I am Lena Wolf, Lena's life as it happens Options

[Lena Wolf]

5-6 Hearthfire, 4E202 - The view of Falkreath - Elinhir

Going North from the shrine of Hermaeus Mora, Lena and Geralt could see the Chapel of Arkay in Falkreath quite a distance away. They couldn't see any other buildings, and figured the town would be on the other side of the hill. The road turned West however, and Geralt pointed out that they should just make for the chapel cross-country.

"But here is a road" - Lena put on her stubborn face. "It goes somewhere. Falkreath is the nearest settlement here, so it must go to Falkreath."

"But it goes in the wrong direction!" - Geralt protested. "Falkreath is back there!"

"Well, may be it just circles around a big rock or something!" - she continued marching.

"I think you shouldn't go to the Red Hall again" - Geralt shook his head. "It makes you more stubborn than usual."

The road stretched West, and didn't circle back. After about an hour walking, the landscape started changing, it got warmer, the snow receded and greenery took its place. A woman in her underwear stood along the road, looking bored.

"Hello and welcome to Hammerfell" - she smiled when Lena greeted her. "Coming from Cyrodiil and going to Skyrim, were you?" - the woman noticed a confused look on Lena's face. "You crossed the border back there at the Threesome Junction."

"The... what?"

"The point where three countries meet: Cyrodiil, Hammerfell and Skyrim. That road goes right trough it. You continued West into Hammerfell" - the woman explained. It seemed she was quite used to it.

"And you are..?"

"A guard" - the woman smiled again. "This is armour, not underwear. Hammerfell is not Skyrim - we do not require all that excessive clothing!" - she looked Lena over, shaking her head.

"Oh" - Lena returned the guard's stare. "I see. Good day to you." She turned and marched off West.

...

"That guard was certainly arresting" - Geralt quipped as they were walking through the wilderness. "Oh come on - fashions vary from country to country!"

"But she was half naked!"

"She had a hood on!"

"We are not in Blackwood! It isn't that warm!"

"You just want such armour for yourself" - Geralt winked. "It is probably enchanted against cold, as well as against damage, because it didn't look very protective in itself."

Lena glared at him, but Geralt only smirked.

"Oh look - what's this?"

They almost walked into a wall. It was made of whole tree trunks and was completely blending into the surrounding forest. They followed it.

...

"Perfectly straight - and with a right corner" - Lena commented as the wall suddenly turned left. "And I can see lights through the gap - it's a settlement. Which means that there must be a gate for entering it. But we've been here already, and didn't find it."

They stood by a road sign that seemed to imply this was where you would enter Elinhir, except that there didn't seem to be any gates or doors for doing so.

"Turn around" - Geralt called from a short distance away. "Come stand here and turn around."

There was no door but there was an opening in the wall, perfectly visible from where Geralt was standing, and completely concealed if you looked at it from any other angle.

"A trick of light" - Lena was amazed. "Basically, you only find it if you know where to look."

"Where to look from" - Geralt corrected her. "Clever."

Elinhir was a small settlement spread out on a largely empty patch of land within the walls. Cows, chickens and horses walked freely between the houses, and Lena commented that in a town like this, it wasn't necessary to leave your horse outside - there was plenty of room within the walls. Walking around and marvelling at everything they saw, they didn't notice how tired they were and how late it was, until eventually their stomachs' grumbles could not be ignored any longer.

"There must be an inn here" - Lena turned to Geralt. "Let's try a few doors."

The Mammoth Tail Inn was deserted.

"Just how late is it?" - Lena wondered, finding people sleeping in their beds and not selling them any food or drink. Judging by the stars, it was well past midnight.

"If it's an inn, they have a remarkable lack of sleeping accommodations" - Geralt noted, finding the two beds occupied. "We'll have to camp in the dining room."

They spread their bedrolls and fell asleep, exhausted.

6 Hearthfire

"Oh don't mind me" - someone tripped over Lena's head. "Here, have a sweetroll."

In the morning the inn was still devoid of customers, but at least the staff were serving breakfast, and Geralt was already hard at work sampling local selection of pastries.

"Do you get a lot of visitors here?" - Lena asked the innkeeper, looking around.

"Some of the locals come for breakfast or dinner from time to time" - the innkeeper looked around the empty room. "But as Elinhir only has five houses, that's not very often" - she smiled. "But we are the last settlement in Hammerfell, so anyone travelling to Skyrim or Cyrodiil has to stop here for the night - Falkreath is a day's journey away."

"Stop for the night... but you have no beds to offer" - Geralt looked up.

"Well, you managed, didn't you" - the innkeep winked. "Most people just pitch a camp outside or come with their own caravan. We couldn't rent out rooms even if we wanted to."

It seemed not just clothes varied from country to country.

...

The way to Falkreath was uneventful. Once they passed the Threesome Junction - quite obvious, now that they knew what to look for - the landscape changed to snow again and Skyrim welcomed them with its crisp cold air.

"It's good to be back home again" - Lena turned to Geralt. "Hammerfell was... different."

"Home? Skyrim could be home for me, certainly, but isn't it rather Cyrodiil for you?" - Geralt raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the Niben Valley" - Lena sighed wistfully. "But Skyrim comes close too."

They walked in silence for some time, then the Chapel of Arkay in Falkreath became visible on top of a hill. But first, a chasm lay before them, filled with unusual crystal formations.

"How... How is this possible?" - Lena was looking at the crystals in disbelief. "These are not of this realm..."

"Oh, I've seen them around" - Geralt wasn't surprised. "Perhaps you need to spend more time in Skyrim" - he smiled.

However, it was getting late and they decided to direct their efforts towards finding an inn - the chasm could wait until tomorrow.

[Lena Wolf]

7 Hearthfire, 4E202 - Falkreath

"Well, that's more like it" - Lena caught herself thinking as she woke up to the smell of fresh coffee at the Falkreath inn. Geralt was already up, and after breakfast they set off in search of any records of the Second Imperial Legion from about two hundred years ago. They started at the chapel.

"Oh, I'm not that old!" - the healer laughed. "The Legion has not been stationed here in a very long time. But yes, I've heard stories of past wars - and massacres - and yes, there should be some archives around here somewhere... Sorry, I am not being very helpful" - she looked apologetic. "Speak to Runil - the Priest of Arkay - he might know more. He's usually at the inn..."

Runil was indeed at the inn, snoozing by the fire.

"What can an old elf do for you?" - he lifted his eyes to Lena when she gently touched his arm. "Oh... I think I know" - he added, looking at Lena and Geralt in turn. "Asgarsens, both of you?"

Runil was an old Altmer, which meant that not only was he alive two hundred years ago, but he was middle-aged already then, and assuming he lived in Falkreath, he should have known their father. He must have done, for he saw the family resemblance in their faces.

"We are looking for any information about our father, yes" - Lena smiled with relief. "Wolf Asgarsen, Commander of the Second Imperial Legion. We came here hoping to find some Legion Archives and may be records of our father's death... Although that is a slim hope."

"Yes, there are records here - in the Barracks cellar" - Runil nodded. "I can take you there, if you wish. But you won't find your father's death certificate there. You do know who your mother was? What she was?" Lena nodded. "Of course you do..." - Runil continued, looking over her attire. "Followed in her footsteps, I see." There was no judgement in his words. "Well, after her death, your father quit the Legion. At least officially - like the Dark Brotherhood, you can never quit the Legion fully. I do not know if he joined the Brotherhood proper..." - he paused as Lena shook her head. "Ah, I thought so. But he became an assassin, an Agent - it's not a rank, it's a title. It's all very hush-hush, so you won't find any records of him from that point on. Not in any Imperial Legion archives, that is."

"But..." - Lena's eyes burned with a thousand questions, but Geralt stopped her.

"It's nearly lunchtime, and before you subject this mer to your interrogation, we should at least order some food and drink." Runil's face cleared, and Geralt knew his words hit the spot.

...

