The Wolf of the White-Gold Tower, Volume 1

Wolf of the White-Gold Tower

Volume 1

Chapter 1 - Storm-Clouds Above The City Of Gold

A man of wisdom once said - "What you do today will determine your future". A bit fatalistic, granted, but looking back at the events that had altered the course of his life forever Gabriel Tharn, a young Imperial knight-captain of the Dragonguard, cannot argue with the truthfulness of these words. One can never know what a future might bring...

It was summer of the 2E 581, a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity within the Cyrodiil Empire. The long and bloody war against the usurper Longhouse had finally ended, with the tyrant dethroned and a more suited person taking the burden of the Ruby Throne from him. Ever since the coronation of Lord Varen Aquilarious as an Emperor of Cyrodiil, thing were really looking up for the people of Tamriel...

It was one of these mornings that Gabriel was rudely ripped from his dreams by a rather loud banging on the door. Growling under his breath and silently cursing whoever was on the other side, Tharn realized that there was no getting out of this time as the obnoxious banging continued. Slowly rising from the bed and trying to calm the crushing headache, he moved towards the door and opened it with a strong desire to hex whoever was daring enough to disturb him this early in the morning... Only to be greeted by a cold, merciless look from a pair of green eyes.

- Oh charming, just the person I need this early in the morning... - silently cursed Tharn, focusing his eyes on his sister. Apart from the fact that she was clad in a full armor of a Dragonguard, the annoyed expression on her face told him that she must have had a good reason to waking her brother up so early, especially after the Grand Feast the other day...
- Sleeping away, are we? - she added while observing her brother's frustration with no small degree of amusement.
- The question I interested in is why aren't you?! - Gabriel growled.
- The Emperor had summoned us, you better be ready in five! - she said cheerfully, and shooting him a most innocent smile, turned around and walked towards the main hall.
- That little... ! - he muttered under his breath while walking towards his armor stand.

Despite his frustration at her attics, Gabriel could never bring himself to be truly angry at his younger sister. After all, she's all the family he'd left. He never could bring himself to consider his uncle Abnur or his cousins to be his family, they were just too... different. He never got along with that pompous prat Javed, and Clivia... Sufficed to say they weren't his favorite company ever since he was 5. Apart from Octavia, the only true friends he had in the Imperial City were Hadrian and Mia. Hadrian Valerius, a descendant of once proud and powerful family tracing its lineage back to Allesian times, which fell in disgrace during the reign of Longhouse Emperors... And Mia Cresswell, the cousin of our current Emperor Varen. Ah, that girl never ceased to impress him. She had an amazing gift in the arcane arts, even when they were young. The hole they blew in the Ruby Throne while experimenting with a combined magic as well as glorious hiding they got from his uncle Abnur when he caught them... Over the years all four of them grew close together, becoming practically inseparable. Gabriel smirked at the memory of all the glorious mischief they got into while growing up in the palace. These were a few memories he was actually fond of...

Putting on a coat of plate armor by itself was an art, but doing so in such a short period of time is something you get used to after years of practice and harsh drilling. Looking up in the mirror Gabriel gave a satisfied grunt, and then hurried off after Octavia. After all, this was quite unusual for Varen to summon them on such short notice. Something must have happened, and frankly Tharn couldn't help but get a persistent "bad feeling" about it...

This sentiment only grew stronger after he walked into the throne room. The rest of the officers from the Dragonguard were already there, and after nodding a quick hello to Hadrian, Gabriel moved on to the table where Emperor and his uncle, Abnur Tharn were engaged in a rather heated discussion.

-Your grace! - Gabriel saluted the Emperor in a traditional fashion, - You summoned me?

-There is no need for formalities here, - Varen replied without rasing his eyes from the map before him. - We're not on official ceremony here, so no need to adress me as such. - Gabriel couldn't help but notice how tired he sounded, almost as if he did not get any rest at all in... days!

- There's a good reason you're here! - Abnur added in his usual condescending tone, - Does the name Asturian Longhouse mean anything to you?

All color had drained from Gabriel's face. "Does this name mean anything to him?!" He must surely jest! The brother of late Emperor Longhouse, his loyal hound, his executioner... The man responsible for the death of those who dared to oppose the tyranny of the false emperor, including his own parents! With the corner of the eye he noticed that Octavia stiffened as well, her face suddenly adorning the expressionless mask to hide her anger. Oh, this is the name they both knew well...

- What about him? - Gabriel finally forced himself to speak.
- We have a confirmed information that he and a group of his followers were sighted near an Ayled ruin of Nenalata. - Varen had finally lifted his look from the map and now eying the knight-captain carefully.
- How is it possible?! I was sure we got the bastard when we captured the Palace! - Gabriel was using all of his willpower to make his voice as steady as possible, despite the pure unadulterated rage that was bubbling inside him.
- I'm not sure myself... - senior Tharn mused, - But the information we got is a trusted one, I have no doubt.
- He's a threat! - Varen stated plainly, - This man, if given chance, will undermine all we had worked for! You of all people should know what he's capable of...
- Indeed we do... - quietly inserted Octavia.
- The reason I had summoned you is because this had to be dealt with swiftly! The weed must be rooted out before it has a chance to gain footing and sprout forth its poisonous vines! - Varen continued. - For this task we require a small contingent as a full-out attack of out Legion will surely draw the unwanted attention. I will send a small group of selected knights of the Dragonguard... And I'd like YOU to take charge of the expedition.

Gabriel was at a loss of words. The Emperor essentially had given him an entire Cohort of Dragonguards and his blessing to bring an end to a man who wrought untold suffering upon the people of this land, Gabriel himself included...

- This... This is great honor, my lord! - he bowed before the Emperor, - However I do have a request, if I may?
- Proceed.
- I would like to select ones to join this dangerous venture myself, if I ma...
- Granted - Varen added palinly, - As long as you will deal with this threat, and do so fast. Anything else?
- Well... I will compose the list of necessary goods to support this expedition. I know that Longhouse far too well, he won't go down without a fight. We must be prepared for... anything!
- I trust you will do fine... - Abnur added dryly.
- You couldn't be possibly thinking of leaving me behind, do you? - Octavia asked in a deathly-serious tone. To tell the truth, Gabriel was contemplating the idea as facing down the last Longhouse in his territory will be dangerous to say the least... However he knew his sister far too well to do something like that. He didn't have a death-wish after all...
- Of course not, m'Lady - he added with a curt smile.
- Good to see that a sense of self-preservation didn't left you entirely! - Hadrian added with a smile, observing the exchange. - You won't get rid of me that easily either!
- Wouldn't have it any other way! - Gabriel couldn't help but smile. - "I wish Mia was here though..." - he thought at the back of his mind with a degree of sadness. Even in face of such dreadful enemy, his friends will be there to watch his back, and quite honestly he would certainly make a good use of Mia's talents. But, since she wasn't here Tharn had to work with what he already had...
- I will present a final list for your approval by tomorrow morning, - Gabriel added seriously while turning back to address the Emperor. - If the Eight willing, we will be ready to march towards Bravil by tomorrow's dusk.
- Very well, all of you. Dismissed!
- My lord, - Gabriel saluted the Emperor once more and turned around to leave the hall when he heard his uncle addressing him:
- I trust you will handle this delicate matter appropriately. Try not to make a mess of things, will you? - he added in his condescending tone. Gabriel just shook his head and carried on walking. Uncle... Guess some things just never change...

The End of Chapter 1

Wolf of the White-Gold Tower

Volume 1

Chapter 2 - Of Daisies And Politics

After the urgent meeting with the Emperor earlier this day, Gabriel could barely catch a breath. By the Eight, the task of assembling a group of warriors best suited for this mission had proved to be far more tedious than he could possibly imagine. Their skill wasn't the problem - after all, the Imperial Dragonguard did not accept just anyone into its fold. But Tharn had to keep things reasonably quiet, and that alone almost halved his initial list of candidates. Then came the issue of more personal nature - Gabriel knew far too well that among those who still follow that skeeving traitor Longhouse were former members of the Guard, who might still have some friends left in the ranks. No, he did not questioned the loyalty of his fellow knights, rather he was concerned that the resolve of some might waver if faced with a choice of cutting down a person you once called friend. Gabriel knew all too well that such an indecisiveness will be pricy, with so many lives at stake...

