The Riften Two-Step

[Meertaasi]

Taasi had followed regardless.

He would've been remiss in his duties if he'd not. He watched the young mage hurry through the streets of Riften, dodging most people. Of course, the one he didn't dodge...

From his perch on the rooftops, Taasi made a face, his lips peeling back over sharp teeth in a strange sort of frustrated grimace that was also an expression of impatience. Why was it that these things happened as they did?

The man who'd been knocked from his feet was like a perfect match to the Mage. A perfect copy.

[]iHim. That's the one...[/i]

Taasi dropped from his perch, one of his swords drawn as he fell atop the man. The blade buried itself into the chest of his true target, and the Argonian let out a long breath. He pulled his blade free as his hand passed through the welling up of blood, and another moment later he pressed a red palm-print upon the face of the dead man.

"Our deed is done," came the whisper.



Of course, the act of removing himself from the scene of the crime was another thing altogether, and Taasi reared up as the Riften gate guards advanced, their own weapons drawn.

A snarl, and he reached out, grabbing a hold of Clark's upper arm before swiftly darting forward and through the closing gates.

"Come on, Mage."

[Clark]

Clark would get no answers to a question that filled his mind until there was nothing else to think about. Stunned into silent stillness, it took the sharp pain of Meertaasi's grasp to bring him round.

"Ow!"

The novice mage was beginning to show anger and irritation. Yanked through the gates and past the guards, who were calling for them to halt, Clark stumbled to keep his feet. He needed to think. Usually when Clark was researching in the field, he was able to take his time and size up hostiles--whether they were skeevers, spiders, or draugr. This was different. He wanted to get away. Get back to the College. Find the quietest corner in the Arcaneum and read until Urag kicked him out. But no doubt Brelyna, Osmund, and J'zargo would pepper him with questions until he divulged the story. He needed to survive, if he wanted to see any of them ever again.

Suddenly, without thinking, Clark managed to say, "There's an entire cluster of Frostbite Spiders to our right! The Rift has more spiders in their forests than any other Hold in Skyrim!"

[Meertaasi]

With an angry snort, Taasi growled out a curse as he looked around to whatever the Mage was shrieking at.

"Tyber's Bones," he spat, staring at the group of frostbite spiders as they skittered their way closer. It was creepy, the way they moved.

With the Riften guards getting their bearings enough to begin giving chase, it wouldn't be long until they were harried on two sides.

"Keep pace less'n you wants to be run through with a sword before bein' gored by a spider."

[Clark]

"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Clark snapped. "The guards won't go near the spiders! But the spiders won't bother us!"

Clark did his best to drag Meertaasi towards the spiders' lair. "I've killed dozens of Frostbite Spiders since I've joined the college! We can take them!"

The novice mage didn't really know where the sudden fire was coming from. Maybe it was true that sons and daughters of Skyrim were forged by breathing the winter air and tempering themselves in its harsh cold. At any rate, the young magician was as likely to set the assassin on fire as the spiders, but the spiders would be easier opponents, and the survivors wouldn't follow him to the ends of the earth to get revenge.

[Meertaasi]

The mage's tugging only marginally succeeded, as Taasi gave a toothy sneer at the man.

"I don't like spiders," he growled.

Of course, having a mage handy was also something to consider, and the Argonian reluctantly let Clark pull him along.

Still though, he couldn't help the complaint as he gripped his blades just a little bit more tightly in anticipation of a battle.

"They're creepy."

[Clark]

"Well, yeah. They're nearly the size of a horse. We used to get surprised by them when exploring the tombs, but there's a thing about them: They will funnel into whatever space is available. We plugged an entire cavern with a bigger one once, then just set them all on fire. They couldn't reach us, but they couldn't really get around the corpses either. Failing that, they'll go after the first thing they see. I can conjure all the familiars I want: as long as the familiar appears before they notice me, they'll go after it every time."

The forest started to look frosted. Clark could feel his footsteps get tacky as he walked across the disparate strands. "Here, let me go."

Clark shook out his hands, summoning the spells he would need: Flames and Conjure Familiar.

Somewhere behind the unlikely pair, Clark could hear the guards cursing and returning to their posts. It was just him, Meertaasi, and the spiders. "They are likely going to be in shadows, or in the trees. Now's a good time to lure them out before they get the drop on us."

The novice mage held out his hand. He focused his will onto the spell and opened a tear in the planes. A few feet ahead the tear opened. With a swirling energy and unearthly noise, the familiar made itself manifest as the tear sealed itself.

The leaves on the small trees and bushes rustled. Clark brought about a new spell, and kept the Flames at ready. "Ok, we'll see where they come from. They don't usually keep others in reserve, so we should see the entire cluster pretty soon."