They spent most of the afternoon in conversation with Runil who seemed quite glad to have fresh audience for his tales of the past - tales that no one wanted to hear any longer, as no one knew any of the people in them. But Runil wasn't just telling tales, he wanted to hear tales too - of the Pale Pass Fortress, the desk filled with papers, the secret safe in the bedroom and of course the two wraiths that Geralt finally put to rest.

"'Wolf spawn' they called you?" - he smirked at that. "That'll be Haldor the Bear - the bigger one of the two. But I suppose they looked different as wraiths."

"One was fighting like a bear, yes" - Geralt nodded. "Who was the other one?"

"Rolf the Monk" - Runil's eye twinkled. "Always hiding in the kitchen by the mead kegs. I am glad they are truly gone now, although I doubt Arkay would accept their souls, not after all this time..."

"So, there are no records of our father after he left the post of Commander" - Lena brought the conversation back. "But I think you know a thing or two, records or no records" - she smiled at Runil. "Would you tell us, please?"

"Well..." - Runil was sitting back in his chair, smiling into his wine. "Since you ask so nicely..." He took another sip. "Two things you need to ask yourselves: Why is there a crystal formation just outside Falkreath that belongs in the Shivering Isles' Greymarch? And why are both of you susceptible to transformations?" He looked at them shrewdly, gauging whether they understood the questions. The first one was straightforward, but the second one...

"Transformations?" - Lena looked up. "How do you mean?"

"Your vampirism - of course you got infected by accident, like everyone else, but why did you get infected so easily? Why did the cure not go far enough? Why do you still transform?"

"Oh! I see..." - Lena looked at Geralt. "Wolfsbane in that potion you gave me... It worked."

"I know. I have the same problem."

"But you are not a vampire!"

"No" - Runil touched Lena's arm. "Not a vampire. But have you noticed the colour of his eyes? His night vision? His sense of smell? Witcher senses, of course, brought about by the Trial of Grasses. Very few survive that trial, which is a transformation, but survive it he did, coming out stronger than most. That surge of adrenaline... very few witchers get it quite as high. Why is that? It's like he transforms..." Runil was looking at Lena, smiling. Lena was looking at Geralt, seeing him in an entirely new light. Yes, she had seen him transform. He didn't change shape - he was still a man - but his whole being seemed to change: he moved faster and smoother, he jumped higher, he twirled his sword faster, and his lunges and thrusts were far more powerful... and his voice... But surely, those were just the wolves. "They call him the White Wolf" - Runil continued. "Do you think it's just because the wolf was his school's symbol?"

"It was our father's name" - Lena looked at Runil, uncertain. "That must be why they chose the School of the Wolf for Geralt."

"Is that all?"

Was Lena trying not to see the obvious? She seemed to have been pushing it away from her, but it didn't make it disappear.

"Lycanthropy can by cured" - she looked at Geralt. "And besides, you don't have it. I am confused now."

"I am not a werewolf, no" - Geralt shook his head, smiling. "And yet wolfsbane was the first herb I had to find in Skyrim. Runil, how did you know?" - he looked at the elf with a question.

"I've lived a long time" - he smiled. "I've known a lot of men from their first day to their last - human life is so short compared to that of an Altmer. I've watched generations pass before my eyes. I know the signs. Not a werewolf, not a plain one, anyway. He doesn't have lycanthropy" - he added, turning to Lena. "The same as you are not a dragon, even though you are Dragonborn."

"So our father..?" - Lena didn't know what to think.

"He was Dragonborn, he was... not quite a werewolf... and yes, he might still live" - Runil refilled his glass. "Follow the trail and see where it leads you. Don't forget those crystals in the chasm here either. I have given you clues - it is up to you to discover the rest."

[macole]

Their father, an agent? Could he be The Agent. Yes, I think so. Wow, this is really good.
Umm, how old is Lena?

[Lena Wolf]

Their father, an agent? Could he be The Agent. Yes, I think so. Wow, this is really good.
Umm, how old is Lena?

Yes, that... Complicated.

Lena was born in 3E417, Geralt was born in 3E413, their mother died in 3E421, and their father "quit" the Legion soon afterwards. So when certain events over the border took place in 3E427... Where was Agent Wolf Asgarsen then? The Imperial Archives have no records about that.

Then of course the Oblivion Crisis happened in 3E433, followed by the Greymarch in the Shivering Isles, all this taking several years. The Fourth Era commenced in 3E438.

How old is Lena then? It is now 4E202, so on the face of it she is 223 years old, but that's wrong. She was born 223 years ago, but time passes differently in other realms, such as Oblivion Deadlands and the Shivering Isles, not to mention the Northern Realms and the Great Ocean that one must cross to get there. In terms of life experience, Lena is about 50 years old. In contrast, Geralt is double her age even though he was born only 4 years before her.

Time is complicated.

[Lena Wolf]

Their father, an agent? Could he be The Agent. Yes, I think so. Wow, this is really good.
Umm, how old is Lena?

Yes, that... Complicated.

Lena was born in 3E417, Geralt was born in 3E413, their mother died in 3E421, and their father "quit" the Legion soon afterwards. So when certain events over the border took place in 3E427... Where was Agent Wolf Asgarsen then? The Imperial Archives have no records about that.

Wait - it just dawned on me: The Agent was the hero of Daggerfall, not Morrowind! The events spawn the years 3E405 to 3E417... Wow. Wow!! Yes, look how that fits!!

When I bought Oblivion from GOG, I got Daggerfall and Arena for free. Never downloaded either game though. But now I also found this: Daggerfall Unity - remade for modern computers. Just skimmed through an outline of the main events. I see it coming.

Of course Runil told them that Wolf Asgarsen only became an Agent after their mother's death, that's in 3E421, but who is to say that he wasn't an "unofficial" Agent before that. Hmmm. Some things we shall never know.

...hours later...

Gosh, Macole - you spun me off into an entirely new direction. Daggerfall has been remastered! Daggerfall Unity mentioned above, plus DREAM - and you have an entirely new game. Daggerfall 2020. Wow. I think once Lena gives birth, she'll be stuck at home for a while anyway, so that will be the time to let another character take the lead. Agent Wolf Asgarsen? Why not.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Nov 9 2021, 12:41 PM

[macole]

Wait - it just dawned on me: The Agent was the hero of Daggerfall, not Morrowind! The events spawn the years 3E405 to 3E417... Wow. Wow!! Yes, look how that fits!!

When I bought Oblivion from GOG, I got Daggerfall and Arena for free. Never downloaded either game though. But now I also found this: Daggerfall Unity - remade for modern computers. Just skimmed through an outline of the main events. I see it coming.

Of course Runil told them that Wolf Asgarsen only became an Agent after their mother's death, that's in 3E421, but who is to say that he wasn't an "unofficial" Agent before that. Hmmm. Some things we shall never know.

...hours later...

Gosh, Macole - you spun me off into an entirely new direction. Daggerfall has been remastered! Daggerfall Unity mentioned above, plus DREAM - and you have an entirely new game. Daggerfall 2020. Wow. I think once Lena gives birth, she'll be stuck at home for a while anyway, so that will be the time to let another character take the lead. Agent Wolf Asgarsen? Why not.

The Agent in Daggerfall is was I’m talking about.

As it’s been mentioned the Jandaga lived through the Daggerfall affair. With the Ladies giving him that cross-eyed stare, he was wondering how he was going to explain the two wild childs wandering around Tamriel some 200-years hence claiming to be his children. Then he remembered that the dragon break excuse. It makes everything possible.

Daggerfall Unity is an amazing project. I dreamed but never thought something like this would ever be accomplished. It plays so well. I’ve spent hours with no bugs or crashes.

Unity is good on its own but with 5 easy to install mods it is absolutely a D.R.E.A.M come true. I use 20 mods BTW.

One last thing, Daggerfall was where my idea for Kaleah’s story began.