When the night finally descended upon the restless capital, Gabriel managed to narrow down twelve candidates who might just be the type he was looking for. Some of the names on the list were familiar to him, others not so much, but in the end he was confident that these people will do their job. Take one of them, for instance - Lucanus Sergius Varro, a former centurion of the IX Legio Brettonika, served under the general Longhouse long before he usurped the Ruby Throne. He saw firsthand the carnage at Glenumbra, when a small peasant uprising was crushed with a brutality far beyond reason. Despite being in his late 50's he is still known as one of the fastest sword-arms in the ranks of the Guard. And there were many like him. Almost everyone here had suffered at the hand of the tyrant and his family, even if not in person. Tharn was confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that they will rip Asturian's throat with bare hands given the chance...

A sudden knock on the door almost made Tharn jump up from the table. Puling himself together and quietly cursing whoever would bug him in such a late hour he proceeded to open the door. To say that the person standing in front of him was not the one he expected would be an understatement...

- Lord Mannimarco... To what do I owe such pleasure? - he finally managed to say, with no small degree of disdain.
- Ah, it is good you're awake youngster, I was hoping we will get a chance to talk before your departure... - the mage unceremoniously walked past Gabriel and let his look wonder around his room, finally fixing on a list of parchment with the names on it.
- It was my impression that our mission is to be conducted under strict secrecy? - Gabriel stated, crossing his arms and frowning at the attics of the aldmer mage. His entire posture was practically screaming: "What in Oblivion are YOU doing here, talking about it like it's a common knowledge?! "
- Do not worry, your little adventure is still a mystery to the majority of fools in the palace. The Emperor had expressed a great deal of trust in my advise, and thus you truly shouldn't be surprised to see me here, - Mannimarco was practically smirking.
- "And that's what worries me the most!" - Tharn thought to himself angrily.
- However I did not come here to debate an issue of trust within the higher echelons of the Empire, - the mage stated seriously, his previous demeanor vanished in a matter of seconds. - This mission is far too important to risk anything going wrong, and as such I would like one of my apprentices to accompany you, to ensure full... cooperation of your men in an unlikely event they will have difficulties fulfilling their duty.
- With all due respect, - Tharn's irritation finally started to surface, - I don't think you have the right to tell me...
- Oh, and that is where you're wrong youngster, - Mannimarco cut him off, - I DO have the authority. And I insist that Colette will join your men in this trip. This is the momentous time young one, the entire world stands at the precipice of change. One must choose his allies carefully... As well as his enemies. - the elven mage added in a tone that sent shivers down Tharn's spine. And with that he turned around and left the room just as suddenly as he appeared, leaving rather shaken Gabriel staring in his wake.
- As you wish... - was the only thing he could say at this stage.

After the remaining paperwork was completed and triple-checked for any possible inconsistency, Tharn threw his quill on the table and stretched, allowing an exhausted yawn to escape his mouth. Despite being worn down by a rather stressful day, he could not bring himself to sleep. The last words of the Emperor's adviser still echoing in his mind.

- "What could he possibly meant by that?!" - Gabriel angrily squeezed his head, trying to push the pulsing pain away. After all, the last thing he needed tonight was a migraine... Then, the realization suddenly hit him with a weight of an orcish war-hammer, draining all color from his face. Memories dated a few months earlier flooded his mind as his heart started to race at the thought of what transpired back then. By Azura, how could he possibly being that reckless!

~Flashback~

Two months prior to the events of this chapter, Imperial City

Gabriel was restless. His hands clasped behind his back he was pacing the room, which certainly did not help to improve already agitated mood of his friend sitting next to him.
- By all the Gods, would you stop that?! - Mia Cresswell finally snapped, loudly slamming her book shut. - I know, I know, today is the big day but this really is getting on my nerves!
- I couldn't help but wonder what if I missed something? Don't you see, I need to concentrate! Even a single mistake will...
- ...will be catastrophic! - Mia finished for him irritably. - But for Akatosh's sake can you do it in way that does not involve me being driven to madness by this constant...
- Whoa, easy there! - Hadrian, who just walked into the room with Octavia raised his hands peacefully.
- By the Eight you two are arguing like an old couple! People will start talking... - Tharn's sister added with a mischievous grin which was greeted by an equally annoyed reaction of both arguing parties.
- I'm not even going to dignify that with a response... - Gabriel finally said, shooting his sister a murderous look.
- Oh, whatever... - Octavia brushed it off like it was nothing. - Save the energy for later! After all, we don't want you to collapse during the Ball tonight, although that would be quite a site to see...
- Get the act together! - Gabriel snapped, - We all know that this isn't going to be a fun evening among the company of friends! We got a job to do!
- Now you sounding like Abnur... - Hadrian quietly sighted. - You shouldn't worry so much my friend, we've been trough this before. I see no reason why it could possibly go wrong...
- And that's what worries me... - Gabriel added with an exhausted sigh, finally settling down on the chair next to Mia.
- Speaking of thing to worry about... Are you sure that involving your uncle is a wise idea? - Mia arched an eyebrow. - After all, he and Mannimarco seem to get along fabulously.
- Don't be fooled by the outward appearance, - Tharn stated calmly, - My uncle is many things but being a blind and foolish aren't counted among them. He was the first to sound the alarm, quietly of course. Above all things, Abnur's loyalty lies squarely to the Empire, of this I have no doubt. And he is the one who started to doubt that mage in the first place...
- The why is he... - Hadrian was about to continue but Octavia cut him off.
- ... acting as if nothing wrong? By now you, of all people, should have learned that people of our rank and stature have two faces - one to be displayed to the general public, and the other to be kept up to ourselves and closest circle of friends. - Octavia stated with a small degree of irritation. Despite his military genius Hadrian can sometimes be so insufferable thick in the matters of politics...
- He's working his way into his trusted circle, - Gabriel added after a small pause. - And the things he picked up already made him question the wisdom of Varen's trust into Mannimmarco's advise. My own suspicions had only reinforced this. That's why we decided to risk invoking Mannimmarco's suspicion and possibly even Varen's wrath in order to set things straight...
- So, you're saying that this "ingenious" plan of yours is actually being made by your uncle? - Hadrian asked in disbelief.
- Well, partially yes, - Gabriel replied with a small smile creeping up his face. - We discussed many possible ways to work around this issue, I still remember him calling my plan a, quoting, "A simple-minded blabbering of an insane lunatic who does not have even a slightest concept of what life is all about..."
- I can't possibly imagine why did he say that... - Mia couldn't help but to add her sarcastic remark.
- Well, since he tried, and failed to come up with a better plan we decided to proceed as time might be of the essence, especially if our suspicions have even a slightest founding...

Silence fell upon the room, with only a cracking of a fire in a fireplace disturbing the eery silence that hang in the air. All of the four present here was deep in thought, one way or another related to the this evening's grand event. Finally, Octavia decided that she had enough and said:

- I suggest we all get some rest before the Ball. After all, we want to at least appear to enjoy the party, if nothing else but for the sake of maintaining the appearance...
- Agreed... - Gabriel replied stretching in his chair. After saying a quick goodbyes, the three departed the room leaving Gabriel alone to contemplate the events of the upcoming night. Deciding that his sister had a very valid point, he decided to relax and simply try to enjoy the event for as long as he can. If nothing else, that should make him look convincing enough...

Later that evening...

After spending a solid two hours making sure he looked presentable enough, Gabriel left his chambers with a satisfied smile. Being a Tharn, he knew how to put up a good show... Catching a sight of Hadrian and Octavia he couldn't help but smile - those two always amused him a great deal. Especially ever since it became obvious that Hadrian had a thing for his sister... He couldn't deny it - Octavia looked amazing in a dark green formal attire with a silver along the edges, which highlighted her emerald-green eyes. Looking around for a sign of his own pair - it was decided earlier on that Mia will accompany Tharn to the Ball and do her best to put up a good show so that when the time to slip away will come it won't be noticed, or at least it won't be greeted with suspicion. A risky strategy, but it was the only way Gabriel and the rest could make it to work...

Turning around to address one of the nobles in the crown his eyes finally spotted Mia in the crowd... To say that he was amazed would be an understatement of the century. She looked like one of the statues of the Divines in the gardens around the palace suddenly came to life! This image contrasted with a usual reasonably plain day-to-day appearance of his old friend so much that he blinked twice, making sure it's not a figment of his imagination. Mia Cresswell, who preferred a rather plain, more practical clothing for as long as he knew her, this night could easily put to shame even the fairest ladies of the royal court.

