley]

Acadian: Many of my characters have done the quest. Mostly it's prompted by the number of encounters with two Alik'r and a Redguard woman without a scar. And a few times, I just wanted a few spare Scimitars for Rayya. When they do it, it's always on Saadia's side. You get much more experience by taking on the folks in Swindler's Den, and the rewards are similar. I generally give Saadia a change of outfit once it's over, and she doesn't need to hide any more.

Bounty-clearing is coming up.

---------------

Previously: Clark has healed Saadia's scar, so that she won't match Iman's description. But that may not be enough...

---------------

Part 70 - Planning

The mention of Kematu had Saadia worried again. There were people in Whiterun who'd seen her with her scar, and could give her away. She needed Kematu eliminated, too.

"Already under way, I suspect," Clark reassured her. "Clarisse and her crew want the bounty for killing him, much more than they want to collect yours. I sent them over to Dragonsreach, to see if the prisoner there could tell them where to find him. Since they haven't come back to report failure, I suspect they're on the way to his hideout now."

"Saadia, can you come down to the bar? There are more people here looking for you," Hulda called out.

"I'll go first," Clark told her. "Hopefully it's the Red Witch party returning."

It was, but they'd lost one of the men. Kematu's warriors hadn't been the only ones in Swindler's Den and the bandits he was hiding with had proved more trouble than the Redguards. Hélène held up a sack that was stained with blood. "Kematu's head," she announced. "We need that to collect the bounty."

"And what about Iman?" Clark asked.

"If we wanted that one, we'd need her head, too."

"Complete with scar?"

"Of course."

"In that case ... Saadia, you can come down now."

Saadia had changed into her bar-keeper dress, rather to Clark's chagrin. And she'd pulled her hair back, so you could see both of her cheeks, neither of which now had any scars.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Saadia, not Iman. No scar, so not your quarry. Now we just need to determine what happened to Iman."

Clarisse had caught Clark's meaning, even if she was mystified as to how he'd achieved it. "We don't really need the bounty for her, but if we knew that Iman was no longer alive, then the bounty would be cancelled. So how did she die?"

"It would have to involve magic, or there would be a corpse left behind," Saadia suggested.

"Or she could have been eaten by a dragon," Clark added, "although the legends tell us they prefer virgins. It just so happens that the Dragonborn knows a couple of dragons that owe her a favour, or at least could be persuaded to co-operate with my plan."

"I'm not sure Iman wants to be eaten," Saadia pointed out.

"Anybody else will just see a dragon swoop down, and leave again. Those closer to the event will report that Iman was taken, never to be seen again."

"And those will be us?" Hélène suggested.

"Exactly. That bounty was as good as in your hands, when the dragon took it away. If you're not claiming the reward, why would you lie?"

"What's in it for the Dragonborn?" Clarisse wanted to know.

"Diablita was promised a reward if she'd call Durnheviir to Tamriel, and I'm pretty sure she hasn't collected. He'd be the ideal one to do this for us. He's an impressive-looking beast, not that any dragon isn't. And he returns to the Soul Cairn after he's summoned, which helps our story that Iman is no more. It's one more possible reason for taking her. My experience is that a story that has a lot of unknowns gets believed, if the outcomes are all what the listener wants to hear."

"So you're saying that we don't explain exactly how Iman perished, just that the dragon took her?"

"And whatever his reason, she no longer exists. Which is true, because now there's only Saadia."

"When would all this happen?" Saadia asked Clark.

"Any time we can get the parties together. The only one not here is Diablita, and now you have more freedom to travel, we can find a suitable location for everything. Outside the city of Whiterun, but somewhere close enough to witnesses. Maybe near Rorikstead, or the eastern tundra in view of the farms. I'll send a message to Solstheim, and we can do it as soon as the Dragonborn shows up."

"And what do we do while we're waiting? Hélène wanted to know.

"We've got Kematu's bounty in the bag, or at least his head's in one," Clarisse pointed out. "I think we could have a bit of a celebration, and a tavern's not a bad place for one."

"Let me contribute to that, too. I think I have something to celebrate as well," Saadia added. "I believe we can get the guards' complicity in letting things get a bit unrestrained, and that will give my friends Olfina and Jon a bit of cover."

"Olfina Gray-Mane and Jon Battle-Born?" Clark queried. "Not a pairing either family would approve."

"And it's showing the strains of their disapproval. Jon wants to leave town, and go to the Bards College in Solitude to study. Olfina wants to stay here, even though that means she can't be with Jon as much as she'd like. I'm hoping that the chance to really get together will help them decide what to do next."

Clark wasn't sure that was a good idea. They'd both be presented with a lot of alternatives, and almost obliged to sample more than each other.

"They probably already have. Neither family would have anything against that. And if they disappoint each other, better they do so sooner than later. Can't imagine that happening, anyway."

"They'd both want to be seen with someone else," Clarisse pointed out. "So if anyone asks who Jon was with, it was me. And Olfina was with Clark, right? And in both cases, a number of others who have escaped our minds. Now my crew don't know either of them, so they won't be able to tell anyone. Who needs to be distracted, so they don't let on?"

"Ysolda, Uthgerd, and Mikael are the main ones. I don't imagine any of them giving us any problems, although Uthgerd will probably get into a brawl with one of the sailors before she starts enjoying herself properly. That's just a habit of hers. She likes tough men, and it's hard to persuade her that there are better ways to prove it." Clark continued that he'd be bringing Lydia along to help out. "If there are men around she hasn't slept with, she won't forgive me for not telling her. She'll even take care of Mikael, if he's the only one available."

"What about Hulda?" Saadia wanted to know. "She normally doesn't mind leaving Olfina and me in charge of the Mare, but if she thinks there might be trouble, I don't know what she'd do."

"There won't be trouble, any more than Uthgerd's usual brawl. And Hulda's never had any issue with those. Sure, a few drinks get spilled, but that just makes people buy more to replace them," Clark responded. "I can convince her that it will be good for business."

This post has been edited by ghastley: Feb 3 2016, 10:17 PM

[Acadian]

So Kematu’s bounty is in the bag!

“Here, Durnie! I brought you a nice Redguard snack!”

A clever plan to close out the Iman bounty once and for all!

Party at the Mare!


Nit: "if we wanted that one, we'd need her head, too." - - You want to capitalize ‘if’, of course.

[Grits]

In the bag! I love the plan to have Durnehviir ‘disappear’ with Iman.

Uthgerd’s warmup brawl habit reminded me of my favorite of her lines: “Keep walking, soft gut. I’m more woman than you can handle.”

[ghastley]

Acadian: The Jon/Olfina thing never gets developed in the game. I wonder if it was a quest that never got completed? Anyhow this party will start to sort that out.

Grits: Uthgerd gets handled in this one.

-------------

Previously: Clarisse and crew have dealt with Kematu, and have his head for the reward. Now they need to ensure Iman Saadia is safe.

