They traveled for more than seven days through Valenwood, passing Bosmeri villages and thick forests. Perhaps, Arquenn's Thalmor uniform and Nerien's armor and sword scared away all the bandits from their path as their journey went smoothly and soundly. On the tenth day of their way, they reached Silvenar which was an ethnic Bosmeri town of bizarre beauty — giant twisted trees intertwined with each other, amber bridges connected dining halls, private chambers and taverns with round doors—all were cavities in the trees. This town reminded Llanas of Sadrith Mora, but only a little, for Silvenar was colorful and welcoming, and he remembered his former home as a gorgeous in its way but very unwelcome and grim place. Many tree houses were spherical shaped—it seemed they grew that way; the same approach used Telvanni mages with one difference—they grew mushrooms.
Arquenn had left her companions in a tavern and had been gone to everybody's — even Nerien's—relief. The tavern was packed with rowdy Bosmer, and only empty stools were at the bar. The Wood Elves danced, sang and had fun casually talking to each other. No one seemed drunk. The barmen—black-bearded Wood Elf with sly brown eyes — offered them a meal and ale and then asked, squinting at Llanas, "What did bring here such an unusual company?"
"We are just passing by," smiled Nerien, trying his ale.
"Cyrodiil, huh?" the barmen nodded at their formidable weapons.
"Sort of," replied Nerien evasively. "The Aldmeri Dominion business, can't say any details."
"Gotcha," his face lightened and he poured them four more tankards of ale. "On the house. For the Dominion!"
Not all Wood Elves were glad to be the Aldmeri Dominion part, though, for their High Elven siblings didn't want to understand Bosmeri "green way" of living and tried to bring and integrate their own values into the society of Wood Elves.
Llanas made a gulp and spat it out at once.
"What is this?" he demanded, wiping his lips with the sleeve of his jacket. "It's disgusting!"
Everyone around him burst into laughter.
"Is it your first time when you're trying Bosmeri alcohol?" Nerien asked, still laughing. "You know Wood Elves hate to harm plants?"
A guess struck Llanas' mind and his face twisted in disgust. "Don't tell me they make their beer of insects..."
"Bugs are only small part of the recipe," proclaimed the barman who sounded somewhat offended. "Fresh meat is the main ingredient."
The Dark Elf began to feel sick even more after these words.
"Don't be a wimp, try it again!" Nerien pushed the tankard towards him. Under cheerful shouts of the crowd, Llanas made a second gulp that didn't seem as bad as the first one. Then he gulped the whole tankard at once and slammed it on the bar to the pleasure of the elves around.
For a while, Dessa watched grimly how two elves had her brother drink, too, and soon three of them drove away all the visitors of the tavern. She sighed, not wanting to argue with three drunk elves and got out of the tavern to a little terrace which overlooked all Silvenar below. She sat there peacefully, but her thoughts of the upcoming meeting were dark and anxious. If she only survived, she would leave her servitude at the Dominion and move to a place such as Silvenar — life in a tree didn't seem revolting to her anymore.
Her contemplation got interrupted by a squeak of the opening door and a dark lurching figure who almost fell down from the narrow terrace, but finally managed to sit next to her.
"I was too tough on you all these days, Dess," Llanas said quietly.
"I'm not gonna listen to your drunk apologies," Dessa started a movement to get away from him.
"I'm not... well, maybe a bit drunk," he laid his hand on her knee preventing her from getting up. "But tomorrow I won't be able to tell what I wanted to tell you long ago. Er... You are very special, Dess. And... If I go back to Morrowind, I— I will never see you again. And that... makes me sad."
She studied him for a while and then sighed, "Go to sleep, Llanas. You are not making any sense."
Llanas suddenly grasped her shoulders, drew her closer and kissed her on the lips. Dessa couldn't resist kissing him in return but then pushed him away.
"What is this supposed to mean?" she asked annoyingly. "A farewell?"
The Dark Elf seemed to be abashed at her reaction.
"I don't know," he mumbled uncertainly.