[Lena Wolf]

Macole, I think there may have been more than one Agent in those times. There was a lot to do! 12 years is a long time. The Jandaga is an elf, while Wolf Asgarsen was definitely a Nord, so to reconcile this, they would both have to be snow elves or something... Not impossible in itself, but I think what rather happened, was that everything got mixed up during the Warp - people couldn't remember what happened anyway. There were many stories about The Agent - but note how no one knows what he looked like, what race he was or even whether it was a man or a woman! That's because there were several people working for the Emperor there, each bearing the title of The Agent. The Legion likes its plausible deniability - that's why they like Hauk so much, because of Iver, his twin brother. No one can ever be sure which one they saw at any given time, in particular from a distance wearing a helmet.

So the Jandaga can firmly tell his ladies that if he can't remember ever begetting two wild kids with a Breton assassin, that's because it didn't happen. It was another Agent altogether.

[Lena Wolf]

8 Hearthfire, 4E202 - Crystal Chasm

"So, what about these crystal formations?" - Lena put her hand on one protruding from a chasm just South of Falkreath. "They belong in the Shivering Isles' Greymarch - they are Jyggalag's, symbols of order or some such. They are not supposed to appear in Mundus, or to have any other meaning. I don't get it." She looked at Geralt with a question.

"I don't have an answer to that" - shrugged Geralt. "But I have seen them elsewhere in Skyrim. They are just as strange as these Oblivion gates - why have they not stopped appearing in spite of the Oblivion Crisis being over and done with? Perhaps this is connected."

"There must be a conduit that allows it" - mused Lena. "I wonder if it is related to the dragons returning, too."

She was still standing by the crystal, holding her hand on it.

"Let's have a look at the cave that these crystals enclose" - she said matter-of-factly.

"Cave? What cave? I don't see any cave" - Geralt looked at her suspiciously. "How do you know there's a cave here?"

"I do not know" - said Lena slowly. "It's this way" - she pointed.

The cave was completely made up of crystal formations, floor, walls, ceiling - everything. It was like being inside one of them.

"You know those Obelisks in the Shivering Isles? They are always there, but normally they are inert, just sitting there like rocks. However, during Greymarch, they open up, there's energy streaming through them, and they spawn Knights of Order. I wonder if they are in fact not solid as they seem to be, but hollow, extending deep underground, so that all they do during Greymarch, is just lift up the lid..." She looked around. "I wonder if we are in one such Obelisk now."

"Or something similar" - Geralt nodded. "Can you feel the buzz?"

Yes, she could feel the buzz, she could hear the din too. And then she could see it - a Legion Commander standing before them. Their father, or his ghost.

"I see you finally found this memory capsule" - he said. "I am not actually here, it is a recorded memory, preserved by the crystal. There was a service I did for Jyggalag, and in return he granted me a way to speak to you, even from beyond my grave. My only regret is that I cannot see you."

"Must be a blood enchantment" - Geralt whispered in Lena's ear. "Activated by our presence."

"There are other capsules like this in Skyrim, each holding a different message. I could not be sure which one you would find... although I was pretty sure you'd start here, in Falkreath."

"Father, can you hear us?" - Lena got up and approached the apparition. It made a movement but did not reply.

"It is enchanted to sense our presence, no more" - said Geralt. "You cannot actually talk to him. Pity."

"That wouldn't be something that Jyggalag could ever accomplish" - Lena turned to him. "He is too orderly."

"It is now the year 427 of the Third Era, and the Empire is once again in turmoil" - the apparition resumed its message. "Since you are here, you must have spoken to Runil, and he would have told you that after your mother's death in the year 421 I quit the Legion and became an Agent - an Agent of the Blades. Of course I didn't actually quit the Legion, but all official records of my activity had seized. This was different from my previous work when I was still officially a Commander. The Warp in the West served to confuse all of those accounts anyway, but the Legion regretted not to have made me a detached Agent already then. There are more people like me, of course. As of now, I depart for Morrowind to assist with the crisis there. There is no way of telling what will occur, but the signs are not good. Daedric activity is suspected, but may be it is something entirely different. One thing is for certain: the Blood Moon is on the rise."

The apparition paused, as if waiting for a response.

"Blood Moon?" - Lena looked at Geralt who wasn't taking his eyes off it, listening intently.

"Hircine's Great Hunt" - he answered without turning. "Not the same as the Wild Hunt that I was chasing in the Northern Realms, oh, this one is entirely different. But it seems I have a Hunt to chase again."

"You? Why? Oh..." Geralt's eyes seemed to be more orange than usual.

"Yes, I have felt it for a while already. The Great Hunt of the Fourth Era is upon us, but father - he was drawn into the previous one."

"But you are not a werewolf!!" - Lena exclaimed with defiance. "And neither was father! I hope..."

"You don't need to be a werewolf to be drawn into it" - Geralt looked at her as the apparition seemed to be waiting for them to finish talking. "Hircine marks his chosen ones, and father as Dragonborn was of course of great interest. I wonder why you haven't been marked? You don't seem to feel it."

"No, I don't" - Lena shrugged. "But I have absorbed several dragon souls already, father never had - there were no dragons around then. I wonder if it shields me from Hircine."

"Perhaps" - agreed Geralt, turning back to the apparition. "Please, continue" - he said to it.

"This capsule can only hold a short message, and my time is almost up" - the apparition continued. "I left you some accounts of the past in the other capsules, if you are curious. I shall try to leave traces - scrolls or letters - here and there, but you understand I cannot do it openly, and I have no knowledge how long these messages will have to wait for you to find them - it could be centuries for all I know. I shall try to find a way. I love you, children. I hope your lives are less tumultuous than mine, although I fear it is an empty hope."

The apparition fizzled out and vanished, the buzz and the din stopped. The crystal cavern they were in, was perfectly still. Geralt took out the scroll with their father's letter that they found at the Pale Pass Fortress.

"This was written some years after this message, I think" - he reread it. "There's no date, but from the way he talks about you, you must be older than ten - your age at the time of the recording we've just heard. I think he wrote this when the Oblivion Crisis broke out and you went about closing those gates..." - he looked up at her. "Talking about a tumultuous life" - he smirked. "Besides, in the letter he says that he became an Assassin, but in the recording he only says he's an Agent, which is more general."

"So what - he returned to the Pale Pass Fortress years later to hide this scroll?" - Lena was unsure.

"Why not? He said he wanted to leave traces for us to find and use secure places to do it. He knew you'd trace him to the Pale Pass Fortress, so it was a perfect place to leave a breadcrumb" - Geralt smiled at her. "He must have fought those wraiths that we finally put to rest..."

"That you put to rest" - Lena sat down next to him, hugging him around the shoulders. "Master Witcher, do be careful with them werewolves. They can swarm on you" - she winked.

"Oh, I'm not leaving yet" - he put his arm around her. "Hircine's Great Hunt is still some time off, although the werewolves are already swarming in Skyrim. There have been no other signs so far. From what I understand, Hircine likes to prepare these things in advance..."

They sat in a crystal cavern holding each other close, having just seen for the first time an image of their father. A ghostly image, but an image nonetheless...

[Lena Wolf]

12 Hearthfire, 4E202 - Proposal

"We need a better house" - Lucien was lying next to Lena in the Wolf Sanctuary in Cheydinhal, caressing her belly. "One with enough room and good security."

"This house has it all" - Lena looked at him in surprise. "Plenty of room, and what could be more secure than the Black Door in the basement?"

"And the well in the garden?" - Lucien shook his head. "No, that won't do. A child should not be seeing assassins coming and going every day."

Lena looked at him in disbelief, then started laughing.

"Are you serious?" - she was almost choking with laughter. "A child of two assassins will be seeing assassins every day! And besides, I'd like to know how you intend to keep Ocheeva away, once she decides to play the grandmother." They laughed at the thought. "Anyway, we have time to think about it. It isn't even showing yet. Much."

Lucien put his arm around her.

"You will need to take it easy now" - he said softly. "While this lasts."

"If you are suggesting that I sit still and do nothing all day, this isn't going to happen" - Lena was getting defensive. "I have no morning sickness even, there's no reason what-so-ever..." Lucien put his finger across her lips.

"Except protecting the child, of course" - he smiled.

