Twilight glided into the stable as I was finishing up packing my cart.Never have I known anyone who could move so fast in silence. In full armor, and carrying sword, daggers, longbow and quiver, she made no more noise than might a light summerbreeze. She was lovely in the early dawn's light, lovely as a first-blooming rose. Butroses have thorns, too, and I had not forgotten it.  

"You're as stealthy as ever. More, maybe. You would have made a good Nightblade. Sleep well?" I tightened the oil-soaked wrapping on the Sword of Midnight, and wedged it in among spare armor and provisions.  

"After I found that you'd wizard-locked your door, yes, thank you,I slept quite well. Was that locked against me, Balefire? Or, mayhap, I should not ask...?"  

"That hasn't changed since the days we rode to war together,Twilight. If we ride together, we keep no secrets from one another. Ask whatever you will,and I will answer as well as I can. I'll not have someone at my back I cannot trust. Nor should you. In answer to your question, no. I told you last night that I have enemies.*You* wanted an early start; I wanted a good night's sleep. I did not expect you to creepinto my room looking for a roll in the hay, after five years without a word. But the lockwas for assassins, since you ask. Hand me that whetstone, would you?"  

The heavy mist was flowing slowly in through the stable door, and though it was getting lighter, the reddish tinge of the morning warned of poor weather ahead. I took the whetstone and stuffed it into a gear bag, then started pulling a tarpaulin over the cart. Stormwind blew and stamped, prancing a little in the morning chill as he watched me hitching the drafthorse to the cart. I'd warmed the bit, and Thunder stood easy while I secured the traces and reins.  

Twilight's gray gelding, Evensong, was a well-trained warhorse, I saw.Not skittish in the least, and while he did not challenge the nearby Stormwind, neither did he cringe. Twilight's movements were quick and graceful as she saddled him and secured her gear. Finishing, she turned to face me.  

"I wasn't 'creeping', nor was I looking for a 'roll in the hay'.And well you know it. It was like old times there in the taproom for a while, and I thought, maybe..."  

"Think again. I sleep with whom I choose, when I choose, and while you remember old times with fondness, I remember best how they ended for us. We are companions on a quest. Warmages. We will be thrown together into danger, and if your Archmagister is even half-right, one or both of us may not live to collect our fees. Weare comrades, no more, Twilight. For now, at least."  

"Very well," she snapped, as she swung up into the saddle,"mount up and let's ride, then. I smell rain, and we have a lot of ground to coverbefore we reach shelter for the night. We ride east for a day, and then follow the rivernorth for a while." She put Evensong into a canter, and I mounted Stormwind and rode after her through the door and into the cold mist. The powerful but slower Thunder followed, and we rode single file like that until our midday stop for lunch.  

My back against a tree and a smoked beef rib in my fist, I decided itwas time to start the conversation again. We'd ridden the morning through without a word,but information can be the difference between living and not, and I hadn't been given nearly enough information as yet. I looked around as I gathered my thoughts. The mist had cleared as the day warmed, but the low skies were an ugly, leaden gray. To the south,darker clouds massed, plump with rain. The green of the new spring grass was washed out,and shadows were vague around the edges.  

"Rain by dusk, Twilight, without fail. I judge we have two, maybethree hours before it arrives, though. Tell me again about this mage we're hunting. Hisminions are mightily shy, so far, for all of the Archmagister's doomsaying about raiders.The mage has set himself up as a kind of robber baron; I got that part all right. He's gathered a band of like minded cutthroats and is raiding caravans. That part is clear enough, too. Indeed, I saw proof of that myself. Nothing new there. Do you know how many mad mages I have killed, Twilight? I expect you have done for a few yourself. Why is this one any different, that you decided to revive the old team? The Archmagister said you would explain more fully on the tail. Good. Tell." I tore a hunk of meat from th ebone, and munched while I watched her.  

Her raven locks covered hid her face as she looked down. She was minutely examining her bowcase and quiver, ostensibly checking each seam forwater tightness. She knew this could only work for so long, though; I had watched her check twice already. At last, she spoke.  