- I think my jaw just landed somewhere in the netherworld... - was the only thing he managed to say when she walked by and shot him a rather shy smile.
- I assume that's a complement? - Mia arched her eyebrow
- What? Ah, yes! Absolutely! - Gabriel was struggling to make his speech come out in a logical way.
- Ok, I get it. Now shall we continue before people start looking? - she replied with a condescending smile. Finally putting his wits together, Tharn did a ceremonial bow and said:
- My lady, will you grant me the honor of accompanying you tonight? - he stated, trying his best not to laugh at the silliness of his own reaction just a moment before. He always knew Mia was a beautiful woman behind her marginally sarcastic and composed front, he practically viewed her as his adopted sister. But seen her like that... That was definitely a new experience on his list.
- You may, your lordship. - she replied in tone to his proposal.

Taking her arm and proceeding into the Main Hall of the Imperial Palace that had become a luxurious ball room for the occasion of the anniversary of Varen's ascension to Emperorship, Tharn quickly caught a sight of his uncle giving him a rather pointed look, and the seriousness of what they are about to do had hit him once again. Smile quickly vanished from his face, replaced by a calculating look of a man on a mission. Nodding back to Abnur, Gabriel caught a glimpse of Mannimmarco who was engaged in a lively conversation with His Imperial Majesty. This is going to be tough... At this point he felt Mia lightly squeezed his hand, shooting him a reassuring look. She must have picked up the sudden change of his disposition and make sure he knows that she's got his back.
- How about you put a smile on for appearance's sake? You look like someone who's being led to his own execution! - Mia whispered to his ear when they were about to mingle with a crowd of dressed-up guests. Tharn snorted at the comparison but did as she requested and put his trademark half-smile on.

After completing a loop of greetings and meaningless small talks among the nobility of note gathered in this hall, Mia went off to greet Octavia, and the two of them appeared to be getting quite in depth in their conversation for Gabriel to disturb them.

- "Well, at least they are enjoying themselves..." - he thought dryly as he scanned the great hall for more familiar faces. Over there, by the wine table - Lord Darius Treven, a lord-commander of the Imperial Dragonguard. While a redguard sword-master Sai Sahan was always considered a leader of the order, all of the day-to-day activities related to the operation of the Guard were handled by Traven. This arrangement seem to please both of them as redguard far was more interested in training new generation of fierce fighters that sorting trough piles of bureaucratic nonsense that went along with the job... There, a Lord-Magister Sergius Tullius, leader of the Imperial Cynode of Mages... The list of high-and-mighty present in this room can go on... It was a while until Tharn finally spotted someone who stood out in the crowd.

He couldn't explain why, but something about her caught his attention the moment he set his eyes on her. A medium-height wood elf lass, as graceful as her people get. The way her dark raven hair fell onto her slim shoulders, there was something truly enchanting about it... Her physical beauty apart, the way she carried herself with great dignity among the rest of bosmeri delegation made her stood out like a fine jewel in a pile of pebbles. He also the subtle moves she made, deliberately staying at the back of the hall, as if she did not want to attract undue attention... Intrigued, he decided to walk over and introduce himself, which wasn't difficult as she seemed to notice his approach even before he said anything. Interesting.

- Fare evening to you, m'lady - he greeted her with a formal bow. - I do hope you enjoy the festivities and finding it to your liking.
- Fare day to you too, - she replied gracefully. - The setting of the event is sublime, but i do find most of the company around here lacking...

He was intrigued. Finally, there was someone of real depth among the crowd of these shallow, pompous buffoons he had to deal with on a daily basis. She seemed to share his view on the crowd around them, but he couldn't help but notice that she always kept a distance, like an invisible barrier that prevented Tharn from gaining any real insight on her personality. It was painfully obvious though she liked being here no more than she fancied the people that surrounded her. One must admit, however, she was extremely knowledgeable and soon Gabriel found himself engaging in a polite, but nevertheless heated debate on the matters of government and society in general. His enigmatic interlocutor was having a hard time accepting the fact that Empire was necessary for the people of Tammriel. Tharn, on his end, stressed the importance of a centralized seat of power to ensure the stability not only of one country but of all of mainland. True, he admitted that the Empire was far from perfect, however he also signified the importance of trying to make it better despite the trials it may bring...

Engaged in such a captivating debate, Gabriel completely lost track of time until he felt a light tap on this shoulder and turned around to face a rather annoyed looking Mia, who was searching him across the hall for a while now.
- I see you are wanted elsewhere... - the mysterious wood elf stated with a polite but slightly forced smile. - It was a pleasure meeting you, ser... ?
- Gabriel... Gabriel Tharn, - he replied hastily while being practically dragged away by Mia.
- It was a pleasure, Gabriel Tharn... - the she said in an undertone after Gabriel vanished into the crown before fading back into the mass of elven delegates...

- Having fun are we? - Mia added with a smirk after they got away from the bosmeri delegation. - Did you even got her name?
- Damnation! - Tharn couldn't help but to grunt in frustration.
- Just as i thought... - Mia shook her head. Some things just never change.
- Anyway, it's getting rather late. I'd say it's time to get on with it! - Gabriel added a moment later, his face turning sour again.
- Won't argue there... - Mia mused with a tired sigh. This evening certainly goes on longer than she planed.

As they waltzed around the center of the Great Hall along with dozen of other pairs, Tharn took every chance he had to glance over Mia's shoulder towards the platform where Emperor Varen Aquilarious had placed his throne for the night. Seeing Abnur giving him a slight nod Gabriel knew it's time to set their plan in motion. Shooting a quick glance to other two, he slowly motioned Mia towards the exit. Catching a sight of their movement, Hadrian and Octavia began knew what to do. Hopefully they can distract the Emperor's adviser long enough for them to have any real chance at this crazy plan of his. Gabriel knew for sure that it was either now, or never!

Silently nodding towards the nearest exit, he and Mia managed to slip out without alarming anyone. For now. This would not last though, and so they hurried along the empty hallway. Thank the Eight, Mannimarco's study was only a short distance away from the Great Hall. Even better, the door was actually unlocked - whether due to the carelessness of the servants or arrogance of aldmeri mage himself, Tharn thanked the powers above for this chance. Quickly slipping inside, he closed the door and left Mia near it to keep watch in case they got company.

- Hurry it up, will you? - Mia whispered to him, fear evident in her voice.
- I'm doing all I can! - Tharn snapped back, - Do me a favor and focus on the door and leave the search to me!
- As you wish, your royal snobbishness! - she added with an exasperated sigh.

Searching trough Mannimarco's papers was not an easy task. The mage was very organized and most likely notice any inconsistency in his records, therefore Gabriel had to proceed with caution. After a few minutes of searching trough his desk Gabriel cursed under his breath - there was nothing that could even remotely point him in the right direction. After a quick glance around the room, he decided to risk it and cast a more advanced version of a scrying spell that Abnur so helpfully taught him just a few hours earlier. It was risky as Mannimmarco can pick up the residual aura that will surely be left over, not to mention that the spell will destroy any Illusion or protective charms in the expanse of this room. But Gabriel was out of options. Putting as much power into it as he possibly can without risking to de-stabilise it, he had a second look around the study. Surely enough, he noticed a heavy metal safe in the far corner of the study that definitely wasn't there before. Taking a closer look he cursed again - the lock was quite obviously made by a master enchanter and would definitely be shielded against most kinds of magic, it will take weeks to crack it open using conventional methods...

- Let me have a look at it! - surprised, he saw Mia kneeling next to the safe and studying it intently for a few moments. - Watch the door, I think I got an idea...

Letting out a heavy sigh and wishing her luck, Gabriel walked towards the door. After what seemed like an eternity to him he heard a quiet click and turned around to see a rather satisfied Mia looking over wide open safe door...

- By Azura, Mia! What would I do without you! - Gabriel had to use all his restraint not to grab Mia into a tight hug.
- Indeed, what would you do! - she added with a curt node, motioning him to take a look at the content of the safe.

Turning his attention back to the metal box covered with what looked like daedric runes, Tharn instantly knew he was onto something. If the royal adviser went to such lengths to protect the content of this safe, there must be a reason why. He looked trough multiple charts of celestial constellations, trying to de-siphon the notes that Mannimmarco made along the edge of parchment, but achieved little success. Deciding not to waste time on that he turned his attention to the remaining books piled up inside, only to discover a few manuscripts that contained a number of truly obscure rituals. Gabriel could not fully deduce what they were either as they were magically encrypted, but a quick glance at some other notes that came with the tomes was enough for him to understand that aldmer was experimenting with dark magic. Necromancy was surely involved, but why? Now Gabriel knew for sure that Mannimmarco was hiding something all along, but being so close to deducing what it is and not being able to... It was maddening!

