It was midmorning when I arrived in Sharidahr. To someone who's never been there, it would look like sunset, or perhaps early evening. The sky, though clear, was dusky blue streaked with varying shades of purple. Far off in the horizon I could see the reddish orange sun that cast what little light there was.

I was standing in the large square in the middle of Shadowmire, Sharidahr's' capitol, one could say. Its grim name not withstanding, Shadowmire was quite lovely in a darksome way. Tall, black barked duskwood trees towered over the fountain in the center. Not far from here I could see a tall, shadowy palace: Vathiel's abode. I'd been there before-Vathiel had rewarded me for my doings at Battlespire and during the invasion of Sharidahr.

Overlooking the square itself was a tall, slender tower of elegant black granite. I found myself wondering who might live there, and how they got in and out with no doors or windows. More than likely a mage, I decided.

"Well, look who's come to visit. 'Tis Leyla herself."

I rolled my eyes at the unwanted intrusion; I knew that voice all too well. "Hello, Marith."

The handsome arachin chuckled. "You don't sound at all pleased to see me, Leyla. Now why is that?"

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the tower. "I wouldn't know, Marith. Mayhap because you're an arrogant jerk who thinks he has the right to swithe me just because I'm Oathkin? Or is it because it's the ones like you who give the rest their bad name?"

"Am I not appealing enough for you?" he asked petulantly.

I turned to face him now. He was, like most of his kin, attractive bordering on beautiful. His hair fell in silky looking, blue streaked black waves to his waist, his deep blue-black skin was smooth, almost glossy in vivid contrast to his red-orange eyes. His beauty, however, was not reflected within; Marith was an arachin who walked the Starless Path, meaning he was evil.

I sighed. "Your looks are not the issue here, Marith. It's who you are within."

He sneered, momentarily twisting his lovely features into a vile mask. "Your high minded principles do not find me to your liking. But I'll wager that your voluptuous body will enjoy me all the same."

He reached for me; I dodged nimbly aside. I could still hear him cursing as I melded into the shadows.

It didn't take long for Marith to tire of waiting for me. He was the archetypal arachin-constantly horny, lewd, malicious. Fortunately for me, he had an attention span of about five seconds. He soon gave up and departed, but not before growling, "Keep playing these games, Leyla, and we will see who wins!" He scuttled away.

I waited a few minutes before reemerging. I looked all around, then headed for the tavern across the street.

The Singing Cobra was a favored Shadow Walker hangout in Shade Perilous.

It catered to a mix of patrons, Darkin and mortal, and the drink list reflected this. Several of the patrons waved to me; I waved back, then took my customary seat at the bar.

"And what can I get for you this morning?" Joel asked. He finished wiping down the duskwood bar and tucked the rag into his belt. Joel had retired long ago from the guild, and now he ran the Cobra.

"I'll take some Blackjack," I told him. My gaze floated around the room; I was looking for a familiar face. The full impact of what had happened last night was beginning to settle in. I was starting to feel down, and I didn't want to. Brooding was a fact of life for Vathiel's children, but I was determined not to fall into that.

Joel nodded and placed a small bottle on the table along with a snifter.

"Looks like you need it," he told me, his grey eyes concerned.

I nodded, pouring as I did so. "Zerith ended our engagement," I told him, cutting to the chase. "We're still together, but he wants to explore other options."

Joel's wry smile echoed my own. The oldest story ever told," he agreed.

"If you care to talk about it, you know where to find me." Still smiling, he went to draw ale for a Redguard warrior.

I sighed, then sipped my blackjack. It was sweet yet spicy, and it packed a wallop I knew to be careful of. I'd finished about half the snifter when there was a light touch at my elbow. "'Lo, Weasel," I greeted, smiling a little.

Weasel, one of our more talented Shadow Walker thieves, smiled back. "Hey Lee. Say, what's wrong? Does it have anything to do with the mood Marith's in? Looks like you sent him away with a flea in his ear."

I grinned. "Next time he'll find my foot in his ass. He's beginning to annoy me. I have no idea why he wants me so much-he detests half-bloods."

Weasel nodded. "It might be the idea that he can't have you. Try throwing yourself at him, maybe he'll go away."

"Humph. I doubt it. Knowing my luck he'd come back for more!"

Weasel took a swig of ale. "Any male in his right mind would," he said. "I would, if I wasn't only attracted to Khajiits."

I chuckled. Weasel did indeed have a thing for Khajiit females. "I hear one day Kajima turned him down cold. He asked her if she was joking, and she told him "Look at what's in your hand the next time you're taking a whiz-that's a joke!"

Weasel guffawed. "He needs to learn subtlety. The blunt approach works with seducers, but otherwise, forget it."

We made small talk a while longer, my eyes constantly drawn to that tall, black tower again and again. Finally, Weasel said,"What's so fascinating?"

"Who lives in that tower?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, that one. A powerful wizard, probably." He shrugged. "Why?"

I smiled. "Aren't you the least bit curious about who it could be? What it's like inside there?"

He finished off his ale. "I stay alive by not poking my nose into places like that." He set the mug on the counter; Joel replaced it with a fresh one.

I eyed it again, then tossed off the remains of my blackjack. "I'll bet you I could get in there," I said. Mostly it was the brandy speaking, but my inquisitive nature was getting the best of me.

He looked at me as if I'd just said, "Strip me naked and tie me down for Marith." "Are you crazy?" he demanded, blue eyes alarmed. "No one knows who's in there, Lee! Or what's in there!"

"Probably nothing."

He snorted. "Probably something nasty!"

"I won't know till I look, now will I?" He threw his hands up.

