Fendros turned his eyes to glance at the others in the pack. No one recognised the details. "It's eclectic, to be sure. There's no telling exactly what their talents are without knowing more."

"At least we have some things to look out for," Janius added.

Fendros sighed, this time with a dampened frustration. "I just wish we had a closer idea of where they were. What do you make of this, Meesei?"

All eyes turned to Meesei. She had been quiet throughout the explanation.

"The last sighting put them near the city of Hegathe, though that has been at least a week ago." Azayn clarified. "With how quickly you all move, they have had a hard time pinning you down."

Meesei appeared understandably concerned. They had known for a while that Do'rhajul had formed a team to hunt them, but this was the first time that knowledge had been confirmed by their own sources. Not to mention, they were somewhat alarmingly close. "I am not so certain that the General would have been able to discern our goal. The Axe is not a terribly well-known artifact, and even Vile's own followers may not know of its location. Daedra do not have a great deal of control over their own artifacts when they are in Tamriel, usually. But even if they do not know where we are going, that will not stop them from tracking where we have been. If we are forced to stay in one location for too long, they may be able to find us, and we may have to confront them. Although, I would much prefer to avoid them, since we do not know their true strength. The best way to do that would be to find what we are looking for quickly. Do you have any information in that regard, Azayn?"

Azayn nodded. "Yes, I have a better description of the person you are looking for, as well as the identities of some of the people he has associated with. Unfortunately, our target may have left the city, but he has friends who are residents. Wait in this tavern long enough, and you will find them."

Fendros took his mug in both hands on the table and stared into it. He didn't like the situation with Do'Rhajul any more than Meesei did.

"Is there anyone in particular we should look out for?" Janius asked. "Or should we simply ask around when more patrons turn up?"

"The barman may know him," Rhazii reluctantly suggested. It was the logical starting point.

Fendros took a slow breath, still looking into his ale. "Thank you for your help, Azayn. Is there anything else we should know?"

Azayn pulled a parchment out of his bag and slid it onto the center of the table. "I have a sketch of our target, based on his description. I also have the names of some of his known associates: Paran al-tarn, Matami, and Trevius. Two Redguards and an Imperial, respectively. They are known to frequent this place, and I have a description of each of them written here. You could ask the bartender about them, though you may wish to simply wait for them if you wish to avoid drawing as much attention as possible. Unfortunately, I do not have much beyond that. I will leave the rest of my notes with you."

"Thank you, your help is appreciated." Meesei responded. "You may continue your own work as you see fit, though I would ask that, if you hear anything more of the General, please inform us."

Azayn nodded. "Of course, Champion. Good luck on your search."

Shortly afterwards, Azayn left on his way, leaving the pack to decide on their path from there. They had a few people they could talk to, who hopefully would come to them if they were patient. Although, in this situation, too much patience could be dangerous. "So, I suppose we can wait here for a while and see if any of those people come in. Otherwise, we can talk to the bartender. If we have to ask around, I would say we should present ourselves as members of the Synod and accompanying bodyguards. The Empire is diverse enough for it to be believable, and the Synod are known for collecting relics."

Fendros shook his head. "There's not much purpose to doing nothing right now. I think one or two of us should try asking the bartender after the names we have." He looked up from his mug with a frown. "We should decide who plays which roles. Those with some knowledge of magical artefacts ought to speak. Or at least pose as leaders of our group. The Synod idea does not sound bad to me."

Sabine perked up. A moment of reluctance prevented her from talking.

"Do you feel like doing some talking, Sabine?" Janius asked. "You and Meesei are probably the most knowledgeable about the discipline."

"I could try." Sabine said with a half-shrug. "As long as I do not have to talk the whole time."

Fendros looked to the rest of the pack for opinions. Though by his pained expression, Azayn's words were evidently still bothering him.

"It should not be too difficult, as long as we are consistent in what we say." Meesei added. "We do not need to give too many specifics. The Synod are cagey enough with outsiders that they will likely not expect details from us. We are after a cursed axe and are looking to negotiate a deal to purchase it. Everyone we ask about will be for that ultimate goal."

Lorag gave a single nod. "Me and Kaleeth can be the bodyguards. Might be easier to sell it later if we get on our armor. Janius could make a good battlemage, or somethin'."

"Indeed, though it is not likely necessary for now. And we should likely avoid crowding the bartender with too many of us at once. Sabine, Fendros, join me and we will question him." Meesei decided.

Ahnasha chuckled, patting Sabine's shoulder before she stood up. "Don't worry. If you're acting like a Synod mage, just act like you're hiding your incompetence behind your Imperial authority, and you'll be fine."