"Let's talk tomorrow. If you remember this at all..." She got up and walked to her room, leaving him sit on the terrace alone, her lips still burning and all her body shaking. She was tearing apart between the greatest desire to come back to this dark-skinned elf and her natural prudence that was telling her to keep her heart shut for this one. She had known him for more than a year — so what, her inner cold voice told her. He had been and always would stay a stranger, unpredictable individual, with values known only to him, with the Dark Elven heritage and appearance, one who never would fit a notion of an ideal partner. But who was she to judge him, Dessa retorted to herself. Half-blood — who spent almost all her life ashamed of herself, then was used by the Dominion as a spy in the dirtiest places, including a thieves guild, and now involved into a very suspicious mission — now she felt the least belonged to the place and people which she was surrounded by as she had never felt before.
***
In the morning, Arquenn woke all of them up early and the companions gathered in the tavern downstairs.
"My informer told me the Dark Elven squad has just entered Malabal Tor. Perhaps, they're trying to avoid the border of Elsweyr," Arquenn chuckled, "which suits us very well. We should meet them in the middle of the region. These jungles are dangerous, so keep your weapons ready—we are going now."
The elves left the gorgeous Bosmeri city after quick breakfast and shortly entered dark, hot and humid jungles. Instead of a road, Arquenn chose a little path which was barely recognizable among the intertwined trees and lianas covered with moss.
They had left their horses in Silvenar because the creatures only would slow them down, and now Nerien walked first, cutting down lianas and tree branches that hung too low. It was hard to breathe in this forest as the air was hot, heavy and extremely humid. Llanas' steps were getting heavier with every step, and his clothes got wet and felt nasty. He looked back and saw Arquenn who was suffering as well but kept her nose high and her posture proud. Faendal trailed behind her with a miserable expression on his face. Llanas stopped and moved to the edge of the path, letting Arquenn and Faendal to pass him, but Dessa was nowhere to be seen.
"I will catch up," he mumbled to their backs and trotted back along the path.
The Dark Elf saw Dessa on the ground near the path struggling with vines of a strangler—a plantlike predatory creature—that dragged her to its gaping toothy maw. Llanas had never seen such a creature before but believed it was deadly.
"Help!" he cried out as loudly as he could. He knew that this act could draw other dangerous inhabitants of the jungles to them, but he wasn't sure how to fight this living plant alone. The Dark Elf rushed to Dessa and started to cut numerous vines off her legs and arms. She panted trying to crawl away from the plant, yet cut vines only seemed to increase their numbers. The strangler spat greenish liquid at Dessa's face and her movements slowed down. Soon Llanas was knocked to the ground, too; he lost both his swords and couldn't offer any resistance because the vines twisted around his body and immobilized him completely. He watched Dessa helplessly, who was in the same state and looked unconscious, being dragged slowly to the strangler's jaws.
"Help!" he yelled again and jerked forcefully trying to avoid the plant's most likely poisonous saliva which it started to spit in his direction. At last, he heard distant voices and soon the wicked plant was embraced with fire from Arquenn's fireball, the vines loosened their grip and he was finally free. He dashed towards motionless Dessa and seized her in his arms. Her face was covered with the strangler's saliva.
"Don't touch it!" yelled Arquenn and appeared next to them at once. "Go and pick up your weapon, I'll handle it."
***
They stayed there for a night, as it was the safest place of all—there were few predators that would get close to a spot where a strangler was rooted.
"Can you heal her?" asked Llanas kneeling before Dessa who had been senseless for too long it seemed.
"I'm not a healer," replied Arquenn dryly. "I gave her a bugloss and mountain flower mixture, it should help."
Llanas stayed up almost all night, sitting on a big stone not far from the campfire and gazing into the darkness and listening to bizarre jungle sounds.
"I saw you and Dessa yesterday," Llanas jumped, spun around and get out his swords instantly. But it was only Faendal.
"I didn't notice you were awake," snarled Llanas and sat back to his mossy seat. The truth was he got lost in thoughts—unforgivable behavior that could get killed even a skilled mer like himself.
"I saw what you did," Faendal retorted, his tone rather reflective.