Lena looked at him darkly, anger building up in her. "No."

Lucien knew better than to argue or to point out that she already started getting moody more than usual. He didn't expect her to agree to just stay at home, although he had to try.

"Will you marry me?" - he asked, looking into her eyes.

Lena almost jumped out of bed.

"Whatever for?!" - she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Mara cannot add anything to what binds us already."

"True" - he touched her shoulder, settling her back down into the bed. She could never resist it when he touched her like that, letting a wave of calm wash over her. In such moments she so wished she was born an Imperial... "Marry me so that our child could have a surname, as well as both parents registered in the Imperial Archives. And so that he or she would not get teased by other children for being fatherless."

They looked at each other with one of those long gazes that seemed to carry a wordless conversation. Grown up without their own fathers, they both knew what he meant.

"Yes" - Lena nodded. "Yes, I will marry you."

Lucien smiled, kissed her and got up for more coffee.

"What about the house though?" - he passed Lena another sweetroll. "This one is big enough for the two of us, no doubt, and we could easily fit a crib, but we will soon outgrow it - especially if we have another child."

"Another child?" - Lena stopped eating.

"If you are up to it, of course" - Lucien smiled. "You didn't plan for this one, I know, yet you kept it."

"I just never saw myself having children..." - Lena admitted. "I got vampirism so early, and I just assumed that made children impossible... I suppose I am still surprised." She stared at her sweetroll, then got back to eating it. "But now that you say it..." - she raised her eyes to him. "But... I don't want to move out of here."

The formerly abandoned house in Cheydinhal was one of three places in Cyrodiil that Lena considered her homes, with the other two being the house in Bravil and the shack on the Waterfront in the Imperial City. Modest as they were, they had their comforts, and offered a refuge to Lena through all this time. And the abandoned house could not be repossessed, and was always there for her when she returned form the Shivering Isles. Besides, it was close to Fort Farragut and to Lucien. No, she could not give it up, especially not now that it was finally turned into a beautiful home. Lucien understood her sentiment.

"Perhaps rather than moving out, we could have it extended" - he looked at her, stroking her cheek. "We've been making changes in the Sanctuary anyway - the well entrance is behind another Black Door now, the one in the crypt, and the newly reopened tower entrance is for potential new recruits - it leads you through the entire crypt, no shortcuts. So then the Black Door in the basement of this house is just for you and me" - he smiled. "But I don't want children to have access to it."

Several cups of coffee and sweetrolls further, they worked out what they wanted built.

"Borba will be glad to take this on" - Lena mused, looking at a long list of changes and a drawing of a whole new house to be attached to the Wolf Sanctuary. "I suppose the Count won't object?"

"He won't, but you still need to submit all the relevant forms and applications in triplicate to the Imperial Offices" - Lucien grimaced. "Sometimes the paperwork can be harder than the actual construction."

"I'll do it" - Lena looked resolved. "Some of the clerks might still remember me. If you arrange the wedding - I am not on a good footing with Priests of Mara..." Lena recalled the incident in Dawnstar when Geralt chose Vaermina over a Priest of Mara - Lena would have done the same.

"Whatever did they do to you?" - Lucien laughed. "But don't worry, I'll go - they cannot refuse."

...

After seeing her father's ghostly apparition in Falkreath and learning that Hircine had picked both him and Geralt for his Great Hunt, Lena felt the need to return home for a while, but this time she went to Cheydinhal instead of Bravil. Her father had been marked by Hircine for the Great Hunt of the Third Era. Which side did he choose? And Geralt was marked for the Hunt of the Fourth Era. She thought she knew which side he'd be on... There was just one choice for Wolf, she thought. When would that be? And would he survive it?

Lena was pacing nervously back and forth in front of the fire. Lucien had gone to the Sanctuary downstairs - he had matters to attend to before leaving for Bravil. "Come to my office, I have business for you" - he said. She should go see what it was all about. Holidays in Skyrim were over.

[Lena Wolf]

12 Hearthfire, 4E202 - A trip on the cards

Lena went to see Lucien at the Sanctuary to see about that business he had for her. She found him at his desk buried in papers.

"Hello, Master Assassin" - she smiled at him mischievously. "Lots of contracts, is it?"

"I wish!" - he grimaced. "This all relates to one and the same matter, and it isn't even a contract. This is the business I want to give to you."

"Oh" - Lena swallowed. "Not a contract, but still lots of work... this doesn't bode well. What is it?"

"Trouble in the South" - Lucien dropped the scroll he was reading onto a pile of scrolls on the desk. "These are reports of attacks on Dark Brotherhood members in Valenwood and Elsweyr, some resulting in deaths of our assassins. Whoever is after them is skilled, to say the least, and stealthy - with all these reports I still cannot build a picture of who it is, or even if it is one person or an organisation."

"If it was in Morrowind, I'd wager on Morag Tong... But it isn't in Morrowind" - Lena looked through some of the reports. "No one is reporting killing the attacker either" - she raised an eyebrow. "How is it that they can't even tell if it's a man or a woman?"

"I know" - Lucien shook his head. "And it also does not preclude the possibility of a traitor." His brow furrowed.

"Yeah..." A few particularly graphic memories flashed before Lena's eyes. "Let's hope no Sanctuaries will need to be purified."

"The Night Mother does not even want to think about Purification, she has become far more reluctant to use it since last time. Besides, it could be an outsider. Your task is to investigate. Go South, travel, look around, listen. No one knows you there, which is why this job didn't go to one of our groups on the ground - it needs to be done by an outsider. I am not giving you any pointers to our Sanctuaries there either, you need to go completely fresh. Do not reveal who you are even if you get acquainted with one of our assassins there - it could be a traitor, you never know."

Lena nodded, taking it in.

"Any specific instruction?" - she looked on as Lucien packed away the scrolls, not letting her read any more of them.

"Don't get killed" - he smiled at her. "Visit at least some of the big cities, you won't have time to go everywhere. Meet me in Anvil in a month." He locked the scrolls into a cupboard behind his desk and walked over to Lena, taking her hand and pulling her close. "I am off to Bravil to arrange the wedding - say, six weeks ahead? I hear that's their usual schedule." Lena nodded. "Do you want to come along so you could write invitations before your trip or do you trust me to do it?"

"Invitations?" Lena hadn't thought of that side of it. "Party? Ugh..." - she grimaced.

"Just a small one - we need witnesses, you can't get married without witnesses" - Lucien smiled. "Besides, your friends would like to offer their moral support on the day you pledge yourself to the terrible Lucien Lachance" - he winked and thought that it might be the time for another Calm spell for Lena.

"Oh all right" - she sighed. "You do it. I think I'd rather face dangers unknown in Valenwood and Elsweyr."

[Lena Wolf]

13 Hearthfire, 4E202 - Office of Imperial Commerce

"Oh, these are grand plans!" - Borba was impressed when Lena showed her the plans to extend The Wolf Sanctuary that she and Lucien had worked out the day before. "Of course we'll do it! Will be happy to!" - Borba beamed at her. "It won't be cheap though, and I mean our side of it - construction and furnishings. The Office of Imperial Commerce will levy their own fees and taxes as well." She looked at Lena with commiseration.

"Yeah, so be it" - Lena looked resolved. "How much?"

"Let me see..." - Borba got out her ledgers. "Construction of a medium sized house as an extension of an existing one... Middle class furnishings with some upper class items thrown in... Garden planting with mature shrubs... Minus Brotherhood discount... That'll be 23,750 septims altogether" - she put down her quill.

"Brotherhood discount?" - Lena noticed that she's never had that before.

"Yes, well... It falls under the works we've done on the Sanctuary" - Borba looked dubious. "Doesn't it? You've got the Black Door in the basement! So I figure it falls under the Count's new scheme - the Brotherhood discount. Keeps things in the family, see."

"Oh I see" - Lena smiled at her and winked. "Say no more. But what about the paperwork?"