- Someone's coming! - an alarmed whisper coming from Mia brought him back to reality. Shoving the documents back into the safe and slamming it shut, Gabriel shot up to his feet. Even he could hear a sound of fast approaching footsteps echoing trough the halls.
- Too late! We've got to hide... Over there! - he pointed to the heavy velvet curtain that was right beside a marble vase with wild daisies in it. Briefly wondering what such an odd item could possibly be doing in a study of a powerful mage, Gabriel shoved this thought to the back of his mind and, grabbing Mia by the hand, pulled her towards his improvised hideout. However he failed to notice that Mia was struggling with her long dress and before he could say or do anything the inevitable happened - she tripped over...

Next thing he remembered was suddenly being slammed into a bookcase and falling onto the floor, tearing off the curtain and knocking off a great many books off the shelves. To top this up, the trice damned curtain also got tangled over the vase of daisies mentioned earlier... When the room finally stopped spinning Gabriel realized two things. One, they are so very screwed. And two...

When he managed to center his vision after hitting a floor rather hard, he realized with no small degree of surprise that a golden-colored cloud of blur turned out to be Mia's hair, that fell out of her carefully arranged hairstyle. Her face depicted an equal amount of shock as his own must have, he mused. Despite the dire circumstances, he could not miss the pure absurdity of the situation they were in. Here, in a middle of now ravaged study of a powerful wizard, among all the mess of books and other clutter, he was lying on the floor with Mia right on top pining him down, with daisies stuck in her messed up hair... The stress of the last hour finally caught up with them, and Tharn can no longer maintain his composure. He burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that tears started to make their way down his cheeks. Mia couldn't help it either - the absolute surrealism of the moment did not escaped her either...

When the door was finally swung open moments later and Colette Du'Valle rushed into the room, she paused in silent shock as she found the duo laughing themselves crazy amongst the complete chaos of once orderly study. They even failed to notice her coming.

- I see you two are having a great time... - she added with an arrogant smirk, still struggling to process the image in front of her but clearly enjoying the look of pure terror on both of their faces. As well as traitorous blush that was creeping up on them. - But you really should try to be at least a little bit more discreet than... that! - she gestured around the room.
- We're not... !
- It's not what it looks like! - Gabriel and Mia replied in unison which made Colette's evil grin get even wider.
- Oh, this is simply glorious... Imagine the scandal! - she clearly savored every second of tormenting them. - But wait until my master...
- Until I what? - all three shot their looks at the door. - "Speak of the devil..." - Tharn distantly mused to himself. Indeed, Mannimarco himself was standing right outside the wide open door, with an indescribable expression on his face. His predatory look traveled from the half-empty book shelve to his safe, then to the chaos on the floor, the destroyed curtain, and finally coming to a fix on two figures awkwardly piled up on top of each-other.
- Whatever you two are being up to - I don't want to know! - he stated in a tone that made the temperature in a room drop several degrees. - But in future I strongly recommend to avoid making a mess of my personal affairs! - at this point he fixed his eyes on Tharn, sending goosebumps down his back. - Now if you please clear out of my private study at once, I got a great deal of work ahead of me!

Having no desire to test Mannimarco's patience any longer, Gabriel and Mia managed to get up to their feet and make haste towards the exit. Cold and eerily piercing look that aldmer gave them made young Tharn swallow hard.

- Do... do you think he... - Mia started after they gained enough distance between them and rather upset owner of the study, pure horror written all over her face.
- I don't know, I honestly don't... - was all Gabriel could manage. After a moment of silence he added: - I guess we will find out soon enough. Divines help maybe he will discard this incident as nothing serious... Though I would not count on it too much.
- Well, now there definitely will be rumors going around the Palace and beyond...
- Oh I don't think so! - Gabriel said in a determined voice, - You underestimate what a combined effort of my family could do.
- I sure hope you aren't the one who overestimate it... - she replied quietly. - If I were you, I'd grow a pair of eyes on the back of your head...
- Perhaps i should...

The way back to the chambers of the Dragonguard was spent in complete silence. However, just after saying their final goodbyes for the day Gabriel turned around.

- About that incident in a study...
- Never happened! - she replied with a straight face.
- Thank you! - the relief in Gabriel's voice was obvious. - Well, until we meet again.
- Let's hope that next time we don't have to sneak around the palace in the stupid hours of the night!
- I sure hope so! Stendarr's beard, I had enough of it today to last me a lifetime...

As he walked down the empty hallway, Gabriel couldn't help but smile again - it surely was an eventful evening, far more than any of them bargained for. The only thing souring his mood was the nagging feel that it wasn't the last he hears from Mannimarco. He had an uncanny ability to see trough practically any deception he came across, and truth be told, Gabriel was almost certain from the look he received from him that Mannimarco will not be fooled. One thing was clear as a day - the royal adviser was hiding something, and that something had a foul stench of dark magic all over it. But without solid proof all he got are his own words and a circumstantial evidence at best. How could Gabriel possibly accuse the aldmer of anything if he himself did not have full understanding of what he could possibly be up to. And the blasted mage knew it all too well...

~End of Flashback~

Memories of that night surely brought a sad smile upon Gabriel's face. But along with it came the forgotten worry about Emperor's adviser. Deep inside Gabriel always knew that blasted aldmeri mage will see right trough their makeshift story, and now his action are coming back to bite him where it hurts... Not only he has to worry about facing down a powerful enemy, but now he needs to watch his back as well. Oh, he knew that Mannimarco had sent his chief bootlicker to join him on this perilous journey for a reason. To what end - he didn't know... Yet. But one thing was certain - his task of defeating the last Longhouse holdouts just got that much harder...

End of Chapter 2

Wolf of the White-Gold Tower

Volume 1

Chapter 3 - Of Morning Strolls And Drunken Brawls

Storm clouds had gathered over the Imperial City, casting dark shadows on the White-Gold Tower. Small drizzling rain forced the majority of city's inhabitants into covered galleries of Marked Quarter, while others preferred to spend their time in one of dozens of taverns doting the city. Despite the fact that usually streets of the capital were already buzzing with activity at this hour of the morning, foul weather swept this colorful mass of people indoors leaving only a few drenched guards loudly cursing about their posting...

Quietly sighing, Gabriel pulled up his his hood before stepping outside the Palace doors. His trip into the Elven Gardens district was uneventful aside of an occasional drunker wandering around despite the rain which was turning into a proper downpour. Finally, a welcoming sign of the "King and Queen" inn beamed ahead of him. Pulling his hood down and tossing off dripping cape to the nearest sit in the far corner of the hall, Tharn beckoned the tavern wench for some food and drink. He was one of the regular visitors of the establishment, and old Breton owner of the inn already knew how to please his honored guest. Truth be told, Gabriel despised the manner his fellow nobles dealt with a common folk of the Empire. Their arrogance revealed nothing if not their own stupidity and shortsightedness. These common men and women were the backbone of the Empire, and as such deserved equal amount of dignity as the ruling class. Maybe that's why the old innkeeper Veiron always welcomed young Tharn here.

- Here you go, sera! Your meal will follow shortly, - a young Dunmer waitress placed a full mug of dark Nordic ale in front of him. Nodding his thanks, Gabriel was about to take a sip when he noticed something rather unusual. A group on drunk nobles appeared to be surrounding a small table by the wine cellar, occupied by a Bosmeri lass. He couldn't make out who she was as the girl was facing the opposite way, but the fact that her entire posture gave off a vibe of barely contained irritation bordering outright anger was alarming. Gabriel decided to listen in a bit more intently before rushing into action. After all the last thing he needed is to make a fool of himself a day before his departure out of the capital...

- Oh come now, sweetheart! Surely you can spare some of your time for us! Are we that bad?! - a tall blond man was leaning far too close to her.
- I told you a hundred times already, I-am-not-your-sweetheart! - the lass responded in an angry tone. - Why don't you run along nicely to your big daddies and leave me be? If you're so hopelessly pathetic that you cannot find yourself a woman, go to the brothel!
- You little... - the leader of this drunken group was taken aback by her response. The fact that the rest of them burst out with a drunken laughter did not help the matter either. - Shut up you mutts! Let us teach this she-troll a lesson of obedience!

