18+ Dusk

At Donaths intervention, Salthar frowned. The warrior made a good point. The guardsmen certainly weren't anything spectacular, but most of them seemed loyal. "You're right, of course. I admit I may have leapt to the wrong conclusion" he stepped back, out of the house. " Eat well, my friend. You may be relying on dried supplies for a while." He moved away, having no need for food or drink himself. He was content to stay with them as they enjoyed the comforts of the city one last night.

After a cool hug from Aliah, Alice stepped outside with her father and stepmother. Mila had found her way downstairs, looking for dinner, and was excited to be going to the tavern. She saw that Salthar had questioned her father about handing a guard a scrying crystal but wasn't sure why. She had clearly seen the man with the crystal and understood why he had it. Her dad was concerned for her and it didn't bother her. It wasn't even that uncommon for officers to carry scrying crystals these days. It aided in communication across large distances. It was what let such a large force assemble so quickly, even if half of them were drunk.

"I agree with Donath on this one Salthar." Simus said. "There are over 5,000 guards, 1,000 of them here in Whiterun. over 100 of them carry scrying crystals to communicate with each other. Some of them are corrupt, some of them are lazy, some of them are drunk. But none of them are Whitescar spies. Alice and I have taken very thorough precautions against infiltration and her visions usually catch what falls through the cracks. Why so worried about a scrying crystal anyway?"

"Yes, what's the matter?" Alice asked. "Is something wrong?"

"We felt something. Like someone was watching us. Like with a scrying crystal."

Alice remembered that Cilla was here and felt a pang of guilt. Cilla understood how she felt and without a word she went over and hugged Alice across the chest. She gratefully accepted her little sister into her arms and the two enjoyed a long, comforting hug. No words were spoken, there didn't need to be any. They understood that that all was forgiven. It warmed Simus' heart to see his babies reconcile like this but Cilla's information concerned her.

"Is this true Saltahr? Did you feel like someone was watching you? Tell me exactly how you felt."

As the whole group started making their way to the tavern for dinner, Julius fell into step beside Alice. He wanted to hug her, but they were out in public. And officially,she outranked him. Once Cilla and Alice had stopped hugging, he reached and grabbed her hand. "I'm glad you're okay. Really glad." He said warmly. He glanced up at the others, noticing the orc that had caused all the trouble in the first place was nowhere in sight. He did notice though, that Cilla and some of the others looked disturbed. And he heard Salthar and Simus speaking in concerned tones. About scrying or something like that. He'd heard of officers using crystals to communicate but he'd never used them himself. It sounded like Salthar was concerned about spies and traitors.

Salthar glanced at Simus, then towards Elizabeth. "I didn't feel anything. It was Elizabeth and Cilla that sensed something watching" he said, a note of pride creeping into his voice. "But there was definitely a magical aura in the air, and if Elizabeth says she felt something, I'm inclined to believe her. Which is why we shouldn't stay in the area for too long."

He frowned. "Not so much because we would be in danger. But anyone that can so casually spy on us wouldn't hesitate to come here throwing spells. And a spell battle in Whiterun is certainly not what we want" the sorcerer pointed out. He wanted to get the drop on the northeners before they could spread. Especially if they had spell casters with the magical power and range to reach Whiterun from Windhelm.

Averaine stood by as Simus and Salthar spoke of the magical scrying. He had little experience with magic, and he doubted he'd be needed for the planning of the next day. Salthar, at least, seemed to have it well in hand. Instead, he strode ahead of the group, excusing himself from the meal at the inn, to stand upon the walls of the city.

A gentle breeze shifted his hair, and sent the smoke from the braziers drifting over the city rooftops. In contrast to the earlier drama, Whiterun seemed almost peaceful. The knight turned to look out across the plains. He looked out to the north, wondering what, exactly, he'd find when they arrived in Windhelm. If this Azeraile was as dangerous as the others thought, he could start another civil war. Averaine seriously doubted the Empire would triumph again.

Shadari reached the inn ahead of the others. She didn't want to be stuck at a table with the others, and planning wasn't her cup of tea either. She ordered herself a drumstick of chicken, and tearing strips of meat off, and went back outside. A quick scan of her surroundings revealed a flash of red armour. She took the stairs up to the wall. Averaine stood there, facing out towards the plains. "Something on your mind?" She asked as she joined him.

Aliah stood by quietly as the others spoke. Aliah had never had any more than a glimmer of magical ability. And unlike most mages, her magic came to her during the heat of combat, giving her an edge. And though she understood the concept, she'd never mastered it. As the group made their way to the inn, she noticed Shadari slinking ahead of them, and half heard Averaine excusing himself and slipping away to the walls.

Once inside, she took her seat, but declined an offer of either wine or food. She glanced at Salthar. He was troubled, certainly, but it seemed he knew something about the situation he wasn't sharing. Deciding that now was not the time to confront him, she moved on. "What is our plan for tomorrow?" She asked. "Do we head straight north, towards Windhelm, or approach from a less obvious path?"
Either method had merit, so long as it didn't get them killed. In the end, as long as they ended up at their destination, any method was a good one.