"What did I do?"
"On the terrace. You kissed her."
"I would remember such an act."
"Of course you wouldn't. You were pretty much pissed."
Llanas looked at him, but the face of the young elf, lit with the distinct light of a fire, seemed serious.
"I just wanted to know, do you love her or was just playing around?"
"I told you, I don't remember anything of the last night," the Dark Elf replied after a long pause. "Go to sleep."
"No. I want you to teach me how to fight," the boy told him insistently. "I don't want to be useless. I want to be able to protect her and myself."
Llanas sat there in silence for quite a while, then got up and picked up two straight brunches from the ground.
***
When Faendal got exhausted from the training and went to sleep beside the cooling campfire, Llanas kneeled near Dessa and examined her calm peaceful face. He did feel something to her. Sometimes it was anxiety or concern, sometimes inexplicable desire, and sometimes—like now—fear that he could lose her. But love? There was no such feeling in Llanas' world, even being said out loud this word sounded weird to his ears. Did he love her?
"I don't know," replied Llanas to himself quietly and drew his hand down her cheek. Her pale skin was soft and cool, and the Dark Elf suddenly realized that he desperately didn't want to lose her. He could take her to Morrowind and with his protection no one would dare to enslave or harm her there. He bent down and kissed Dessa to her lips—she stayed motionless. He then lay down beside her and didn't notice how the sleep overcame him.
Llanas awakened from a hard kick to his leg and Arquenn's loud cry, "Get up! What were you thinking leaving the camp unprotected? Thank Auriel nothing happened!"
He yawned and turned his head not paying any attention to the mage's cries. Dessa was gone.
"Where is she?" he jumped on his feet, but the reply came at once, "I'm fine," Dessa, Faendal and Nerien sat near the fire and ate their breakfast. It seemed they were awake for a while.
Llanas bared his teeth at Arquenn and snapped, "Touch me one more time and you will never be able to speak a spell out of your mouth."
The High Elf's eyes flashed with anger, but she swallowed the threat which cost her a great effort and turned her back on him not uttering another word.
***
They reached an abandoned Bosmeri village by the same evening and camped there. Arquenn performed a complicated locating spell and claimed that the Dark Elven group was within three miles to the north.
"You go alone, Dark Elf. We will wait for you here. Find them. Tell them that the officials of the Aldmeri Dominion want to meet them and give it to their leader," Arquenn handed Llanas a heavy rolled parchment. "Take them here. I will do the rest."
"What if they refuse to go?"
"Then we will have to eliminate them from our land. Meaning to kill them," she said evenly and smiled. "Ah, and give me your weapons. Don't worry, you will get them back when you return."
"If they decide to attack me?"
"That is not my problem. I am only interested in the successful implementation of the plan, so it is your concern not to drive it to a fight."
"No. I'll keep my weapons."
"As you wish," Arquenn turned around and went to the hut. "But don't tell me then that I didn't warn you."
Llanas left and other four stayed in the abandoned village. Dessa waited until darkness fell, hid behind one of the weird Bosmer houses and beckoned Faendal, "We need to go after Llanas, he's been gone too long."
They left their backpacks behind so that Arquenn and her guard didn't suspect anything and crept out of the village. They walked a short distance through the forest when the Altmer mage appeared before them out of thin air.
"Where do you think you're both going?" she asked with a wicked grin on her face.
"We are not prisoners, are we?" parried Dessa and put her hand on the hilt of her dagger.
"No, you are not," Arquenn pronounced slowly, still grinning.
"Let us go, then. Llanas might need my help," Dessa grasped Faendal's hand and stepped forward.
"Of course," Arquenn agreed and stepped aside. Too readily. Dessa passed her with great caution, ready for anything. And she wasn't mistaken—the mage cried out some spell to their back and Dessa felt how the ground shook under her feet and a circle of fire arose around her and her brother.
Arquenn laughed loudly, "Not so fast, dear. I have a more important role for you both."
Dessa jumped through the fire with her daggers flying wide, but wicked High Elf dodged them easily.