At this point Tharn knew for sure that he needed to intervene. Rising up from his sit, he walked straight for the debauchees. Pushing the other two out of his way, he gripped the blonde's shoulder and yanked him around to face him.
- Who in blazes do you think you are?! - mans breath stunk of cheap wine and something else that Gabriel preferred to ignore.
- Someone who will make every single day of your wretched life miserable beyond your comprehension if you will not stop this right now! - Tharn growled.
- And what if I not?! - the man's arrogance, or rather stupidity was truly astonishing.
- Then I will take it upon myself to remove your presence from this establishment!
- You worthless peasant! How dare you! - at this blone-haired man tried his best to strike Gabriel down in the face but the latter easily dodged this clumsy effort to harm him. Intercepting offender's hand, Tharn gripped it firmly and, using man's own inertia yanked him right into a marble column decorating the wall. A crack of broken cartilage and muffled moan soon followed, with the drunkard slowly sliding down the polished marble to the floor, leaving a smeared tray of crimson in his wake. After a few moments of unintelligible cursing the noble wiped the blood rushing from a now broken nose, and with a hateful glare he spat:
- You piece of trash! My father will make you pay for it! He'll have you hanged! Quartered!
- Oh really? - Gabriel kneeled next to him with a grim smile on his face. - I would love to see him try! Now, why won't you be a good boy and apologize to the lady for behaving like a drunken swine?
- Go to Oblivion! - the noble spat. - I'll never do that to that knife-eared...
- Have it your way... - Tharn said with an exasperated sigh, and before blonde can say anything else he grabbed the offender by the collar of his jerkin and literally dragged him outside, tossing him from the stairs to the flooded cobblestone of the Elven Gardens. - Guards! - Tharn yelled in a commanding voice. Two of the soldier standing on guard at the gate made haste to the moaning gold-haired mess on the street. Recognizing the one who summoned them however both guards straightened up and, after saluting Gabriel, stated:
- My Lord! How can we be of service?
- Get this sorry excuse of an Imperial out of my sight! - Tharn practically spat as he pointed towards the beaten noble, whose face finally started to show some realization of just how deeply screwed he was. - Toss his sorry arse in the Imperial Jail on my authority! If requested a warrant for arrest, state that this man is guilty of assaulting his fellow citizen as well as attempting to assault an officer of the Imperial Dragonguard. Let him rot in there for a few days, maybe that will put his brains back together!
- By your orders, Lord Tharn! Get up, scum! We're going for a walk! - with that soldiers roughly peeled the man off the street and dragged him towards the Guardhouse. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he thought of the expression of pure horror on the blonde's face upon hearing the name of the one who bested him. Walking back into the warmth of the inn he shot a cold look to other two drunkards who tried their best to become one with the wall under his gaze. - Why don't you two run along? You're outstayed your welcome here! - he added with a metal in his voice. Nodding so hard that for a moment Tharn thought their heads will pop off their shoulders, the pair of nobles left the room in an utmost hurry.

- I want to apologize in behalf of those three idiots that disturbed you... - Gabriel said as he approached the Bosmeri lass who was eying him intently. Then sudden realization made him stop half way trough. I took him several moments to ensure that his mind does not play tricks on him, because the rational part of his brain refused to acknowledge what he was seeing. The very same wood elf lass that captured and held his mind ever since that fateful ball in the Imperial Palace, was sitting right in front of him with a subtle smile on her face. Instead of a luxurious silk dress, however, she wore a simple coat of leather armor, with a pair of curved daggers fastened on her hips.
- There is no need for it. Looks like we met again, Lord Tharn - the last two words were said along with a mocking bow.
- Please, just call me Gabriel... - Tharn's face looked like he just ate a whole lemon upon her her addressing him in such a manner. He sat down at the table, right opposite her. - After all we did not came all this way from the Palace only to be mired in these ceremonies again!
- As you wish... just Gabriel, - she replied, half-smile never leaving her face.

He couldn't help himself but let his gaze study her face for a moment. Those well-defined cheeks, straight elegant nose, a pair of dark eyes peering right into his very soul... She was simply beautiful, with her long raven hair flowing freely onto her shoulders. There was something else that caught his attention, something... elusive. There was an odd sense of familiarity when he looked at her, yet he could swear on his parent's grave that he never met her before that fateful night, two months ago...

- Is something wrong? - she suddenly asked him, pulling him back to the present. Her smile seemed to dim a little.
- Apologies, I did not meant to stare at you in such a manner, it's just... I my mind tends to wander off sometimes, had a lot on my plate recently...
- Like? - she leaned ever so slightly forward, studying him intently.
- Some political matters of state, the usual... - Gabriel did his best to brush it off. He noticed the she did not bought it, however.
- I see, something you cannot talk about. Some... secret mission, perhaps even from the Emperor himself? - the way she said it was more of a statement rather than a question. Tharn was truly taken aback by it. But he managed to suppress his amazement, after all he did spent all these years under the tutelage of his uncle Abnur.
- What makes you think that? - Gabriel said leaning back in his chair, making his voice sounding care-free, even a little bit amused as if she said something that was beyond ridiculous.
- Oh nothing, nothing at all... - she replied with her trademark half-smile.
- "She IS good, I give her that..." - inside his head, he could not help but to applaud her intuition. She read him well, while he did struggle to do the same with her. She knew the rules of the game, and by the Gods the played it well...

After the barmaid placed another round of drinks on the table, Tharn watched as she took her mug and taken a small sip before gracefully placing it on the table. All the while not breaking her look away from him.
- I could not help but wonder... Last time we met, I never got your name, - after a short pause Gabriel decided to change the topic of conversation away from his future mission.
- That is because I never gave it to you, - raven haired elf replied with a graceful smile, which actually seemed more genuine than the one he received during their brief encounter at the ball.
- Than perhaps you may be graceful enough to grant me this simple wish?
- Oh, very well. After all you earned it it guess... - she added with a thoughtful smile. - You can call me Morgana...

Before Gabriel could say anything he felt a rather strong tap at his shoulder. With a wave of sudden irritation rising within him he turned around, only to face a rather amused Hadrian standing right behind him.
- There you are! I thought I might find you here... - the latter one shot Tharn a rather meaningful look. - Do you know that youngest son of Baron Lucius Vicci had been thrown into jail? After someone beaten the living snort out of that pompous arse!
- Is that so? - Gabriel could barely hide his smile under the pretense of surprise. This did not escaped the notice of his friend. Morgana simply observed the exchange without interfering, with an amused smile creeping up her face.
- I should have known... You did not have anything to do with it, did you?
- Who, me? - Gabriel asked with a perfectly played indignation in his voice. - Do you truly think that I will go on a morning stroll into the Plaza and beat every pompous prat I come across? If that would be the case, the healers in this city would have their work cut out for them...
Hadrian obviously was not entirely convinced, but in the end he simply shook his head in defeat and handed Gabriel a sealed piece of parchment.
- This came for you this morning. By the looks of it I'd guess it is a letter from Mia. Will be good to know what's the old girl is up to these days, training aside...
- Indeed, - Tharn could not agree more. Ever since her departure, he missed his old friend greatly. It will be delightful ti finally receive some news from her... Gabriel turned back to Morgana and was about to say something, but then realizing that her sit was empty. Having a quick glance around the inn Gabriel sew that she is nowhere to be found. Once again, she vanished just as suddenly as she appeared...
- Are you alright? - Hadrian asked with a note of concern. - You look like you lost something. Or someone...
- Yes, as a matter of fact I did! - Tharn could not help but sigh in frustration. - I suppose you did not seen where she went?
- Who... Ah, that Bosmeri lass? To be honest no, I do not have even the slightest idea as to her location. I did not even realized she left... Good looker, that one.
- Anyway! - Gabriel switched the topic of conversation. - Was there anything else you needed me for?
- Yes, Lord-Chancellor Abnur Tharn requested your presence later this evening, apparently he want to make sure all three of us know what to do...
- I hear you... Tell you what - why don't you inspect the storehouse and make sure that our supplies are organized and ready for tomorrow? Can you do me this favor? I'm going to clear my head, then head back to the barracks... Meet you there in a couple of hours! - saying that, Gabriel bid his friend farewell, and wrapping himself into a reasonably dry cloak once again stepped into the drenched streets of the Imperial City...

The weather did not seemed to improve one bit, and so he abandoned the idea of visiting the Market Quarter and headed straight for the Palace instead. Upon reaching his chambers he threw the dripping-wet cloak to the corner, and heading straight for the armchair that was in front of the fireplace. Soaking in the warmth of fire while stretching in a soft, comfortable chair Gabriel could not help but wonder when will be the next time he could enjoy such simple pleasures such as these, with his impending quest looming ahead... Allowing his tired mind to wander he found himself revisiting his newest meeting with a mysterious, enigmatic Bosmer. Morgana... Such an unusual name for her people, but than again she was definitely not your average person either. The simple beauty of her appearance as well as her sharp wit did not cease to amaze him. Tharn smiled ever so slightly - somehow he got a feeling that their meeting was not the last one...

