"Well, that might be something of a problem Delphine, Elenwyn knows me by sight. I'm pretty sure any invitation with my name on it would end up with me in iron's or dead. "
I looked at the two men, Nelthas shook his head, "I had a contract that she paid for, in person, my former master was only too happy to parade me in front of her". All three of us looked at Signar.
"What...Oh no, not me, I'm not the sneaky type of person. Why can't she do it?" he said pointing at Delphine.
"Because as a member of the Blades she has a full description of me and I have a price on my head." Delphine didn't mince her words. His shoulders slumped and he gave one last look around, but the only other being in the room sure wasn't going to get an invite to a party. Tex just sat there panting with his tongue hanging out of his mouth with a stupid look on his face.
" Not like they were going to suggest it dog..." Tex whined and laid down. " Alright, tell me what I need to do and I'll do it." I walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Delphine outlined what the plan was, but suggested that no absolute firm plans be made until we had talked to Melborn, her contact at the embassy. We decided to take the carriage to Solitude, but with the horses tethered to the back. It wasn't the quickest of trips, horseback overland would have been, but we got to Solitude full of energy.
We talked to Melborn and as he was going to sneak items into the embassy for Signar, the first thing we had to do was go get him some other clothing. He wasn't thrilled at the idea of not having his arm's and armor at the embassy party but understood that unless they hired him as a guard, that wasn't going to happen.
As he gave everything over to Melborn, I handed the Bosmer my staff and some potions that Signar might need. I had completely recharged the staff, I now explained to Signar how to use it. He didn't look happy about that, summoning a creature from Oblivion, but I told him in a pinch, if you needed the extra help, he would have it. Nelthas took off a ring and handed it to Signar and asked if it fit, it did, but on his last finger. He asked what it was and Nelthas said it was enchanted with a muffling spell, he might not be the best at sneaking, but he would not be heard. Signar handed that over to Melborn as well, with a dire look from Nelthas.
He stood there in a store-bought outfit and looked very uncomfortable, I had told him that he should bring his hunting leathers, as you never know when you might want that change of outfit. I patted his arm as we watched Melborn leave the Tavern, let's get something to eat. He would not be leaving until tomorrow morning, as the party wasn't until the evening. Delphine would meet us at the stables first thing in the morning.
We rented two room's and I told Tex he could share with Nelthas for the night, then shut him out. Signar didn't get as much sleep as he would have thought that night, but neither did I. We were up early the next morning, already at breakfast when Nelthas and Tex came down. We walked down to the stables and there was Delphine, talking to a carriage driver.
I watched him leave with my heart in my throat, I would rather it was me walking into a Thalmor den or I would if Elenwyn didn't know who I was by sight. Tex leaned against my leg and Nelthas put his hand on my shoulder and said everything would be alright, he would be back.
"Muthsera?" Nelthas sounded a little hesitant, which wasn't at all like him.
" Yes, Nelthas, ask... I can't give you an answer unless I know the question."
"Muthsera, There is a man in Dragon bridge that would very much like the Dark Brotherhood to fall, perhaps if we go and speak to him, he may have a way. Only they know who you are by sight, so once they are gone, you have no one that can find you."
"I suppose we can go talk to him at that, but I won't do anything until Signar gets back."
" Oh no, I just thought to spare him the hope that no more assassins would be after you if the man could not help. I know he worries about you."
And that is how we came to speak to the commander of the Penitus Oculatis, Commander Maro. He had heard that someone had killed Astrid, the leader of the Dark Brotherhood, and asked if that was me, I told him no, it wasn't. Nelthas said not a word, so he was holding a secret about her death.
Commander Maro gave us the password to the magic door of their hideout, saying that we should go right away so that it wouldn't be changed. I nodded but did not say anything. We left with plenty of time to get back to Solitude before the evening meal. We took our leave of the Commander and got back on our horses.
As we left Dragonbridge behind, I had an idea and put Rodgeir on a ground-eating lope. I was glad I had decided to bring Signar's horse and all our gear. When we got to the cross road's I turned up the road and headed towards the Thalmor Embassy, but stopped well short of where anyone would be able to see us. I circled around and found a nice overhand and then built a small camp with a fire. I asked Tex to wander around and look for signs of Signar, if he came out, he might need help. I sat on my bedroll to wait, as I watched Tex run off through the woods.
