There and Back Again pg 26

I was more than happy that we had the horses, even though it meant a trip back to Whiterun to leave them there. We traveled past Aftland and searched around a bit, but even after finding the entrance, we didn't enter. I wasn't sure that we were properly prepared for an extended journey into a Dwemer ruin. Plus there was no place to leave the horses here, they would lack water if not food because there would be no way to keep it from freezing.

The journey to Whiterun was mostly uneventful, except when I heard a Word Wall and we went to check it out. The Dragon we all expected, the Dragon Priest that popped out of his crypt was another matter. Tex who was the closest got the brunt of the damage when he first came out. I cast a healing spell on him when he got close to me.

I got another surprise when he took over my summon and it started attacking Signar.  I maneuvered so that  I got the Dragon Priest to kill the summon. While I hit him with some of my strongest spells. Signar got too close for me to just lob spells at him, so summoned a bow and went in closer also. Tex was coming at him from behind and Nelthas was standing off to the other side using his bow.

This seemed to work for us, he seemed to be weakening and moving more erratically. When he finally could not hold up any longer, he turned to ash... only a mask and staff were left. From there it was a short trip into Whiterun, we regrouped and replenished our supplies. I also ordered more, from the market Vendors and the Alchemist... We would be going to get Azura's star and give it to the Priestess, then it would be on to Aftland from there.

The one good thing about having our home in Whiterun is that Jarl Balgruf tried to remain neutral in the Civil War, so the Thalmor were not really welcome here and I knew the guards would have my back if they came to harass me. After we were done with all the purchases Tex was already gone, probably to beg Hulda for some stew, which left Signar and I almost alone.

I went up the stairs and ran into the bathtub, I can not even explain how good it felt to step into that hot water and soak away the aches and tension. I heard Signar talking to the guard downstairs and then his heavy boots coming up the stairs. He peeked his head through the door and asked if there was room for him.

I patted the water beside me but then got up and started unbuckling his armor. I had to reheat the water a couple of times... and threw some extra blankets on the floor to soak up the water that we sloshed over, but I had no tension left in my body by the next morning... I woke happily and completely recharged. Signar certainly had a silly smirk on his face when we went down for breakfast, a look that was duplicated by Nelthas when he walked through the door. The men shared "a Look" and I just rolled my eyes.

" I think Gentlemen that we will head to Ilinalta's Deep and retrieve Azura's Star, come back here and pick up the supplies we ordered and take the carriage to Winterhold, so that the horses can have a break, plus we can't just leave them outside Aftland for an undetermined time."

Both men agreed that that sounded like a good plan and we headed out within the hour, Tex was waiting at the gate when we left the city. The ride to Ilinalta's Deep was relatively quiet. The only hitch was a Thalmor Patrol taking a prisoner somewhere.

I was going to mind my own business, really I was, but then I had the picture in my mind when the prisoner looked at me and I kept going on his shoulders slumping, hope lost. Nethlas who was bringing up the rear at that time had made it past them when I turned my horse around and looked at the man.

I conjured up a Flame and an Ice Atronach and then readied a firebolt which I then aimed straight at the Thalmor wizard. It was a short fight, the men never even managed to get off of their horses. I gave the prisoner some gold coins and weapons from the Thalmor patrol, telling him that he should probably lay low for a while.  He ran off saying that his family would hide him on the farm and thank you!

I got back on Roddgeir and glared at the men, daring them to say anything. Nelthas just shrugged, and Signar nodded at me. We got to the half-sunken Fort before noon.  Necromancers... ick, They all put up a fight, but were no match for the four of us.

I had expected a hard fight from the man that had taken the Star, but he was dead already, nothing but a skeleton. Tex had ripped the throat out of the Adept Necromancer that had seemed to be in charge, but really even he had fallen easier than we had thought.

It was evening when we exited the Fort and I heard the roar of a dragon in the near distance. We found the horses and then looked for a defensible place on the shoreline. I found an overhang that would protect the horses and would also make a decent camp, as long as the dragon didn't decide to land right on it and die.

We went off a little way and sure enough, the dragon flew into sight, he was apparently hungry for steamed mud crab because he was flaming something on the shore edge. The three of us stood there, spread far enough apart that we would not run into each other. Tex was down among the rocks, not hiding, but not wanting to have his fur singed off either.

When the dragon finally spotted us he started throwing insults at us, I responded in kind and he paused for a second, called me Dovahkiin, and then attacked with much more vigor. The insults were much more personal after that, only they were also kind of funny. I mean really it might be really insulting to call one a "ground-bound, wingless worm" if one was really a Dragon, not just a Dragonborn. Being called "toothless" might have bothered me if I hadn't just tripped on a rock and bit my tongue.

I cast a couple of Ice Atronach spells and threw Ice spikes at him, hitting him with Unrelenting force when I had the chance. Both men were shooting arrows and Tex was still crouched in the rocks. This dragon didn't want to land and it wasn't until I felt his life force ebbing that he crash-landed on the shoreline.  A huge spray of water and we were all soaking wet, except Tex who jumped out of his hiding spot and latched onto the Dragons snout.

It shook its head and grumbled, I cast more Ice Spikes into it and finally, it died. I absorbed its soul and took a moment to gather myself up. We went and got the horses and then headed to a spot further up the lake, where a hunter had made a camp.

She met us with a huge grin and said she had never seen anything like that and we were more than welcome to sleep in her camp, though we might have to pitch our own tents, as hers was only large enough for one person. The men set about pitching our tents and I helped to prepare a dinner large enough for all of us.

We were up and headed to Whiterun before the sun was even up, and got to the stables just as they were finishing the morning chores. Nelthas again went and talked to the carriage driver, while Signar talked to the Stableman and I went in to get our supplies, Tex went with me.

The trip to Winterhold was probably the quietest in a long while... The walk to speak to Azura's Priestess was a matter of hitting the local wildlife with a clam spell and when that didn't work, brute force did. I felt sad at the waste of meat and hide, but knew the meat really wouldn't go to waste,  the scavengers would eat well. Fresh meat would have been nice, but wolf is not really one of my favorite meats.

Talking to the Priestess, on the other hand, ended with me going into the Star to kill the Necromancer who had stolen it, as he had placed his own soul into the Star. Nelthas would be happy with the three Dremora hearts that I brought out.

Nelthas had been speaking to her and it seemed that Azura would no longer be giving her the visions that she had before, so the woman was at a loss as to what to do. Nelthas stared at me with a look on his face until I suggested that she come with us, but before she did, I explained what that would mean.

"Aranea, this means first a trip down to Blackreach, a place no one has been to in centuries. After that, I need to head to Skyhaven Temple and speak to two of the Blades members about recruiting people to help kill some of the more troublesome dragons. For whatever reason, the Thalmor have stuck their nose into it and they are now after me as well as the Blades at the Temple. Then I have to go back to High Hrothgar and speak to the Greybeards and their leader. It's not a safe path, but if you want to follow, I will be more than happy to have you. Nelthas says I can trust you not to betray me, not to the Thalmor and not otherwise. I am going to take him at his word, it's your choice to come with us or find another purpose."

She stood there for a moment, gazing into nothingness and I could see that she was thinking hard about what to do. Finally, she did answer.

"Muthsera, Dragonborn, I will travel the path with you. I will face the unknown dangers ahead and I will face the known dangers of treachery, I will not betray you, as you have the Lady's favor and that would be like betraying Her."

So I had another follower and Tex was again nowhere to be seen. I laughed and we set up at the foot of Lady Azura's statue for the night, on the morrow, we would be leaving for Aftland and the deep dark unknown.
.

From Riften to Winterhold PG 25

Akemmi part 25 - From Riften to Winterhold

A pounding on the door the next morning woke me up. Signar got up and wrapped the blanket around his waist, leaving me with just the linen sheet. He went to see who was at our door, turns out it was Shadr, the stable assistant. I got up and walked along the wall, but stood behind the door.

" Hofgrir told me to come and warn you that there are Thalmor soldiers waiting up the road for you, you won't make it past the last watchtower and only that far because they aren't really welcome here and you are. Your horses are at the farm on the other side of town, saddled and ready to go. If there are Thalmor there I did not see them."

I grabbed some gold from my pack and handed it to Signar, who thanked Shadr and asked him to wake Nelthas and let him know. I hurried into my armor while Signar got into his, being done first I helped him into his plate and had our packs ready to go. Nelthas tapped on the door and said that he was going to scout ahead of us and take out any spies. When we walked out the door Tex was nowhere to be found either.

As we walked down the stairs, Signar put his hand on my arm and stopped me, "My Lady, can you get to the farm without being seen?". I  nodded

"But not without you, Love." He leaned over and kissed me.

"Do it, they are probably looking for three of us and at the very  least, you." I gave him a quick kiss and said alright. I got to the bottom of the steps and looked around, but no one was there, I cast the spell for invisibility, then waited for Signar to open the door, slipping out around him. Once I was out and in the deeper shadows I cast two other spells, one to mask my life force the other would allow me to be one with the shadows, while in them.

I slipped down to the lower level, keeping pace with Signar as I went. I caught movement on the roof of the building across the canal and above. I enhanced my vision with a spell and watched for a minute. He stepped into a shadow but pulled down his mask and I saw Nelthas's face, then he disappeared into the shadows. I chuckled to myself... So Signar had two watchers, perhaps three if Tex hadn't gone straight to the farm.