The trio stood from the table and started walking up towards the bar. Most of the tavern paid them no attention, but the barkeeper easily recognized when others were looking for him, specifically. He was a close-to-elderly Nord man, mostly bald with a greying beard. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the group as they approached him. "Everything alright with your drinks?"

"Yes, your drinks are quite fine." Meesei answered. "We were just hoping to ask you some questions."

The Nord leaned forward onto his bar in silence for a few seconds, sizing up each of the members of the group. After a notable delay, he finally responded tersely. "Alright."

Halfway through standing up, Sabine gave Ahnasha an appreciative smile. "Thank you. But...I think that would be even harder to do than just being knowledgeable."

Addressing the barman was not difficult. Knowing his thought process was not easy. Fendros could only guess that he was committing their appearance to memory for anyone else wanting information.

"We are searching for one Cyrus Derrunding on behalf of the Synod," Fendros said calmly. "We are told he frequents this establishment, is that correct?"

Following Meesei's recommendation, Fendros withheld details and would continue to keep them if they were not asked about.

"The Synod..." The barman said, his tone making it more of a statement than a question. He paused, but his demeanor did not reveal much about his thoughts, aside from some suspicion. "I know the man, but it wouldn't be right for me to start talkin' about one of my patrons behind his back to a bunch of strangers. Not without a really good reason. And I can't really think of what some scholars would want with a simple adventurer."

Meesei answered directly, or at least seemed to do so. "We have learned that Cyrus has obtained a cursed axe. It is a relic, unique, but dangerous in untrained hands. We wish to acquire it for safekeeping, and for our own study. We mean your friend no harm."

The Nord was mostly steadfast in his expression, though Meesei's warning about the axe being "cursed" did give him some pause. "I've heard a lot of crazy stories from customers over the years. Some drunk, some thieves and con artists. I can't just go trusting every stranger I meet."

Fendros breathed in slowly to think of an answer, but was interrupted by Sabine.

"We just need to find him," she said. Her eyes gave off an intensity that could have just been anxiety, but lent weight to her warning. "It is an axe that has compelled people to kill their loved ones. We fear he might hurt someone without wanting to."

Sabine's words were full of lies by omission. They were perhaps the easiest that she could convincingly tell.

"Indeed," Fendros followed up. He placed a hand on the edge of the bar. "You must understand, this is not a matter of selfish gain or delusion. We have been tracking down the axe for some time and seen the problems it causes."

"We have the means to store and study the relic safely; your friend does not. And we have been granted a budget with which to purchase the weapon, so it will not be as if your friend will not be compensated." Meesei added.

The look of suspicion did not fade from the Nord's face, but he did eventually relax his shoulders and let out a sigh. "Look...even if I did believe you, I don't know where Cyrus ended up going. Ever since he got that axe, the fool has constantly been going off for the next adventure. More and more dangerous each time, too. I don't know about any curse, but if you can get him to just slow down for a while..."

"You'll have to talk to his friends." The Nord continued. "Or drinking buddies. Whatever he considers them. I think...Matami owns a fish stall in the market. Near the north entrance. She might know. Just don't tell her I sent you. Unless you buy something."

Fendros and Sabine turned their heads to the Nord. It was convenient that one of the leads Azayn mentioned was so accessible.

"Matami?" Fendros said. "If this woman know of his whereabouts, we shall find her." Fendros took a couple of steps closer so he didn't have to speak such a distance. "Would you mind describing her to me, sir?"

Sabine stayed across from the barman. She smiled. "Thank you for your help. You were interrupted, though. Has Cyrus been behaving recklessly?"

The barman gave a single nod. "Aye. Not much more than any thick-headed young warrior, but more than usual. Too confident in himself, and that axe. He bought a new set of armor with his last bounty, and now wants to go out and get a house with his next one. I know he was going after a specific bounty being given by someone outside the city, but I don't know exactly where. Just talk to Matami. Short, dark hair, probably smells like fish. Look for her stand in the north of the market; you can't miss her. Now, I don't really have anything else to tell you, so do you want any drinks, or are you done?"

"That is all we need, thank you." Meesei answered before turning away from the bar, then walking back to the table to fill everyone else in on what they had learned. "We have something. Matami owns a fish stand in the marke, so we can head there right away instead of waiting here. Just keep a sharp eye around you when we are in the market. We need to avoid any more altercations; I am already worried that rumors of what happened in the market might reach the General's ears."

Sabine gave a nod in thanks. Fendros mentioned a "thank you both" before he and Sabine followed behind Meesei back to their table.