-------------

Part 71 - Bannered Mare

It all went better than anyone could have planned it. Uthgerd issued her usual challenge and one of the sailors accepted. Clarisse winked at Clark and told him to watch the fight.

The sailor was unarmored, and very quick on his feet. He just danced around the Nord, who was slowed by her steel plate, and she couldn't land a single blow on him. "Take off the armour, silly," Hélène goaded.

"Do it. I can wait," her opponent agreed.

Uthgerd wasn't wearing a lot beneath the plate, and the men were all appreciative when it was removed. She got a lot of requests for a wrestling contest from the sailors, most of whom would help her apply the oil, too.

"I want a fist-fight, dammit. And that's what we're doing." She took a swing at the sailor, who had been expecting it, and ducked underneath.

A loud slap made her straighten up quickly. "That's put some colour in your cheeks!" a voice called from the crowd. Two more cheeks reddened in response, and the caller found himself flat on his back with a sore chin before he realised his mistake. That made Uthgerd feel a lot better, even if Sinmir probably didn't right now.

"That's good enough," Uthgerd decided. "Now maybe a bit of wrestling is in order. Who wants some?"

Of the many offers, she picked the sailor who was supposed to be her fisticuffs challenger. It was strange for her to be doing this without a few bruises to consider, but she didn't mind that. She just wanted to let off a bit of steam first, so she wouldn't overdo things.

And she seemed to have set an example for everyone else tonight. Clark and Olfina were on one side of her, and Jon Battle-Born on the other, with her sailor's captain. Everyone in the bar seemed to have found someone to play with. And she couldn't hear the bard singing, so he must have been distracted too.

---

"So how did you get on last night?" Saadia asked Ysolda, who was sitting at her usual table near the door.

"I didn't have to," she replied. "I don't think my feet touched the ground all night. When those two sailors picked me up and both ... Well, let's just say that apart from a brief spell when I was completely upside-down, ... " she just couldn't describe it all properly. Saadia laughed and took the tray back to the bar.

Clark and Lydia were sitting at the bar, listening to the chatter around them. Nobody had mentioned Jon and Olfina being seen together, and most were recounting their own experiences, which obviously didn't include either. When either name did crop up, Clark and "that captain woman" were mentioned, too. A few of them knew Clarisse's name, generally the ones she'd favoured.

The couple were at Breezehome, and the next order of business was getting them back out.

"I'll just let Jon out the front door," Lydia suggested. "That shouldn't look unusual to anyone who knows me."

"I don't know. If there's only one man leaving, won't people remark on that?"

Lydia gave Clark that look. "What about Olfina? will you be seen letting her out the back door?"

"We don't have a back door," Clark reminded her. "No, Saadia can come down with a crate of wine, and she and Olfina will leave together with the empties. Everyone will assume they missed Olfina bringing the other crate. That means Jon has to leave first, so that Olfina's missed arrival was after that. If I accompany Saadia, then it was you and Jon at Breezehome, while Saadia and Olfina were here with me."

"Do we have enough bottles to fill a couple of crates?"

"Saadia and I will be bringing mostly empties. Just a few full ones in case anyone asks. The important thing is that we have an empty crate for Olfina to return."

---

Before Olfina left Breezehome, Saadia got the chance to ask her how things had worked out.

"Jon told me that Clarisse was much better at it than I was. And then he suggested that we needed a lot more practice, because I was the one he wanted. We couldn't do that if we didn't go away together, and I know he meant to Solitude."

"Your family will never let you leave with Jon, but they might let you go away if there wasn't any connection. Clarisse and her crew will be moving on soon, maybe there's a way you could go along with them?" She asked Clark what they would be doing next.

"We're all going to Windhelm, to look into the pirate situation. The privateers have a charter to wipe them out, and let the East Empire Company get the Morrowind trade going again. Some of that trade will be mine, so I have an interest in their success. Since Olfina's been seen with me already, maybe I'm the decoy again." He paused for a moment, considering what else he had going on. "The Dragonborn should be arriving soon, and we won't be leaving until she does. We need her to tidy up Saadia's issues, and you can help with that, Olfina. You'll be another reliable witness."

"To what?"

"To Iman's being taken away by a dragon."

"Who's Iman? And how do you know what dragons are going to do?"

"Iman's a woman who looks a lot like me," replied Saadia, "except that she has a scar on her cheek, and I don't."

"But you do have ... or I thought you did, but I don't see one now."

"Exactly. You're starting to understand. And the Dragonborn has a closer affinity with dragons than anyone knows," Clark continued. "There will be a dragon, a friendly one, seen to the east of the city when we leave. You'll see it, too, because you'll be with us. You'll be able to tell everyone that Iman's no longer among us. And then we'll continue our trip to Windhelm."

"What happens in Windhelm?"

"Once you've been seen there, either I, or Diablita, will escort you to Solitude. I have a house there, and you can stay there until you and Jon sort out other arrangements. The others will deal with the pirate problem, which is real enough."

"I think it will work. My family won't mind me going to Windhelm. That's just about as opposite to Solitude as you can get." Olfina pondered a bit more. "If they ask me about my involvement with the Thane of Whiterun, I'll avoid answering, and they'll think whatever they want to. I'm not going to tell them any lies, but I don't have to tell them anything."

"You could probably tell them the truth, and they'll think it's a joke." Saadia told her. "Maybe you'd say 'Mother, I'm going to Windhelm so I can be with Jon Battle-Born, who's in Solitude.' Sounds credible to me."

Olfina laughed. "You're right there. Put that way, I could do it."

Clark thought it better just not to mention Jon. "This trip has nothing to do with him, remember."

[Acadian]

Wild night at the Bannered Mare! From Uthgerd’s red cheeks to Ysolda spending time upside down, sounds like a fun time was had by all.

Nice of you to expand some on Olfina+Jon. Too bad the game didn't do more with that - like perhaps have it as one of the Mara quests for the temple.

Looking forward to Diablita and Durnie showing up.

[Grits]

What a party! Uthgerd’s reddened cheeks, lol. I love that Olfina and Jon will get to be together, though Olfina has to take the long way around. Maybe after all of that time with Clark she will have some skill increases that will make Jon forget all about Clarisse!

[ghastley]

Acadian: All I can find with Jon and Olfina is the involvement of her letter in a single quest. I'm sure more was intended. Durnheviir will show up once or twice in this one.

Grits: Olfina's getting some "time" with more than just Clark in this episode. And she'll be showing of her bar-keeping skills in the next.

-------------

Previously Clark has concocted a plan to account for Iman's disappearance. Now it's time to carry it out.

---------------

Part 72 - Journey to Windhelm

Even the weather cooperated with Clark's elaborate plan. When Diablita called Durnheviir's name, and he materialised on the tundra, the sky was clear and the view of the scene from Whiterun could not have been better. The grateful dragon delivered Diablita the first word of the Soul Tear shout, shared a chuckle with the humans about the Iman deception, and took off in search of a tasty goat. "A fresh one, of course. I hope I can remember what they look like."