Before I started up the stairs I cast a small spell that was useless in crypts but allowed for the detection of the heat from a live body. I had found over the years that it was harder to master, but much more reliable than detect life, which with the right masking spell, could be thwarted. The muffle spell I used would keep anyone from hearing me.

I went quickly up the stairs and looked around, only the regular guards, so I hurried to the gate, staying to one side and when Signar went through, passed right behind him. Once outside the gate, I kept close to the lake, figuring Nelthas would have the mountainside. I cast my detect heat spell again and saw three men hiding in bushes, as that wasn't something the guards would do, I looked around to make sure no one else was near and then got closer to them. I drew my bow and pulled out the small vial of paralytic poison that Nelthas had given me.

When they started making the tiny movements of men that were getting ready to attack but wanted to stay hidden a bit longer, I put a few drops of the poison on two arrows. As one of the men started to draw his bow, I drew mine and shot him then targeted one of the others. Seeing a tiny blur, I hesitated and moved on to the next man. As I let loose that second arrow, Nelthas became visible as he slit the second man's throat, then disappeared again.

Signar had never slowed down in his walk and was almost to the farm. I circled above him and cast my spells again. This time I saw no one, Signar was getting on his horse and leading the other two away from the farm. I finally saw Tex who was laying next to the road, slightly above the farm. I snaked through the woods as quietly as I could, getting ahead of Signar and the horses.

It wasn't till I got to the split in the trail for the mill, that I stopped casting and looking for Thalmor, if they were around, we would run into them on the road now. I waited for Signar to catch up, when he got to me, Nelthas was already on his horse and Tex was out to the side.

" Did you run into anyone else, Nelthas?"

"No, Muthsera, I did not, you?" I just shook my head and got on my horse. "The spells you used, you can teach them to me?"

"You can do Illusion spells?" at his nod I continued, " 'One with the Shadows", it's a master-level spell, but using an object will not break your cover and it is only cover, in the shadows. The other is a plain invisibility spell so that when I wasn't in shadows I wouldn't be seen anyway, but that one broke as soon as I dug into my pouch."

On the way to Winterhold, I taught him the spells I knew for invisibility, some would need more power than others. For an Assassin, Chameleon would come in handy, an apprentice spell, that probably hadn't been taught in a few hundred years. An assassin in the Imperial city had taught me the spells, in return for a couple favors.

It took us the better part of two weeks to get to Winterhold. The stop at the Shrine of Azura didn't take long and the Priestess asked for a small favor in return for the help Nelthas was asking of her. We got stopped at the gates to the College by an over-eager member, who would not let us pass without proving that I had an aptitude for magic. I was sorely tempted to cast a levitation spell on her, but I didn't think the reception to that would go over well. So I just asked if a Dragonborn would be allowed entrance to speak to the Librarian?

Not it seemed without demonstrating my Thu'um, which would probably bring the wrath of the guards down on us or not since it came from the direction of the College. She welcomed me as an Apprentice and said to speak to the Headmistress about a bed and classes. Both men gwaufed and Tex snorted, I just shook my head and kept walking.

In the courtyard, we passed a woman that I took to be the Headmistress who was talking to a Thalmor, who seemed to have issues with the way no one was answering his, probably, intrusive questions. The woman was dressing him down about it, telling him he was only here at the goodwill of the Arch-mage and he needed to tone down his questioning.

We walked past the two and headed inside and then up to the library, where to my surprise there was an Orc behind the library desk. He had information that I needed and gave me a couple pieces of advice, about how to find his old friend, who was an expert on Elder Scrolls.

From the Library, we went up to the roof of the college and I scanned the area for the highest peaks that would give me a clear view of the ice flows and the islands. I pointed out to the men the barrow and that is where we would be going, I needed a high spot. We bought as many supplies as the general goods store had, including firewood as there probably would not be any in the Barrow and we would not be going in unless we had to.... then again old tables and dressers would burn as well as chopped wood, so if needs be we would.

We rode out to the barrow and set up camp, after clearing it of the inhabitants. I warned both men that after casting the two spells I needed to look, I would end up flat on my back, I was not yet powerful enough to cast two master-level spells back to back. So after waiting till nightfall, when most animals would be off the ice flows,  I drank a potion to regenerate health and another to regenerate magic and caste both spells.

I staggered as the cost of the spells hit me, but stayed standing, the master-level Clairvoyance spell lit up the best path to take, the Spirit Walker spell allowed me to follow it. I flew behind the spell and found the cave entrance and turned to look for two landmarks that I could triangulate from. Having them in hand, I rushed back to my body, watching as the landmarks changed.

We spent the next day right there, as I was weak enough not to want to chance a fight on the ice flows. When I was ready to go, Nelthas stayed at the barrow with the horses, and Signar, Tex, and I went to see the Librarian's old friend Signus.

He had more good news for me, it seemed we would need to go through a Dwemer city to one of their deepest places a place called Blackreach.

Forelhost, a determination made... pg 24

The next morning found us climbing our way up the next peak, to the barrow at the top of it. As we cleared some huge boulders and decorative stonework that had fallen, we saw not only the Word Wall but a camp. Signar took the lead here as the man at the camp was wearing an Imperial Officers uniform. I thought it odd that an Altmer would be an Imperial Officer, but had seen odder things, so didn't really think twice.

I listened to the story of a powerful weapon, a mask that had belonged to a Dragon Priest. How the Dragon cultists had been defeated by Skorm Snow-Strider and that his journal might be in the barrow and if so it would prove very useful. That I had no doubt of. I followed Signar through the door into the Barrow, it stank, as did all barrows....but there was something.. I felt ice drip down my spine.

"So Muthsera,  Did you help this Skorn Snow-Strider beat back the Dragon Cultists?" Nelthas's voice was serious, but Signar chuckled, I sighed.

"No, I do believe one of my cousins was here though. During the 1st Era, I was in Cyrodiil, there were other masters that needed to be overthrown." My voice was dry and both men looked at me with a dumbstruck look. "What, I told you... I don't live in any one time for too long, but I have lived a long time."

When the first ghost appeared, I tried a dispel an un-dead spell, but it had no effect. They were strong in the here and now, which meant they felt they had something left to do, protect this place from all comers most likely. Angry spirits, with a focus... a lot of focus to have kept themselves on this world plane for so long.

We all got a workout, I found that my magic worked quite well, but I kept my ax close to my other hand. Tex seemed to be having loads of fun, he would dart ahead and jump right through half of the ghosts until they fought back,  then they became solid. When we started running into Draugr I actually felt better, the Goddess knows why.

It didn't take long for me to see some oddities, many of the skeletons had bottles of poisons beside them.  Why... did these people take poisons? So not only did I fight the draugr with the men and Tex, I started looking around picking up any parchment that had survived, reading the contents.

Then I found it, Skorn's journal, then I understood, the ghosts were men and women that had taken their own lives after the main refractory doors had collapsed. Huh, the area they couldn't get to was the area we needed to get to.

So, we needed to keep going on, we needed the key to the well, Nelthas looked at the lock and said that to fail to pick it, would be to make it impossible to open if there was a key we would be better off looking for it. Which is what we did.

Fighting our way through, we found the refectory, it was here I found the answer to a question that had been nagging at me...what had looked different about some of the linen wraps. Children... they had killed their own children. I held the two notes in my hand, one protesting, the other saying that the person protesting would at least make sure the children didn't suffer.

I stood there with the notes in my hands, shaking. Rage...anger, these were the emotions I felt, but I stood there until I could control my thoughts... till I could direct those emotions, til they were only fractions of what they had been.

In those moments it became clear to me, Alduin would die... in this time. There was no way I could allow dragons to rule again. If Paarthurnax would aid me in my effort, if the Greybeards in their pacifistic way could help.. the Blades would help towards that goal also. Skyhaven Temple was a Blades safe haven, it would be my safe haven. It was Keyed to my blood, Delphine could help or leave. Esbern would be easier, as a historical archivist he would be more interested in information than in anything else. Telling him he didn't necessarily have to help me but to teach new Blades the history of the Blades, that...that would suit him. I could get my help elsewhere if I needed to.

So I explained to Signar and Nelthas what I wanted to do. What I thought needed to be done and I asked their opinion of it.

"Muthsera, you will need someone at Skyhaven Temple, someone that you can trust to not turn their back on you and your goals. Delphine will try to turn anyone against you, I think. I could be reading her wrong, but I don't think so. I have an idea, we will go see the Priestess of Azura on our way to Winterhold. "

"My Lady, I know the perfect person for a "Blades Recruit", Ludwig, our house guard. Even though he was stationed in Roristead, he looks at himself as more your housecarl than as a guard. He is more loyal to you than you would think." Signar nodded and I understood what he was saying.

So we had a plan, we just needed to get all the way through Forelhost and see it through. That was easier said than done. We had yet to meet the strongest of the Dragon Cult's members or the leader of this sect. We fought our way through... disarming the worst traps.

I grabbed a glass Dragon Claw that I found on a pedestal and soon we ran into the door it was the key to. Opening the door was not a problem, for some reason, they put the key on the key. That is where simplicity ended.

