Disclaimer: I claim no rights to The Elder Scrolls series, only my OC.

Alright, I just started this quest once again (the last time I tried it bugged out like crazy) and I've decided to record it forever in a fic! I'll try and update every couple of days, if not every day because this will be relatively short, I think. Hope you enjoy!

Markarth was an old city, that much was obvious from the moment she walked in. It was also dangerous, and that was clear to her when she witnessed a young woman being murdered on the street.

She could have saved her, if she had been quick enough... if she had just spotted that man pulling out his dagger a few seconds earlier nobody would had to have died. She tried not to dwell on that.

The woman, Margret she learned later, had been minding her own business and browsing market stalls. "A bit of jewelry for your journey home?"

It happened faster than she could blink, "The Reach belongs to the Forsworn!"

Margret was quite literally stabbed in the back, dead before she hit the pavement, and then there was more fighting. The next thing she knew she was aiming an arrow at the Breton attacker's body as the life drained out of him, his final words echoing in the ears of the bystanders forced to watch such a cruel act. "I die for my people..."

A Redguard, the lady that had been selling jewelry, was shouting in terror. "The Forsworn are in the city!"

Tessara took a few steps back and planned to slink into the shadows at the first sign of a mass panic, something she didn't want to get caught up in. She didn't know who the Forsworn were and she didn't plan on finding out. Luckily a couple guards managed to stop the dam from breaking. "Everyone stay back! The Markarth city guard have this all under control. There are no Forsworn here." One was saying, while his comrade was kneeling next to the victims body.

The crowd was being ushered back, her included, while the crime scene was being dealt with, and as she watched the man standing beside her spoke up. "Gods, a woman attacked right on the streets."

She only nodded, hoping to steer him away, but he turned to speak to her directly. "Are you all right? Did you see what happened?"

"I was right there. He almost killed me." Tess forced her voice to quiver and wrapped her arms around herself. Maybe if she acted all shaken up, she could slip away with the pretense of needing time to recover. He nodded, but something in his eyes told her he wasn't buying it.

"I'm so sorry. I hope the Eight give you more peace in the future." Not damn likely. "Oh, I think you dropped this. Some kind of note? Looks important."

The blonde raised an eyebrow as she took the piece of parchment from him. She had clearly seen him pull that note out of his pocket just seconds ago, but she decided to play along. "Do you know anything about the attack?"

"Hmm? No. I was just getting some fresh air. Had one too many pints of mead at the Sliver-Blood Inn." Now that was bullshit, he looked completely sober. Why would he lie about that? She scolded herself. For Divine's sake, Tess. Don't get too involved, not in this city.

The note was hastily scribbled and messy, as if whoever had written it didn't have a flat surface handy.

Meet me at the Shrine of Talos.

-Eltrys

"Is this your note? What does this mean?"

"My note? No, that's yours. Must have fallen out of your pocket." He wasn't very good and she could see right through him. She sighed as he walked away, already knowing she'd be going to meet him, if only to find out what it was that he wanted from her.

She entered the shrine and walked down the ramp towards the Breton – Eltrys – warily, remaining silent.

"I'm sorry to drag you into Markarth's problems, but after that attack in the market, I'm running out of time." He looked at her intensely from where he was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed. "You're an outsider. You're dangerous looking. You'll do."

Tessara scowled at him, "I'm not doing anything yet."

"You want answers? Well so do I." His voice was raising and he was gesturing wildly. "So does everyone in this city! A man goes crazy in the market. Everyone knows he's a Forsworn agent. Guards do nothing. Nothing but clean up the mess."

"You want me to find out why." It was more of a statement than a question. She wasn't expecting anything less.

"This has been going on for years, and all I've been able to find is murder and blood. I need help." Eltrys was downright begging now. "Please. You find out why Margret was attacked, who's behind Weylin and the Forsworn, and I'll pay you for any information you bring me."

The prospect of being paid was too much to turn down. She was hardly getting by as it was. "What do you know about this Margret?"

"She's not from Markarth. The air about her screamed 'outsider.' Visitors to the city usually stay at the Silver-Blood Inn." He had a strange kind of hope in his features now, as if she was going to fix all of his problems for him. It made her nervous.

"Who was Weylin? Where did he live?"

Eltrys frowned slightly. "He was one of the smelter workers. I used to have a job down there myself, casting silver ingots. I never knew much about Weylin, except that he lives in the Warrens, like all the other workers."

"Who are the Forsworn?" She asked, dreading the answer. She wanted nothing to do with this city's problems, but it seemed she had no choice anymore.

"They're remnants of the old rulers of Markarth. Natives of the Reach. Followers of the old ways." Eltrys explained, his expression hard. "The Nords drove them out of the city. Ulfric Stormcloak and his men. That was about twenty years ago. But somehow they're still here, and they're killing people."

Tess studied him curiously. Something he said before had been nagging at her. "You've looked into these murders?"

"Yes. It all started when I was a boy. My father owned one of the mines. Rare for anyone who isn't a Nord." He sighed sadly, and rubbed his forehead. "He was killed. Guards said it was just a madman, but everyone knew the murderer was a member of the Forsworn." She had kind of been expecting that. Not a tragic back story exactly, but she could tell this was personal to him. "I've been trying to find out why ever since. Gotten nowhere so far, and then I got married. Have a child of my own on the way. I swore I was going to just give up, for my child's sake, but it's like my father's ghost is haunting me. Asking me 'why?'"

Looks like her mind had been made up for her. Damn her hero complex.

"City's got eyes. Be careful out there." He warned as she stalked away.

Tessara left with a scowl on her face. Every survival instinct in her body was protesting on this one.

She had heard about this place, the conspiracies and bribes, the fact that the Jarl wasn't the one in charge around here, the guards who were dirty — and not in the good way. She wasn't untouchable here, and if she started digging around a murder and conspiracies and whatever the hell else this bloody town had going on, she knew that the cities so-called "ears" would be out for blood.