"Are they all that big?" gasped Olfina when it flew off.

"I bet you ask all the guys the same question," Hélène countered, to cover her own amazement.

"How long does your summoning give him to enjoy his freedom here?" Clark asked Diablita.

"He didn't tell me, but I need to call him three times to get the whole shout. That must mean he goes back to the Soul Cairn after a while. I can call him again already, and I can still see him in the distance, so that's no indication. Didn't he tell you when you he told you his name?"

Clark thought back to when Serana, Valerica and he had frst encountered Durnheviir. He'd told Clark that he couldn't survive in Tamriel without the support of the Dragonborn. Perhaps he stayed as long as she wanted, which really meant as long as she was thinking of him.

That was going to be quite a while, as the dragon was the topic of conversation for most of their journey. He re-appeared to help them when the party encountered a hostile dragon and a dragon priest at Shearpoint, but they really didn't need that much help. Diablita's Dragonrend shout had already grounded the dragon, and Diablita and the pirates dealt with that. Meanwhile Clark showed Krosis that he could maintain his ward indefinitely, and spells alone just didn't do anything. Diablita came over, swung her Bloodskal Blade just once, and picked up the mask he dropped.

"What did you get from the word wall?" Clark asked. "Anything new?"

"Not much," said a voice behind him, which sounded a lot like Diablita's.

"Was that you? It sounded like it came from a completely different direction."

"Yes, that's what I learned this time. I have no idea what use that is, but it's something new, and I'll find out later what to do with it, I guess."

---

The second dragon encounter possibly extended Durnheviir's stay in Tamriel quite a bit longer, if Clark's theory was the right one. It certainly kept dragons in mind until they reached the Nightgate Inn.

Hadring was most apologetic that he only had one room available, not enough for nine guests. He showed it to them anyway, and Clark rented it. It had only a single bed, but there were pelts on the walls and floor, and Hadring had a few more down in the storeroom in the basement.

"Olfina should have the bed, as she'll be saving herself for Jon," Diablita suggested. "The rest of us will just fall in a heap when we finish tiring each other out."

"That's the way I see it, too," replied Clarisse. "The rest of us are used to standing up until we fall down."

"Fetch that, if I don't know how to do it standing up, I need to learn," Olfina replied. "The bed's for whoever falls in that direction."

"You won't get to fall until there isn't a man left that can hold you up," Hélène added. "And I've trained these well."

"Close the door. We'll need all the room we can get." Clark was always the practical one.

---

When Clark awoke the following morning he was sitting on the only chair in the room. Clarisse was still on his lap, covering him like a warm blanket. He couldn't see if anyone had ended up on the bed, as Clarisse's head was on his shoulder on that side. By the time she'd woken, too, and lifted her head, the rest were standing up and stretching themselves.

Getting dressed in the small room was diffficult, as you couldn't move without getting an elbow in the ribs. Everyone needed a turn sitting on the bed, or the chair, to get their boots on, which meant a lot of jostling around as one got up and another sat down. It hadn't been this awkward getting undressed the night before, had it?

There was plenty of room to sit down and eat breakfast, however. Clark couldn't help but wonder why the inn didn't dedicate more space to bedrooms, and less to dining.

---

They reached Windhelm about noon that day. The Candlehearth Hall had more rooms, and Edla assured them that extra beds could be added where needed.

"You'll want to take Olfina to Solitude now, won't you?" Diablita asked Clark. "And I'm sure that's what your housecarl will want, too, especially as you haven't been there for a while."

"My housecarls can survive without me. But I will be the one to take her. There's no point you travelling all the way there, just to come back here on your way back to Solstheim."

"I wasn't planning to go back just yet. I also have to go and see Brelyna, and see how she's getting on. She's been cooking up some kind of plot with Vicuña, and I want in on it, whatever it is. I think it has something to do with Neloth, but I'm not sure."

"And I'm not going to Solitude yet. I need to be here to arrange things with the East Empire Company, and make sure I get a fair piece of the Solstheim trade. I need their ships, and they need my goods."

"And everyone needs the pirates out of the way," added Clarisse. "How do we keep Olfina out of the fighting? You know there's going to be some, whatever else happens."

"We need to know where it's going to happen, before we know the answer to that," Clark replied. "So I think our next call should be at the EEC office at the docks."

---

The Company's entire operation seemed to consist of an empty warehouse, with one employee sweeping the floor. Clark knew that they weren't doing any business with Solstheim, as he'd got that covered himself, with Gjalund Salt-Sage and the Northern Maiden doing the only run. There wasn't enough traffic to sustain another vessel, and it was well-known that the Dragonborn favoured the Northern Maiden. Anyone trying to interfere with that route might get an unpleasant surprise.

However, the Morrowind mainland should be producing some flow of goods. Who was handling that? Orthus Endario, the floor-sweeping one, told Clark that the only other shipper in the port was Clan Shatter-Shield. Somehow, their ships got past the pirates, and the East Empire Company's didn't.

Clark and Hélène went next door to visit the rival office. While Clark chatted to the clerk, a Dunmer named Suvaris Atheron, Hélène lifted the logbook from the table at the back.

"It says in here that Suvaris travels regularly to Dawnstar to meet up with someone called Stig Salt-Plank, of the Blood Horkers." Orthus told them when he read the journal.

"Those are the pirates we have the charter for," Clarisse told them, "but I don't know that man's name."

"I do," Olfina interjected. "I remember him coming in to the Bannered Mare not all that long ago. He got into a fight with Uthgerd, and I had to rescue him."

"So let's all head for Dawnstar tomorrow, and see if that gives you any leverage with Stig Salt-Plank. It looks like he'll be there, and we can reach him before Suvaris does."

This post has been edited by ghastley: Feb 17 2016, 08:03 PM

[Acadian]

Great to see Diablita and Durnie again! That must have been a magnificent sight for Whiterun as she summoned him out on the tundra.

"The rest of us are used to standing up until we fall down." - - Sounds like good lyrics for a Nord drinking song!

Great fun in tight quarters at the Nightgate Inn. Too bad they didn’t invite the orc downstairs – that might have opened up some more room.

I love the East Empire Company quests! Heh, sounds like Stig needs some more salt in his plank to stand up to Uthgerd.


Nit: ”I have no idea what use that is, but it's something new, and I'll find out later what to do with it, i guess." - - I vs i.

[ghastley]

Acadian: I'm lashing some very unrelated quests together here with chewing gum and baling wire. I hope it doesn't all fall apart. I still haven't determined how to bring Durnheviir back two more times, for example.

----------

Previously: Clark and party discovered that the East Empire Company in Windhelm has been virtually
shut down by a band of pirates called the Blood Horkers. There's a group in Dawnstar waiting for contact.