Draugr emerged from their crypts, heading towards us. Then the central crypt opened up and Raghot surged out. Tex ran at the furthest Draugr, who was shooting at us with a bow. Signar pulled his sword and shield and started circling one of the others. Nelthas pulled up his hood and face mask and completely disappeared.

I pulled my Staff and summoned ... getting a Golden Saint, she pulled her bow and started shooting. I then cast an Ice Atronach spell and then turned to face Raghot squarely. I dodged around pillars and caste ward spells and Stendar's Aura, to keep from being hit by his Fire spells and keep them all at a distance..

Then I saw Nelthas's daggers go through the back of Raghot and his corpse turned to ash. I walked over and picked up his mask and staff.  I looked at Nelthas and then laid my hand on his cheek, casting a healing spell. Something had ripped open his scars, my spell healed that but could not touch the scars.

When Signar wandered over, I asked him if he had been wounded, but he had not. Tex came trotting up with a leg bone in his mouth.

"Tex, that is just plain nasty, I'll find you a nice deer leg to chew on, drop it." He did but gave me a hard stare for a minute. I shook my head and cast a light spell and we looted the chest in that room. Usually, I don't loot the dead usually, but, I had no ethical problem looting them. When we had our packs as full as we wanted them, we walked out the door.

I felt the Word Wall and walked towards it, this time stopping before, the letters started glowing. I reached into myself and found one of the dragon's souls, held it, and then continued to walk forward. I absorbed the word and the meaning together and other than the blinding light nothing was different than before. Storm Call, I looked over at Signar in his Plate steel and laughed, that wasn't a Thu'um I would be using anytime soon.

I hear voices and looked to the camp of the Imperial Officer... only he was now wearing a Stormcloak Officer's uniform. I laughed, an Altmer, huh, wonder if the soldier he was talking to believed that. I pointed it out to the others and Nelthas, thinned his lips and pulled up his hood and mask, then asked us to stay where we were.

I watched his footprints in the snow walking towards a place where the walls had broken down. A few minutes later I saw him in the shadows of the Barrow and he was motioning us forward. When we got to the "Stormcloak" officer he started stuttering about our misunderstanding and then he just drew his sword and attacked. Unfortunately for the real soldier, he decided to side with the impersonator, Signar, Nelthas, and Tex made short work of the two of them.

I searched through his packs and pockets and found a note saying that he was to bring the mask to Labyrinthian. Well, that was something that we might check out later. As it was late, the guys took the dead and placed them inside the Barrow, while I cleaned up the camp. Tex even did his part by throwing snow over the blood on the ground.

We looked at the large two-person tent and decided it really was large enough for the four of us as long as we didn't mind bumping elbows and as cold as it was, none of us minded that. Nelthas and Tex went down to check on the horses, which gave Signar and I a little bit of alone time.

The next morning it was a short ride to Riften. Nelthas made arrangements for the horses and our ride to Winterhold. Signar and I went and sold all our loot. I made some purchases of items that we needed and bought backpacks for Signar and Nelthas,

Nelthas came and let us know that the carriage driver didn't want to leave until morning, as it was a long trip. We went to the Bee & Barb and rented a couple of rooms for the night. From Signar's crooked grin, I thought he might have some plans of his own.

There are Dragons and..... Dragons pg 23

 

I had stood there watching the ancient white dragon land in front of us, I could feel the splitting headache that would arise when Delphine found out. So Paarthurnax was a dragon, it made sense.

Both men had drawn their bows, but I waved them down. I had already ticked Master Arngeir off once, I didn't really need to do it again by fighting with the head of their order. I closed my eye's against the windblown ice as he landed, opening my eyes to see him extend his head in my direction. Signar and Nelthas backed off and found a place to sit, Tex stayed at my feet looking up at the Dragon.

"Drem Yol Lok Dovahkiin, greetings Dragonborn" His voice was gravely, but easily understood and I had always been good at learning languages, I had to be.

"Drem Yol Lok Paarthurnax, greetings Dovah". I only hoped that would be proper, but I bowed as I said it.

I replayed some of the conversations in my head as we headed down the mountain. Another trip through time, this one backward, usually it was forward, but it would be interesting if nothing else. Kelle, an Elder Scroll, if I remembered some of the things that I read over the years, I might actually be able to see some of my past, present, and the most important part for me, the future.

I thought hard, no one would just have an Elder Scroll laying around, but it seemed to me the best place to look would be the College in Winterhold. Paarthurnax... Paarthurnax.... Paar Thur Nax, wind of kynareth,  Ambition Overlord Cruelty, Delphine is going to go crazy.

He had been waiting for thousands of years for Alduin to return and not once in any history I could recall, was his name brought up. The Blades, they would have information if anyone did, but I really could not ask Esbern. Yeah, the College was the place to go, I needed information.

I would see his friends, the first Nords to learn the Thu'um, he taught them, so he betrayed his own kind. He betrayed Alduin, who was cruel even to his own kind. Time... I needed time... time, something that seemed to be running out.

"STOP IT".. I yelled at the top of my lungs. This kind of thinking would get me nowhere.

"My Lady?" Signar sounded concerned and he had every right to. I turned and looked at him, Nelthas right by his side, both men looked worried. I closed my eyes and took a huge breath in, then let it out slowly, opening my eyes and looking at the two of them. Tex was sitting on his haunches, looking at me with that silly doggy grin, I smiled weakly back at him.

" I will catch both of you up to what is happening when we get back down to Iverstead, my thoughts are going in a thousand directions at once. Plus I need to speak with Arngeir, I need some answers from him."

"Why the head of his order is a dragon? That would be one wouldn't it." Nelthas said.

"No, that in all actuality makes some sense, there are other things that I need to know. Just know this, we are on a long journey. It's turning dark and dangerous, I know I will be walking a fine line." I turned and started back for High Hrothgar. " Arngeir said that the Thu'um that I need was created in a dark, cruel time, by people that were desperate to depose their Dragon overlords, Alduin being the highest. I need to sort some of this out in my head. Just...please give me some time."

"My Lady, take all the time you need. I would follow you through the Plain's of Oblivion." His voice was quiet and firm.

"I too Muthsera, The Lady Azura pretty much told me to follow you to the end and I will." He said that in a tone, that said, he wondered at his own conviction, but he would do as he said.

I talked to Arngeir when we got to High Hrothgar, I even asked him about the Elder scroll. He was not happy that I would be messing with it and that, as I had figured my best bet would be the College. I did ask him about more Words, the ones I knew were very useful but I wanted more, not simply for the power, but because one never knows when something that you don't have will come in very handy.

It was late into the night when we made it to Iverstead and both men said they would rather talk over breakfast, as they were tired. I think they just said that because they knew I was mentally exhausted. We got the same room as the last time, meaning there wasn't a lick of privacy, but that was alright.

In the morning I told Signar and Nelthas what Paarthurnax had told me, I also told them what his name meant and who I thought he was. Tex whined when I said that I thought he had been Alduin's second in command, but that he changed sides and helped us, humans, in the end.

"Delphine and Esbern aren't going to care that he helped people, that he has been waiting all these years to again help humans and see Alduin defeated, all they will care about is that he is a dragon and hurt people thousands of years ago." I rubbed my forehead, I really could not be getting a headache from a conversation that might be weeks in coming.

"We will be heading to a peak on the other side of Riften, according to Arngeir there is a word wall over there and I want to see it, to learn the word, while my mind is clear. Then we'll take the carriage to Winterhold, leaving the horses with Hofgrir. They need rest and while I hate the idea of walking all over Skyrim, I would prefer healthy horses when we need them."

We made it to the peak that held the Word Wall, three days later. I wasn't really surprised at the dragon sitting on top of it, he would not speak to me and I felt a slight sadness at that. The second dragon was a complete surprise, he was older and stronger and while he still would not speak to me, he did hurl insults at us. After I absorbed both dragon souls, I walked towards the Word Wall, it started its humming, and writing appeared on it in glowing letters.

At first, I did not understand what the word meant, but when I dug deep and found one of the dragon's souls and laid it open, I understood completely. Before I had really explored all the meanings of that word, I felt another and turned to look. There, across the valley was another Word Wall, overlooking a barrow.

That must be where the other dragon had come from. I noticed smoke and narrowed my eyes, yes it looked like a camp. I pointed across to the Barrow and told the men that we would be going there next, but we could set up camp closer to the valley floor.

After the camp was set up and I told Signar that I wanted a bath and that even if that pond on the other side of the trees wasn't deep enough to swim, the water had looked clear and I wanted to be clean. He had already taken off his Plate and was in just the Gambeson, but he followed me to the pond.

Off to Karthspire We Go pg 22

I opened my eyes to the sound of rain on the roof and thought great...just great. I must have made some kind of movement cause Sigar laughed and asked if I was afraid to get wet. I rolled over, gave him a kiss and said good morning,  then hopped out of bed. I knew if I stayed I wouldn't want to get up.

I washed my face and got dressed then helped Signar into his armor.   I went down the steps and said it was time to wake up.  Tex was already darting past me, so he had just been politely waiting. Nelthas came up the steps next and gave me a dirty look. I followed him out to the table Signar was already sitting at, with a patter of foods for breakfast.

"What in Oblivion did I do to deserve that look?"