"I'll do the paperwork for the Count, but you need to do the Imperial City yourself" - Borba handed Lena a heavy stack of folded parchments. "Forms to fill in. Deliver those to the Office of Imperial Commerce and bring your purse - they won't authorise construction until you'll have paid the fees. And even Count Indarys won't go against the Imperial Bureaucracy."

...

"...and she made me pay 27,000 septims for the application!" - Lena was filled with indignation telling Hauk about it over dinner. "That's more than the cost of construction! And furnishings! It's all I had! It's like she knew it and simply charged me whatever I was carrying!!"

"Well, I'm sure it wasn't like that..." - Hauk looked very unsure as he said this. "I mean, there is no spell to see how much money you have on you, is there?"

"Perhaps not" - Lena sighed. "But the fact is that I am now broke and I have a long trip ahead of me - to Valenwood and Elsweyr."

"With any particular purpose?" - Hauk sensed that it wasn't a sightseeing trip.

"Yes..." - Lena fought the desire to tell him even though it was a Brotherhood matter, and therefore confidential. "Say..." - she looked at her friend with hesitation. "Would you come with me? I just need to go visit places without any clear-cut objectives... sorry, I can't say any more. A month of travelling in the South." Her eyes lit up.

"But of course I'll come with you!" - Hauk gave her a broad grin. "No need to talk about any of the details, it's not like I've never been on such missions myself" - he winked. "So it's a sightseeing trip after all." He chuckled. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, if you are ready" - Lena smiled at him. "We'll need to clear out some caves and ruins along the way though, for money."

"Something will present itself, no doubt" - Hauk nodded. "There's no time for bounty hunting, I take it? Plenty of those notices everywhere."

"No" - Lena shook her head. "We should be aiming to cross the border as soon as possible. A month isn't a very long time to explore Valenwood and Elsweyr."

The conversation turned to practical matters, then Lena produced a map of the region.

"Strange - there does not seem to be any roads connecting cities of Valenwood and Elsweyr, no major roads anyway. Do the Khajiit and the Bosmer dislike each other so much?" - she raised her eyes at Hauk.

"Afraid so" - he nodded. "Have you not heard of the never ending wars between them?" He pulled the map closer. "There are plenty of border crossings though, I'm sure, even if they are not on this map. We'll just have to look around." He pushed the map back to Lena. "So you want to start in Elsweyr, then?"

"Yes, I was thinking Riverhold - it's just over the border, and we should be able to find it with or without roads. Then we'll go South."

"Well, don't pack any furs - it's hot out there and the Khajiit don't like smooth-skins wearing furs" - he winked. "And I must admit, seeing some Khajiit wearing fur armour here or in Skyrim, is decidedly odd..."

"But... they don't have fur covering their entire bodies, do they?" - Lena realised she's never seen a Khajiit naked. "I mean, I think their hands are free of fur, aren't they?"

"That depends on how much of it they shave off" - Hauk grinned. "It also varies per individual, but generally, yes, they have fur all over. Like Argonians have scales all over. Except may be for some... umm... soft spots."

Lena's eyebrows had been steadily going up and up and her mouth opening wider and wider as Hauk spoke, until she suddenly realised that she shouldn't say out loud what she was thinking - that this matter required investigation. She rearranged her face into a more neutral expression, but Hauk was already laughing - he'd read it, it was too late.

[Renee]

63: This portion starts off rather Fable-ish. When she's getting zapped out of bed, and so on. For some reason it sounds like a segment of gameplay in Fable. I can hear their voices, even! Ooh. But she's not back in Tamriel yet. Yikes! Bleak and gray. That's not so Fable-ish. Corpses and death. Oh my.

Oh cool, she's with the Witcher now. For a moment, anyway. Yeah that's right. She's in this weird limbo dream world, looking for Hauk. Hope she finds him.

Who is Philipa? (don't feel like Googling... I'm too engrossed in this story)

WHOA WHOA WHOA... Hauk with a blank face. BLANK face. You got it, Lena. That's how [offtopic] a deceased friend of mine appeared when I saw him in a dream, and it was HIM, not a fake version of him. His face was blank. And he could not speak English. Because wherever he is now, he no longer needs English. So we communicated by emotions: smiling, waving our arms, and so forth. [/offtopic] But the "blank" part. That's what his face was at first. Where did you get that from?

Well, she got him back. What a crazy set of chapters. It almost seems like not all of it was real.

[Lena Wolf]

63: This portion starts off rather Fable-ish. When she's getting zapped out of bed, and so on. For some reason it sounds like a segment of gameplay in Fable. I can hear their voices, even! Ooh. But she's not back in Tamriel yet. Yikes! Bleak and gray. That's not so Fable-ish. Corpses and death. Oh my.

Interesting, I didn't think of Fable at all. As for bleak and grey with corpses all over - that could be Fable, actually. Wraithmarsh.

Oh cool, she's with the Witcher now. For a moment, anyway.

That scene is from Witcher 3, the way I played it.

Who is Philipa? (don't feel like Googling... I'm too engrossed in this story)

She's just some woman. Not important for our story, so I didn't bother introducing her. If you knew the Witcher, you'd know who she was, but it would add absolutely nothing to our story. Well, may be some undercurrent, some texture, but nothing essential.

WHOA WHOA WHOA... Hauk with a blank face. BLANK face. You got it, Lena. ... Where did you get that from?

Personal experience.

Well, she got him back. What a crazy set of chapters. It almost seems like not all of it was real.

To quote a certain Professor: "Yes, it is all in your head, but it doesn't make it any less real."

Glad you liked it! It was a wild ride to write. A lot of it comes from personal experience. Yeah, I know... crazy vampires!

[Renee]

Thank you Lena, yeah your tales are always enjoyable. This one was definitely wilder than usual.

By Fable-ish I meant the constant zapping of your character. For some reason it seems like a cut-scene from that game. To me.

Sorry I go off on tangents with my comments and such. I get carried away and haven't got much of a social life right now. But hey, everyone by now has dealt with this in their stories. But I'll try to reign back in the future.

64: Jowan is right. Some of those dreams were not dreams at all. I agree.

Wow, did Hauk actually want to remain deceased? You know... Warriors who die in battle and all that. Seems as though he's just gotten into a bit of a tiff with Lena?

Rubies are indeed rare.

[Lena Wolf]

By Fable-ish I meant the constant zapping of your character. For some reason it seems like a cut-scene from that game. To me.

Sorry I go off on tangents with my comments and such. I get carried away and haven't got much of a social life right now. But hey, everyone by now has dealt with this in their stories. But I'll try to reign back in the future.

Please don't reign anything back. It is nice to hear how different people see things - it doesn't have to be the same as me, that would be boring!

Regarding Fable, now you mention that cutscene with zapping, I see where you're coming from. I forgot about that bit, yes, I suppose it's similar, although the Fable hero gets zapped with an entirely different intent (in fact the opposite). There's quite a lot of zapping in Fable.

Wow, did Hauk actually want to remain deceased? You know... Warriors who die in battle and all that. Seems as though he's just gotten into a bit of a tiff with Lena?

You think so? I am not actually sure how he felt about that. He was flattered of course that she went after him, but would he have preferred to be left alone? The answer is: I don't know! He didn't send her away though when she found him in the Fade, so I suppose he decided to return to Mundus for now. There are still some Ayleid ruins that need exploring, after all. Some even have rubies.

[Lena Wolf]

13 Hearthfire, 4E202 - The Cartographers Guild

"Are you one Lena Wolf?" - a well-dressed Khajiit entered the King and Queen tavern where Lena and Hauk were having dinner. He approached their table and nodded to Lena. "This one is Sa'Shalim, a senior member of the Imperial Cartographers Guild." He looked at Lena expectantly, as if it made it clear what he wanted.

"Pleased to speak with you" - Lena answered politely, putting down her fork. "How can I be of service?"

"Khajiit has heard that Wolf is planning a trip to Elsweyr" - Sa'Shalim offered, putting a large scroll in front of Lena. "This is the current map of Elsweyr from the Cartographers Guild. The Guild would kindly request Wolf to verify it on the ground and perhaps make some corrections." He gave Lena a broad smile, nearly disappearing behind it.

