I made sure that I was careful going up the stairs, as the Count had suggested. Now that my work in Skingrad was done, I figured I would rest a bit at the local inn and continue on to Anvil in the morning.

I could hear the bells from the chapel ringing in the distance, and the air was sweet with the smell of pine and birch trees nearby.

I stopped at the Fighers Guild offices and had my weapons sharpened, stopped at the Mages Guild offices to have the items recharged, then walked over to the West Weald Inn, figuring I'd get a good meal and maybe hear some rumors about what's going on in the area.

As soon as I entered the Inn, I heard someone get up from their table and shout "You bitch! You shall pay for defying the Master!"

I look towards the source of the voice. It was a local known as Else God-Hater. I had spoken with her on my last trip here. She certainly went on about how much she hated the gods, but I thought, "What in the world...?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked in response.

"Talk?" she snorted. "Ha! I'll do more than talk."

Suddenly, she spun around, casting a spell, summoning a scamp.

While the others in the room were stunned at this brazen act of magical stupidity (anyone summoning a creature in a city is considered a target for the guards to fight), she cast yet another spell, summoning armor and a weapon.

I recognized the armor. She was a member of the Mythic Dawn! Instantly, I summoned my own armor as hers was forming.

"Now you shall pay for your defiance!" she shouted.

"And you shall pay for those who died at Ald-Ruhn!" I replied, drawing my own sword.

The orc in the room managed to defeat her scamp, but his dagger would be no match for a broadsword and armor in close quarters. My own summoned armor would only last for 60 seconds, so I had to work fast!

I blocked her first blow, spun around and took a shot at her. She blocked it, but bounced back into the room. I had received enough practice with some of the monsters from Oblivion, and I treated her no differently.

"Give up and die!" she shouted.

"You first, sweetie." I responded.

She let loose a full downward thrust at me. I blocked it, then hit her several times with my own sword, finally striking a blow that she missed. Stunned by the hit, I repeated the strike, this time knocking her back against a table. Now, out of range of the other people in the room, I hit her with a spell of God's Fire.

"You first, I guess, sweetie." I said as her lifeless body fell against the table.

I checked her corpse for clues, but there were none to be found. I figured there might be other sleeper agents planted in cities throughout Cyrodiil. Caution and a sword at the ready would be prudent.

I spoke with the Inn keeper. "I never knew she was capable of such, oh, hatred." she said. "And she's been a regular here for so long, I don't think anyone had a clue about this."

"Don't worry about it." I replied. I gave her a few extra pieces of gold to pay for the damaged furniture and clean-up.

"Thank you." she said. "The next draft of ale is on me."

I figured that with the possibility of more agents planted throughout the Empire, perhaps staying the night was not a good idea.

I located my horse at the stable, and with a few gold coins to the keeper for taking care of him, I jumped on my horse and rode a full gallop southwest down the Gold Road. Eventually I could hear the call of seagulls. I knew I was nearing the Gold Coast, and the city of Anvil. As I rode over the crest of a hill, I could see the city towers in the distance. Once I had secured aid for the city of Bruma here, I could head back to Miscarcand on the way back to Martin and find this Great Welkynd Stone he needed.

As I closed in on the city gates, I could once again hear the high-pitched whine of an Oblivion Gate. They were opening up just about everywhere, it seems, but I couldn't see where it was.

I dismounted my horse, making sure he was in a safe spot, then wandered off the road in the high grass north of the city.

It didn't take me long to find the source of the noise. If I hadn't heard it, the smoke from the fires it was creating would have lead me right to it.

So close to being done with this one task, and yet, at every step of the way, these things kept opening up.

I was determined not to allow this to deter me from my mission. I decided I would check in with the ruler of Anvil and determine their situation. I fully expected to be asked to come back here and close it.