"You left me with that conspiracy theory nut, in a locked room." He truly sounded aggravated, Signar was chuckling under his breath. Nelthas downed half his mug of mead and then sized up Signar. "Alright so next time, you can sleep in the cellar with Delphine and Esbern and I'll sleep upstairs with the Lady, I'll even allow Tex to sleep between us, cause I think he suffered just as much as I did.

Signar never stopped chewing his food, just looked at the Dunmer, then grabbed his mead, taking a drink. "Mmfffp, What, you don't have some fancy paralytic that you can shut her up with? Of course, you could always just stuff a gag in her mouth and tie her up".

"Shush you two, you'd probably be just as paranoid if the Thalmor had been chasing you for more than half your life. Tell you what, next time  you boys can share the bed upstairs and I'll sleep in the cellar with her." I was only half-serious, I know what it feels like to be hunted for an extended time. Nelthas steepled his fingers in front of his mouth tipped his head slightly, then batted his eyelashes at Signar.

"He's not my type, I like my men a little prettier". His face looked serious, but his red eye's danced with mirth. Signar looked at him, then narrowed his eyes.

"You would," his tone was dry. " I like my Shield Brother to have a bit more meat on his bones." He was actually harder to read than Nelthas,  only the small lines beside his eyes and mouth said he was trying not to laugh.  I laughed and shook my head.

"So what do you two think is the best way to get to Karthspire?" I asked.  Delphine and Esbern must have been up pretty late into the night, the sun had been up for an hour or so when they finally dragged themselves up the stairs. It was a very auspicious start to a journey that dragged on forever, due to the surely nature of one of our companions.

As we stood looking into the pocket valley, I thought it would figure. Wasn't fighting dragons and bandit's enough for any one trip, did it really have to end with trying to get through a whole Forsworn Tribe? It was a distasteful thing, but I knew that politely asking them to let us pass wasn't going to work. I sighed heavily and Signar squeezed my shoulder.

"Alright, let's get this over with. I hate to say it, but don't leave anyone standing. I haven't seen any children in this camp, have any of you?" I looked around and everyone shook their heads, including Tex. " Ok so, it isn't a typical village. Anyone that lift's a sword or uses magic, dies. Do not kill any children or pregnant women, knock them out if you have to." That started the slaughter, which is what it was.

Nelthas had lifted his cowl and facemask and completely disappeared, enchanted....figures. I summoned a Deadroth and a Winged-Twilight and then started  shooting the Forsworn that came at us. Signar stayed close to me and watched my back. Tex was following Nelthas around, though how he knew exactly where the Dunmer was, was a mystery. Delphine watched Esberns back as he summoned an Ice Atronach and threw Ice shards at them.

In the end, their was no one left, including the Hargraven who had been in the middle of creating a Briar-heart. I always found that type of magic distasteful, that and allowing oneself to be turned into a Hargraven, those were thing's that put a halt to my admiration of a people that were only trying to keep their homes.

We made our way into a cave system and to the part that was obviously built by a people long ago. Esbern said the Akaviri themselves, it certainly looked like their work, not that I had first-hand experience or anything. I got us past a couple of puzzle traps. At last, we stood in front of another door puzzle, Esbern said this one required blood, my blood, that of a Dragonborn.

So I knelt by the well in the center and cut my hand, letting drops of blood hit the well. After a few seconds, a white light came up out of the well and followed the path around the symbols I was standing on. I felt a tingling all through my body, as something, some odd kind of spell, delved into me, recognized me. Then, I heard a grating of stone on stone, the stone face that actually was a door, started to move.

Some half an hour later we stood in front of Alduin's wall as Esbern Translated it. Nelthas and Tex were both sitting on the table that ran half the length of the room. Signar stood behind me, with one arm wrapped around my waist and the other around my shoulders. I was leaning against him, with my chin on his forearm. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it was comforting, to have him hold me.

"Have you ever heard of such a thing? Do you know of a shout that will defeat a dragon?" The look on her face was hopeful but fell as I shook my head no. "No help for it then, you'll have to go ask the Greybeards, it's a good thing they let you in their little cult. I'm sure if Esbern or I went and asked they wouldn't even talk to us."

I kept my thoughts on that account to myself, but even if they would talk to her or Esbern it would do them little good. Neither would understand and couldn't teach it to someone else.

"So I guess your off to High Hrothgar?" Esbern asked. He had turned from the wall and his explanation of it.

" In the morning Esbern, it's been a hectic few week's and because neither of you has horses, we walked here and now have to get all the way back to Riverwood to pick ours up. So you'll excuse me if I want a hot meal and a warm bed before I start on the long journey back to High Hrothgar." I turned and walked into the dark area of the Temple, casting a light spell.

I found what would be a bunk room and lit the charcoal that was left in the brazier. That was a thoughtful thing, as wood would have been half-rotted away by now. I got into my pack and changed into a cloth outfit, looked to Signar standing against the door frame, and told him to make himself useful, by going to get some wood and water, Nelthas could help him, then some furs and straw to make the beds softer.

I looked around and didn't see a broom or any other cleaning tool, but did see a vent hole where smoke could raise out of the room. I looked around and didn't see anything really light....so.  I put a cloth over my mouth and I cast a spell that moved the air around like miniature whirlwinds, as the whirlwind's picked up dust, I poured more power in them and raised the dust funnels towards the vent in the ceiling. When the last one was through the vent, I pictured it moving away from the hole, then cut the magic from it, a little of the dust came back down the hole, but for the most part the room was dust, cobweb, and dirt free.

Signar came back in with two buckets of water and blinked when he looked around the room. I grabbed one of the buckets and poured a little bit into a pan and washed my face and arms, which were coated. Then I heated a pot of water and washed pots, pans, and dishes so that I could make a stew for dinner.

With the stew in the pot cooking, I told Signar I wanted to go out and have a swim in the water by the village, I was dirty and wanted a bath. So the four of us left the Temple and went down and had a good swim. We looted any foodstuff that was still good and put it in the cave, Delphine and Esbern could go in there with no problem.

As we came back up to the door with the Blood Seal, I had an idea and told the others to wait a moment. I re-cut my hand and let a few drops drip into the well, the door started to close and I waited till it was, then allowed a few more drops to hit the well, the door opened back up... that was a good thing to know.

Each of us carried a heavy pack of food all the way back into the temple, even Tex had two bags tied together draped over his back. As we passed the plate puzzle, I pulled the chain and it reset, we would not be surprised in the night.

We left before full light the next morning, Delphine followed us to the plate Puzzle and reset it after we passed over. Looking at our location on a map, I had decided that our best bet was to go to Markarth and take the carriage to Whiterun and walk to Riverwood from there. We did not even go into the city, just hopped on the carriage.

From the Ratway to Riverwood pg 21

Nelthas met us onshore and cautioned for us to be quiet. In this, I took the lead and I headed us away from Riften, Tex would patrol the lakeshore for our sent and lead Signar to us. I knew where a small camp was and hunters generally were willing to trade items.

We were not far from the camp when I heard a large animal coming through the brush. I readied a calm spell as most animals make much less noise. When the deer came up and over the bushes and almost ran me over, I knew something was chasing it. I kept the calm spell in one hand but readied a shock spell in the other.

I was taken by surprise as the huge black blur knocked me down, he hadn't made a noise coming through the bushes. I tried putting up my arms to keep from being drooled all over, but Tex was rather persistent, and my face was a slimy mess in no time.

"So, I take it the dog belongs to her?" I heard Esbern ask.

"No, I pretty much think she belongs to the dog." Nelthas was laughing. Before I could get any leverage to get Tex off of me, he plopped down on my stomach and looked down that long hound nose at me. he Whined and laid his head on my chest, his nose touching my chin. I patted his head and told him I really would like to get up, he wasn't a feather.

I heard hoofs striking the cobblestone road not far away. I started pushing Tex in earnest when Nelthas grabbed Esbern and pulled him into a crouch. The sound of metal striking cobblestones got closer and when the 1st horse was almost past'

"Citizen, could we have a word with you?" The Accent was male Altmer, more than likely a Justiciar.

"And what can I do for the Aldemeri Dominion today Justiciar Gissur?" His gravelly voice was beautiful in my ears, his tone at ease.

"Who are you, to know a Justiciar by sight?" His tone was suspicious.

" I am Signar sworn Housecarl to the Jarl of Whiterun, bonded to a Thane of that City."

"And what brought you to Riften?" His tone said he wasn't convinced and I couldn't shove Tex off my chest.

"Riften? Well, I stayed the night at the Bee & Barb, but I went into Rifen to get some Blackbriar Mead, Maven wished to gift some to the Jarl and his Thanes in the hope that he would like it enough to order more." His voice had gruff patience that said he was very used to dealing with fools. " You've never seen one of Hofrir's horses? They are suitable in temperament and training for hunting." He kept his explanations short, which was good.

"Alright move along Housecarl, but we will be keeping an eye on you".  The Mer's tone was condescending.

"Well Lord Justiciar, I'll be in Iverstead tonight if you would like to tuck me in?"  His tone was bland and even.

"Move along citizen before I have you arrested for insubordination." His tone was threatening and I hoped Signar would just move on. I heard Signar gwaf, but the horses started moving.