----------

Part 73 - Dawnstar

Stig Salt-Plank was more than a little embarrassed to see Olfina in the Windpeak Inn at Dawnstar. He had his crew with him, and he just knew that Olfina would bring up the Uthgerd incident. They tried to ignore her, but Karita, who was thoroughly annoyed by the pirates, saw a sympathetic colleague in Olfina, and called for her help to eject them.

So it wasn't long before a brawl got started, with Stig on one side and Olfina on the other. Clarisse's crew kept Stig's people from interfering, and they cleared a space for them to go at it.

Stig swung a haymaker at Olfina and she ducked, coming back up with a vicious uppercut to the point of Stig's chin. He fell back senseless into the arms of his crew. Clark brought him round by throwing the remains of his ale in his face.

"Prepared to tell us something more about the Blood Horkers?" he asked. "Don't tell me this collection is the entire operation."

"No, most of 'em are at Japhet's Folly. That's where Haldyn is, our 'secret ingredient' that makes us such a success."

"Who's Haldyn?" Clarrisse demanded.

"He's a battlemage. Keeps the island in fog, so we can't be found, and throws some nasty fire spells when
we needs 'em. Seen him sink a ship single-handed, I has. Of course, we only does that once we've taken off anything worth taking."

Clark noticed Clarisse's glare when Stig mentioned sinking ships. "You don't get a second cargo from a ship that's on the bottom," she pointed out. "And it's too easy to put the shippers out of business, and lose all your income. Don't these idiots understand how it works? Keep them prosperous, and take your slice from a bigger pie. That's what they do with the legal taxes and duties, too. Too much, and you lose the trade."

Diablita remarked that she knew a shout to clear fog, or any other weather problems, and she knew that Clark's ward was equal to anything that Haldyn might be able to throw. "Let's get back to Windhelm, and see if we can figure out where this Japhet's Folly is."

---

Back at the East Empire Company, Orthus was being berated by his superior, an Imperial woman in legion armour. He introduced the party to Adelaisa Vendicci, who'd just arrived on a small ship to collect the cargo he didn't have.

Adelaisa knew where Japhet's Folly was, or at least she had a chart that showed it. "I've never been there," she told him. "There's always too much fog in that area for safe sailing."

"Don't worry about fog," Diablita told her. "We know why that's there, and I can do something about it."

"Is your ship large enough to take us all there?" Clarisse asked.

"Yes, since I don't have any cargo, there's plenty of room. How many of you will be going with me?"

"All of us," Clarisse answered. She turned to Clark and continued "I stopped worrying about Olfina when I saw how she handled Stig Salt-Plank."

Adelaisa lent Olfina a spare suit of her armour. She was reluctant to wear Imperial gear, especially here in Windhelm, but as Clark reminded her, she didn't have to put it on until they boarded the ship.

---

At the island, Diablita cleared the fog for long enough for them to anchor near the shore, but it appeared that Haldyn could replace it as fast as she dispelled it. "We'll need to deal with him as soon as we can."

"I think I saw a dock before the fog came back," Adelaisa told them. "If we can get a party ashore in a rowboat, and they deal with Haldyn and the fog, the main force will be able to reach the dock and join them. Now who should go?"

"Adelaisa should stay and command her own ship," Clarisse decided. "And I should leave her to it, and go in the longboat. If I stay on board, I'll want to take over. Being a captain does that to you."

"And I need to be there, as the counter to Haldyn," Clark pointed out. "We're counting on my ward to block whatever he has."

Diablita wasn't going to be left out either, and that didn't leave much room in the small boat. Hélène reluctantly stayed on the ship, as did Olfina.

---

The trio threaded their way through the ice and tied the boat up outside a small cave. "Looks like this is the way in," Diablita remarked. "I wonder if we're expected?"

Clark thought it unlikely. "But they'll have this route guarded, just in case. And probably trapped, too."

There was a single guard in the cave itself, and he hadn't seen them yet. "Does anyone have a bow, or a quiet ranged spell?" Clarisse asked.

Nobody did, but there was one possibilty. Diablita pulled the Bloodskal Blade from her back and positioned herself carefully. It wasn't the most accurate of ranged attacks, but a strong swing would unleash a magical force of some kind that cut like a blade. She swung sideways, so that she had a better chance of connecting and was delighted to see the guard's head go rolling off into a corner without calling out.

"We're bound to run into more inside, but at least they won't be expecting us, now."

"More chance to sneak and backstab once we're in the building," Clarisse reminded them.

---

"Haldyn's probably at the top of the tower," Clark deduced. "He'd need to keep watch for ships, so he doesn't have to keep this fog in place when there aren't any around. I'd expect his quarters have a view of the docks."

"We'd want to get up there to signal to the ship, too." Clarisse added.

"So what are we waiting for?" asked Diablita.

---

Haldyn was indeed at the top of the tower, and ready to greet them with shock spells. Since Clark had his ward up before they opened the door, they didn't have much effect, except to keep Clarisse and Diablita behind Clark, until they got fully into the room.

Once they cleared the doorway, they headed in opposite directions to flank the battlemage. Clark had a mean-looking sword in his other hand, so Haldyn was reluctant to take his attention off the nearest opponent, and kept the torrent of lightning headed towards him. Nobody could keep a ward up for that long, could they?

Yes, Clark could, even if nobody else had the capacity. Soon Haldyn's ribs had a visit from swords on each side, and Clark could finally let his ward down.

Clarisse opened a window and sent up a flare spell to signal to the ship, and they headed back down towards the docks. The East Empire Company had brought along a battlemage of their own, and the area in between the tower and the docks was currently being hit by fiery explosions raining from the skies. That certainly thinned the ranks of the remaining Blood Horkers, but they still had to fight their way through a number of them before they met up with the rest of the crew.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Feb 25 2016, 10:11 PM

[Acadian]

Yay for Olfina, popping ol’ Stig right on the chin!

Fun and sound logic you provide us as the Away Team Shore Party composition is selected.

Gosh, Diablita, with her weather-clearing shout and Bloodskal ‘ranged attack’ sure was handy! As was Clark’s super duper ward spell.

Good teamwork all around taking down Haldyn and his Bloody Horker goons.

I love all the East Empire Company related quests. Happily, after all the quests are done, the Blood Horkers occasionally send a couple of their goons to attack you as you travel – providing more fun. (Luvs random encounters on the road.)


Nits:
- - ’... but Karita, who was thorough annoyed by the pirates, ...’ - - Thoroughly vs thorough.
- - ’...so Haldyn was reluctant to to take his attention off the nearest opponent, ...’ - - A redundant ‘to’.
- - ’Soon Haldyn's ribs had a visit from swords on each side. and Clark could finally let his ward down.’ - - There is a period instead of the intended comma after ‘side’.