After a while he decided to focus on the present and as such shoved his thoughts of Morgana to the back of his mind. He had far more pressing issues to deal with... One of which was the sealed latter from Mia. popping the the red wax seal open, he glanced over the perfect handwriting doting the parchment. He could not help but snort after reading Mia's impression of her fellow mages-in-training. More specifically, their actual potential. He knew that his friend was not exaggerating - many of the so called battle mages that served in the most prominent positions within the Imperial Legion were for the lack of a better word severely unqualified for taking such a post. Many of them accomplished that due to their ties to nobility, but as a result the might of the Empire had diminished over the years... Upon reading about the books that she managed to find on the site of their training, as well as considering the history of the place Tharn could not help but feel anxious about his old friend. He wasn't sure she fully understood how dangerous were things she had delved into. She was playing with fire, and Gabriel was praying to all Divines he knew for her safety... Mia's way of dealing with a change of leadership in a legion made him smirk with pride. She certainly learned a lot from him and his family. Gabriel knew the man that was appointed her commanding officer. A power-hungry, arrogant prat of a man, who would shun away anyone who dared to defy his outrageous incompetence. Tharn could only applaud to the way Mia dealt with the issue. Smooth, and cunning... He almost felt sorry for the fool. Almost...

At any rate, she made it clear that her assigned Legion will be moving out shortly, although where to was unknown at the present time. Gabriel smiled sadly - his friend certainly grown into a confident, independent and reasonably ambitious woman. He was proud of her as he would be of his own sibling, but the fact that their duties to the Empire will most likely prevent them from seeing each other any time soon had soured his mood. Putting the letter aside, Gabriel decided to check on Hadrian and Octavia before retiring to bed earlier than usual. After all, the next day will definitely be a long one. The time for the departure had finally came...

End of Chapter 3

Wolf of the White-Gold Tower

Volume 1

Chapter 4 - The Journey Begins

Even after getting a reasonable amount of rest during the night, Gabriel was not eager to leave the welcoming warmth of his bed. Shooting a quick glance at the window he registered that the weather outside barely improved since yesterday. Heavy clouds blocked the sky, casting a grim shadows over the world below. Drizzling rain was quietly banging on the glass, wish occasional gasps of wind sweeping the excess moist from the narrow window sill.

- Well, at least this thrice damned downpour stopped... - Tharn mused with little enthusiasm in his voice as he made his way towards the bathroom. Pouring a jar of cold water into the copper basin and splashing it onto his face, he looked up in the mirror. Despite his outward calm, his eyes said it all. Was he afraid of the journey ahead? Of course he was, only a complete, ignorant fool would not be in his place. Was he anxious? Absolutely, with so many lives depending on the choices he'll made in the near future... But as Redguard sword-master Sai Sahan once said to him - courage is not an absence of fear. Rather, it's a realization that there are things far more important than it. Now, standing only a moments away from perhaps the most difficult task he was ever given, he could testify at the truthfulness of the sentiment above... Letting out a deep sigh, Gabriel proceeded to the armor stand. After all, his men will soon be gathered outside the barracks and he would hate to keep them waiting...

Rain was drumming on the polished metal of the armor, seeping trough every crack deeper into the layers. Gabriel mused to himself how long would it take for him to get completely drenched as he walked towards the inner courtyard of the Legion barracks, where his men were already saddling the horses. Hadrian was the first to notice his arrival and gave him a curt nod. Octavia was busy fending off repeated advances from Lucan Marro, a fine soldier but a hopeless womanizer as far as Tharn knew. It was painfully obvious that he was getting nowhere, but the repeated bursts of laughter that usually followed Octavia's sarcastic remarks to his attics did nothing to cool his head down... Deciding that he saw enough amusement for the moment, Gabriel loudly cleared his throat. Every head was instantly turned to him, and moments later everyone present dropped whatever they were doing to salute the commanding officer. Returning the honor, Tharn did a careful inspection of the soldiers present, allowing his sight to linger on Lucan who instantly shrank under the heavy gaze of these deep emerald eyes. Satisfied to a reasonable degree at the quality of the preparations made, he was about to address the men when a new voice coming from behind cut him off.

- Sorry I'm late! - a haughty, arrogant manner of the speakers voice gave quite the opposite impression. Gabriel could not contain a deep sigh as he turned around to face the woman. Colette Du'Valle, in the flesh...
- "This just keeps getting better and better..." - he thought to himself with no small amount of irritation. - Well of course, it is nice of you to join us.
- Oh please, knight-captain! Neither of us wants to be here, especially in this wretched weather! So why don't we leave the pleasantries for later and just get on with it, shall we?

Tharn could not help as he rolled his eyes before turning back to his men. This is going to be a long journey... By the looks on their faces many shared his sentiment, after all the "Ice Queen" of the Imperial Palace was well known for her "pleasant" demeanor. As he carried on briefing his soldiers on the situation, he could see how the looks of many veteran fighters turned dark. After the mention of the Longhouse, there was more than a few fists clenched and silent curses uttered under the breath. As he moved into the part of entering an Ayled ruin to face down the last remaining loyalists of the dethroned tyrant, he can tell that their enthusiasm had suffered a blow. He could not blame them - these accursed holes in the ground were known to house monstrosities far worse than any of them had to deal with, not to mention the deadly traps that might still be active. Asturian Longhouse was not stupid, he'll never allow himself to be lured away from his stronghold, therefore Gabriel and his men had to do things the hard way. They have no choice but to face the enemy on his own home turf, while they will be practically stumbling around in the dark like a blind kittens... But one way or another, it had to be done. If there was any chance of lasting peace for the Tamriel, it was their duty to remove the last remaining threat on the way of rebuilding once glorious Empire.

After finishing his short speech, Gabriel gave orders to prepare for leave. Those among them who had family in the city were saying their last farewells, while Gabriel was watching them with a small bit of sadness. Before he even realized, his mind drifted off to that fateful ball, which felt like such a long time ago... To his surprise, he wasn't thinking of a certain raven-haired elf. No, instead his mind showed him all the small moments he forgot or simply failed to notice. Here, he was waltzing around the hall with Mia, wondering how his closest friend could suddenly turn into a depiction of a divine. He saw her sincere grin as they danced among other pairs of nobles but not concerning themselves with their existence, her face practically glowing. Her a little bit too obvious irritation at the sight of him getting familiar with Morgana. He remembered as one of her golden locks of hair had escaped carefully arranged hair and he chose to put it back into its proper place, for which he was rewarded with a shy smile...

- "Dam it Tharn, keep it together!" - he gave himself a mental slap. - "There is no time for that kind of thinking, even less so now!" - he scolded himself. After all, he should really focus on the present. Besides, he always thought of Mia as more of his adopted sister, viewing her as anything other than that was... odd, to say the least. Deciding to shove these thoughts do the deepest corners of his mind, towards the "deal with it later" category, he raised his hood and commanded his men to mount the rides. The time has come for them to depart the familiar setting and safety of the capital walls and go forth into the unknown. As one might expect there was hardly anyone present at the streets as they rode trough them towards the bridge. Occasional passers by shot a curious look towards the company of armed soldiers riding trough the water-filled streets this early in the morning, but none dared to bother them with unnecessary questions...

As they ware approaching the gate one of the guards came running towards them.
- Forgive me, my lord, but I got a message for you! - with this legionnaire handed him a rather wet, but tightly sealed scroll.
- Where is it from? - inquired Tharn, putting the scroll into one of the saddle bags to prevent parchment getting completely soaked.
- I do not know, my lord! - the soldier obviously was telling the truth, - However I am told it had arrived at your personal quarters just after you left! A raven was carrying it....
- A raven? Curious... - Gabriel mused to himself. At any rate, he will deal with it later, maybe when they stop for a night. - Thank you, soldier. You are dismissed!
- My life for the Empire! - after saluting again, the guard stepped back allowing the company of mounted men trough the gate.