We stayed exactly was we were, except Tex finally decided to get off of me. I thought quickly, I knew Signar would not be in Iverstead, but head in the other direction, the road towards Helgen seemed most likely.

"Esbern, do you have paper and ink or a charcoal stick?" He didn't answer but brought out a charcoal stick and a small roll of paper then handed it to me. I didn't put any words down but drew a Butterfly. Tex looked at my drawing and snorted.

"Well if you think you can draw better?" he whined and shook, "We spent the night at that shack on the way to Iverstead, remember, it had that Butterfly in the Jar. If Signar doesn't get it, make sure that's where he goes." I rolled up the paper tight and tied it with a red ribbon, then used a leather cord to tie it around Tex's neck. I ruffled his ear's and he took off silently through the trees and bushes.

We waited a bit more than wound our way through the woods, staying off the road unless we needed to cross it. Esbern and I used calming spells on all the aggressive animals that we ran into. We had to stop often to hide in thicker brush when a patrol of Thalmor came riding by. When it started getting towards night, I looked for a cave or a really thick patch of brush that we could hide in.

What I found was a small cave with a trickle of water out front. The brush was thick enough that after I went to a  pool and caught a large fish, by laying down near an overhang and slowly running my hands up the belly of the fish I found there till I could slip my fingers in its gills. I pulled it out, killed it, and gutted it. I went and found another overhang and did the same thing.

Nelthas had a small fire going when I got back, so I took the fish I had skewed on sticks and placed over the fire. Along with some of the berries and wild onions and carrots we had found, it made a decent meal. I put out the fire as soon as we were done eating and we all decided to take turns at the cave entrance watching. It wasn't a comfortable night, but we were all got some sleep.

We were up and moving as soon as it was light enough not to stumble around running into things. It was a very tense morning, as the valley narrowed and the Thalmor patrols were in full swing looking for us. At one point I used a frenzy spell on a bear that I had just used a calm spell on when a patrol decided to go off the road and came towards us.

Even though they had made swift work of the bear, which I felt bad about, they decided to get back on the road. We moved on and at mid-day, I could see the pass that we would be going through, the Shack was only a little way away from the mouth. We came in from the backside and Nelthas insisted on being the one to check and see if Signar was there and if everything looked alright. As he said, their was only one of us who was Dragonborn and one expert on dragons.

A few minutes later he gave the all-clear and Esbern and I walked in. Signar was at the door waiting on me and pulled me into his arms. We stood there for a moment, his cheek resting on top of my head, until my stomach made a gurgling sound, because it registered the smell of stew cooking, even if my heart wanted to stay where I was.

Signar laughed and said he had a stew waiting on us if we wanted to eat before we took off. Nelthas sat on a desktop, while Esbern and I sat on the bed and ate, Signar stood in the doorway listening to our choppy account of our escape from the Ratway.

When we were finished we cleaned out all traces of us being there and Esbern got up behind me and we rode hard to get over the pass before nightfall. We spent the night in a Stormcloak camp on the other side, I had explained that the Thalmor were searching for someone and we really didn't want to be bothered. The commander of the camp just smiled and said anyone the Thalmor were after was more than welcome in his camp. So we at least had a good night's sleep. I had a very warm one, with Signar cradling me in his arms from behind and Tex stretched out in front of me.

We made it to Riverwood late the next evening. I sent Esbern into the Inn, Nelthas went with him and Signar and I cared for the horses. Signar checked over the tack and armor, while I gave the horses a second going over. I sighed and told Signar that they needed a rest, we had been riding them hard as of late. He said that was true, but no harder than we had been pushing ourselves. He came over and wrapped his arms around me and I laughed and said,.... let's get inside and get you out of that hard plate... I would rather wrap my arm's around warm flesh than cold steel.

Fate it seemed wasn't going to cooperate exactly, he did get out of the armor, but Delphine pulled us all down to her secrete room, for a chat. I grabbed a stool before we went down, knowing there weren't enough places to sit. Almost everyone was sitting down when we got down there, I put the stool so that I could lean back against the wall, but Signar moved it out slightly so that I was actually leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around me. Tex took up all the space under the table, flat out like a rug, Nelthas was sitting on a chest, Esbern in the only chair, and Delphine paced.

I was tired and only half paying attention, but in the end, I had the gist of it... Tomorrow we would be heading into The Reach, near Karthwasten to a place called Skyhaven Temple, to look at something called Alduins Wall. Signar scooped me up and said he was taking an empty room for us, I had one arm wrapped around his neck and just smiled at them. Delphine it seemed wanted us all to sleep in the lower room. Signar turned and said that she could sleep down here and we would use her bed then. The look on her face was priceless, but she did have a bar on her door, so it made more sense than a smaller room. We did get to sleep, eventually.

Like a Drowned Rat pg 20

 

It had been early when Nelthas had knocked on the door to wake us up. We dressed quietly so as not to wake up any of the other patrons that might still be sleeping. My armor being so much simpler than Signar's, I was dressed and armed, before he even got into his under-armor, his gambeson more complicated than all of my armor put together.  I laced up the sides of the pants as he laced the chest piece. Then handed him each armor piece in the order that he liked to put them on.

"Now I understand why you have two set's of under-armor and sleep in one set, good grief, it would take you forever to get dressed if we were attacked," I said as I handed him the last piece of plate steel.

"Huh, I can fight in my gambeson as well as the plate, it just isn't as protective. My trainer made us sleep in full armor, to get used to it, said in war unless you have your own squire it's never taken off." I shook my head, but I knew for the average soldier that was true. I had been around enough men in heavy armor to know, how a smart warrior behaves.

"But yes My Lady, I prefer sleeping in my under-armor, so that I might quickly put on what I need, in case of attack. If you need more protection than what that chain-mail and leather will provide, you simply cast a mage armor spell. What I have is all I have, it works for me."  I put my hand on his cheek and rubbed my thumb over his lips.

" Oh sweetie, I only tease. You would still be you in little bit's of leather and fur or the cloth of a mage, but I like 'my knight in shining armor'. It suits you well". With that, I smacked him on the chest with a closed fist twice, and then picked up my pack, slinging it over my shoulder.

When we got to the main floor, Nelthas was sitting at a table with platters of food. I think my mouth actually started watering at the sight of some sweet rolls and apple and glaze topped confections. When I looked into the clay jug with beads of water running down and realized it was cold milk, I looked over my shoulder at Signar and winked, then plopped down on Nelthas's lap and gave him a great big kiss on the lips.

" I think I'm in love, you see sweetie, this is how you feed me in the morning". I looked over at Signar who had just sat down in the chair next to us and picked up an apple pastie. He waved the pastry in front of my face and then stopped right at my lips.

"Oh, fickle is the tummy when cooked apples and sugar are presented." I grabbed his wrist and held his hand still as I took a bite out of the pastry. Then I got up and sat in the third chair. Laughing he dropped the pastry on my plate and started piling his with meat, eggs, and bread. "So Mr. Doom and Gloom, what bad news's do you have for us this morning?" I was only half teasing, as I had seen the look on his face when we first came down the steps.

"Nelthas", I snapped my fingers in front of his face, " He isn't going to try slicing you up with that great big bloody axe, you're an assassin, threaten to kill him in his sleep if he tries anything...of course you could always throw daggers at him." Signar gwaufed and Nelthas looked at me like I was insane.

"Muthsera, how old are you? 12?" I stuck my tongue out at him and crossed my eyes, which he shook his head at.

"Well, my ancient Dunmer friend, that depends on the way you figure my age."

"I am not ancient, I'm only 121 years old, nothing to my people" Signar laughed and muttered something about his great Grannie would have been that old had she still lived. " So really how old are you? Sometimes you have a maturity that Elders would envy and other times, you act the child."

"Day's lived? I suppose if you added them all up I would be slightly older than you, some 150  to 200 years old. All those Oblivion gates took more than a day to close you know. But that was only one part of my life. I spent 10 yr's as an advisor to an Emperor, but was assassinated when I proved un-corruptible. Among other things. Now, as I come back  exactly the same age each time I am resurrected, I was two months shy of my seventeenth birthday the first time I died." Signar dropped his fork on the table and looked hard at me.

"Love that is the one thing you never asked, so I thought it really didn't matter how old I appear to be." He picked up his fork and looked down at his food. My heart dropped for a moment until he looked back up.

"No, My  Lady, your age matters not, you have lived more than anyone that I know, have more life than most. I was just surprised that, Uh.. physically, you are so young." I searched his face and as he didn't at all look conflicted, I dropped that subject and went back to what I wanted to know.

"Nelthas, the bad new's that you are avoiding, I'm pretty sure we need to know." He took a drink of his mead and then set the mug down with a preciseness that it really didn't need.

" I talked to a contact last night, about Esbern, so I know where he is, exactly where he is. He has food taken to his...umm cell? That is the way the rooms were explained to me like Riften was built on an old sunken prison. Anyway, that's not the bad news, obviously. The bad news is that the Thalmor are down in the Ratway, they have not found him, but it is only a matter of time." As I stood up ready to go, "Sit, Akemmi, their is no point in running off not prepared." he looked over at Signar and narrowed his eyes, Signar starred back at him passively.

" Signar, how well do you swim?" That got a reaction, Signar started and then rolled a shoulder.