"You are not a fighter, girl, admit it," she teased Dessa and lifted her hand, preparing the next magic attack.
"You know, what is the biggest disadvantage of being a mage?" Dessa teased back when she regained her balance. "You are too slow," and she threw her daggers to Arquenn, one after another, aiming at her head and belly. The High Elf ducked and moved aside, interrupting her spell, but one of the daggers wounded her shoulder, and she couldn't help but cried from pain.
Not letting herself tarry, Dessa approached the mage drawing out another pair of daggers on the run.
"I'll kill your brother!" Arquenn shouted and Dessa stopped to look back at the fire circle, where Faendal had been still trapped. But the young elf wasn't there. Arquenn used Dessa's confusion—she raised her both hands and cried out words of a spell that wasn't a fire this time. Nothing flew off her hands, but the Bosmer felt that her body got rigid instantly and she fell onto the soft forest ground. Paralyzed, Dessa saw her brother jumping from behind a tree with a dagger in his hands. Arquenn dodged his unskilled attack easily, grabbed one of Dessa's daggers from the ground and struck the boy in the head with its hilt. Faendal fell beside Dessa and didn't move anymore.
"Why are you doing this?" cried Dessa, feeling helpless.
"Well, for my people, of course," Arquenn's voice got calm once more. She bent and touched Faendal's throat. "What a pity. Your brother won't be able to see all the fun."
"You killed him!" Dessa choked.
"It seems. Don't worry, your suffering won't last long either. When your beloved Dark Elf brings me those spies, I'll make him kill them, then you. You see... there is nothing personal. We do not require your service anymore, but you know too much to stay alive. You brought it on yourself, girl — we warned you long ago, yet you preferred not to listen. Well... You won't live very long to see what will happen, so I am going to tell you. You Wood Elves are no equal to us. You are barbarians and savages. And we are going to show Ayrenn your people true nature. She will see that the Thalmor cannot rely on Valenwood for what terrorists you are. To kill an Ebonheart Pact envoy, what a reckless act! This operation will be one of many that'll start the fall of the Dominion, for its very existence is a threat for our culture and traditions."
"So you never planned any parley with them," said Dessa grimly. "What magic did you put on him?"
"Not me, you did," Arquenn laughed. "It was an ancient spell, but I'm not going to get into details. Say, it is powerful enough to kill even a little army if the object of the spell is skilled enough. And your friend is and he will do everything I say."
"Llanas will kill you for that," Dessa assured her feeling that her limb started to regain sensitivity.
"I will kill him before the spell wears off. And you need to rest before the show starts," Arquenn retorted and hit Dessa in her head with the bloody hilt of the dagger.
***
Llanas crouched behind the trees examining the six. They all were Dunmer, two female and four male elves. Only three of them looked like soldiers, the other three—two men and a woman—wore elegant robes not suited for a fight. They talked peacefully to each other and didn't look like a military squad. More like diplomatic envoys, Llanas thought. He strained his ears for the conversation, but couldn't make out all the words — it was too long since he used Dunmeris last time. He straightened up and stepped out of his shelter.
Four swords, a bow and a magic staff appeared in hands of the Dark Elves at once, and all the weapons aimed Llanas' chest. He outstretched his hands with the palms up in a gesture of peace and said calmly, "I mean no harm. I only want to talk."
The tips of their weapons didn't lower a bit.
"What is a Dunmer doing alone in the middle of Wood Elven forest? " the female elf with the staff stepped closer and Llanas could see her face clearly now. She seemed so familiar that Llanas blinked unwittingly trying to focus on his task.
"My name is Llanas. I came to invite you to a parley with the Aldmeri Dominion," he said slowly — Dunmeris words came out hard. "The Dominion is concerned of a purpose of your visit to their lands..."
"I had a brother named Llanas once," uttered she, seeming not to listen to the rest of his words. She came closer and looked at his eyes but didn't put down her staff, however, and whispered, "Could that be you?"
The other Dunmer stood still but ready, yet Llanas didn't see them anymore. All he could see now were the black eyes of this young Dunmer woman, the same eyes he had, the eyes of his sister, Narna.