It was right there...

Funny, it didn't even look resemble a looking-glass.

It was like a part of the night sky but with no moon, no auroras, just stars. That is, until you got close enough. Then it would light up with light like fire in a reflection of your shape.

I slipped off my potion pouch and sighed. The Daedroth had crushed all our potions, so I dumped the glass shards and liquids onto the floor. Before I slipped the bag back on Serana touched my arm and I stopped.

Her touch was so gentle that I stiffened. She stepped closer and enveloped me, hugging me tightly around my middle. For a moment I was frozen, just basking in her arms. She glanced up at me, her chin on my chest and she smirked.

"Your heart's pounding."

"Serana-"

"You still love me, accept it, Talion."

Sighing, I carefully tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. I didn't deny it.

No.

I can't deny it.

"It's like you said, Serana." I uttered as I wrapped her in my arms. "Marriage, isn't so much of a love thing, as it is a commitment."

"Talion-" her voice cracked.

"I may still love you, but I am committed to another." I whispered, "Till death, do us part."

"Talion, just a few minutes."

I raked my hands through her hair, saying nothing. She pleaded,

"For five minutes, like old times."

I just wiped the tears from her eyes. Smearing a bit of black gunk on her face.

"One minute."

I didn't say anything. What could I say? I just held her close and breathed a shaking sigh.

"One second." She whispered weakly. Then she reached out and tentatively took my crown. I let her and she cast it to the ground. "Just one, Talion." She then gripped the shroud and pulled it slowly off my head. "One." She gently tossed the mask away and pulled away my coif letting out my helmet hair.

Talion, my mind chastised, what are you doing?

Nothing.

Serana closed her eyes and slowly got on her tippie-toes.

Yes, my mind stated again, but what aren't you doing?

Stopping her.

I put a finger on her lips and smiled. "Serana," I kissed her head, "compromise. If I die, I'm a loyal husband," I kissed her temple, "and you die knowing that you were loved." Then I kissed her cheek and-

Stopped.

She didn't need to hear my heart pounding harder than it has in ages, I could see my face's reflection off of her eyes. She smiled a beautiful grin, she pecked my neck and cheek before pulling away.

"Compromise." She agreed, wiping the Twilight-monster gunk off of her face and checking her inventory and weapons. I retreated back a few steps and turned my back on Serana. Looking at the air confused, how do I do this?

I started, "Umm, Neloth?"

"Don't worry," he groaned as if he knew what I was about to say, "I won't tell." He yelled at someone in the background, "Bring me more tea! It was just getting good!"

My eye twitched. "You saw all that?"

"Did you seriously think I'd miss Dimitri beat your sorry hide?"

Wow Neloth, I mentally deadpanned, just wow.

"Neloth? Do you still have the Black Book?"

He went silent a moment and shouted, "Hey! Have you seen that little servant girl? No? Check outside, and if she's not there she's in the hellish place of Apocrypha."

"Don't tell me you forgot it was on your floor."

"Hmm?" He pretended, "I don't think I heard you."

"You're unbelievable." I groaned.

I could just see the smug smile on his face when he said, "I know I am."

A few moments passed and Neloth started again. "Okay! Get that biiig black book. Yes, the creepy one! DON'T touch it! It might swallow you. Seriously. Just get the book! Then you can go play with your friend you met today, Babette right? Set the book there. Yeesh."

"Anyways, if my wife and son are in one place we may try to get back to Tel Mithryn through the book."

"Then what?"

"Once all of us are out? Burn the cursed book."

"That's an okay plan, but don't you have books back in Solitude?"

"I can't remember where I put them," I admitted. He gave me an annoyed sigh,

"Do you want me to find their magical power and teleport them here?"

"Umm, sure-" Neloth offering help? And he can do that? "what's the catch?"

"Catch? I'm feeling rather magnanimous today. Just don't die. I need to see if I can store my recordings on soul gem fragments for more experiments."

"Oh yeah, before I forget... how does this door work?"

Ethrellden

"Assassins are in Solstheim Karliah. Did you take my advice?"

She sighed, propped up against the warehouse.

"We can't just pick up and leave Ethrellden! Why are you so worried? This is more than-" she arched a brow, "friendly concern."

I rolled my eyes, "I lost a group of companions before moving to Skyrim a few months back. With technical peace in Skyrim immigration picked up a bit."

"And I thought you directed the assassin's away from the High King's trail."

"I said I would try, the assassin is a hired operative on loan from the Dark Brotherhood and probably was talented enough to have found the trail herself."

She glared at me, unconvinced until I added, "Look if she complains about my inadequacy then Maven will have my head. She'll see that I misguided her assassin Karliah!"

Karliah bore her eyes into me before saying, "I trust you." Then she added, "A little. Find out about the other spymasters?"

I grit my teeth, why was I telling her everything? Well, I justified, I don't tell her everything. I do tell her a lot though.

"One's a Khajit and the other is an Argonian. The Khajit was born here in Skyrim and, get this, he was born blind."

Karliah scrunched her brow, "How did he become Spymaster then?"

"Everyone who knows him knows for a fact that he was raised by the Falmer. He acts as a guide for his agents on occasion and takes cavernous shortcuts. His name is Khan'zo and I haven't been able to find out about the other one."

"Ethrellden!" Another voice called from behind me. Turning back to the voice I nodded to Karliah, effectively and tacitly telling her to go. Three Black Rose operatives made their way to me.

This can't be good...