" I can't, not in armor, I'd sink". Even Tex snorted at that,

"The Sky is blue sweetie, we kinda know that". He looked at me with tight lips.

" I can't swim, not at all. I grew up in Windhelm, the water is too cold most of the year, even the Argonians have problems in the middle of winter and can't stay in the water to long. So basically I never learned. Why?"

Nelthas looked down at the table with a troubled look in his face and then drew the knife he kept in his boot, running in through his fingers in an exercise that could easily cut a finger off. Something he only did when he was extremely agitated and couldn't pace. Then he sighed and stuck the knife in the table. He looked straight at Signar and started to explain.

" My contact said that there are so many Thalmor rummaging around in the ratway, that even if we can sneak in, we would never be able to get him out the same way. Their is another way, but according to my contact, at least half the path is full of water and would require some swimming. Some of the tunnels might even be submerged." He paused and waited to see if Signar was going to say anything, then continued when he just looked down at his plate. " That is only if we couldn't fight our way back out, but fighting might not be the best way. And just to make our life even harder, I couldn't buy a horse for Esbern, and the Thalmor mage that was there wanted to know who the other horses belonged to.  I doubt they will allow us to just walk out with Esbern." I thought fast and came up with a couple alternatives, but the best one would be just Nelthas and I going into the Ratway.

"So we ride away, Signar and Tex stay with the horses, you and I sneak back in and get Esbern?" I looked over at Signar, who was still looking down at his plate, his hand's both in his lap. I could see the tension in his neck muscles that he was trying very hard to hide.

"I would go by myself if I thought for a second that I could get the old man out by myself. No one would see me if I did not wish to be seen." I nodded at his words, I knew he was good. I was still looking at Signar, who finally heaved a sigh and looked up at me. His jaw was rock hard and his eye's like ice blue chips. His voice when he finally talked was gruff with tension, but I didn't see any anger, just resolution.

"If it is the best way, then that is what we will do. I do not like it, my Lady, I am sworn to protect you, but more than that, you are my life, I do not like the idea of you out of my sight, doing something so dangerous. I cannot protect you if you are not with me." He turned to Nelthas and if his face and voice were gruff before, now they were hard as steel and the look in his eyes would turn a dragon on its tail. "Guard her with your life." Nelthas nodded at those words, his face passive.. I sighed, men.....like I couldn't take care of myself.



That is how I found myself in the Ratway, behind a ghost. The only reason I knew he was there at times, was the spell I used to track him, it was a passive spell that effected my sight and that was it, once caste no one would be able to trace it back to me or sense the power it took to create it.  A whispered hsst and I would stop, hugging the shadow's, he would be gone for a few minutes and then  he would touch my arm and off we would go again.

Sometimes I would catch the metallic smell of blood and knew he had killed someone.  I even saw the glint of gold that meant a Thamor soldier in eleven armor. Once when we ran into a room of Thalmor soldiers, I drank a potion that made me invisible, Nelthas may have done the same or he might just have turned into a ghost, assassins have their own tricks. It was a tense few minutes, because while the potion made me invisible and my boots had a muffle enchant, someone could still walk into me, which would make both moot.

When we got to the door that Nelthas's map said belonged to Esbern, it took repeating something that Delphine had said to get him to open the door. Nelthas closed and locked it behind us. Esbern started and gave him a searching look, but then turned back to me.

"Esbern, we don't have much time, the Thalmor are looking for you and know you are down here. We need to get going fast." I was looking around his room and trying to figure out how much of this stuff he would want to take and what was to dangerous to leave behind intact.

"What's the point, Alduin is on the loose, the end of the world draws near, the God's have forsaken us. Their is nothing man can do against him". I looked at the old man and decided it was either my humor or a frying pan.

"Well, it's a good thing I am no man, Esbern, cause I will defeat Alduin. Akatosh gave me the Dragonblood for a reason and I figure it wasn't to gossip with dragon bones."

"You... your Dragonborn, well that changes everything. I need, well, their are things that I need, let me get them together."  I watched him flit from one side of the room to the other, stuffing things in waterproof pouches. That was good. All the pouches were put in a leather backpack and then he stood in the middle of the room with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong Esbern, we really need to get going before they find us".

"There is still information here that should not get into the Thalmors hands, but we can't take it all."

I looked around the room and saw some bottles of oil, which I spread over the room, while Esbern and Nelthas stood near the door.

" I will cast a Fire rune in the doorway, if anyone opens the door, it all goes up in flames. We should be long gone by then." Nelthas opened the door at that and to all our surprise, there stood a Thalmor mage with his hand up like he was getting ready to knock on the door. Nelthas was not slow, a dagger went into the man's throat before he could even open his mouth. I cast a spell for a Frost Atronach and Esbern must have had the same thought. He walked out the door and started throwing ice-spikes at one of the two soldiers, Nelthas was shooting arrows at the other, both Atronach's closing in quickly.

I turned and closed the door most of the way and spoke the words to the spell and held them in my hand till I placed it on the other side of the door facing down, caste it, pulling my hand out and closing the door. The soldiers dead, all in this cell was quiet, but we could hear booted feet coming in our direction.

Nelthas motioned for us to follow him and I put down a rune trap on every doorway, sometimes on the door itself, sometimes on the knob or the ground. We went quietly through the passageways, Nelthas sometimes stopping to consult his map.

We started hearing the explosions that said my runes were being set off. Nelthas would not be hurried and we made it to one point and he dropped a torch off a drop-off, then jumped down himself, looking back up at the two of us. It wasn't far, but too far for an old man to jump, so he climbed down and Nelthas helped him the last bit. Nelthas then looked up at me and I jumped down, he caught me and set me down and off into the dark he went.

When we hit another drop off I cast a small mage light, it was barely more than candlelight and showed water, but not how deep. I told Nelthas to lower me down, as it would be easier. He did but had to drop me the last little bit. The water was hip-deep on me, but the men had no trouble wading through it.

Ahead there was a dim light, Esbern and I walked very slowly as Nelthas went ahead to check it out.  He was halfway there when he was swept off his feet and we saw him disappear over the edge.  I cast a stronger mage light and saw the second tunnel and how the water speed had picked up, where the two met.

I thought quickly, as I would prefer not to go over the edge in the same fashion, and did the one thing I could think of. I pulled some power through my focus stone and cast an ice storm spell. While it had the desired effect, the ice wasn't thick enough to walk on. Esbern cast another ice storm spell on top of mine and the ice thickened. Once more for each of us and we could walk over the ice with no problems. It wouldn't last long but didn't need to.

When we got to the end, I held on to the grate and looked down. The drop wasn't as far as I feared it would be and I could see Nelthas swimming below. Esbern looked at me and I asked how well he could swim, he said like a fish and we jumped as we heard voices back down the tunnel.

Thankfully the water was deep and we swam to shore in the same direction that Nelthas had taken.

A New way of Thinking pg 19

Akemmi


With the smell of smoke still strong in my nose, I woke the men the next morning with breakfast already cooked. Venison steak's and Pine-thrush eggs, with toasted bread and a snowberry spread. I had found enough food in the sanctuary that we would not have to hunt on our way to Riverwood. There was even a steak for Tex, though he wasn't partial to eggs or toast. As I ate some toast and berry spread while cooking. I groomed all three horses and fed them some of the grain that I had found.

As the men ate, I decided to go over our tack again,  as we had been putting in some hard riding.

The martingale on my saddle was wearing thin and would need to be replaced before we did any serious climbing. I rubbed some of the fragrant oil over all the leather pieces thinly, as the weather had gone from one extreme to the next since the going over I had given it all in the cabin. I wasn't as sure of Signar's horse armor, but none of the metal was jagged, nor any of the cloth stiff or frayed. Nelthas's gear was as supple as the leathers he wore.

The men started packing up the tents and other gear as I cleaned the plates and such and got them packed. I would love to say that the ride to Riverwood was quiet and calm, but it was anything but. Not too far out, we ran into some Spriggins, I used my strongest calming spells and we made it past them, but then a dragon decided that we would be a challenging foe.

I conjured a Flame Atronach and Signar still having my staff summoned another Golden Saint,  with three bows the dragon soon resembled a pincushion, when it landed I started casting fire spells at it, the two men closing in with swords, Tex snapping at its wings and heels. I absorbed it's soul and felt less at his loss of life than wolves that choose to attack us.

We made it to Riverwood in the late afternoon, with rain on the wind. We bedded the horses down in the small paddock behind the Inn and stowed the saddles and other gear in the shed. I grabbed the thin Martingale and my pack so that I might use it as a template and just add the bright-work to it. Nelthas and Tex hurried into the Inn, as the wind brought dampness that said rain was soon to follow. I told Signar to please get us a room and tell Orgnar that I would sing a song or two. Then I hurried over to the forge before the rain started.

I traded some nice pelts for some tanned hides of a length that I would need, Alvor looked at the bright-work and said it was fine, but I might think about ordering some new, as it was starting to thin and warp slightly. So I asked him if he wouldn't mind doing that for me, but to make it all matte instead of shiny. He said as how he had a couple orders that would have to come before mine, but I told him that was fine, what I had would do. He looked to the sky and decided to call it a day, I could hear the thunder in the distance, but I wanted to at least get the shape cut and the holes punched.