"Me too." Alice said as she gently accepted Julius' hand. She wanted to hug him, to cling to his strong body and nuzzle into his shoulder and be held in his strong, gentle arms. She felt completely safe in his arms, not so different from when her dad held her. But they were out in public and rank and protocol had to take precedence over her personal feelings. She could have her snuggle time later.

Despite the concern Salthar showed over someone spying on them he insisted that they weren't in any real danger. Whoever this was could only watch them from a distance, not actually hurt them. Alice was wary of this logic, as what they didn't understand could definitely hurt them but also knew there was little they could do at the moment. So she decided not to worry about it now and head to dinner with everyone else. Cilla and the rest of the family followed quietly and sat themselves down at another table next to everyone else. Cilla sat with Alice, next to Julius and Elizabeth. Aliah brought up the question of which course they would take. A direct approach to Windhelm or a longer route to throw off potential enemies. To her surprise, Cilla spoke up first.

"I think we should head to Windhelm as fast as we can. It's a long way away and while we're traveling the Brotherhood guys are gonna hurt more people! We have to stop them as soon as we can! There's no time to lose!"

"I'm not so sure Cilla." Alice chimed in. "If someone was watching us, as you and Elizabeth indicated, then they could know our plans. If we take a meandering route or approach from another direction it would make our trail much harder to follow if someone were to go looking for it. What do the rest of you think?"

Averaine glanced at the assassin, and chuckled. He'd been about to ask her that exact question. But she'd asked first, and fair was fair. He pointed with a gauntleted hand to the north. "This...brotherhood. Doesn't it strike you as just a little odd that they spring up just after we defeat the Blight vanguard?" He looked to the assassin, genuinely curious. He'd known the woman long enough to respect her judgement, and heed her words.

"Add to that the Empires lack of action. Theywere quick enough to sound the horn and send their legions to fight Ulfric. But now, nothing. Besides a few troop movements near the northern holds" he shook his head. He'd been a soldier in High Rock before becoming a vampire. He knew enough about strategy and wars, and insurrections, for the Imperials lack of activity to alarm him.

"And what of you? What troubles linger in your mind?"

Julius smiled at Alices response, and with the rest of the group, headed inside. Once everyone had sat down, Aliah brought up the discussion of the best way to reach windhelm. Either head straight for the northern city or take a longer, sneakier approach. Cilla spoke up first, and wanted to go straight to windhelm. Alice on the other hand, pointed out that what or whoever had been watching the group might expect that. And set a trap for them.

Once Alice asked what the rest of the group thought, he spoke up.
"I'm no expert, but shouldn't we just go straight there?I mean it might be a little more dangerous, but if we kill their leader won't the whole group just...disintegrate?" He shrugged. "Like, cut off the head and the body dies sort of thing"

Shadari tilted her ears back as the knight spoke. He brought up a few good points. Points that couldn't be ignored. "It is a little weird." She paused. "Okay, more than a little. But why would those freaks we killed wait a whole year before coming back?" She shook her head. "I hate to say it, but maybe it's just what it looks like. People get power hungry schemes in their heads all the time." She said, remembering Ulfric. "And the Empire wasted most of its resources fighting the Stormcloaks. And then mopping up all those little pockets of resistance. They probably figure the holds soldiers can keep it bottled up"

When he asked her about her own troubles, she smirked. Then the expression of mirth faded quickly. "Blackstone. He's in Windhelm, or somewhere close to it. I can feel it." She felt her lip twisting in a snarl as she thought of the mage. "I've only been this close to catching him once before. And if Windhelm is getting powerful again, you can bet he's going to show up there. I just..." she shook her head before looking back at Averaine. "I can't lose him again. I've spent almost five years hunting the bastard. It's time he got what's coming to him."

Torin took his seat one facing the doorway, and close to the wall. He wasn't exactly paranoid, but the others warnings of being watched, plus the crowded confines of the inn had him...on edge. As the others took their seats around him, he sipped the goblet of wine he'd ordered. Aliah brought up the issue of how the fellowship would reach the brotherhoods supposed stronghold.

Almost immediately, the others began debating, with the youngest Psyrakon, Cilla, suggesting a straightforwards approach. Julius seemed to agree with her, though Torin assumed it was his Imperial training that had him doing so.The approach of 'go straight in and kill the enemy leader' might work on battle fields, but not so well when they were in a fortified position, and expecting an assault. Not that the more world wise ranger dismissed the idea because of that. Both Cilla and Julius had spoken with the best intentions.

Alice,however, both suggested a roundabout method.Torin agreed, and, reaching into his belt pouch, he pulled out a map, and placed it on the table. He tapped Whiterun once. "I agree with Alice. While your intentions are pure, I think a frontal assault on a city like Windhelm would be foolhardy." Thinking for a moment, his eyes fell on Riften. "What if we head south-east? Stop at Riften to resupply, and then head north. Once we reach eastmarch, we can find a way to infiltrate the city. Then remove the head of the brotherhood"

Averaine had to concede the point. The creatures they'd fought, the Blight, hadn't seemed like the types to wait an entire year. "I suppose you're right. Perhaps I'm just leaping to conclusions." He shrugged. "The Imperials probably are tired of fighting in Skyrim. But with a threat like this, they should at least be watching closely"

He frowned at the vindictiveness in her voice. 'I can't judge her' he realised. He'd been as impulsive and vengeful as her once. And while five years was a short stretch for him, it certainly was no small amount of time for his Khajiit friend. It wasn't the anger in her that alarmed him, but rather that she seemed to be thinking of taking Blackstone on by herself."Shadari...would it not be better to rely on us to help you? I mean, surely Salthar has more experience dealing with mages such as he?"