[ghastley]

Acadian: And Diablita just happened to be there because we called her over for the Durnheviir/Saadia situation! I couldn't have planned that if I tried.

-------------------

Previously: The Blood Horkers were successfully shut down, so Clarisse and her crew ae in line for a bounty.

--------------------

Part 74 - Windhelm and Solitude

"Did you need to collect any grisly trophies for this mission?" Clark asked the privateers, as they set off for Windhelm.

"No, the East Empire Company know all about it, and their office in Farrun will pay out when we return. We'll be getting a retainer fee for keeping the trading routes safe after this, which is just a little less than we might have taken ourselves, but it should be less effort, too."

"So it's back to Solitude, now?" Olfina asked, hopefully. "Jon will be waiting for me."

"We'll want to visit a few places along the way, so that you can tell the tale of Iman and the dragon," Clark reminded her. "And make sure the bard in each place gets to hear about it, so it gets repeated. By the time Jon hears it, I'd prefer that it's not just your story, but common knowledge."

"Good point," Olfina agreed. "And Luaffyn here in Windhelm should be the first to know. That way they'll know I was travelling East, not West. If we can get her to add a tune to the story, it can become hers."

---

"We're not entirely finished with our bounty-hunting here in Skyrim," Clarisse told Clark. "There's a woman, called Maven something, who's wanted in a number of cities in High Rock. We have several warrants, each under a different family name, but we're convinced that it's the same person. They're all related to political assassinations, dealing in illegal arms, and other major crimes that most would shy away from. There's little direct proof of her guilt in any of the cases, but it all adds up to enough suspicion to send her into hiding. We're pretty sure she came to Skyrim, probably with her family. We have warrants for her son and grand-son, too."

"Is there a grand-daughter? If so, it all sounds like someone I know," Clark told her.

"Possibly. There isn't a bounty for one, but how old is she? They fled a few years ago, so maybe she was too young to get involved in the family business."

Clark thought that Ingun Black-Briar was twenty, at most. And from what Gilda had told him, she was more into her alchemy than crime. He described the Black-Briars to the privateers, and it appeared to be a very good match. No proof, of course. Maven would have been careful to cover her tracks.

"We can't just accuse her without anything concrete to connect her to the other Mavens, so we'll need to bide our time and wait for something to crop up. You say that the Riften Thieves Guild is investigating her, too? I hope they won't want a share of the bounties, although there's plenty of gold involved."

"They just want to be rid of her," Clark reassured them.

---

Jordis opened the door to Proudspire Manor and saw Clark coming up the steps with a young woman she didn't recognise. "Not again," she thought. "It's bad enough that Elisif and Elenwen seem to have first option whenever he's here, but now he's bringing home someone else."

But this was Olfina, and she was eager to find Jon Battle-Born, the new bard at the college. Jordis, naturally, had already ... met him. Illdi and Ataf had taken him to the Winking Skeever, and somehow they'd all ended up at Proudspire that night. Jon was fun, but he was obviously keeping something in reserve, and it turned out it was Olfina who'd be the beneficiary.

"Can Olfina use your room for a couple of days, while she and Jon sort out some other accommodations?"

"Does that mean I'll be sleeping upstairs?"

"Don't you always, when I'm in town?" Clark replied, thinking "and whenever you have company, which is whenever I'm away."

Jordis managed to work out that this meant Clark wasn't intending to bring anyone else back here. Not that he did that with Elisif or Elenwen. And if Gilda turned up again, well last time was fun, so that wouldn't be bad either.

Just in case, she inquired if he had any plans to be anywhere else tonight. "Not yet, but neither Elisif nor Elenwen know I'm back. Let's keep it that way."

Jordis thought that was a good idea, too.

---

"Jordis has a point," Clark was thinking as he left Proudspire on his way to the Blue Palace. "It's only here in Solitude where my housecarl doesn't get first call on my time. Well, maybe Riften, too, but Gilda's more likely than not to be somewhere else when I arrive. She's also forgetting that it means I have more reason to be in Solitude these days. Rayya hardly ever sees me down in Falkreath Hold. And if the Morrowind trade picks up now, I'll be here a lot more often because the East Empire Company prefers to operate from the capital."

The elimination of the Blood Horkers and the restoration of the Morrowind routes was what he wanted to discuss with Elisif. It would mean increased trade for the city, too, and that might have an effect on Tullius' desire to replace her. She'd probably already know from her own sources, such as Erikur, what had happened.

It turned out that Clarisse was there in the foyer, waiting for an audience with the Jarl. She had the same thing on her mind, too. The increased trade with Morrowind was something she'd like a slice of, and since the Red Witch was responsible for the altered state of affairs, she had a good position from which to negotiate.

They met with Elisif together, and she turned to Falk Firebeard and told him to hold any further business until the following day. "We'll continue this discussion in my chambers," she told them, "just in case Erikur wanders in and feels left out."

"And why would he feel left out?" Clarisse asked.

"Because he will be," Clark replied.

---

"That's more than you're getting from Farrun," Clark interrupted, as Clarisse made her opening bid for the privateer contract she wanted.

"How do you know? I've not told you what they're giving us."

"Because firstly, you'd be stupid not to ask for more than you expect, and haggle down, and secondly, because of the over-innocent look on your face when you said it. Believe me, you just don't have a face that does a convincing innocent!"

"And a gentleman will never tell a lady she talks in her sleep. Right, Clark?" Elisif added, with a huge grin.

"What makes you think he knows me that well?" Clarisse demanded.

"Because I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't miss an opportunity. Since I already know that you journeyed all the way across the province together, I'm sure he found one."

"And how...?"

"From my contacts in the East Empire Company, not to mention a few in Farrun, too."

Clarisse changed her tactics, and pointed out that it was in Elisif's interest to be paying a little more than Farrun, as it would mean that Solitude would be the preferred client if there were any conflicts of interest.

"So now we need to find out what you mean by 'a little', don't we?" Elisif replied.

"I think ten percent more would be enough, don't you?" Clark suggested.

"We could agree to that. The actual sum to be put in writing once we have proof of the terms with Farrun?"

"Whose side are you on?" Clarrise asked Clark.

"Both," he replied. "I want you two to come to a fair deal, that you'll both want to keep. I have my own reasons for wanting you to work together, and we'll get to that next."

Elisif raised an eyebrow. Clark's plans were often interesting, to say the least.

[Acadian]

Great idea to use the bards to publicize Iman’s draconic fate.

Oooh! Any foe of Maven is a friend of mine!

I see Jordis has been keeping Proudspire warm. I had forgotten that Jon was an aspiring bard – so I just made the connection of having him come to Solitude. Good thinking!

"And a gentleman will never tell a lady she talks in her sleep. Right, Clark?" - -

[Grits]

Clarisse’s bounty on Maven made me grin. It sounds like Jordis is making good use of Proudspire for the Winking Skeever after-parties. Much better than rattling around in there all alone!

