Tia looked around the little settlement. It was rather small, only four buildings and a pen for several animals. She smiled and looked at the sheep who were acompanied by an orc who watched his herd with a stern look in his eyes. She reached out to touch the funny looking fur of a little lamb that curiously came to the fence where she was standing. But the orc eyed her sharply, unsure whether this young girl might be a threat to his herd or just a common person who wants to pet the little lamb. The stern look felt uncomfortable for Tia, so she smiled at him broadly in hope he'll stop looking at her like that. After a few moments her plan seemed to be sucessful, again the man stared at the rest of the herd.

The young girl headed towards the big sign in front of the building right next to the pen and read out loudly. "Aleswell Inn". This sounded like a place where she could find a map, so she headed inside.

The inn as rather empty, except her and a dunmer who leaned with his arms on the counter no one else was inside. The man looked at her and stroked through his brown hair with one hand before getting up. "Welcome to the Aleswell Inn. I am Diram Serethi, the owner, and I run this little shelter from the day's journeys. What can I help you with?"

A bit insecure Tia smiled and replied. "I need a map. Can I get one here?" The dunmer slowly shook his head. "I am sorry, milady, but the only map I got is my personal one. And that one is not for sale."

"Oh..", sighed Tia rather disappointed. "But I really need one. It is important." He shrugged and placed a little scroll on his counter. "I can show you where you are and maybe give some directions if that helps." Tia looked at the counter and considered stealing the scroll, but quickly got rid of the idea again. Right when she was about to ask where she could get a map from, a tall Argonian rushed into the inn.

"What's the hurry, Sakeepa, are you..", started Diram before the Argonian interrupted him. "Quick, come outside, Diram, that filfthy mage is back!" Without waiting for a response Sakeepa left the inn again, followed by the Dunmer who mumbled several curses. Shortly after both men had left the inn, Tia looked at the little scroll on the table again. Slowly she reached with her hand for it, still unsure if it was a good idea to steal it. "Marina will like me for that", said she to herself before grabbing the paper and hiding it in her clothes.

Curiosity catched her though, so she left the inn and looked around to find the two men. After a few moments she saw them in the middle of the town, together with the Orismer and a tall Altmer wearing a grey robe and hood. The way Diram yelled at him made it clear that this mage was everything but welcome to Aleswell.

"What kind of tricks you want to play this time, Ancotar? We already told you to stay away from us after your little flame experiment burnt down Shagol's whole garden!" The mage smiled and shrugged innocently. "Could I know that this Flame Atronach would react like this when I infused it with a scroll imbued with a frost shield spell?" "I warn you, get out!". Diram tried to look as threatening as possible, but after a few moments he had to find out that it his attempt was futile. Ancotar never really let himself get influenced by Aleswell's inhabitants, he simply smiled at the Dunmer. "All I need from you is a clean phial. I know you got one, so why don't you just give it to me and then I'll be on my way again?"

Sakeepa looked at Diram. "It's better we give him what he wants before anything happens again. It is better when he leaves as fast as he came here." After a few moments the Dunmer nodded and went into the inn, just to come out a few minutes later. He handed a clear phial to the mage. "Here, take it and stop bothering us." Ancotar grabbed it and wrapped it into a piece of linen cloth in order to keep it clean and unharmed. "Glad making buisness with you", smirked the mage before turning around and leaving the village towards the east.

Diram sighted and went back to the inn again. "Nothing but trouble, this mage."

Tia looked after the Altmer and got even more curious, so she started to follow him. The road towards the east winded down the hill past the village and the he followed it until he reached a crossroads. To the east it continued to lead next to the forest, but southwards Tia could see a big lake and the ruins of an old fort. She rose her sight and saw with amazement in her eyes a gigantic city in the distance with walls as thick as a village and a tower higher than the sky. Almost the girl tripped because her eyes were focused on the distance, but the stone that was close to make her fall caused her to look at the road again. Ancotar entered the ruins right when she spotted him again, so she walked down the road in order to catch up.

After a short time Tia reached the destroyed bricks of the ruin's walls and she peeked into the remains of what used to be a tower. The yard was filled with small insects and plants, the bushes that covered most of it only were trampled in a little area into a path to reach the stairs leading upwards the tower. Carefully she followed this path and then snuck upwards, trying to not be spotted by the mage.

She saw Ancotar who unwrapped the phial and placed it on the alchemy table next to him, making sure that the linen is still on the bottom if it. For many minutes she watched him working with strange fluids and dusts as suddenly a voice behind her startled her. "Do you really think you are that good at sneaking?" Tia turned around and looked directly into Marina's eyes. While her cheeks turned red from her blushing she nodded. "Well..I thought I maybe at least could.." Marina pressed herself past her and walked up to Ancotar. She tapped his shoulder and then crossed her arms. "Still not ready yet?"

The mage turned around and looked awestruck into her amber eyes. "M-Mistress, I almost finished the oil, just like I promissed!" Tia looked puzzled at the two and slowly came closer. "Why he called you like that..?" Marina looked back at Tia slightly annoyed. "Because he is my thrall, obviously. I figured it would be useful to make some mortals work for me instead of killing them right where they stand."

"So that means he..obeys your ordes?"

Marina just stared daggers at her without answering her question.

"I mean..is he now..?"

Tia fell quiet as Marina picked one of the bottles on Ancotar's table and forced her to drink it.

"Just shut up alreay", hisssed the demoness while Tia's eyesight slowly turned black before she dropped to the ground unconscious.