"Oh sure, I can look into that" - Lena smiled back at him, picking up the scroll and unrolling it on the free end of the table. "But..." - she looked at Hauk but his perplexed look offered no help. "But this scroll is blank!" - both Lena and Hauk were now staring at Sa'Shalim in disbelief.

"Yes, well, so Wolf understands the Guild's predicament" - Sa'Shalim continued hiding behind his big smile. "The map needs some refinements."

"Oh, is that all" - Lena grimaced, rolling up the blank scroll. "Why doesn't your Guild at least buy some of these commercial maps like this one I've got here?" She unrolled her own map, which, imprecise as it may be, was filled in rather better than Sa'Shalim's blank scroll.

Sa'Shalim's smile vanished.

"Is Wolf aware that this is one of the two mutually contradicting maps circulating in the lay society?" - he looked at Lena sternly. "The Cartographers Guild cannot accept such unverified material!" He bared his fangs briefly, then put another scroll in front of Lena. "But since Wolf already has one of the two versions of the map, she should also have the other."

"Oh!" - Lena and Hauk both bent over the two maps. "This second map has a much larger Senchal peninsular, but no marked location in Valenwood at all! Why is that?"

"Because neither map can be trusted!" - Sa'Shalim exclaimed rather louder than he would have liked. Several people turned to look at him. "This is why the Cartographers Guild cannot accept either version of the map" - he said in a much softer tone. "The Guild needs to know which is the correct version, but the Guild suspects that it may be neither - the truth might be somewhere in between!" He looked around, making sure that the other diners went back to their own meals and conversations. "There is also a suspicion..." - he looked around again, then pulled up a chair, sitting down and leaning towards Lena and Hauk who also leaned towards him, with the three of them nearly banging their heads over the maps. "There is a suspicion that when Martin Septim shuttered the Amulet of Kings, it wasn't just Kvatch that got duplicated." He looked at Lena and Hauk with significance. "Yes, of course the Cartographers Guild knows about that, but that peculiar phenomenon does not change the map! Both cities cover the same ground. Not so with the area of Southern Valenwood and Elsweyr." He sat back in his chair and poured himself some wine.

"But surely..." - Lena was still trying to digest this revelation. "Surely people have gone there! And returned to tell the tale? After all, the Oblivion Crisis happened two centuries ago!"

"People have gone there, and many Khajiits have come from there" - Sa'Shalim nodded, sipping the wine. "Sa'Shalim knows as he tried to talk to as many of them as he could. But..." - he stared into his goblet in confusion. "Some of them tell one thing, others tell the other. Reports of mainland Elsweyr seem to be consistent, but the further South or West in Elsweyr one goes, the more contradicting those reports become. Even to the point..." - he looked around the tavern again to make sure that no one was listening in. "Even to the point that some claim Valenwood to be devoid of any settlements..." He shook his head and sat back in his chair.

"Well, surely..." - Hauk started, not believing that last version. "Even with the Bosmer-Khajiit wars..."

"Exactly!" - Sa'Shalim interrupted him, indicating that this topic was not to be discussed in public. "So Champion Wolf and Optio Serck-Hanssen both see the importance of this mission, as well as the need for discretion!" He looked at them sternly and got up. "The Imperial Cartographers Guild wishes the Champion and Optio good fortune in their expedition to the Southern reaches of the Empire and expect a better report from them than what they have been receiving so far."

And with that he nodded to Lena and Hauk and left the tavern.

"Some sightseeing trip this is promising to be" - Hauk smirked, comparing the two maps before him. "Elsweyr seems to be the same on both maps though, just as Sa'Shalim said, so your plan to start with Riverhold is good. The trouble - the rift, the duplication, whatever is going on down there - begins only further on."

"Yes, that would explain those reports too..." - Lena started saying, then caught herself. Yes, this would explain the bizarre reports about the attacks on the Dark Brotherhood members that she needed to investigate, and it would also explain why Lucien didn't want her to read them. He must have spotted this geographic inconsistency, he must have had both versions of the map, must have seen the problem... and didn't tell her anything about it, letting her discover it all for herself. And relying on her discretion... even with Hauk, who now put a finger across his lips.

"No-no, don't tell me. We are going to do some exploration for the Imperial Cartographers Guild. We needed a good cover, and it just presented itself." He smiled, rolling up both maps. "You keep your mission to yourself, just as I keep quiet about mine" - he added with a wink.

"You too?" - Lena burst out laughing. "I should have known. All right, Optio - let's keep our respective missions out of the business with the Cartographers Guild."

The trip looked more interesting by the minute.

[Lena Wolf]

13 Hearthfire, 4E202 - Memories of a desert

"Haven't you been to a desert before?" - Lena raised her eyes to Hauk after that most intriguing conversation with the representative of the Imperial Cartographers Guild. "Or may be even been to Elsweyr before?"

"I've been to a desert, but it wasn't Elsweyr" - Hauk nodded, signalling the waiter for more mead. "It was the Savannah in Antaloor."

"Yes, I've been meaning to ask you about that!" - Lena exclaimed with excitement. "Do tell!"

"It's a long story, but it does hold a lot of fond memories" - Hauk looked into the distance, remembering. "I suppose we have a long way ahead of us before we even get to Elsweyr, and even now the night is still young... It was just over ten years ago when my argument with Traven got a little out of hand, with Iver just only managing to pull me away before fireballs started flying... He got me to Anvil and onto a ship - things had to cool off, and I had to be out of the picture."

~ * ~ * ~

17 Sun’s Dawn, 4E192 – Hauk arrives in Antaloor

Hauk was labelled a troublemaker for speaking out against limiting the types of spells available to battlemages. The new Arch Mage started by banning Necromancy and proceeded by introducing a code of conduct for the members of the Mages Guild, starting with the battlemages. Although Travis could not ban other schools of magic, he declared it not becoming a battlemage to use spells of Illusion and Conjuration. Hauk disagreed.

With the war of words escalating, Hauk felt he wasn't too far off from being labelled a necromancer and put on the other side of the divide. He didn't want that and decided to go away for a while, let things cool off. He boarded a ship bound for Antaloor and was gone.

The ship moored somewhere along the coast of the Savannah of Erimos. It wasn't even a real port, just a beach with some caves. No matter, Hauk had arrived in Antaloor as agreed, so he disembarked, found a horse and went looking for civilisation.

The Savannah was warm, dry and the ground felt solid under the horse's hoofs - a welcome change after several weeks at sea. Hauk came across some strange animals not found in Cyrodiil - giant ants, big flightless birds on long legs, huge tough skinned creatures with a single thick horn on their nose - but also some familiar creatures like boar, just as aggressive and deadly as in Cyrodiil. The flightless birds were easy to kill with a few fireballs and tasted better than rats when roasted. Hauk could have stayed in Savannah by himself for a long time, were it not for the lack of water. He came across a few abandoned hamlets and villages, finding their wells all but dried out. "People must have fled the drought" - he thought. "I need to find a larger settlement."

Going North, he found Bayan. It was full of people, many of whom indeed came from the empty villages that he passed. There was water but no food - the town didn't have enough supplies for everyone and the drought killed their crops. They took to eating horses! But horses were also their livelihood, so they tried to leave horse meat to the last resort. Hauk shared some of the flightless bird meat with the locals - they were ever so grateful. "Why don't they just go out into the Savannah and hunt those birds themselves?" He wondered. But he was a battlemage, and they were not, and the Savannah had a lot of hostile surprises for one who could not toss a fireball or two.

"Are you a mercenary?" - someone asked. Hauk never thought of that, but it seemed the logical thing to do. Yes, he would be a mercenary!

"There is work for hunters and mercenaries, you know. Talk to Alima - our leader - she'll tell you what needs doing. Besides bringing more of that Ostrich meat, that is."

Alima was the local healer for people and horses alike, but preferred horses. She welcomed an offer of help from Hauk and even promised to give him a decent horse if he got some medicinal roots for it first. "Are you trying to tell me that your best horse is sick?" This did sound fishy.