They crossed the bridge in silence, only a clank of raindrops on the polished metal accompanied them. the weather certainly did not seem to improve the mood... Neither did the occasional bursts of whining from the blonde Breton lass. Azura knows, how did Mannimarco tolerates her for longer than a few minutes... After a few hours they finally reached the major junction where Golden Road went further east towards Anvil, while Green Road, also known as the abandoned road led further south towards the Bravil. Gabriel frowned - this road carried this name for a good reason, as brigands and other refuse was known to take refuge in the Pothole Cavers west of the main road. Many caravans met their tragic fate at the hands of the black-bow marauders, so much that the road was practically abandoned shortly after the war. There was no way of telling if the bandits are still there... The other option was to take a western branch of the main Imperial Roadway, which will lead them straight trough the Nibenay Basin straight at the doorstep of Nenalata. The catch is, this detour will take almost the double amount of time. And time was of the essence, as if Asturian Longhouse catches the wind of their advance he might disappear into the thin air just like during the battle for the Nibenay Valley. It will be years, if not decades before they'll get another chance! All the while the enemy of the Empire will be running unchecked.... No, that would simply be unacceptable. All thing considering, they had a fairly good chance of making it trough the Green Road without any unwanted encounters as the robbers would likely try and stay clear of a company of heavily armed and armored men. With that thought in mind, he motioned his men to follow him as they embarked on a journey down the abandoned road with a goal of reaching Bravil within a day...

End of Chapter 4

Wolf of the White-Gold Tower

Volume 1

Chapter 5 - Into The Dragon's Mouth, Part 1

As the party progressed forward, the weather had finally decided to change. Although whether this change was for better or for worse was a matter of debate. The drizzling rain that accompanied the soldiers all the way South for the good part of the journey along the Green Road had finally ceased, replaced by thick foul-smelling cloud of mist. The sea of grayish-white had completely swallowed the group as they progress forwards. Gabriel had no choice but to slow the pace down as the fog made it virtually impossible to see further than a dozen meters ahead. Not to mention that it was already getting late, and if they won't hurry it up Tharn would have no choice but to make camp here as they only got a few hours of daylight left.

- So this is your ingenious plan? - Colette Du'Valle, riding next to Gabriel at the head of the column mused, as they were making their way across a sea of white. - Lead us into the uncivilized wild, choose the most awkward way possible, and now to get lost in the thrice damned fog to top it up... Did I miss anything?
- Do you have a better idea, your highness?! - Gabriel growled at her in a low voice.
- In fact I do! We should have taken the road across the western Nibenay Basin! And if we would have done so, we would be galloping our way across the Golden Road straight to our destination instead of forcing our way trough this filthy muck!
- Oh yes? So I am to ignore the fact that Gold Road is littered with trade traffic and travelers? We would just gallop our way past without anyone rising a single damn question of what a full company of Dragonguard knight had forgotten in this part of the country?!
- Oh please... - the Breton sorceress rolled her eyes. - You could not be seriously expecting to find an enemy spy in every passer by?!
- No, but I got my instructions to conduct this operation under the veil of strict secrecy, whether I like it or not! - Tharn stated with no small degree of irritation. Gods, that girl was really getting on his nerves!
- Interesting... You're questioning the orders of your superiors? - she arched an eyebrow.
- Even if do, then what? It's not like I can do anything about it, even being a thrice-damned captain of the Imperial Dragonguard...
- You got more power in your hands than you realize... - she said quietly after studying him for a moment.
- And what's that supposed to... - Gabriel was about to ask when he was cut short by Colette. She gripped his hand with a strength he was not expecting to find in such a fragile-looking woman, while she practically pulled him to a halt.
- What in the name of...
- Quiet! - she hissed in a low whisper, her eyes peering into the wall of white ahead.
- What is it this time! - Tharn was really not in the mood for her games, even less so now.
- Would you just shut up?! - Du'Valle practically screeched at him. - We're not alone here...

Gabriel was about to object, but after taking a quick glance at the woman next to him choose to reconsider. Every feature of her body radiated tenseness, her eyes studying the mist surrounding them with almost feral look. He was truly amazed to see such an instant change in her - the haughty, spoiled noble woman was replaced by a graceful and cunning predator, stalking it's prey. There was something else, however. The look on her face... Tharn could have sworn he saw a glint of fear on it, but why?
- How do you know for sure? - he finally said in a low whisper while his hand slit to the hilt of the blade fastened on his hip.
- I can sense them, right ahead of us!
- What do you mean "sense"?
- I don't have time to walk you trough this! - Colette snapped back. - Sufficed to say, my magic has many uses apart from the obvious!

Deciding to drop the subject until a better time, he signaled his already alarmed men to shut up and dismount as quietly as possible.
- How many are there? - he whispered as he stepped out of the saddle onto the ankle-deep mud of the road.
- Difficult to say... About a dozen or so. - it was obvious that Breton mage was unsure. She made a few careful steps forward, ignoring the sound of wet muck under her feet. - Be wary, there is something about them that just doesn't feel...
- Watch out! - acting on a pure instinct Gabriel rushed forward, tackling unsuspecting sorceress to the ground, covering her with his own body. And not a moment too soon - two arrows had flew above the pair, hissing right past the spot where Breton's head would have been just a moment ago. After a brief moment of shock Gabriel scrambled back to his feet, nearly slipping in the mud and readying his shield, all the while arrows continued to hiss above their heads. - Incoming fire! Horses to the back! Shields up, defensive formation!

A few more arrows embedded themselves in his shield, all the while he helped Du'Valle to get back on her feet.
- Where the hell are they?! I cannot see anything in this damnable fog! - Hadrian muttered angrily next to him.
- If we don't get those archers dealt with they'll pick us off one by one! - Tharn growled as he backed his way towards the wall of shields formed by the soldiers. - Lucan, get the horses the hell out of here! If they take them down, we're done for! - Gabriel yelled as he tried to position his shield in a way that will protect both him and the Breton mage behind him. Lucan nodded and after motioning Quintus to follow, broke from the formation.
- Varro, take your men and flank them! - Gabriel pointed at the hills left to the road. - These skeevers are bound to be there! The rest, on me! Shields up, attack formation! - Tharn commanded after Varro and three other knights disappeared into the mist. - Do not brake the formation! Advance!

The mud squelched under their boots as the small cohort advanced forward, shield to shield. The prickly rain of arrows did not seem to stop, however. A pained growl next to him alerted him that some of them did find their targets, as Decimus seemed to drop from the formation. Before Tharn or anyone else could do anything two more deadly missiles struck the legionnaire down. Clenching his pierced throat, Decimus sunk to the ground with a gurgling noise, blood oozing from his wound onto the wet dirt under their feet...
- Dam it, Varro! What in blazes taking him so long! - Octavia swore loudly after deflecting yet another deadly projectile with her arcane shield.
- I don't know! But if he won't hurry they'll pick us all off, long before we make it to the bottom of that cursed hill! - Gabriel spat.

Gabriel knew all to well that if Varro and his men would not reach those archers in time they're goners. With no way of seeing the enemy they could not effectively fight them off. The formation was holding for now, but just barely so... With a corner of his eye Tharn noticed a motion behind him and after a quick glance spotted Colette breaking away from them and slipping into the mist...
- Oh, now what?! - he cursed under his breath. A few seconds later he was nearly blinded by a sudden flash of what looked like a lighting ahead of them, followed by screams of pain and terror. The deadly rain of arrows came to an abrupt stop. Quickly ceasing the opportunity, Gabriel led a swift charge towards the hill, and not a moment too soon. Varro and his men already engaged the enemy, littering the ground with corpses as they carved their way into the enemy ranks. A few of his own men were lying amongst the fallen as well... What did seemed odd though that no matter how many attackers they cut down there did not seemed to be any less of them! Parrying the blow with his shield, Gabriel wasted no time and sunk his blade deep into his foe's neck. Blood splashed on his armor as he pulled the blade off, only to deflect another strike and separate attacker's head from his shoulders. Noticing a group of brigands trying to sneak their way around Varro and the remainder of his men Tharn sunk his blade into the ground. Clenching his fist and drawing as much power as he could he unleashed it upon them. A jolt of lightning escaped his fingertips striking the group down, practically incinerating them in a second. Next to him Du'Valle knocked the opponent off his feat with the staff shortly before sinking the sharpened end of her weapon into the man's chest...