The rest of the pack rose halfway from their seats in preparation to leave before Fendros spoke up again. "Ahna, do you mind we talk on the way?" His expression resumed with the same troubled look as he had when discussing with Azayn.

Janius and Rhazii stood up fully to leave when they realised Fendros wasn't addressing them, though Rhazii began to reflect his father's worry.

"Sure." Ahnasha answered simply as the group started to stand from the table. Not all of them had finished their drinks, though Lorag was certainly sure to quickly down the rest of his before they began to head out of the tavern.

The city streets were, of course, not a private place to hold a conversation, but the general bustle and noise of the crowd made listening in on any particular person difficult, especially if they were moving. Meesei started to lead the way back towards the market, while Ahnasha ended up trailing behind near the back of the pack with Fendros.

Since she was not precisely sure what Fendros wanted to talk about, Ahnasha kept her voice softer than she perhaps needed to. "What exactly is it that's bothering you? Did that Nord say anything alarming?" She asked.

"No, it's not that, exactly," Fendros spoke clearly enough for the sake of being heard over the crowds. He looked ahead with a shallow frown. "It's the news that the general is this close. If we have to assume the worst, him or his associates are in the city and could find us. They might already know we're here."

Fendros looked down. He paused for long enough to pass by a town caller that would have drowned out his words. He looked to Ahnasha. "The risk is getting high. Should we take Rhazii home?"

Ahnasha held a serious expression, though it was clear from the look she gave Fendros that she did not disagree with him. "Yeah, the thought crossed my mind. I think it's a bit, uh...pessimistic to think that he already knows we're in Sentinel, since we've only been here a few hours. But still, the situation is getting serious. I know we want to give the children experience, make sure they have the skills they will need when they grow up, but Do'rhajul is way too dangerous to let them anywhere near him. I know they won't like it, but it might be best to have Rhazii look after Julan and Leaps back home for a while. Well, I'm not sure about Leaps. He might be pretty useful if we have to go up against this team the General has formed. It's just...well I don't want him to get hurt either. Leaps is kind of a big target. I wonder if we can throw together some armor for him..."

Fendros huffed a laugh. "In the time we have, I would not count on it. If we're going to do that, it may as well be made my artisans back home." His expression lowered back to its previous worry. "You're right, though. I don't think the risk is high enough that they would know we're here right now. But we should talk to Kaleeth and Janius about it tonight, then talk to everyone else."

He rubbed one eye and took an exasperated breath. "I don't like this. A part of me hopes beyond hope that we will not meet violence with the general in the end."

Given how close they were to the market, they did not have too much time to discuss the topic before they were closing in on the market's northern entrance. Fortunately, they were not in so much of a rush that they needed to get the children back to Blackreach immediately, so they could concentrate on their investigation for the moment.

While there was more than one fish stand in the market, there was only a single stand near the northern part of the market which was being run by a Redguard woman with dark hair. She was obviously the person they had been instructed to speak to, and like before, Meesei wanted to avoid crowding her too much, so she instructed the rest of the pack to wait nearby while she, Sabine, and Fendros approached her. The group waited patiently nearby while the woman, Matami, finished a sale with a customer, then approached together.

"Welcome, I have the freshest fish in Sentinel, right here. Can I interest you in a choice sablefish fillet? You will not find any better in the city." Matami greeted as they stepped up to her stall.

Fendros glanced to Meesei before addressing who she assumed was the Matami character they were searching for. "Good day, thank you. Are you, by any chance, Matami? We are from the Synod. We have been looking for one Cyrus Derrunding." Fendros angled his head forward. "We understand you know him. Would you happen to know where he is? We need to speak with him about a matter of the utmost importance."

Sabine kept her eyes scanning over the fish on display. They carried the familiar smell of fresh fish as expected, a smell most welcome after travelling in the rocky desert for as long as they had been.

Matami's eyes narrowed at Fendros as her demeanor completely shifted. It seemed that several of the people who knew Cyrus were suspicious of those asking about him. "Look, I don't know what the 'Synod' is, or why you'd want to see Cyrus of all people. But, I have a business to run here, and I need to focus on actual paying customers, so..."

"How much for the sablefish?" Meesei asked.

The Redguard raised her brow. "Huh?"

"I do not wish to waste your time, so if we are going to speak to you, I would like to buy something from you in the meantime." Meesei clarified.

"Okay...for a fillet, it's seven coins." Matami answered, still in a somewhat suspicious tone.

Meesei laid out the coins in front of Matami, prompting her to start wrapping up one of the sablefish fillets. "So, do you mind telling me exactly what you want with my friend?" Matami asked.