As soon as the group had gotten inside the inn and sat at their table, Donath had wasted no time in ordering a large mug of ale. He didn't think he'd get much of a chance to drink on their journey. Especially not with those brotherhood types after them. He listened to the others speak for a little, taking the occasional gulp of ale. After Julius spoke up, the stout warrior wiped his mouth and set the mug down. "Normally I'd agree with ye, lad. But if whoever's in charge in Windhelm knows about us, we'll be walking into a wall of spears. Literally. I say we detour around. Hit 'em all sneaky like." Torin spoke as well, and the battle hardened warrior nodded his agreement. Best to be safe than sorry.

They all made their way to the inn, and sat around a table, with Alice, Cilla and Julius sitting near Elizabeth. Everyone except Averaine and Shadari had sat down. A little while later, Aliah spoke up. She wanted to know which way the group thought was best to get to windhelm. Everyone seemed to have some sort of opinion on it. Either they wanted to go straight to the northern hold or take a route that would draw less attention.

It was probably safer to move cautiously....but on the other hand...people would be suffering while they were on their way. Salthar may have been teaching her to use spells other than healing, but she was still committed to helping people. She cleared her throat. "I think maybe Cilla and Julius are right. We felt...whoever it was spying on us, but that doesn't mean we should let people suffer to save our own necks." She shot an apologetic glance towards Torin, who'd come up with what sounded like a fool proof plan to sneak around and catch the brotherhood by surprise.

Shadari narrowed her eyes and felt her tail start to twitch. "What do you mean?" She said, her voice lowering as her anger grew. "You think I can't handle Blackstone? That I'm too emotional, or not strong enough?" She cut herself off before she continued and said something she'd regret later. Looking out over the plains again, she said in a tone that was only slightly calmer. "No. This is my fight. I've told you once, and I'm telling you again. Stay out of it." She looked down to the light spilling from the inn. "Come on. We should go join the others"

Lythare spent more time taking in the patrons of the inns than actually listening to the planning session. She'd always been seen as a rather impetuous elf, which had gotten her into trouble quite often back home. But in Skyrim, and other places where the predominant race was men. Cilla and Elizabeths reports of feeling watched had her on edge, and Salthars reaction hadn't been reassuring.
She glanced around at the others, debating how they should get to windhelm, and why they're decision was the best. She was surprised by Donaths preference to not confront the brotherhood head on. She'd suspected he'd be the one most in favour of it. She was surprised again when Elizabeth spoke up in favour of a direct confrontation. "There are lots of ways to help people, Elizabeth. But getting ourselves killed isn't going to help anyone. I vote we go around. Even if I'm not looking forward to getting within a rocks throw of Riften"

Shadari entered the inn, shaking her head to remove the last remnants of misgivings as she did so. If Jorn Blackstone had been the one that was watching them, she was sure he had some sort of plan. She didn't know what, but she doubted he was going to run. Not this time. Not with something like the brotherhood backing him up. Which meant after all these years, she'd finally have the confrontation she'd wanted. Which only one of them would walk away from. However many of the others would survive...she didn't know. Especially if Averaine insisted on getting involved. She knew Torin had some thoughts on her insisting to face him alone.

Once she'd reached the table where the others were at, she caught a snippet of their conversation. "Don't be stupid" she snapped, glaring at Elizabeth, though knowing she wasn't to blame for her foul mood. "You go straight on at someone like Blackstone, and you'll die. How will that help anyone?" She said. "We go around. Throw them off the trail, then hit them hard."

Salthar remained silent as the group debated how they should go about getting to Windhelm, and explaining their reasoning. It quickly became apparent that the majority of the group believed taking the longer route was preferable. Even if some of them declared that somewhat harshly. The Altmer vampire shot a concerned glance at the Khajiit assassin. Obviously, whoever'd been watching had shaken the woman. He decided to keep a discreet eye on her. "It's settled then. Well head to the south and east. To Riften before we go north. I suggest you all get some rest." He glanced at Aliah, and gestured discreetly to the exit. A silent request to speak with her.

Aliah let the others make the decision on how they'd get to Windhelm. They had time, certainly. Eventually, the group decided that the longer path, looping around through Riften, was the better. Salthar urged the group to get some rest, and then turned to make eye contact with her. He gestured towards the door, obviously desiring to speak with her. She knew something was troubling the sorcerer. Perhaps now was her chance to find out what, exactly, that was. She stood, and followed him outside, into the night. She was surprised by the silence of a sleeping city. Of course, there were the occasional calls of the guards, reporting everything was in order. "It's good to see everything so peaceful" she said quietly.