"I promise I am not trying to cheat you!" - protested Alima. "It is indeed our best horse but it got poisoned by a giant ant. I can brew a potion to clear the poisoning, I just need mint roots for that."

"Ok, where do I find these mint roots?"

"You don't. They are roots - they are in the ground and you don't see them."

"Whaaa-"

"Calm down. Ostriches like them. Kill a few ostriches, cut out their stomachs, retrieve mint roots. Unsavoury but simple."

"You sure do have strange ways..."

"Welcome to the Savannah! And watch out for those giant ants - they are both tough and poisonous."

Ostriches were easy prey, and soon Hauk had a good horse - and it was in fact a good strong horse, not a weak one that he was riding before. Alima also gave him a book on Antalorian flora and fauna - useful both for brewing potions and for making roasts.

"Anything else I can do for you?" - Hauk was hoping for a job.

"Well, you could try to help us with our drought and famine problem" - Alima offered. "It won't be easy, but if you succeed, there'll be a good reward in that, as well as a regular payment and our gratitude. You need to convince our neighbours in Halnin to resume trading with us again."

That sounded easy enough, but Hauk knew that it wasn't. Easy tasks do not have a reward as well as a payment attached to them. He came to Antaloor seeking adventure, and this was it.

~ * ~ * ~

The Savannah surely has strange creatures, and the people have strange ways. Take their horses for example - I haven't seen a lazier animal! You have to keep kicking it and nudging it on, or it slows down to walking and even stops if fancy takes it. You dismount, and it might stay where you left it, or it might not. "Our horses are free!" - I was told. This is great in theory, less great in practice when a horse walks away with your saddlebags on and you need to get another horse to chase your saddlebags across the Savannah.

Another strange thing is Varns. They are essentially jackals walking upright and using tools and weapons. They've got shamans too, not unlike our goblins. But varns are really not that aggressive usually, they keep to their camps which they defend, and they hunt wild animals for food. Some of them even master human speech. So why then are they considered a threat? Apparently, every so often they get organised and attack human settlements or more likely isolated hamlets, searching for new tools and weapons because they don't make their own. So then people hold a grudge. It seems to me though that simple trade could be the answer here... but then people would have no scapegoats - ah, now we are getting somewhere!

But the most remarkable thing is perhaps the Antalorian teleportation system and the fact that no one uses it. It was installed millennia ago by an old race that lived in Antaloor before humans had moved in, and possibly even before dwarves had lived there before them. Teleport nodes are everywhere, but mostly inactive. You need a teleportation stone connected to an active teleport node, and then as you travel around, you can activate other teleports to work with your stone, thus building up your network. However, someone somewhere has to maintain the network, or else "your trip might be cut short" meaning that you could find yourself anywhere between your node of departure and your destination. Like in the open sea, on top of a mountain or in the middle of the Savannah. Oh, I think I start seeing why people prefer to travel by horse, lazy or not!

But with all that, Savannah is enchanting and people are friendly and welcoming. I could very well spend months and months here... time seems to have lost its meaning.

[Lena Wolf]

20 Sun's Dawn, 4E192 - Rustler's Run

Halnin lay East of Bayan. It was a fishing village on the North coast of Erimos. The leader Altan refused outright to resume trade with Bayan saying that money meant nothing in times of drought. Yet Hauk sensed that there was more to this refusal.

"You can run a horse race, and if you can improve on my best time, then you can be the leader here and give orders."

These Savannah people sure had strange customs.

"Ok, you're on!" - Hauk was not one to back down, especially since it wasn't required to beat the best time from the first attempt. You could try as many times as you wanted!

With the Rustler's Run beaten, Altan had another card to play: it was drought, don't you know, our wells are all dry, we need water. You want to be the leader here, you sort it out! Surely, this was a ruse?

And it was. Hauk chatted to some locals that led him to termite mounds as beacons of water. Dig near a mound and you've got water even during a drought. Undoubtedly, Altan knew that. So what was going on?

"It's not that simple" - Altan tried to sound important. "I can't just make decisions here, I have to discuss them with someone."

"But you are the leader!"

"All I can say is go to the lighthouse and see for yourself."

What kind of monster was Hauk to face in the lighthouse? A demon? A daedra? Or an angry god perhaps? Did they even have daedra in Antaloor?

No, it was just a woman with a big stick - your local mafia representative Selene. She was glad to make Hauk's acquaintance, she heard so much about him. Oh! but did Hauk already have the papers required for the passage to Hatmandor? Because she would be ever so glad to provide Hauk with some, and it wouldn't even be a forgery. All Hauk had to do was to help her organisation remove Alima from her position as Bayan's leader, and the organisation would provide food to Bayan immediately.

Hauk wasn't born yesterday. He liked Alima - she was straight talking and in spite of her stern looks, seemed to really care for Bayan. Hauk was not about to sell that village to Selene's organisation. Selene didn't like that answer, she didn't like it at all. She brandished her big stick which turned out to be an enchanted four-pronged fork on a very long handle, and tried to make holes in Hauk. She even succeeded at first - Hauk nearly fell off the lighthouse platform! But he caught himself, called up a summon, tossed a few fireballs and mostly just rammed Selene with his shield until it was she who was falling off the lighthouse tower. And no, she couldn't fly.

Altan couldn't believe his ears when Hauk told him that Selene had met with an unfortunate accident.

"You killed her!" - Altan was turning very pale. "Her organisation will surely crush us now!"

"Well, then you can tell them where to find me, since I believe it is my right to assume leadership of this village? Seeing how I beat your best time on that horse race?"

Altan talked himself into a corner now. Yes, they will resume trade with Bayan as normal. And... err... would Mr. Serck-Hanssen be so good as to not mention to Alima his win of the Rustler's Run? Unless of course he planned to settle down in Halnin and take over running the village?

The change of tone was remarkable. No, Hauk didn't want to run the village, Altan was welcome to stay on as the leader.

Back in Bayan people were celebrating. It is remarkable how quickly the first shipment from Halnin reached them. You'd think they used a teleportation system! Hauk claimed his reward from Alima who was visibly relieved. She had a stash of enchanted leather trousers - would Hauk like a pair for mages, for archers or for warriors? Archers - no, but it was a tough choice between mages and warrior gear. Hauk chose mages gear.

Magic in Antaloor was fascinating. The local mages combined enchanted cards in a locket, creating a new combined enchantment. Then they used a staff to channel that enchantment into a spell. Although Hauk could still cast basic element spells from his wrist, they weren't coming out as powerful as he was used to, and his summons lacked stamina. He needed to master the local system to tap into the magic field of Antaloor which was obviously somewhat different from Tamriel. The best place to meet local mages was the local Mages Guild which occupied a tower not far from Hatmandor. But the desert gates to Hatmandor were closed, except to those who carried a permit to pass, an application for which could be submitted to the Imperial office in Hatmandor. "So seeing how you are here and Hatmandor is on the other side of this gate, I don't see how you are going to get through" - the guard was ever so helpful.

Wasn't Selene offering just this document? Perhaps Hauk had been a bit rush... But no, there must be another way!

~ * ~ * ~

21 Sun's Dawn, 4E192 - The gates to Hatmandor

Finding a way to get through the gates to Hatmandor became Hauk's main occupation. The village of Bayan was bustling with life now, people were coming and going, trade flourishing. Surely, some of these people would know ways...

"Pssst, over here!" - Hauk was pulled into a porch. "I can help you get through the gates to Hatmandor."

"I'm listening."

"There's this old smugglers' route, you see, I know a fellow who knew a fellow who used it. I can tell you where it is for a mere 300 auras."

"You must be joking!"

"Suit yourself."

This conversation was repeating itself with several strangers - did the whole village know about this route? Probably. At the third proposition Hauk merely laughed. As amusing as it was, he seemed to be the only person around who didn't know where it was. Finally, a widow that he had shared his ostrich meat with on the first day, saw him talking to various shady characters, and she guessed the topic.

