The Dragonborn has forgotten how many times he has set foot in Riverwood. His first stop after the dragon attack on Helgen, it's a place wich set him on the path to becoming the legendary Dragonborn he is today. Coming all the way from Markarth, all he wants to do is put his feet up in the warmth of the Sleeping Giant Inn. Making his way to the inn, the small village is quiet. The sun has disappeared a while ago behind the Throat of the World and most hard working people have turned in for the night. He opens the door and steps in.
The inn is quiet and a traveling bard is singing for the few patrons that remain. With a sigh he lowers himself in a chair in the corner. From behind the counter a low voice rings out. "The usual, Dragonborn?" He smiles. "Yes please Orgnar, i can use that after being out in the cold for so long." He bends down and pulls off his boots. "Much better" he thinks. Orgnar walks up to him with a bottle of mead and sets it down on the table. The Dragonborn pulls a few coins out of his pocket and holds it out for Orgnar. "If Delphine sees me accepting that she'd kill me." The Dragonborn laughs. "Come on Orgnar, the sun already rises for free and that's enough. Come on take it, it's not like i don't have enough after traveling all over Skyrim." Orgnar looks at him and thinks for a second. "Fine, but you get to explain it to her if she hears of this." he replies. Again it makes the Dragonborn laugh. "Sure, no problem."
Suddenly the door slams open and a woman stumbles in. She looks around in panick and takes a few steps before falling to the ground. The Dragonborn jumps up from his chair and rushes over. She's face down, he turns her over and immediately feels something wet on his hand. "Blood!" he thinks and quickly scans her body for any injuries. At the side of her stomach is what looks like a stab wound. "Orgnar, bandages!" he yells. He set his arm under her head and pulls her a little bit up. "Can you hear me? Come on wake up!" Slowly her eyes open but clearly she having trouble keeping them open. "Who did this to you?" he asks. "I... found a hatch... near Bleakfalls. Before i could... someone stabbed me... I ... I ..." Before she could say more she looses consciousness. Orgnar kneels next to her. "I got this, you better find out what happened there before more stumble in. I only have so much bandages." "Bad timing to start cracking jokes Orgnar, but you're right." He stands up, grabs his boots, puts them on and opens the door, back into the cold weather of Skyrim.
While not far, the trip to Bleakfall Barrows is tough. The snow keeps pouring down and doesn't let up. He pulls his hood further up and with large strides makes his way up the small mountain path. When Bleakfalls comes into sight, he draws his bow and crouches down behind a boulder. For a few moments he scouts his surroundings. Suddenly he sees two bandits coming down the stairs. They look around and make their way over to a large rock wall, close to where the Dragonborn is hiding. Luckily for him the snow limits their vision and they do not notice him. He silently moves to the other end of the boulder he's hiding behind. Waiting patiently for the bandits to appear again on the other side, but they never do.
One last time he scouts his surrounding and when he is sure no one is around he quickly moves to rock wall the bandits disappeared behind. He peeks out and finds nobody there. "Guess the hatch is somewhere around here" he thinks. Following the footsteps in the snow, he indeed finds the hatch he was looking for. Readying an arrow on his bow, he slowly opens the hatch.
Though little light he does see the bottom, it's not that deep so he leaps down. Hitting the ground with a roll, he ends in a crouched position with his bow drawn. "Damn it's dark in here" he thinks. No light comes from the cave and he can't see much. Not moving he lets his eyes get used to the dark. Luckily the wall only three feet away from him doesn't seem like it wants to attack him, so he lowers his bow. He landed in a small passage with a ninety degree bend to the left. A few inches more and he would be exposed but now he's safely before the bend.
No light comes from the passage and he doesn't want to light a torch for it could give away his position. He peeks out around the bend and sees it leads to a room. He can't see much more, the darkness prevents him from looking to far in the room. He slowly and silently makes the turn and pushes on into the room, bow drawn.
Barely a few feet into the room he hears a click from under his feet, then the sound of ropes being tightened. Before he can roll out of the way, a tree trunk hits him in his side, sending him flying a good ten feet. "Now!" he hears a woman calls out. With a loud bang, a big steel door closes and he hears the lock click into place. With a grunt he tries to stand up but the pain in his chest is almost unbearable. "Dammit, my ribs!" He sinks down to his knees and tries to breath slowly. Every breath feels like someone is stabbing him in his ribs with a hot poker. Looking around he noticed he's in a small room with the only exit a big steel door that is shut tight. "A trap! It's gotta be. Dammit how could i be so careless."
He tries to stand up again. The pain is incredible but he manages to stand up anyway. "Looks like we got the right one boys, very few people can stand up after being hit so hard." He recognises the voice as the woman he heard when he got tossed in the room.
"Who are you?!" he calls out. In the door is a small hatch trough which a pair eyes are looking right at him. "You didn't say please." the woman responds. From behind her he can hear a few others laughing. "Sounds like at least three more behind that door" he thinks. The woman continues; "but fine, i'll indulge you.
We are the Dark Brotherhood, Dragonborn. And someone really wants you dead." "Yeah?" he replies, "then they'll have to get in line." Again he hears the others laughing from behind the door. "Really, Dragonborn? From where i am standing they all won't have to wait long anymore." He crouches down and uses his hand to feel around him on the ground. The woman noticed it. "Don't bother, you dropped your bow. Nice thing though, the elves sure know how to create a masterpiece. I think i'll keep it." The Dragonborn clenches his teeth. "So what now? You're gonna kill me?" he asks. "All in due time, Dragonborn. You and i both know that, even if you're hurt pretty bad, it'll still be suicide for me to get in that room with you. You just sit tight hun, after a few days you'll be weak enough for us to kill so get comfortable. Time moves slow in a cell" she grins, "Trust me, I speak from experience."