I set to work on that and was almost done when the rain started. It was nothing but a mist, so I kept going as I had only a little to go. I was about finished when I thought I heard boards creek, but as the Guards had been walking back and forth I paid it no attention. I was just finishing the last of the holes and getting ready to pack up my leatherworking gear when the bottom fell out and the rain came down in sheets so hard that it almost sounded like hail. I turned and looked out over the river and down in the direction the rain was coming from when the water started sheeting off the roof like miniature waterfalls.

I leaned against the center pole and thought it figured. The heat of the forge felt good with the chill wind blowing. I was just about to look around and see if Alvor had left a cloak or piece of canvas lying around that I could use to get to the Inn when two arms snaked around my waist and I felt the heat off a large male body behind me. I squeaked indigently and heard the chuckle in my ear as Signar leaned down. I leaned my body back into his and tipped my head so that I could look up at him.

" I don't suppose you brought our cloaks?" His blue eye's narrowed as he smiled.

"Why, My Lady, would I do something like that?" Still laughing he kissed the tip of my nose and then sat down on the edge of the forge, pulling me with him. It wasn't the most comfortable position with my butt barely on the forge, but we sat that way for a moment. After a bit he opened the pouch on my hip and pulled out the necklace that was inside and draped it around my neck, fumbling with the clasp. When he finally got it closed, he kissed the back of my neck, sending goosebumps down my spine.

" You wore that once for me, yet we never really talked about marriage." I shifted so that my back was against the pole, my butt on his lap and I was looking up into his face. " I would have you for my wife, your life here may be short, but I would that you called me Husband for that time. I love you Akemmi."

He stopped at that and I looked up into his face, his blue eyes searching mine for an answer. I smiled at him and then pulled his head to mine. Against his lips, I said, " I would have you for my husband, for now, and the rest of eternity if the Divines would allow it.  But I will take today and the tomorrows that we have and cherish them." With that, I deepened our kiss and when our lip's parted, I laid my head on his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat and feeling the slow steady rise and fall of his chest. His chin resting on my head, arm's wrapped around me, I basked in the warmth of his body as the rain continued its relentless pounding.

When the rain slackened enough we took off our boots and put on our cloaks, as one of the Guards slogged his way across the street through the fast moving water. Signar and I both realized the water would be over my knee's and I might easily be swept off my feet.

He bent at the knees and patted his shoulder, "come on, hop up, arm's around my neck, leg's around my waist", when I did, he handed me his boot's so that I was holding both pairs. His arm's free he used them to keep his balance in the swift water, even with that he had to walk crossways, not strait across so that we were further down the street than the Inn.

He bent slightly forward and moved a bit quicker as the rain started getting heavier and that is how we went through the door of the Inn. He was bent almost double to keep from hitting my head on the door frame, the two of us laughing like fools. As he went to stand, I must have shifted or he hit a wet spot, cause I few right over his head and he ended up on his face. I rolled over and looked at him and had a complete fit of giggles at the look on his face.

By the time I quit laughing and wiped the tear's from my eyes, he was sitting against the fire pit, staring at me. Nelthas and Delphine were standing off to the side looking at both of us like we were crazy, even Tex had his head cocked sideways, which threw me right back into a fit of laughter. I had almost stopped laughing when I started hiccuping,  at which I started laughing again.

Delphine threw her arms up and said that she was headed to bed, as it was obvious their was no way we were going to have a serious conversation tonight. Nelthas looked at Tex and said that if he wanted to hog the blanket's he was more than welcome to share his room. Tex walked over to me, nudged at my shoulder, and then licked the side of my face. I stopped laughing long enough to kiss him on top of his head and bust out giggling again when I hiccuped again, though it sounded more like I was choking.

Signar stood up and told Orgnar that we would like a couple bowls of stew and mug's of mead in our room if he pleased. Then he came over and scooped me off the floor. Orgnar was just putting a tray on the table in our room when Signar got there. He set me down on the bed and then went to shut the door, unbuckling his armor on the way back. He pulled the cuirass off over his head and placed it on the chest at the foot of the bed. When he was down to just his underclothing, he came over and sat beside me.

I was hiccuping and gulping air, but I stood up and stripped down to my under-cloths also. He took my chin in his hands and looked deep into my eyes...then kissed me on the tip of my nose and said that we both needed some sleep.  He laid down and pulled me up against him, his arm wrapped around me, the other under my head. He held me like that all night, when I woke in the middle of the night,  from a nightmare and started to shake, he was awake and we talked for hours. When I again drifted into sleep, it was with the thought that I did not want to live another life, unless he was there to hold me. I felt safe and content for the first time in hundreds of years,

Nelthas had caught Delphine up on all the information that we had got, including that Malborn was now a wanted man as well. He had explained all the dossiers and given them to her, except the one on himself and me, those I had and didn't plan on sharing them. So with breakfast, we went over our plans to go to Riften and look around and see if we couldn't find Esbern, under the guise that Signar and I were planning our wedding, which we were.

We left Riverwood in the rain, as it didn't look like there was an end to the storms.  The Mill owner in Iverstead was correct, the bears were getting out of hand, but I had my own thoughts on that. Dragon's had to eat, Alduin may eat the souls of mortals, but the rest needed meat. Deer and Elk were easy prey, so the predators were safe, for a little while.  We made quick time to Riften, even given, the fights we had with predators.

The first thing I did was go and get rooms at the Inn and then give the Argonian male the Amethyst's that he needed for his wedding ring. Nelthas said he had a person he wanted to talk to and Tex trailed behind him as he went.

"Have you noticed that Tex never goes anywhere near a shrine or Temple?"  Signar's voice was dry with humor. I thought about it for a moment.

" Not all, he's has no issue going up to a Shrine to Talos or Akatosh."  I had noticed, but as he was my first real protector and friend here, I wasn't going to rock the boat.

We walked to the Temple of Mara and asked about having a wedding. The Priest was more than happy to plan it for us and asked when we would like our wedding. We looked at each other and I told him tomorrow wouldn't be soon enough. He smiled and winked at Signar, thinking he was the only one eager for our wedding. Of course, he might have been thinking that Signar was the only one eager for the wedding night, he would be wrong.

I snorted mentally, we had already made love, but, married... would that make it different, or was it really just a word? As we walked back to the Inn, I was thinking and paused to look out over the lake and mountains. Yes, it mattered, it mattered in the promise that we would be making to each other.

"Sweetie, why don't you wander off to the Inn, I want to buy something pretty for tomorrow. I'll get you something also." He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and I said I wouldn't be too long, the market wasn't that large.

I watched him walk away, the sun came out in a ray that landed right on him, the refection off his armor was blinding. I laughed, my Knight in shining armor. I went around to the few stalls and found a decent outfit for Signar, but other than a pair of earrings, there was nothing in any of the other stalls. I felt my shoulders sag a little, it really didn't make a difference, except I wanted to look pretty. Signar was used to me in armor, I wanted a nice dress. The meat vendor walked over and asked what I was looking for, cause I looked like I had lost something. I laughed and told her I wanted a dress to get married in tomorrow, but none of the vendors had one.  She smiled at me and pointed down a side alley and said their was a shop there, they often had pre-made dresses.

I thanked the woman and asked her if I could help her in any way, she said she needed some Ice wraith teeth and if I could get her some, she would be in my debt. I walked into the shop and the man behind the counter asked how he could help me. I told him I was looking for a dress for my wedding tomorrow and did he have anything that I could wear or alter in one night?

He took a good look at me and said he had two dresses that might suit and a third that wasn't a wedding dress but would fit like a glove with no alteration at all.  He showed me all three of the outfits and while I really liked one of them, it was the largest and I would have to do more needlework that I was comfortable with in one night.  I said I would like to try on the last one, it looked more like a Temple robe of one kind or the other, but it fit beautifully and was rather nice. So I bought that dress and some slippers to go along with it. We wrapped the dress up putting it in a box and I headed back to the Inn.

Signar and Nelthas we sitting at a table and I plopped myself into the third chair. We had a pleasant night Listening to the patrons of the Inn chat to each other. I yawned and told the men if they wanted to stay up all night drinking that was up to them, I was headed to bed.

I asked which room was mine? Signar got up and said he would show me to our room. I followed him up the stairs and to a room with a double-sized bed. I turned back to the door and smiled as Signar closed it behind him. I barely had time to put my packages down before he tackled me, we hit the bed and bounced, hard and all the air went out of me in one big ooof.

"You know My Lady that we won't have much of a Honeymoon? What with getting Esbern back to Delphine and lord knows what she will want to do after that. So I figured....." I shut him up in the best way I could think, kissing him deeply and pulling at the buckles of his armor, he laughed and stood up and started undressing himself, I wasn't backward in getting undressed myself and then sitting on the bed watching him. It was a long night,  I was a tired happy woman when I woke the next morning.

Signar was gone and so was the outfit I had bought for him. There was a flower on top of the box the dress came in so I put it aside, meaning to carry it with me. I put my dress on and fixed my hair, leaving it down, for today. As I left the room, Signar caught me in his arms and swung me around, giving me a hug and a kiss.