"You helped me, so I'll try to help you now. I know the smugglers' route, but be warned that this is why I am a widow - it is dangerous, and my husband perished there. Go talk to the grave digger, he'll tell you of the dangers. But if you still decide to go, here's where it starts" - and she showed Hauk a well hidden opening between rocks, just behind the cemetery. A coincidence? Hauk decided to talk to the grave digger.

"Oh yes, last time we were hauling body parts for days!" - the grave digger seemed amused. "But why bother with a smugglers' route when you can get a proper document?"

"But I thought you could only get it in Hatmandor?"

"Now, what would be the point of that? Once you get to Hatmandor, you won't need a pass any more, would you now?"

Were the locals making fun of Hauk or did this grave digger have a twitch in his eye?

"I've got a job for you if you are going that way, you see. And I want you to get there safely. So I'll tell you how to get the papers on this side of the gate. Go talk to the old scribe about last year's weather."

The old scribe had been a forger, but alas - his bottle of Imperial Red ink was still buried under the rubble of his burned down house when the Imperial Guard caught up with him one time too many. Bring him that bottle, and he'd work his magic again to create an authentic Imperial document.

Hauk was getting a distinct impression of going in circles. But the circles seemed to lead somewhere - there was the smugglers' route, and now there was also a possibility of professionally forged documents, as well as several ready made forgeries that were too obvious even to Hauk.

Very well, searching for ink it was. It wasn't easy, but wild animals would not stand in the way of progress. With the papers ready, Hauk decided to see what the grave digger's job was.

"Here - deliver this to the undertaker along the way." The grave digger tossed him a sack. "It's the head, the undertaker has got the body already."

What?! The look on Hauk's face must have spoken volumes.

"Oh, the chap took a piss on Sam's son's grave, so Sam cut his head off, and it took us this long to find it. The body had been taken away already" - the grave digger explained, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world. If so, Antaloor was an odd place.

But a battlemage is not afraid of a detached head, especially if it's bagged. Hauk stashed it away and set off to Hatmandor.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Dec 10 2021, 07:56 PM

[Lena Wolf]

27 Sun's Dawn, 4E192 - Reesa

"Reesa? What are you doing here?" - Hauk saw Reesa get up from her seat as he approached the house of an unfortunate youth he was sent to eliminate.

"Don't do it" - she stood in his way, swaying her hips. "Leave him alone."

"Out of my way, Reesa."

She stepped aside, and Hauk entered the house.

...

Reesa was an interesting young woman, from head to toe. "Very gifted", as their boss described her - she was a hostess at the local gambling establishment, the place for the rich to relax and enjoy themselves. Reesa would serve drinks, play the lute and carry an engaging conversation. A private audience could be arranged as well, "but you don't have that kind of money" - the boss smirked, looking Hauk over. Reesa was also the boss' trusted agent, although Hauk thought that trust was misplaced - Reesa clearly had her own agenda, which made her a woman to stay away from, regardless of her talents.

Hauk wasn't insensitive to women, and Reesa's swaying hips and exposed bosom were very distracting - which is why he stayed away from her as much as he could. For a double agent like himself, the game was dangerous enough already without an intimate involvement with another agent of an unknown affiliation - remember, Hauk didn't think that Reesa was actually working for their boss.

What Hauk did or didn't do in the house of the unfortunate youth, was Hauk's business. What was Reesa's involvement in that? He was pretty sure she didn't work for the Captain, and she wasn't sent by the boss. Perhaps things would become clearer later, but until then Hauk would do well to look at someone else's bosom.

...

Once Hauk finally managed to get past the closed desert gates at Bayan, his trip to Hatmandor was fairly straightforward. Some zombies here, some varns there, nothing he couldn't handle. A few mages remaining at the old Mages Guild taught him the basics of the local system and were only too glad to offer him the necessary tools - the trade was still booming, even though officially all mages were declared traitors by the Benevolent Emperor Gondohar. Fortunately, mages weren't actually hunted down, although many chose to disappear as a precaution - and perhaps this was what the Emperor had intended.

Finally reaching Hatmandor, Hauk found a locked gate and two guards barring his way.

"Hatmandor is closed, except for official business only" - they told him.

"Why? What happened?" The look on Hauk's face must have been extremely perplexed, because the guards had a good laugh before explaining.

"Hatmandor is closed on Captain's orders. Captain of the Guard, that is. There's been a murder."

"Oh? But that has nothing to do with me!" - Hauk protested. "How do I get in?"

"You don't." There was no bounds to the guards' helpfulness. "Go see the Captain at the inn in Cheznaddar - if he says you can come in, you can come in, but not before."

Right. Cheznaddar was a neighbouring town, so close, you'd think it was a suburb of Hatmandor.

"I bet there's more than one way into Hatmandor" - Hauk thought to himself, looking over the two desert cities. "I bet they share sewers. And may be I can scale some of the those rocks."

Those were both good ideas, but it was getting late and Hauk was getting hungry and tired, so an inn sounded better than any of those other options.

...

"You're new in town" - the Captain muttered into his beer when Hauk sat down next to him at the bar.

"Very perceptive of you" - Hauk replied, not addressing anyone in particular.

"I have a job for you" - said the Captain to his mug.

"And what might that be?" - Hauk questioned the mutton chops that the barman put in front of him.

"Investigate a serial killer" - the Captain turned around, talking to the vulture on the rafters.

"All right, but I need to get into Hatmandor" - Hauk replied, stabbing the chop on his plate.

"Of course" - the Captain got up to leave. "See you there."

...

"Go see Basel at the Under the Influence - that's a tavern here in Hatmandor" - the Captain was explaining things to Hauk the next day. "A tavern, or rather a gambling establishment. Shady, yet not illegal, and I've got nothing on him. Yet. But he always looks for new blood - he deals with the Underworld, I just know it. The murders I need you to investigate - the victims were all high ranking members, or at least I think they were - I've got nothing on them either!"

"Err... what have you got then?" - this was a bit too much conjecture for Hauk's taste.

"Not much. Which is where you come in. Whatever information you can find - on the murders or on the Underworld, I'll pay for." The Captain's eyes were hard, but Hauk met his gaze without flinching. "I see we understand each other" - the Captain smiled. "Agent." Hauk raised an eyebrow, but the Captain reassured him: "Oh, not from here. But you've been an agent for many years, or am I wrong?"

He wasn't wrong. Hauk smiled and nodded.

...

"Well, have you got the package?" - Reesa was swaying her hips at Hauk as he emerged from the trapdoor. "Give it to me. Basel sent me."

"Umm..." - Hauk watched her hips, then moved his eyes up to her bosom. "I prefer to deliver it myself. Reesa." His eyes finally made it to hers.

"All right" - she smiled, brushing away an edge of her top revealing just a little more. "But have you got it?"

"Whaaa--" Hauk finally managed to look at her face. "Oh, the package. Yes, I've got it right here." He patted a rather large package stuck under his arm. Had she not seen it?

"All right" - an edge of Reesa's loincloth moved aside - that garment could not be called a skirt! "Then deliver it directly to the customer. Are you paying attention?"

"Of course!" With an immense effort Hauk raised his eyes to her face again. "Customer. Which is who?" What was she trying to achieve?

"He'll meet you behind the Temple of Maliel. North of town?" - she half-opened her mouth in anticipation. This was a talented woman indeed!

"Right. See you around, Reesa."

Hauk brushed past her and walked away.

"Mmm... you don't fool me" - thought Reesa. "But you're a mage - normal people don't have that kind of willpower. Good. I like mages. Battlemages" - she corrected herself, watching Hauk expertly putting down a couple of varns with his battleaxe. Reesa acquired a target.

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Dec 16 2021, 07:49 PM

[macole]

oh dear Hauk is in trouble plenty!

The sound of singing as he walks briskly away.

♫"Come a little bit closer
You're my kind of man
So big and so strong
Come a little bit closer
I'm all alone and the night is so long"♫

This post has been edited by macole: Dec 17 2021, 09:01 AM