[ghastley]

Acadian: I think there's actually some dialogue where Jon says that he'd like to go to the Bards College, but it may only happen in the one quest.

Grits: Jordis may bounce nicely, but she'd never rattle!

----------

Previously: Clarisse has revealed that she has a bounty for someone called Maven, if only they can prove it's that Maven. Meanwhile, Clark has something for her and Elisif.

----------

Part 75 - Baubles

"Do you have items hidden away in the Blue Palace that you'd be happy to have stolen?" he asked Elisif. "Things you've been given by visiting dignitaries that are just too awful to put out on display?"

"But I can't sell them, or give them away, because they were an official gift? Yes, there's plenty of those. Tasteless baubles, and paintings of ugly relatives - theirs, not mine."

"It's an idea of Karliah's, or perhaps Nocturnal's. The Thieves Guild found that they often stole the same items multiple times. They were always useless things that people bought just to show off their wealth. So they got stolen on commission from others who wanted the same thing. The new owners couldn't complain when they went missing again, because they were stolen goods in the first place. The price the Guild asked when they didn't have a commission should have told anyone that they were stolen."

"Madesi made a few things like that for them, but he's busy on other projects. So now they're looking for new items to add to this system. Gaudy and tasteless seem to be main criteria. The items need to say 'I was bought because I was expensive, not because I have real value' for the best effect. I suspect much of what you'd like to dispose of matches that description."

"Madesi's the one that made that toy you brought me, isn't he?" Elisif pondered for a while. "I'd get a bit of storage space back, but what else is in this for Solitude?"

"Tax revenue, if the stolen art market is at least semi-legitimate. The idea is that a trader in fine art, myself for example, honestly sells the items at a large discount, with the caveat that the provenance is uncertain, and the buyer may have not any rights if the item is found later to have been stolen. If the buyer is happy with that, then the transaction provides income for me and the Guild, tax for the city, and the purchaser gets a reasonable amount of time with the item before it disappears again."

"So it's basically a rental arrangement, that looks like a purchase?" Clarisse asked.

"You've got it. We spice it up with a few seizures of stolen property, where the current holder is able to avoid jail because he has a bill of sale. They lose out on a bit of time with their purchase, but it provides everyone with the security of knowing that the doubtful goods aren't too hot to handle. There's a risk, but the gambling aspect is more likely to be a draw than to put people off."

"So where do I fit in?" Clarisse wanted to know.

"If we can spread the scope of the scheme to other provinces, the items can be more diverse, and the chance of individual ones turning up again in the same place is diminished. That will improve the perceived chance of someone holding on to their 'purchase' for a time. Which makes it a more tempting proposition for the buyer. That takes secure shipping, and you've told me that you've done it in the past."

"And of course, the ones doing all the buying, are the ones that have more gold than they need. It's fairer than taxes, and less likely to raise complaints," Elisif agreed. "So when's the break-in? Maybe the next time Elenwen has a party, and I'm out of the Palace?"

"Actually, we were wondering if you might lend a few things to Erikur, and they'd be stolen from there."

"Most of what I want gone, even he wouldn't want," Elisif replied. "But I'll certainly keep that idea for later. I have enough leverage with him for now."

---

"Clark, you know a bit about Daedric Princesses, don't you?" Jordis began.

"Well, Azura and Nocturnal prefer that term, but Prince is the right one for most of the others. Which one did you want to know about?"

"Meridia, and she sounded female when she spoke to me."

"She spoke to you? When?"

"When I found this in a chest in a cave. It was on the way to find those instruments with Illdi. There were just a few wild animals in there when we went in, but it looked like hunters had sheltered there in the past. We just wanted to get out of the rain, too."

"Tell me more about her speaking to you. Was there a shrine to her in the cave?"

"No, but when I picked this gem thing out of the chest, I heard her voice." Jordis showed Clark a round piece of what looked like quartz, the same material that crystal balls are made from. This was cloudy, like the ones Uzgash and Taminwe used for the flash telegraph machines they'd invented, back in Cyrodiil. It was easy to enchant, and quite versatile in the things it could do, but he'd never heard of it carrying anyone's voice before. Still, this was a Daedric Prince, and they could project through their shrines, so it seemed possible.

"What did she say? Does she want you to do something for her?"

"Yes, something about cleansing her temple at Mount Kilkreath. That's just up the road, half-way to Dragon Bridge, so it wouldn't be far for us to go."

Clark thought back to what his boss, the Champion of Cyrodiil, had told him about Meridia. She apparently really hated necromancers, and they had an equal disaffection for her. He'd cleared out a cave full of them for her, and received a useful ring with a Chameleon enchantment for his troubles. That was one of the artifacts he'd delivered to Nocturnal for return when the old Count of Kvatch died.

"There will doubtless be necromancers there, so it's something we'd want to do for ourselves, anyway. They're a nuisance even without getting a Daedric Prince riled up."

"So does that mean we can go there? Together?"

"All right, but we'll leave first thing in the morning. Even though it's close, I doubt that clearing the place will be quick and easy."

---

Clark knew that a Daedric Prince's powers in Mundus were limited, but even so, this was a situation that Meridia couldn't handle by herself, so it wasn't going to be a simple job. Still, Jordis and he should be a well-balanced team. Neither was much of an archer, but this was to be a temple clearance, with everything at relatively short range. He was sure there would be some complication they hadn't foreseen, but that would just have to work itself out.

When they arrived at the shrine, he was surprised to see a word wall just up the path from the temple. There was no dragon perched on this one, and he wondered if Diablita had been here before him. And if she had, why hadn't Meridia asked her for help?

Whatever had happened in the past, the present was full of surprises, too. When Jordis placed the "beacon" in the hands of the statues at the shrine, it glowed brightly and rose into the sky, taking Jordis with it. He could hear a voice far above him, but it was too far away for him to hear what it said. Jordis told him when she floated gently back down a few moments later.

"Meridia says that there's a necromancer in her temple."

"Just one?" Clark asked. "Presumably a powerful one, if Meridia needs our help."

"I don't know if it's that, or he just knows how to block her power from reaching him. He's buried himself at the bottom of the crypts, with a lot of dead soldiers as fuel for his arcane activities, and Meridia said something about using the power of her own artifact against her."

"Did she give you any clue what that artifact was?" Clark wanted to know. If it was the same ring the Champion had won, they might be dealing with an invisible foe.

"None at all. But you see that light? Meridia says it will guide us to him, and open the doors for us. We have to help her send it through the temple, but she didn't explain how. It's supposed to be obvious, I guess."

[Acadian]

Great fun hearing the intricacies of highbrow thievery at its best. So who knew that disposing of white elephant gifts could be so elegantly resolved via thievery? It was likewise interesting learning how modern concepts that we take for granted (‘rent- to-own’ and ‘secure shipping’) got their start from the TES TG!