~Signar~
The Carriage ride was cold and lonely, I had not realized how much I had come to lean on Akemmi and Tex for company, even Nelthas would have been a welcome addition to this trip. When we made it to the Embassy the first person I ran into was a Redguard that was half drunk already. I talked to him as we walked into the Embassy, giving the guards our invitations.
I was greeted by none other than the Ambassador herself. I wandered the rooms talking to all of the other quests until such a time as it looked like no one else was going to arrive. I walked over to Melborn and ordered a drink and he told me to see if I couldn't make some kind of distraction so that we could sneak away. The Redguard was more than happy to provide that distraction with the advent of a bottle of Colovian brandy.
Melborn and I snuck away and I got my gear, dressed, and put on the ring that Nelthas had given me. I didn't know if it worked or not, but the few guards that I ran into I easily dispatched with my bow or sword, though I used Akemmi's staff once and a Golden Saint helped me a lot with her bow. I left the first building and went out into the courtyard, where I ran out of luck on the sneaking part. The guards there saw me, the bright shiny plate armor, glinting in the sun probably had something to do with that. Out of nowhere, Tex took a flying leap onto the back of one of the mages as she was hitting me with a lightning spell, he was a welcome sight.
We made it into the second building and I summoned another creature, this time getting a Flame Atronach, which was very helpful. I found some dossier's on quite a few of Skyrim's most Notable, including the woman I wanted as my wife. We also ran into a prisoner shackled to a wall and Melborn being taken to a cell. Tex and I got rid of those guards and all four of us made our way outside. The unknown prisoner told me that the only thing they really wanted to know was about a man named Esbern and where in Riften he might be. The man said he never told them and I thought Delphine might make use of this information.
As soon as we made it out of a cave Tex took off and I started the long walk back to solitude. It wasn't long though before I heard the thunder of hooves and I dove off the road into some bushes and then turned around and drew my sword as I hear the horses skid to a stop.
I almost skewered the small black blur that launched herself at me, but at the last moment, I dropped my sword and wrapped both arms around her. I fell back into the snow bank and laughed as she rained kisses all over my face. I put my hand behind her head and deepened the kiss and then sat back up and just held her to me for a moment.
" I think I have all the information that we need, but we really need to get out of here. Our exit wasn't quiet."
She nodded and we went to where Nelthas was talking to Melborn. He would also need to lay low for a while and Akemmi told him to ride her horse and she would ride double with me. We would spend the night in Dragonbridge and then be off very early in the morning. I got on my horse and pulled Akemmi up behind me.
She brought me up to speed on what she had learned of the Dark Brotherhood and said that is where we would be heading, before we talked to Delphine, who might have other priorities. We rented the room at the Inn and Akemmi and Nelthas spent a good portion of the evening reading the notebook's that had various peoples names on them. Reading was not something that came easy to me, so I picked the one with Ulfric's name on it, as the one least likely to hold information that we actually needed now. I told them about the Thalmor wanting to know about the man named Esbern and that was the first notebook that Akemmi started to read.
It was late when we got to bed, with only one room, Akemmi and I shared one small bed, with Nelthas on the other, Tex made due with our bedrolls. I was simply happy to hold her.
The three days it took to make it to Falkreath hold and make a small camp not to far from the Dark Brotherhood's hide out, we spent making plan's. Nelthas knew the exact layout of the place, as he had been their more than once, when Astrid had tried to get him to join with them. Akemmi had picked up a new focus stone, one that she could use and was storing as much power as she could in it, without depleting herself to much on the trip.
It was infact an anti-climatic fight, the three of us took them out one by one, had they gathered together they might have been more of a challenge. Tex did not join us, but Akemmi did not seem to think this was strange, so I thought nothing of it either. Nelthas stayed to the shadows with his bow, while I used my sword and Akemmi threw firebolts and iceshards at them. Once they were all dead, we gathered some items of use and Akemmi went to a word wall that was there. Akemmi trailed some oil throughout the hide-out then set it on fire, the place burned, we are told for days after, but we were long gone.
The Trip to Riverwood was a quiet one.
Akemmi
I fingered the necklace in my pocket, I wondered if I put it on, would he ask for marriage. Their was only one way to find out and when we got to Riverwood, in a room to ourselves, I would find out. I wanted what time we had together to be as special as I could make it. I knew Delphine would want us to go to Riften to find Esbern and there was a temple to Mara there.
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