" My Lady, you look beautiful." He pulled me close, in another hug and then engulfed my hands in one of his and we went to the Temple. I was told it was a beautiful ceremony, but really I don't remember it. I remember how happy Signar looked as we put our rings on each other's fingers. How his eye's danced with happiness, the stupid grin he got on his face when we said now and forever. I  might have had the same stupid grin, everyone was too polite to tell me.

We spent the day in our room, with some sliced meat, cheeses, and fruits, along with mead and juice, we talked about our childhoods. It was actually rather surprising to learn that I had a better childhood, his family had been poor and he had done odd jobs to feed his mother and sister. While I had gone to school and played with friends, hunting, and fishing.  His hunting and fishing were done for food and hides for clothing and money. We learned more about each other on that day, than perhaps all the rest of the time we had been together, all I learned made me love the man even more.

We fell asleep that night, hands, bodies, and hearts entwined.

Diplomatic Nightmares pg 18

Akemmi......

 "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.

Revelations from an Assassin pg 17

Nelthas

 I saw the horses come up the road, along with a large black dog. When they made it to where I stood in the middle of the road, she stopped and got off her horse, walking right up to me. She was a small woman, young-looking and beautiful, but I knew she had an old and deadly soul.

"Akemmi? That is your name?"

"Yes Nelthas, it is. This is Signar and Tex" I  nodded at the two of them but turned back to her.

"We need to get out of the open and talk. I rented a cabin not far from here, it will be much safer"

"My Lady, how do we know we can trust this man?" He didn't sound angry,  just unsure.

"Because my Love, had he wanted us dead, we would be....isn't that right Master Assassin?"

I nodded but didn't say a word,  just got on my horse and rode towards the cabin, but not straight to it.


Akemmi

We rode to the cabin, which was a good way off the road, and with the coming of a snowstorm, no one would likely be able to follow us. I asked Tex to check our back trail and then high tail it back, that way his tracks would be covered by the falling snow.

Signar and I  bedded the horses down in a lean-to and made sure there was enough fodder for them to eat, the water we would have to bring out, though the trough was against the chimney it still might freeze. Nelthas went inside to start a fire and get the place warm.

Signar moved the hay bales so that they made a wall,  on the open sides of the lean-to, they were older bales and not what we really wanted to feed the horses if it could be helped. We could still get the horses out, but the wind wasn't blowing in as hard. I put blankets over each of the horses and checked their hooves for stones.

"My Lady, you do have some explaining to do.", we stood between the horses and he was speaking soft enough not to be heard over the wind.

" I know, once we get inside, I will explain as much as I can, as much as I know. I think Nelthas will have some answers to questions that I need." With that I looked around and then put my fur cloak back on, it wasn't far, but it was bitter cold.

Tex was just coming up to the cabin himself, so our timing was good, we would only have to open the door once. Nelthas had the fire going and was just taking off his cloak and fur gloves. I  took off my cloak and hurried over to the fire, my new armor was not really meant for the cold weather.  I sat down on the hearth and felt the fire getting warmer.

I looked around the cabin and saw wood stacked along the walls in the kitchen and crafting areas. There were baskets of vegetables and fruits in both area's and I would guess the iron box outside the door with the latch lock probably had meat in it. I changed my position a little bit and leaned back against the side of the hearth, where the stones were warm, but not hot. Tex laid out flat in front of the fire, with his nose only inches from my foot.

Neither man seemed inclined to relax, Signar leaning against the wall between the kitchen and crafting areas, Nelthas pacing the breadth of the cabin. I watched him pace around for a minute or so, his grace and fluidity made Signar look clumsy by comparison. His aura didn't say dangerous, it said lethal, at the same time I could see a quirkiness in his face, the kind that said his sense of humor would love to get the best of him. I knew the feeling, as mine often did me.

When he finally sat down against the far wall, his feet almost touching Tex's tail, I looked at Signar, who was staring at me. I sighed and looked back toward Nelthas.

"So, Nelthas, exactly what do you know of me?"

"I know your family name, those things that any Assassin would have to know to fulfill a contract a couple hundred years on the books. You and all the females of your line are cursed, that, of course, is not generally known, most think that a new daughter has come of age. The lady Azura showed me much in dreams of you, though at first, I did not know who you were. I know in this time, they call you Dragonborn".

I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, then opened them back up and told Signar he might want to pull up a chair, as the telling of my history wouldn't exactly be short and it was easier starting at the beginning than to try and ask what either man didn't know. I started with my ancestor, the one that started this whole curse, then I started my story, at my childhood and gave a sketchy history, hitting the highlights. The day was gone and the night was late when I finally paused.

..... "and so that is where we are now. I am hoping Nelthas that you can answer a few  questions also."

"Well, a question to you first," I nodded and he got an odd half-angry look on his face, " Why do you make yourself a target?"

" I'm sorry I don't understand, I really don't go out of the way to put myself in line for assassins."

"Muthsera, that necklace is as good as a target and it does you no good anyway does it?"

I picked up the necklace I had worn since puberty, my blood staining the stone red, though it was blue now, I could still feel the power coming from it.

"It's a focus stone, that also allows me to track others of my family and to store magic. That's all, how can anyone track me with it?"

"The blood that is spilled on it," he dug into his pocket and pulled out an identical necklace, " Long, long ago your families enemies found a way to track you, using these and each hired assassin goes out with that knowledge and a description of the woman they are after."

I looked down at the necklace and pulled it from around my neck. " We'll get rid of it then." He shook his head.

"You may if you choose or give it to your man to hold. Many a male in your family has one from a lost wife or daughter, so no none would think twice about it."

"You said it does me no good anyway, what do you mean?"

"Muthsera,  you have not noticed your magic is not as strong as it was in past lives? You were born into this time as Dragonborn, thus not of the same blood as your sisters. The necklace is nothing but a power sink for you, one that you can no longer tap, though I think it is still pulling power while you sleep, as the spell means it to do."

I looked down into the stone, it still swirled with the contained power it had been leeching from me for months. Nelthas was wrong, though, I could still use it, once, in desperate need. I handed it to Signar to hold, he hung it around his neck but tucked it under his gambeson.

"You mentioned sisters? I have family yet left alive?" He shook his head in an odd way.

"A few of your sisters figured out something that you now have, I cannot say by accident, by Divine intervention? To change the blood is to make the tracking of you impossible, by blood. A few, have gone vampire, they take their chances with vampire hunters. Though I know of one who has been around for hundreds of years but is very discrete. Quite a few have gone the way of Wer, werewolves, werebears, they live mostly normal lives with normal lengths, so died at their appointed time or perhaps were reborn somewhere else." He stopped for a moment and looked very reluctant to go on, but then squared his shoulders and continued.

"Some gave up Muthsera, they got tired of living. They turned themselves into the Morag Tog or the Dark Brotherhood or another faction and their head was removed from their body, necklace taken as proof of death."


I stood and said thank you and then went over to the beds and picked one, stripped down to my under-cloths,  I rolled up in it, and stared at the wall for a while, thinking. I heard the men talking but didn't listen. I soon fell asleep and dreamed not.

Over the next few days, the three of us talked and learned more about each other.

Akemmi....... " I mean seriously, you should have seen its face, the vampire popped out from under the ice, was staring The Commander right in the face, but the two thousand soldiers' behind him, were something of a surprise.... We took the Fort with no problems. Some said by magic, it was nothing of the sort, good planning, and a mad servant, one should not treat servants badly.......

Nelthas......" The contract was very specific and my master would have punished me for not following it to the letter. So the only place I could catch the man without half a dozen armed bodyguards was in the steam house. I hid my knives the day before and then had to figure out how to hide them with only a towel as cover. I almost cut off a very important part of my own anatomy when I slipped on the slick floor"....


"Muthsera, Their is one thing. the Dark Brotherhood knows what you look like, they don't need the necklace to find you, just enough assassins or informants out and about."

I nodded and told him we had already run into an assassin with a letter from someone named Astrid saying that the contract had already been paid. He looked up in surprise, but then over at Signar with new appreciation.

"Well, we will figure something out about the assassin contracts. For now, Signar, Tex, and I need to head for Riverwood and see what Delphine has come up with."

"Muthsera,  I will travel with you. I am tired of hiding out at the Inn, I need a purpose in my life, and keeping you in this world seems like a good enough one for now. Lady Azura has sent me enough dreams about you"

"Be thankful you only had dreams of me, mine of you were all nightmares. "

He looked at me and asked what made me think all the dreams he had been given were pleasant? His life was messy, so he just hadn't mentioned all the bad ones Azura had given him.

I shrugged and said I understood.... we set about getting ready to depart on the morrow. Any food that we couldn't take, we placed well away from the cabin where the wild animals could benefit from a mid-winter meal. I took a look around the cabin, it was very homey, I liked it very much and wondered if the Inn Keeper would be willing to sell it. Well, if I had a future, I would look into it, for now, Signar and I might rent it out one day soon, just to get away.

The day was cold and clear when we set out for Riverwood. We found that Nelthas was a master bowman, he often had two arrows in an attacking creature before Signar or I could even draw our bows. All in all, it was a pleasant trip. Nelthas would shoot a couple of Pheasants for our dinners and Tex brought in rabbits, so, we never went hungry for a night.  The men were much happier than I was, our supply of pastries, fruit, and cheese was thin, but a couple stop's at Inn's allowed for good hot meals, baths, and pastries for me.