"Meridia, and she sounded female when she spoke to me."
Sounds like a quest coming. . . .
"What did she say? Does she want you to do something for her?"
Does a big bear poop in the woods?

Oh, it will be great fun to see Clark and Jordis adventuring together for a time!

[ghastley]

Acadian: If Uzgash and Taminwe can invent the telegraph, then why shouldn't Karliah invent Sotheby's?

As for bears, apparently not in Skyrim. But then, all the buckets are empty, too.

------------

Previously Clark had explained the "art" market to Clarisse and Elisif, and then gone to Meridia's Temple with Jordis to find out what she wanted her to do.

------------

Part 76 - Meridia's Temple

Once they got inside, it did become a bit clearer. The light was shining on a pedestal with another of the crystal orbs in it. When they activated the pedestal, the orb was raised into the light and reflected it onward. Apparently they needed to do that a few more times to let the light continue its path.

"And this necromancer we're after just shut these down on his way in, I'd imagine," Clark mused. "There must be a reason they're moveable. Presumably there's more than one path for the light."

"Malkoran," said Jordis. "That's the name of the necromancer. Meridia didn't tell me much about him, just his name. I don't even know what race he is, so we don't know if he resists Frost or Fire."

"They usually don't resist Sword, so use that," Clark replied.

After the first door opened, it was obvious that it wasn't just going to be one man against them. Malkoran had raised a number of skeletal warriors in his service. Not the usual walking bones, but ones that floated in a dark cloud unlike anything he'd seen in Tamriel. But not unlike something he'd seen briefly in the Soul Cairn, when he went with Serana to fetch Valerica. Serana had quickly dispatched it with an Ice Spike before he got a good look, so they had their vulnerabilities, if these were the same.

Jordis' sword seemed to work well enough against them. They weren't using spells, and even though a few were archers, they weren't the problem they could have been outdoors. Corpses were everywhere, most wearing the armours of Imperial and Stormcloak troops, so it was clear where Malkoran was getting his recruits from.

At one point, the path of the light beam left the building and crossed a balcony above the road to Solitude, so they followed it outside, and back in again. They were climbing up and down stairs, and crossing bridges, and jumping from one pillar to another to reach all the pedestals and their light-guiding crystals, all the time being harassed by Malkoran's undead minions.

Finally a door they'd passed several times opened at last, and the path lead downward to the crypt. Would they finally meet Markoran, and put an end to all this?

"If this is Malkoran up ahead, he'll be a spell-caster," Clark reasoned. "Get behind me and I'll use my ward. You can use your bow from back there, so get it ready."

"It seems odd putting the heavy armour at the rear, but I guess against magic, it's all back to front," Jordis agreed.

---

So naturally, the first opponents in the crypt itself were more of the corrupted shades. Jordis' arrows took them down almost as effectively as her sword would, and then it was just Malkoran left.

His ice storm spell was blocked by Clark's ward, but the wall of ice it produced blocked Jordis' view, and she couldn't see Malkoran to shoot at him. Clark pressed forward, and the ice crumbled out of his way.

Malkoran was running off to one side, trying to get an angle where he could use his spells around the ward, as penetrating it seemed impossible. But he couldn't run and aim a spell at the same time. Jordis hit him in the knee with an arrow and slowed his progress.

Clark didn't have time to make any guard jokes before another frost wall formed on his ward. Now would he try and move back the other way, or stay where he was? The knee would slow him, so Clark just pushed the ice out of the way again, and kept moving into the room. Once they got close enough for them to use their swords, it should all be over.

If they got close enough. Malkoran appeared to have healed himself and was almost to the other side of the room before they could see him clearly. Clark was wondering how he managed to keep casting those high-magicka frost spells, but Malkoran was probably wondering the same about his ward.

He left Jordis safely behind a pillar, and moved around to try and close on Malkoran from a different angle. The necromancer didn't dodge in the direction he expected, but it brought him closer to Jordis. She leapt out of her hiding place and swung hard at the black-robed figure. He staggered and burst into flames, as the enchantment on her blade kicked in. She didn't let him recover, and kept up the attack. Just as she had little defence from his magical attacks, he had no way to resist her blade, and he died.

But before they could celebrate, another shade took his place. They'd have to kill him twice, it seemed. This time, however, they were already in sword range, both of them, with Fiery Soul Trap on each.

The shade went for Clark, seeing a choice of an armoured foe with a shield, or one with neither. Fortunately for Clark, its shock spell fizzled uncast as it was overwhelmed. It wouldn't have killed him, of course, but it would have been quite unpleasant.

And now both of them could hear Meridia's voice, telling them to take Dawnbreaker from its stand. This obviously wasn't the ring that Clark had expected, but something larger. It wasn't until they got close that they could see what it was. A bright glow surrounding it dazzled them in the dim room.

Clark told Jordis to take the sword, and when she did so, the light grew even brighter, and they both had to close their eyes.

---

When Clark could open his again, he was standing on the platform in front of the statue. Jordis was nowhere to be seen, but a bright light was shining down, from right above where they'd placed the beacon. It gradually lowered, dazzling him again as it approached, and then faded somewhat after the orb that was its source landed. Now he could see Jordis again. Had she been up there with the orb?

Yes, she had. Meridia had told her about the enchantment on the sword. It was all about power against the undead, making them burn like her other sword, but also having a chance to make them explode, dealing further damage to any others around them, and making them flee.

"Does it always glow like that?" Clark asked.

"Yes, I couldn't imagine trying to sneak while I was using this. So I don't see it replacing my other sword, but I'll probably carry whichever suits the situation. There are enough draugr out there to make this really useful."

"Meridia wants me to go and kill more undead with it," she continued. "Am I supposed to do what she said, or keep being your housecarl?"

"Your choice," Clark replied. "Which do you expect to be more rewarding?"

"Let's go back to Proudspire and give that some consideration, shall we?"

[Acadian]

It was nice to see Meridia’s quest, as that is one that Buffy does not often do.

"They usually don't resist Sword, so use that," Clark replied.’ - - So I’m told. And they don’t resist arrows well either.

"It seems odd putting the heavy armour at the rear, but I guess against magic, it's all back to front," Jordis agreed. -- I love her astute observation here!

Go for the eyes, Boo! knees, Jordis!

My ending advice for Jordis? Go home with the one what brung ya.

[ghastley]

Acadian: It seems to be a difference between Oblivion and Skyrim, that they've now completely separated physical and magical damage, and armour resists physical only, and wards resist magical only. Even the mage armour spells only resist physical attacks. That's one reason Rayya loves her pair of enchanted scimitars, they deal both sorts.

------------

Previously: Clark helped Jordis do Meridia's quest, so she now has a choice of swords.

------------

Part 77 - Housecarls

"No, being the housecarl doesn't mean you can't leave the house, and you already know that, or the Winking Skeever would be wondering where you are. So why do you get the idea that you can't go off adventuring when you get the urge to do so?"