"Wayrest is wealthy, Balefire. It thrives on trade. Dwynnen is an armory city. Armor and weapons are the city's lifeblood, and the key to the economy of theentire kingdom. But there are few mines, so the caravans bringing ore in and taking wartools out are essential to the kingdom's survival. For the survival of thousands, from peasant to courtier. And this mage is stopping enough caravans to make the city die. Slowly, 'tis true. But in exorably. A few get through, but not enough. Patrols are sent out to hunt the raiders, and many don't make it back. Those that do tell of whole squads of raiders becoming invisible, of monsters attacking in huge groups, of alarmingly potent destruction spells. Naturally, the Mages' Guild has been pressured to do something about it." She rose smoothly to her feet and started stowing her gear. Mounting, she pulled her hooded cloak more tightly about her.  

"Not good enough, Twilight. Dwynnen may not be the richest kingdom,but it boasts some of the best warriors on the Illiac Bay. And a more than fair share of Battlemages and Spellswords, too. Many of them far more experienced than you. And any three of them less costly than I, if mayhap not so deadly. I understand the mission. I do not understand the choice of us for this quest. What's more, I will ride no further unless..."  

The fireball snuffed out our campfire in an instant, and seared the air from my lungs as it enveloped me. It rushed past me much smaller as my ensorcelled armor absorbed and reflected most of its power, but it still set the tree ablaze against whichit crashed at last. I whirled and crouched, searching back along its charred path for a foe, whipping my staff from my back and muttering a deadly spell into existence. I saw nothing untoward, and there was no cover sufficient to hide out assailant. I started to abandon the spell I'd readied, to replace it with a Detect Enemies spell, but Twilight had reacted already.  

"There," she cried, "next to the two birches together!" As she spoke, an Ice Storm spell roared into the birches. My Wrathbolt was not far behind it, and we both heard the choked death rattle.  

His invisibility failed in death, a battlemage lay crumpled by the trees when we went to investigate. Well-armed and well-equipped, he wore a full suit of Adamantium armor, and carried a dozen magic items. His staff had been reduced to ashes, and Twilight's spell had ruined the temper of his longsword, but his armor and other gear would bring a fair price when we returned to Dwynnen. I said as much.  

"*If* we return to Dwynnen. This has to be one of the mad mage's raiders. They are hunting us now, as we are hunting them. I thought...I thought he might stay his hand, if he knew it was me. I was wrong. I...I am sorry, Balefire, to have involved you in this."  

I was astonished to see that she was weeping. Tears coursed down her face and splashed on her cuirass. She started to turn away, but I grabbed her shoulder and turned her back to face me, and waited until she finally looked up at me.  

"You know this mage. You know something you are not divulging. Something is greatly a miss, here, Twilight, and I shall have it out of you before we leavethis place. You do not weep without sufficient cause. Cry all you like, though it turn your armor to rust, but by all the gods, I'll know what we are facing before I set out. I will cover the ground with mangled corpses if necessary, I will walk through your enemies like a fire through dry thatch, I will wade through rivers of blood and destroy all your enemies that stand before me like a scythe in a wheatfield, to help you. I will storm the gates of Oblivion or defy the Gods in their halls for you, Twilight, but I...will...have...the...truth...from...you. First. Now."  

A bird sang while she took a deep breath. The wind grew stronger and leaves rustled overhead as she squared her shoulders and pushed back her hood.  

"Aye, Balefire. I had hoped it would not come to this. Yet I asked for you a-purpose, so you could guard my back while I did whatever must be done. If thereis any chance, any chance at all, I would not have this mad mage killed. His followers mean nothing to me; Tamriel will be well rid of them. But he, if there is any way a tall...I would have his life spared. Promise me that, milord Balefire, for the sake of what we once had, if for no other reason. Promise me that when the time comes, you will find that mercy you say you have not lost..."  

The wind grew stronger, tugging and twisting our cloaks. Stormwind neighed, and Evensong answered. The leaves and the blades of grass rustled and hissed in the wind while I waited and her eyes searched my face. Searching, perhaps, among the scarsand lines and in my fiery red eyes, for a glimmer of that mercy she hoped to find.  

The wind rose still more, building to a howling force. She shook her hair away from her face and her gaze seemed to pierce my very soul.  

"The mage is my father."  

The storm broke over us then, and I watched her tears through the barsof the rain.  

And now, noble companions in arms, let me rest a bit and quaff some more of that excellent ale. Put another log on the fire, if you would, for it grows cold. I shall continue my tale shortly.