The fighting stopped just as suddenly as it had started. Knocking the bandit down and severing his neck with a single slashing cut Tharn looked up in search of the next, but found none. The sound of fighting just... stopped. Aside from moaning of their wounded comrades on the ground, nothing reminded him of battle they just fought. But surely that cannot be true! There was no cries for mercy, no signals for retreat, nothing! All of a sudden it just ended. Something was not right...
- By all the Gods, look at the ground! - Octavia shouted in disbelief while pointing her staff at it.
Taking a look under his feet Gabriel gasped - the bodies... They were gone! Sure, the ground was still bloodied at the spots where they fell, but the corpses of the attackers... There was not a single one of them left!
- H... How?! - Tharn muttered incredulously as he spun around to look at what was a battlefield just a moment ago. His men were equally puzzled. The fight was intense, there simply was no way for the attackers to snatch off the bodies. And even if they tried, surely he and his men would notice that? Gabriel struggled to process what lied in front of him.
- They could not just be figments of our imagination now could they? - Hadrian asked quietly as he kneeled next to Tharn to examine the ground.
- No way! I took down at least six of them! - Octavia yelled out angrily.
- As did I! - Varro growled, clenching his bleeding shoulder. - As did we all!
- Their blood looks real enough... - Gabriel mused as he ran a finger along the stained blade, smearing the crimson between his fingers.
- These were no ordinary bandits... - Colette finally said after a long silence, deep concern evident by the look on her face. - I sense a powerful sorcery behind all this.
- Could these men belong to Longhouse? - Tharn asked quietly, kneeling next to her and Hadrian, looking at the spot where he slew his opponent just a moments ago.
- I do not think so, - Colette stated, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Letting out a heavy sigh, Valerius rose from the ground and went to check on the fallen. Gabriel however did not fail to notice the Breton mage's uncertainty.
- Do you have any idea of who these men could be? - he asked seriously, looking her straight in the eyes.
- I... I do not know. Maybe... but I got to make sure first! - she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
- Very well then... Keep me posted! - the way he said it made painfully obvious that this conversation isn't over. Giving her another pointed look Gabriel decided to drop it for a time being and focus on more pressing issues. He had no idea how many did they lost in the skirmish, wounded or dead... Just before he got up and went away, however, Du'Valle finally decided to say something.
- I... wanted to thank you, - she uttered quietly, looking at the ground. - You saved my life back there, even though it put you in a harm's way... Why?
- Think nothing of it, - Tharn brushed it off tiredly. - We all in this together, whether we like it or not. And I don't want to loose any more of my men in this wild goose chase! If we are to survive this, I need each and every one here in one piece, and that includes you.
- I see... Know that I... appreciate it none the less, - the Breton said after a long pause. Deep inside Gabriel was surprised to hear it, after all Colette Du'Valle had always been known for her arrogant and haughty temper. To see her like this, humbled and even more so - thankful... If somebody told him about this moment a few weeks ago he would had called that person a brazen liar... After punching him in the face. Hard.
- "The surprises of this journey just never cease..." - he thought to himself as he walked towards his men, unaware of the long, thoughtful look of a pair of icy-blue eyes that followed his departure...

As he found out soon enough, the surprises of the day did not ended just there.
- What do you mean we don't have any more medicine? I clearly remember at least two saddle bags packed full of the most potent elixirs we could get! Go and fetch those, we got plenty of wounded to take care of!
- Err, yes, about that... - Lucan shifted uncomfortably under the piercing gaze of his commander. - You see, when you ordered me to take the horses away, those cursed brigands must have noticed me trying to slip away. A few of the blighters followed me to the clearing and I cut them down... But not before one of them managed to get a shot at me...
- And?
- And, well... Since I dropped my shield while trying to get our mounts to safety, I had no other option but to duck. The arrow struck one of our horses and... Well, it's just happened to be the one saddled with all our supplies...
- Tell... Me... You're... JOKING! - at this point Gabriel really struggled to contain his temper. Lucan took a few steps back as he watched with no small deal of fear as Thar's clenched fists sparkled with electricity.
- I fear he does not... - Hadrian appeared from the bushes, dragging along two heavy bags of medical supplies they brought with them. Cursing his luck once more Tharn rushed towards them, only to find out that majority of their content was permanently ruined.
- By Azura... No, this won't do at all... - Gabriel noted grimly while diffing trough the mess of broken glass and colorful liquid that at one stage used to be their medical stockpile... - This bag looks like it was trampled by a herd of stampeding Mammoths! How did this happen! - he growled at Lucan once again.
- Like you didn't see a horse struck by an arrow! - he snapped back at the commander. - The blasted thing hit the ground pretty hard!
- Drop the attitude soldier! - Gabriel spat back. - I asked you a direct question, and you will answer it accordingly!
- I... I... I truly sorry, sir! - Lucan was taken aback by this sudded outburst. - I swear, I did all I could!
- Did not tried very hard... - Tharn muttered under his breath. However knowing all too well that bickering among themselves is the last thing they needed he decided not to push it. - You're excused, soldier. Report to Lucanus Varro at once! I need you both to take stock of what we had left!

Saluting the knight-captain once more, Lucan made sure he did not linger in commander' sight, quietly thanking the Divines for his luck. After all, he really did not wished to test Gabriel's command of the arcane, he knew enough about it to be certain he would not survive the experience...

- How are we doing? - Tharn asked quietly as kneele next to his sister who was tending the wounded.
- Not good I'm afraid! - she shook her head in desperation. - Decimus is dead, three more are wounded. Badly. One of them will not survive the night! - Octavia gave her brother an exausted look. - Is it true that we lost most of our medical supply?
- Unfortunately, yes...
- How bad is it?
- Bad enough to say that we're in a deep trouble. That idiot Lucan managed to screw up the simplest task! And now, thanks to his carelessness we got practically nothing left!
- You can't be serious! - Octavia gave him a look of pure disbelief. - We couldn't have lost EVERYTHING! Could we? - she added with a small glimmer of hope.
- I fear we did... - Tharnk shook his head in resignation.
- But... Without those supplies these poor men... they'll die for sure!
- You think I don't know that! - Gabriel growled back. - I spent last fifteen minutes trying to find a way out of this mess! For once, we need to get the hell out of here... There is no telling if the attackers will be back! We've got only a few hours of daylight left, so we should push further South along the road. There's an abandoned village about an hour away from Bravil, safely tucked away from the main road... If my memory serves me right, it should be protected by the cliffs from at least two sides, and there's a swampy land on the third. in case we come under attack, all we really need to worry is the front gates!
- I don't know about this...
- What other options do we have? If we stay here, we die. End of story. if we camp in the abandoned village, at least we got a stronghold of a sort to safeguard our wounded until I figure a way out of this with our heads still attached to our shoulders!
- Perhaps we really don't have a choice... - Octavia sighed heavily. Restoration magic was an exhausting art, yet she knew it was the only thing keeping the wounded alive. - By the Gods, you're wounded! - she suddenly cried out.
- What?! Ah, this... the blood on my armor isn't mine!
- No, your head!
- My what? - Gabriel rubbed his eyes from the sweat that began to cloud his vision, only do discover a smudge of crimson on his hand. - Ow...
- Let me have a look at it! - she practically forced Tharn to stay put in front of her. - You're lucky you did not loose an eye! - she muttered under her breath as she examined a long cut across his right eye.
- Ha, the bastards got me and i didn't even knew...
- This isn't a laughing matter! - Octavia had cut him off before he can continue. - He could have sliced your head in two! You should be more careful in a fight like that, or one day It'll cost you!
- I'll be fine! - Gabriel brushed it off, getting off the ground. - Make sure our men will make it to the village. We... I... cannot afford to lose anyone else!

- Saddle up! I want us to be packed and moving in ten! - Gabriel shouted out while getting back onto the horseback.
- But what about Decimus? We can't just leave him like that! - someone shouted from the back.
- This is war, legionnaire! - Gabriel stated grimly. - We could stay and give him a proper burial but risk dooming our wounded comrades to a slow and agonizing death! And if we linger too long, the darkness will descend before we're ready for it. We will make an easy pray for those bastards! Do you really want to take that chance, soldier? Do you really want Decimus' death to be in vain? Or would you rather make the skeevers who did this pay for it?! I knew Decimus for a long time, - he added with a sadness in his voice. - But I do know that our lives worth more to him than our prayers! I take no pleasure in doing this... But I swear to you that those who did this will pay hundredfold in their own blood! - a roar of approval from his men was all Gabriel needed. After the remaining supplies were scavenged and re-packed, and wounded were safely saddled under the tireless care of Octavia and, surprisingly, Colette who volunteered to assist her, the column had resumed it motion along the long abandoned road. The mist had finally began to dissipate but the sun was climbing down fast. Gabriel silently prayed to all the deities he knew of, so that they might reach the safety of the village in time before the nightfall. He knew all too well that whoever attacked them earlier would not relent without a fight. This is a race against certain death, and time is not on his side...

End Of Part 1