"Because that's dangerous, or it wouldn't be any fun. And I have to look after myself, because I'm your housecarl. I can go out with you, because we'd both be taking the same risk. Or would be, if you weren't immortal. Still, you're looking after me, so it's less risky that way, isn't it?"

Jordis still seemed a bit confused about her duty to Clark. She'd sworn the standard oath when she took the job, but it had all taken a twist she wasn't expecting after that. She was sworn to protect him, but he didn't really need that. And he wasn't all that worried about Proudspire, because he was rich enough to replace just about anything. Besides, with his connections to the Thieves Guild, nothing was going to walk off without him knowing all about it, probably in advance.

The bit she did understand wasn't going the way she'd planned it, either. Becoming a housecarl was a calculated gamble. There was a good chance for a woman to get her position upgraded to spouse, and you knew you'd be getting a Thane, who'd already proved himself worthy. And they were usually well-off, too.

She'd given that idea up, and if she was honest with herself, housecarl was a better job for her than housewife. She had all the benefits, (at least when Clark was in town, which wasn't enough in her opinion,) and she didn't have to give up adventuring completely. She just wasn't sure how to play the role she found herself in.

---

Clark understood that, and reflected on how his other housecarls were dealing with the same situation.

Rayya had been made steward of his Lakeview Manor, so she was even more prone to feel herself house-bound. That property didn't have city walls around it, and giants, bandits and wild animals were always wandering by. He'd found it hard to convince her that it was well-enough built to be safe when the doors were locked, and she could go into town whenever she felt like it. But she enjoyed those unpredictable skirmishes, and the house itself was definitely comfortable, so she did her adventuring at home.

Iona had thrown herself into learning to smith. She'd decided that developing a useful skill was the best way to serve. It let her look after her Thane's friends, when he wasn't around to need her, and serve him by proxy. She'd become friendly with Mjoll, and was generally helping to balance out the Black-Briar influence on Riften, which was also in her Thane's best interest.

Lydia was just living in his house and having fun. She appeared to have the balance of concern for his property and treating it as her own about right. Of course, she'd look after his home; it was her home. She'd looked after Gilda for him, too, and that had all turned out well.

Clark decided that Jordis really didn't want the responsibility for making her own decisions. It hadn't taken long for her to decide that she preferred being a housecarl to being Meridia's Champion, although she'd happily use that sword on draugr when she found them. She just wasn't going hunting them unless Clark took her. He suggested that she ask the city guard to let her know when they came across any necromancers, as dealing with those would keep Meridia happy, too.

---

He set off back towards Riften, as he needed to coordinate the expansion of the stolen art trade with Gilda and Karliah. It only made sense to drop in to Whiterun on the way, and see what Lydia had been getting up to while he was gone. He wasn't expecting her to have found another of the Stones of Barenziah, right there in the city.

"I was surprised, too," she told him. "I'd agreed to clear the catacombs beneath the Hall of the Dead for Andurs. He'd left his amulet of Arkay down there a few weeks back, but when he went looking, he'd heard noises that made him think the dead were getting a bit restless."

"I thought it was his job to make sure they didn't," Clark asked.

"Me too, but I guess he can't do that while they're already up and walking around, especially as a lot of them were put down there with their weapons. So he asked me to make sure they were really dead, before he did the rites again. He'd use the stronger ones next time, he assured me."

"And the Stone was down in the catacombs, I assume."

"Yes, just sitting in an empty alcove. It did make me wonder if the Stone had anything to do with the skeletons getting back up and walking around, so I showed it to Farengar, and asked him. He didn't think it could do that on its own, but since crystals often focus any magic that's around them, he couldn't rule out it having had an effect."

"Did you get a reward from Andurs?"

"Only fifteen gold, but I found a book while I was hunting skeletons, that taught me to block better, so it wasn't a waste of time, even without finding the Stone."

---

In Riften, Mjoll and Brelyna were waiting with two more of the gems. They'd found them while retrieving the staff for Arniel, or rather Enthir.

"And that's not all," Mjoll told him. "On our way from Rannveig's Fast to Sunderstone Gorge, we came across an Orc who'd just killed a couple of Sabre Cats. We were quite impressed, as he was only wearing fur armour, and carrying an iron sword."

"He told us that he'd been hoping that the cats would have killed him, but it didn't happen that way," Brelyna added. "He even asked us if we'd kill him. He wanted a good death, as he was too old to live."

"Well, after a bit of persuasion, we discovered that he'd propositioned one of the Chief's younger sisters, and she'd put him off by telling him he was too old for her. Apparently that had hit a raw nerve, as he'd been feeling that he'd missed his best chances when he was younger."

"He'd have done better if he'd chosen someone else," Mjoll remarked. "Younger sisters are usually in line to be married off to other chiefs, and have to stay, how shall I put this? Eligible? He'd have done better with the hunts-wife, or even the wise woman."

"I'm not sure he really understood how the strongholds operate," Brelyna offered. "Sure, the chief is the only one who's allowed to have children, but that really means only his wives can have them. I'm convinced that at least half the kids have other fathers. And the older sisters, aunts, cousins and so on who stay with the tribe, have decided not have children, not to sleep alone. They all know that spell, even if it's the only one they use."

"Where is all this story leading?" Mjoll resumed. "We managed to convince him that he still did have something to live for, and that he wasn't told old for it. He gave us a spell tome, as a reward, and Brelyna's been checking it out."

"I don't want to learn the spell myself, but I've been doing a bit of research on it," Brelyna told Clark. "Apparently, it will let the caster transform into a larger than normal Orc, with extra two-handed skill, and the equivalent of my Ebonyflesh spell. Quite a formidable option, for someone who's basically a magic-user, and doesn't go toe-to-toe with their enemies on a regular basis."

"I'm thinking of giving it to Aerin," Mjoll added. "He's really only skilled in Restoration, and wouldn't think of fighting anybody. But that means that bully Maul picks on him, whenever he feels like it. I think it would be very amusing if he got a nasty surprise next time."

[Acadian]

What a fun collection of housecarlian musings. Clark has a fun little crew there to keep his holdings in order and carry his burdens. Wow, those mysterious gems just keep mysteriously turning up. And your Hulk up spell is perfect for Aerin!

Gosh, so often it happens that Buffy wishes she had the same luck that Mjoll and Brelyna did with an old orc. She’s never been able to talk them out of their deathwish – not even with an offer to hire them as a follower to guard her horse. And fighting one is out of the question as well. If the orc wins, well Buffy’s dead and that’s bad. If Buffy wins, the orc will have been killed by a tree elf one third his size and that is hardly a good death. The best she has ever been able to do is lure any nearby capable foes to the old orc. The only time it has ever worked is when she (astride Superian of course) managed to taunt and lead three snow trolls to an old orc. That resulted (finally) in a good death for the old fellow.