"I give up. If you get yourself killed, don't come crying to me!"

We stared at each other a moment then laughed at the absurdity of the statement. "I'll tell you all about it when I return," I said with a grin. I tossed some coins on the bar and left.

Izdreth was in the study when the silent alarm telling of an intruder went off. The Shadow Master put aside the spellbook he'd been perusing and stood gracefully upon his eight slender legs. He scuttled to one of the viewing mirrors arranged just below the high ceiling. "Show me," he told it. His voice was smooth, slightly husky.

The viewing mirror obliged, showing a shadowy figure dressed in nothing more than a khajiit suit and soft black leathers. A tight-fitting hood covered the figure's entire head except for a slit for the eyes.

"Close up," he ordered the mirror, more intrigued than perturbed. His suspicions were confirmed a split second later when he saw the voluptuous figure of a female Shadow Walker thief. He smiled to himself as he looked her over-she was exactly how he preferred his female partners. He found himself wondering if she was beautiful as well as shapely.

She looked up sharply from the tapestry she'd been examining. Izdreth's breath caught when he saw her eyes-lovely, clear gray-green like the ocean at dawn. He decided it didn't matter if she wasn't beautiful-those eyes and that lush body more than made up for it.

"What are you doing here, beauty?" he murmured, fascinated. She was an intruder in his Master's tower, but why would a Shadow Walker invade Talryn's domain? Well, he was going to find out.

The arachin mage spoke a word of magic, rendering him invisible and undetectable. He scuttled across the ceiling to a spot where shadows loomed. He stepped into them, and was gone.

He reappeared barely a second later, not far from where the lovely visitor was running her hands over a wall. Obviously she was checking for secret doors. As he drew closer, an electric tingle ran down his spine-intruder or no, she was Oathkin.

Izdreth smiled to himself. This grew more interesting by the moment. She was Oathkin and a Shadow Walker, and he could also sense her mortal blood as well. Well, regardless of what she was, he would deal with her, in his own special way. He looked for to his task immensely. Now that Talryn spent more time with his Mistress, Izdreth had no one to play with. He was going to change that.

Smiling, Izdreth scuttled closer. The combined spells had rendered his walk silent as well. He watched her as she continued checking for doors, her voluptuous form belying a lithe grace. She would prove most amusing, yes. He spoke a single word of magick.

It'd taken me quite a while to get inside the mysterious black tower. Now that I was in, I couldn't help but look about, awed.

I seemed to be in an entry chamber. It was octagonal, with smooth, black granite walls. They were decorated with beautiful tapestries. A crystal globe in the ceiling cast a soft glow over everything; the room danced with shadows. Thick fur and finely woven rugs covered the floor, cushioning my walk as I explored the room. There were no doors that I could see anywhere.

The only flaw in the otherwise immaculate room was a tuft of fine, white silk, stuck to one of the tapestries. It echoed in my memory, but I couldn't fully place it. I plucked it off, testing the texture with my fingers. It was slightly sticky. The echo grew stronger, but still I couldn't place it. I dusted the silk from my fingers, then took a closer look at the tapestry. It was very beautiful, woven in a colorful abstract design. The silk threads were as soft as the white silk I'd found, but not at all sticky.

A slight tingle ran down my spine; one of my Oathkin was nearby. I looked up, ready to see Marith about to pounce on me. I saw nothing, but that didn't mean something wasn't up. Still I'd come here to explore and so I would do so.

I carefully pushed aside the tapestry and ran my hands over the walls, looking for cracks, differences in the stone, anything that tell of a secret door. There had to be more than this!

Izdreth shuddered slightly as he cast the spell. The power surged through him; as always, he felt a near sexual ecstasy at the feeling. The raw power formed itself into a simple-but very effective-spell. Almost immediately the Shadow Walker yawned widely and collapsed in a heap.

Izdreth scuttled over to her, a smile playing about his full lips. He bent low to the ground and gathered her up in his arms; she was heavy, but he was fairly muscular for one who studies magic. His favored weapon was the longbow, and using it over the centuries had given him a taut, firm build.

He grit his teeth as a pulse of desire raced through him; she felt soft and incredibly luscious. It took all of his will not to simply have her. He was not an arachin to molest a sleeping woman, though he knew many who would have happily sated themselves on her body.

'I am better than that,' he thought as he cradled the sleeping woman in his arms. 'My Master did not raise me to take advantage, no.' His eyes roamed her body once more; he will himself not to groan at the pulse from his manhood. "But once you awaken, my lady...then we will find out exactly why you are here, yes." He smiled as he scuttled easily up the side of the wall-his quarters were not far.

Izdreth served Talryn as a friend, lover, and student. It was his duty to guard the tower and everything in it. He was also the Shadow Master, leader of the Shadow Walker Mages, and until Shal'ir Kamaya's return, head of the guild as a whole. Therefore his duty was clear. He would interrogate this tempting piece in the best way he knew how.

He brought her back to the room he'd made for himself some time ago, but had never had occasion to use. It certainly wasn't meant for sleeping-it was meant for play. Izdreth laid the woman down on some furs and pondered what to do with her. Well, he knew what he wanted to do with her, all right. The question was how. He grinned suddenly. He'd never finished weaving that hammock, had he? He looked back at his sleeping captive. The naughty minx would sleep for some time-he'd put a great deal of mana into the spell.

"I believe one of the questions I will ask is whatever possessed an obviously talented Shadow Walker to break into my Master's tower, yes," he mused aloud. It was quickly becoming obvious to Izdreth, however, that the question was merely academic. The thought made him smile as he finished weaving the hammock with his silk.

End Part One